I do not simply believe the Bible because the Bible itself says it is true. Sure, I find truth and my faith is strengthened by reading the scriptures and there is plenty of information in the Bible that convinces me of the truth & reality of Christianity. I have often heard the question: “Why do you believe the Bible just because the Bible says itself is true?” I would like to point out in my experiences that there is multiple evidences in & out of the Bible which have lead me to my faith.
I am in no way attempting to diminish the writings of the Bible or take away from the impact that it has on Christians, I only want to point out that not every reason I believe in Christianity is simply because the Bible says it is true. Below I will post a few examples I have given elsewhere on this site. I call the mentioned occurrences “synchronizations”. However, that is a term I have dubbed this phenomenon to distinguish them from mere coincidences as I believe they are more than coincidence & I am aware many will only see them as just that; coincidences. These are but only a minute fraction that I have encountered & granted some seem easier to dismiss than others.
Again, I am not trying to diminish the content of the Bible and the affect it has on Christians, but I only want to point out (for me at least) there is evidence outside of the Bible that points to Christianity as true, and the below posted content is but only one example. I can already hear the question: “so you believe in Christianity based on mere coincidences?”; which I do deem as a valid question but I have experienced these “synchronizations” more times than I can count & the below material is only touching the surface of. I even saw numerous occurrences of these before I became a Christian which I too dismissed as coincidence but it got to the point to where there were so many “synchronizations” pertaining to Christianity (and far surpassed any other coincidences that I have ever encountered) that I could no longer ascribe the occurrences as mere coincidence.
Also since these “synchronizations” have been occurring I have been told by fellow friends in Christ that they routinely experience very similar occurrences, which I was not made aware of until after I discussed these occurrences of my own with them, I had no clue they had experienced these occurrences as well until I mentioned them myself. I am not saying this is what occurs for all Christians, but it has for me. In reading the following statements you will find I refer to instances related to television programming in some way, I hope this does not detour from the sincerity I place on such events.
1) The following example can also be found on my profile page as it is listed as part of my “testimony” & occurred while I was not a Christian. A good friend and I were discussing how Christianity, Islam and Judaism corresponded with one another in the past and present. Our discussion lasted for a couple hours or so. Within seconds after the discussion we turned the television on and the station (we didn’t have to change the channel as it was already on the correct station when we turned it on) was showing a documentary on how Christianity, Islam and Judaism corresponded with one another in the past and present. Also, the topics discussed on documentary went over almost all of the material me and my friend had been discussing ourselves just moments earlier.
2) A good friend and I were discussing the “unpardonable sin” and I was thumbing through the New Testament trying to locate in the Scriptures where it is discussed (I believe it is discussed in multiple places) and we were unable to find where the “unpardonable sin” is located. At this point I closed my Bible on my thumb holding a random place in the New Testament and proceed to look up a page number to locate such Scripture in the concordance in the back of my Bible. Once I found a chapter and verse reference in the concordance I flipped back to the page that my thumb was holding a random place in the New Testament. I looked down to see where in the New Testament I was so I could then proceed to get my “bearings” and I noticed my thumb was right below the chapter and verse I was referred to by the concordance and it was actually the information me and my friend were trying to locate all along.
3) I attended a friend of mine’s church for morning service, and the sermon the Pastor gave started reviewing a specific chapter (in it’s entirety) of the New Testament. After which the Pastor proceeded to review the chapter (in it’s entirety) that immediately preceded the chapter the Pastor had just discussed. The Pastor was trying to make a point, that regardless of how Scripture appears to be divided by chapter numbers (and even sometimes titles) that we should read the chapters in order to receive the correct context. When I arrived at home after the service that day, I turned on the television and started watching a Pastor (I do not put much stock into most Pastors/Preacher/Evangelists/ect… on television, but this particular one I believe I have learned from) who proceeded to review the exact same chapters and in reverse order as the Pastor had earlier that day, also stating that regardless of how Scripture appears to be divided by chapter numbers (and even sometimes titles) that we should read the chapters in order to receive the correct context).
4) One of my friends attends a Lutheran Church, and I have attended the Lutheran church with him on multiple occasions. I happened to be in a Christian bookstore and I noticed they had a “Lutheran Handbook”. I also wanted to purchase for a different friend (who is in the U.S. Army stationed in Iraq) a Bible that was produced for Army personal (which was personal sized, in a water proof container, and has inspirational speeches from presidents and notable Military officers in it, and had the official U.S. Army seal on it). I decided to purchase the “Army Bible” for my friend instead of buying the “Lutheran Handbook”. I was very interested in the “modern day Lutheran Church” at the time and hoped to get it at some later point. The following Sunday I yet again attended the Lutheran church with my friend, and afterwards I had a meeting with the Pastor there in her office discussing much of the Lutheran Church “Theology”. Before I left the Pastor offered me a free “Lutheran Handbook”. The “Lutheran Handbook" was the exact same one I had seen just recently at the Christian bookstore. It had the same binding, color and picture on the front as well. I did not know they had these handbooks for distribution until that day.
5) I was doing some self Bible Study and for some reason I could remember only a fraction of the 10 commandments (I know bad right? heh) so I was thumbing through my Bible trying to locate the 10 commandments but I was unable to. The television was on in the background muted and I decided to give my brain a rest for a moment (as I was concentrating on my Bible Study for quite some time) and un-muted the television which was showing Law & Order (I’m a big Law & Order fan), and on Law & Order (as soon as I un-muted the television) was a Jewish man reciting the 10 commandments.
6) As I was getting ready for church one morning I had the television on a station which was showing an Evangelist giving a sermon. In this sermon he was discussing “Postmodernism”. Simply put the Evangelist was talking about how it appears today’s culture is affecting Christians more than Christians are affecting culture. The sermon that same morning at church was the same topic: “it appears today’s culture is affecting Christians more than Christians are affecting culture”. Both the television Evangelist and the Preacher at church that morning used the term “Postmodernism” to clarify what they were discussing. That day was the first time I had heard the term “Postmodernism” used that I can ever remember.
7) As I was getting ready for church one morning I had the television on a station which was showing an Evangelist giving a sermon. In this sermon he was discussing three different types of “Love” found in the New Testament. The three types (found in Greek terminology) being Agape, Eros and Philia (iirc). The sermon that same morning at church was the same topic: discussing “three different types of “Love” found in the New Testament. The three types being Agape, Eros and Philia (iirc).” This was the first time I can ever remember being made aware of this topic at all.