3. IS THE BIBLE TRUSTWORTHY?

There are a 100 million copies of the Webster’s dictionary in circulation; 900 million copies of China’s “little red book” but there are seven billion Bibles in circulation. The Bible is the best-selling book in history!

People have given their entire lives to communicate it throughout the world and make it known to every tribe and people. And it has inspired more songs, poetry, commentaries and critics than any book. It is a book like no other! 

While the term “Bible” means, book – it actually is made up of sixty-six separate “books” written over a period of 1500 years, penned by forty different authors divided between what is called the Old Testament and New Testament (both of which are essential to explain each other)... 

The chief message of the Bible is Jesus Christ. The acronym C.H.R.I.S.T. helps to capture the summary truth of the 66 books of the Old and New Testament.

        C. The Bible identifies the Creator behind the Creation.

          H. It tells the story of the early History of man.

          R. It reveals to us the fact that God made us to have Relationship with Him.

I. The Bible narrows it’s focus on a particular genealogy of a specific people, the people of Israel (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob)

S. It reveals who the Savior is!

T. Finally, it provides us authoritative and divine Torah (i.e. teaching) that is essential to our lives!

The Bible says that, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) 

This means that the Bible is divinely inspired to: tell us what is right (Doctrine); tell us what is not right (Reproof); tell us how to get right (Correction); tell us how to stay right (Instruction); tell us how do to what is right (Equipped for every good work)!  

The Bible is called “God’s Word” even though God did not physically write it -- but rather He inspired the words that were written down on paper by man. Think of it this way... When a person writes a letter, is it the pen or the person who writes the letter?  It is the Lord who inspired the writing of the Bible but He used men as the so called, “pen”! 

Jesus held the Scriptures in the highest regard!

He said that, "the Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35), thus testifying to the authority of the Bible.

In Matthew 5:17, Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them"... This means that Jesus believed and trusted in the Old Testament "Law" and "Prophets." 

Jesus also said, "It is written, 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God'" (Matthew 4:4). Jesus believed that God spoke through the Bible, upholding the Old Testament as holy and authoritative. The Bible gives us the wisdom for salvation in Christ, pointing us to Jesus Christ, and ultimately it is Jesus, who authenticates the authority and inspiration of the Bible! After all, there is not a greater authority than Jesus who gave His life on the Cross, resurrected three days later and then on the fortieth day ascended to heaven.

Below are but a few more reasons that the Bible is trustworthy:

1)      The New Testament is the best preserved text of all ancient history.

2)      Archaeological discoveries have verified the accuracy of the historical and cultural references in the Bible. 

3)      No other book has the overwhelming eyewitness testimony of those who walked side by side with Jesus -- the Savior of the world.

4)      No other book compares to the prophetic predictions of the Bible. 

5)      No other book has changed so many hearts and lives over the centuries.

6)      No other book so clearly reveals God's abiding love for the entire world (i.e. Jews and Gentiles)

7)     No other book has led people to establish so many hospitals, orphanages, homeless shelters, and relief organizations.