Patterns of Evidence: The Moses ControversySample

In our culture today the word “Bible” brings a variety of images and ideas to people’s minds. From personal condemnation to public controversy, from accusations of fairytales to certainty of facts, from a history book to Heaven-sent promises, people tend to have preconceived opinions based on everything from family background to personal experiences. But the overriding question is why does one single book consistently create such a stir among humanity over thousands of years, generation after generation?

One obvious answer is that no other book claims to tell us Who God is and how to get to Heaven while also giving advice on living wisely as well as personal promises, all in His own words.

Yet for centuries, people have declared the Bible to be only a book of:

Questionable recorded history

• Myths and spiritual fables passed down


• Traditional teachings by clergy


• Archaic and out-dated laws and commands from      the religious, for the religious

Watch and listen as Tim Mahoney explains the problem many scholars have with the writing of the Torah, along with the pattern Tim Mahoney seeks as evidence.

So, does what anyone else says about the Bible really matter for your life? If others, even experts, claim that Scripture is all lies or one hundred percent true, the real question that remains is what do you personally believe about this book? Is Scripture true to you and for you?

In every generation, there are those who simply care nothing about the Bible and would never even consider reading its pages, much less apply the words to their lives. Then there are those who make their life mission to loudly declare the Bible to be a book of lies and deception. There are also many people that believe the Bible is not the Word of God, but still respect it as a sacred text with valuable counsel for life. Last, there are people that believe, read, understand, and live according to its Words. 

Today’s passage is God telling His people to daily integrate His words into every aspect of their lives. These verses encourage us to allow Him to influence and impact our actions from morning to night, from our homes to our influence in the community. But of course, our personal level of belief in His Word will directly impact our choice of whether to take action in what God tells us to do in passages like Deuteronomy 6.

What aspects of today’s verses describe your personal commitment to Scripture and which ones are challenging?