How Is The Bible True
Since many have undertaken, St. Luke begins his gospel, to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, I, too, decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed: .
In a sense we are all Theophiluses: lovers of God who seek the true God and want to know what kind of relationship God draws us into. So if scripture is one of the ways that communicates these truths, then it must also in some way be true. But how?
One reason Catholics and other Christians say the Bible is true is because it is revelation. Believing scripture to be revelation means that, if you wisely interpret it, you can trust it to tell you who God is and to what God calls humanity. In this regard, the Second Vatican Councils Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation declares, The books of scripture must be acknowledged as teaching solidly, faithfully, and without error the truth that God wanted put into the sacred writings for the sake of our salvation.
Another way the church considers the Bible to be true is because it is inspired. God did not so much guide the hands of the biblical authors as act on their minds and hearts to make known a message about Gods activity in the world.
Effective Habits To Embrace In Parenting
To be an effective parent, you must be a leader in your childs life, guiding with a gentle hand and setting a solid example. Dr. Randy Schroeder provides the insight you need to be a leader-parent. As he explores the foundational Rsrelationship, routines, responsibilities, and rulesyoull better understand the role you play in your childs life. Youll learn great phrases to employ such as Either/Or/You Decide and When You/Then You. While there is no perfect parent, this nuts-and-bolts material will equip you to lead your child in a loving, confident manner.
The Truth About The World Is Knowable
It is undeniable to state that truth about the world is knowable. This is because if one wanted to affirm the opposite, truth about the world is not knowable, they would have to at least affirm that statement itself which is a knowable truth about the world. The truth about the world is inescapable and objective. Granted we may say our knowledge about something is limited, approximating, subject to correction, and so on. But we cannot say it is all relative, subjective, and unknowable. As affirming these would be self-defeating. We know the world is as it is because we cannot make or control what the world is. We are passive with respect to what is given us by the world, we take it in through our senses and intellect, develop concepts, make judgments and reason about it. So, we are on safe grounds affirming as one former enemy of Christianity said, that people knowing creation should conclude that only one eternal and invisible God exists .
You May Like: What Is The Day Of Atonement In The Bible
How Do We Choose The Correct Ultimate Standard
Since we must appeal to some ultimate standard, the next question is how to determine the right one.
Oneand only onelogical solution is available. The standard itself must be self-attesting and self-authenticating. In other words, it must speak for itself and defend itself in such a way that it passes all its own standards of truth and gives a foundation for successfully interpreting all other claims to truth.
Even before modern logicians recognized this limitation to every logical argument, Gods Word had already acknowledged and solved it.
Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, said, I am the truth
Gods word is truth
. Jesus claimed to define what truth is, and He said Gods Word is the ultimate judge of truth . No truth exists apart from Him. As the Bible explains it, In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge
. So the Bible clearly claims an exalted position as the ultimate authority.
Moreover, Gods Word concludes that all other standards outside of Christ must be empty because they depend on the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ
. For the Bible to appeal to any other authority would be to deny its own place as the ultimate standard.
Endurance Of The Bible
Mankind has tried to destroy the Bible for centuries. During the Dark Ages, only the clergy were allowed to read the Bible. The common person would be put in jail or even killed for having a Bible and sharing its teachings. We know from history that the reformers violated the laws and studied the Word of God for themselves. However, because of their actions, many of them were burned at the stake. Despite the efforts to completely eradicate the Bible, it still continues to be the worlds best seller every year. In fact, the Bible is the best-selling book in history.
Isaiah 40:8 reads, The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever. God promised in His Word that the Bible would last forever. Man cannot destroy it. Man cant even silence it. The Bible has and will endure utill the end of time.
Read Also: What Is Salvation According To The Bible
First Understand The Root Problem: Unbelief Not Ignorance
God tells us in bold terms the root problem. Its not the nonbelievers view of the Book its their view of the Author. All people already know God because He is clearly seen in His creation, and His moral law is also written on their hearts . But they suppress, or hold down, the truth in unrighteousness because their proud hearts are rebellious and they do not want to submit to the truth .
When people reject the Bibles historical accounts of Creation and a global Flood, for example, Peter says they are willfully ignorant . Its not a matter of evidence they just dont want to be convinced.
