| Can I Trust the Bible? |
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In order to learn from something we read we must first be able to trust it. There are three questions we all ask ourselves when trying to determine if what we are reading is trustworthy. Is it accurate? Is it consistent? Does it work? These are the same three questions we must apply to the Bible if we are to conclude it is trustworthy. Is the Bible accurate? Nothing toasts the reputation of a journalist like inaccuracy. Newspaper articles are expected to contain facts and nothing but the facts. And this is what we’ve all come to expect in a newspaper article, accurate reporting absent of any bias. We should also expect the same high level of accuracy in the Bible; and, did you know that not one historic, scientific or prophetic error has ever been found in the bible? Critics and skeptics have scrutinized the Bible for thousands of years and the most common conclusion is not that the Bible contains an error, but that it may be the most reliable text ever encountered! Is the Bible consistent? Have you ever thought about how you would have reacted if in chapter one your high school history book said George Washington was the first president of the United States, and then in Chapter four it said that Abraham Lincoln was the first president? Perhaps you’d think it was a typo, an honest mistake. But, what if you found other inconsistencies as well? You’d begin to wonder if you could really trust the information in that history book. Guess how many inconsistencies are in the Bible? That’s right, none! But, hold on a second…we still have to kick this up another notch. Most history books have a few authors, are written over a year or two and have at least a handful of mistakes. On the other hand, the Bible was written by more than 40 authors over 1500 years and has not one mistake. Now that’s consistency! Does the Bible work? Chemistry is part of nearly every high school’s curriculum these days and is almost always accompanied by a lab. The function of the chemistry lab is to allow the student to test the teaching of the chemistry textbook. At home, the student studies the textbook; in class, the teacher teaches from the textbook; and in lab, the student tests the teaching himself so he may know if it really works. So too, the Christian studies the Bible, sits under good Bible teaching, and actively applies the teaching of the Bible to his own life. Christians around the globe, who have tested the teaching of the Bible, testify as to how well it really works. Do you want to know personally and for certain that the Bible’s teaching works? Setup a lab and try it yourself. Starting with the Book of John, commit to reading the Bible for just ten minutes per day, and be sure to apply everything your learn. Accept this challenge, and you will know just how true and trustworthy the Bible really is. |