Why I Believe the Bible
by Dave Brown
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Related Articles on Faith Systems:
1. Evidence for the Resurrection (see blurb immediately below)
2. Arguments Against Evolution
3. Atheism
4. Additional Evidence Articles from the Archive (Evidences and Pride)
Why I Believe the Bible (article on this page)
The Resurrection
Testimony of Reliable Witnesses
Fulfillment of Prophecy
No Reasonable Alternative
Conclusion
A Listing of Some of the Fulfilled Prophecies
The Resurrection
I believe the New Testament because of the evidence that Jesus was raised from the dead. If it actually occurred, the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his cruel death on the cross would be the single most important event in the history of mankind. This is the subject of 1 Corinthians 15. Jesus' resurrection either occurred or it did not. It is the general consensus of scholars that the followers of Jesus were totally convinced that they saw Jesus alive after he was entombed. Please see this summary of recent research on this subject. While this is very strong evidence, the fact that they were convinced is not definitive proof. However, the strength of this evidence increases dramatically when we consider the integrity of this group of Jesus' contemporaries. We take up that subject in the next section.
Testimony of Reliable Witnesses
I believe the New Testament because I believe that Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Peter, James and Jude were honorable men of sound mind. Consider the alternatives. If their writings cannot be believed, then it would mean that either: (1) they were very greatly deceived and did not know any better, or (2) they were the grossest of liars intentionally deceiving others. If neither of these two possibilities are true, then we must agree that what they wrote is proven by their testimony.
Were they deceived? It might be possible that they were deceived and really did not see the things that they said that they saw. But this is highly unlikely. In order for so many of them to put together such a coherent and consistent account of events, both before and after the death of Jesus, they would have had to communicate intensively with each other. It cannot have fallen together like it did as a pure matter of chance. Confused and deceived men just do not communicate like this. Even when people are in total agreement to work on a document for some mutually agreed purpose today, there are endless disagreements over the best way to express it, and we can say with almost certainty: they never get it right the first time. Consider our laws or scholarly publications. It typically takes years and several versions before a group of authors working together "get's it right," and even then, everyone knows it is not perfect.
All scriptural evidence indicates that there was no single recognized authority in the first century church other than Jesus Christ Himself working through the Holy Spirit. They are the only ones that could have brought these geographically and philosophically separated minds together in such a complementary and mutually-supportive way. To think that these men were all out of their minds is just not plausible when we objectively read what they have written and see the profoundly sublime nature of their writings. To those who doubt I can say nothing other than: "Please just read it with an open heart and mind." These men were not trying to deceive you; they were trying to save your soul. How can you hate them for that?
Were they liars? Is it possible that the second alternative applies and they conspired together to pull off one of the greatest scams ever perpetrated upon the human race? If they did that we would have to admire their intelligence and craftiness (which strongly contradicts the possibility that they were deceived). But just to consider the amount of communication necessary for such a scam at a time when even transportation was primitive makes such very unlikely. We would also have to ask: why would they do this? What incentive would they have? That of being persecuted, and in most cases giving up their lives? We know why false teachers do what they do today: it is all about the money. Again, the motivation of these men can be seen in their own words. Read them, meditate upon them, and then ask yourself: are these the words of conspiring liars?
Were they self serving? We can see at first that it would have been very tempting to take advantage of the Christian movement since, in the beginning, literally thousands of people were being converted to Christ daily. But then came the persecution, the scattering, the threat of death, and in many cases death itself (Acts 7 and 8). It is clear that these men had no motivation to lie as did the many false teachers who came into their midst and tried to take advantage of them. Acts 5 is extremely profound in this regard. It illustrates how God Himself struck dead two people who attempted to promote themselves by deceiving the Lord’s Church. This is followed by a statement of the effect that this miraculous punishment had upon all who heard of it – both believers and non-believers:
Acts 5:11-14
11 And great fear came upon the whole church, and upon all that heard these things.
12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.
