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Is The Bible God's Word?

H

ave you ever wondered why the Bible is one of the best selling books of all time and why almost every home has a copy?

Some, I suppose, have a Bible as a sort of lucky charm. Others have a copy to maintain a form of religious acknowledgment. And many millions have a copy because they believe the Bible is God's Word.

But is the Bible God's Word and his special message to mankind, or is it simply a compilation of man-made messages? How can we know whether it is one or the other? What evidence is there to support the Bible's own claim that it is "inspired by God?"¹ Let us examine the following evidence:

Support from Jesus Christ. The fact that Jesus accepted the Bible as God's Word is important to note. In his day, only the Old Testament section of the Bible had been written. It was then known as the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms, or simply as the Law. Referring to these writings Jesus said, "Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."²

He also said, "Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law [the Bible] until everything is accomplished."³

Peter's confirmation. The New Testament section of the Bible was written immediately following Christ's time on earth. A large part was written by the Apostle Paul. In speaking about Paul's writings, Peter—one of the better-known disciples of Jesus—equates what Paul wrote with the rest of the Bible.⁴

The fact that Jesus accepted
the Bible as God's Word
is important to note.

Evidence from fulfilled prophecy. The Bible boldly foretold events of major historical significance hundreds of years in advance—many of which have already been fulfilled.

For instance, at least fifteen hundred years B.C., God gave the first hope of a Savior (the Christ) who would come from Israel through the tribe of Judah.⁵ A thousand years B.C.., the Bible said that Christ would come through the family of David.⁶ Seven hundred years B.C., Bethlehem was named by the prophet Micah as the birthplace of Christ.⁷ About the same time the prophet Isaiah wrote that Christ would be born of a virgin,⁸ and six hundred years B.C., the prophet Daniel predicted the time of Christ's coming.⁹ All of these predictions were fulfilled exactly as stated in the Bible.

Hundreds of years before Christ came to earth both David and Isaiah predicted in specific detail the sufferings of Christ and the manner of his death. David, referring to and "speaking for" Jesus Christ, wrote in the Psalms, "They pierced my hands and my feet."¹⁰ This is precisely what happened when Jesus was crucified on a Roman cross.

Isaiah also predicted the fall of the then mighty Babylonian Empire, saying it would be conquered by the nation of Media. This happened in 539 B.C.¹¹

Evidence from Israel. The nation of Israel is one of the clearest evidences for the validity of God's Word, the Bible. Its history is a continual story of biblical prophecy being fulfilled.

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