Why Believe The Bible
As we enter another Christmas season and hear the Bible referenced and quoted in pop culture more than perhaps any other time of the year, the question is sure to arise as to why one should trust the Bible. An article on a popular Christian website attempted to answer that very question. More specifically, the question is, What is the authority upon which you believe the Bible to be true? The problem with the articles answer is that it only cited remarkable facts about the Bible as the authority upon which one should believe the Bible. It says the Bible is unique, gives one consistent story of redemption, is accurate, even prophetic, claims a divine origin, and changes lives. All good and well, but more is needed to complete the picture of the authority upon which we should believe the Bible is true.
This is especially needed because, as the article acknowledges, we live in a confused world, at times a confused church, and I would add at times have a confused Christian apologetic. Particularly one that is incomplete, at times circular in reasoning, and often missing the goal of apologetics, that is giving answers that demonstrate the truth of Christianity. Therefore, I offer a more comprehensive answer.
Jesus Embodied It Approved It And Is At The Center Of Its Storyline
According to John, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . John identifies Jesus as the embodied revelation of God. What kind of endorsement did Jesus give the Bible?
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
From the first few chapters of Genesis to the Alpha and Omega of the last chapters of Revelation, the Bible is all about Jesus. His time on earth was the greatest book signing in human history.
If youre looking for a place to begin, let me suggest reading and rereading the first four books of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They tell the Jesus story in vivid detail.
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.
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Why Should We Trust The Bible
Why Should We Trust the Bible?
The Bible is a book whose reading never leaves us indifferent. It will disquiet us. It will make us restless because its a book unlike any other book. It is the Book of Books.
Has the Bible ever disquieted you? Maybe you would just as soon remain indifferent to the Bible, but you feel an unsettling restlessness as you read it. You wonder, Can I really trust this book?
There are four main reasons why I believe we should trust the Bible.
1. The Bible claims to be inspired by God.
Wait a minute, you say, Thats circular reasoning and it doesnt prove anything! Maybe, but its important to start here. Whatever we think about the Bible, we must acknowledge what the Bible claims for itself.
The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:15 that all Scripture is breathed out by God. The Bible itself claims to be Gods inspired word, down to the very last word. Furthermore, the Old Testament prophets cite the pronouncements of earlier prophets as God-inspired and thus authoritative . The Apostle Peter says Pauls writings are hard to understand, but that theyre to be regarded as Scripture . Jesus himself during his wilderness temptation regards Old Testament commands as divinely given and thus to be obeyed , and he cites Old Testament writings as authoritative support for his own teaching .
2. The Bible has a shockingly coherent message.
3. The Bible has the power to change us.
4. The Holy Spirit convinces us that the Bible is true.
It Is Supernaturally Powerful
A. Unlike other literary works, it is alive. Many lives have transformed just by reading it.
B. It evokes a response in the readers. It convicts them. Transforms them. No other book can do it.
C. Many tyrant rulers throughout history have made many efforts to destroy it completely. But it still exists.
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Why Should You Believe The Bible
- Susan AkeniBelieve Contributing Writer
Im not a scholar and questioned whether or not I should write this article. Im an average woman who believes in Jesus Christ. But Im confident this is Gods holy word. So, why do I believe this?
What other ancient book still tops the charts and is read by millions? Written over approximately a 1,600-year period by 40 authors over 3 continents and in 3 languages, the Holy Bible has one central message and is unified from beginning to end. Prophets proclaimed hundreds of fulfilled prophecies. Though targeted throughout history with many attempting to destroy it, this holy book has survived and thrived. Countless lives have been transformed by Scriptural truths. Gods Word can be read daily yet provide a fresh message each time its opened.
We know the Word of God is the worlds best-selling book of all time. But, is it true or well-written fiction? Countless souls have sacrificed their lives because they believed the Holy Scriptures to be authentic and authoritative. Many early Christians died after experiencing Scriptural events firsthand and recording what they saw and heard. Would they die for what they knew was false?
Why should you believe the Bible is true?
Im not a scholar and questioned whether or not I should write this article. Im an average woman who believes in Jesus Christ. But maybe thats why I should write this piece. Im confident this is Gods holy word. So, why do I believe this?
Why Do You Trust The Bible
Can you explain to someone why you believe the Bible? I dont mean explain it to your Sunday School class, your small group, or your Christian mom. I mean, could you explain to someone who is a total skepticdoesnt believe in God, Jesus, Jonah, or the big fishwhy you think that everything the Bible says is true?
