Is the Bible the inspired Word of God?
This question came in from Bridget of Tennessee who wrote asking: “My friend and I have had multiple discussions about the authenticity of the Bible. I believe the Bible to be the inspired, infallible, authoritative Word of God. She does not. What references can I use to explain and prove the Bible is inspired?”
Quick Answer
I’d begin by explaining to your friend that one of the proofs that the Bible indeed is the inspired Word of God is that there has been no book like the Bible ever made in existence.
The Bible is actually comprised of 66 books written over 1,500 years by more than 40 human authors from various backgrounds and places. It was written in three languages — Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. Despite that multiple authors wrote in their own styles, it is easy to tell they were guided by Holy Spirit because of the unity of theme across all 66 books in the Bible (2 Pet. 1:20,21; 2 Tim. 3:16,17). That theme being the unfolding of the story of God’s plan of salvation for mankind through Jesus Christ.
The Bible is also without recording error. The Old Testament books we have today can be verified as accurate translations by comparing them to the Dead Sea Scrolls, which are copies from about 2,100 years ago. In making copies over the centuries, the priests recording conditions were so strict that if they made one misprint the whole copy had to be thrown out.
No historical document has so many copies of parts of the Bible (5,500 to be exact) so closely dated to the original writings. We don’t doubt Homer wrote the Odyssey, and yet the oldest existing copy of the Odyssey was copied 2,200 years after it was originally written. In comparison, the earliest fragments of the Bible we have today dates only at 120 A.D., with complete copies such as the Codex Vaticanus from 325 A.D. and the Codex Sinaiticus rom 350 A.D. The closest book to match the Bible in the way of near original copies is Homer’s Illiad with 643 copies dated still nearly 500 years after Homer lived.
Archaeological finds such as the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls support every historical reference in the Bible. And, many more discoveries are found each and every day that continue to prove the Bible’s historical accounts as accurate history.
Secondly, the Bible’s events were testified to by those who were its own critics, like King Festus (Acts 26:24-26), the historian Josephus, and Romans like Tacitus.
Thirdly, a relationship with Christ changes lives. When people read the Bible, they learn about God’s plan for salvation — Jesus Christ. When they accept Jesus as Savior and Lord of their lives, a radical transformation occurs in the way they live. Millions of lives have been radically changed by reading the Bible.
And, fourthly, we can trust that what the Bible teachings about God is the real deal because Bible prophecy has been fulfilled 100% of the time. Prophecy in the Bible has a perfect track record! For example, in the Old Testament alone there are 300 general and 109 specific prophecies concerning the First Coming of the Messiah, and 500 prophecies concerning His upcoming Second Coming. Jesus fulfilled all 300 First Coming prophecies.
Mathematicians have figured the possibility of just eight of those 300 prophesies being fulfilled in the life of one man has a probability of 1 in 10 to the 17th power. That would be equal to covering Texas in two feet deep of coins, blindfolding a person, dropping them into Texas, and they find just one marked coin on the first try. Such odds are astronomically impossible, but not if the Bible is truly God’s word.
We can therefore trust that the Bible is the one true and inspired revelation of God, and put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
Resources
For a ton more proofs on the inspiration of the Bible, I’d recommend books like Inerrancy by Norman Geisler, and anything by Josh McDowell like Don’t Check Your Brains at the Door and Evidence That Demands a Verdict. Dr. Ron Rhodes has many great proofs concerning the Bible at ronrhodes.org. In discussions with Atheists, Ray Comfort recently wrote a helpful book titled You Can Lead an Atheist to Water, But You Can’t Make Him Think.
This information is provided by my personal Grant Jeffrey Prophecy Study Bible lising several archaeological finds linked to the New Testament:
Herod's Temple
Herod's winter palace
The Herodium (possible tomb of Herod)
Masada
Early Synagogue
Pool of Siloam
Pool of Bethesda
Pilate inscription
Inscription: Gentile entrance of temple sancturary
Skeletal remains of crucified man
Peter's house
Jacob's well
Derbe inscription (Acts 14:20)
Sergius Paulus inscription (Acts 13:7)
Fourth-century B.C. walls (Acts 20:13,14)
Artemis temple and altar (Acts 19:27,28)
Ephesian theater (Acts 19:29)
Silversmith shops (Acts 19:24)
Artemis statues (Acts 19:35)
This is just a portion of the list prescribed to archaeological finds that substantiate the claims of the New Testament and its authenticity. The list of finds associated with the Old Testament is even more extensive!
Good article my hope is many will see the bible as God's Holy Word and that his Word was made flesh in Jesus Christ.
There is a book out now that is causing many in America to fear. Much discussion is going on among christian.
This book, I do not dispute' has many truths in it; but my concern is why would we dare claim the covenant meant for Israel as ours? Now I know the book says the signs and things are there we need not claim them ( but in stating-they are claimed).This brings on America's head the very wrath of God. We should not claim wrath on our heads. Instead we should claim the Whole Body of the Living Christ- who brings salvation ,not wrath. I know this is really what is meant in the book that we should heed the warnings. However I say as a nation under Christ; Christ has not left us- his promises can never leave-he is the eternal Lamb-eternal salvation. One drop of Christ's precious blood is enough for the whole nation-any nation. I personally will rebuke,in Jesus name, any claim that America has a covenant of wrath like Israel. Jesus is bigger than any apostasy in this nation. Is this blind faith? Is this putting my head in the sand? No, it is faith in the promises of our Lord that we will not be snatched out of his hand – that we are His eternally.
Please consider: Isaiah 24:17,18.
