I believe that the Bible is sufficient in equipping a believer in matters of faith and conduct. I also believe that it should have the final authority in the Christian life.
But you can only hold to this view of you if you’re fully convinced that the Bible is the word of God. And that it’s how God has chosen to speak to us.
So, how do we know for sure that the Bible is the word of God? Is there evidence that proves that the Bible is the word of God and not just another random book?
These are valid questions to ask ourselves. And to answer them we’ll start with what the Bible has to say about itself.
Internal Evidence that Scripture is the Word of God
The Bible speaks for Itself
There is no shortage of scriptures that claim that the Bible is the inspired word of God.
For example, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says that all scripture is given by the inspiration of God. In 2 Peter 1:20-21, Apostle Peter says that “no prophecy of scripture was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
And many verses confirm this including John 2:22; 5:24; Psa 19:7-11; 119:9;11;18; Exo 20:1; Acts 17:11; 2 Sam 22:31; Prov 30:5-6; Deut 6:6-9; Isa 22:29; 55:10-11; 2 Tim 2:15; John 5:24; 1 Pet 1:23-25; Mark 13:31; Rev 1:1-3; 22:18.
We also have the testimony of Jesus. He not only embodied the divine Word but also affirmed its authority in His teachings and actions (John 1:14).
It was normal for Him to quote from the Old Testament ( Matt 12:40; 24:15; Luke 17:27; 11:49-51; John 5:46;). And when He did, He referred to it as the Word of God. For example, in Matthew 15:4 He referenced commandments from Exodus 20:12; 21:7 by starting with, “For God commanded…”
A little further down in Matthew 15:6, He told the Pharisees that they had ‘made void the word of God‘ (referring to the OT) by adding their traditions. As you can see, His references to the Scriptures were not merely as historical or cultural artifacts but as living words from God Himself.
Moreover, when he was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, He appealed to the Scripture’s authority saying, “It is written…” (Matt 4:1-11).
So why does the testimony of Jesus matter? Well, if we believe that He is God and submit to Him as our Lord and Savior, then His testimony ought to be taken as true and authoritative.
Testimony of the Holy Spirit
Not only does the Bible testify on its behalf, but the Holy Spirit also bears witness to the reader that the things recorded in Scripture are true.
He enables us to understand scripture (John 16:13). And He uses it to convict, teach, admonish, chastise, encourage, and equip us for Godly living.
The transformative power of scripture is evident in the people who follow its teachings (2 Cor 3:2). This goes to show that it’s not just any other book, it’s alive!! (Heb 4:12).
Unity of Scripture
Isn’t it amazing how incredibly cohesive the Bible is? Yet it contains 66 books that were produced over roughly 1600 years by at least 40 distinct authors. The authors were from different walks of life. They were also from at least three different continents and they wrote three distinct languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek).
Nevertheless, the authors were able to cobble together one consistent message from Genesis to Revelation without conflict. The Bible has no major doctrinal, theological, historical, scientific, or moral inconsistencies. Yet, no natural explanation can account for this.
All the texts in the Bible culminate into a single narrative about the Gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. Such seamless harmony testifies to its divine inspiration.
Fulfilled Prophecy
The Bible has more precise predictive prophecy than any other religious source in history.
And indeed there are many events about the future and over 300 exact prophecies about the Messiah that God foretold in advance that are recorded in the Bible.
And predictive prophecy is one of the most compelling pieces of evidence that scripture is the word of God. So much so, that it has rendered skeptics speechless. Isaiah 42:9 says that “only God can declare things before they spring forth.”
These prophecies are meticulously detailed and many of them have been fulfilled to the tee. Only God, who is not limited to time and space, could reliably, accurately, and precisely predict the future.
External Evidence that Scripture is the Word of God
Although scripture speaks for itself, skeptics will argue that this argument is circular. However, this kind of reasoning is necessary for believers because the Bible is our ultimate and final authority. No further justifications are required since relying on another authority to support a claim implies the supremacy of that referenced authority.
So, when we subject the Bible to another authority as the standard for truth we are consequently assuming that its scriptural authority is not final, yet it is.
All other standards, be it human logic, scientific veracity, historical evidence or any other norm are fallible since they are a product of human understanding. Scripture, on the other hand, should be the gold standard because it’s divine. And even if no one were to hear or believe it, the fact remains it’s the word of God.
However, the challenge we face in presenting internal evidence alone is that people are blinded by sin. And since the things of the spirit cannot be accepted by the natural mind (1 Cor. 2:14), the natural mind must assess any proof presented by scripture using human norms as the standard for truth.
While human norms can verify and support the evidence presented in the Bible, they cannot deductively “prove” its veracity. Only the Bible can. Nonetheless, here is external evidence that supports the fact that the Bible is God’s word:
Related: The Sufficiency of Scripture: What Does it Mean and Why it’s Important.
