-
Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!
How do we know the Bible is true?
- Thread starter swaimj
- Start date
Marcia
Active Member
My reason for believing the Bible is true is a combination of factors but mainly because I was reading the Bible when I was saved -- actually saved as I was reading a portion of Matthew 8. I remember this moment vividly. God had been drawing me before then, but the first moment I saw who Jesus really was and that I needed Him was as I was reading Matt. 8.
My opinion? First, the Old Testament was shown to be true by the many, many predictions that have come true. The prediction of the Messiah, where He was born, etc. etc.
The New Testament is true based on the eye-witnesses that were involved and the many people who witnessed the same thing.
Jesus was a historical figure.
Josh McDowell does a good job in his books "Evidence That Demands a Verdict" is a good place for a young or non-Christian to start.
Finally, the Holy Spirit does speak through the Word of God. However, we must be careful that we are truly listening to the Holy Spirit. One test is that the Holy Spirit will not give us a revelation that goes against biblical principles. Example, KJVonlyism.
The New Testament is true based on the eye-witnesses that were involved and the many people who witnessed the same thing.
Jesus was a historical figure.
Josh McDowell does a good job in his books "Evidence That Demands a Verdict" is a good place for a young or non-Christian to start.
Finally, the Holy Spirit does speak through the Word of God. However, we must be careful that we are truly listening to the Holy Spirit. One test is that the Holy Spirit will not give us a revelation that goes against biblical principles. Example, KJVonlyism.
At this point, the voting is going in favor of choice four: "I hold to some combination of the above"
That is the choice for which I cast my own vote. So, if you voted that way, how do you feel about this statement?:
I believe the Bible is true because I believe its own claims about itself. I believe the claims it makes on it own behalf in part because, having believed, the Holy Spirit has confirmed the truth of God's Word in my life. I also believe that the Bible is true because I recognize the overwhelming historical evidence that its human authors were the actual Biblical characters the books indicate and I recognize the overwhelming historical and logical evidence that their writings have been faithfully preserved and passed down to us.
My concern is that those who hold to the first two concepts (or one of them) without the third are guilty (perhaps inadvertently) of circular reasoning. This type of reasoning is dangerous because it ignores the historical work of God in providentially preserving his word. And yes, those who reject or minimize the historical process are susceptible to the KJVOnly error.
That is the choice for which I cast my own vote. So, if you voted that way, how do you feel about this statement?:
I believe the Bible is true because I believe its own claims about itself. I believe the claims it makes on it own behalf in part because, having believed, the Holy Spirit has confirmed the truth of God's Word in my life. I also believe that the Bible is true because I recognize the overwhelming historical evidence that its human authors were the actual Biblical characters the books indicate and I recognize the overwhelming historical and logical evidence that their writings have been faithfully preserved and passed down to us.
My concern is that those who hold to the first two concepts (or one of them) without the third are guilty (perhaps inadvertently) of circular reasoning. This type of reasoning is dangerous because it ignores the historical work of God in providentially preserving his word. And yes, those who reject or minimize the historical process are susceptible to the KJVOnly error.
Daniel David
New Member
Jesus supported inerrancy. I refuse to join moderates and liberals instead of Christ.
Charles Meadows
New Member
The Bible claims to be God's word. It is entirely coherent and self-consistent.
Christ turned my life upside down completely - I KNOW the wrod is true.
I reject the idea of proving the Bible right because this cannot be done. We'll use our limited facultues to judge God's word?
Rather we should use our faculties (as well as any empirical or scientific evidence) to improve our understanding of it. I think we can take for granted it IS inerrant.
Christ turned my life upside down completely - I KNOW the wrod is true.
I reject the idea of proving the Bible right because this cannot be done. We'll use our limited facultues to judge God's word?
Rather we should use our faculties (as well as any empirical or scientific evidence) to improve our understanding of it. I think we can take for granted it IS inerrant.
I think there is a danger in ignoring evidence that contributes to our understanding of truth. The Bible claims to be true, so I accept that evidence. The Bible has been powerful in my life, so I accept that evidence. The Bible has been preserved through human means according to God's sovereignty. If I reject that evidence because, I can come to a warped understanding of the truth in the Bible. Indeed, we see this happening among Baptists today.
Craigbythesea
Well-Known Member
I believe that the Bible is true for a combination of many reasons. The primary reason is that when I got saved I suddenly became a brand new person with a radically different attitude about almost everything, including God, the people around me, and myself, as God gave me a passionate love for Him, His word, and other people.
I also believe that the Bible is true because I personally witnessed, over a period of months, a cold-blooded incredibly calloused murderer be transformed into a radiant man of God through the presentation of the Gospel of Christ in both word and deed.
I also believe that the Bible is true because I have seen God radically save and change into faithful saints other wretched sinners for whom I have prayed.
I also believe that the Bible is true because I was blessed by God in being able to witness a number of miracles of other kinds.
