How Do We Know The Bible Is Reliable?

Kris and I got to talking about this week’s lesson and realized, in most cases, that before you can have a discussion on the word of God based on internal evidence, you need to help people see some external evidences that are reasonable to believe in.

You may have talked with people before who said it this way:

“If you can prove to me that God exists beyond a shadow of a doubt and that the Bible is His words, then I will believe.”

Or maybe something like, “The Bible has just been changed too many times” or “the bible is full of contradictions "or “Archeology disproves the Bible.” Or 100 other things. So, Kris and I chose to start here.

We believe that there are reasonable evidence to believe in the reliability of the Biblical text.

Tonight I want to address two big questions:

Can we prove that God wrote the Bible?

Can we know that the Bible is reliable?

Those are not the same question — and it’s important we don’t confuse them.

1. Can We Prove That God Wrote the Bible?

The simple answer is no.

I cannot put God in a lab. I cannot run a scientific test on inspiration. The claim that these books were inspired by God through human authors is ultimately a faith issue, not a laboratory issue.

I cannot prove divine inspiration.

But as I grow in faith, I become more confident that God had His hand in every part of Scripture. Faith does not mean blind belief. It means trust based on good reason.

So while I cannot prove inspiration, I can examine the text.

And that leads to the second question.

2. Can We Know the Bible Is Reliable?

The Bible was written over roughly 1,500 years, by more than 40 authors, on three continents, in three languages — and yet it tells one unified story.

From Genesis to Revelation, the storyline holds together.

Beyond that unity, we can examine the Bible the same way we examine any ancient historical document.

Historians use tests. And when we apply those tests to Scripture, it holds up remarkably well.

Let’s walk through them.

1. The Internal Evidence Test

Does the Bible claim to tell the truth?

The gospel writers clearly believed they were recording real events.

Luke opens his Gospel like a historian:

Luke 1:1–4 — He says he carefully investigated everything and wrote an orderly account so Theophilus could have certainty.

Peter says:

2 Peter 1:16 — “We did not follow cleverly devised stories… we were eyewitnesses.”

John writes:

1 John 1:1–4 — “What we have heard… what we have seen with our eyes… what our hands have touched…”

They are not writing mythology. They are claiming eyewitness testimony.

Claiming to be true does not automatically make something true. But it matters that they present their work as history, not legend.

2. Fulfilled Prophecy

The Bible contains specific prophecies written centuries before events that later writers claim were fulfilled.

For example:

Born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) Betrayed for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12–13) Pierced (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53) Buried with the rich (Isaiah 53:9)

Isaiah 53 describes a suffering servant written centuries before Christ.

There are believed to be over 300 prophecies pointing to the Messiah.

Someone may debate interpretation — but the internal claim is clear: later writers consciously tie events in Jesus’ life to earlier prophecy.

Philip Stoner in 1958 calculated the probability of just 8 of these 300 prophecies about Jesus coming true in one person is 1 to 10 to the 17th power. He said, “That would be like covering the state of Texas in silver dollars two feet deep and randomly picking the one marked coin on the first try.”

That is not accidental storytelling. It is a plan put in place by our creator to redeem us through His son.

3. Embarrassing and Unflattering Details

Ancient propaganda glorified leaders.

The Bible does not.

David commits adultery and murder.

Peter denies Jesus.

The disciples are confused, fearful, and slow to believe.

Women — whose testimony held little legal weight in that culture — are the first witnesses to the resurrection.

If you were inventing a religion, you would not write it this way.

The inclusion of embarrassing details suggests honesty, not image control.

4. Undesigned Coincidences

An undesigned coincidence happens when:

One Gospel mentions a detail.

Another Gospel supplies background.

Neither signals the connection.

Together they fit naturally.

It’s like two witnesses describing the same event from different angles without coordinating their stories.

These kinds of small, natural connections suggest authenticity rather than conspiracy.

We watched a video last week where Wes Huff walked us through an undesigned Coincidence with the feeding of the 5000.

5. The Bibliographical Test

When evaluating biographies, historians look for:

Named rulers Specific locations Cultural customs Political tensions Realistic human emotion

The Bible includes all of these.

We see real people dealing with real emotions.

Fear. Doubt. Anger. Confusion.

These are not cardboard characters. They are psychologically real.

The narratives read like authentic biography, not legend.

6. The Textual Test

Now we ask:

How many copies do we have? How close are they to the original events? How much variation exists between manuscripts?

For the New Testament:

Over 24,000 manuscript fragments Some within decades of the events Papyrus 52 (~130 AD) Papyrus 46 (~150 AD) Codex Sinaiticus (~350 AD)

For the Old Testament:

Dead Sea Scrolls (250 BC onward) Masoretic Text Septuagint Samaritan Pentateuch

Over thousands of years of copying, the text remains remarkably consistent.

Most variants are:

Spelling differences

Word order shifts

Minor scribal slips

No central Christian doctrine depends on a disputed passage.

That is extraordinary textual preservation.

