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Is the Bible true?

The Bible claims that it is true. It also encourages its readers to examine their own beliefs and ensure the truth of the teachings to which they ascribe. When we examine the Bible as we would any other text, we can confidently say the Bible is true.

The Bible claims that it is true. Jesus said He represented an exclusive truth and is the only way to God (John 18:37; 14:6). Jesus said the Word of God is true (John 17:17), and both Paul and Peter wrote about the Word of God finding its source in God (2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:21). Many texts claim to be true, but the Bible's claim is exclusive and verifiable.

"The Bible itself asks readers to weigh its claims (1 John 4:1) and to verify its truth. We should ask "Is the Bible true?" In Acts 17:11, Luke commends the Bereans for examining the Scriptures to see if what the apostles taught was true. We are encouraged to do the same.

So, is the Bible true? In every area where the Bible's claims can be tested, it has proven accurate. History, archaeology, and philosophy show that statements made in the Bible are factual and consistent. When you line up what the Bible says with other sources of information about the same events, people, and findings, we see it is accurate and true.

As for logic, people everywhere agree that there is a single truth for any claim. When we say "It is 35 degrees Fahrenheit outside" it either is or it is not. It cannot be 35 degrees and 61 degrees at the same time. Logic applies to the spiritual truths of the Bible as well.

Other religious texts cannot stand the scrutiny of the same level of the Bible. Though they, like the Bible does in 2 Timothy 3:16, claim to be true, they are not accurate, unique, or wholly true. The Bible supports its claims.

When a person begins to look at the specific claims of the Bible, it is wise to carefully delineate between truth and literal statements. For example, when someone says "It's raining cats and dogs" the statement is true, but not literal. We understand the use of idioms meant to be interpreted. A biblical example is John's words in John 1:36: "Behold, the Lamb of God!" Of course, no one is claiming Jesus is livestock. What is being communicated is that Jesus is the sacrifice chosen to redeem the world. So the Bible is true, but not every word in the Bible is literal.

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