Question
Is the Bible really the Word of God, as Christians claim, or is it just another man-made book?
Answer
As Christians we believe that the Bible is God’s Word, that it was written over a period of about 1500 years by about 40 different authors, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and therefore complete truth. The oldest parts of the Bible date back to around 1500 BC, and the youngest parts were written during the first century after Christ.
The discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls between 1947 and 1956, threw much light on the authenticity of the Bible, as parts of every Old Testament book, except the book of Esther, was found there. A complete Isaiah scroll was found, a thousand years older than any Isaiah scroll in existence at that time, which was virtually identical to the existing ones. It proved that the copying of the Bible books was done so well, that even thousands of years after they were originally written, they still contained almost identical content to the original. So anyone who claims that the Bible has been corrupted, incorrectly copied, or wrongly translated, is totally ignorant of the true state of affairs. God Himself was involved in the entire process, and He has looked after the copying and translation, to make sure that His message to us is what He wanted it to be when it was written.
If you really are a Christian, you should have no reservations about the Bible being the Word of God, and being completely accurate and believable. If God is all-powerful, all-knowing, having all wisdom, do you think that He is so incompetent that He cannot take care of His own love letter to us? God is the One who inspired the authors of the Bible to write, over a very long period, and yet the Bible is a book with a consistent message, even though about 40 men wrote it. The Bible is no ordinary book, it is God’s own Word to us, a supernatural book that changes lives, and it is the basis of everything that we believe as Christians. If you don’t have faith that the Bible is 100% true and believable, then you cannot be a Christian. Don’t have any doubts, trust God, and see the Bible as the living Word of God, which will save you if you let it.
2 Peter 1 20 … no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
2 Timothy 3 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
1 Peter 1:25 the word of the Lord endures forever.
Matthew 24:35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
Psalm 119 9 How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. 11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
John 8 31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
2 Samuel 22: 31 As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
There is a book that is very useful to prove the Bible’s authenticity, which is available on Amazon. It goes into great detail about the Bible’s truthfulness. It is called Can We Still Believe The Bible? And Does It Really Matter? by Bryan Ball. I suggest that you get a copy.
The biggest reason to believe that God exists, that the Bible is God’s Word, and that it is totally supernatural, is the fact that so many lives have been changed completely by giving ourselves to God, and studying His Word. A changed life is therefore a big testimony to not only God’s existence, but to the truth of His Word, the Bible, and its miracle-working power in our lives.
I trust that this makes sense to you. God bless!
