How do we know the Holy Bible is true?

The answer to this noble question starts my friends in the empty tomb. The most important question that a man or woman need answer is who do you believe about that tomb? The Disciples and hundreds of witnesses who say that the Lord Jesus Christ was dead and buried, with not one iota of life in His veins, and three days later was risen from the tomb and walked out of there. Or do you believe the religious authorities, the Pharisee, who say that His body was snatched by the disciples? These same folk who bribed Judas. Who lied to get the Lord Jesus sent to the cross. Do you believe their account? For this is our starting point. If you believe the latter, then no matter the evidence, you will doubt the inspiration and truth of the Holy Bible. Because the Holy Bible states in crystal clear terms that those religious folk were a bunch of liars. That the Lord was dead and gone and buried in the ground. Yet three days later walked out of there with breath in His lungs.

While this is the most fundamental thing, there is plenteous evidence beyond this.

Cross References

In the Holy Bible there are more than 63,779 cross references across the 66 books that comprise the Holy library of Scripture. A cross reference is one part that references another. A clever young man called Chris Harrison created a visualisation illustrating this. Now consider this. If today we had a book as long and detailed as the Holy Bible and it had maybe one or two authors and they used artificial intelligence to assist them, then maybe, just maybe, we would think it possible for this to be a man-made venture. But consider. The Holy Bible was written by over 40 different authors. Who did not know each other. Across 1,500 years. Across three continents and three different languages. There were no books when it was written. It was written onto scrolls. Without chapters, without verses. Bible writers did not have direct access to the other texts. Yet there are 63,779 cross references between these books.

Prophecy

There are many prophecies in the Holy Bible. According to J. Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy there are 1,817 prophecies across the Holy Bible. 1,239 in the Old Testament and 578 in the New Testament. In fact by some estimates 27% of the Holy Bible is prophecy. Isn’t that amazing? Some estimate that already half of these prophecies have come to pass. There many many prophecies that were fulfilled in the coming, crucifixion and resurrection of the Messiah; the Lord Jesus Christ. Beyond this there were many historical events that have come to pass that were predicted by the Holy Bible. Here are some examples:

These are all examples of major historic events that the Holy Bible predicted. But it is not all history. For half of Biblical prophecy is still to come. And think of some of the trends of the past few hundred years and where we are headed today:

Extreme weather

Increased earthquakes

Increased wars

More disease (pestilences)

Technological changes

Electronic money

The Holy Bible says that every eye shall see the return of Christ. Three hundred years ago this would have been a mystery. Today an event happens and a man pulls out a smartphone. Almost every man has a smartphone in his pocket. Then think about the rise of AI. Think about how in the future people may cease to think for themselves and get everything out of the machine. You can see how the world could fall under the lies of the Man of Perdition with such a system. All this is just to say you can see the world on a trajectory towards the end times events of Matthew 24 and the book of Revelation.

Testing it for yourself

There is a famous parable of the man who built his house on the sand and the man who built his house on the rock. Truth is a rock. Truth will set you free. The Holy Bible is true. You can see this when you apply it to your life. The next problem you have, apply the wisdom of Scripture to it and see the fruitful outcome. Even today this is partially acknowledged by Christianity’s greatest critics. Richard Dawkins, world renowned anti-theist refers to himself as a ‘cultural Christian’. Where the cultural influence of the Holy Bible has made our nation a better one is self-evident. This is because, even apart from God, the truth of the Holy Bible stands. Of course, eternally cultural Christianity will NOT save you. But it does illustrate the power of the truth of Scripture.

The Holy Bible is NOT just a philosophical work. It is NOT just wise writing. The Scripture claims divine inspiration. This is not circular reasoning. Such a claim does not make a work true. But if that work is true, then it stands to reason that it is divinely authored. If it is divinely authored we can be assured that the Holy Bible is free of error. Because God does NOT make errors.

I bring you my friend to be the beginning of this short essay. There is significant evidential proof of the truth of the Scripture. But if you side with those corrupt religious authorities, who lied, cheated and sent Christ to His death, if you stand with them, then you will need for the sake of consistency to blind yourself to these truths.

Embrace truth and you will never be consumed, embrace truth and you will endure.

See you in the Kingdom.