It could be argued that the Bible is the most controversial book ever written and that more people have lost their lives over it than any other book. People swear by the Bible and vehemently swear against it. Most people have an opinion about it, and yet so few have read any of it, much less read it in its entirety. 

The Bible speaks of a personal, loving God who “did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” It preserves so many comforting promises: such as, you are never alone because God “will never leave you nor forsake you.” The Bible tells us God is for you and not against you, He has “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” It tells us who created the world, how it will end, and that we were made on purpose for a purpose.

But how do we know the Bible is telling the truth? What good are promises from a loving God and information about our beginning and end if the Bible can’t be trusted? What evidence is there that it is not just a fairytale or worse, a purposeful lie? Who wrote it? What is its purpose? 

I’m glad you asked! Let’s explore some of these questions together.

The Purpose of the Bible

The Bible not only reveals who God is, it exposes us. It presents us as loved but lost and reveals Jesus as the One who comes to find us. The Bible shows a God Who would rather die than be without us. It reveals Jesus as the One Who finds us and brings us back to God. Jesus Christ is the focus of the scriptures (Holy Bible).  

Many people have read the Bible to extract rules for living that would assure that they could earn eternal life. But if reading the Bible doesn’t result in a relationship with Jesus, then the reader has missed the whole point. Jesus says this clearly to the Bible rule-followers of His day, “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (John 5:39–40, NIV)

This Unique Book

Here are some interesting facts about the Bible:

• It is the all-time best seller.
• It is the oldest book in existence.
• It took 1600 years to write.
• It has 40 different authors, and yet it is still cohesive.
• It has been translated into more languages than any other book.
• It can have a supernatural effect on people. It brings healing, hope, and eternal life.

More people risked their lives to allow others to have the opportunity to read it than for any other book.

How do we know the Bible is Inspired?

Well, first, what does that even mean? “Inspired” comes from the Latin word spiritus, which means “Spirit” or “breath.” To be “inspired” is to breathe in.  To “expire” is to have the breath of life leave.  In a letter teaching his young protégé, Timothy, the Christian pioneer, Paul, writes, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, …” (2 Timothy 3:16, NIV) 

So, the Bible defines scripture as “inspired,” because God Himself helped each of the 40 authors write. That is what gives the Bible it’s unique continuity in pointing to Jesus as the needed Savior. The historical context of what is written and how it fits into the themes of the whole Bible help us understand passages that are puzzling. Being “God-breathed” is also what makes the Bible personally relevant.

The Historicity of the Bible

Some skeptical scholars have tried to dismiss the veracity of the Bible by claiming that its stories are mythical and not based in historical reality. They have pointed to details of biblical accounts that were, at the time, unsubstantiated by archaeology or other historical texts. However, time and again, new discoveries have shown biblical accounts to be centered in historical reality.

While the Bible is not a history book as we understand it today, there is solid historical evidence to support the Biblical accounts. As the discipline of archaeology has progressed, more and more finds have verified the accuracy of Biblical accounts. There are many examples of this. I will give only a few. 

The Cyrus Cylinder was discovered in 1879. It provides independent support for the historicity of one of the central events in the biblical narrative, the return of the Jews to Jerusalem after being conquered by the Babylonians. The words carved on this stone cylinder record the unlikely deliverance of the Jewish captives by Cyrus. The cylinder corroborates the prophecy in Isaiah that Cyrus would make a decree to allow the rebuilding of Jerusalem (Isaiah 44:28, Isaiah 45:1). The cylinder was found to mirror the language as recorded in the book of Ezra, (for example in Ezra 1).

The gospel writer Luke’s account of the life and death of Jesus and the history of the early church is well-researched and meticulous. He interviewed people who knew Jesus personally, huperatai, or “eyewitnesses,” and his books, Luke and Acts, show a personal knowledge of cities, places, political figures, customs, etc. These are not fictitious. Not one of them has been shown to be historically inaccurate, and in fact, the more scholas have looked closely at his books, the more convinced they have become of their historical accuracy.

Biblical claims, such as the crucifixion of Jesus and the loyalty and persecution of His followers, have been corroborated by many outside sources, such as by the Jewish historian, Josephus, a contemporary of Jesus, and Tacitus, a Roman politician and ancient historian. These sources are highly regarded by modern-day scholars.

How Accurately Has the Bible Been Translated? 

