Can I Trust the Bible?

 The Christian Bible. Is it what it claims to be? Is it really the communication of God to man, through 40 different and distinct authors, over the incredible period of about 1,500 years? Well, this short answer is not meant to cover all the reasons why the Bible earns our complete trust, but there is a wonderful book that has been out for many years, called, Evidence that Demands a Verdict, by Josh McDowell. I would recommend it for your delightful study, if you wish to study the reasons the Bible is reliable. Nevertheless, I would like to point to some of the most unusual features of the Bible that might make it highly trustworthy.

First, I would like to point out its collection into one book is unknown when compared to any other book. Forty different authors wrote over a period greater than 1,400 years to make this book. Prophets and priests wrote parts of the book, this book that we call the Bible. Kings and slaves wrote part of this book, and musical people and wise people wrote part of this book, and religious leaders and religious zealots wrote part of this book, this book that we call the Bible. Songs and poetry fill this book, but prophecy and narratives also fill this book. We even find fishermen and tax collectors filling this book, this book that we call the Bible. From every avenue of ancient culture, from every person, from least to greatest, from the enemies of Christ to his best friends, we have a collection that is united in one purpose. All Scripture is pointing to the grace of God which is in Christ Jesus. Jesus himself proclaimed, “Search the Scriptures, for in them you think that you have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me.” No other book could ever compare to that!

Second, the prophecies of the coming Christ border on spectacular. To name just a few: he was pierced for our sorrows, he was born in Bethlehem, he fled to Egypt as an infant, that out of Egypt he was called. These prophecies are one of the most amazing parts of the Bible. Josh McDowell does a fine job of documenting the prophecies in chapter nine of his book, and I do not want to repeat it here. There is an interesting story about probability that I do recall from his book. Mathematicians took just eight of the several score of prophecies and tried to figure the odds of eight prophecies coming true. The odds were compared to covering the state of Texas in two feet of silver dollars, with one dollar marked, and then releasing a blind-folded man to randomly pick that one marked dollar. Spectacular is not a big enough word to describe all the Christological prophecies that were fulfilled. John, the apostle, spoke of himself in third person, saying of his gospel, “The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe.”

Third, there is what I term the seamlessness of the Bible, and by that I mean its continuity. Remember that it was written by 40 different writers over a period of approximately 1,400 years. The really strange thing is that a single-themed book would, or could, be produced. Yet, when I read the Bible, that is exactly what I find. A great many themes are started in Genesis, and completed all the way in Revelation. For instance, sin separates man and God in Genesis, but in Revelation, Jesus brings that separation to an end. The tree of life figures prominently in Genesis, and we see it again, all the way to the end of the book, in Revelation. The earth is new in Genesis, old and passing away in Revelation, with a new heaven and a new earth to be revealed. God clothes Adam and Eve after their sin, and in Revelation, the saints are clothed in white robes, signifying the righteousness of God. A single author is what it takes to unify all these themes, and though there were 40 writers, I think that we are forced to the conclusion that there is but one Author. Paul, the apostle, signified the veracity of scriptures famously, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

The last testimony of the reliability of the Bible is in the millions of lives that have been changed by it. Look at Chuck Colson, who had a complete turnaround in his life when confronted with the Bible. Oh, you say, that is just one man. But any astute student of history will tell you that every generation has had its Chuck Colsons. Every generation has been filled with people who have found something in this great book which forever changes their lives. Look at the world around you, and tell me which book is forbidden in many countries of the world. Which book cannot be taught in many countries, and which book can you be thrown into jail for even owning? The testimony is from both those who have learned to love the Word, and those who hate it to such a point that they would ban it. Millions of lives have been separated by the words of this book, and I find that most persuasive as to its reliability. Peter tells us of the testimony of his disciples, “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” 

Reliable? Yes! Foundational? Yes! A Stumbling Block? Only to those who willfully disregard God’s message. Perhaps it’s time to take up the Bible with a new eye. Or at least a renewed eye—taking a fresh look at an old message. Maybe God does have something to say to you, and maybe it really matters enough for you to pay attention.