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Question: Were the writers of the Bible "inspired?"

Answer: The word “inspired” literally means, “God breathed.” The word is found in two passages of Scripture:  2 Timothy 3:16-17 (“...Scripture is given by inspiration of God...), Job 32:8 (“...the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding”). The process of inspiration itself is perhaps best explained in a statement made by Peter when he wrote, “for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). In the literal sense, inspiration is the process by which Spirit-moved men recorded God-breathed writings.

So, when we speak of inspiration in the most complete sense of the word, we understand that it includes not only the writer but their writings as well. Another important passage to consider is found in the opening remarks of the Hebrew epistle (Hebrews 1:1). God spoke to the fathers by the prophets. But how did God speak to prophets and to others in the Old Testament? He spoke by angels, as He did to Abraham  (Genesis 18), and to Lot (Genesis 19); in dreams (Numbers 12:6; Daniel 7:1); in visions, as with Isaiah and Ezekiel (Isaiah 1:1; Ezekiel 1:1; 8:3; 11:24; 43:3; cf. Hosea 12:10); through a miracle, as in the burning bush (Exodus 3:2), or Gideon’s enterprise (Judges 6:36-40), and by an audible voice (1 Samuel 3). God not only spoke to the prophets, but He spoke through the prophets. In other words, the prophet’s message was God’s message -- they were saying what God wanted said. The Bible claims that God gave the very words to the prophets (2 Samuel 23:2; Jeremiah 1:9; Ezekiel 2:7; 1 Corinthians 2:11-13).

There are three different views about how inspiration operates:  (1) Mechanical Inspiration, which says God merely dictated to the prophets, and they simply recorded the words much like a secretary taking dictation;  (2) Thought Inspiration, which claims God simply put the thought in the minds of the writers and allowed them to write in their own words; and finally, (3) Verbal Inspiration, which says God gave the exact words which the prophets and other inspired writers were to use while taking into consideration their individual personalities and styles. Which of these different views is most in keeping with the Scriptural definition of inspiration? First, while it is true that on occasion God dictated to the prophets, and they mechanically recorded the exact words, as in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1), not all Scripture was recorded in this manner. Therefore, “mechanical inspiration” cannot be applied to every instance of inspiration.

Second, while it’s true that God conveyed His thoughts to the mind of the inspired writers, and while these writers expressed themselves in words that reflect their own individual personality and style, the thoughts God put into their minds, and the very words the writer employed to express those thoughts, were of God’s choosing -- not man’s. If God simply placed the thought in the mind of the writers, and didn’t guide the use of the words employed to express that thought, it would be quite possible for the writer to choose the wrong words to express the thoughts of God, making the written message subject to error. Therefore, simple “thought inspiration” cannot be the method employed by God in revealing His inspired word.

This leaves “verbal inspiration,” where God not only expressed Himself to the inspired writers in thought, but employed the writer’s cultural background, personality, and style of expression in selecting the specific words that would best convey the thought of God in an inerrant manner.

Question:  How and when was the canon of the Bible put together?

Answer:  The term "canon" is used to describe the books that are divinely inspired and therefore belong in the Bible. The difficult aspect of determining the Biblical canon is that the Bible does not give us a list of the books that belong in the Bible. Determining the canon was a process, first by Jewish rabbis and scholars, and then later by early Christians. For a book to be included in in the canon of the Scriptures it had to meet certain criteria.  There were actually five guidelines that were developed for determining which books should be included.  It was universally agreed that a book must be: (1) Authoritative - clearly coming from the hand of God through the process of inspiration, (2) Prophetic - written by someone who was clearly recognized as a divinely inspired man of God, (3) Authentic - where no doubt exists about its origin or its inspiration, and which does not conflict theologically with other accepted writings, (4) Dynamic - comes with life-transforming power, and (5) Accepted - widely received, collected, read and used by the people of God.

Compared to the New Testament, there was very little controversy over the canon of the Old Testament. Hebrew believers recognized God’s messengers, and accepted their writings as inspired of God. There was undeniably some debate in regards to the Old Testament canon. However, by 250 AD there was nearly universal agreement on the canon of Hebrew Scripture. The only issue that remained was the Apocrypha… with some debate and discussion continuing today. The vast majority of Hebrew scholars considered the Apocrypha to be good historical and religious documents, but not on the same level as the Hebrew Scriptures.