Thats not an easy question, is it? And the trouble isnt that Christians dont have their reasons. We do, and many of them are very good ones. Archaeological evidence backs up the truth claims of the Bible it has the ring of truth to it its the Word of God you just have to believe it on faith.
Of course, none of those reasons for believing the Bible are wrong or bad. Its just that none of them are likely to hold much water with most of the people with whom we live and work and interact in our daily lives. The fact is, most of the world around us finds it very strange to hear that otherwise seemingly well-adjusted, put-together people would stake their lives on and put their trust in a book like the Bible. To put it bluntly, it sounds crazy to them.
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It Is The Word Of God Indeed
A. Gods revelation of Himself to Man. Could speak verbally, but not all men would be sensitive enough to hear Him. Other major religions seek after their God ours seeks after us!
B. Bible is flawless in its original language and form . It is inspired by God. Our text uses the words God breathed
C. To people of faith, we need nothing more than this to satisfy us. But, you may say thats like a criminal testifying to his own innocence. Hardly convincing proof! Well, let me show you.
Second Test: Does The Bible Describe An Intelligent Plan To Solve The Big Problems
Unless existence is futile, and life is absurd, there must not only be answers, but also help. One of the answers about the problems inherent in evil and death, is that these problems are far too tough for us to handle by ourselves.
So we need Someone greater than we, who has formulated a plan to solve the problems, who has put that plan into effect, and who is strong enough to stop the foiling of that plan. If this has not happened, then life is a bad joke and we are victims who cannot be victors. We can only kid ourselves with platitudes like “think positive”.
The Bible describes the plan and shows how it is woven into the fabric of the universe and of human history. Better still, the Bible invites us to enter into that plan, and shows us how. As just a taste, read what Paul says about the plan and purpose of God .
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Isnt The Bible Filled With Contradictions
Here is one of the most common ways skeptics justify their skepticism about the Bible. The question is based on the commonplace supposition that contradictions are bad. If you can find a statement I make that disagrees with something Ive already said, youll feel justified in rejecting both. Even though one may be right. Even though they both may be.
Why?
Problems With The Doctrine Of Inspiration Of The Bible
Because those who do not desire to submit to the Bible and its claims have sought every possible evidence that the Bible is not true, certain problems have emerged, all of which have been answered satisfactorily by Christian scholars.
One of the common problems is the fact that we do not have the original Scripture writings, and what we call our Bible is a translation from copies of the original. This, at first glance, would seem to introduce an element of error in the Bible as there are thousands of small variations in extant copies of the Bible. However, when these variations are studied, it is found that practically none of them affect the doctrine of Scripture, and that in cases where the teaching of a passage is obscure, other passages that are clear make it evident what the truth of God is. For all practical purposes, the Bible as we have it, even in its translated form, can be used as if it were the very Word of God. Though the original copies of Scripture do not exist, we have many copies of the Old Testament and thousands of copies of portions of the New Testament. As these are compared in what is called lower criticism, or the attempt to determine the original text, it is possible with great accuracy to determine what the original writings stated.
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What To Do When You’re Not Okay
Life can be pretty stressful. Between work, relationships, and other obligations, the pressure builds, and we lose sight of who we are. Counselor Debra Fileta helps you better understand your emotions, assess your mental, physical, and spiritual health, and intentionally pursue a path to wellbeing. In dealing with anxiety, depression, and panic attacks, Debra understands the importance of self-examination as well as the benefits of seeking professional help. She offers biblically-based advice, tools, and encouragement to help you get on a path toward healing and wholeness.
The Bible Is Prophetically Accurate Whenever It Intends To Speak Prophetically
The Bible contains approximately 2,500 prophecies, with over 2,000 of them already fulfilled with uncanny precision. The odds that 2,000 prophecies could have been fulfilled by chance are less than one in 1 with 2,000 zeros. The remaining 500 reference the great apocalypse to come and the second coming of Jesus.
In my opinion, the most significant of all the prophecies pertain to Jesus of Nazareth who was said to be born in Bethlehem, temporarily moved to Egypt, and later raised in Galilee. He would be pierced for our transgressions, unjustly die a criminals death, but rise again within three days to offer eternal life to all who believe.
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Rest On The Resurrection
In the end, the truth of the Bible rests on the identity and authority of Jesus. And Jesuss identity and authority rests on the fact that he rose from the dead. Ultimately, thats why we trust the Biblebecause Jesus, the resurrected one, defined it, believed it, and authorized it.
