Yes, the Bible is reliable. It has more manuscript evidence than any other ancient book, and discoveries like the Dead Sea Scrolls show it has been faithfully preserved. It tells one unified story centered on Jesus, even though it was written by about 40 authors over 1,500 years. And the changed lives of Jesus’ first followers point to the truth of its message.
Why the Bible Matters
In Lesson 1, we saw that God wants to be found. Before we can pursue the God of the Bible, though, we need to ask whether we can trust the Bible itself. It’s the best-selling book of all time. It has changed individual lives and shaped entire cultures, and it claims to be inspired by God. Here are three reasons we can trust it.
Historical Evidence
The Bible was written thousands of years ago, long before printing presses. Ancient copies were painstakingly written by hand, and many didn’t survive. Historians judge the reliability of ancient writings partly by how many copies exist. Here’s how the New Testament compares:
- We have only 49 copies of Aristotle’s writings.
- Homer’s Iliad does a little better, with about 643 copies.
- The New Testament has almost 5,700 Greek copies and more than 19,000 copies in other languages.
But how do we know those copies are faithful to the originals? The Dead Sea Scrolls help answer that question. In 1947, a shepherd boy discovered ancient scrolls hidden in caves near the Dead Sea. Eventually almost 1,000 manuscripts were recovered, including parts of almost every Old Testament book. Some were about 1,000 years older than any manuscripts known at the time. When scholars compared the Dead Sea Scrolls copy of Isaiah with the oldest copy previously known, they were about 95 percent identical, and most differences were minor spelling variations.
Textual Evidence
The Bible contains 66 books written by about 40 authors over 1,500 years. Moses, raised in Pharaoh’s palace, wrote the first five books. Others were written by shepherds, kings, prophets, a tax collector, a doctor, and a former persecutor of Christians named Paul. Most of them never met, and they wrote in different cultures and languages. Yet the Bible reads as one story, and fulfilled prophecy holds it together:
- Of Israel’s 12 tribes, Judah was predicted to be the one the Messiah would come from, and that’s exactly what happened (Genesis 49:10; Matthew 1:1-3).
- The Messiah was prophesied to be born in Bethlehem, even though his mother didn’t live there (Micah 5:2; Luke 2:1-4).
- Prophets described Jesus’ suffering and death hundreds of years before it happened (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53).
That’s why Jesus told the religious leaders of his day that the Scriptures were all about him.
John 5:39-40 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.
Personal Evidence
The Bible is ultimately about Jesus, and the changed lives of his followers are some of the most compelling evidence for its message. Peter denied Jesus three times on the night of his arrest (Luke 22:56-60). Days later, the risen Jesus restored him (John 21:15-19), and Peter became a pillar of the church. Thomas doubted the resurrection until he met Jesus for himself (John 20:25-28). Paul was a Pharisee who persecuted Christians until he met Jesus and became the church’s greatest missionary. Each of these men eventually gave his life for his faith. It’s hard to explain such radical change unless they truly met the risen Jesus.
Still, no amount of evidence can overcome an unwilling heart. Jesus made this point as he taught in the temple courts.
John 7:16-17 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.”
If you’re willing to come to God on his terms, Jesus promises you’ll discover the truth. The Bible is God’s Word, and we can trust it in our pursuit of him.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The Takeaway
The Bible is reliable. Manuscript evidence and archaeology show it has been faithfully preserved, fulfilled prophecy shows it tells one story centered on Jesus, and the changed lives of his followers show its message is true. If you’re willing to do God’s will, you can approach the Bible with confidence.
