I was recently discussing with someone the validity — truth — of the Old Testament, not just in its prophecies or wise sayings, but also in its history, including a six- day creation in the relatively recent past, the global and totally destructive nature of Noah’s Flood, and even the parting of the Red Sea. This person’s position was that, the New Testament can be believed, but the Old Testament was written by so many different men over so long a time, that error had been introduced, and incidents like the above could not be believed at face value.
ME: "What would it take for you to believe, say, the truth of Noah’s Flood as recorded in Genesis?"
THEM: "Well, perhaps if there were some evidence that it occured that way, but there just isn’t any."
ME: "But the New Testament can be believed."
THEM: "Oh yes!"
ME: "What about the words and deeds of Jesus — are they accurate, or invented?"
THEM: "Accurate, of course."
ME: "You just contradicted yourself, my friend. Jesus disagrees with you about the Old Testament."
THEM: ::: shock :::
ME: "Let me show you: in Luke 16:19-31, Jesus told a story about a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus. In the course of time, both of them died and went to their reward — the rich man to burning torment in Hades, and the poor man to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man pleaded with Father Abraham that he send Lazarus to cool his tongue, but Abraham replied that it would not be possible."
"And [the rich man] said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house– for I have five brothers –so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets [a Hebrew idiom meaning the entire Old Testament]; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’" Luke 16:27-31
ME: "Those who have already closed their ears to "Moses and the Prophets" will not be convinced no matter how much evidence is laid in front of them. Now these are the words of Jesus, which you admitted are accurate and to be believed. Do you still believe them? If you do, you must also believe Moses and the Prophets. Or you could continue in your contradictory and illogical beliefs, but do not consider yourself wise in them anymore, because no wise man embraces contradictions and illogic and calls it good."
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