Do not fear. Have faith even though it looks like all is lost that you have one in Christ who overcame it all.
God Bless and thanks for this forum.
The book you refer to entitled "The Harbinger" is fiction and for good reason it remains such! It is a well written fable much like a few others that are being or have been received by scholars today as biblical truth! I will just stick to a reliable source that happens to be authored by our Creator, it is called the Word of God!
It seems everyone these days is use sensationalist marketing strategy to capture the same appeal that Hal Lindsey and Tim Lahaye and Jerry Jenkins captured among a wide audience! Now a book becomes a national best seller before it even hits the market fully, yet the criteria for this has been altered extensively since the days of the "Late Great Planet Earth" and the "Left Behind Series"! The criteria for a best seller is based purely on marketing or false data associated with advertising not on real purchases or readership!
Indeed the Bible is the inspired Word of God, we can clearly see evidence of this in the geopolitical spectrum even as I write!
At present, the United States, European partners (N.A.T.O.) and several Arab allies (Sheba, Dedan, merchants of Tarshish, and all the young lions thereof) are positioning themselves seeking military intervention in Syria! Russia is presently being dragged south to the borders of Israel (Syria) in a bid to prevent Western military intervention!
Some scholars suggest that Syria is not mentioned in the context of the Battle of Gog/Magog, yet as I have shown they are included for obvious reasons! Syria will be the assembly point of much of the Gog/Magog invasion force for they are dragged to the borders of Israel. The present Russian Federation as well as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization fit much of the description of those that will be allied with Russia!
Scholars also seek to enlist the belief that the nations recorded in Psalm 83 are not included or mentioned in the context of Gog/Magog. It is with careful study that we can prove that they are indeed included, with the application of common sense as well as scripture! The Gog/Magog invasion force will be brought by the hand of God against the mountains (borders) of Israel obviously concerning various circumstances we see today. Ezekiel 38:21 declares, "I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man's sword shall be against his brother". Obviously those nations currently bordering Israel (Psalm 83) will slay each other!
As we continue to dispell the errors, we will now look at the conditions for the fulfillment of Isaiah 17, the recorded destruction of Damascus! When we examine the context of Ezekiel 38/39 we see clearly the Lord bringing the northern portion of the invasion force to the northern borders of Israel (Syria) and that it is also recorded that they will fall in an open plain. This location can easily be identified as the ancient Plain of Bashan in southern Syria adjacent to the Israeli held Golan Heights!
We are told through scripture that Damascus will become a ruinous heap which is also positioned in Southern Syria, we must then consider the fact of the first judgement provided against the Gog/Magog invasion force as recorded in Ezekiel 38:19,20. This of course is a great earthquake which will even cause the Land of Israel to shake violently!
So there we have it folks, the prophecies of Isaiah 17 and Ezekiel 38/39, along with the prayer for divine intervention against the bordering enemies of Israel (Psalm 83), are all part of the same prophetic event that is rapidly taking form! Nathan, please pass this information on to your friend and armchair general at Eschatology Today!
The time has come that it is no longer necessary for me to explain these things, for surely you will all be witnesses to these events as they take place! Those yet that have puffed themselves up that deem what I have written over these few years will suddenly find their pride turned into shame!
It is true that I have stood against the various fables and twisting or perversion of the scriptures as they are presented now being widely accepted as biblical truth among several scholars and they that follow them.
It was therefore necessary for the truth to be offered even to them that desired fables.
To those on this forum that follow diligently after the truth may the Lord God bless you, to those satisfied with fables may your shame cause you to repent for our appointed time has drawn near!
I believe it is time for several scholars to adjust their EndTime Events Calendar, for you would have to be blind not to see that Gog/Magog is rapidly progressing to fulfillment!
Anonymous, it is not a matter of crowing, it is a matter of having understanding where the scriptures are concerned! I have continually been told that my eschatological viewpoint is muddled and in gross error, simply because of my insistence that the next prophetic event to take place is the Battle of Gog/Magog of Ezekiel 38-39!
Many scholars have embraced the idea of a Psalm 83 conflict to occur granting the IDF with a great victory over their surrounding neighbors, expansion in territory as well as increased prosperity! The scriptures do not however identify with this, as the Prophet Joel identifies in chapter 3, verse 2 that the division of the land will continue even leading up to the Battle of Armageddon! Daniel the Prophet also declares that war and desolations are determined until the end!
It is also clear that the Lord God could not grant Israel victory in such a battle and then turn around and bring an even mightier coalition (Gog/Magog) against them for profaning his Holy Name among the nations as recorded in Ezekiel 39:7! This same verse identifies the intention of the Lord God to reveal himself to Israel as well as the nations, obviously we then can conclude Israel does at this time not recognize the God of their Fathers' for they trust only in their military might and diplomacy for security!
We can conclude that the scenario embraced by many scholars as portrayed by author Bill Salus is indeed an error and current events identify this rather easily! Russian, Iranian, and Chinese influence in the Middle East will not allow Israel or the West including their Sunni Arab allies to project power without being challenged. The current strategic relationship of Russia with allies Iran and Syria is evidence of this and a fulfillment of Ezekiel 38:7!
"Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them". Russia is arming all parties and clearly plans on defending their strategic alliances against any planned military operation conducted by the West or Israel! Many suggest Syria is not included in the Gog/Magog battle yet common sense identifies that the Lord God is presently dragging Russia into Syrian territory poised on the northern border of Israel, therefore the assembly point (Syrian territory) of this vast coalition will also be complicit in the planned invasion of Israel!