When youre talking with skeptics, thats a crucial point to remember. Yes, there are arguments to be made regarding the accuracy of translations and manuscripts, the content of the canon, even the trustworthiness of the authors themselves. But those kinds of arguments will only get you so far. The real questionthe question to which the Bible itself points us again and againis Did Jesus rise from the dead, or did he not? If he didnt, then it finally doesnt much matter whether the Bible is historically reliable because it would have been shown to be inaccurate on the most important question it itself raises.
But if Jesus did rise from the dead, then that fact has enormous implications for how we look at the Bible. Then, its not nearly enough to stop at saying, The Bible is historically reliable. At that pointbecause Jesus, the resurrected one, endorsed the Old Testament as the very Word of God and authorized the New as his own Wordwe have to say the Bible is far more than just reliable. We have to say that itsfrom start to finishthe very Word of God.
Playing Defense Is Not Enough
Under that kind of pressure, theres always a temptation for Christians to retreat into a defensive, apologetic crouch when it comes to their belief in the Bibleeither side-stepping the question entirely, or engaging the conversation with the goal of convincing unbelievers not that its right to believe the Bible, but that its simply OK to believe it, that it doesnt make us quite as weird as maybe they thought.
But heres the thing: as Christians, were not in the business simply of playing defense for our crazy beliefs, just getting people to leave us alone so we can get on with practicing our religion in the privacy of our homes. Quite to the contrary, we are actually in the businessand on the missionof declaring to a sinful, rebellious world that the King has offered mercy and forgiveness through his own life, death, and resurrection from the grave.
…as Christians, were not in the business simply of playing defense for our crazy beliefs, just getting people to leave us alone so we can get on with practicing our religion in the privacy of our homes.
If thats true, then its not enough to play defense when it comes to the truth and trustworthiness of the Bible. If were going to declare the gospel of Jesus to a world that rejects him outright, were going to have to start by asserting the truth of the book which tells us about him in the first placethe Bible.
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Its Power To Change Lives
Unbelievers often point to those who claim to believe in the Bible without being changed by it.
But history is also marked by those who have been bettered by this book.
The Ten Commandments have been a source of moral direction to countless numbers of people.
The Psalms of David have offered comfort in times of trouble and loss. Jesus Sermon on the Mount has given millions an antidote for stubborn pride and proud legalism.
Pauls description of love in 1 Corinthians 13 has softened angry hearts.
The changed lives of people like the apostle Paul, Augustine, Martin Luther, John Newton, Leo Tolstoy, and CS Lewis illustrate the difference the Bible can make.
Even entire nations or tribes, like the Celts of Ireland, the wild Vikings of Norway, and the Auca Indians of Ecuador, have been transformed by the Word of God and the unprecedented life and significance of Jesus Christ.
This article is adapted from 10 Reasons to Believe, published with the permission of Our Daily Bread Ministries. Visit their outreach website for more evangelistic and follow up resources.
Our Daily Bread Ministries
Our Daily Bread Ministries is a non-denominational, non-profit organisation with staff and volunteers in over 37 offices working together to distribute more than 60 million resources in 150 countries. Regardless of whether its a radio or television broadcast, DVD, podcast, book, mobile app, or website, it provides materials to help people grow in their relationship with God.
The Bible Is Scientifically Accurate Whenever It Intends To Speak Scientifically
The Bible isnt a science textbook. It never claims to be, just as it never claims to be a manual for auto repair or a farmers almanac. However, when it intends to speak scientifically, its accurate in every way.
The Bible declared the earth is round many centuries before Galileo proposed it .
Prior to Matthew Maury being considered to be the father of oceanography, he was bedridden with a serious illness. Asking his son to read the Bible to him for comfort, he was stunned by a curious expression in Psalm 8:8 that refers to the paths of the seas. Upon his recovery, he went looking for these paths, and as a result, discovered the continental currents. Maurys book on oceanography continues to be used today.
Though it was a Roman engineer, Marcus Vitruvius, who first explained the hydrologic water cycle in 30 BC, the Bible referenced it nearly 500 years earlier in Isaiah 55:10. Solomon described it hundreds of years prior to that , and Job seems to have referenced it even a millennia before that .
Job 26:7 mentions the earths gravitational field. Isaiah 40:12 poetically describes the isostatic equilibrium of Earth.
Its no wonder that many of the worlds scientific greats were Christians who looked to Scripture as the foundation for their knowledge. Examples include Nicolaus Copernicus, Johannes Kepler, Galileo, Robert Boyle, George Washington Carver, Michael Faraday, Samuel Morse, Isaac Newton, Gregor Mendel, and the Wright brothers.
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