For the New Testament, the process of the recognition and collection began in the first centuries of the Christian church. Very early on, some of the New Testament books were being recognized. Paul considered Luke’s writings to be as authoritative as the Old Testament (1 Timothy 5:18; see also Deuteronomy 25:4 and Luke 10:7). Peter recognized Paul’s writings as Scripture (2 Peter 3:15-16). Some of the books of the New Testament were being circulated among the churches (Colossians 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:27). Clement of Rome mentioned at least eight New Testament books (AD 95). Ignatius of Antioch acknowledged about seven books (AD 115). Polycarp, a disciple of John the Apostle, acknowledged 15 books (AD 108). Later, Irenaeus mentioned 21 books (AD 185). Hippolytus recognized 22 books (AD 170-235). The New Testament books receiving the most controversy were Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, 2 John, and 3 John. The first “canon” was the Muratorian Canon, which was compiled in (AD 170). The Muratorian Canon included all of the New Testament books except Hebrews, James, and 3 John. In AD 363, the Council of Laodicea stated that only the Old Testament (along with the Apocrypha) and the 27 books of the New Testament were to be read in the churches. The Council of Hippo (AD 393) and the Council of Carthage (AD 397) also affirmed the same 27 books as authoritative.

Recommended Resource:  The Canon of Scripture by F.F. Bruce.

Question: How do you explain the differences in writing styles between the writers of the Bible?

Answer: Stylistic differences between various writers of the Bible pose no problem for believing in the verbal inspiration of the Scriptures. Verbal inspiration does not exclude the use of different literary styles or particular methods of expression among the writers of Scripture, but rather employs these differences. The writings of Isaiah are very powerful, while the style of Jeremiah’s writing is very mournful. Luke writes with the keen attention to detail that we would expect to find in the writings of a doctor who is trained as an observer. James’ style is very direct and matter of fact. Paul, who studied at the feet of the great rabbi and theologian, Gamaliel, writes with a distinct theological flair and debate style. God simply used the complete man (his cultural background, his personality, his education, and his style of expression) to write inspired Scripture.

Stylistic differences in no way prove God simply put thoughts in the minds of the Bible writers, and then allowed them to write in their own words. However, some will argue that while stylistic differences don’t prove “thought inspiration,” variations among writers in recording the same event does. Although these variations do exist, they all teach the same truth, and when taken together, present a complete picture of the truth revealed (compare the confession of Peter:  Matthew 16:16; Mark 8:29; Luke 9:20, and the “Great Commission:” Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16). Simply stated, there are no theological contradictions in these variations.

Question: What is the "Apocrapha" and why aren’t these books in the Bible?

Answer: The books referred to here are known as “The Apocrypha” (literally, “hidden, or concealed”). These are writings of various authors who lived in the period “between the Testaments,” following Malachi, and before the coming of Christ. These apocryphal books are 1 and 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, Additions to Esther, The Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus (or Wisdom of Sirach), Baruch, Bel and the Dragon, The Song of the Three Hebrew Children, The Prayer of Manasseh, and 1 and 2 Maccabees. The reason for these books not being in most Bibles is simply because they do not meet the standards for being included in the canon of the Scriptures. (The word “Canon,” comes from the Greek “kanon” which means “reed.” The “reed” was used as a measuring rod, and eventually meant “standard.” The word “canon” applied to Scripture means an officially accepted list of books that meet the same standard.)

What are those standards? First, to be in the canon of the Scriptures, a book must be: (1) authoritative - clearly coming from the hand of God through the process of inspiration, (2) prophetic - written by someone who was clearly recognized as a divinely inspired man of God, (3) authentic - where no doubt exists about its origin or its inspiration, and which does not conflict theologically with other accepted writings, (4) dynamic - comes with life-transforming power, and (5) accepted - widely received, collected, read and used by the people of God. Not only does “The Apocrypha” fail this test, it fails in other areas: (1) these books are filled with historical and geographical inaccuracies, (2) they teach doctrines that are false, or which encourage practices that are contrary to inspired Scripture, (3) they do not compare to the high literary style of inspired Scripture, (4) prophecies found in the apocryphal writings, especially those concerning the coming of the Messiah and the messianic age, were merely reflections of popular beliefs and not fact, and were therefore never fulfilled.

