Wednesday, April 06, 2005
The Validity of the Bible
In a response to my first post, Matt inquired about the validity of the Bible. I agree that this is something people often ask about, and can easily become a roadblock for many people accepting Christianity as being true. This is a great place to start, because everything that we believe as Christians is dependant on the truth that God does exist and the Bible was truly written by God and is infallible and inherent (without errors).
Before I start with my little synopsis, let me post a few links that will explain the answer to this question much better than I would ever be able to. Here they are: (links will open in a new window)
- The website "Answers in Genesis" - A Christian apologetics ministry that equips the church to uphold the authority of the Bible from the very first verse. The thousands of articles and media programs on this site answer questions about creation/evolution, validity of the Bible, and much more.
- The article "MAPS to Guide You through Biblical Reliability" by Hank Hanegraaff. Use M-A-P-S to guide you through Biblical reliability: Manuscripts, Archaeology, Prophecy, Statistics.
- The book "Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel.
- The article "Authority of the Bible" by Patrick Zukerman.
It really bugs me when Christians are asked "Why do you believe the Bible is true?", and they give answers such as:
- "Because the Bible says it's true..."
We shouldn't believe the Bible just because it says it is the Word of God (although there is a step of faith involved). The Bible does say it was written by God (2 Tim 3:16 says "All scripture is inspired by God"). But guess what - so does the Quaran and the Book of Mormom. You can't use circular reasoning to prove that your bible is true. So let's look at some other reasons. - "It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling when I read it" or "it speaks to me..."
You can't depend on emotions and feelings to prove anything is true. Just because something gives you an emotional "high", doesn't mean it's right. What if you don't get emotional when you read the Bible? Does that mean it's not true? Of course not. - "I believe some parts are true, but not others..."
The Bible is 100% accurate; the whole thing in it's entirety. Not one part of it has been proven wrong (using science, archeology, or history). I'll get into this more below. - "The theology of the Bible is true, but some of the stories shouldn't be taken literally..."
See Answers in Genesis website for great apologetics on this topic.
So how should we respond? Here are some good points. Although I still recommend reading my opening links for much more detailed and in-depth articles and apologetics by very well-known and reputable Christian authors & historians.
"The remarkable structure of the Bible should also be stressed. Although it is a collection of 66 books, written by 40 or more different men over a period of 2,000 years, it is clearly one Book, with perfect unity and consistency throughout."1
Unity of the BibleThe Bible is not "one work". It was written over a span of 1500 years by over forty different people from many different places (even different continents), each from various walks of life. And the Bible NEVER CONTRADICTS ITSELF.<>
Fulfilled Prophesies
Hundreds of biblical prophesies have come true, often long after the prophet had died.
Historical Accuracy
The historical accuracy of the Bible is far superior to any other writings we have found. In the last century, archeology has confirmed many facts in the Bible. Dr. Nelson Glueck, probably the greatest modern authority on Israeli archeology, has said: "No archeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference. Scores of archeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or in exact detail historical statements in the Bible. And, by the same token, proper evaluation of Biblical descriptions has often led to amazing discoveries."1
Scientific Accuracy
Many principles of modern science were recorded as fact in the Bible long before they were discovered, such as the roundness of the earth, law of conservation of mass & energy, hydrologic cycle, vast number of stars, law of increasing entropy, importance of blood in life processes, atmospheric circulation, gravitational field, and many others.
References:
1 "How do we know the Bible is true?" - http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-t003.html
2 "Why you can believe the Bible" - http://everystudent.com/features/bible.html
3 "The Bible is the Word of God" - http://www.believers.org/bibleis.htm
Comments:
Jim, thanks for the links; that's helpful!
One thing on circularity. "The buck stops" at some point regardless of our fundamental presuppositions. The naturalist's unquestioned authority is himself. We know that God and His living Word are authorities in themselves. One wouldn't expect it to be any other way for a Creator.
So in a weakly circular sense, God's authority rests solely in himself, not on any external reasoning or evidence. Otherwise we would be setting up reason and evidence as higher authorities than God. Therefore, the place of reason and evidence is to confirm, not establish, God's authority.
The unbeliever's problem is not primarily a lack of evidence, but an unwillingness to admit that he is not authoritative or autonomous in himself. Praise the Holy Spirit for his work of convicting, regenerating, and illuminating! Without that we are lost.
Having admitted a weak circularity, I wouldn't say that our position is compromised. First, everyone appeals to some fundamental presuppositions. Second, only the Christian position is self-consistent; everyone else doesn't have a leg to stand on. :) One of my favorite authors is Cornelius Van Til; I recommend his Defense of the Faith for excellent reading along these lines.
One thing on circularity. "The buck stops" at some point regardless of our fundamental presuppositions. The naturalist's unquestioned authority is himself. We know that God and His living Word are authorities in themselves. One wouldn't expect it to be any other way for a Creator.
So in a weakly circular sense, God's authority rests solely in himself, not on any external reasoning or evidence. Otherwise we would be setting up reason and evidence as higher authorities than God. Therefore, the place of reason and evidence is to confirm, not establish, God's authority.
The unbeliever's problem is not primarily a lack of evidence, but an unwillingness to admit that he is not authoritative or autonomous in himself. Praise the Holy Spirit for his work of convicting, regenerating, and illuminating! Without that we are lost.
Having admitted a weak circularity, I wouldn't say that our position is compromised. First, everyone appeals to some fundamental presuppositions. Second, only the Christian position is self-consistent; everyone else doesn't have a leg to stand on. :) One of my favorite authors is Cornelius Van Til; I recommend his Defense of the Faith for excellent reading along these lines.
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