From its infancy in Jerusalem the Christian church has endured constant attack. Physical persecution failed to stop the first missionaries and their converts. By AD. 395 Theodosius the Great established Christianity as the religion of the Roman empire. The attack grew more intellectual and from other cultures: Gnosticism, Manichaeanism, Montanism, and the religions of the pagan nations. Thoughtful leaders led the church to growing clarity in its doctrine concerning Christ and the Bible. As physical persecution had failed so intellectual challenge met defeat. Faith in the Bible as God's Word grew more established.

During the Dark Ages the scholars of the Christian church were the keepers of the light of learning. The best minds of the Western world grew in understanding of the validity of the Bible.

As the light grew into the fifteenth century, reformers such as Savonarola and John Huss began to denounce the corruption of the church but the validity of the Bible stood firm.

The sixteenth century responded to the courage of Martin Luther, John Calvin, and the Mennonites. Great minds challenged the authority of the church by exalting the authority of the Bible.

The eighteenth century witnessed both the benefits of Wesley's fidelity to the Bible and the horrors of the "blood bath" of the French departure from the Bible. Both the revival and the revolution proved the value of the Bible in human society.

The point in this brief review of history focuses upon the fact that the best minds in history have both defended and opposed the Bible's authenticity. In every case the Bible has proved its value and its validity.

Since the first century and through the nineteenth century, famed scholars have been earnest Christians. For almost two thousand years a multitude of recognized intellects have been part and parcel with the Christian faith. Yet these scholars were defenders of the integrity of the Bible and the deity of Jesus Christ.

During the twentieth century when the academic world has become increasingly secularized, Christian scholarship has continued to thrive. Yet no school of academic thought has been able to bring any time-accepted accusation against the validity of the Bible or the deity of the Christ. The hammers of opposition wear out; the Bible anvil stands strong.

The voyage of Columbus proved that the world was round and not flat.

The experiments of Pasteur proved that life is not spontaneously generated.

Scientific error has not been able to stand against the barrage of investigation during the Christian era but the validity of the Bible has stood every test.

Common sense cannot accept the explanation that the Christian faith in the validity of the Bible continues because adequate scholarship has made no investigation.

Common sense cannot accept the explanation that no scholar of adequate stature has arisen to challenge the validity of the Bible and of Jesus as the Son of God.

Common sense can accept only the explanation that the greatest minds of the centuries have been compelled by the facts and constant study to confirm the church's faith in the validity of the Bible and the deity of Jesus.

Common sense has no other reasonable alternative!

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