THE ISSUE: Isn’t the Bible just fantasy? After all, isn’t it way too old to really be relevant today? What’s more, aren’t there some errors in the Bible?
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS: “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21).
WHAT CHRISTIANS BELIEVE: While there are sound reasons for believing that the Bible is God’s Word, don’t expect the masses to buy into this conviction. Here are a couple of reasons why:
1. Movies and television don’t exactly put the Bible (or Christians) on a pedestal. Most of the time Christians are the brunt of jokes or are made to look like crazed religious fanatics.
2. Some people have had a bad experience with “religion.” Since Christians are human who do make mistakes—there’s a good chance a lot of people have seen or heard something that has turned them off.
There’s not much you can do if these things are clouding people’s ability to look at the Bible without biases, but you can be ready to talk about why you hold the Bible in high regard. Keep in mind that it’s not your role to argue or convince anyone of anything. The key is to know what you believe and why you believe it.
The Bible Is Unique
Just try finding another book that can tout these credentials:
• It features 66 books written by 40 authors from every walk of life (kings, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, poets, statesmen, scholars, just for a start), yet it’s totally consistent.
• It was written over 1,600 years on three continents (Asia, Africa and Europe).
• It answers people’s deepest questions—about the purpose of life, death and eternity.
• It is archaeologically accurate.
• All 318 prophecies in the Old Testament about the Messiah were fulfilled by Jesus.
Reasons God Gave Us the Bible
1. To show us His true character. By choosing to send His only Son to die on a cross for the sins of man, He exemplified true, unselfish love. The central theme of both the Old and New Testaments is this: God used the Jewish people to bring forth the Messiah who would save ALL people who put their faith in Him.
2. To be an “owner’s manual” for getting the most out of life. His guidelines for how we treat each other and for how we can get to know Him better are perfectly clear. The Bible is 100 percent accurate. While there may be room for debate on certain issues (depending on how some ancient words are translated), there are no discrepancies in His promises, commands and warnings.
With that foundation, let’s tackle some often-asked questions:
Isn’t the Bible full of errors?
You’ll likely hear this one a lot in your lifetime. It’s usually said by those who have never read the Bible and who are simply looking for an excuse to stay in control of their lives. But get this: “All Scripture is God-breathed” (see 2 Timothy 3:16-17). The word “God-breathed” is a translation of the Greek word theopneustos meaning “inspired.” The origin of Scripture is God, not man; it is inspired.
How can we be sure the New Testament is really accurate?
More than 5,330 Greek New Testament parchment fragments are still in existence, some dating to within a century of the apostles. Also, some 8,000 Latin parchments exist, and there are hundreds more in dozens of other ancient languages. These numbers are especially impressive considering that Roman emperor Diocletian ordered all Scriptures burned between A.D. 302 and 305. Many Christians chose to die rather than “deny the faith” by surrendering New Testament Scriptures for destruction.
Because of the wealth of original documents, scholars are certain of the exact wording of all but 400 words in the New Testament. Nearly all of these are tense issues, minor word changes and a few words that were added by transcribers to assist in clarity for that particular language.
Do archaeological discoveries help prove the Bible?
Youth speaker and author Josh McDowell says that while archaeology can “shed light on various passages of the Bible, it is beyond the realm of archaeology to prove the Bible is the Word of God.”
Archaeology without historical record is pointless. Digging up other people’s trash and ruins only tells us of cultural customs and events. It doesn’t give us an exact chronology of history as the Bible does.
“What archaeology has done,” Josh says, “is to verify some of the history contained in the Bible. For instance, two of the cities in the Bible, Sodom and Gomorrah, have been for many years considered mythological by the intellectual community. However, recent excavations at Tel Mardikh (in northwestern Syria), now known to be the site of Ebla, uncovered about 15,000 tablets. Some of these have been translated, and mention is made of Sodom and Gomorrah.”
Why is it difficult to “prove” Christianity to your friends by using the Bible?
When Paul used Old Testament Scriptures to persuade people to put their faith in Jesus, he was talking to Jews who were already convinced of the Scripture’s authority. But today, those outside the church will not have the same respect for the Bible that Christians do. That leaves you with a choice: You can proceed to quote passages that “prove” you to be right, or you can reasonably (and often slowly) move them toward checking out the Bible for themselves.
We vote for the latter. Instead of using the truth of the Bible as a club, Christians should hold it high and encourage seeking unbelievers to check things out for themselves. As that happens, the power of God’s Word can hit with full effect. When hearts and minds go one-on-one with the Holy Spirit through His Word, God always wins!
