One of the most critical challenges facing Christian young people today is proving the Bible to be the perfect, inspired Word of God. This is a common problem which has not only been a challenge to prove, but has also become a question even in the hearts of Christians. A recent statistic showed that only 40% of all Christians today believe the Bible to 100% perfect and infallible. With this shocking statistic measuring the temperature of the church today, I feel it is vital to address this challenge in this article.
The Real Motive for Unbelief
Often, answering questions concerning the validity of the Bible seems to be more of a moral challenge than an intellectual one. Although the debate may be centered around an intellectual dispute, the true motive is “disproving the Bible as heresy to ease their own conscience and justify their sin-filled lifestyle.” People are committed to their “flesh-driven lifestyle,” as much as you are to you Christianity. The very fact that you are presenting facts that confront their values, morals and philosophies causes unbelievers to become defensive in order to protect their current lifestyles.
Since we live in a post-Christian society, or witnessing strategies cannot just hinge on the simple fact that “we believe the Bible to be true.” This generation is asking for more substantial factual proof to validate the authenticity of this sacred book.
Rejection of the Bible
It is shocking to find that many of the people who reject the Bible have never read it! In most cases, their rejection is based upon nothing more than willful ignorance and blind opposition. I have been told many times that the Bible is full of contradictions. I, in turn, have asked many people, "Could you please show me one?" Almost 95% of the time, the person rejecting the Bible and its claims has been stumped. This goes to prove that, in most cases, a person's rejection of the Bible and its infallibility is not based on scientific, historical or archeological fact, but on a "philosophical thought structure" he has desired to adopt as his belief system.
Fact or Fantasy
Many still agree that the Bible is considered to be the greatest book ever published. It has become the all time best seller of any publication in history and continues to escalate in its circulation. However, the Bible itself claims to be more than a popular book—it claims to be the perfect and unquestionable Word of God. This claim has caused great controversy.
Knowing the main reasons people claim to reject the Bible is essential to answering the questions of Biblical validity. The majority of people can accept the Bible as a compilation of great teachings and stories and treat it as a book of myths. But few will accept the Bible as fact. Because the miracles and unbelievable events seem so "unnatural," many conclude them to be false. To prove the Bible to be fact and not just theory is a key challenge in the "intellectual-debate-minded" society in which we live. Listed below are some helpful thoughts in strengthening your own faith in the Bible's validity, as well as sharpening your weapons for evangelism.
The Bible Requires a Faith Response
The very first place to begin is to realize that although it is possible to intellectually prove the Bible to be the written Word of God, it means little without a genuine faith response. It must be ultimately accepted by a willing faith, not just a verbal acceptance. It can only profit one's life when the individual totally accepts its teaching by faith (Hebrews 4:2).
Yes! The Bible WAS Written by Men
Most people believe that mankind is imperfect and that it is impossible for a human to be involved in a perfect act. However, this logic, when analyzed, seems to be quite invalid. Often people will say to me, "Well, the Bible was written by men..." and I am quick to respond, "So was your auto manual." Does the fact that a man wrote the manual disqualify it from being true and correct? The answer, obviously, is no! It is possible for a person to write a manual that is void of errors. In fact, we often put our entire lives in the hands of men based on their written words. Every time you start up your car and drive off, you are dependent upon the brakes and steering to guide you to safety. These elements were established and engaged by materials written by men, without error. It goes to prove that although men can make mistakes, they do not necessarily make mistakes in all cases. Therefore, to rule out the potential of a 100% perfect Bible does not hold up.
It Passes the Test
As I have spent many years witnessing to atheists, agnostics, cultists and people involved in world religions, one of the challenges has been that there are many different sacred writings, and millions of people have placed their entire eternal destiny on each of these books. How do we know which is the truth? In order to be fair, we must put the Bible through the same test through which we put every other writing. I have found this to be the key strategy in winning the hearts of those who directly oppose the Bible and its view. I say to the person I am sharing with, "Let's remove ourselves from our own set of beliefs and agendas and analyze the Bible and every other sacred writing. Let's put them all through the same 'divine acid test' and objectively look at the results." Once I communicate this, I take him through a series of challenges. By the end of the test, only the Bible passes ALL of the criteria, proving it to be the perfect, unchanging, infallible, inspired, written Word of God. Although an entire column could be written on each area, I will briefly mention each for your review. For further details on these items, you can order the book Complete Evangelism from BT Publishing at 1-800-777-6057.
Scientific Accuracy: Not a single scientific fact or discovery has ever disproved a Biblical statement.
Historical Accuracy: Many skeptics have labeled the Bible a collection of myths, poems and fictional stories. However, even secular research has proven the Bible to be 100% accurate.
Archeological Accuracy: In spite of repeated attempts by critics, archeology has consistently verified the reliability of the Bible.
Manuscript Accuracy: The Bible has more manuscript evidence supporting its reliability and accuracy of translation than any ten pieces of ancient literature combined.
Prophetic Accuracy: The Bible is filled with a flawless record of fulfilled prophecies in exact, perfect detail.
Continuity Accuracy: The Bible was written by 40 different people from all walks of life and cultures, spanning a 1600-year period. NO contradictions exist in any form.
Indestructibility Factor: The Bible has weathered the trial of constant attacks from its conception and continues to triumph in great popularity.
Popularity Factor: Since its first printing, over nine billion copies have been printed.
Transforming Support: Billions of lives have been miraculously transformed by its teaching, making it the most impacting item in the history of man.
Widespread Support: Many great historical leaders have based their lives and reputation on the accuracy of the Bible.
Sacrificial Support: No other book in history has the support of countless millions who have literally laid down their lives to defend its cause.
Christ's Support: The Bible was personally endorsed as the infallible Word of God by Jesus Himself.
Resurrection Support: His resurrection confirms that Jesus is who He claimed to be, and His statements regarding the Bible's inspiration are reliable.
Although this is an extensive list, I am convinced it will give you the necessary arsenal next time you are asked to defend the Bible. Once you have proven the Bible to be true, it gives you the foundation to challenge anyone to walk in the ways of the Word.