This is an important question. The writing of the Bible began and ended millennia before English became a language.

The Jewish scriptures or “Old Testament” were written primarily in Hebrew.

The books which record the coming of the prophesied Messiah, Jesus, and the early development of the Christian church are referred to as the “New Testament” and were written primarily in Greek. 

So how do we know our English translation is accurate? One way came when two shepherd boys discovered the “Dead Sea Scrolls,” ancient manuscripts of 38 of the 39 books of the Old Testament. These manuscripts were written on sheepskin or papyrus paper, rolled up into scrolls, and placed in pottery jars. Comparison of the Dead Sea Scrolls with later manuscripts of the Old Testament show the carefulness with which they had been copied.

The accuracy is not just amazing, it seems miraculous. Another interesting aspect of these scrolls is that they contain prophecies that were fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. These manuscripts were copied about 100 years before the birth of Jesus, which shows the prophecies were not “redacted” or added back in after the fact.

There were no printers or copiers in the ancient near east. When we speak of “manuscripts” we mean copies of the original that were written or “scripted” by hand (manu like “manual”). Scribes copied the originals and then copies of copies and copies of those copies were made by scribes. 

So, what are the potential problems of handwritten copies? Well, if a mistake was made, it could continue to be copied from that time forward. What else? Someone could just add or delete whatever they wanted to the manuscript.

So again, how do you know that what was written in the copies that came down to us today was anything like the original? To answer that question, one must look at the ways that scholars attest to the accuracy of other ancient books.

Scholars compare copies with copies to see what, if anything, has changed. The more copies they have to compare, the better—and the closer the later manuscripts are to the original document and older copies, the easier it is to see where changes may have come in.  

So, how does the Bible compare to other ancient manuscripts by this approach? Let’s look at three other ancient documents, well-known to scholars. You have already been introduced to the first two. The Annals of Imperial Rome by Tacitus is a key source for our present understanding of the history of the Roman empire. The Jewish War, by the Jewish-Roman historian, Josephus, is a primary source for scholars’ understanding of Jewish culture and Roman military tactics during the time of Jesus. The Iliad, the epic poem written by the blind Greek poet, Homer, has long been an honored source of insight into the values and mindset of the Greeks. No one thinks to challenge the veracity of these manuscripts.

How does the Bible compare to these books in terms of the number of manuscripts in existence and how close they are to the original document? 

• Tacitus—The Annals of Imperial Rome: 1 manuscript, 700 years removed from the original.
• Josephus—The Jewish War: 9 manuscripts, 1,000-1,200 years removed from the original.
• Homer—The Iliad: 650 manuscripts, 1,000 years removed from the original.
• The Holy Bible: 5,000+ manuscripts just of the New Testament, less than 100 years removed from the events. And 24,633 copies in other ancient languages besides the original Greek.

As you can see, the other Bible books are not even close in the number of manuscripts or nearness to the original. As for accuracy, the scholars, Norman Geisler and William Nix have concluded: “The New Testament, then, has not only survived in more manuscripts than any other book from antiquity, but it has survived in a purer form than any other great book, a form 99.5% pure.”

This impressive accuracy as well as the other significant things we have mentioned—the Bible’s cohesive unity over 1,600 years and 40 authors, the numerous fulfilled prophecies about Jesus, the Messiah and Savior, the well-substantiated historical context, and the power of this book to effect hearts and minds—are valid reasons we can have confidence that the Bible is trustworthy. 

I would posit that the Bible is not only a trustworthy ancient book, but that it is the Word of God and alive.

The same Spirit that “inspired” or “breathed life” into the authors of the Bible as they wrote, is available to us to help us understand its original meaning as well as to help us see how it applies to our present circumstances. We don’t just read the Bible, it reads us. As it says in the book of Hebrews: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12, NIV)

What Will You Conclude?

At the beginning of this blog, I wrote “Most people have an opinion about [the Bible], and yet so few have read any of it, much less read it in its entirety.”  

I encourage you to be different. Read the Bible for yourself and form your own opinion. Tell God, “I’m going to give this a try. If You are out there, please reveal yourself to me. Please send the Holy Spirit to help me understand what is important for me to know right now. Please speak to me through these words.”

If you would like to do that, also let James know. He has some good tools that will help you become confident in understanding the Bible for yourself. 

I can tell you personally that the Bible is my True North. It helps me understand Who God is and how to have a relationship with Him. The Bible gives me a way to view the world that makes sense to me, brings me comfort and instruction—and peace. 