However, many of these apocryphal writings are immensely valuable in learning about the history of the Jews during the period “between the Testaments,” and in understanding the evolution of the Jewish concept of the Messiah during the days preceding the coming of Jesus into the world.

Question: What about the "lost" books that are mentioned in the Bible?

Answer: “The Book of Jasher” (Joshua 10:13), “The Book of the Wars of the Lord” (Numbers 21:14), the “Book of Nathan the Prophet,” “The Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite,” and “Visions of Iddo the Seer” (2 Chronicles 9:29), and many other extracanonical books mentioned in Chronicles (25 books in all), the “Book of the Acts of Solomon” (1 Kings 11:41), the so-called “Lost Epistle of Paul to Corinth” (1 Corinthians 5:9), and the alleged “Lost Epistle to the Laodiceans” (Colossians 4:16), have caused many to question the completeness and accuracy of the Scriptures as we have them today.

However, there are reasons why these books were not included in the canon of the Scriptures. Both “The Book of Jasher,” “The Book of the Wars of the Lord,” and all the other writings mentioned in the Old Testament were omitted from the canon because they were not recognized as having been written through the process of inspiration, and failed to meet other requirements for canonicity as well. They were books of Hebrew literature, from which certain Old Testament writers quoted, but which none held to be inspired.  Quoting from uninspired literature was not uncommon, even among New Testament writers. Jude quotes from one such writing known as “The Assumption of Moses” (Jude 9), and from another apocryphal writing in quoting the prophecy of Enoch (Jude 14-15). The apostle Paul likewise quoted from a non-inspired literary source - “Phaenomena 5” of Aratus (Acts 17:28).

Questions arising from the omission of Paul’s earlier letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 5:9) pose no problems for the Bible student either. Most believe this letter was not included in the canon of the New Testament simply because it was held to be a private, personal letter, and not written through the process of inspiration. Some attempt to explain Paul’s comments in 1 Corinthians 5:9, “I wrote you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people,” to be a reference to the subject matter of verses 1-8 in the same chapter. However, the grammar of verse 9 doesn’t support that view, and seems to clearly be alluding to another, earlier letter.

There is no justification for assuming that everything written by Paul was inspired of God, especially since he occasionally gives his personal advice (1 Corinthians 7:6-9; 25-28; 2 Corinthians 8:8). The so-called “Lost Epistle to the Laodiceans” (Colossians 4:16), isn’t really a missing letter at all. Most Biblical scholars believe Paul is referring to the companion letter to Colossians, the Epistle of Ephesians, which was sent to the church at Ephesus first, then circulated among others churches, and eventually ended up at Laodicea. Paul told the Colossians to “read the letter from Laodicea,” not “the letter to Laodicea.”

There are no lost books of the Bible or books that were taken out of the Bible. Every book that God intended and inspired to be in the Bible is in the Bible. There are literally hundreds of religious books that were written in the same time period as the books of the Bible. If we read any of these books, the Apocrypha as an example, we have to treat them as fallible historical books, not as the inspired, inerrant Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17).Some of these books contain true accounts of things that genuinely occurred (1 Maccabees for example). Some of them contain good spiritual teaching (the wisdom of Solomon for example). However, these books are not inspired by God.

The Gnostic Gospels are not included in the canon of the scriptures because they have failed the tests of canonicity as well.  For example, the Gospel of Thomas was a book written in the 3rd or 4th century AD as a forgery, claiming to have been written by the Apostle Thomas. It was not written by Thomas. The early church fathers almost universally rejected the gospel of Thomas as being heretical. It contains many false and heretical things that Jesus supposedly said and did. None of it (or at best very little of it) is true. The Epistle of Barnabas was not written by the Biblical Barnabas, but by an imposter. The same can be said of the Gospel of Philip, the Apocalypse of Peter, the Book of Enoch, etc. The Bible is the complete Word of God. Why would God allow a book that He inspired to not be included in the Bible for 2000+ years?

Question:  What are the "Gnostic Gospels?"

Answer:  The Gnostic gospels are writings by early "Christian" Gnostics. After the first century of Christianity, two primary divisions developed - the orthodox and the Gnostics. The orthodox Christians held to books we now have in the Bible and to what is today considered orthodox theology. The Gnostic Christians, if they can truly be described as Christians, held a distinctly different view of the Bible, of Jesus Christ, of salvation - and virtually every other major Christian doctrine. However, they did not have any writings by the apostles to give legitimacy to their beliefs.

