Is the Bible True?


       
   

How Do I Know The Bible Is True?
Michael Wittmer, Ph.D., Professor of Systematic & Historical Theology provides clear and understandable answers to today’s difficult questions often in two minutes or less.
Many books and many lectures are available to answer this question. Just a few points:

One “proof” of the Bible’s authority is the fact that prophecies in the Bible have an unparalleled record of coming true. We can trust that the Bible is reliable because “the
Word of prophecy is even more sure than having seen the risen Christ!” (II Peter 1:18).

The Old Testament contains over 300 prophecies of the coming Messiah. Let’s take just 8 of those well-known prophecies:

  • born in Bethlehem
  • rode into Jerusalem on a donkey
  • sold for 30 pieces of silver
  • those pieces bought a potter’s field
  • hands and feet pierced (700 yrs before crucifixion invented)
  • scars in his hands viewed by his friends
  • silent before his accusers
  • grave in a rich man’s tomb.

Calculating the chance of one particular man fulfilling just these 8 prophecies gives us a one in 10 to the 17th power chances (1 with 17 zeroes behind it). This is the equivalent of you picking one marked silver dollar our of a 2-foot pile covering the entire state of Texas!

The prophet Daniel, 500 years beforehand, predicted the exact day Jesus would present Himself as a king in Jerusalem. The math for this was verified in 1894 by Sir
Robert Anderson, Head of Scotland Yard. For every prophecy of Christ’s first coming, there are 8 for His second coming. Many have already have been fulfilled.

Another “proof” is the Bible’s integrity. A group of high-level scientists founded “Answers In Genesis” (see Appendix I). They believe the Bible is trustworthy because
The Bible was written over a period of roughly 2,000 years by 40 different authors
from three continents, who wrote in three different languages. ... Shepherds,
kings, scholars, fishermen, prophets, a military general, a cup-bearer, and a
priest all penned portions of Scripture. They had different immediate purposes for
writing, whether recording history, giving spiritual and moral instruction, or
pronouncing judgment. They composed their works from palaces, prisons, the
wilderness, and places of exile while writing history, laws, poetry, prophecy, and
proverbs. In the process they laid bare their personal emotions, expressing
anger, frustration, joy, and love. Yet despite this marvelous array of topics and
goals, the Bible displays a flawless internal consistency. It never contradicts itself
or its common theme.

One more “proof” is the Bible’s power to change lives. The Bible is absolutely trustworthy – but you’ll only know that when you test it. You may believe a bridge will hold your 20-ton truck before crossing it... but after you cross the bridge, you know it for sure. Check out the Bible, and you’ll get way more than you bargained for. Not just certainty that it is true, but that, applied to your life, it delivers the power to change your life for the better.

Helpful Additional Resources:


How do we know that the Bible is the Word of God, and not the Apocrypha, the Qur’an, the Book of Mormon, etc.? An article by Got Questions

Can the Gospels be Trusted? Are the Gospels eyewitness accounts of actual people and events? This question is crucial to any discussion about the validity of Scripture. A video by the John 10:10 project

How Accurate are the Gospels?  Oral tradition, the age and quantity of ancient manuscripts, and extra-biblical evidence all point to the accuracy of the Gospels. A video by the John 10:10 project

Other Gospels? The content and validity of the so-called “Gnostic gospels” is evaluated. Are they authentic accounts of New Testament events?  A video by the John 10:10 project

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