5 REASONS YOU CAN
BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS
THE WORD OF GOD
(Evidences for the Divine Inspiration of the Bible)
by Dennis Rokser
1. SUPERNATURAL UNITY
The Bible consists of 66 books (39
in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament) written over 1600 years by
about 40 different authors from all walks of life, yet without contradiction or
error. If you had a room filled with 40 people with notebooks, and you asked
them to write down their thoughts about God, Satan, sin, origins, prophecy,
life, death, heaven, hell, etc. ¾ would they all agree? Never! Unless God the
Holy Spirit was directing each of them. This is the very reality the Bible
evidences.
All scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16)
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:20-21)
2. FULFILLED PROPHECY
Unlike the other holy books of various religions, the Bible includes amazing and numerous prophecies that have been specifically fulfilled. In Christ's first coming, over 100 Old Testament predictions about the Messiah were specifically fulfilled. The mathematical odds of this occurring are astronomical. Your chances of winning a175 million dollar Power-Ball lotto are 10 times better than these predictions being fulfilled by one person ¾ yet it did with Jesus Christ.
A sampling of these are…
· Christ's birth (Isaiah 7:14 ® Matthew 1:18)
· Christ's birthplace (Micah 5:2 ® Matthew 2:1)
· Christ's death by crucifixion (Psalm 22:16 ® Matthew 27:38)
· Christ's betrayal (Zechariah 11:12 ® Matthew 26:15)
· Christ's substitionary death and resurrection (Isaiah 53 ® Matthew 27 & 28)
3. AMAZING UNIQUENESS
Being inspired by God, the Bible is
unique in its claims, teaching, and preservation. Unlike the Koran, Book of
Mormon, Upanishads, etc., the Bible claims over 5,000 times to be the Word of
God. It also teaches that one's eternal salvation from divine retribution and
reception of eternal life is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone
apart from religious works or rituals. Regarding its unique preservation,
Voltaire, the French philosopher of the eighteenth century announced, "One
hundred years from my day, there will not be a Bible in the earth except one
that is looked upon by an antiquarian curiosity - seeker." Ironically, one
hundred years later, Voltaire was dead and his own house and press were being
used to print and store Bibles by the Geneva Bible Society. Doesn't God have a
sense of humor?
Heaven and earth shall pass
away, but my words shall not pass away. (Matthew 24:35)
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8,9)
4. ARCHAEOLOGY
Though modern archaeology grew out
of a desire to support evolution, the archaeologist's spade has been a friend
and not a foe to the Bible. Middle Eastern archaeological digs repeatedly have
uncovered artifacts that render support to the accuracy and historicity of the
Bible.
·
Discovery of the Nuzi Tablets (1925) – confirmed
numerous Old Testament customs and practices.
·
Discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls (1947) – confirmed
the accuracy of the Hebrew text of Scripture.
· Discovery of the Ebla Tablets (1975) – confirmed various biblical events and names.
· Discovery of a silver amulet in Jerusalem with the name "YAHWEH" on it (1980) – first time the tetragrammaton has been found in an archaeological excavation.
5. TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ repeatedly gave
confirmation and testimony to the divine origin and reliability of the
Scriptures. He believed the Bible to be the divinely inspired Word of God.
Jesus Christ said,
o
If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken. (John 10:35)
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (Matthew 5:18)
But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. (Matthew 15:3-4)
Jesus Christ also believed and confirmed many of the accounts of the Old Testament, such as…
· the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah (Luke 17:29)
· the death of Lot's wife (Luke 17:32)
· the murder of Abel by Cain (Luke 11:51)
· the calling of Moses (Mark 12:26)
· the universal flood of Noah's day (Matthew 24:37)
· the great fish and Jonah (Matthew 12:39-41)
· the creation of Adam and Eve (Matthew 19:4-5)
If the Bible was believed by Jesus Christ, should it not be believed by you?