There is insurmountable evidence for the accuracy and authority of the Bible. Let’s look at a just a few of those evidences:
Manuscript Evidence:
| Ancient writing | Number of copies | Years between writing and first existing manuscript |
| Tacitus (Roman historian) |
1 |
700 |
| Josephus (Jewish historian) |
9 |
300 |
| Homer’s Iliad |
650 |
950 |
| Caesar’s Gaelic Wars |
10 |
1,000 |
| The Holy Bible |
5,750 |
50 |
As you can see, there is amazing manuscript evidence for the Bible. Since we generally accept the integrity of other ancient documents, and the Bible has far greater manuscript support, shouldn’t it enjoy at least the same historical respect?
Archeological Evidence: Many portions of the Bible have been proven to be true by archeological finds. Here are a few:
- The Bible records that David captured Jerusalem by entering through a tunnel that led to the Pool of Siloam. The pool was believed to be outside city walls until a discovery in the 1960s confirmed the pool was inside the city walls.
- The Bible lists Belshazzar as king of Babylon, but he isn’t found in any lists of Babylonian kings. Archaeologists later discover Belshazzar was appointed acting king by his father, King Nabodonius, for a period of a few years.
- The Bible says that God made the walls of Jericho collapse when the Israelites marched around the city with the priests blowing trumpets. Because Rahab, a resident of the city, provided refuge for Israelite spies, they promised that she and her family would survive the battle if they stayed in her house built against the northern city wall. Archaeologists have found that all of the walls of Jericho fell, except the northern wall, confirming the biblical account.
Prophetic Evidence: The Bible foretold many future events (prophecies). Some prophecies that came true in the life of the Jewish Messiah (Jesus) were:
- Messiah is to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). Jesus was born in this small town (Matt. 2:1–7, John 7:42, Luke 2:5).
- Messiah is to enter Jerusalem on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9). This was fulfilled as people shouted to praises to Jesus while he entered the city on a donkey (Luke 19: 35, Matthew 21:6–11).
- Messiah is to be sold for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12). Judas, Jesus’ betrayer, was given 30 pieces of silver to hand Jesus over to His enemies. (Matthew 26:15, 27:3).
- Messiah is to be executed by crucifixion as a thief (Psalm 22:16, Zechariah 12:10). Jesus died on a cross, hanging between two thieves (Luke 23:33, John 20:25).
Jesus fulfilled more than 100 other Messianic prophecies. The odds that just eight of these prophecies would be fulfilled randomly by any one person are one in 10 to the 17th power. To put that in perspective, imagine this: If Texas were filled with silver dollars one foot deep, you would have better odds of picking a marked coin than one in 10 to the 17th power.
Forty authors wrote the Bible in three languages over the course of 1,500 years, yet the whole Bible revolves around one theme—what God has done to save us from hell. Every one of us deserves that punishment, because we’ve broken God’s law (including the Ten Commandments). Have you ever told a lie, stolen, taken God’s name in vain, or looked at someone with lust? If you said yes to any of those, you’ll be guilty on Judgment Day. God, being infinitely just, must punish sinfulness. But Jesus, who lived a sinless life, was brutally tortured and crucified for you, and then he rose from the dead, defeating death. Jesus can take your punishment, or you can take your own punishment. The choice is yours. If you’d like to accept the gift of forgiveness He offers, repent (turn from your sin) and trust Jesus for this life and the life to come. Then, read the Bible daily to learn more about God and how to live for Him.
For further information on this topic, go to:
www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/bible.asp, www.carm.org, www.needGod.com
October 3, 2007 at 12:54 pm |
Evidently, Bill, you’re unfamiliar with postdiction and redaction. So sad. Also, simply because I accept the historicity of the bible, it does not mean that it’s divinely inspired; it merely means that it’s a book and that it’s old.
October 3, 2007 at 1:04 pm |
Accepting the historicity of the Bible is a big step. One that few atheists take, and I admire you for that. I’m unfamiliar with postdiction, but I assume it means writing something after an event takes place and trying to pass it off as something written before the event as a prophecy. Of course, I might be wrong, because that word doesn’t seem to be in my dictionary.
