How Do You Know the Bible is True?

Reasons to Read and Believe the Bible

Oct 10, 2008 Brian Tubbs

The Bible is the bestselling book of all time as well as the most studied in all of history. But is the Bible true? Is the Bible God's Word? Can you trust the Bible?

How do you know the Bible is true? Are you a believer who's been asked that question? Or perhaps you've asked the question of others. Imagine, for a moment, that question being asked of any other book. What the issue really amounts to is whether the Bible is accurate and trustworthy. In order to know that answer, one must first understand the nature of the Bible.

What is the Bible?

In his letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul wrote that the "household of God" was built on the "foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone" (Ephesians 2:19-20).

The early church confirmed the 66 books of our present-day Protestant Bible (the Catholics added several more books) as being the written record of the teachings of the prophets, the apostles, and Jesus. In other words, the Bible is, in written form, the "foundation" that Paul referred to in his letter to Ephesus.

If the Bible is indeed a written compilation of God's revelation to mankind, then it constitutes Scripture, and Paul is clear concerning the authority of Scripture. To Timothy, he writes that all "Scripture" is "given by inspiration of God" (or "God-breathed") and is therefore "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness" (II Timothy 3:16).

If one accepts that the Bible constitutes "Scripture," then Paul is making the unambiguous claim that the Bible is the Word of God and should therefore be considered binding and authoritative on God's people.

How's Your Faith?

If the Bible is indeed the written record of God's revelation, then we should logically trust the Bible in direct proportion to our faith in God. So, the next step is to consider your faith. If you doubt the existence or active presence of God, then you're not likely to consider the Bible as the Word of God.

Simple questions to measure your faith in God and the BIble would be:

• Do you believe God exists?
• Do you believe God created the "heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1)?
• Do you believe God created the human race (Genesis 1-2)?
• Do you believe God has revealed Himself to the human race?
• Do you believe God's revelation has come through prophets, Jesus, and the apostles (Ephesians 2:19-20)?
• Do you believe the Bible is an accurate compilation of God's revelation?
• Do you believe the Bible has been accurately preserved and translated down through the ages?

If you answer "yes" to each of the above questions, then you should be quite comfortable embracing the Bible as the Word of God. If you answered "no" to any question or have serious doubts, then you need to explore those respective areas in greater depth.

Books to Study More about the Bible

It is not possible for this article to provide an exchaustive analysis of all the questions and controversies surrounding the trustworthiness of the Bible. However, those questions are addressed in numerous books, articles, websites, conferences, videos, and more, which are readily available to those interested.

Some books recommended by this author include:

• Seven Reasons Why You Can Trust the Bible by Erwin Lutzer (Moody, 2008)
• No Doubt About it: The Case for Christianity by Winfried Corduan (B&H Publishing, 1997)
• A General Introduction to the Bible by Norman Geisler and William Nix (Moody, 1986)
• An Introduction to the Old Testament by Tremper Longman III and Raymond Dillard (Zondervan, 2006)
• An Introduction to the New Testament by D.A. Carson and Douglas J. Moo (Zondervan, 2005)

Of course, the best book to study about the Bible is the Bible itself. There are many people who claim to believe in the Bible or who reject the Bible - and yet they've never read it! Don't walk in ignorance.

Many people who have questions or objections to the Bible simply wash their hands of the matter, saying, "There's no way it could be true" or "There's just too many contradictions or unresolved questions" or so on. This is irresponsible scholarship. Don't just walk away from your questions. Study them out.

The book of Proverbs tells us that a "wise man will hear and will increase learning" (Proverbs 1:5). When it comes to the Bible, there are few subjects more important for which you can increase your learning.

The copyright of the article How Do You Know the Bible is True? in Protestantism is owned by Brian Tubbs. Permission to republish How Do You Know the Bible is True? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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