13 But of the rest durst no man join himself to them: howbeit the people magnified them;
14 and believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of them and women;
Verse 13 indicates that those who had ulterior motives were afraid at this time to associate themselves with the true converts. Had the apostles and prophets who wrote the New Testament been out to build a large following, they would have appealed to the lusts of the eye, the lusts of the flesh, and the vainglory of life (1 John 2:16), just as false teachers have always done (and still do today). Read the gospels and meditate upon them, and you will see that they had no selfish motives. These were faithful believers in Jesus, and as such they were aware of the condemnation of people who would change the gospel in any way (Galatians 1:8; 2 John 9; Revelation 22:18-19, etc.). The very LAST thing they would ever do is subject themselves to the lake of fire by lying; Revelation 21:8: "...and all liars , their part (shall be) in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone; which is the second death."
I believe the New Testament writers because I believe that the writers were honorable and good men who were of sound mind. If these men all testified as consistently as their writings in a court of law today, their testimony would be believed because they had no motivation (or even the ability) to produce a set of individual documents that collectively define Jesus' teachings regarding salvation.
They could not have written the document that we have today had they either been liars or deceived. Since there are no other feasible alternatives, it must be clear that what is written is indeed inspired by the Holy Spirit and from God. It can be understood, and it is our individual responsibility to understand it.
Fulfillment of Prophecy
I Believe the Bible because of the fulfillment of prophecy. Many documents on Jesus' fulfillment of Old Testament Bible prophecy are available on the Internet, and we encourage you to take advantage of them. Most of them state and document that over 300 Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. We will consider two of them here: Isaiah 53 and Psalms 22.
Generally the Jews did not think anyone like Jesus would be their expected Messiah ... they were expecting a military man -- someone like David. The words of Isaiah 53 are totally counter to this expectation; but they can apply to no one else but Jesus. Note especially the reason given for Jesus' suffering. Ask yourself as you read the following from Isaiah 53: "How could anyone have known this about 700 years before Jesus was born?
Isaiah 53
1 Who hath believed our message? and to whom hath the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised, and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and as one from whom men hide their face he was despised; and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who (among them) considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke (was due)?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death; although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see (his) seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, (and) shall be satisfied: by the knowledge of himself shall my righteous servant justify many; and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors: yet he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."
Many of these concepts about Jesus were foreign to uninspired Jewish writers. For example, the idea that the Messiah would "bear our sins" by His death on the cross, or that he would sit at the right hand of God and "make intercession" for us.
Most people are quite aware of Jesus crying out from the cross: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Many if not most scholars see this not as Jesus' statement that God forsook him, but rather it was an incipit* reference to Psalms 22. When we study Psalms 22 in detail it appears that this is the most reasonable explanation. First, God did not forsake Jesus, and this is brought out in Psalms 22-24. It also seems reasonable that Jesus would communicate his great faith that he had in his Father at this time.
Psalms 22:12-18
12 Many bulls have compassed me; strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
13 They gape upon me with their mouth, (as) a ravening and a roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: My heart is like wax; it is melted within me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd [a shard of a pot]; and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
16 For dogs have compassed me: a company of evil-doers have enclosed me; they pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I may count all my bones; they look and stare upon me.
18 They part my garments among them, and upon my vesture do they cast lots.
While the above is clearly talking about the crucifixion, the following verses show confidence and thus, seem much more to be talking about the resurrection and the ascension.
Psalms 22:22-24
22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the assembly will I praise thee.
23 Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and stand in awe of him, all ye the seed of Israel.
24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.
For a large number of other fulfilled prophesies, please see the Appendix to this article below.
No Reasonable Alternatives
I believe the Bible is the Word of God because the alternatives make not sense. How could 40 writers over 1500 years create 66 different books that have such a consistent theme -- the salvation of mankind after their fall in the Garden of Eden. Without modern communications, how could this come about without consistent guidance from the Holy Spirit? Even with modern communications, those of us who write in teams know how difficult it is to get it right after dozens of re-writes. Getting it right the first time is not even given consideration.
This author has looked into other world religions, including a college course on world religions, as well as looking into the various "Christian" cults that have alternatives to the Bible. We would encourage everyone to do this, if for no other reason to be resolved in your mind that the alternatives cannot hold a candle to the Bible. If you come to the conclusions, after an in-depth study of the bible, that these alternatives are credible possibilities, then by all means pursue them. Our delving into them has come back with there being no doubt at all in our mind that these alternatives do not even come close to the Bible in any possibility of expressing God's will.
