Ten Reasons We Believe the Bible

By Nathan Busenitz @ http://www.sfpulpit.com

There is no question that the Bible claims to be the Word of God. In fact, over 2,000 times in the Old Testament alone, from the beginning (Gen. 1:3) to the end (Mal. 4:3), the assertion is made that God Himself spoke what is written within its pages.

This theme continues into the New Testament, where the phrase “the Word of God” occurs over 40 times. Without apology or qualification, the Bible declares that it was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16–17; 2 Pet. 1:21), and that its message is absolutely true (John 17:17; cf. Pss. 19, 119) because its divine Author is incapable of falsehood (cf. Titus 1:3; Heb. 6:18).

But how can we, as Christians, be confident in accepting such claims? After all, there are other religious books that claim to come from God. And there are also many people who adhere to no religious book at all. So what is it about the Bible that compels us to believe its testimony is true?

This is the question that R. A. Torrey asked himself nearly a century ago. It is the question we hope to address in this series. Like Torrey, we have developed a list of ten reasons why we believe the Bible is the Word of God (based in part on his original list). Today we will only mention the ten, with the intention of exploring each of these in subsequent posts.

We believe the Bible is God’s Word because . . .

1. It explains us and our world in a way that perfectly corresponds to reality. In other words, it is the special revelation (Psalm 19:7–11) necessary to truly make sense of general revelation (Psalm 19:1–6; Romans 1, 2).

Ronald Nash: Christian theism is only one of a number of competing conceptual systems. . . . When faced with a choice among competing touchstone propositions of different world-views, we should choose the one that, when applied to the whole of reality, gives us the most coherent picture of the world. (Faith & Reason, 51)

John Gerstner: The Bible answers the questions which nature raises. This seems to be an initial presumption in favor of the Bible’s being the very word of God, namely, that it answers the questions which only God can answer. (Reasons for Faith, 69)

2. It is accurate in the areas in which it can be tested (such as science and history), and therefore credible in areas where it cannot be tested (such as faith) (cf. Psalm 119:160; John 17:17).

William Lane Craig: Sooner or later, however, the core question concerning Scripture’s trustworthiness must be raised – are its historical portions factual? Or to ask the question another way, where the Bible purports to be relating things that happened on this earth at a particular period of its history, is it conveying accurate or reliable information about what was said and done? . . . . It is this historical nature of Christianity which sets it off from many other world religions, particularly the Eastern religions. (Reasonable Faith, 195)

3. It’s supernatural character has been validated by hundreds of fulfilled prophecies (cf. Isaiah 53; Daniel 9:24–27; John 5:39–47; 1 Cor. 15:3–4).

Rubel Shelly: The strongest single evidence of the Bible’s divine origin . . . is predictive prophecy. . . . Everyone one of the scores of Old and New Testament predictive prophecies has been fulfilled to the letter, except for those relating to the second coming of Crhist, the final judgment, and eternity. The fact of the fulfillment of those prior prophecies is conclusive proof to Christians that the remaining ones will come to pass. The Bible itself places great emphasis on predictive prophecy as proof of the integrity of the total system of things revealed therein. (Prepare to Answer, 117-18)

4. It is marked by a clear and consistent message, despite being written by many human authors over a period of 1,500 years (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20–21).

F.F. Bruce: The Bible, at first sight, appears to be a collection of literature—mainly Jewish. If we enquire into the circumstances under which the various Biblical documents were written, we find that they were written at intervals over a space of nearly 1400 years. The writers wrote in various lands, from Italy in the west to Mesopotamia and possibly Persia in the east. The writers themselves were a heterogeneous number of people, not only separated from each other by hundreds of years and hundreds of miles, but belonging to the most diverse walks of life. In their ranks we have kings, herdsmen, soldiers, legislators, fishermen, statesmen, courtiers, priests and prophets, a tent-making Rabbi and a Gentile physician, not to speak of others of whom we know nothing apart from the writings they have left us. The writings themselves belong to a great variety of literary types. They include history, law (civil, criminal, ethical, ritual, sanitary), religious poetry, didactic treatises, lyric poetry, parable and allegory, biography, personal correspondence, personal memoirs and diaries, in addition to the distinctively Biblical types of prophecy and apocalyptic.

For all that the Bible is not simply an anthology; there is a unity which binds the whole together. An anthology is compiled by an anthologist, but no anthologist compiled the Bible. (The Books and the Parchments, 88)

5. It is unsurpassed in its literary quality, moral ethic, and social impact as would be expected if God were its Source (cf. Psalm 119:137–144). It likewise possesses an inexhaustible richness (cf. Rom. 11:33–36) which satisfies the thirsty soul (cf. Psalms 1:2-3; 42:1).

