What proof is there that the Bible is truly inspired by God? Is there any concrete evidence that the message of Scripture is truly divinely authoritative in a way no other book is? What support do Christians have for claiming the Bible is really God’s written, perfect, infallible word?
Have you ever played the game “telephone?” If not, you start with a large group of people sitting in a circle. One person starts by whispering a phrase into the ear of the person next to them, who then whispers the same phrase to the next person, until finally the phrase gets whispered all the way around the circle back to the person who originally whispered the phrase. The reason the game is fun is because by the time the phrase returns to the original person, it is a completely different string of words, most of the time totally unintelligible.
Humans, simply put, are not good at communicating. Most of the problems in the world start because of a lack effective communication. How many fights in one marriage have started simply because the husband and wife could not understand the other person’s perspective? How many car accidents have occurred because people misinterpreted the traffic signals? How many emails have been the beginnings of the end of a friendship because one person read too much into the tone, not the actual words written?
Consistent communication is impossible over a long period of time. Ask any business owner or leader, and no matter how many checkpoints they put in, they will always tell you there is no getting around the “human error” factor. It’s just simply unavoidable.
This is one of the many reasons the Bible proves itself to be divinely inspired. Written over 1500 years from the beginning of the Old Testament to the completion of the New Testament, with over 66 books, and with over 40 different authors, it is a divine miracle the message of each page of Scripture is directly linked to the one theme: God seeking to save sinners through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The gospel is the “good news” that God saves sinners. From Genesis to Revelations, the theme of the story that keeps the pages moving forward is God’s pursuit to save the lost. And at the heart of the gospel is Jesus Christ.
In summary, there is no human way possible that the Bible could be so cohesively revolved around the gospel of Jesus Christ. The only explanation available in light of its consistency – and to see its consistency you simply have to read it yourself – is that the Bible is really God’s inspired word.
If you still doubt this proof that the Bible really is God’s word, play a game of telephone and you will quickly be reminded of how impossible it is for humans to communicate consistently. Since the Bible is so consistent, humans must not be responsible for it.
(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.”)