That is why and how the Gnostic gospels were created. The Gnostics fraudulently attached the names of famous Christians to their writings, such as the gospel of Thomas, the gospel of Philip, the gospel of Mary, etc. The discovery of the Nag Hammadi library in northern Egypt in 1945 represented a major discovery of Gnostic gospels. These Gnostic gospels are often pointed to as supposed "lost books of the Bible."

So, what are we to make of the Gnostic gospels? Should some or all of them be in the Bible? No, they should not. First, as we pointed out above, the Gnostic gospels are forgeries. The Gnostic gospels were fraudulently written in their names in order to give them a legitimacy in the early church. Thankfully, the early church fathers were nearly unanimous in recognizing the Gnostic gospels as promoting false doctrines about virtually every key Christian doctrine. There are countless contradictions between the Gnostic gospels and the true Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The Gnostic gospels can be a good source to study early Christian heresies, but they should be rejected outright as not belonging in the Bible and not representing the genuine Christian faith.

Question:  What is the gospel of Judas?

Answer:  Sometime in the 1970’s, in a cave in Egypt, a copy of the “gospel of Judas” was discovered. The circumstances of the discovery have been described as shady, with those who possessed the copy asking for exorbitant amounts of money for the codex. For decades, no institution was willing to pay for the purchase due to its dubious origins. Eventually the codex of the gospel of Judas was purchased by a foundation in Switzerland. The existence of the gospel of Judas codex was made public in 2004, but the actual release of the content of the codex has been repeatedly delayed, with the now expected release date of April, 2006.

The dating of the gospel of Judas codex is likely the 5th century AD Up to one-third of the codex is missing or illegible. Prior to this discovery, the only reference to the gospel of Judas was in the writings of a 2nd century Christian named Irenaeus, who wrote that the gospel of Judas was essentially the “invented history” of a long line of heretics and rebels against God. The essential message of the gospel of Judas is that Jesus wanted Judas to betray Him because it was necessary to fulfill Jesus’ plan.

The gospel of Judas is a Gnostic gospel, espousing a Gnostic viewpoint of Christianity. The gospel of Judas is simply a heretical forgery, much the same as the gospel of Thomas, the gospel of Mary, and the gospel of Philip. Just as Judas Iscariot rejected Jesus and betrayed Him with a kiss, the gospel of Judas rejects the true Gospel and truth of God with a fraudulent appearance of validity.

Question: How can we be sure the copyists and translators of the Bible didn’t make mistakes?

Answer: The Bible, particularly the New Testament, does not come from simply a few obscure manuscripts or manuscript fragments. There are more than 5,300 known complete Greek manuscript copies of the New Testament, plus over 10,000 more complete copies of the Latin Vulgate translation of the New Testament, and at least 9,300 other early manuscripts copies, and more than 24,000 manuscript copies of portions of the New Testament -- all existing today. The New Testament was the most widely copied book in antiquity. Compare this to the number of manuscript copies of the great works of history and philosophy which have been handed down through time. None of these manuscripts of the ancient world can even begin to compare to the number of reliable manuscript copies as those of the New Testament. Furthermore, the time span between the original writing and the oldest manuscript copy makes the New Testament manuscripts much more reliable. (See chart below.) 

For example, there are only 7 manuscript copies of the work of Pliny (who lived A.D. 61-113), and the earliest manuscript copy of his work dates to A.D. 850, leaving a gap between the original and the oldest copy of approximately 750 years. There are only 5 copies of the works of Aristotle (384-322 B.C.), and the earliest copy dates to A.D. 1,100, leaving a gap of some 1,400 years. But the New Testament has at least 14,000 complete Greek and Latin manuscripts, some dating back as early as A.D. 130, leaving a gap of approximately 40 years between the time the original was written and the copies were made.

Comparison of Manuscript Evidence

The John Ryland manuscripts (in the Ryland Museum in London, England), contain portions of the gospel of John and date back to A.D. 130, approximately 40 to 45 years after the original manuscript was written around A.D. 85.

