How Do We Know The Bible Is From God?

It Claims to Be From God

The claim to be from God does not automatically prove that it is from God, but it is important in declaring that it is from God. Why should we declare that the Bible is from God if the book never claims it itself?

Out of all the religious books written, the number of ones that claim to be a creed book and also claim to be inspired of God could be counted on 10 fingers.

2 Peter 1:20-21

2 Timothy 3:16-17

2 Peter 1:20–21 KJV 1900

Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 KJV 1900

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Again, if the Bible never claimed to be from God, then there really may be no need for us to declare that it is from God. However, since the Bible claims to be from God, we can examine it to see if it bares evidence for the claim.

It is Historically Accurate

The Bible contains:

Known Facts

Revelation

The Bible not only contains information revealed by God, but also historical records.

If the writers of the Bible were really inspired by God and borne along by God, then we would certainly expect them to get historical facts correct.

The fact is that the Bible records history accurately.

“The excessive scepticism shown toward the Bible by important historical schools of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, certain phases of which still appear periodically has been progressively discredited. Discovery after discovery has established the accuracy of innumerable details, and has brought increased recognition to the value of the Bible as a source of history.”

- Albright, W. F. The Archaeology of Palestine, rev. Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1960, 127,128.

“In fact, while thousands of finds from the ancient world support in broad outline and often in detail the biblical picture, not one incontrovertible find has ever contradicted the Bible.”

- Geisler, Norman L. Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998, p. 52.

“Luke is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his statements of fact trustworthy…this author should be placed along with the very greatest of historians.”

- Ramsay, Sir W. M. The Bearing of Recent Discovery on the Trustworthiness of the New Testament. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1915, p. 222.

Contrast this with other books that claim to be from God.

“And behold, he shall be  born of Mary, at  Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God.”

- Alma 7:10, Book of Mormon

The Bible Displays Unity

Even though the books were written by various people from various walks of life, including kings and tax collectors, and over the span of thousands of years, the Bible shows a unity of story and purpose.

“The Book of Genesis tells of man’s fall into a sinful state. In Exodus through Deuteronomy, by the giving of the law, sin is defined and vividly characterized. The Historical Books of the OT portray man’s inability to justify himself on the basis of law-keeping, hence, they underscore the need for a Justifier. The Prophets herald the coming of that illustrious Justifier…

After four silent centuries, the Gospel Writers inform us that Christ has come, bringing justification. The Book of Acts demonstrates how first-century men and women appropriated Jehovah’s justifying grace unto themselves through loving obedience. The various Epistles to churches and individuals instructed saints how to grow toward spiritual maturity, and finally, the Revelation pictures the ultimate and complete triumph of our great God over all his enemies.”

- Jackson, Wayne. Fortify Your Faith. Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press, 1974, pp. 58-59.

Writers on the same topic today do not always display unity. However, all these writers could maintain unity if they were guided by the same mind.

The Bible Makes Accurate Prophecies

By its own definition, the Bible declares one who makes inaccurate prophecies as someone to whom you don’t have to listen.

Deuteronomy 18:22

Deuteronomy 18:22 KJV 1900

When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

By its own definition, if a writer of a book of the Bible makes a prediction and it does not come to pass, we can ignore that writer’s writings.

The Bible makes lots of predictions which have not failed to come to pass yet.

“No unconditional prophecy of the Bible about events to the present day has gone unfulfilled. Hundreds of predictions, some of them given hundreds of years in advance, have been literally fulfilled. The time (Dan. 9), city (Mic. 5:2), and nature (Is. 7:14) of Christ’s birth were foretold in the Old Testament, as were dozens of other things about His life, death, and resurrection (see Is. 53)…

Numerous other prophecies have been fulfilled, including the destruction of Edom (Obad. 1), the curse on Babylon (Is. 13), the destruction of Tyre (Ezek. 26) and Nineveh (Nah. 1-3), and the return of Israel to the Land (Is. 11:11). Other books claim divine inspiration, such as the Koran, the Book of Mormon, and parts of the [Hindu] Veda. But none of those books contains predictive prophecy. As a result, fulfilled prophecy is a strong indication of the unique, divine authority of the Bible.”

- Geisler, Norman L. and William E. Nix. A General Introduction to the Bible. Chicago: Moody Press, 1986. p. 196

Here are man’s predictions without the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Score 0 out of 6

The Bible makes 24 predictions about the Christ, which were fulfilled in the man named Jesus within a 24-hour period.

Score 24 out of 24

The Bible Displays Scientific Accuracy and Foreknowledge

The Bible has scientifically accurate information written well before man “discovered” it years later.

The ark was made with the ratio of 30:5:3.

Genesis 6:15

Genesis 6:15 KJV 1900

And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.

This ratio was used in more modern shipbuilding for large, cargo-carrying vessels, such as the WWII vessel, the S.S. Jeremiah O’Brien.

The draft of a boat is how much it will sink into the water when laden with cargo. The draft of a boat is 1/2 the height.

The ark was supposed to be built 30 cubits high.That would make the ark sink into the water fifteen cubits.

God made the water rise fifteen cubits.

Genesis 7:20

Genesis 7:20 KJV 1900

Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.

Circumcision was prescribed by God for the eighth day of a newborn’s life.

Leviticus 12:3

Leviticus 12:3 KJV 1900

And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

“Interestingly, it is only on the fifth to seventh days of a newborn’s life that vitamin K (produced by the action of bacteria in the intestinal tract) is present in adequate quantities. Vitamin K-coupled with prothrombin-causes blood coagulation, which is important in any surgical procedure.”

- Thompson, Bert. In Defense of the Bible’s Inspiration. Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press, 2001, p. 24.

“...peculiar susceptibility to bleeding between the second and fifth days of life.. Hemorrhages at this time, though often inconsequential, are sometimes extensive; they may produce serious damage to internal organs, especially to the brain, and cause death from shock and exsanguination.”

- Holt, L.E. and R. McIntosh, Holt Pediatrics (New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts), twelfth edition, 1953, pp.125-126.

“Obviously, then, if vitamin K is not produced in sufficient quantities until days five through seven, it would be wise to postpone any surgery until sometime after that. But why did God specify day eight? On the eighth day, the amount of prothrombin present actually is elevated above 100 percent of normal. In fact, day eight is the only day in the male’s life in which this will be the case under normal conditions. If surgery is to be performed, day eight is the perfect day to do it.”

- Thompson, Bert. In Defense of the Bible’s Inspiration. Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press, 2001, p. 24. (emp. in orig.)

Conclusion

The Bible claims to be from God.

The Bible is historically accurate.

The Bible displays unity.

The Bible makes accurate predictions.

The Bible contains scientific accuracy and foreknowledge.

The Bible could not have been written by man alone, or it would contain inaccuracies, contradictions, false predictions, etc. Instead it is an accurate book, a unified book and contains knowledge that was outside the realm of man at the time of its writing. A supernatural mind guiding the process would explain how man knew things in advance, made accurate predictions of the future, and wrote a unified story and purpose through multiple books by multiple authors over a span of thousands of years.