The Greatest Truths

Sifting through all the facts of life,
there was always one that caused me strife.

Not harder than the others to believe,
nor impossible for me to begin to conceive.

But in among the truths that I had learned,
It was this one that in my heart so burned.

Was He really there or was it me...
to find this truth became my quest you see.

Of all the truths, to me made known,
it was these writings, said, to be His own.

And so my journey led me back through time,
Combing through all that I could find.

Archaeological records and ancient history,
anything that would help me solve this mystery.

It was at the point when in Him I began to believe,
when suddenly His truths became what I could cleave.

True, the more you read and understand of a certain writer,
the more your knowledge of them becomes brighter.

But of these truths I had searched it was not so,
they could not be understood until Him I came to know.

And so ever since the day I met The Lord,
my understanding of life's truths has soared.

You see, the greatest truths to be unfurled,
can only come from Him whom holds the world.

By Preston Pittman

I Love you.

Well, Here I am, my friend... as I promised. The poem kinda sums up what I said in my first letter to you. But I don't want to get ahead of things. I can't assume that you're ready to "give in" yet.

I mentioned last time, that I would talk more about the reliability of the bible. Of course this was so important to me and I know it is the same way with you too.

We must consider that the "reputable" bible translations were produced by a careful scholarship, through: textual criticism, linguistics, translation, grammar, vocabulary, style, and history. Various texts of the original language Testaments (Hebrew and Aramaic of the Old Testament and Greek of the New Testament) are published and generally available to actually see, along with documented accounts of how the texts were derived from existing copies over time. We must also consider that those scholars worked together, to ensure that the original languages were understood and translated accurately into the receptor language. You and I were not the first skeptics to have been born since those efforts were made... I know you've considered this, also. But, you can also find those arguments out there just as well... each with various interpretations of the renderings.... You can read and study them too. That is what I have done with my favored translation (The Amplified). In my study of the Amplified, I have researched critical, or key words, all the way back to the original word and noted important points through my copy. But I am confident of it's closeness to the original intent and meaning.

Some translations, such as the New American Standard, favor "formal equivalence," preserving much of the original language structure and vocabulary equivalence. Sometimes readers have difficulty understanding a culturally, linguistically, or historically unique statement with no close English parallel. Other translations, such as the New International Version, combine formal equivalence with "dynamic equivalence" for culturally or historically obscure texts.

In Paul's writings in the bible, he talks of the "sinful flesh" in a cultural and religious context that associates "flesh" with sacrifices, but in our culture, it is more readily understood as "sin nature" (Romans 7:18 NIV). Whether you prefer the literary beauty of the New King James, the complexities of the New American Standard, the concise clarity of the New International, or some other reputable translation, the text of the bibles we have today are still "essentially" what was written originally.

I'm sure you are also aware of the fulfilled prophecies contained within the text of the bible. Most popular or made aware of are those describing (with great detail) the coming of Jesus Christ, which were written some 900 years before it happened. But I should mention a few that have happened since that time. One is the mention of the Jewish people becoming it's own nation. You know this did not happen until 1948. Imagine what skeptics thought of this prophecy even up to the day before it came to pass. Yet, so many people had reached a "faithful" belief of the text for so many years before 1948. Even in the specific date that it did occur, there are amazing secrets revealed, but back to the issue of things happening long after this book foretells them... you must admit, it's "perfect" score, so far, says something!

Most disputes about the truthfulness of the Bible can be grouped into three categories: (1) misunderstandings; (2) ignorance of the facts; (3) dislike of its teachings. One example of an interpretive Bible problem is the common misunderstanding that "God of the Old Testament" is harshly judgmental while "Jesus of the New Testament" is lovingly forgiving. However, the God of the Bible is consistent from Genesis to Revelation in bringing judgment against unrepentant sin and forgiveness to those who repent... both attributed to love. Ezekiel 18 explains, "Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, he will die for it... But if a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life... I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit...I take no pleasure in the death of anyone... Repent and live!" (vv. 25-32).

Jesus makes the same kind of declaration in Matthew 23, pronouncing judgment against the Pharisees, calling them "blind fools," "hypocrites," "sons of hell," "full of hypocrisy and wickedness," "condemned to hell." But his loving desire for them to repent is evident as well: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing" (v. 37).

Interpretive (called hermeneutic in literary terms) problems range from misunderstanding the type of literature in a passage (confusing poetry with historical narrative, for example), through vocabulary, to confusing time and circumstance differences between two events.

Ignorance of the facts concerning the trustworthiness of the Bible can be embarrassing for critics. For example, for many years doubters disputed the New Testament accounts concerning Pontius Pilate. No hard artifact evidence existed confirming his existence and position, and later extra-biblical historical mention of him and his position was suspected as having been improperly assumed from the Christian scriptures and later creeds. Then, in 1961, archaeologists unearthed an early first century theater inscription at Caesarea Maritime in Israel, dedicated from "Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Judea," to "Tiberius Caesar." What the Christians had preserved in scripture and creed had achieved hard artifact verification nearly 2,000 years later.

Finally, some say they distrust the Bible when they really mean they don't like or agree with it. However, the Bible has more supporting its truthfulness than does any critic. The historical and textual evidence of the resurrection of Christ from the dead, for example, would compel anyone who did not already discount the existence of God to accept its reality. When Christ endorses the Bible, the wise man believes the Bible, even if he dislikes it.

I want to point out one more point in prophecies as it relates to the reliability of this bible, before I end this portion of my writing to you. Putting aside all those that have been fulfilled, we can look at those yet to have happened and find a sense of wonder. It should be quite alarming for even the skeptic to see how aligned history, news of current events, political and social plans for tomorrow, etc... with the detailed descriptions surrounding the bibles future prophecies in the books of Matthew, Revelations, and (if you understand dual prophecy... you can add Daniel, as well).

One of my urgencies in writing to you has a lot to do with these prophecies, because I am convinced that one of the end-time prophecies will leave you in a very terrible predicament... Should it occur before I have time to convince you to "come on in".

1 Corinthians 15:51-54 "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."

Now let's look at Daniel 12:

Dan. 12:1-3 "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people — everyone whose name is found written in the book — will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt."

Now look at 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18:

1 Thess: 4:15-18 "According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words."

You don't want to miss being a part of this event, because what happens after this is going to really be hard for those left, to endure. Well, I better stop here for now, my friend... but I hope you will keep searching. I am believing in you and I know as you get to the bottom of some of these issues, you will let go and let The Creator of this world really begin to pour out more truth than you can imagine. I want to go into non-christian truths that actually add to the reliability of the bible... Next time.

I love you friend. I really do. Preston
Keep Searching - Part I - Part II - Part III - Part IV