Finally, let us consider the two faith systems that claim that God either does not exist or that there is insufficient proof to enable them to come to a conclusion (i.e., skeptics). We feel much better about the confirmed atheist than the skeptic, since the atheist is at least willing to take a stand on something. The burden of proof that most skeptics insist upon does not exist, so there is little hope from an intellectual point of view that they will ever come down on either side of the fence, so straddle they must. We do not consider skepticism to be a faith system; rather it is an attempt to avoid any faith system. Yet, in reality the faith is in the skeptics themselves who in their arrogance have placed themselves beyond those with legitimate faith systems.
The two faith systems that deny the existence of God are atheism and evolution, which usually go together as being mutually supportive. The proponents of these positions usually deny that there is any faith involved in their holding these positions. We refer you to the following pages on atheism and evolution to see for yourself how much faith is involved in these positions.
John 6:67-69
67 Jesus said therefore unto the twelve, Would ye also go away?
68 Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
69 And we have believed and know that thou art the Holy One of God.
The passage above indicates that Peter had considered some alternatives, and Jesus seems to have little problem with this. But Peter could not find anyone that was in greater consistency with truth and righteousness than Jesus. Neither can I.
Conclusion
Where does this leave us? The apostle John stated it best in John 20:31: “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” Realize that if you have no desire to conform yourself to your Creator, the bible will be a bitter pill for you to swallow, and you will reject it. That reading and understanding the bible itself will build our faith is further confirmed by the writings of the apostle Paul, who wrote in Romans 10:17: “So belief (comes) of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” To our knowledge this is the only verse in the bible that establishes the source of faith, while at the same time confirming John's statement concerning faith. Those who have not studied it from the point of view of it being the authoritative word of God cannot begin to understand it (1 Corinthians 2). Those who give is a chance will prove it the only way it can be proven ... by living it ...
Romans 12:1-2
12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, (which is) your spiritual service.
2 And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
We cannot prove the word of God without living it; when we allow it to transform our lives, then we prove it both to ourselves and to others. The more that we read and study the Bible recognizing that it is an invaluable gift from God, the more we see its sublimity, and this will convince us that it is a work that could not possibly have been contrived within the minds of men.
2 Corinthians 4:5-6
5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.
6 Seeing it is God, that said, Light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ .
God has established that the evidence presented by the bible itself can be understood by the least educated among us, and thus they have as much access to salvation as anyone else. This too is confirmed by the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:25: "At that season Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes ..." We cannot see the simplicity of God's way unless we ourselves become as babes (Matthew 18:3).
Postscript:
"The bible cannot prove itself?" This is a popular mantra seen on the Internet to dissuade Christians from using anything in the bible to sustain its validity. If the bible cannot prove itself, then would you accept the fact that you cannot testify for yourself in a court of law? The same rules of evidence apply, and that is what we presented above. You who do not believe the bible -- since your are prejudiced against the bible, why should any evidence that you present be accepted? If you can present evidence against the bible, why can't the bible speck for itself? Why should anyone accept such a hypocritical double standard?
Footnote:
* Incipit definition. An incipit is the first few words of a longer text. Incipits were used quite frequently in the first century as opposed the book, chapter and verse references of today. Examples: (1) "The LORD is our shepherd" for Psalms 23; (2) "our Father, who art in heaven" for the Lord's prayer; and (3) "Make a joyful noise unto the LORD" for Psalms 100.
Appendix: A Listing of Some of the Fulfilled Prophesies
from https://www.thoughtco.com/prophecies-of-jesus-fulfilled-700159
contains links to this web site.
44 Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus Christ
Prophecies About Jesus
Old Testament Scripture
New Testament Fulfillment
1
Messiah would be born of a woman.
Genesis 3:15
Matthew 1:20
Galatians 4:4
2
Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.
Micah 5:2
Matthew 2:1
Luke 2:4-6
3
Messiah would be born of a virgin.
Isaiah 7:14
Matthew 1:22-23
Luke 1:26-31
4
Messiah would come from the line of Abraham.
Genesis 12:3
Genesis 22:18
Matthew 1:1
Romans 9:5
5
Messiah would be a descendant of Isaac.
Genesis 17:19
Genesis 21:12
Luke 3:34
6
Messiah would be a descendant of Jacob.
Numbers 24:17
Matthew 1:2
7
Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah.