A. Rendle Short: Needless to say, if it be true that the Book is divinely inspired, we shall expect to find that it is in quite a different category from all other books whatsoever. We shall be interested to study to what extent the divine inspiration overrules the human element. Ordinary English writers of prose or poetry, Shakespeare, Bunyan, Tennyson, make no such claim as this, nor do their writings exhibit the marks of it. (Why Believe?, 59)

Bernard Ramm: Our logic in this case shall be rather plain. All of the various tributes paid to the Bible are in reality one tribute: the Bible is able perennially to grip profoundly the human soul. Wherein rests this peculiar magnetism of the Bible? Is it in its literary power or beauty? Is it in its dramatic elements? Or, perchance, it is in its human interest values? However, to keep the most significant issue to the front of the real question is this: is the power of the Bible to grip the human soul of divine or human origin? (Protestant Christian Evidences, 224)

6. It changes the lives of individual people, through the power of the Spirit, transforming those who were slaves of sin into sons and daughters of righteousness (cf. Psalm 119:97–104, 130; Eph. 6:18; Heb. 4:12; 1 Pet. 3:1-2).

Josh McDowell: My father’s life was changed right before my eyes [when he trusted Christ]. It was like someone reached down and switched on a light inside him. He touched alcohol only once after that. He got the drink only as far as his lips and that was it—after forty years of drinking! He didn’t need it any more. Fourteen months later, he died form complications of his alcoholism. But in that fourteen-month period over a hundred people in the area around my tiny hometown committed their lives to Jesus Christ because of the change they saw in the town drunk, my dad. (The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict, xxvii)

John Frame: In Scripture we not only find the information needed to reform, to sanctify our lives; we also find there the ability to do so; for the Holy Spirit of God works in and with the word, and he works in saving power. Thus we have an additional motive to return again and again to Scripture. It is there that we find the strength to change, to reform our ideas and life-decisions in obedience to God. The words of Scripture and the Spirit therein work together (not, of course, independently); thus by the Spirit’s work, the words “captivate” us, “grip” us. We find them memorable, penetrating, profoundly true. We find that we cannot avoid taking them into account. (“Rationality and Scripture,” Online Source)

7. It stands alone among other books that claim to come from God, in both its external verifiability and its internal consistency (cf. Isaiah 41:21–23).

John Ankerberg and John Weldon: In conclusion, the fact that Christianity more logically and adequately explains our existence than does any other religion, and that its theological teaching are unique [among world religions], argue in part for biblical Christianity being the true religion. . . . The Bible is the only ancient book with documented scientific and medical prevision. No other ancient book is ever carefully analyzed along scientific lines, but many books have been written on the them of the Bible and modern science. (Fast Facts on Defending Your Faith, 33, 84–85)

8. It continues to victoriously withstand the attacks of its critics. Despite attempts to undermine its message, the Bible has stood the test of time.

Norman Geisler: While many have doubted the accuracy of the Bible, time and continued research have consistently demonstrated that the Word of God is better informed than its critics. In fact, while thousands of finds from the ancient world support in broad outline and often in detail the biblical picture, not one incontrovertible find has ever contradicted the Bible. (Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics)

9. It was confirmed as the Word of God by Jesus Christ. As Christians, insofar as we believe in Jesus Christ, we must also believe that the Bible is the Word of God.

R.C. Sproul: According to Jesus, the writings of Scripture are more than generally reliable. They are the veritable words of God, unable to be broken. He not only taught that they were verbally inspired, he taught that “until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matt. 5:18; cf. Luke 16:17; 24:25-27; John 10:35; 13:18; 17:12). (Defending Your Faith, 181)

John Frame: To be committed to Jesus Christ is to honor his word, above all other words. Van Til, together with all orthodox believers, held that the word of Christ, the word of God, is to be found in the Holy Scriptures, indeed that the Bible is the word of God. (“Antithesis and the Doctrine of Scripture,” Online Source)

10. It is made certain by the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer (cf. John 10:14–16; 1 Cor. 2:10–16).

William Lane Craig: Reason can be used to defend our faith by formulating arguments for the existence of God or by refuting objections. But though the arguments so developed serve to confirm the truth of our fatih, they are not properly the basis of our faith, for that is supplied by the witness of the Holy Spirit Himself. (Hard Questions, Real Answers, 37-38)

R. A. Torrey: The Holy Spirit sets His seal in the soul of every believer to the Divine authority of the Bible. It is possible to get to a place where we need no argument to prove that the Bible is God’s Word. Christ says, “My sheep know my voice,” and God’s children know His voice, and I know that the voice that speaks to me from the pages of that Book is the voice of my Father. You will sometimes meet a pious old lady, who tells you that she knows that the Bible is God’s Word, and when you ask her for a reason for believing that it is God’s Word she can give you none, She simply says: ”I know it is God’s Word.” You say: “That is mere superstition.” Not at all. She is one of Christ’s sheep, and recognizes her Shepherd’s voice from every other voice. She is one of God’s children, and knows the voice which speaks to her from the Bible is the voice of God. (“Ten Reasons I Believe the Bible is the Word of God”)