The credibility of the
B i b l e
Jesus Christ says:
"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God."
The Bible: Matthew chap. 4, verse 4
The Bible is the true Word of God. It is God's revelation to us humans and gives us answers about who we are, where we come from, and the meaning and purpose of our existence. Through the Bible, God speaks to us by showing us who He is and what His plan for our lives is (see: What does faith mean?).
The Bible, consisting of the TaNaCh ("Old" or First Testament) and the Gospel of Jesus Christ (New Testament), was carefully written down over millennia by God-fearing people and contemporary witnesses under the guidance of God's Spirit. It concludes with the last book of the New Testament—The Revelation of Jesus Christ—which was recorded in the second century AD as an eschatological prophecy by the Apostle John. The New Testament was written in the first century AD by eyewitnesses and contemporaries of Jesus. The Old Testament was handed down in Hebrew, the New Testament in ancient Greek, which was considered the universal language at the time of Jesus and the Apostles.
The Bible offers a multitude of exciting and real testimonies and stories in which people vividly describe their experiences with God. Furthermore, it is full of divinely inspired teachings and wisdom that help us understand the meaning of our existence and show us the way to a truly fulfilling life in communion with God, our Creator. This is why the Bible is also called the "Book of Life". At the same time, God's Word is the standard for our lives and the basis by which we are judged by God. It is not for nothing that Jesus compares God's Word to the physical food we consume daily. What bread is to the stomach, the Bible is to the spirit. Humanity needs both to live.
More than just a book
God the Lord speaks:
"I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it."
The Bible: Isaiah chap. 46, verse 11
Tie Bible is the most widely printed and most widely read book in the world. It is now available in 636 languages; the New Testament is available in 1,442. The Bible consists of 66 individual books, written over 1,600 years by at least 40 different, divinely inspired individuals from diverse eras and social backgrounds. Together, they form a unified and entirely coherent work. More and more archaeological excavations are testifying to the reliability of the Bible's historical accounts. The finds include, above all, inscriptions, clay tablets, seals, and papyri. In this way, all the names, buildings, and events mentioned in the Bible, which were long considered fictitious, are confirmed as real.
In addition, the Bible contains over 6,000 prophecies (predictions), more than half of which have been fulfilled with the utmost precision over the millennia since it was written. The mathematical probability calculated in this context for the exact fulfillment of biblical predictions far exceeds human comprehension.
handed down reliably
"Your word is true from the beginning: and every one of
Your righteous judgments endureth for ever."
The Bible: Psalm 119, verse 160
Some people, especially Muslims, believe that the Holy Scripture, and thus God's original message, has been corrupted. However, these claims turn out to be false and unfounded. There are a total of three manuscripts of the Old Testament:
1. the Masoretic text in Hebrew
(ca. 600-1000 AD)
2. the Septuagint in ancient Greek
(3. Jahrhundert BC)
3. the Qumran Dead Sea Scrolls
(408 – 318 BC)
The Masoretic Text was copied over a period of 400 years. The copyists were extremely meticulous in their work, counting words and even letters to ensure an error-free transcription. If errors were suspected in the original text, a corresponding marginal note was added. It is safe to assume that the Masoretes—who were themselves deeply religious people—would never have intentionally falsified the Holy Scriptures, as they considered this a crime.
When the so-called Qumran Scrolls were discovered in 1947 near the caves at Khirbet Qumram on the Dead Sea, as well as at other archaeological sites on the western shore of the Dead Sea and in the lower Jordan Valley, they could be compared with the Masoretic Text. This confirmed beyond doubt that the biblical text had been transmitted with the utmost literal accuracy.
The so-called Septuagint is the oldest complete translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew-Aramaic into ancient Greek, originating from around 250 BC in Hellenistic Judaism—primarily in Alexandria. This copy also corresponds closely to the other two, although there are some minor differences. Thus, it can be stated that no other ancient work has been handed down with such great accuracy as the Old Testament.
Over 16,000 copies of the New Testament exist in various languages. The oldest of these date back to the fourth century AD. These texts have been thoroughly examined and compared by various textual scholars over many centuries. It was determined that the texts available today correspond to the original manuscripts to over 99%. This concludes that the original Word of God has been handed down reliably and unadulterated.
The true word of God
"For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth."
From the beginning, it was God's intention to reveal himself and his plans to us humans so that we would recognize that God exists and that his word is true. Countless attempts over the past centuries to destroy the Bible and suppress the divine truth it contains, which brings salvation to humanity, have not been able to prevent God's word from spreading throughout the world and finding its way into people's hearts to this day (see: Fulfilled prophecies about Jesus).
The numerous fulfilled prophecies are decisive evidence that the words of the Bible are completely reliable, both with regard to prophecies that have already come true and future prophecies whose fulfillment is yet to come. Over hundreds of the biblical predictions from the Torah, Psalms, and the prophetic books that have come true exactly refer to Jesus Christ, the Savior of all people, predestined by God. In addition, the crucifixion of Jesus is historically documented by various extra-biblical sources. Furthermore, the resurrection of Jesus is the best-attested event in the world (see Video: The case for Christ).
conclusion:
No other book can convince with such a variety of outstanding and detailed testimonies and arguments regarding its credibility as God's Word as the Bible.
Above all, every person who still doubts the truth of the Bible has the opportunity to ask God himself. Anyone who does this with a sincere heart can certainly expect an enlightening answer from God.
"Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."
The Bible: Psalm 119, verse 105