Genesis 49:10
Luke 3:33
Hebrews 7:14
8
Messiah would be heir to King David's throne.
2 Samuel 7:12-13
Isaiah 9:7
Luke 1:32-33
Romans 1:3
9
Messiah's throne will be anointed and eternal.
Psalm 45:6-7
Daniel 2:44
Luke 1:33
Hebrews 1:8-12
10
Messiah would be called Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14
Matthew 1:23
11
Messiah would spend a season in Egypt.
Hosea 11:1
Matthew 2:14-15
12
A massacre of children would happen at Messiah's birthplace.
Jeremiah 31:15
Matthew 2:16-18
13
A messenger would prepare the way for Messiah
Isaiah 40:3-5
Luke 3:3-6
14
Messiah would be rejected by his own people.
Psalm 69:8
Isaiah 53:3
John 1:11
John 7:5
15
Messiah would be a prophet.
Deuteronomy 18:15
Acts 3:20-22
16
Messiah would be preceded by Elijah.
Malachi 4:5-6
Matthew 11:13-14
17
Messiah would be declared the Son of God.
Psalm 2:7
Matthew 3:16-17
18
Messiah would be called a Nazarene.
Isaiah 11:1
Matthew 2:23
19
Messiah would bring light to Galilee.
Isaiah 9:1-2
Matthew 4:13-16
20
Messiah would speak in parables.
Psalm 78:2-4
Isaiah 6:9-10
Matthew 13:10-15, 34-35
21
Messiah would be sent to heal the brokenhearted.
Isaiah 61:1-2
Luke 4:18-19
22
Messiah would be a priest after the order of Melchizedek.
Psalm 110:4
Hebrews 5:5-6
23
Messiah would be called King.
Psalm 2:6
Zechariah 9:9
Matthew 27:37
Mark 11:7-11
24
Messiah would be praised by little children.
Psalm 8:2
Matthew 21:16
25
Messiah would be betrayed.
Psalm 41:9
Zechariah 11:12-13
Luke 22:47-48
Matthew 26:14-16
26
Messiah's price money would be used to buy a potter's field.
Zechariah 11:12-13
Matthew 27:9-10
27
Messiah would be falsely accused.
Psalm 35:11
Mark 14:57-58
28
Messiah would be silent before his accusers.
Isaiah 53:7
Mark 15:4-5
29
Messiah would be spat upon and struck.
Isaiah 50:6
Matthew 26:67
30
Messiah would be hated without cause.
Psalm 35:19
Psalm 69:4
John 15:24-25
31
Messiah would be crucified with criminals.
Isaiah 53:12
Matthew 27:38
Mark 15:27-28
32
Messiah would be given vinegar to drink.
Psalm 69:21
Matthew 27:34
John 19:28-30
33
Messiah's hands and feet would be pierced.
Psalm 22:16
Zechariah 12:10
John 20:25-27
34
Messiah would be mocked and ridiculed.
Psalm 22:7-8
Luke 23:35
35
Soldiers would gamble for Messiah's garments.
Psalm 22:18
Luke 23:34
Matthew 27:35-36
36
Messiah's bones would not be broken.
Exodus 12:46
Psalm 34:20
John 19:33-36
37
Messiah would be forsaken by God.
Psalm 22:1
Matthew 27:46
38
Messiah would pray for his enemies.
Psalm 109:4
Luke 23:34
39
Soldiers would pierce Messiah's side.
Zechariah 12:10
John 19:34
40
Messiah would be buried with the rich.
Isaiah 53:9
Matthew 27:57-60
41
Messiah would resurrect from the dead.
Psalm 16:10
Psalm 49:15
Matthew 28:2-7
Acts 2:22-32
42
Messiah would ascend to heaven.
Psalm 24:7-10
Mark 16:19
Luke 24:51
43
Messiah would be seated at God's right hand.
Psalm 68:18
Psalm 110:1
Mark 16:19
Matthew 22:44
44
Messiah would be a sacrifice for sin.
Isaiah 53:5-12
Romans 5:6-8
Sources: 100 Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus: Messianic Prophecies Made Before the Birth of Christ by Rose Publishing; Book of Bible Lists by H.L. Willmington; NKJV Study Bible; Life Application Study Bible; obtained from https://www.thoughtco.com/prophecies-of-jesus-fulfilled-700159
And finally, please recognize that nothing is more important than God's Plan of Salvation.