7. External Evidence

There are texts outside of the Bible that confirm key historical claims about Jesus and early Christianity.

Many of these writers were not Christians — and some were openly hostile.

Flavius Josephus – Jewish Historian (1st Century) Josephus, writing around 93 AD, mentions Jesus as a wise man, records His crucifixion under Pontius Pilate, refers to James “the brother of Jesus who is called Christ,” and confirms John the Baptist as a historical figure.

Tacitus – Roman Senator and Historian (Early 2nd Century) Tacitus records that “Christus” was executed under Pontius Pilate during the reign of Tiberius and notes that Christianity spread from Judea to Rome. Though hostile toward Christians, he confirms the crucifixion.

Pliny the Younger – Roman Governor (Early 2nd Century) Writing to Emperor Trajan, Pliny reports that Christians met regularly, sang hymns to Christ “as to a god,” committed themselves to moral behavior, and refused to worship Roman gods.

Lucian of Samosata – Greek Satirist (2nd Century) Lucian mocked Christians but confirms they worshiped a crucified man, followed His teachings, and were devoted even to the point of suffering.

Thallus – Early Historian (Referenced Later) Thallus attempted to explain the darkness at Jesus’ crucifixion as a natural event, implying that the crucifixion and related phenomena were widely known.

Together these writers confirm:

Jesus existed. He was crucified under Pontius Pilate. His followers worshiped Him as divine. Christianity spread rapidly. Christians were persecuted.

They were not defending Christianity. Yet they confirm its historical framework.

Transition to Archaeology

So we have manuscript evidence. We have internal consistency. We have fulfilled prophecy. We have hostile outside sources confirming the core story.

But history is not only written in books.

Sometimes history is buried in the ground.

8. Archaeology

Archaeology has repeatedly confirmed biblical details:

Tel Dan Inscription — “House of David” Pool of Bethesda — discovered exactly as described in John 5 Hezekiah’s Tunnel — matches 2 Kings 20

King Sennacherib is mentioned in 1 Kings 18-19 as attempting to capture Jerusalem.

The Taylor Prism records Sennacherib’s campaign.

It lists cities conquered. It uses exaggerated numbers. It portrays him as unstoppable and chosen by the gods.

But interestingly — it does not claim he captured Jerusalem.

The Bible records:

The fall of Lachish

Jerusalem surrounded

Hezekiah’s prayer

The Assyrian army’s withdrawal

Both records align on the major events — and the Assyrian record is silent where the Bible says Jerusalem was spared. Why Because it would have been an embarrassment to Sennacherib and his gods to report the loss.

Mesha, King of Moab

The Mesha Stele credits the Moabite god Chemosh and claims total domination.

2 Kings 3 presents a more complex account. An account where after Mesha sacrifices his son on the city wall, the Israelites retreat. We are not quite told why.

The Mesha Stele gives credit to Chemosh that after a time he restored Moab’s power and led them to victory. Here they are seen as being victorious through the whole battle.

Two sides. Two perspectives. Same historical setting.

That’s what real history looks like. Let’s look at one more. This time we will see how the Bible and a text support one another.

Cyrus the Great, King of the Persian Empire

Is know for the defeating the Babylonian empire and setting the Jewish people free to return from captivity.

The Cyrus Cylinder claims the Babylonian god Marduk chose Cyrus. Now, a contradiction exists between the two that Isaiah 45 tells us God chose Cyrus to deliver His people from captivity.

The Bible (Isaiah 44–45; Ezra 1) records Cyrus allowing exiles to return and rebuild the temple.

Both sources describe the same policy of restoration, but different perspectives one says Cyrus was chosen by God. The other says he was chosen by Marduk

Again — separate sources, same historical core. This point to the legitimacy of the event. These discoveries confirm geography, rulers, and events described in Scripture and there are hundreds of these discoveries and more are being discovered every year.

Closing Appeal: From Reliability to Response

We’ve talked about manuscripts. We’ve talked about history. We’ve talked about archaeology. We’ve talked about hostile witnesses confirming Jesus lived and died.

All of that does not force belief.

But it removes the excuse that belief is irrational.

Christian faith is not built on fantasy. It is rooted in history.

The question is no longer, “Is the Bible reliable?”

The real question becomes, “If it is reliable… what will I do with it?”

Because if this book is historically trustworthy… If Jesus really lived… If He really was crucified under Pontius Pilate… If the resurrection is not legend but history…

Then Christianity is not just interesting.

It is true.

And if it is true, it demands a response.

Not casual curiosity. Not intellectual agreement alone. But trust.

The Bible does not just claim to record history. It claims to reveal God. It claims that Jesus is Lord. It claims that He died for sin. It claims that He rose again.

So the final question tonight is not academic.

It’s personal.

If the Bible is reliable… Will I trust the One it points to?

Because ultimately, the reliability of Scripture leads us to the reliability of Christ.

And that is where faith begins.

You’re ready for tomorrow. If you’d like a quick 60-second opening hook to grab attention at the very beginning, I can give you one before you walk into class.