Reflection Paper 1 Liberty University

When I was growing up, my parents took me to church every Sunday. I always felt confident in my religious beliefs and the foundation that it was built on, the Bible. I was never required to prove the existence of God or provide evidence to support the Bible. It wasn’t until I took a college course in Bible literature that I became concerned about providing these answers.
On the first day of class, we were asked if we knew where the books of the Bible came from. I had a general idea on how to answer my professor, but felt uncertain about my response. It was at that moment that I was inspired to research the history of scriptures. I suddenly had a desire to discover verifiable facts so that I would be better prepared to give a logical and convincing defense for the book that I so cherished.
My research began by examining the authenticity of the ancient Bible manuscripts. I always believed the books were inspired by a divine authority, and not simply important church documents. My professor, however, insisted that man chose the books of the Bible over a period of time, because they helped the greatest amount of people with their faith.
When I was researching this issue, I discovered that the
I traveled with a small group for fourteen days to see the significant archaeological sites of the Holy Land. It was at one place in particular, the Sea of Galilee, that I experienced a sudden internal peace. I recalled the words spoken by Jesus to Peter, as Peter began to sink into the sea, “You do not have much faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” It was then that I finally understood that my desire to know more about the Bible’s origins did not mean that I had lost my faith in its contents. Actually, quite the opposite had occurred. It was the questioning that brought a greater understanding of the foundation of my