Written by Dr. Edward L. Hayes, Ph. D.
Executive Director, Mount Hermon Association, Inc.
The Bible is a sacred Christian text. The entire trustworthiness of Christianity hinges on its supernatural origin, the factuality of its history and the validity of its teaching. The distinctive, authoritative claim made of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures is summed up by Carl F. H. Henry: "...The Bible is the authoritative Word of the Creator-Redeemer God who enters into the historical destinies of a fallen race and provides redemption in the incarnate, crucified and risen Son, Jesus Christ." (Henry, 'The Authority and Inspiration of the Bible', in The Expositor' s Bible Commentary, Vol. 1, p. 4)
1. Authored by God, the Holy Spirit
Issue:
If the Holy Spirit authored the text, does this mean that
God "dictated" the text in some rather mechanical way?
Scriptures:
II Timothy 3:16 - "All scripture is given by inspiration
of God, and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting
and training in righteousness."
Romans 3:2 - "Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God."
II Peter 3:15-16 - "Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction."
2. Authored by Human Writers
Issue:
Does human authorship of the Scriptures mean that there
could be errors in the Bible, since no human is perfect in
wisdom and knowledge?
Scriptures:
II Peter 1:20-21 - "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."
See also:
Jeremiah 1:9; 9:12; 13:15; 30:4; 50:1;
"Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth
and said to me, "Now, I have put my words in your mouth."
"What man is wise enough to understand this? Who has been
instructed by the LORD and can explain it? Why has the land
been ruined and laid waste like a desert that no one can cross?"
"Hear and pay attention, do not be arrogant, for the LORD has
spoken."
"These are the words the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah:"
"This is the word the LORD spoke through Jeremiah the prophet
concerning Babylon and the land of the Babylonians:"
Ezekial 3:1, 4, 11
"And he said to me, "Son of man, eat what is before you,
eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel."
"He then said to me: "Son of man, go now to the house of
Israel and speak my words to them."
"Go now to your countrymen in exile and speak to them. Say
to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says,' whether
they listen or fail to listen."
3. Attested to by Jesus Christ
Issue:
How reliable is the evidence of the New Testament,
including the witness of Jesus Christ in the Gospels, to
conclude that the Bible is trustworthy?
Scripture:
Matthew 5:17 - "Do not think that I
have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not
come to abolish them but to fulfill them."
Matthew 7:12 - "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."
John 10:35 - "If he called them 'gods,' to whom the word of God came--and the Scripture cannot be broken--"
Luke 24:25,27,44 -
"He said to them, 'How foolish you
are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets
have spoken!"
"And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to
them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself."
"He said to them, 'This is what I told you while I was still with you:
Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the
Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."
4. Accredited by the Church
Issue:
Did the Church create the Bible or did the Church emerge
out of the foundation of the Scriptures?
Scripture:
I Thessalonians 2:13 - "And we also thank God continually
because, when you received the word of God, which you heard
from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it
actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who
believe."
I Corinthians 2:13 - "This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words."
I Corinthians 14:37 - "If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command."
5. Animated and Powerfully Witnessed to by It's Readers
Issue: Is the influence of the Word of God in the life of the reader the result of the internal witness of the Holy Spirit or merely the sentimental or mystical effect of an ancient document?
Scripture:
Hebrews 4:12 -
"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than
any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul
and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and
attitudes of the heart."
Jeremiah 23:29 - "Is not my word like fire," declares the LORD, "and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?"
John 17:17 - "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth."
Ephesians 5:26 - "...to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,..."
I Peter 1:23 - "For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God."
Isaiah 55:11 -
"...so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will
not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
SUMMATION:
Josh McDowell, in Evidence That demands a Verdict, suggests a line of evidence to demonstrate the trustworthiness of the Bible. He affirms that the Bible is unique in its continuity, circulation, translation, survival, teachings and influence on other literature. Confirmed by archaeology and shown to be truthful by both internal and external evidence, the Bible can be trusted.
Reprinted by permission of:
Dr. Edward L. Hayes, Ph. D.