Even charging that the Bible has postdiction and redaction issues shows your ignorance of the manuscript evidence. You might want to take a look at the dead sea scrolls, and the prophecies in Isaiah. Also, you need to go back to Carm.org, and look at the manuscript evidence there.
Are the Jews, who are certainly not big fans of Jesus, also in on this big conspiracy theory of yours?
Thanks for your comment.
Bill
November 3, 2007 at 12:28 pm |
I’m impressed, whether anyone who wants to debate scripture is or not! I like that carm.org site and I found another one you may be interested in perusing: http://www.biblebb.com/ . All we can do is pray and study and I’d say it looks like you’ve heeded 2Timothy 2: 15 (Study to show thyself approved…). Good job here.
Aren’t the Mormons and Latter Day Saints the same? Do they have denmominational sects? e.g, Baptist, Methodist… Perhaps you already have a post; will see!
Thanks for your efforts and God Bless You!
November 3, 2007 at 6:04 pm |
Odale,
Thanks for the encouragement. I think LDS have fundamental LDS (who still practice polygamy) and reformed LDS, who are much nearer biblical Christianity. There might be others, but I’m not sure.
Thanks,
Bill
March 9, 2008 at 8:11 pm |
Good work Bill. I would also recommend you check out the book “Seven Reasons Why you Can Trust The Bible” by Erwin Lutzer, which lists prophetic, logical, scientific, and other reasons why the Bible is true and accurate. If you do get a chance, I would enjoy hearing your thoughts.
http://men4god.wordpress.com, http://russbonchu.reachby.com
March 10, 2008 at 8:19 am |
Men4God,
Thanks for reading my blog, and for your comments. My friend always likes to tell people that if you were repairing your car, and you were using a manual, if the manual proved trustworthy, you would continue to use it and trust it. While I love all of the apologetics, my favorite proof for the Bible is that I’ve tried the it, and I know it to be true, because it works.
Thanks,
Bill
November 18, 2008 at 2:53 pm |
Well I’m athiest and I don’t think its a complete waste of time, we live by the morals or at least we should every day. Of course crap like noahs ark to me are stories of morals rather than factual historic events.
November 18, 2008 at 10:59 pm |
Miles,
Where do you get your morals from? How do you know that there was no global flood about 4000 years ago?
Thanks,
Bill
September 2, 2009 at 6:01 pm |
I read the Seven Reasons… It convinced me I couldn’t trust the Bible. Your chart about various books cracks me up. The earliest Bible ever found is now being made available on the web. It looks nothing like the various Bibles today. No virgin birth, no genealogy, no physical ressurection,and none of the divine references. Early Church fathers made the same claims. They also wrote that the audacious scribes of the first six centuries were adding and subtracting that which seemed good to them at the time, in the form of correction. At least three official times the scriptures, were found to be inaccurate and the church corrected them.
And your prophecies were crib notes for those trying to create a new religion. You assume your interpretation is correct. However, you are merely repeating the propaganda fed to you by previous generations. That said, I believe the scriptures can tell a remarkable story.
Luther said no other people wrote using allegory more than the Jews. Look up, Hellenistic and 1st century Jewish, symbolism. Look into the Jewish mystical lit. Then reread the Bible and you’ll catch on very quickly. There is a ‘two theme’ throughout, earthly (ego) and heavenly (higher consciousness). When Jesus says the kingdom is at hand, he meant it could be found inside ourselves. Paul said the same thing.
About morals, you pick and choose which parts of the Bible to accept. How is this done? An early church father explained, we use the divine notions (our conscience) implanted in man by God since the beginning of time.
September 2, 2009 at 8:58 pm |
Hi Pelagian7,
Thanks for your comment.
I’d like to see the website you referenced about “the earliest Bible ever found.”
Do you think it’s wrong to lie? How about stealing, adultery, and blasphemy? You’re breaking God’s law when you do those things, and guilty lawbreakers must be punished. What are you going to do about your sins?
Thanks,
Bill
September 3, 2009 at 9:10 am |
Check out the video posted by Paul Williams. I think it was a professor Tabor reporting. Do you think it is wrong to steal? King David said it was revealed to him by God that those starving could eat their fill in anothers field as long as they didn’t take a doggy bag, so to speak. This is Biblical, but I bet you wouldn’t allow any who are starving to raid your refrigerator. This was also Jesus message. The law was made for man, not, man, made for the law.
