The history of the Bible and how it came together is complicated. It consists of multiple books by multiple authors. Some of these books were written hundreds of years apart.
So how can we be sure that the Bible is true, and not just a collection of stories and myths?
Some Christians might say, ‘it’s the Bible, so it must be true’, or ‘we know it’s true by faith’. Others will point to 2 Timothy 3:16 to show that all scripture is inspired by God (God-breathed, as the verse says).
While these are good reasons to believe the Bible is true, they are not very convincing especially when talking to non-believers or Christians who are young in their faith.
Here are some solid evidence-based reasons we believe the Bible to be true.
What You'll Learn Today
1. Unified/Consistent Message
Despite being written by dozens of authors across centuries, the Bible’s message is consistent right from Genesis to revelation.
These consistent themes include God’s salvation, man’s persistent failure to live up to God’s law (starting from Adam’s and Eve’s fall at the Garden of Eden), and God’s unfailing mercy and forgiveness.
Whether you are reading the historical books, taking in the beautiful poetry and songs of Psalm and Proverbs, reading the prophets, or going through the account of Jesus’ life on earth, these themes are there throughout.
God’s greatest wish is to save mankind, but we constantly fail by sinning. But God is always willing to forgive us if we repent.
2. Fulfilled Prophecies
The Bible is full of prophecies that have already been fulfilled. The best known ones are messianic prophecies that predicted the birth and actions of Jesus.
For example, there’s Isaiah 7:14.
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
And Psalm 22:16 predicts the crucifixion of Jesus.
Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce[a] my hands and my feet.
The fact that these prophecies were proclaimed and fulfilled at vastly different times confirms the Bible’s veracity.
3. Accurate Translations
Some people argue that translators may have changed the Bible while copying it from Greek, Latin and other languages.
While different translations of the Bible have minor variations, mostly in form of wording. But they are shockingly close to ancient manuscripts that have been discovered.
The content of the Bible has been passed down over the centuries in a highly accurate form, very similar to what the original authors wrote down.
Furthermore, Bible translators take great care to copy the Bible accurately, to reflect the original meaning and context.
4. The Bible is God’s Word
Perhaps the greatest evidence that the Bible is true can only be experienced by a believer. When you read the Bible, you can undoubtedly feel you are reading God’s word.
It calms you when you are anxious, it gives you answers when you are questioning or in doubt, and it guides you when you feel lost.
For an unbeliever reading the Bible, it usually has none of this effect; it’s just a book to them. But for a true believer, you very well know the power that lies between those pages.
