Question: "Why should I believe the Bible?"
The Bible makes
claims about the creation of the universe, the nature of the God who created
the universe and reigns supremely over it, and the fate of mankind. If these
claims are true, then the Bible is the most important book in the history of
mankind. If the Bible is true, then it holds the answers to life’s biggest
questions: “From where did I come?” “Why am I here?” and “What happens to me
when I die?” The importance of the Bible’s message demands it receive fair
consideration, and the truthfulness of its message is observable, testable, and
able to withstand scrutiny.
The writers of the Bible claim that the
Bible is God’s very Word. The apostle Paul writes that “all Scripture is
God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16). That is to say, all the words recorded in the
original writing of Scripture originated from the mouth of God before ever
reaching the minds and pens of the biblical writers. The apostle Peter also
writes that “prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets,
though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2
Peter 1:21). The phrase “carried along” is indicative of a sail being propelled
by the wind. That is, the writing of Scripture was directed by the Holy Spirit.
The Bible does not originate with man and is, then, a product of God and
carries the authority of God.
At this point, it is important not to
let circular reasoning become the justification for believing the Bible. We
cannot say that one should believe the Bible simply because the Bible says it should
be believed. If, however, the truth claims of the Bible are found true whenever
it is possible to test their veracity or are proved true during historical and
scientific discovery, then the internal claims of the Bible’s own
trustworthiness are more compelling. The internal evidence works in tandem with
the external.
The internal evidence of Scripture’s
veracity provides many compelling arguments for why one should believe the
Bible. First, the unique message of the Bible sets it apart from other religious
texts. The Bible, for instance, teaches that mankind is inherently evil and
deserving of eternal death. If man were responsible for the content of the
Bible, the view of humanity would not be so dark—we tend to make ourselves look
good. The Bible also teaches that humans can do nothing of themselves to remedy
their natural state. This, too, goes against human pride.
The unity of the biblical message is
further reason for why one should believe the Bible. The Bible was written over
a period of approximately 1,550 years, with at least 40 human writers, most of
whom did not know each other and were from varying backgrounds (king,
fisherman, tax collector, shepherd, etc.). The Bible was written in various
environments (desert, prison, royal court, etc.). Three different languages
were used to write the Bible, and, despite covering controversial subjects, it
carries one harmonious message. The circumstances surrounding the writing of
the Bible would seem to guarantee its fallibility, and, yet, the message from
Genesis to Revelation is uncannily consistent.
Another reason why one should believe
the Bible is its accuracy. The Bible should not be confused with a science
textbook, but that does not mean that the Bible does not speak to issues that
are scientific in nature. The water cycle was described in Scripture centuries
before it was a scientific discovery. In some cases science and the Bible have
seemed to be at odds with each other. Yet, when science has advanced, the
scientific theories have proved wrong and the Bible proved right. For example,
it used to be standard medical practice to bleed patients as a cure for
illness. Many people died because of excessive blood loss. Now medical
professionals know that bloodletting as a cure for most diseases is counterproductive.
The Bible always taught that “the life of a creature is in the blood”
(Leviticus 17:11).
The Bible’s truth claims concerning
world history have also been substantiated. Skeptics used to criticize the
Bible for its mention of the Hittite people (e.g., 2 Kings 7:6). The lack of
any archaeological evidence to support the existence of a Hittite culture was
often cited as a rebuttal against Scripture. In 1876, however, archaeologists
discovered evidence of the Hittite nation, and by the early 20th century the
vastness of the Hittite nation and its influence in the ancient world was
common knowledge.
The scientific and historical accuracy
of the Bible is important evidence of the Bible’s trustworthiness, but the
Bible also contains fulfilled prophecies. Some of the biblical writers made
claims about future events centuries in advance. If any one of the events
predicted had occurred, it would be astounding. But the Bible contains many,
many prophecies. Some of the predictions were fulfilled in a short amount of
time (Abraham and Sarah had a son, Peter denied Jesus three times, Paul was a
witness for Jesus in Rome, etc.). Other predictions were fulfilled hundreds of
years later. The 300 messianic prophecies fulfilled by Jesus could not have
reasonably been fulfilled by one person unless some greater power was involved.
Specific prophecies like Jesus’ birthplace, activities, manner of death, and
resurrection demonstrate the preternatural accuracy of Scripture.
When it is put to the test, the Bible is
proved true in every area. Its truth extends to the spiritual, as well. That
means that when the Bible says the Hittite nation existed, then we can believe
that there were Hittites, and when the Bible teaches that “all have sinned”
(Romans 3:23) and the “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), then we need to
believe that, too. And, when the Bible tells us that “God demonstrates his own
love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans
5:8) and that “whoever believes in [Jesus] shall not perish but have eternal
life” (John 3:16), then we can and should believe that, also.
© Copyright 2002-2021 Got Questions Ministries. All rights reserved. www.GotQuestions.org
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The above essay, as with all other
GotQuerstions.org essays, is used with permission so long as we/you do not take
credit for or financially profit from. Also:
Upon request I’ll provide my 10 Reasons Why I Believe The Bible Is The
Word Of God file, it being evidence outside of and apart from the “circular
reasoning” mention in the above essay.
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