The Bible: A Book of Fact or Fiction?
Today, many people claim that much of the Bible, particularly the Genesis account, simply does not agree with history.
What do you think? Do you believe that the characters mentioned in the Bible were real people?
Two of such characters are mentioned in our Bible Reading this week: Adam -1 Chronicles 1:1 and Noah- in verse 4
Is there any evidence to indicate that they really lived?
Among the evidence supporting their historicity is The Bible’s Internal Evidence.
Some people are surprised to learn that Adam and Noah are mentioned repeatedly throughout the Bible.
“[God] made out of one man every nation of men.”—ACTS 17:26.
“Through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus . . . death ruled as king from Adam down to Moses.”—ROMANS 5:12, 14.
“The first man Adam became a living soul.”—1 CORINTHIANS 15:45.• “Adam was formed first, then Eve.”—1 TIMOTHY
“The seventh one in line from Adam, Enoch, prophesied also regarding [the wicked].”—JUDE 14.
More important, Jesus Christ, the most credible witness in the Bible, acknowledged the existence of Adam and Noah.
When challenged on the subject of divorce, Jesus answered: “From the beginning of creation ‘[God] made them male and female.” –
What light do these references shed on the historicity of the Bible account?
Consider, for example, the genealogical records in the Bible. There are two Jewish ancestral lists testifying that Adam and Noah were real persons.
The first, recorded in First Chronicles chapters 1 to 9, is compiled by Ezra while the second is in the Gospel of Luke chapter 3.
These remarkably detailed genealogical records span 48 and 75 generations respectively. Luke traces Jesus Christ’s lineage to Noah, while Ezra records the royal and priestly ancestral lines for the nation of Israel.
Both lists include the names of such well-known figures as Solomon, David, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Noah, and finally Adam.
All the names in the two lists represent real people, and Adam was the original real person on each list
Lessons
When we understand that people in the Bible are, not mythical characters, but real people, we better appreciate the lessons we learn from their example.
Genesis 6:9 says “Noah walked with the true God.”
This teaches us obedience to Jehovah even in difficult situations.
The account about Noah tells us the precise year, month, and day when the Deluge began, when and where the ark came to rest, and when the earth dried off.
Details about the ark are also precise—the layout, the measurements, and the material used to build it. That is factual.
By contrast, fictions are usually vague in their description.
Consider, too the issue of m ransom. Jesus Christ gave his perfect human life as a ransom to save people from their sins.
As we know, a ransom is a payment of a corresponding value to redeem or buy back something lost or forfeited. That is why the Bible describes Jesus as “a corresponding ransom.” (1 Timothy 2:6)
Corresponding to what, we might ask? The Bible answers in 1 Corinthians 15:22: Read
“Just as in Adam all are dying, so also in the Christ all will be made alive.”
The perfect life that Jesus sacrificed to redeem obedient mankind corresponds to the perfect life that Adam lost as a result of the original sin in Eden.
Clearly, if Adam did not exist, Christ’s ransom sacrifice would be rendered completely meaningless.
