All too often I hear Christians either disregard the authenticity of the Bible as the source of God’s revelation or rely solely on “blind faith” without taking time to study or understand the evidence that proves the Bible is true.
This approach may work for those that have already placed their faith in Jesus Christ, but for those that have placed their faith in a false god(s) or deny God altogether, it is not a compelling argument to turn toward Jesus. It also fails to prepare many Christians to defend their faith when the world challenges them and mocks them. Too many are lost from the faith due to lack of understanding.
I have faith in gravity. The most compelling faith is not because I read about it in a book or because someone told me about it. The most compelling argument for faith in gravity is witnessing it at work in the world around us… watching things fall or drop. The same is true for God and the truth of His revelation in the Bible.
Hank Hanegraaff compiles and presents a convincing summary of evidence in his book Has God Spoken?.
- There is strong evidence supporting the reliability of scripture over thousands of years thanks to discovery of countless scrolls and copies of the Bible. Errors that may have been introduced were minor (e.g. grammatical) and were not the same errors across the broad body of manuscripts. Thus we can confirm that the detailed processes for oral tradition and those making written copies were very effective.
- Archaeology continues to identify more sites and artifacts that prove the historical accuracy of the biblical text, and none that are inconsistent with it. Of course, we have not yet unearthed specific evidence for every word and event in the Bible, nor should that be expected. That is not the standard for any objective evaluation of history based on archaeology.
- The Bible records many prophecies which were predicted accurately in advance of the events they foretold. This was possible only by God’s revelation through His prophets. It is easy for those who already reject God to rationalize why these prophecies are not to be considered accurate accounts. But for those who study the Bible objectively, the evidence is there in the text and in other independent historical records.
- The Bible, like other literature, contains multiple styles of writing (e.g. historical narrative, fantasy imagery, parable, etc.). To properly understand the Bible for all it is worth one must read each part in the manner in which it was intended. By doing so I continue to be amazed how one document written by so many authors across many centuries can be so consistent to reveal God’s character and relationship with His people. Only God could manage that.
For a deeper dive into the details of each of these categories I encourage you to get a copy of Hank’s book Has God Spoken? and then read it for yourself. You can read the detailed evidence and then follow up by studying and validating more through other historical sources. The internet makes this kind of research available to most of us at low cost.
Of course for those who have already decided they do not believe, they will not find the truth, but rather make up more excuses why they reject it. Pray that God would give you ears to hear and eyes to see so that you may understand the fullness of the truth of the Bible… for yourself and so you can share the good news effectively with others.
Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you.
Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.