In addition to this, we have evidence of the reliability of the New Testament manuscripts from the early church fathers. For example, Clement of Rome (A.D. 95) quotes from Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts, 1 Corinthians, Titus, Hebrews, and 1 Peter. Tertullian (A.D. 160-220) has over 7,200 quotes from the New Testament, most of which are from the Gospels, Acts, and the epistles of Paul. Ignatius (A.D. 70-110) quotes from Matthew, John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, James, and 1 Peter. Irenaeus (A.D. 130-200) has over 1,800 quotes, mostly from the Gospels and the letters of Paul. Justin Martyr (A.D. 133) has approximately 300 quotes from the New Testament, mostly from the Gospels and the Pauline epistles. Clement of Alexandria (A.D. 150-212) has more than 2,400 quotes from all but three books of the New Testament. Hippolytus (A.D. 170-235) has more than 1,300 quotes from the New Testament. Origen (A.D. 185- 254) has nearly 18,000 New Testament quotes in his works. Eusebius (A.D. 260-340) has over 5,100 quotes, most of which are from the Gospels and the letters of Paul.

This is just a partial list. If we were to take the writings of the church fathers who lived just during the second and third century, we would have more than 36,000 quotations from the New Testament alone. The total number of quotations from all the church fathers who lived during the first four centuries comes to nearly 86,500 quotes from the New Testament. The total number of quotations is so extensive that the entire New Testament could virtually be reconstructed without the use of any New Testament manuscripts.

In the case of the Old Testament, there are not nearly as many manuscript copies available. When copies of the Hebrew text were made, the Jews would ceremonially destroy the old, worn out manuscript. However, the manuscript copies we have today of the Hebrew text of the Old Testament are extremely accurate. The oldest complete Hebrew manuscript of the Old Testament dates back to only A.D. 900, which leaves a gap of approximately 1,300 years between the time when the Old Testament was completed in 400 B.C. with the writing of Malachi. But with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, (dating to around 125 B.C.) we have been given dramatic proof of the accuracy of the Old Testament manuscript copies.

The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in a cave in Palestine in 1947 by a Bedouin shepherd boy. The Scrolls were found preserved in a number of clay pots that had been hidden in the cave for safekeeping by the Jews who lived in the nearby community at Qumran which was destroyed by the Romans around A.D. 70. The Scrolls themselves were much older, and were written approximately 125 years before Christ. Among other things, the Dead Sea Scrolls contain portions of the book of Isaiah, particularly chapter 53. It has been said that of the 166 words in Isaiah 53, only seventeen letters are in question. Ten of these letters are simply a matter of spelling, which does not affect the meaning. Four more letters are minor stylistic changes, such as conjunctions. The remaining three letters comprise the word “light,” which is added in verse 11, and does not affect the meaning greatly. Furthermore, the word “light” is found in the Septuagint version of Isaiah 53 (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures made between 285-246 B.C.).

Therefore, in Isaiah chapter 53, of the 166 words in that chapter, there is only one word consisting of three letters which is in question between the Dead Sea Scrolls (125 B.C.) and the oldest existing Hebrew manuscript (A.D. 900). That amounts to a question over one word after approximately 1,300 years of copying the text hundreds of times. The Septuagint translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew to Greek, which was done between 285-246 B.C., also provides excellent evidence concerning the reliability of the Old Testament Scriptures. The word “Septuagint” means “seventy” and is designated by the Roman numerals LXX (70), since there were 70 Jewish scholars involved in translating the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek. This translation is very close to the oldest known Hebrew manuscript (The Massoretic Text A.D. 916), proving that after 1,300 years, the Hebrew Massoretic Text is a highly accurate and dependable copy. Jewish scribes such as the Talmudists (A.D. 100-500) and the Massoretes (A.D. 500-900) took special care to copy every manuscript accurately.

Among their rules for copying manuscripts, they could not copy a single word or letter from memory, but had to copy each letter and every “jot and tittle” by first looking at the letter in the existing manuscript, then writing it in the new copy exactly as it appears in the existing manuscript. To safeguard against scribal slips, they counted the number of times each letter of the alphabet occurs in each book, and compared that to the new copy. If there was a discrepancy, they would destroy the new copy and start over again. They also calculated the middle letter of the Pentateuch and the middle letter of the entire Hebrew Bible, if there was a discrepancy with the new copy, it was likewise destroyed and they would begin again. When everything added up with the old manuscript, the new copy was held to be an exact duplicate, and the old manuscript was destroyed.

Question: Does the Bible contain contradictions?