What does that mean to you? The scribes wrote scripture and Pharisees were literal (inerrrant) interpreters of scripture and Jesus attacks them. Your inerrant literal interpretation sounds very much like the Pharisees.
I apologize, I’m not very computer savy and I can’t find the web site for the old Bible. It said parts had been divided among different scholars for years and they were reassembling the parts and posting them early next year. I used their quotes on what it contains. However, I have read this same information from several other sources.
This information has popped up many times in the past but those who found it discredited it with any number of excuses. When I assembled all the apologies for the claims of the early Bible, I was overwhelmed. There were so many and reading them together, I was left amazed that everyone didn’t know. Yet, when you try to tell someone they usually run the other way, so I guess lies, even obvious ones, can remain believed.
September 3, 2009 at 11:31 am |
Pelagian7,
I searched Youtube for “Paul Williams Bible” and “Professor Tabor Bible” and I can’t find anything. Unless you give a particular fact or cite a website, there’s nothing I can really respond to. You’re just some guy on the internet typing your opinion. You haven’t even given something in particular on this post that you dispute.
Jesus disliked the Pharisees because they were legalistic and self-righteous–not because they interpreted the Bible literally. Jesus interpreted the Bible literally. Just flip through the gospels, and see how many times Jesus quoted the Old Testament, and how he interpreted it.
You didn’t answer the question I asked. What are you going to do about your sins? Please answer it. I suspect you have no good answer.
Thanks,
Bill
September 4, 2009 at 8:23 pm |
Hey Bill, look up my namesake, Pelagius. Then you will know about sin. Quoting scripture does not mean a literal interpretation. I quote scripture and I think it is highly compromised.
Besides, quotes of scripture by Jesus were from a Greek translation and even then his quotes are not always accurate, an unforgivale sin for a Jew. Of course the Bible and its apologists won’t reveal these facts. You may have to read something other than propaganda to confirm my claims.
What is your reply to Jesus including scribes in his damnation. He doesn’t offer explanations nor qualifications so any response is pure speculation to avoid his actual teachings, which are those who write scripture cannot be trusted. Jesus called scribes a brood of vipers, symbolic at the time for deceivers and evil doers.
I understand your fear. It behooves you to defend every aspect of your doctrine, even if Jesus himself endorses another way. His Disciples misunderstood him and debated what he meant, yet, two thousand years later, those who repeat what they hear from generations removed, believe they can now, inerrantly interpret, an inerrant scripture, three languages removed, and two thousand years later, absolutely. How ridiculously arrogant, if Jesus wanted us to understand absolutely, his Disciples would have been the first to know.
If you believe politicians are beyond reproach I give up. Those who put the Bible and doctrine together were politicians in addition to Holy men. Look up the latin phrase, Justa Causa, which was initiated by the Church and used liberally.
The meaning is simple but the application is immpossible. The Church leaders acknowledged, in letters to one another, that lying for the good of man need not be a sin. These justifiable lies led to the defence of lies with more lies. Yet these are the moral men who gave you your interpretation of the Gospels, that is, if they gave you uncorrupted originals.
You didn’t read what I wrote either, I told you to look for a video, I couldn’t remember the Bible site. I will find it and provide it for you though.
Check out A.H. Newman 1899, Robert Eisenman, Gandy and Freke, Tom Harpur, Maccoby, Biagent, Barbara Theissen the Catholic Encyclopedia, Justin Martyrs apology, Retractiones, Clement recognitions. . .! I give you logic and sources to enjoy.
From: Brian
September 5, 2009 at 10:46 am |
Brian,
Your line of thinking is filled with logical errors. While you think it’s not possible for anyone to know what the Bible teaches for certain, you’re certain that it doesn’t teach what I think. That is a self-refuting position.
You can’t really take a stand on any position, because you never know for sure that the verse you like should actually belong in the Bible.
You will give an account for every thought, word and deed on Judgment Day, and unless you repent and put your faith in Jesus, you will spend eternity in hell.
Thanks,
Bill
September 5, 2009 at 11:13 am |
Wrong again Bill, my position is that there are errors. That doesn’t mean my interpretation is correct, only that inerrancy is impossible.
