What do Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, Isaac Newton, Theodore Roosevelt, Helen Keller, John Quincy Adams, Woodrow Wilson, Samuel Morse, Daniel Webster, and Charles Dickens have in common?
May the following quotations serve to give us the answer:
“I decided a long time ago that it was less difficult to believe that the Bible was what it claimed to be than to disbelieve it.”1 – Abraham Lincoln
“A Bible and a newspaper in every house, a good school in every district – all studied and appreciated as they have merit – are the principal support of virtue, morality and civil liberty.”2 – Benjamin Franklin
“We account the Scriptures of God to be the most sublime philosophy. I find more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history whatsoever.”3 – Isaac Newton
“A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.”4 – Theodore Roosevelt
“The Bible is one mighty representative of the whole spiritual life of humanity.”5 – Helen Keller
“The first and almost the only book deserving of universal attention is the Bible.”6 – John Quincy Adams
“…The Bible…is the one supreme source of revelation of the meaning of life, the nature of God and spiritual nature and need of men. It is the Only guide of life which really leads the spirit in the way of peace and salvation.”7 – Woodrow Wilson
“The nearer I approach to the end of my pilgrimage, the clearer is the evidence of the divine origin of the Bible, the grandeur and sublimity of God’s remedy for fallen man are more appreciated, and the future is illumined with hope and joy.”8 – Samuel Morse
“If we abide by the principles taught by the Bible, our country will go on prospering.”9 – Daniel Webster
“The New Testament is the very best book that ever was or ever will be known in the world.”10 – Charles Dickens
But what would cause these great presidents, scientists, and world famous people of the past to echo such high praises for one book? Perhaps they understood that there must be something very special about the central figure of the Bible – Jesus Christ!
Just how special was Jesus? – may the following three quotes leave you with something to ponder on:
“This Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms conquered more millions than Alexander, Caesar, Mohammed, and Napoleon; without science or learning, He has shed more light on things human and divine than all philosophers and scholars combined; without the eloquence of schools, He spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since, and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet; without writing a single line, He set more pens in motion and furnished themes for more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art, and songs of praise, than the whole army of great men of ancient and modern times.”11 – Philip Schaff (historian).
“As the centuries pass, the evidence is accumulating that, measured by His effect on history, Jesus is the most influential life ever lived on this planet. That influence appears to be mounting.”12 – Kenneth Scott Latourette (historian).
“I am an historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history.”13 – H. G. Wells (English writer and historian).
Just who is Jesus Christ? Clearly, He is the central figure in the Bible. He was fully man and fully God. And He was also fully unique and definitely the most influential personage in history.
1 Hal Lindsey, The Terminal Generation (New York: Bantam Books, Inc., 1980), p. 106.
2 Dictionary of American Maxims, compiled by David Kin, (New York: Philosophical Library, Inc., 1955), p. 40.
3 Henry M. Morris, Men of Science: Men of God (El Cajon, CA: Master Books, 1988), pp. 23, 26.
4 BrainyQuote: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/theodore_roosevelt_147900
5 Dictionary of American Maxims, compiled by David Kin, (New York: Philosophical Library, Inc., 1955), p. 40.
6 The Rebirth of America (Philadelphia: Arthur S. DeMoss Foundation, 1986), p. 37.
7 The Rebirth of America (Philadelphia: Arthur S. DeMoss Foundation, 1986), p. 37.
8 Henry M. Morris, Men of Science: Men of God (El Cajon, CA: Master Books, 1988), p. 47.
9 Dictionary of American Maxims, compiled by David Kin, (New York: Philosophical Library, Inc., 1955), p. 40.
10 AZquotes.com: https://www.azquotes.com/quote/543341
11 Goodreads.com: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/8345526-jesus-of-nazareth-without-money-and-arms-conquered-more-millions
12 Josh McDowell, More than a Carpenter (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1988), p. 8.
13 Apologetics315.com: https://apologetics315.com/2013/06/h-g-wells-on-the-historicity-of-jesus/
All of your posts take a lot of study. I appreciate that and learn so much from you.