Answer: We have already shown that the Bible is genuinely inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter, 1:21; 1 Corinthians 2:11-13; Galatians 1:11-12). Therefore, if the Scriptures are divinely inspired by God, and are intended to be our only source for divine truth, doesn’t it stand to reason that God would also divinely preserve and protect His word from being corrupted? While we believe the Bible to be divinely inspired, this is not to say that all the various translations or versions of the Bible are inspired. They are simply translations of the ancient Greek and Hebrew manuscript copies into English or some other contemporary language. When discrepancies do occur between various translations or versions of the Bible, we simply go back to the ancient Greek and Hebrew manuscripts to find the actual word or phrase used. The so-called “discrepancies” in the Bible are nothing more than “alleged” discrepancies -- meaning, none have been proven to be actual discrepancies, and all have been answered.

Most so-called discrepancies are attributed to a basic misunderstanding of how to properly interpret the Scriptures. A simple rule for interpreting difficult passages of Scripture is to interpret the difficult passage in light of other passages that can be understood. Other alleged discrepancies are due to a failure to properly understand differences in the use of certain words, or to distinguish between various periods of Bible history. Some so-called discrepancies in the New Testament are because the reader failed to understand the writer’s use of the Jewish method of counting time verses the Roman method. Other apparent discrepancies occur when the reader fails to understand one Biblical writer may follow a strict chronological order of certain events, while another writer may omit events for the purpose of condensing the narrative. Still other alleged discrepancies are due to a failure to understand that it was a common practice among Eastern cultures to give several names to a single person or place. However, the most number of alleged discrepancies by far are found in the imaginations and in the mind of the critic, and are simply the result of his own bias and prejudice against the Bible.

Question: How does the fulfillment of prophecies prove the Bible is inspired?

Answer: Fulfilled prophecies are one of the greatest “internal” evidences for the inspiration of the Scriptures. For example, there are more than 300 Messianic prophecies about Jesus found in the Old Testament. These prophecies were written on an average of 500 to 600 years before Christ. Among these prophecies are several that are totally beyond the ability of any disciple of Jesus to control the outcome. Here are just a few of these prophecies:  the place of His birth (Micah 5:2); the manner of His birth (Isaiah 7:14); that He would be proceeded by a messenger (Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1); the manner of His death (Psalm 22:16-17); the people’s reactions: such as mocking, spitting, staring, etc. (Isaiah 50:6); and His body being pierced (Zech. 12:10). None of these events could have been controlled by Jesus’ disciples.

Furthermore, the mathematical probabilities that any one man could fulfill the Messianic prophecies is astronomical. For example, take the prophecies that the Messiah would (1) be born in Bethlehem, (2) be preceded by a messenger, (3) enter Jerusalem riding on a donkey, (4) be betrayed by a friend, (5) be sold for 30 pieces of silver, (6) remain silent before His accusers, (7) be crucified with other transgressors, and (8) that the money with which the Messiah was betrayed (30 pieces of silver) would be thrown in God’s house, and be used for a place in the potter’s field. It has been calculated that the probabilities for one man to fulfill just these eight prophecies is 1 in 10¹⁷ (that’s 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000). Peter Stoner in his book Science Speaks shows the probability of one man fulfilling these eight prophecies. He writes, “suppose we take 10¹⁷ silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man...” Stoner has further calculated that the odds of one man fulfilling 48 prophecies would be 1 in 10¹⁵⁷ (that’s 1 with 157 “0’s” behind it). Now imagine the odds of one man fulfilling more than 300 Messianic prophecies!

Question: Is there "external" evidence that proves the Bible is inspired?

Answer: One of the best extra-Biblical proofs of inspiration is the evidence from Archaeology. No archeological discovery has ever contradicted the Biblical account. In fact, they have served to prove the accuracy of the Biblical record. There are several examples of archeological confirmation in the Old Testament. For example, Genesis 11:1 speaks of there being one common language before the Tower of Babel. Many modern day archeologists agree with the existence of a common language. Genesis 36:20 speaks of the Horites, who have since been discovered to have been a prominent group of warriors living in the Near East in Patriarchal times. Archeological evidence confirms the account of Joshua 6:20 that the walls of Jericho fell down flat. Abraham is definitely a historical character because his name appears in ancient Babylonian records written during the time in which he lived. There are also several examples of archeological confirmation in the New Testament.

