Why should I believe the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Today's question is, why should I believe the Bible? In this video I'll answer that question from a biblical perspective.

Then afterwards, as always, I'll share some helpful resources, so stick around until the end.

The Bible makes claims about the creation of the universe, the nature of the God who created the universe and reigned supremely over it, and the fate of mankind.

If these claims are true, then the Bible is the most important book in the history of mankind.

If the Bible is true, then it holds the answers to life's biggest questions, from where did

I come from, why am I here, and what happens to me when I die? The importance of the

Bible's message demands it receive fair consideration, and the truthfulness of its message is observable, testable, and able to withstand scrutiny.

The writers of the Bible claim that the Bible is God's very Word. The apostle

Paul writes that all Scripture is God -breathed, 2 Timothy 3, verse 16.

That is to say, all the words recorded in the original writing of Scripture originated from the mouth of God before ever reaching the minds and pens of the biblical writers.

The apostle Peter also writes that prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the

Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1, verse 21. The phrase, carried along, is indicative of a sail being propelled by the wind.

That is, the writing of Scripture was directed by the Holy Spirit. The Bible does not originate with man and is then a product of God and carries the authority of God.

At this point, it is important not to let circular reasoning become the justification for believing the

Bible. We cannot say that one should believe the Bible simply because the Bible says it should be believed.

If, however, the truth claims of the Bible are found true whenever it is possible to test their veracity or are proven true during historical and scientific discovery, then the internal claims of the

Bible's own trustworthiness are more compelling. The internal evidence works in tandem with the external.

The internal evidence of Scripture's veracity provides many compelling arguments for why one should believe the

Bible. First, the unique message of the Bible sets it apart from other religious texts.

The Bible, for instance, teaches that mankind is inherently evil and deserving of eternal death.

If man were responsible for the contents of the Bible, the view of humanity would not be so dark.

We tend to make ourselves look good. The Bible also teaches that humans can do nothing of themselves to remedy their natural state.

This, too, goes against human pride. The unity of the biblical message is further reason for why one should believe the

Bible. The Bible was written over a period of approximately 1 ,550 years with at least 40 human writers, most of whom did not know each other and were from varying backgrounds—king, fisherman, tax collector, shepherd, etc.

The Bible was written in various environments—desert, prison, royal court, etc.

Three different languages were used to write the Bible, and despite covering controversial subjects, it carries one harmonious message.

The circumstances surrounding the writing of the Bible would seem to guarantee its fallibility, and yet the message from Genesis to Revelation is uncannily consistent.

Another reason why one should believe the Bible is its accuracy. The Bible should not be confused with a science textbook, but that does not mean that the

Bible does not speak to issues that are scientific in nature. The water cycle was described in Scripture centuries before it was a scientific discovery.

In some cases, science and the Bible have seemed to be at odds with each other. Yet when science has advanced, the scientific theories have proven wrong and the

Bible proved right. For example, it used to be standard medical practice to leave patients as a cure for illness.

Many people died because of excessive blood loss. Now, medical professionals know that bloodletting as a cure for most diseases is counterproductive.

The Bible always taught that the life of a creature is in the blood—Leviticus 17, verse 11.

The Bible's truth claims concerning world history have also been substantiated. Skeptics used to criticize the

Bible for its mention of the Hittite people, for example, in 2 Kings 7, verse 6.

The lack of any archaeological evidence to support the existence of a Hittite culture was often cited as a rebuttal against Scripture.

In 1876, however, archaeologists discovered evidence of the Hittite nation, and by the early 20th century, the vastness of the

Hittite nation and its influence in the ancient world was common knowledge. The scientific and historical accuracy of the

Bible is important evidence of the Bible's trustworthiness. But the Bible also contains fulfilled prophecies.

Some of the biblical writers made claims about future events centuries in advance. If any one of the events predicted had occurred, it would be astounding.

But the Bible contains many, many prophecies. Some of the predictions were fulfilled in a short amount of time—Abraham and Sarah had a son,

Peter denied Jesus three times, Paul was a witness for Jesus in Rome, etc. The 300 messianic prophecies fulfilled by Jesus could not have reasonably been fulfilled by one person unless some greater power was involved.

Specific prophecies like Jesus' birthplace, activities, manner of death, and resurrection demonstrate the preternatural accuracy of Scripture.

When it is put to the test, the Bible is proved true in every area. Its truth extends to the spiritual as well.

That means that when the Bible says the Hittite nation existed, then we can believe that there were Hittites.

And when the Bible teaches that all have sinned, Romans 3, verse 23, and the wages of sin is death,

Romans 6, verse 23, then we need to believe that too. And when the

Bible tells us that God demonstrates His own love for us in this, while we were still sinners,

Christ died for us, Romans 5, verse 8, and that whoever believes in Jesus shall not perish but have eternal life,

John 3, verse 16, then we can, and should, believe that also.

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