Can I Trust the Bible?

One of the most important questions anyone can ask is: “Can I trust the Bible?” It makes perfect sense that a person considering their trust in Christ should ask that question.

I often talk of having a biblical worldview. As a church, we talk about being biblical Christians, meaning that we want the words of God in Scripture to be the guide for our belief, practice, and behavior.

For this reason, we must answer the question concerning trust for the Bible.

Since I only write 300-500 words in each post, we can’t look at all of the Scripture or go into great depth. Let’s look at the four Gospels, which tell us of the life and ministry of Jesus.

The Gospels are “Good News.” Good news is the meaning of the word Gospel.

When the writers wrote for us, they completely intended to tell news. Luke said that he wanted Theophilus, the man to whom the Gospel was written, to know what happened (Luke 1:1-4). The Gospels contain events, not simply nice stories.

Luke gives us the fullest account of the motivation for writing. He wanted to “compile a narrative” of the things which were “accomplished” among them. He gave the account of eyewitnesses so that Theophilus might “know the truth concerning the things” of which he had been instructed.

It’s important to remember that when Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John wrote their accounts, many people were still alive who knew the story firsthand. These four men were not the only ones who experienced the coming of the Son of God.

In addition to those believers who knew the story, there were also those still alive who knew some of the story but did not believe. For these reasons, the Gospels have the “ring of truth” to them.

Let’s use a modern analogy. Suppose you write a fanciful story about an event which many people attended and tell the story in a way that no one saw or experienced. Your account contradicted what everyone else said.

You would be completely discredited. People would want to know what planet you came from–and worse!

The Gospel writers wrote in that environment. When Paul gave his testimony of how he came to believe in Christ, he told King Agrippa “these things did not happen in a corner.” It was his way of saying many people knew the events and were telling these events everywhere. He said in his defense: “For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak freely; for I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this was not done in a corner” (Acts 26:26).

This subject is obviously very complicated and involved. You can find many other reasons which will corroborate the Gospel accounts. I would suggest you read the Gospel of Luke with an open mind asking, “God, if you are real and this message is true, please make it known to me.”

If you do, you will be amazed at what God will do with your humble prayer.

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2 Responses

  1. If you compare and contrast the Gospels with other ancient writings, scholars agree that they are written in a Greco-Roman biographical genre. A good source on this subject is one my professor’s, Josh McDowell, website: josh.org. God Bless

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