You are correct; if I don’t trust the Bible is uncompromised, I can’t take an absolute position using scripture alone. And generally I try to stay away from it, however, it is the only thing that you use, so I used it.
You avoided answering my question. Why should we trust the Gospels when Jesus warned us to not trust those who write them, scribes?
Additionally, you think you can understand a literal inerrant Bible written two thousand years ago. Yet, his Disciples who traveled with him, speaking the same language and able to ask him questions, didn’t always understand what he meant.
They even argued with one another. Did Jesus tell them they had to agree completely with each other or go to hell? Which verse is that I can’t seem to find it?
You, by saying I will go to hell, are casting the first stone, what would Jesus say. You should be ashamed of yourself.
brian
September 5, 2009 at 12:23 pm |
Brian,
You can’t know whether I’m right or wrong, so why are you arguing? It’s quite preposterous to debate the Bible when you have no idea what belongs and what doesn’t. The only consistent position you can take is to say you disagree, but I might be right.
Why do you believe the verses that say Jesus was angry at the scribes? You only believe them because they fit your theology.
Jesus was angry at the scribes for self-righteousness and hypocrisy. He wasn’t angry at them for copying the Bible incorrectly.
There are some things Christians are free to disagree about. There are some things that Christians must believe to be Christians, such as the physical resurrection of Jesus, His deity, and salvation by grace alone through faith alone.
Apparently you believe the verse about casting the first stone. Why do you believe that verse?
I’m not ashamed of saying you’re going to hell. It’s patently obvious. I say it because I care about you, and I want you to find salvation. Christians are supposed to judge.
Pelagianism is heresy that will take you to hell, and you can’t even debate that due to your presuppositions about the Bible, because I’m as likely to be right as you are.
You have sinned against an infinitely holy God, and you deserve eternity in the lake of fire, suffering torture forever. However, God came to this earth and paid for our sins while we were still His enemies, then He rose from the dead on the third day. In response to this, you should submit to Jesus as Lord. I pray that God will save you.
Thanks,
Bill
September 5, 2009 at 5:55 pm |
Bill again you state a position as fact, on how we need to believe in Jesus as God.
Again your logic fails you. I cannot prove my interpretation is correct using scripture. But, I can, using your theology, prove you wrong.
I am using your evidence and if it is false your position is false, if the scriptures are accurate then your position is still false because of the contradictions.
You still have not addressed the Scribes. Biblically, none of what you said exists. Those are Church generated excuses. He calls them Vipers.
Look up viper or serpent in Jewish or hellenistic symbolism books for that era. I can save you the time. Calling somone that was equal to calling them deceivers and liars.
By the way, I am God so quit trying to read my mind.
September 6, 2009 at 12:18 pm |
Brian,
Your statements don’t hold up to the standards of logic.
You said,
So you cannot take a stand on anything, but then you take the stand that I’m wrong. Even if the reasons I take my position are bogus, it could still be the right position, and you would never be able to tell.
If you consistently applied your presuppositions, you can’t tell me I’m wrong, even if you don’t like my reasoning.
You said,
How do you know there are any contradictions? Again, you’re taking a stand that there are contradictions when you say you can’t take a stand. You’re acting very hypocritically.
You’ve abandoned your whole line of argumentation about the scribes except for the word “viper”? Don’t you think you should read things in context? For someone who doesn’t take any positions, you take a lot of positions.
Furthermore, I would agree wholeheartedly that the scribes were deceitful, and that doesn’t contradict my interpretation at all. Maybe you can show me where to find the list of “Church generated excuses” because I’m not familiar with that and would be interested in checking it out.
You said,
That’s called blasphemy, and you will give an account for that on Judgment Day. God in His mercy has delayed your death, but if I were you, I would be very leery of relying on the mercy of the God I hate. Should you die in your sins, you will glorify God for eternity as all of creation sees His wrath being poured out on you.
I don’t want that to happen to you, so I speak candidly hoping something will get through to you.
You really paint yourself in a corner when you say you can’t take any positions. It makes everything you say hypocritical, and is self-refuting, anyway.
I’m willing to point out your inconsistencies for a while longer, but I hope you’ll comprehend it soon.
Thanks,
Bill