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Is the Bible Inspired by God?


  

   To the non-believer, the reliability of the Bible is often faced with skepticism.  Many doubt that the Bible is actually the direct word of God. Some believe that it is simply Jewish literature documenting the history of the Jews. They tend to focus on things like, slight differences in the Gospels, the wrath of God in the Old Testament, or what appears to be contradictions within the Bible to support their objections. However, the Bible is more reliable, accurate, and truthful than any other book ever written. C.S Lewis says it perfectly, “If Christianity was something we were making up, of course we could make it easier. But it is not. We cannot compete, in simplicity, with people who are inventing religions. How could we? We are dealing with Fact. Of course, anyone can be simple if he has no facts to bother about.”[1] Evidence that the Bible is the word of God is found all around us, inside of us, and inside the Bible itself.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” 2 Timothy 3:16[2]

 A couple of examples supporting this claim is: The unmistakable honesty found in scripture, and the superiority of the Bible compared to other religious literature.



The unmistakable honesty found in Scripture: Many have tried to dissect the scriptures to find inaccuracies and inconsistencies within them, however one thing that remains constant is the honesty of the biblical writers. They wrote with humility, passion, and sometimes shame when recording the scriptures - attributes you do not typically see when fabricating a story.  In some cases, it would have been more believable to manipulate the story rather than tell the truth. Sometimes the truth of Jesus Christ and our heavenly Father is a lot harder to hear than the alternative- yet the writers maintained honestly, a direct reflection of the inspiration of God. 
The superiority of the Bible:  There is no other book like the Bible. No self-help book, religious doctrine, or scientific theory can ever provide you what the Bible can -and that’s grace. There is nothing out there like it. Most religions agree that there is something wrong with us however tend to focus on “what you can do for God” rather than “what God has done for you.” Christianity (the Bible) emphasizes that it’s not about your works or deeds, but rather, its about the grace of God. One cannot earn salvation but rather, must freely accept it. No other literature in the world offers grace, another example that the Bible is inspired by God.

“The fact that we did not live when these teachings first came does not leave us spiritually or theologically deprived. We have a sure guide…since its message is truly God’s word to us.” -Millard J. Erickson[3]


[1] C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: MacMillan Company, 1952)

[2] The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. (2001). Minneapolis, MN.: Crossway.
[3]  Erickson, M. J. (2015). Introducing Christian Doctrine (3rd ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group.

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