Why Believe the Bible? Joshua 1:7-9

We study the Bible, read the Bible and know what it says about how we are to live and relate to God. But one real question we seldom ask is why we believe in the Bible. 1 Peter 3:15 says “but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you;”.

The Bible is not one book but is a collection of 66 books written over a period of 1500 years by many different writers. 33 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books. The name “The Bible” comes from the Greek name of a town where papyrus plants were made to form the first paper that was bound like a book. The name they gave this new item was “Book”. The collection of the 66 books of scripture together became “The Book” or in Greek “The Bible”

Before Jesus lived on earth the Jewish people collected the 33 Old Testament books and used them in worship. Jesus refers to these collected books as Scripture in John 10:35, meaning Holy Books”. In Matthew 5:17 Jesus says, “do not think I came to abolish the law or the Prophets.” In Matthew 4:4 Jesus says that these words of Scripture are “words breathed by the mouth of God. Therefore, we include them in our Bible today.

The 27 Books of the New Testament are the writings of people who saw the events and listened to what Jesus said. Matthew and John were two of the twelve Disciples, John was one of Jesus’ closest friends. John says in John 20:30 – 31 “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name”

Mark and Luke wrote down their gospels based on the teaching of Peter and Paul. The rest of the New Testament are books that the church could trace back to the Disciples. Peter attest to the validity of Paul’s teaching in 2 Peter 3:14 & 18 14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.   15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.    “You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.  But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”

So, what we have in our New Testament is an accurate presentation of What Jesus said and did, written by people who were there. There are many other way to prove the Bible is true and reliable.

 

 

Archeology;

Eden and the Land of Cush

Joseph's tomb in Hebron and Shechem

The exodus from Egypt

Abrahams tax records in Ur

Two Jericho's

Prophetic proof:

Daniel’s prediction of when Jesus would minister and be crucified.

The description of the crucifixion found in Isaiah and psalms.

Jesus’ prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem, the siege of Jerusalem and the defilement of the temple.

Personal experience;

I have personally found what it teaches me to be true.

I do not believe the Bible because someone told me I should, I believe it because I have carefully considered its content and have found it to be true.