Wayne Jackson, in my opinion, is one of the best students of the Bible the church has produced in our lifetime. His articles, books, and commentaries have blessed numerous lives.
Jackson once wrote an article titled, “Skeptics Who Could Not Dispute The Evidence.” It gave examples of several men who, at one time in life, opposed the word of God and openly challenged the validity of it. But, each man changed his view.
The story of one of those men, William Ramsey, is particularly intriguing. Born in Scotland in 1851, Ramsey was interested in religion. Unfortunately, he came under the influence of liberal German scholars who tried to discredit much of the authorship of the Bible. He was taught that Luke did not really write the book of Acts. Instead, it was suggested that a second-century author had penned it, trying to influence people of the day with an imaginative description of the early church.
Ramsey was so taken by this belief that he traveled to the Bible lands in an attempt to completely discredit Luke. His intensive research instead only confirmed Luke’s accuracy in reporting details within his account. The skeptic became a staunch defender of the Bible’s reliability. He wrote, “…Luke’s history is unsurpassed in respect of its trustworthiness. You may press the words of Luke in a degree beyond any other historian’s, and they stand the keenest scrutiny…”
Can people change? Do you recall a man from Tarsus named Saul? He wrote to young Timothy, “…I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man…” (I Timothy 1:13). That same man will always be remembered as one of the most ardent advocates of the gospel that the world has ever known.
Paul, that same man, would write to a group of people about fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetous people, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners, adding “And such were some of you.” (I Corinthians 6:11).
Let’s not give up on people who need to change. After all, at one time, we were among them! …Allen Hahn
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