For example, Luke’s historical records have come under criticism in several areas, only to be proven correct by archeological findings. A few of these alleged discrepancies include:  (1) the time of the birth of Jesus in Luke 2:1-3 -- when Quirinius was governor of Syria; and (2) Luke’s mention that Lystra and Derbe are located in Lycaonia (Acts 14:6), which have since been confirmed as true. Paul mentions Erastus (Romans 16:23) as being the treasurer of Corinth, which was proven to be true when a stone was excavated in 1929 in Corinth listing Erastus’ name as “curator of public buildings.” Further excavations in Corinth confirmed the existence of a synagogue of the Hebrews (Acts 18:4-7), and the existence of the city’s “meat market” (1 Corinthians 10:25).

Question:  "Is the Bible truly God's Word?" 

Answer:  Our answer to this question will not only determine how we view the Bible and its importance to our lives, but also it will ultimately have an eternal impact on us. If the Bible is truly God’s Word, then we should cherish it, study it, obey it, and ultimately trust it. If the Bible is the Word of God then to dismiss it is to dismiss God Himself.

The fact that God gave us the Bible is an evidence and illustration of His love for us. The term "revelation" simply means that God communicated to mankind what He is like and how we can have a right relationship with Him.  These are things that we could not have known had not God divinely revealed them to us in the Bible. Although God’s revelation of Himself in the Bible was given progressively over approximately 1500 years, it has always contained everything that man needed to know about God in order to have a right relationship with Him. If the Bible is truly the Word of God, then it is the final authority for all matters of faith, religious practice, and morals.

The question we must ask ourselves is how can we know that the Bible is the Word of God and not just a good book? What is unique about the Bible that sets it apart from all other religious books ever written? Is there any evidence that the Bible is truly God’s Word? These are the type of questions that must be looked at if we are to seriously examine the biblical claim that the Bible is the very Word of God, divinely inspired, and totally sufficient for all matters of faith and practice.

There can be no doubt about the fact that the Bible does claim to be the very Word of God. This is clearly seen in verses like 2 Timothy 3:15-17, which say, “…from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

In order to answer these questions we must look at both the internal and external evidences that the Bible is truly God’s Word. The internal evidences are those things internal to the Bible itself that testify of its divine origin. One of the first internal evidences that the Bible is truly God’s Word is seen in its unity. Even though it is really sixty-six individual books, written on three continents, in three different languages, over a period of approximately 1500 years, by more that 40 authors (who came from many walks of life), the Bible remains one unified book from beginning to end without contradiction.  This unity is unique from all other books and is evidence of the divine origin of the words as God moved men in such a way that they recorded His very words.

Another of the internal evidences that indicate the Bible is truly God’s Word is seen in the detailed prophecies contained within its pages. The Bible contains hundreds of detailed prophecies relating to the future of individual nations including Israel, to the future of certain cities, to the future of mankind, and to the coming of one who would be the Messiah, the Savior of not only Israel, but all who would believe in Him. Unlike the prophecies found in other religious books or those done by Nostradamus, the biblical prophecies are extremely detailed and have never failed to come true. There are over three hundred prophecies concerning Jesus Christ in the Old Testament alone. Not only was it foretold where He would be born and what family He would come from, but also how He would die and that He would rise again on the third day. There simply is no logical way to explain the fulfilled prophecies in the Bible other than by divine origin. There is no other religious book with the extent or type of predictive prophecy that the Bible has.

A third internal evidence of the divine origin of the Bible is seen in its unique authority and power. While this evidence is more subjective than the first two internal evidences, it is no less a very powerful testimony of the divine origin of the Bible. The Bible has a unique authority that is unlike any other book ever written. This authority and power are best seen in the way countless lives have been transformed by reading the Bible. Drug addicts have been cured by it, homosexuals have been set free by it, derelicts and deadbeats have been transformed by it, hardened criminals reformed by it, sinners are rebuked by it, and hate has been turned to love by reading it. The Bible does possess a dynamic and transforming power that is only possible because it is truly God’s Word.