I also believe that the Bible is true from hearing the testimonies of changed lives of very many people from around the world.
I also believe that the Bible is true because I have been blessed with the opportunity to minister to and with men and women of God from around the world, and I witnessed cultural and denominational difference give way to the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
I also believe that the Bible is true because I have spent many hours with the Apostle Paul and I feel a deep love and bond with him. When Paul’s friends were forsaking him, Luke remained loyal, and through Paul I have gotten to know Luke also, and I have a great love and respect for him as a man of God, a loyal friend and physician, and a careful and accurate historian.
I also believe that the Bible is true because I have seen that faith and trust in the word of God is able to make that which is not into that which is, and that which is into that which is not.
Thank you for the opportunity to share these things with you, and for the opportunity to read what you have shared.
I also believe that the Bible is true because I personally witnessed, over a period of months, a cold-blooded incredibly calloused murderer be transformed into a radiant man of God through the presentation of the Gospel of Christ in both word and deed.
I also believe that the Bible is true because I have seen God radically save and change into faithful saints other wretched sinners for whom I have prayed.
I also believe that the Bible is true because I was blessed by God in being able to witness a number of miracles of other kinds.
I also believe that the Bible is true from hearing the testimonies of changed lives of very many people from around the world.
I also believe that the Bible is true because I have been blessed with the opportunity to minister to and with men and women of God from around the world, and I witnessed cultural and denominational difference give way to the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
I also believe that the Bible is true because I have spent many hours with the Apostle Paul and I feel a deep love and bond with him. When Paul’s friends were forsaking him, Luke remained loyal, and through Paul I have gotten to know Luke also, and I have a great love and respect for him as a man of God, a loyal friend and physician, and a careful and accurate historian.
I also believe that the Bible is true because I have seen that faith and trust in the word of God is able to make that which is not into that which is, and that which is into that which is not.
Thank you for the opportunity to share these things with you, and for the opportunity to read what you have shared.
As quite a skeptical person, before I was saved, I thought at first that the Bible was only partially true as I know the Iliad/Odyssey is. Then, after being saved, I woke one morning contemplating the fact that Judah(modern Israel) had become the mightiest nation on earth for its size, and that they'd done nothing to make themselves that way. I then began to investigate some of the Scriptural events such as the sun & moon standing still for Joshua, and found that indeed these events were recorded worldwide.(The stoppage of the sun & moon were recorded as a very long night on THIS side of earth. The Trojan war also occurred at this time, & that's why the Iliad, written some 700 years later, is replete with "signs in heaven from the gods".)
Indeed, I see that archaeology has CONFIRMED every earthly event of Scripture when it's tried to disprove them.
I hope none of you are as skeptical as I was, but if you ARE skeptical, a little study of history & archaeology will dispel many a cloud.
Indeed, I see that archaeology has CONFIRMED every earthly event of Scripture when it's tried to disprove them.
I hope none of you are as skeptical as I was, but if you ARE skeptical, a little study of history & archaeology will dispel many a cloud.
Paul of Eugene
New Member
I believe the Bible to be true because of its record of fulfilled prophecy and the credibility of its eye-witness reports recorded in it and the fact that the gospel message it proclaims works to help heal sin in our lives. In addition, I believe that God has instructed me to follow the Jesus we find in the Bible, and of course one can't discount that!
"...some combination..."
The witness of the Holy Spirit to us as individuals seems to me to be the most important, followed at a bit of a distance by the "historical and logical evidences [that] validate" it. As much as we would like the first choice to be true, too, it is circular and requires the others.
The witness of the Holy Spirit to us as individuals seems to me to be the most important, followed at a bit of a distance by the "historical and logical evidences [that] validate" it. As much as we would like the first choice to be true, too, it is circular and requires the others.
One reason I believe that the bible is true is because of the men that penned it. I find it hard to believe that some of these men would have been martyered for their faith had they not actually known Christ. They would have probably renounced their faith at the point of death if their testimony of knowing Christ personally was false.
I voted "altogether different reason". Simply, I primarily believe the Bible is true because that is the faith position I have adopted; whilst all the other reasons work partially for me as well, none of them totally cuts the mustard.
Yours in Christ
Matt
Yours in Christ
Matt
We know the Bible is true because:
1. Holy men of God were moved by The Holy Spirit, not like Poe, Longfellow or Shakespere--but their words were "God breathed".
2. Forty different writers over thousands of years all wrote about the same message--Jesus Christ--and Him crucified.
3. The blood of the saints on the covers--testifies the world hates The Book as well as the author.
4. How many witnesses does one need?
Selah,
Bro. James
1. Holy men of God were moved by The Holy Spirit, not like Poe, Longfellow or Shakespere--but their words were "God breathed".
2. Forty different writers over thousands of years all wrote about the same message--Jesus Christ--and Him crucified.
3. The blood of the saints on the covers--testifies the world hates The Book as well as the author.
4. How many witnesses does one need?
Selah,
Bro. James