"The church of God which He purchased with His own blood." (Acts 20:28)

Paul tells us in Acts 20:28 that God purchased us with His own blood. It was Jesus who shed His blood for us and saved us from our sins. Jesus IS God.

Jesus Christ is Yehovah-Elohim in the flesh. Do You want to know what God is like? Study the life, character, words and deeds of Jesus, because whatever Jesus is doing is what God is doing and what God is like.

In Chapters 6 of Section 1 and Chapter 1 of Section 3 I discuss what the Bible teaches about the creation of man and how to come to Jesus to know His will and plan for Your life. What I want to discuss in this chapter is how we know that what the Bible teaches about the creation of the earth, the universe, man and what it claims about Jesus Christ of Nazareth is true. In this Section of the Textbook I document historically, scientifically, and archaeologically the absolute accuracy and inerrancy of the Bible. Though the facts I document show us the Bible is reliable in all these areas, this does not prove to us that what Jesus claimed about Himself recorded in the Bible is true and that the Bible is God’s Holy Word and God’s Word ALONE. Anybody can write a religious book and claim it is from God and many have. Who is right and who is wrong? Why do I believe Jesus is the only true God and the only way to God and that the Bible is his only Word and written revelation to man. Peter wrote,

"But know this first of all, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s-own authority-to-loose to-cause-to-come-into-existence, for no prophecy was-ever brought-forth by the will of man, but being-brought-forth by the Holy Spirit, men of God spoke." (2 Peter 1:20-21, DPKB)³⁸⁸

Probably the most bigoted statement in history is Jesus’ statement in John 14:6, "I-AM the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me." Either what Jesus said in this passage is true or he was very much deluded and insane, not someone to be worshiped and adored, because he told us our salvation depended on our coming to God through Him and Him alone. But getting back to the question, Why do I believe that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, our Creator and the only true God and that the Bible is His Word and His word alone? Two reasons:

1. Because of Jesus’ physical resurrection from the dead.

2. And because of the more than 2,000 prophecies in the Bible which have been literally fulfilled in history.

First, I believe the Bible is God’s Holy Word and God’s Word alone because when Jesus was asked what His proofs to His claims were that He was God in the flesh, our creator, our only means of salvation and that the Bible is God’s Holy Word and His Word alone, He did not say in response "Hey! Don’t ask questions! Just believe!!!" No, Jesus never said that. Jesus said very solemnly and clearly in response "Kill My physical body and I will raise it up on the third day!" Jesus claimed to be God in the flesh our Creator. The Apostle John tells us that He became man, took on our human nature, through Holy Spirit conception of the Virgin Mary. He grew up among us with all of our temptations, trials, pains and sorrows. When He reached full age Jesus began His ministry. During His ministry He loved us, fed us, and healed us. What did man do in response? We didn’t want Him around so we killed Him by nailing Him to a cross. In Roman law it required four officers to confirm a condemned criminal was dead before they could take him down off of a cross and bury him. Just to make sure Jesus was dead a Roman soldier speared Jesus through His heart. Rome declared Jesus DEAD! He was buried and a Roman Seal was placed upon the tomb. What does that mean? It means if anyone had broken that seal by rolling back the 2,000lb stone, the penalty was death with no questions asked.

What happened? Three days later Jesus rose from the dead. Were there any witnesses? The Apostle Paul wrote about Jesus’ resurrection:

"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as it were to one untimely born, He appeared to me also." (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)

Paul tells us that there were over 512 witnesses to the fact of Jesus’ physical resurrection. Well, maybe they were just distraught and saw what they thought was Jesus in the distance like a ghost and then the vision was gone. On the Surface that sounds like a good argument. I had a Psychology major tell me that once, but what else does the Bible tell us about Jesus’ physical resurrection? One of the writers of the Bible was a physician, a doctor. His name was Luke. He wrote one of the Gospels in the New Testament, The Gospel of Luke, and He also traveled with the Apostles on their missionary journeys and kept a journal of all they did and saw. This journal is in the New Testament also and is called The Book of Acts. Note what Luke says about what he wrote in the beginning of these two books:

"Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the Word have handed them down to us, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus³⁵²; so that you might know the exact truth about the things you have been taught." (Luke 1:1-4)

"The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. To these He also presented Himself alive, after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God." (Acts 1:1-3)

First, Luke tells us that he "investigated everything carefully" in order to know "the exact truth" about Jesus’ life and what Jesus taught. In Acts 1:1-3 Luke tells us that not only did Jesus rise from the dead with more than 512 witnesses to the fact, but that He walked with His disciples for forty days after His resurrection. Therefore, they had plenty of time to examine his railroad spike holes in his hands and the hole in his side from the spear and know that this really was Jesus Christ of Nazareth crucified three days earlier and declared dead by four Roman officers. So it wasn’t an illusion, Jesus really did rise from the dead. Paul explained to the audience he wrote 1 Corinthians Chapter 15 to that if they did not believe Him, all they had to do was ask the more than five-hundred witnesses still living who could verify His story. There has never been found one document of the first century which contradicts this writing of Paul. It was a contemporary issue. If it wasn’t true, all anyone needed to do was produce the body and that would have been the end of the story and everyone would have gone home and Christianity would have died right then. However, Jesus’ disciples after His resurrection preached in the very Temple of the Jews about Jesus’ death and resurrection for their sins and thousands and thousands of Jews turned to Jesus as a result. Why? Because He had just died and risen from the dead and no one could refute this truth or produce a dead body to prove otherwise.