What are the conditions of salvation given by Jesus?
The Resurrection
Testimony of Reliable Witnesses
Fulfillment of Prophecy
No Reasonable Alternative
Conclusion
A Listing of Some of the Fulfilled Prophecies
The Resurrection
I believe the New Testament because of the evidence that Jesus was raised from the dead. If it actually occurred, the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his cruel death on the cross would be the single most important event in the history of mankind. This is the subject of 1 Corinthians 15. Jesus' resurrection either occurred or it did not. It is the general consensus of scholars that the followers of Jesus were totally convinced that they saw Jesus alive after he was entombed. Please see this summary of recent research on this subject. While this is very strong evidence, the fact that they were convinced is not definitive proof. However, the strength of this evidence increases dramatically when we consider the integrity of this group of Jesus' contemporaries. We take up that subject in the next section.
Testimony of Reliable Witnesses
I believe the New Testament because I believe that Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Peter, James and Jude were honorable men of sound mind. Consider the alternatives. If their writings cannot be believed, then it would mean that either: (1) they were very greatly deceived and did not know any better, or (2) they were the grossest of liars intentionally deceiving others. If neither of these two possibilities are true, then we must agree that what they wrote is proven by their testimony.
Were they deceived? It might be possible that they were deceived and really did not see the things that they said that they saw. But this is highly unlikely. In order for so many of them to put together such a coherent and consistent account of events, both before and after the death of Jesus, they would have had to communicate intensively with each other. It cannot have fallen together like it did as a pure matter of chance. Confused and deceived men just do not communicate like this. Even when people are in total agreement to work on a document for some mutually agreed purpose today, there are endless disagreements over the best way to express it, and we can say with almost certainty: they never get it right the first time. Consider our laws or scholarly publications. It typically takes years and several versions before a group of authors working together "get's it right," and even then, everyone knows it is not perfect.
All scriptural evidence indicates that there was no single recognized authority in the first century church other than Jesus Christ Himself working through the Holy Spirit. They are the only ones that could have brought these geographically and philosophically separated minds together in such a complementary and mutually-supportive way. To think that these men were all out of their minds is just not plausible when we objectively read what they have written and see the profoundly sublime nature of their writings. To those who doubt I can say nothing other than: "Please just read it with an open heart and mind." These men were not trying to deceive you; they were trying to save your soul. How can you hate them for that?
Were they liars? Is it possible that the second alternative applies and they conspired together to pull off one of the greatest scams ever perpetrated upon the human race? If they did that we would have to admire their intelligence and craftiness (which strongly contradicts the possibility that they were deceived). But just to consider the amount of communication necessary for such a scam at a time when even transportation was primitive makes such very unlikely. We would also have to ask: why would they do this? What incentive would they have? That of being persecuted, and in most cases giving up their lives? We know why false teachers do what they do today: it is all about the money. Again, the motivation of these men can be seen in their own words. Read them, meditate upon them, and then ask yourself: are these the words of conspiring liars?
Were they self serving? We can see at first that it would have been very tempting to take advantage of the Christian movement since, in the beginning, literally thousands of people were being converted to Christ daily. But then came the persecution, the scattering, the threat of death, and in many cases death itself (Acts 7 and 8). It is clear that these men had no motivation to lie as did the many false teachers who came into their midst and tried to take advantage of them. Acts 5 is extremely profound in this regard. It illustrates how God Himself struck dead two people who attempted to promote themselves by deceiving the Lord’s Church. This is followed by a statement of the effect that this miraculous punishment had upon all who heard of it – both believers and non-believers:
Acts 5:11-14
11 And great fear came upon the whole church, and upon all that heard these things.
12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.
13 But of the rest durst no man join himself to them: howbeit the people magnified them;
14 and believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of them and women;
Verse 13 indicates that those who had ulterior motives were afraid at this time to associate themselves with the true converts. Had the apostles and prophets who wrote the New Testament been out to build a large following, they would have appealed to the lusts of the eye, the lusts of the flesh, and the vainglory of life (1 John 2:16), just as false teachers have always done (and still do today). Read the gospels and meditate upon them, and you will see that they had no selfish motives. These were faithful believers in Jesus, and as such they were aware of the condemnation of people who would change the gospel in any way (Galatians 1:8; 2 John 9; Revelation 22:18-19, etc.). The very LAST thing they would ever do is subject themselves to the lake of fire by lying; Revelation 21:8: "...and all liars , their part (shall be) in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone; which is the second death."
