Prophecies: don't use the Bible to prove the Bible is true

Circular logic doesn't work. If the prophecies in the Bible are true then the prophecies in Harry Potter must also be true, simply because the later books 'proved' the prophecies were right.

Or in the words of Stephen Colbert (Daily Show):

First off it's not my logic, Steve, it's God's logic, as written in the Bible, every word of which is true. And we know every word is true because the Bible says that the Bible is true and, if you remember from earlier in this sentence, every word of the Bible is true. Now are you following me here or are you some kind of mindless zealot?

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[TylerOmega]

@rianpop Conversations are always more effective than debates. It's nice meeting a Christian who actually reads the bible. You've given me a lot to research as well. =D

[TylerOmega]

@TylerOmega I think John was assembled by the earliest Church in order to increase the faith of the doubting people.

“Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

But 100 years pass and still no apocalypse, so Chapter 21 was written in order to create a loophole, an extension; to suggest there is ONE disciple that will LIVE forever and HE'S the one writing this... so you know it's true.

Problem solved.

[TylerOmega]

@TylerOmega If early Christians had been reading the other Gospels for 3 decades now, they would believe the world was about to end.  Jesus, told his disciples, "there are some of you here who will not taste death before they see the son of man returning in the clouds." He straight up told em, 'I'll be right back'.

Imagine the people in John's time who are starting to doubt. The disciples would be pushin 90 by now! If they all died, what would that mean?

[TylerOmega]

@rianpop Take note how the author ends chapter 20 and 21 the exact same way. When I read Chapter 20, I feel the finality of it.

"Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."

Why would Jesus perform another miracle in Chapter 21 after John wraps things up and brings the miracles to a close?

[rianpop]

@TylerOmega well I don't know about you but I have enjoyed this discussion very much so. it certainly is better than arguing and fighting and cursing back and forth over the internet. this has been very respectful and I have enjoyed researching what I believe. not that my faith was blind before but the more I learn the more I grow and the stronger I get in faith.

[rianpop]

@TylerOmega Scripture is clear that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. your aforementioned cloud appearance didn't happen b/c it HASN'T happened...yet. but when the dead are raised for the final judgement they WILL see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven.

[rianpop]

@rianpop however, there is no indication that John 21 was added later. the grammar fits and by the way John begins his gospel (1:1-18) the ending is fitting as well. the ending of John wraps up a number of questions left hanging at the end of chp. 20.we find out what happens to Peter, and John and why other miracles aren't mentioned in John. So chp 21 fits the rest of the book and is original to the text. finally the end of chp 21 most fittingly concludes the gospel whereas 20:30-31 did not fit.

[rianpop]

@rianpop problem: same census was issued in 8 BC, too early for Christ's birth. solution: census took 2-4 years to be administered in Judea due to political problems between Herod and Rome. Luke is a very well respected account of history by history Scholars. the book of Acts contains the most detailed information we have about Roman shipping that we have in Ancient texts

[rianpop]

@rianpop I could go through hundreds of examples to tell you but time would fail me. lets take Luke for one last example: Luke 2 mentions Quirinus as governor of Syria when Jesus was born. Problem: Quirinus was governor from 6-9 AD 10 years after Herod died. solution: In 1764 stone fragments are found describing a man who governed Syria TWICE under Augustus. no name is mentioned but the profile fits none other than Quinrinus...

[rianpop]

@rianpop in history books and for hundreds of years people would say the Bible wasn't true because _____ wasn't found anywhere in history and time and again believing and unbelieving archaeologists have found that the Bible IS accurate. take the Hittite empire for example. the OT mentions the Hittites dominating Palestine in a particular time period. NOWHERE else in history is it mentioned this way but then 100 years ago archaeologists found Hittite ruins that proved the Bible correct...