So it is a mistake to proceed as though the main problem is a lack of knowledge. Your hearers have a heart problem. They have rejected the God of the Bible even before they begin to consider whether His Word could be true.
Praying Scripture Over Your Childs Life
Jodie Berndt loves to pray for her children. Shes been doing that for the past thirty years. Now she helps other parents to talk to God, asking for the salvation of their kids, and for wisdom, self-discipline, purpose, a future and much more. She offers fun and practical encouragement that moms and dads can put to work immediately in their daily lives as they prepare their children for a life in Christ.
Recommended Reading: Does The Bible Speak Of Aliens
It Is Full Of Contradictions And Discrepancies
Its not very hard to convince someone that the Bible is full of contradictionsthat is, if they dont know the Bible very well. All you have to do is cite Proverbs, where the author tells us not to answer or is it, answer a fool according to his folly . Or maybe point out that Matthew places the Sermon on the Mount, on a mountain , while Luke says Jesus spoke on a level place . Is Abijah a good king or a bad one ? Were humans created last or first ? Of course, these are just samples from countless others that people like to bring up.
A little digging, however, will show that proverbs arent written to give us universally valid principles , but rather they are true only when applied at the right situation. Depending on the fool you are talking to, you have to determine which proverb is relevant to the situation.
The Gospels are not meant to be simply factual reports, but bring out the theological significance of real events for their intended contemporary audience. So Matthew places Jesus sermon on a mountain in order to bring out a connection all his original Jewish Christian readers would recognize immediately. Namely, Jesus speaking on a mountain about the law would remind them how God gave Moses the law on Mount Sinai : Luke, written primarily for Hellenistic Christians, would not pick up on that connection so readily.
The Bible Shines A Peculiar Glory
My conclusion is that, just as God confirms that the world is his by revealing his glory through it, and that Jesus is the Son of God by revealing Gods glory through him, and the gospel is the gospel of God by revealing his glory through it, in the same way, the whole Bible authenticates itself by shining with the glory of the one who inspired it. Which means that we know that the Scriptures are the word of God because in their true meaning we see the self-authenticating glory of God. Or to use the words of Jonathan Edwards, The mind ascends to the truth of the gospel but by one step, and that is its divine glory.
Of course, the problem is that by nature we are blind to the glory of God. We suppress it. We love the darkness, Jesus says . Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:14, The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. We have eyes, but we do not see. Ears, but we do not hear.
You know Christ is real. You know the gospel is real. And you know the Scriptures are true, because God says, Let there be light. You see the peculiar glory and you know this is not the mere work of man. This is of God.
Recommended Reading: Does The Bible Say Anything About Reincarnation
The True God Is The God Of The Bible
Remarkably, when we open the pages of the Bible, we find the very same God with the same divine nature as discovered apart from the Bible. God is pure existence , Eternal , and Immutable . There can only be one God, one such being that is pure existence, eternal and immutable. If there were two, they would have to differ in some way. But since God is not a creature, He has no matter, no parts and therefore no categories by which we could describe any differences. We could only say God #1 is eternal and God #2 is not eternal. But to be not eternal is to be finite or a creature, God #2 is no God at all. Remember God is not like anything in the world, that can differ by size or shape since He has none . To think there could be multiple gods is to put Him in the category of a creature.
So, if there cannot be two eternal beings, then the God concluded from reason and the reading of the Bible must be one and the same. The Bible may indeed tell us more about God and His plan for us and the world, but there is only one divine nature .
God Appeals To Himself As The Ultimate Standard
God consistently appeals to His own word as the final authority. A good example is His promise to bless all nations through Abraham. How did He reassure Abraham that His words were true? He appealed to Himself as the highest court of appealBy Myself I have sworn .
Logically God can appeal to nothing higher than to Himself. As Hebrews 6:13 explains, When God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself.
Later, Christ made a similar claim. When the Roman governor Pilate questioned His authority, Christ appealed to His own authority: For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.
Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice
. Nobody recognizes His authority except those who are of the truththose who first listen to Him! Christ didnt even try to convince Pilate. Instead, He stated the truth as it really was and left Pilate to consider the weight of His words.