I believe the New Testament writers because I believe that the writers were honorable and good men who were of sound mind. If these men all testified as consistently as their writings in a court of law today, their testimony would be believed because they had no motivation (or even the ability) to produce a set of individual documents that collectively define Jesus' teachings regarding salvation.
They could not have written the document that we have today had they either been liars or deceived. Since there are no other feasible alternatives, it must be clear that what is written is indeed inspired by the Holy Spirit and from God. It can be understood, and it is our individual responsibility to understand it.
Fulfillment of Prophecy
I Believe the Bible because of the fulfillment of prophecy. Many documents on Jesus' fulfillment of Old Testament Bible prophecy are available on the Internet, and we encourage you to take advantage of them. Most of them state and document that over 300 Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. We will consider two of them here: Isaiah 53 and Psalms 22.
Generally the Jews did not think anyone like Jesus would be their expected Messiah ... they were expecting a military man -- someone like David. The words of Isaiah 53 are totally counter to this expectation; but they can apply to no one else but Jesus. Note especially the reason given for Jesus' suffering. Ask yourself as you read the following from Isaiah 53: "How could anyone have known this about 700 years before Jesus was born?
Isaiah 53
1 Who hath believed our message? and to whom hath the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised, and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and as one from whom men hide their face he was despised; and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who (among them) considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke (was due)?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death; although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see (his) seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, (and) shall be satisfied: by the knowledge of himself shall my righteous servant justify many; and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors: yet he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."
Many of these concepts about Jesus were foreign to uninspired Jewish writers. For example, the idea that the Messiah would "bear our sins" by His death on the cross, or that he would sit at the right hand of God and "make intercession" for us.
Most people are quite aware of Jesus crying out from the cross: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Many if not most scholars see this not as Jesus' statement that God forsook him, but rather it was an incipit* reference to Psalms 22. When we study Psalms 22 in detail it appears that this is the most reasonable explanation. First, God did not forsake Jesus, and this is brought out in Psalms 22-24. It also seems reasonable that Jesus would communicate his great faith that he had in his Father at this time.
Psalms 22:12-18
12 Many bulls have compassed me; strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
13 They gape upon me with their mouth, (as) a ravening and a roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: My heart is like wax; it is melted within me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd [a shard of a pot]; and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
16 For dogs have compassed me: a company of evil-doers have enclosed me; they pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I may count all my bones; they look and stare upon me.
18 They part my garments among them, and upon my vesture do they cast lots.
While the above is clearly talking about the crucifixion, the following verses show confidence and thus, seem much more to be talking about the resurrection and the ascension.
Psalms 22:22-24
22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the assembly will I praise thee.
23 Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and stand in awe of him, all ye the seed of Israel.
24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.
For a large number of other fulfilled prophesies, please see the Appendix to this article below.
No Reasonable Alternatives
I believe the Bible is the Word of God because the alternatives make not sense. How could 40 writers over 1500 years create 66 different books that have such a consistent theme -- the salvation of mankind after their fall in the Garden of Eden. Without modern communications, how could this come about without consistent guidance from the Holy Spirit? Even with modern communications, those of us who write in teams know how difficult it is to get it right after dozens of re-writes. Getting it right the first time is not even given consideration.
This author has looked into other world religions, including a college course on world religions, as well as looking into the various "Christian" cults that have alternatives to the Bible. We would encourage everyone to do this, if for no other reason to be resolved in your mind that the alternatives cannot hold a candle to the Bible. If you come to the conclusions, after an in-depth study of the bible, that these alternatives are credible possibilities, then by all means pursue them. Our delving into them has come back with there being no doubt at all in our mind that these alternatives do not even come close to the Bible in any possibility of expressing God's will.
