Why You Can Believe the Bible

A concise statement (with explanation) on why you can believe the Bible – special props to Voddie Baucham.

The Bible is the primary source for teaching and practice for Christians. It contains the very words of God. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth may pass away but my words will not pass away. (Matthew 24:35). The same can be said for all of Scripture.

In spite of the revered place believers hold for the Bible, no other book has endured such scrutiny from critics. The Christian Scriptures have suffered a persistent onslaught of attacks, yet it remains the most reliable collection of ancient documents in existence because of its divine origin. The aim of this post is to provide a quick, biblically-based, summary statement for why you can believe the Bible.

In his clip, Voddie Baucham provides a concise statement on why he believes the Bible. This statement covers five core reasons why the Bible can be trusted as the very words of God.

“I choose to believe the Bible because it’s a reliable collection of historical documents written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They report supernatural events that took place in fulfilment of specific prophecies and claim that their writings are divine rather than human in origin.”

Baucham finds the backing for this statement in Peter’s second epistle. In this passage, Peter gives us an overview of some Scriptures and the application can extend to the rest of the Bible. The Apostle Peter wrote:

“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,’ we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:16-21)

We want to align this passage to Baucham’s statement to help give an ample explanation for why you can trust the Bible as the Word of God.

Reliable Collection of Historical Documents

“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” (1 Peter 1:16)

To begin, we should understand the nature of the Bible. The Bible is not one book, but a compilation of writings that was assembled by the people of God in centuries past. Here are a few aspects of the Bible that you may not be aware of. The Bible…

is a collection of ancient manuscripts.
was written over in a period over ~1,500 years.
was written in three different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek).
was written on three different continents (Africa, Asia, and Europe).
was written by over 40 different authors.
covers hundreds of subjects.

Written by Eyewitnesses During the Lifetime of Other Eyewitnesses

“For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,’ we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.” (1 Peter 1:17-18)

Much of the Bible was written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. The Bible attests to its own historical authenticity in several areas. For instance, the book of Luke begins with an overview of how the author collected the material for his gospel and why his reader should believe what they were taught about Jesus.

“Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” (Luke 1:1-4)

This speaks to the internal authenticity of Scripture. And because the Bible is self-attesting, it is the ultimate standard for truth. There is no standard to appeal to that is greater than the Bible. However, there are other ways to authenticate the Bible. For instance…

Archeological Test: The Bible is historically accurate. There have been over 25,000 archaeological digs in the middle east related to biblical claims. No dig has ever contradicted a biblical claim. According to TruthFaithandReason.com:

“As a matter of fact, however, it may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or exact detail historical statements in the Bible” -Nelson Glueck, Archeologist, Rivers in the Desert, 31
Bibliographical Test: The Bible is the most widely attested set of ancient documents. No other ancient document has as many copies. For instance, as of 2013, there were 210 known ancient copies of Plato’s works. At the same time, there were over 25,000 known ancient copies of portions of the New Testament! With help from Karl Udy and Clay Jones, here’s a comparison of the Bible to other ancient documents.
The Christological Test: The Bible was authenticated by Jesus. Jesus, the Son of God, pointed to the Scriptures as being authoritative on numerous occasions. He said things like “the Scriptures cannot be broken” (John 10:35) and “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4). He said to the Jewish leaders, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39). Jesus taught the ultimate authority of the extant Scriptures of his day.

Finally, we can know that the events in the gospels in particular were recorded in the lifetime of other eyewitnesses based on Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians. Paul wrote about over 500 witnesses to Christ’s resurrection. When Jesus was raised from the dead, it was not a hidden event. Many, many people knew about it (1 Corinthians 15:1-8). Though this claim is falsifiable, no other ancient document attempts to refute it.

They Report Supernatural Events

“For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,’ we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.” (2 Peter 1:17-18)

In addition to the Bible being historical and written by eyewitnesses of the events, the writers report supernatural events. This was no ordinary collection of writings. The Bible records many miraculous events such as…

Creation out of nothing (Genesis 1)
The Global Flood (Genesis 7:17-24)
God speaking through a burning bush (Exodus 3:3)
Ten plagues in Egypt (Exodus 8-12)
The Fall of Jericho (Joshua 6:6-20)
Dagon’s house destroyed by Samson (Judges 16:29-30)
Elijah raised a widow’s son from the dead (1 Kings 17:17-23)
A floating axehead (2 Kings 6:5-7)
Daniel delivered from lion’s den (Daniel 6:16-23)
Jonah preserved in a fish’s belly for three days (Jonah 1-2)
Many miracles in the life of Christ (Matthew-John)
The resurrection of Jesus from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:1-8)
Peter freed from prison by an angel (Acts 12:7–11)
John received supernatural visions on the Isle of Patmos (Revelation)

The Bible testifies to a God who interacts with people in extraordinary ways. Scripture does not present a deistic-type god who, like a watchmaker, started the world ticking then let it go. Instead, Scripture presents a very great yet near God who does astonishing things on the world’s stage – and particularly in the pages of the Bible.

In Fulfilment of Specific Prophecies

“And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.” (2 Peter 1:19)

In addition to the other unique aspects of the Bible, it also contains fulfilled prophecies. Since it is humanly impossible to predict the future with 100% accuracy, this is one of the reasons we know the Bible is the Word of God.

One of the areas of predictive prophecy relates to Jesus. The Old Testament predicts the advent, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus. This collection of Jewish Scriptures predates the time of Christ by 400 years or more. In other words, the Old Testament predates the New Testament by many centuries. And yet, the Old Testament contains strikingly accurate prophecies about Jesus that were affirmed in later New Testament documents. The following infographic is a good overview of some of those prophecies and fulfillments.

Imagine having to accurately predict something that would happen in 10 years from now? 100 years from now? 1000 years from now? Impossible right? But not with God.

And Claim that Their Writings are Divine Rather than Human in Origin

“For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:21)

Finally, the Bible contains audacious claims about it’s divine origin. This is no anonymous collection of ancient writings – instead, the Bible affirms and implies supernatural provenance. The Bible is the Word of God – and it says so in multiple places.

“The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17)

“And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” (1 Timothy 3:16-17)

“but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.” (1 Peter 1:25)

“For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:21)

Application: Memorize Voddie Baucham’s Bible Overview

So the next time someone asks you about why you believe the Bible, you now have a concise answer to give them. Memorize it. That will help you provide your friend or family member an answer and may turn into a very productive spiritual conversation.