Questions TJA Students Ask: How Do We Know the Bible is True if God Didn't Write it
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QUESTIONS TJA STUDENTS ASK: HOW DO WE KNOW THE BIBLE IS TRUE IF GOD DIDN'T WRITE IT?
- Prophecy (2 Peter 1:19-21; Isaiah 46:9-10; Fulfilled Bible Prophecies)
- Archaeology (Psalm 85:10-11; Luke 19:40; Archaeology Confirmations)
- Supernatural Unity (Luke 24:27,44-45; Acts 17:11; Supernatural Unity; John 7:17)
- Accuracy (2 Samuel 23:1-2; Psalm 12:6-7; Bible Accuracy (OT Prediction, NT Fulfillment); Psalm 119:162; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
- Jesus (John 5:39; Mark 1:11; Colossians 1:15-16; Revelation 22:20-21; 1 Corinthians 2:13-14; Romans 15:4)
All Scripture from NLT unless otherwise indicated.
2 Peter 1:19-21 (Scripture Reading)
19 We have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, 21 or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.
Isaiah 46:9-10
9 Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. 10 Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.
Fulfilled Bible prophecies
- Four world empires would arise: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome (Daniel 2:37-38; Daniel 8:20; Daniel 8:21; Luke 2:1)
- Cyrus to be the warrior to capture Babylon (Isaiah 45:1-3)
- After Babylon's destruction, it would never be inhabited again (Isaiah 13:19, 20 Jeremiah 51:37)
- Egypt would never again have a commanding position among the nations (Ezekiel 29:14, 15 30:12, 13)
- Increase in frequency and severity (Matthew 24:8) of earth-shaking calamities and fear toward the end of time (Luke 21:25, 26)
- World will get worse, not better, before Jesus comes (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
Psalm 85:10-11
10 Unfailing love and truth have met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed! 11 Truth springs up from the earth, and righteousness smiles down from heaven.
Luke 19:40
40 He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”
Archaeology Confirmations
- For years skeptics said the Bible was unreliable because it mentions the Hittite nation (Deuteronomy 7:1) and cities like Nineveh (Jonah 1:1, 2) and Sodom (Genesis 19:1), all of which they denied ever existed. But now modern archaeology has confirmed that all three did exist
- Critics said the kings Belshazzar (Daniel 5:1) and Sargon (Isaiah 20:1) never existed. Again, their existence has since been confirmed
- Skeptics said the Bible record of Moses was not reliable because it mentions writing (Exodus 24:4) and wheeled vehicles (Exodus 14:25), which they said didn’t exist in his time. Today we know they did
- At one time, the 39 kings of ancient Israel and Judah were known only from the Bible record; thus, critics doubted their existence. But when archaeologists found independent ancient records that mention many of these kings, the Bible record was proved accurate once again
- The Rosetta Stone discovered in 1799, in Egypt, by Napoleon's scientists, was written in three languages--hieroglyphics, demotic, and Greek. It unlocked the mystery of understanding hieroglyphics which helps confim the authenticity of the Bible
- Moabite Stone discovered in 1868 at Dibon, Jordan, confirms Moabite attacks on Israel as recorded in 2 Kings 1 & 3
- The Cyrus Cylinder discovered in the ruins of Babylon in Mesopotamia in 1879 dates to records Cyrus' overthrow of Babylon and his subsequent deliverance of the Jewish captives
- The Lachish Letters, discovered 1932-1938, twenty four miles north of Beersheba, describe the attack of Nebuchadnezzar on Jerusalem in 586 BC
- The Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in 1948 date back to 150-170 BC contain all or parts of the Old Testament books except the book of Esther. They confirm the Bible's accuracy
- In 2008, the findings of archaeology students and professors from Southern Adventist University working in Khirbet Qeiyafa overlooking the Elah Valley, the setting for the biblical account of David and Goliath, included the oldest Hebrew inscription. In 2013, another inscription was found at the site, dating to the 10th century BC mentioning the name “Ishbaal,” the same name as one of Saul’s sons. Both discoveries made international headlines and were featured in the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C in a special temporary exhibit, titled “In the Valley of David and Goliath” from November 2017 - April 2018
Luke 24:27,44-45
27 Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 44 Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
Acts 17:11
11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.
Supernatural Unity
- The first chapter of the OT speaks of man made in God's image (Genesis 1:26)
- The first chapter of the NT speaks of God made in man's image (Matthew 1:1,20)
- The first question from God in the OT is uttered as He seeks man (Genesis 3:9)
- The first question from man in the NT is given as man seeks God (Matthew 2:2)
- Concerning the first brothers of the OT, we read that one killed the other (Genesis 4)
- Concerning the first brothers of the NT, we read that one led the other to eternal life (Matthew 4:18; John 1:40-42)
- In the first three chapters of the Bible we read of a new heaven and earth, the marriage of the first Adam, the tree of life in Eden, then the entrance of Satan, sin, and death
- In the last three chapters of Scripture we read concerning the destruction of Satan, sin, and death, the creation of a new heaven and earth, the marriage of second Adam, and the dwelling of God's people by the tree of life in Eden restored
John 7:17
17 Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own.
2 Samuel 23:1-2
1 These are the last words of David: “David, the son of Jesse, speaks—David, the man who was raised up so high, David, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, David, the sweet psalmist of Israel. 2 “The Spirit of the Lord speaks through me; his words are upon my tongue."
Psalm 12:6-7 (NKJV)
6 The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. 7 You shall keep them, O Lord, You shall preserve them from this generation forever.
Bible Accuracy (OT Prediction, NT Fulfillment)
- Born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1)
- Born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-23)
- David’s lineage (Jeremiah 23:5; Revelation 22:16)
- Target of murder attempt (Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:16-18)
- Betrayed by a friend (Psalm 41:9; John 13:18,19,26)
- Sold for 30 silver coins (Zechariah 11:12 Matthew 26:14-16)
- Crucified (Zechariah 12:10; John 19:16-18,37)
- Lots cast for His clothes (Psalm 22:18; Matthew 27:35)
- No bones broken (Psalm 34:20; John 19:31-36)
- Buried in a rich man’s tomb (Isaiah 53:9; Matthew 27:57-60)
- Year, day, hour of His death (Daniel 9:26, 27; Exodus 12:6; Matthew 27:45-50)
- Raised the third day (Hosea 6:2; Acts 10:38-40)
What Are The Odds?
What are the odds that Jesus could have fulfilled just eight of these prophecies by mere chance? Dr. Peter Stoner, former chairman of the departments of mathematics, astronomy, and engineering at Pasadena College in California, applied the principle of probability to this question. He calculated the odds of just eight being fulfilled by one man as one in 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
Psalm 119:162
162 I rejoice in your word like one who discovers a great treasure.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
John 5:39
39 You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!
Mark 1:11 (NIV) / Psalm 2:7 (NIV) [Psalm]
11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” / 7 You are my son; today I have become your father.
Mark 1:11 (NIV) / Genesis 22:2 (NIV) [Torah]
11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” / 2 Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.
Mark 1:11 (NIV) / Isaiah 42:1 (NIV) [Prophets]
11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” / 1 Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.
Colossians 1:15-16
15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, 16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.
Revelation 22:20-21
20 He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! 21 May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people.
1 Corinthians 2:13-14
13 When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. 14 But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.
Romans 15:4
4 Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.