I am praying for you to pick up a Bible—for the first time or again—and am excited by the journey you are about to take. God will be right by your side, showing the way. “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (Psalm 119:105, NIV)

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Jesus Christ? Who is he and why do I follow him?

Recently, a friend asked me to reflect on the ministry of Jesus Christ and share five beliefs/life principles that tug at my heart and compel me to be His disciple. And, he added, please base it on scriptural references and life lessons I’ve learned.

Let me share with you now just three beliefs for why I choose to follow Jesus Christ—for life.

Jesus—The Creator

I accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the second person of the godhead. (Jn 1:1-5.)

I accept the biblical account of creation. Jesus created the earth in six literal days. (Ge 1-2.)

On the sixth day, after God had created living creatures according to their kinds, God created mankind—male and female—in His image. (Ge 1:24-31; Ge 2:7.)

Then sin entered in and spread to all humankind. But!!! There was already a plan in place to rescue humanity. The plan formulated by the godhead in advance required that Jesus be the perfect sacrificial substitute for mankind. A perfect sacrifice was the only thing that would satisfy the righteous requirements of the law. (Ge 2:15-17; Ge 3:1-24; Ro 3:21-26.)

Jesus—The Savior

Christ came willingly to take my place and your place. He gave up His life and died on a cross so that you and I would not have to die in sin. He loves us and does not want to be separated from us. In fact, He wants to be with us for eternity. (Jn 3:16; Jn 14:2-3; 1 Pe 2:24.)

When Christ died on the cross, that was not the end of the story. As prophesied, on the third day Jesus rose from the tomb. (1 Co 15:1-8.)

Jesus’ disciples had not understood when He tried to tell them what He would have to go through. But when they went to the tomb, His was not there. Why? Because He had risen from the dead!!!! (Mt 20:17-19; Jn 20:11-18; Ac 10:34-43.)

Death could not hold Him, because He holds the power over life and death. (Ac 2:24.)

Jesus offers each one of us the opportunity to benefit from His victory at the cross. (Ro 8:1-2.)

What does one have to do to take advantage of Jesus’ victory at the cross? Believe Him and accept what He has done for all humanity. (Jn 15:1-27; Ro 10:8-10.)

So, you see, I belong to Christ by both creation and redemption. He redeemed me by giving Himself up for me at the cross. Then, when He was raised from death, after proving that He was alive, He returned to Heaven to intercede for me at the Father’s side where He now serves at High Priest and Intercessor for you and for me. (1 Ti 2:5; He 7:25; 1 Jn 2:1-2.)

Jesus—The Intercessor

I have not lived a perfect life by any means. At one time I was deep in sin. But Jesus did not throw me away like refuse. He pursued me and would not let me go. Then when I came to my senses and turned toward Him, He warmly received me and welcomed me home. 

Forgiveness of sin is available at the cross of Christ. Jesus has come to my rescue many times, including two times when I should have died because of foolishness on my part. (2 Chr 7:13-14; Lu 15:11-32; Ac 3:19; 2 Co 7:10.)

By accepting Him into my life, He came to live with me in my heart by the power of the Holy Spirit. I gained the victory over temptation and sin. (1 Co 10:13; Ja 4:7.)

Even though I have surrendered my life to Christ, I still have the sinful nature within me. When I let my guard down, sometimes my sinful human nature gets the upper hand. But Jesus is continually advocating for me before His Father in Heaven. When I fall into sin, I can appeal directly to the God of Heaven—the Ruler and Sustainer of the universe—for forgiveness. I have appealed to Him many times and He has responded to my pleas. My God is faithful, merciful, and full of compassion. He wants us all to know the truth so that we will not be lost. That’s why He gave up His life. (1 Ti 2:1-7; 2 Pe 3:9; 1 Jn 2:1-2.)

Your Response

If you have not already done so, Jesus wants to come into your heart to live with you. He wants to be your personal Savior and Lord. (Re 3:20; Jn 14:23; Ro 8:38-39.)

Do you want to surrender to Him today? If so, join me in this prayer. 

“Lord, I admit I am a sinner. I need and want Your forgiveness. I accept Your death as the penalty for my sin and recognize that Your mercy and grace is a gift You offer to me because of Your great love, not based on anything I have done. Cleanse me and make me Your child. By faith I receive You into my heart as the Son of God and as Savior and Lord of my life. From now on, help me live for You, with You in control. In Your precious name, Amen.”