Besides the internal evidence that the Bible is truly God’s Word there are also external evidences that indicate the Bible is truly the Word of God. One of those evidences is the historicity of the Bible. Because the Bible details historical events its truthfulness and accuracy is subject to verification like any other historical documentation. Through both archaeological evidences and other written documents, the historical accounts of the Bible have been proven time and time again to be accurate and true. In fact all the archaeological and manuscript evidence supporting the Bible makes it the best documented book from the ancient world. The fact that the Bible accurately and truthfully records historically verifiable events is a great indication of its truthfulness when dealing with religious subjects and doctrines and helps substantiate its claim that it is the very Word of God.

Additional external evidence that the Bible is truly God’s Word is the integrity of the human authors. As mentioned earlier, God used men from many walks of life to record His Words to us. In studying the lives of these men, there is no good reason to believe that they were not honest and sincere men. Examining their lives and the fact that they were willing to die (often excruciating deaths) for what they believed in, it quickly becomes clear that these ordinary yet honest men truly believed that God had spoken to them. The men who wrote the New Testament and many hundreds of other believers (1 Corinthians 15:6) knew the truth of their message because they had seen and spent time with Jesus Christ after He had risen from the dead. The transformation of seeing the Risen Christ had a tremendous impact on these men. They went from hiding in fear, to being willing to die for the message God had revealed to them. Their lives and deaths testify to the fact that the Bible truly is God’s Word 

Final external evidence that the Bible is truly God’s Word is the indestructibility of the Bible. Because of its importance and its claim to be the very word of God, the Bible has suffered more vicious attacks and attempts to destroy it than any other book in history. From early Roman Emperors like Diocletian, through communist dictators and on to modern day atheists and agonistics, the Bible has withstood and outlasted all of its attackers and is still the most widely published book in the world today.

Throughout time, skeptics have regarded the Bible as mythological, but archeology has established it as historical. Opponents have attacked its teaching as primitive and outdated, but its moral and legal concepts and teachings have had a positive influence on societies and cultures throughout the world. It continues to be attacked by science, psychology, and political movements and yet remains just as true and relevant today as it was when it was first written. It is a book that has transformed countless lives and cultures throughout the last 2000 years. No matter how its opponents try to attack, destroy, or discredit it, the Bible remains just as strong, just a true, and just as relevant after the attacks as it was before. The accuracy which has been preserved despite every attempt to corrupt, attack, or destroy it, is clear testimony to the fact that the Bible is truly God’s Word. It should not surprise us that no matter how the Bible is attacked, it always comes out unchanged and unscathed. After all, Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Mark 13:31). After looking at the evidence one can say without a doubt that “Yes the Bible is truly God’s Word.”

Question: Which is the most reliable translation of the Bible?

Answer: There are several reliable versions of the Bible, any of which could be used to study the Word of God. The wide range of reliable versions are simply the attempts of various groups of Biblical scholars and linguists to translate the ancient Hebrew and Greek text into modern English. Unfortunately, there are some versions that are not reliable, and show the theological bias of their translators by changing simple Biblical teaching. For example, one translation of the Scriptures changes the word “virgin” in Isaiah 7:14 to read “young woman.” This was done by a certain group of translators who were not willing to take a stand in the theological debate over whether Jesus was truly born of a virgin. They argue that the Hebrew word can be translated either “virgin” or “young woman,” which is correct. However, the context of Isaiah 7:14, coupled with the fulfillment of this prophecy in the Gospels (Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:26-35), suggests the only way the word can truly be translated is “virgin.” There is nothing miraculous about a “young woman” bearing a son, nor is there any particular “sign” in that kind of an event. But there is something very significant about a “virgin” giving birth to a son, and it would certainly be a “sign” of something great.

There are also “paraphrased” versions of the Bible (The Living Bible is a good example of this). Paraphrased versions of the Bible are often written by a single individual, and in the case of The Living Bible, by a man who has no training in either Greek or Hebrew.

Sometimes, even widely respected translations are known to make poor choices of words when translating various passages of Scripture. One such example is the New International Version’s (NIV) translation of 1 Corinthians 7:15 where the words “not under bondage” are translated “not bound.” There is a significant difference between the words “bondage” and “bound” as used in reference to the marriage relationship. Using the word “bound” rather than “bondage” in this verse is a substantial change in the meaning, and leads to false assumptions. When a question such as this arises, the solution is to simply go back to the most ancient manuscripts and see what words were used there.

The Bible student should also be aware that certain religious organizations such as Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons have their own particular versions or translations of the Bible which dramatically alter key passages of Scripture and teach error.