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1. Reliability - Truth must be written down, and those writings must be intact, cohesive, and accurate.
   

   Anything not written down is unreliable, because it is not permanent, and no one can go back and check what is said.
   My personal experience is not reliable because it is too limited.
   Societal norms and values are unreliable because they're too changeable.
   Science is unreliable because it does not answer the "big" questions of life.
   

2. Claim - The writings must claim to be from God, and any people being written about must say who they claim to be. It is not enough to have some good teacher spread his or her message, and then have other people make claims about that teacher.
   
3. Corroboration - Something miraculous or cosmic must prove that the message is of divine origin.
   
4. Commitment - The people claiming to have the truth must live by it in order to witness to their sincerity.

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The Bible is The Standard for Truth

Reliability -

• The Bible is intact. Over 5,000 manuscripts and partial manuscripts scattered over three continents prove that the Bible text is true to the original writings. No other ancient document even comes CLOSE to that mark. Read about ancient Bible Manuscripts.

• The Bible is accurate. No scientific or historical detail from the Bible has ever been proven inaccurate, period. In fact, several details have been disputed by scholars, and then proven accurate by later archaeological discoveries (e.g., the existence of the Hittites, the existence of Ur, the existence of Pontius Pilate, the existence of Jesus, etc.) or scientific discoveries! (e.g., the fact that the world is round, the fact that the earth is suspended in mid-air or space, the fact that the oceans have currents and create a jet stream, etc.)

• The Bible is cohesive. Some 40 authors living over some 1,500 years, scattered over several countries, and writing in three different languages, all speak with a unified voice (in spite of very different writing styles) on a common theme: the coming of God's anointed to redeem mankind.

Claim - The Bible claims to be the word of God. Note the numerous Old Testament references to people claiming to speak for the Lord. Also see 2 Timothy 3:16. Then in the New Testament, notice 2 Peter 3:16. ("Scripture" means holy writing.) Also, Jesus claims to be God's anointed, the very Son of God, and the exclusive path to the Father. (E.g., John 8:58; 14:6)

Corroboration - Many religions claim to be supported by miracles, but only the Bible tells of several people performing various miracles in order to show that their message is from God. Most modern "miracles" have no message accompanying them, and do not have the same characteristics as miracles from Bible times.
Coming soon... What Makes a Miracle a Miracle

Commitment - All twelve of Jesus' apostles (13, counting Paul) who preached after seeing Jesus following His resurrection accepted persecution and gave their lives for their teachings rather than recant and live. These eyewitnesses can be trusted. There were too many to claim they were mass hallucinating. There were too many, and their backgrounds were too different, to claim that they were all brainwashed. They had nothing to gain from preaching their message; they did not benefit by personal pleasure (e.g., with many wives or riches), or prestige (e.g., a large following).

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Religions That Use A Different Standard

Many religions claim to use an UPDATE to the Bible (the concept of "continuing revelation").
On close examination, however, these "updates" do not hold up to scrutiny. For example . . .

Islam - A prophet came along hundreds of years after the Bible was written. He performed no accompanying miracles, and accepted only part of the Bible. This means that when there is something in the Bible that does not fit Islamic teachings, the Bible's teaching is REJECTED.

Mormonism ("Latter-Day Saints") - Several, if not all, of the founders of Mormonism recanted their claims before their deaths. To them, "the Bible is the inspired word of God insofar as it accurately translated." — This means that anytime the Book of Mormon conflicts with the Bible, the Book of Mormon is accepted OVER the Bible. However, the Book of Mormon does not even claim, in its own pages, to be inspired by God.

Catholicism - Many signs and miracles are claimed, but with no accompanying revelation. Tradition is equally authoritative as the Bible. This means that anytime the Church's Tradition conflicts with the Bible, Tradition is accepted OVER the Bible.

Seventh-Day Adventism - A revelation from a prophet with no accompanying miracles.

Pentecostalism - New revelations are being received weekly, but are not even written down.

Strange note: All of the religions mentioned here supposedly believe that the Bible (or at least parts of it) is from God!

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Conclusion:

Only the Bible can be the Standard for Truth.

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Further your study:

Read Bible verses about the Purpose of Miracles.
Read a Bible lesson about the End of Miracles.
Read Bible verses about Continuing Revelation.

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Written by Ink Man

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