Finally, let us consider the two faith systems that claim that God either does not exist or that there is insufficient proof to enable them to come to a conclusion (i.e., skeptics). We feel much better about the confirmed atheist than the skeptic, since the atheist is at least willing to take a stand on something. The burden of proof that most skeptics insist upon does not exist, so there is little hope from an intellectual point of view that they will ever come down on either side of the fence, so straddle they must. We do not consider skepticism to be a faith system; rather it is an attempt to avoid any faith system. Yet, in reality the faith is in the skeptics themselves who in their arrogance have placed themselves beyond those with legitimate faith systems.
The two faith systems that deny the existence of God are atheism and evolution, which usually go together as being mutually supportive. The proponents of these positions usually deny that there is any faith involved in their holding these positions. We refer you to the following pages on atheism and evolution to see for yourself how much faith is involved in these positions.
John 6:67-69
67 Jesus said therefore unto the twelve, Would ye also go away?
68 Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
69 And we have believed and know that thou art the Holy One of God.
The passage above indicates that Peter had considered some alternatives, and Jesus seems to have little problem with this. But Peter could not find anyone that was in greater consistency with truth and righteousness than Jesus. Neither can I.
Conclusion
Where does this leave us? The apostle John stated it best in John 20:31: “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” Realize that if you have no desire to conform yourself to your Creator, the bible will be a bitter pill for you to swallow, and you will reject it. That reading and understanding the bible itself will build our faith is further confirmed by the writings of the apostle Paul, who wrote in Romans 10:17: “So belief (comes) of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” To our knowledge this is the only verse in the bible that establishes the source of faith, while at the same time confirming John's statement concerning faith. Those who have not studied it from the point of view of it being the authoritative word of God cannot begin to understand it (1 Corinthians 2). Those who give is a chance will prove it the only way it can be proven ... by living it ...
Romans 12:1-2
12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, (which is) your spiritual service.
2 And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
We cannot prove the word of God without living it; when we allow it to transform our lives, then we prove it both to ourselves and to others. The more that we read and study the Bible recognizing that it is an invaluable gift from God, the more we see its sublimity, and this will convince us that it is a work that could not possibly have been contrived within the minds of men.
2 Corinthians 4:5-6
5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.
6 Seeing it is God, that said, Light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ .
God has established that the evidence presented by the bible itself can be understood by the least educated among us, and thus they have as much access to salvation as anyone else. This too is confirmed by the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:25: "At that season Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes ..." We cannot see the simplicity of God's way unless we ourselves become as babes (Matthew 18:3).
Postscript:
"The bible cannot prove itself?" This is a popular mantra seen on the Internet to dissuade Christians from using anything in the bible to sustain its validity. If the bible cannot prove itself, then would you accept the fact that you cannot testify for yourself in a court of law? The same rules of evidence apply, and that is what we presented above. You who do not believe the bible -- since your are prejudiced against the bible, why should any evidence that you present be accepted? If you can present evidence against the bible, why can't the bible speck for itself? Why should anyone accept such a hypocritical double standard?
Footnote:
* Incipit definition. An incipit is the first few words of a longer text. Incipits were used quite frequently in the first century as opposed the book, chapter and verse references of today. Examples: (1) "The LORD is our shepherd" for Psalms 23; (2) "our Father, who art in heaven" for the Lord's prayer; and (3) "Make a joyful noise unto the LORD" for Psalms 100.
Appendix: A Listing of Some of the Fulfilled Prophesies
from https://www.thoughtco.com/prophecies-of-jesus-fulfilled-700159
contains links to this web site.
44 Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus Christ
Prophecies About Jesus
Old Testament Scripture
New Testament Fulfillment
1
Messiah would be born of a woman.
Genesis 3:15
Matthew 1:20
Galatians 4:4
2
Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.
Micah 5:2
Matthew 2:1
Luke 2:4-6
3
Messiah would be born of a virgin.
Isaiah 7:14
Matthew 1:22-23
Luke 1:26-31
4
Messiah would come from the line of Abraham.
Genesis 12:3
Genesis 22:18
Matthew 1:1
Romans 9:5
5
Messiah would be a descendant of Isaac.
Genesis 17:19
Genesis 21:12
Luke 3:34
6
Messiah would be a descendant of Jacob.
Numbers 24:17
Matthew 1:2
7
Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah.
Genesis 49:10
Luke 3:33
Hebrews 7:14
8
Messiah would be heir to King David's throne.
