Why should I believe the Bible?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Bible itself claims to be God's Word (2 Timothy 3:16). The source of the text, the Word, is God Himself.

Reasons to believe the Bible include:

Fulfilled prophecy: The Bible contains numerous prophecies that have been fulfilled, including over 250 prophecies about the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Historical accuracy: The people and places in the Bible show up in extra-biblical history. Archaeologists often show us that biblical events that were not previously discovered were, in fact, true.

Personal experience: Millions of people can testify to the power of the Bible to transform their lives.

Internal consistency: There is a single, coherent theme throughout the book: The glory of God is most important. This is not how forty different humans over sixteen hundred years would write a book.

The Dead Sea Scrolls: The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, including a nearly complete copy of Isaiah, has confirmed the accuracy and antiquity of the biblical text.

Testimony of Jesus: Jesus Himself believed in the authority (Luke 4) and inspiration (Matthew 5:17-18, 22:31-32; Luke 24:44) of the Old Testament Scriptures, and His teachings and actions demonstrate His commitment to the truth of the Bible.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Psalm 1:1-6 describes two different kinds of people: those who believe the Bible and those who don't.
• Psalm 19:7-11 tells us that God's Word is perfect, pure, and true.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Jesus refers to the inspiration of Scripture in Matthew 22:31-32. Jesus often debated with religious leaders by asking if they have read something from Scripture.
• Several times in Luke Chapter 4, Jesus quotes the Old Testament, showing His obedience and reliance on the authority of Scripture.
• The apostle Paul writes that “all Scripture is God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16). This means that 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 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 1:21). “Carried along” conveys the idea 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 but is a product of God and carries the authority of God.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

The Bible is the best-selling, most widely distributed publication ever written. It has had a profound influence both on Western culture and history and on cultures around the globe. Humans, on their own effort, could not have produced a work of such unity, predictive prophecy and factual accuracy.

The Bible is reliable, accurate, and trustworthy. That means when the Bible says the Hittite nation existed, then we can believe that there were Hittites. When the Bible teaches that “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23) and the “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), we must believe that, too. And we can be confident of the Bible’s assertions about Jesus dying for our sins and our salvation depending on faith in Him (Romans 5:8; 10:9

UNDERSTAND

• Jesus affirms the Bible's authority through His teachings and quotes.
• Fulfilled prophecies and historical accuracy confirm the Bible's truth.
• Internal consistency and life transformation demonstrate the Bible’s divine power.

REFLECT

• How do you see the transformative power of the Bible at work in your life?
• How does the Bible's consistency and fulfillment of prophecy strengthen your trust in its inspiration?
• In what areas of your life can you grow in trusting the authority of Scripture?

ENGAGE

• How do the historical and archaeological validations of the Bible affect our understanding of its reliability?
• How does the Bible’s internal consistency serve as evidence of its divine authorship, and what implications does this have for applying its content?
• What role should Scripture play in shaping believers’ beliefs and actions today?