The Bible is God’s voice in written form. It is a collection of 66 books, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and written by more than 40 authors over 1,500 years. Later writings and archeology have confirmed that Bible people, places, and events were real. Biblical authors include: national leaders (Moses and Joshua); prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel); disciples (Peter, James, John); and Gospel-sharers (Paul).

There are a number of reasons why we can answer the question “Is the Bible true?” with a resounding “yes.” Here are a five reasons why.

1. Documentation

There is significantly more documentation for the books of the Bible than there are for other historically recognized authors and literature, including Plato and others.

2. Archeological findings

Excavation sites and artifacts also provide evidence that many of the events, people, and places mentioned in the Bible really existed, including the Hittite people and the city of Jericho.

3. Eyewitness accounts

The Gospels give multiple points of view and, in many cases, were written within the lifetimes of the people who witnessed the events recorded in the Bible. Writers focused on different aspects, but they had the same message: Jesus taught, healed, performed miracles, died on the cross, and rose from the dead.

4. The life of Jesus

The fact that Jesus was a real, historical person is clearly documented by Jewish manuscripts, even before the Apostle Paul and the writers of the Gospels provided their eyewitness accounts. Other ancient cultural documents also reference his existence. For example, the Roman leader and historian, Tacitus, wrote:

“Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus . . .”

5. Redeemed lives

We see evidence of the Bible’s trustworthiness by the lives that have been changed and redeemed by it. A few examples include C.S. Lewis, a former atheist who became one of world’s leading Christian apologists, and John Newton, a former slave-ship master who converted to Christianity and penned Amazing Grace.

What does the Bible say to us?

Good News! Jesus came to fulfill God’s promise to defeat sin’s curse and be the Saviour for all people. His death and resurrection create the only way to be forgiven for our sins. Jesus takes away our guilt, shame, and regret, and sent the Holy Spirit to empower us. So, we can have a “new” life and share this hope with others.

The above reasons to trust what the Bible says are just a few of the many. But don’t stop here! Keep digging deeper and strengthen your faith by understanding why God’s Word is accurate, reliable and worth following with your life!


© 2019 Focus on the Family. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

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