2 Samuel 7:12-13
Isaiah 9:7
Luke 1:32-33
Romans 1:3
9
Messiah's throne will be anointed and eternal.
Psalm 45:6-7
Daniel 2:44
Luke 1:33
Hebrews 1:8-12
10
Messiah would be called Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14
Matthew 1:23
11
Messiah would spend a season in Egypt.
Hosea 11:1
Matthew 2:14-15
12
A massacre of children would happen at Messiah's birthplace.
Jeremiah 31:15
Matthew 2:16-18
13
A messenger would prepare the way for Messiah
Isaiah 40:3-5
Luke 3:3-6
14
Messiah would be rejected by his own people.
Psalm 69:8
Isaiah 53:3
John 1:11
John 7:5
15
Messiah would be a prophet.
Deuteronomy 18:15
Acts 3:20-22
16
Messiah would be preceded by Elijah.
Malachi 4:5-6
Matthew 11:13-14
17
Messiah would be declared the Son of God.
Psalm 2:7
Matthew 3:16-17
18
Messiah would be called a Nazarene.
Isaiah 11:1
Matthew 2:23
19
Messiah would bring light to Galilee.
Isaiah 9:1-2
Matthew 4:13-16
20
Messiah would speak in parables.
Psalm 78:2-4
Isaiah 6:9-10
Matthew 13:10-15, 34-35
21
Messiah would be sent to heal the brokenhearted.
Isaiah 61:1-2
Luke 4:18-19
22
Messiah would be a priest after the order of Melchizedek.
Psalm 110:4
Hebrews 5:5-6
23
Messiah would be called King.
Psalm 2:6
Zechariah 9:9
Matthew 27:37
Mark 11:7-11
24
Messiah would be praised by little children.
Psalm 8:2
Matthew 21:16
25
Messiah would be betrayed.
Psalm 41:9
Zechariah 11:12-13
Luke 22:47-48
Matthew 26:14-16
26
Messiah's price money would be used to buy a potter's field.
Zechariah 11:12-13
Matthew 27:9-10
27
Messiah would be falsely accused.
Psalm 35:11
Mark 14:57-58
28
Messiah would be silent before his accusers.
Isaiah 53:7
Mark 15:4-5
29
Messiah would be spat upon and struck.
Isaiah 50:6
Matthew 26:67
30
Messiah would be hated without cause.
Psalm 35:19
Psalm 69:4
John 15:24-25
31
Messiah would be crucified with criminals.
Isaiah 53:12
Matthew 27:38
Mark 15:27-28
32
Messiah would be given vinegar to drink.
Psalm 69:21
Matthew 27:34
John 19:28-30
33
Messiah's hands and feet would be pierced.
Psalm 22:16
Zechariah 12:10
John 20:25-27
34
Messiah would be mocked and ridiculed.
Psalm 22:7-8
Luke 23:35
35
Soldiers would gamble for Messiah's garments.
Psalm 22:18
Luke 23:34
Matthew 27:35-36
36
Messiah's bones would not be broken.
Exodus 12:46
Psalm 34:20
John 19:33-36
37
Messiah would be forsaken by God.
Psalm 22:1
Matthew 27:46
38
Messiah would pray for his enemies.
Psalm 109:4
Luke 23:34
39
Soldiers would pierce Messiah's side.
Zechariah 12:10
John 19:34
40
Messiah would be buried with the rich.
Isaiah 53:9
Matthew 27:57-60
41
Messiah would resurrect from the dead.
Psalm 16:10
Psalm 49:15
Matthew 28:2-7
Acts 2:22-32
42
Messiah would ascend to heaven.
Psalm 24:7-10
Mark 16:19
Luke 24:51
43
Messiah would be seated at God's right hand.
Psalm 68:18
Psalm 110:1
Mark 16:19
Matthew 22:44
44
Messiah would be a sacrifice for sin.
Isaiah 53:5-12
Romans 5:6-8
Sources: 100 Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus: Messianic Prophecies Made Before the Birth of Christ by Rose Publishing; Book of Bible Lists by H.L. Willmington; NKJV Study Bible; Life Application Study Bible; obtained from https://www.thoughtco.com/prophecies-of-jesus-fulfilled-700159
And finally, please recognize that nothing is more important than God's Plan of Salvation.
What are the conditions of salvation given by Jesus?