Pilate responded cynically, What is truth? but then, apparently moved by Christs words, he went out to tell the waiting crowd that he found no fault in Christ. The Son of Gods words had effectively spoken on His behalf.
Read Also: What Does The Bible Say About Signs And Wonders
What Is The Bible
Answering these questions requires that we understand what the Bible is. It’s not a book that arrived in complete form at one point in history. Instead, the Bible was written over a period of some 1,500 years by a number of authors. Although it is viewed as one book, it’s actually a collection of many books.
It is called God’s Word even though God did not physically write it. Instead, God worked through everyday people, inspired by Him, to record what Christians accept as the Bible. The Old Testament is primarily a record of God’s dealings with His chosen people the Hebrews or Jews. The New Testament continues the record with first century accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus and the struggles faced by new Christians in a hostile culture.
Mothers And Sons: Being A Godly Influence
Rhonda Stoppe describes her early motherhood challenges of raising a son, which was intimidating to her. She found help through group of older women mentors. She urges moms to see their role as ministry in shaping sons to be good and godly men. Rhonda outlines several practical suggestions to moms about spiritual training, how to communicate with boys, and supporting the father-son relationship as a wife.
Don’t Miss: Which Version Of The Bible Is Closest To The Original
Gods Glory In The Incarnate Christ
Here is a second analogy of how Gods glory authenticates his divine reality namely, the glory of God in Jesus Christ, the God-man.
God expected people in Jesuss day to see the glory of God in him and know that he was the Son of God, even though he was really human, and looked like other ordinary people.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Philip said to , Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us. Jesus said to him, Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, Show us the Father?
Many people looked at God-incarnate and did not see God. And many people hear Gods word today and do not hear God. But the Son of God was really there for those who had eyes to see, and the word of God is here, for those who have ears to hear. The glory of God in Christ was missed by many. And the glory of God in the word is missed by many. But neither is deficient.
How A Former Abortion Doctor Became Pro
As an abortion doctor at Planned Parenthood, Dr. Patti Giebink believed she was helping women. Later, she began reading scripture and God gradually changed her heart on the abortion issue. Patti tells the story of her long journey from abortion doctor to pro-life and encourages listeners to share the message of life with compassion.
Don’t Miss: What Is The New International Version Bible
Embracing Your Role As A Spouse
As a spouse, you have three roles to playa friend, a partner, and a lover. On this one-day Focus on the Family broadcast, Pastor Kevin A. Thompson explores those different roles and challenges you to live them out by investing emotionally, physically, and mentally in your relationship. As friends, he suggests we learn to play and laugh together. As partners, he equips us with solid ways to handle conflict and communication. As lovers, he offers some thoughts on how to bring back the sizzle. He shares five keys to saving your marriage: humility, respect, mercy, communication, and resilience. Youll be encouraged to intentionally invest in your marriage.
Does Our View Of The Bible Matter
Liberal theologians sometimes point out that our view of the Bible doesnt really matter. So long as we gain strength and insights from it, they say, that is enough. Following this line of reasoning, they remove many miracles of the Bible or simply treat them as myths. This is a mistake, particularly when it comes to the Resurrection of Christ. Our view of the Bible matters immensely, especially if what it claims is indeed true. If it is, as we have argued, then our eternal destiny hinges on how we will respond to Christ and His calling. Will we reject Him or accept Him?
There is much more that could be said on the matter of truth and the Bible. Learn more by checking out some of our other articles on the Christian Worldview.
Steve Green, Chairman of the Board for the Museum of the Bible, discusses the immeasurable influence the Bible has had on society and the amazing biblical artifacts that are part of a huge collection that are on display at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.
Sign Up for Our E-Newsletters
- Get our updates straight to your inbox.
Read Also: Who Wrote Genesis In The Bible
Loving Your Spouse Through The Seasons Of Marriage
Debra Fileta has identified the four seasons of marriage that correspond with our natural seasons spring , summer , fall , and winter . In this interview, she will help couples better understand the four seasons of healthy relationships, what to expect during each one, and how to carefully navigate them for a stronger marriage.