As Christians, we take the Bible to be the Word of God. We hold this view almost automatically because we have the Holy Spirit within us that affirms to us the validity of the message and the author. But what are some useful arguments for the divine authorship of the Bible that you may be able to share with others so that they may be intrigued and want to read it for themselves? This article will provide you with some of the basics of the biblical doctrine that the Bible is indeed God’s Word.
Two Kinds of Evidences
There are two kinds of evidences that we can investigate to help us argue for the divine origin of the Bible: Internal and External evidence. Internal evidence refers to the evidence found within the Bible itself that supports the claim that it is God’s Word. External evidence refers to the evidence found outside of the Bible (whether historical, archaeological, philosophical, sociological, or other) that supports the claim that it is the Word of God. Both evidences together offer a better argument for the doctrine that the Bible is the Word of God, and not just any book.
Internal Evidences
An internal evidence for the doctrine that the Bible is the Word of God is that the Bible itself claims to be the Word of God. Now, yes, this is sort of a circular argument (the Bible is the Word of God because God tells us it is…in the Bible; in other words, the reader must assume the truth of the conclusion in order to accept the premises), but it is not a formal logical fallacy. It still stands that, if the premises are true, the conclusion would be true. This reasoning, then, is valid with respect to God because God has shown Himself to be faithful; He only tells the truth at all times—He is the highest authority.
We can see that the Bible claims itself to be the recorded Word of God in various passages. All emphases (italics) and [comments] are mine.
Deuteronomy 6:4-6 says, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I [God] command you today [which were written for us] shall be on your heart.”
Psalm 19:7-9 says, “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.”
In Matthew 5:17-19, Jesus says of the Scriptures, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets [a reference to the Old Testament]; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law [i.e., the Old Testament] until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
In Luke 16:17, Jesus says, “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void.” And again, in John 10:35, He says, “…Scripture cannot be broken.” Paul told the believers of Thessalonica in 1 Thessalonians 2:13, “We also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.” This verse (along with other verses we’ll look at later) shows that the New Testament is considered the Word of God as well.
External Evidences
Aside from the internal evidence within the Bible, other evidences outside of the Bible help to support the claim that it is God’s Word; these are called External Evidences. Here are a few:
- The Bible’s Continuity
The Bible was written by over 44 authors from various lands and walks of life, and throughout a period of 1,600 years. The sixty-six books in the Bible were written by kings, scholars, prophets, philosophers, peasants, physicians, fishermen, farmers, etc. But even with such diversity, the Bible displays an amazing continuity that can be perceived from Genesis to Revelation.
God’s creation, and doctrinal themes like God’s nature, humanity’s sinful nature, and salvation are all progressively developed throughout the Bible and demonstrate the Bible’s amazingly detailed continuity. Only God could have directed the writers of the Bible in such a way as to make everything fit together perfectly, even until the fulfilled prophecies in Jesus.
- The Bible’s Extent of Revelation
The Bible gives us truth regarding not only what we see here on earth, but also about what is in the spirit world. It tells about the past work of creation, and the future reality of the new heavens and earth; about heaven and hell, and how to get to either; angels and demons, and how they each can influence us; salvation and damnation, and how we choose either. The Bible’s extent of the revelation of truth is unparalleled.
- The Bible’s Influence & Publication
Did you know that every written language in the world has, at least, parts of the Bible translated in that language? Did you know that the Bible was one of the first books printed, once the printing press was invented in the West (the Gutenberg Bible)? And did you know that the Bible is the most published book in the world today?
Yes, the Bible beats Harry Potter! The fact that it has outsold any and every book in the world–to this day–should at least cause the curious to want to check it out at the local library to see what it's all about. And the fact that the Bible has had such an influence in modern history is a good argument for its divine authorship. You see, the Bible is not just a book, it is the Word of God, and it has the power to change people's lives for the better.
- The Bible's Unbiased Account
If you were writing a book about yourself, would you put all of your pitfalls and mistakes in it, especially those that compromised your character and reputation? I doubt many would. Well, when we look at the Bible, we find the unabridged stories of great men and women—including the good, the bad, and the ugly. The Word of God is unbiased and unprejudiced in its transmission of truth, for God is impartial.
If the Bible had been written by men, it would have, in all likelihood, contained many more tweaked and adjusted stories of men such as Kind David, Samson, Paul, and others. Their accounts paint a grim–but true–reality of humankind—and these were men of God, men after God's own heart! The Bible, therefore, apart from divine direction, could not, and would not have been written by prideful men to prideful humanity. Rather it is a book written by God, through the Holy Spirit, by men, and to men.
- The Bible's Account of Prophesies
One of the Bible's most convincing external evidences (but also, in a way, internal evidences) for its divine origin is its true and accurate account of prophesies throughout history. It records factual events that actually happened and have been archaeologically confirmed—years before that event came to take place. One of the Bible's main prophesies, spread throughout its pages, is its prediction that a Messiah (i.e., Jesus) would one day come into the world. Well, He did...and thank God He did.
The Old Testament prophets predicted–through revelation from God–that the Messiah would one day visit (Micah 5:2—fulfilled in Matthew 2:1-10; Isaiah 9:7—fulfilled Luke 1:33; Daniel 9:25; Isaiah 7:14—fulfilled in Matthew 1:21-23); and that He would be a descendant of David and would reign forever (1 Chronicles 17:11—fulfilled in Matthew 1:1; 2 Samuel 7:13—fulfilled in 2 Peter 1:11). They also predicted that Christ would die, and in what manner He would die (all of Psalm 22; all of Isaiah 53). There are hundreds of fulfilled prophesies (and those to be fulfilled) in the Bible. It is difficult to not see the hand of God in these things.
The Bible and Jesus
As we've already seen, Jesus held the Bible in high regard—from the books of Moses, Psalms, and the Prophets, to the New Testament books to come in His day (which we now have). Jesus said that the Bible is the Word of God that it could not be broken and must be fulfilled—that He came to fulfill it. Well, He did just that, and the Bible, again, records these things with accuracy and veracity so that we may all come to a knowledge of the Father, the one true God who created us.
The Bible is a peculiar and very special book. Anyone who even skims through it will find out quickly that it is a book unlike any other—especially when Jesus clearly comes into the picture! The Bible gives us an account of the life and ministry of God's Son, Jesus, who came to seek and save the lost through His death on the cross and subsequent resurrection. The Bible is, therefore, worthy of at least some research as to its origins, teachings, purpose, and significance in one's life. It has changed the lives of many in the world, let it change yours!
* Most of the information presented in this article was taken from Lewis Sperry Chaffer's book "Major Bible Themes."
