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New Film ‘The God Who Speaks’ Helps the Faithful Answer Questions from Skeptics—and Christians, Too
New Movie from the American Family Association Invites Apologists, Authors and Thinkers to Examine Bible’s Authority and Trustworthiness
TUPELO, Miss.—More than half of Americans say the Bible is a good source of morals, about a third say it’s “helpful,” and a growing segment—19 percent in 2017, up from 10 percent in 2011—say it’s simply a book of teachings and stories written by men.
The filmmakers for the new American Family Association (AFA, www.afa.net) 90-minute documentary “The God Who Speaks” hope viewers will see that the Bible is so much more.
These findings detailed by Christianity Today last year, based on research from LifeWay, American Bible Society (ABS) and the Barna Group, are evidence that Americans have strong feelings about the Bible—and some uncertainly, too. For example, on the flipside, 81 percent told ABS and Barna they believe the Bible is the actual or inspired word of God.
“The God Who Speaks,” produced by American Family Studios (www.americanfamilystudios.net), a division of AFA, is a powerful 90-minute documentary that explores the evidence of the Bible’s inspiration and authority through some of the world’s most respected biblical scholars.
M.D. Perkins, the movie’s director, said he and others realize that both non-Christians and Christians alike have many questions about the Bible, but that the quest for truth played a significant role in the making of “The God Who Speaks.”
“There are and always have been battles for the truth, particularly for what the Bible is and what it claims,” Perkins said. “People are very comfortable with the idea of the Bible as an ancient text that describes how an ancient people thought about God and religion. They are not comfortable at all saying that the Bible is God’s revelation of Himself and has binding authority on us today. But that’s exactly what the Bible claims and what the Christian church—when it’s been healthy—has believed for generations. In many ways it is a spiritual battle—it isn’t purely intellectual—and it’s ultimately a battle over the foundation of truth.”
Based on the studies it cited, Christianity Today asked readers this question: If you think the Bible was written only by humans, do you think it was meant to be manipulative or controlling? Almost 4 out of 5 skeptics said yes—about 13 percent of the U.S. population. Shockingly, a similar number told LifeWay the Bible was bigoted (8 percent) or harmful (7 percent).
“The God Who Speaks” aims to clear up misconceptions about the Bible through major players in apologetics, including the recently passed R.C. Sproul of Ligonier Ministries, Alistair Begg of Parkside Church, Norman Geisler of Veritas International University and co-founder of Southern Evangelical Seminiary, Josh McDowell of Josh McDowell Ministries, R. Albert Mohler of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Alex McFarland of Alex McFarland Ministries and Frank Turek of Cross Examined Ministries, along with many others. These experts seek to answer biblical questions such as the following:
- What is the historical context behind the writing of the New Testament?
- What is the meaning of inspiration?
- How can we harmonize the seeming differences in the gospel accounts?
- How does manuscript tradition confirm apostolic authorship of the New Testament?
- What is the Apocrypha?
- How did the spread and copying of New Testament manuscripts occur?
- What are the basics of biblical textual criticism?
Tom Phillips, vice president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, offers these words about “The God Who Speaks”: “Billy Graham is known for saying ‘The Bible says…,’ often 30 to 50 times in his sermons, for over 50 years. And, God, honoring His Word, convicted and redeemed individuals in the audiences, heart by heart, person by person, lives changed forever. This is the power of the God who speaks by the power of the Holy Spirit through His Word, the Holy Bible. This film, ‘The God Who Speaks—Tracing the Evidence for Biblical Authority,’ is a masterpiece reflecting the true lineage, character and efficacy of the Word of God. Every person, whether secular, of another faith or a follower of Jesus, will be enlightened seeing this documentary.”
“The God Who Speaks” is also produced by Jeff Chamblee, director of American Family Studios. For more on the film, click here. The two-DVD set with two hours of bonus content, as well as a digital rental, is available for purchase at afastore.net/the-god-who-speaks.
American Family Studios was launched in 2011 as a way to advance the Christian worldview into an increasingly media rich culture by using animation, film, video, documentary and audio to encourage, uplift and inspire audiences around the world. The state-of-the-art digital/analog studio is located in Tupelo, Mississippi.
American Family Association is available to do immediate breaking news interviews via their LTN line at AFA studio headquarters. Contact Media@HamiltonStratetgies.com for more information or call 610.584.1096, ext. 102.
For more information on American Family Studios, visit americanfamilystudios.net; follow the studio on Facebook or Vimeo. Read more about the American Family Association here.
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