There are several reasons why we can trust the Bible and view it as accurate and reliable. Here are five reasons why…
Is the Bible reliable?
The Bible is God’s voice in written form. It is a collection of 66 books, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and written by more than 40 authors over 1,500 years. Later writings and archeology have confirmed that Bible people, places, and events were real. Biblical authors include: national leaders (Moses & Joshua); prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel); disciples (Peter, James, John); and Gospel-sharers (Paul).
There are a number of reasons why we can answer the question “is the Bible true” with a resounding “yes.” Here are a five reasons why…
1. Documentation
There is significantly more documentation for the books of the Bible than there are for other historically recognized authors and literature, including Plato and others.
2. Archeological findings
Excavation sites and artifacts also provide evidence that many of the events, people, and places mentioned in the Bible really existed, including the Hittite people and the city of Jericho.
3. Eyewitness accounts
The Gospels give multiple points of view and, in many cases, were written within the lifetimes of the people who witnessed the events recorded in the Bible. Writers focused on different aspects, but they had the same message: Jesus taught, healed, performed miracles, died on the cross, and rose from the dead.
4. The life of Jesus
The fact that Jesus was a real, historical person is clearly documented by Jewish manuscripts, even before the Apostle Paul and the writers of the Gospels provided their eyewitness accounts. Other ancient cultural documents also reference his existence. For example, the Roman leader and historian, Tacitus, wrote:
“Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus…”
5. Redeemed lives
We see evidence of the Bible’s trustworthiness by the lives that have been changed and redeemed by it. A few examples include C.S. Lewis, a former atheist who became one of world’s leading Christian apologists, and John Newton, a former slave-ship master who converted to Christianity and penned “Amazing Grace.”
What does the Bible say to us?
Good News! Jesus came to fulfill God’s promise to defeat sin’s curse and be the Savior for all people. His death and resurrection create the only way to be forgiven for our sins. Jesus takes away our guilt, shame, and regret, and sent the Holy Spirit to empower us. So, we can have a “new” life and share this hope with others.
The above reasons to trust what the Bible says are just a few of the many. But don’t stop here! Keep digging deeper and strengthen your faith by understanding why God’s Word is accurate, reliable, and worth following with your life!
Now that we’ve identified some of the reasons why we can trust the Bible’s reliability, what next? A good next step is to study God’s Word. One such way is to get involved with RVL Discipleship: The Study. This study dives deep into understanding the Bible in the same way that the disciples would have learned!
There are are also several Bible reading plans available to suit your needs. Memorizing Scripture is another great way to internalize the truth of the Bible into your life today. We have a number of resources here for you to choose, but the main thing is to continue to digging into the powerful, reliable truth of God’s Word.
© 2019 Focus on the Family. All rights reserved.
