Is The Bible Really True?
Is the Bible Really True or Just another Good Book?
“A Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.” (Anonymous)
How people approach the Bible makes a great deal of difference in how they read it. Some may approach it as a book equal to that of Shakespeare and think they have found a great piece of literature. Others may approach it like a book of mysterious statements and a complex mixture of myth and realities, but the one who approaches it as the Word of God will find life contained in its pages the others never glimpse.
For the first 18 years of my life I had no regard for the Bible. Even though I had attended church and went through a confirmation class, I had never so much as read a line from its pages. I had heard from others that it really was hard to understand and for the most part was pretty irrelevant to life, so I just never gave it much attention.
This all would change after I received Christ two weeks into my freshmen year of college. There are many pieces of evidence I could point you to which support the Bible’s claim to be the Word of God, and you might be swayed by the evidence but it still would not convince you.
Certainly the Bible is the Word of God without error and it is accurate when it speaks on history or science or biology or anatomy.
No other book makes predictions of historical events years before they happen.
8 "I am the LORD; that is my name!
I will not give my glory to another
or my praise to idols.
9 See, the former things have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce them to you." Isaiah 42:8-9 (NIV)
The Bible predicts the names of kings centuries before they are born. Consider the following passages:
I Kings 13 King Josiah’s name selected over 300 years before he was born
Isaiah 45. King Cyrus of Persia given almost 300 years before he was born. Not only does it predict king’s names it even describes in detail what they will do and how they will die.
I Kings 21:19-23 Death of Ahab and Jezebel predicted very specifically. I Kings 22:34-38; II Kings 9:30-33 are the record of the very specific fulfillment of the prophesy.
These are just a few of the over a thousand specific prophesies in the Scripture.
In order for these prophecies to be fulfilled, the person predicting these prophecies would have to be able control the lifespan of every person in the family line, they would have to have charge over their every step in life, they would have to be able to protect them. and be able to move them to think in a certain way in order for the predictions to be fulfilled. For the prophecies pertaining to how King Ahab and Queen Jezebel would die, they would have to order even the flight of the arrows in battle and the behavior of certain animals.
If these predictions were all fulfilled in precise detail and they were all written down in one book, and if this one book declared that any prediction that did not come true in the smallest detail would be a reason for complete disregard of this book, then when all the evidence is in we have before us a work of literature unparalleled in human history.
Even with all of this evidence, many people say they believe the Bible but they never read it or take to heart what is written in it. It is only as we seek to worship the God of this Bible that we begin to understand the depths of this work. This is not just a book that tells us how the heavens go; it also tells us how to go to heaven.
Jesus used the Scriptures to lead his disciples to their newfound faith in God. Take a good look at Luke 24:13-35. He indicated that the Scriptures possess more power than all of the visible miracles combined. In Luke 16:31 he said, “If they will not believe Moses and the Prophets, they will not believe even if someone rises from the dead.” Here he gives credence to the power of the Word of God to bring people to faith, a power exceeding all the convincing proofs of the visible miracles.
The reason I believe the Bible to be the true word of God is not because it is supported by miraculous prophetic fulfillment, not because it contains great wisdom, or even because it is the best seller of all time. The reason I believe the Bible to be God’s Word is because when I read it and meditate on it, I find God’s directions and wisdom for my life.
I have discovered God’s wisdom to be readily available when I am sharing Christ with someone and I need knowledge about their life to bring them to conviction of sin so they will turn from their sin and trust in Christ.
I have often found that God brings to mind verses I have memorized long before a conversation, and at just the right time I have the word from God to penetrate their lives. It is a book that is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword (Hebrews 4:12-13)
If you approach the Bible as the Word of God and study it in an attitude of humility, you, too, will find God speaking to you from its pages. 1 This is what the LORD says
"Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? 2 Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?" declares the LORD. "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.” Isaiah 66:1-2 (NIV)
Why not get alone with the Bible and pray a prayer like this, “God, I really desire to know you. Please open my eyes and my ears and help me to see and hear you as I read this Bible. Empower me to obey what you say to me in these pages by your Spirit.”
Small Group Discussion Questions:
Have you ever read the entire Bible?
How many Scriptures can you quote from memory?
Notice how Jesus dealt with temptation in the wilderness in Matthew 4:1-10
Are you reading the Bible daily so you can hear from God?
What is your biggest obstacle to reading and studying the Bible regularly?
Set a time when you will meet with God and read His Word each day this next week and be ready to report on your progress when you meet again.
If you want to develop a good overall understanding of the Bible, consider attending a Walk Thru The Bible Seminar in your area or call Walk Thru the Bible to schedule one for your local church or campus ministry group. You can contact them at Walkthru.org