Bible Verses: John 5:39, John 15:26, 2 Peter 1:21
(Note: This blog is part of a series of blogs, “Proof the Bible is God’s Word.” Since the Bible claims to be the supreme authority on truth, logically, the Bible must be self-authenticating. If it really is the word of God, it must prove itself true as no other authority could if the Scriptures are the supreme authority on truth. As Charles Spurgeon stated, “Defend the Bible? I would as soon defend a lion! Unchain it and it will defend itself.”)
Why do I believe the Bible? What proof is there that the Bible is true? This question is perhaps the most important question anyone can ask. Jesus, of course, is the dividing line, and thus our decision to follow him or reject him is the most important decision we can make, but without the Bible we would not even know this. The Bible, illuminated by the Holy Spirit, is God’s primary and most efficient way of communicating truth to his people.
For the Bible to be true, it must authenticate itself. If the Bible is the supreme authority on truth, then logically no outside source will be able to prove whether it is true or not. The Bible, therefore, must put forth its own evidence about itself to authenticate its claims. God’s word authenticates itself in countless ways, but one of its most convincing qualities is its consistency. The Old and New Testament in all its 66 books was written by over 40 different authors, on three different continents, in three different languages, and over a 1500 year span. And yet despite its variety in tone, genre, and style, its content is perfectly consistent.
While at first glance this does not always seem apparent, the main message of the Bible becomes crystal clear once you realize the whole thing, OT and NT, is pointing to Jesus Christ. Abraham taking his one and only son who is caring a stack of wood on his back going up the mountain to be sacrificed, one man’s (David) victory over the enemy (Goliath) giving victory to all of God’s chosen people even though they did nothing to deserve it, Elijah ascending as he leaves his spirit to his disciple, Jonah being swallowed in the belly of a fish for three days and then raising from the fish to pronounce the truth to a rebellious nation who then repents, Moses who represents the law not being the one who brings the people into the promise land (because we cannot please God through our works) but Joshua (whose name in Greek is “Jesus”) is then the one who brings the people into the promise land, the sacrificial lamb of the law – all of it is pointing to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The entire word of God is consistently about Jesus Christ because all of Scripture is God breathed (2 Timothy 3:16) written by the Holy Spirit through the hands of men. The Bible makes clear that the Holy Spirit’s primary action is to bear witness about Jesus Christ. When the Holy Spirit is present and manifesting, he is always lifting up the name of Jesus. It makes perfect, consistent sense, therefore, that if they Holy Spirit truly wrote the Holy Scriptures, then the Holy Scriptures are going to be all about Jesus Christ.
No book written over such a long period of time by so many different authors using so many different genres has ever nor will ever be so consistent in its content. The Bible is clearly a divine book because it is truly a divine miracle that it is so perfectly consistent in its teaching and doctrine.