Scientific Accuracy
Scientific accuracy has been thoroughly tested on the Bible over the years, and it has never failed. And even though the Bible was written years before, it’s pretty fascinating how consistent it is with modern scientific discoveries.
For example, Job 26:7 says, “He stretches out the north over the void and hangs the earth on nothing.” And yet the book of Job was written over 4000 years ago.
How did Job know that the Earth was suspended in space? For all we know, astronomy and space exploration had not been discovered yet in his time.
Another example is in the book of Isaiah which was written over 2800 years ago. Isaiah 40:22 says, “It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;”
How did Isaiah know that the earth was spherical/circular? Such scientific knowledge had not been discovered at that time. Therefore, the only plausible answer is that both Job and Isaiah must have been inspired by God. The creator of the universe.
Manuscript Reliability
Manuscripts are handwritten copies of ancient texts, and the Bible, being an ancient religious text, has been meticulously preserved and transmitted through generations by scribes. Therefore, making them a pretty strong piece of evidence for the fact that the Bible is the word of God
Here are some key points in this regard:
- Numerous Manuscripts: One of the strengths of the Bible’s manuscript tradition is the sheer number of copies that have been found. The number of Bible manuscripts in existence is quite extensive, especially when considering both the Old Testament and the New Testament. For example, there are over 5,800 known Greek manuscripts of the New Testament and it’s pretty mindblowing that more are found every year. These include complete copies, partial manuscripts, and fragments some of which date back to within a few centuries of the original writings. This abundance of manuscripts allows scholars to cross-reference and compare different copies to identify variations and ensure accuracy.
- Consistency Among Manuscripts: Skeptics might say, “With so many copies, there must be tons of mistakes, right?” Well, despite the variations that naturally occur over time due to copying errors and other factors, scholars argue that the essential content and message of the Bible have remained remarkably consistent. The similarities among manuscripts, especially in the core theological doctrines, support the idea that the text has been faithfully transmitted through the ages. Needless to say, the remarkable preservation of the biblical text, especially considering the age of some manuscripts and the challenges associated with manual copying, is seen as evidence of divine providence.
- Early Manuscripts: The discovery of early manuscripts, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, has provided scholars with copies of biblical texts that predate later manuscripts by many centuries. The Dead Sea Scrolls, for instance, include fragments of nearly every book of the Old Testament and date from the 3rd century BCE to the 1st century CE. The existence of such early manuscripts is seen as evidence of the Bible’s reliability. Additionally, the shorter time span between the original writings and the earliest copies minimizes the likelihood of significant corruption or distortion of the original content.
Historical Verification
There are many verifiable historical events documented in the Bible. Often these historical accounts have been shown to be authentic and accurate by archaeological findings.
Following two centuries of archaeological exploration, we have a collection of significant discoveries and manuscript evidence that will make even the most ardent Bible doubters ponder!
The fact that the Bible faithfully narrates historically verifiable events lends weight to its assertion that it is the literal Word of God and encourages faith in other issues the Bible addresses.
Read this article to see some of the amazing archeological discoveries that you can share with anyone who doubts the authenticity of scripture.
Human Authorship
The sins and even the worst of crimes committed by men are recorded in the Bible. And it’s easy to relate to the characters of the Bible because they are accurately presented as fallen and prone to sin.
While the Bible authors were flawed and susceptible to error, it’s incredible how there is no bias in favor of men despite human authorship.
Another incredible thing is that while the human authors’ word choices were directed by the Spirit of God, their unique writing styles and personalities are reflected.
More than that, these men genuinely believed what God had spoken to them. And some, like the prophets and Apostles, were willing to endure suffering and hardship for the sake of the message they received from God.
Endurance
Not only has the Bible undergone much scrutiny, but it has also endured attacks and vicious attempts by skeptics to discredit it. Perhaps more than any other book in history.
It has faced never-ending assaults from critics, scientists, psychologists, politicians, and atheists. Yet, it persists and continues to be the world’s most extensively read and translated book. Yep! it remains a bestseller!
Although the opponents of the Bible have criticized its teaching as being out of date, it’s still as valid and timely now as it was back when it was first written. And in his providence, God has ensured that His word is preserved (Mark 13:31).
Conclusion
Since the Bible is indeed God’s Word, we ought to value it, learn from it, obey it, and completely rely on it. The very fact that God gave it to us is proof of His love for us.
The beautiful truths within the Bible revealed through divine insight, would remain unknown to us if not for God’s revelation in scripture. All that a person needs to know about God to have a relationship with Him can be found in scripture alone
Therefore, we should have confidence in it.