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I was born into an intact, Christian family with both my biological father and biological mother present. But life was challenging for our family from the beginning. 

We were poor, and my father was not a good provider. Dad also had a terrible temper, which included lots of yelling and sometimes hitting. He was unpredictable. He was also a womanizer and unfaithful to my mother.

Later, Dad and Mom were separated and then divorced. He was gone before I was a teenager. 

Until my early/mid–20’s, I lived as if my father’s absence had no impact on me. I was making my way through school, going to church, working, playing, and just living what I thought was a “normal” life. 

But then, I began realizing how my “backstory” was affecting me. 

Impact of My Father’s Absence

I never really had a healthy, long-term relationship with my biological father—I missed out on having a loving bond with him.

And I became really sad as I watched my beloved late mother struggle to raise our family as a single mom. By the time of her death, she had raised four generations of us.

I came to a point where I hated my father because of how he treated my mom and us and because of how he lived—different at home than how he was at church. I was cordial with him, but there was not much respect or genuine love.

But as time passed and I grew into my teenage and young adult years, I realized that I was exhibiting some of the same characteristics that my Father displayed when he was still living with us. It was like he modeled it and I adopted it. 

And I realized that I had a distorted view of marriage and family, and I had no real model from my dad of what being a loving husband and father looked like.

What’s the Point?

So, why am I telling you all this?

The key point here is that your backstory—the people, the places, the events, and the experiences of your past, both the good and the bad—can affect you today and into your future.

And more to the point is this. Good mental health includes completing your past—unpacking the unwanted emotional baggage you still carry around with you, finding healing for the wounds you experienced, processing the regrets from your past, and attending to unfinished business. 

Completing Your Past

Am I suggesting that you need to live in the past? No! That will only keep you from living well in the present.

Am I suggesting that you obsess over your past? Again, no! Living well in the present requires focusing on the present.

What I’m suggesting is that living well in the present will sometimes require bringing some closure to some aspects of your past so you can be more fully present in the here and now.

What Does That Look Like?

Let me share three principles for living that have helped and continue to help me complete my past.

First, learn, grow, and change. 

• Adopt the mindset of a lifelong learner—ever be on the alert for opportunities to learn, grow and change.
• Part of my journey included going to a Father Wound therapy group to deal with the impact of that part of my past.
• And I regularly read, listen, study, and pray to learn about the stuff in my life that still needs attention, both from my past and right now in the day–to–day of my present life. 
• Don’t be passive about the unwanted baggage of your life that you’re still lugging around with you, especially the wounds you’ve experienced, the regrets you have, and the unfinished business from your past. Rather, proactively set aside time to unpack that unwanted baggage—healing from your wounds, working through your regrets, and completing the unfinished business of your past—with a focus on learning, growing, and changing.
• Be intentional and seek help when you need it.

Second, adopt a forward vision for living. 

• Refuse to allow bad experiences from your past to define your identity.
• While I was sometimes told growing up that “You’re just like your father!”, I did not accept that as my identity—who I am.
• Rather, I sought professional help to deal with my anger and other patterns of thinking/behaving that mirrored how my father lived. 
• Don’t accept or settle into an identity deriving from the bad experiences of your past. Rather, affirm yourself as a Prince or Princess of the King of Kings—the God of Heaven who adopted us as his children and heirs to his Kingdom. And look forward to the transformation promised to all who are in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) and seek also to experience the abundant life Jesus came to give you (John 10:10).  

Third, be in community.

• One of the most important things I’ve learned is don’t go it alone.
• I have three brothers who are my prayer partners. They know my whole story. We meet weekly. We praise together. We pray together. We study together. We support each other and hold each other accountable. And we advise and counsel each other—learning from each other and helping each other on the specifics of our individual lives. And, I’m also part of several Text Chat groups where we share updates, encourage and pray for each other, and celebrate with each other.
• Proverbs 27:17 (NLT) reads: “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” Cultivate these kinds of healthy friendships on your journey through life.
• And become part of a healthy community. It doesn’t have to be huge, just large enough so all can both give and receive loving support and enjoy the fellowship of one another.

Call to Action

“No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Philippians 3:13–14, NLT) 

Complete your past.

So that you may live more fully in the present.

While, looking forward to God’s future for you.

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