Question 34 – Is there evidence that the Bible is from God?

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."(2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Many sceptics think that the only proof of God inspiring the Bible is its own claim that it is inspired. In other words, the Bible is true because it says so. However, it is not quite this way. There is much strong external evidence concerning the supernatural inspiration of the Bible. Therefore, it is telling that there are testimonies of various scientists and scholars who decided to destroy and cast doubt on the Bible. They began to study various aspects in detail. However, more than one of them came up short, and under the weight of evidence became Christians. Let us then examine several areas outside the Biblical text that point to God as its source.

1) The astonishing internal unity of its message

One of the absolutely unique characteristics of the Bible is the astonishing internal unity that is "coded" into various levels of its message. It would be nothing unusual if such a work had been written by a genius at his desk. The problem, however, is that the Bible is not the work of just one person. It deals with tens of different types of literature, written by tens of authors over a period of centuries. These authors were not aware of the fact that a Bible would exist someday. Some of the authors were educated, while others were not. Their ambition was not to write a few chapters towards a book that would later come into being. They simply recorded what they had experienced of God, or of what they had witnessed. Despite this, they created a progressively meaningful work which formed a complex message. This fact is excellently portrayed in the following comparison:

It is the same as if you brought a group of blind people to a canvass and asked each of them to paint something. They did not know one another, nor had they spoken to each other. In spite of this, a meaningful picture would form from their chaotic lines and random attempts.

How could this be achieved? Only if someone took their hands and guided the movement of their brushes.

2) Historical accuracy

"On the whole … archaeological work has unquestionably strengthened confidence in the reliability of the Scriptural record. More than one archaeologist has found his respect for the Bible increased by the experience of excavation in Palestine."- Millar Burrows, Yale archaeologist [1]

Archaeology, which helps us to verify the historical accuracy of ancient texts, in and of itself cannot prove the divine origin of the Biblical texts. It can only give us an approximate indication as to whether a specific person, place, or civilization did or did not exist according to available evidence. If the Bible is inspired by God, we would expect it to be historically accurate. If it contains basic incongruities in its descriptions of actual facts, then let us put it aside and talk of it no more. If, however, its records do not contradict (can be proved, are not speculative) historical data, it shows the genuineness of the writings and this is something we should not overlook.

In the past, arguments and objections by critics regarding historical mistakes and inaccuracies in the Bible were very popular. Many of them laughed at/ made fun of believers who took the Bible seriously and believed in its inerrancy. They still do so today. There is, however, a difference. In the past, believers were in a position where the proof truly seemed to be against them. However, the more archaeology progressed and new findings were discovered, the more the understanding up to that time was shown to be in error and the Bible was shown to be correct. Consequently, the reality is such that the more we know of history, the more we can trust the Bible in its historical descriptions. Often archaeologists still come across names of ruling officials, kings, cities, and various celebrations that are recorded in the Bible – sometimes even the exact people/places that were the subject of speculation and criticism. At one time, critics asserted that no such civilization as the Chaldean/Babylonian, mentioned in the Bible, ever existed. Then, there was criticism of the fact that the Bible mentions writing at the time of Moses because it was in opposition to the dating of its inception at that point in time. Later archaeological findings confirmed that the Bible was correct and that the critics were in error. In this way, a great many accusations of historical inaccuracy have been wiped away.

Archaeology cannot prove or confirm everything that is mentioned in the Bible. The Bible contains an enormous amount of various details and events, the proof of which has been destroyed over time. However, many well-known scholars insist that none of the Biblical records are in direct opposition nor do they cast doubt on what we know from archaeological findings. Unfortunately, despite all the known facts, there are many who choose to ignore them. Although the critics' arguments are proven false, the idea that the Bible is historically untrustworthy and contains many mistakes and inconsistencies still remains in the subconscious of people (even many liberal Christians!). As an example, I will quote one of the many statements of liberal Christians concerning the historical inaccuracy of the Bible from Czech theologian David Novak in his blog. The author of one of these statements is even from a highly placed official in the Roman Catholic Church:

In his document/book, An Introduction to the Holy Old Testament, Dominik Duka writes about the Bible being inaccurate in its description and makes mistakes in dating. Many substantial gaps and crude inaccuracies are shown in Biblical geography. [11]

I would like to finish this consideration with a statement from a highly erudite expert who, on the other hand, defends the Biblical record. You can judge for yourselves:

- Historic Colin J. Hemer shows in his book, The Book of Acts in the Setting of Hellinsitic History,

"archaeology has confirmed not dozens, but hundreds and hundreds of details from the biblical account of the early church,. Even small details have been corroborated, like which way the wind blows, how deep the water is a certain distance from shore, what kind of disease a particular island had, the names of local officials, and so forth." [12]

- The authenticity of the description of the early church (The Acts of the Apostles) is also confirmed by Roman historian A.N. Sherwin-White in the following words:

"The confirmation of historicity is overwhelming... Any attempt to reject its basic historicity even in matters of detail must now appear absurd. Roman historians have long taken it for granted."[1]

One of the most well-known archaeologists of Palestine, Dr. Nelson Glueck said:

"It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or exact detail historical statements in the Bible." [1]

- William F. Albright, one of the greatest authorities of all time in Oriental Studies, at one time president of the International Organization of Ancient Scientists, director of the American School of Oriental Research in Jerusalem, author of more than 800 publications about archaeology, Biblical and Oriental research wrote:

"It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or exact detail historical statements in the Bible. [11]. And elsewhere: "The excessive skepticism 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." [5]

Historian Robert D. Wilson, an expert in 45 languages and dialects, and among others, a professor at Princeton University, wrote:

"For forty-five years continuously, since I left college, I have devoted myself to the one great study of the Old Testament, in all its languages, in all its archaeology, in all its translations, and as far as possible in everything bearing upon its text and history. [11] I may add that the result of my 45 years of study of the Bible has led me all the time to a firmer faith that in the Old Testament, we have a true historical account of the history of the Israelite people." [11]

I will conclude this essay with the words of Professor Henry Morris:

"Problems still exist, of course, in the complete harmonization of archaeological material with the Bible, but none so serious as not to bear the promise of imminent solution through further investigation. It must be extremely significant that, in view of the great mass of corroborative evidence regarding the biblical history of these periods, there exists today not one unquestionable find of archaeology that proves the Bible to be in error at any point." [1]

3) Hundreds of prophecies fulfilled

"The Bible is the only book in the world that has precise, specific predictions that were made hundreds of years in advance and that were literally fulfilled." Norman L. Geisler

One of the more specific characteristics of the Bible compared to any other book/writings of the main religions are the many prophesies made, sometimes hundreds of years before, that were fulfilled. God prophesied many events in various shades and various times. Some prophesies were about individuals, others about nations, and some were even about our planet. Almost 300 prophesies concerning Jesus Christ alone in the OT have been fulfilled.

It is, therefore, a paradox that prophesies from so-called prophets like Nostradamus and Sibyl who prophesied unspecific catastrophes (without stating any closer, verifying facts) are swallowed with a holy reverence. If they had known everything about our time or about the historical events that the Bible predicted, it might have taken their breath away. For example, the OT predicted the rise and fall of empires such as Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. It is very exciting to study these prophesies in light of their historical contexts. Unfortunately, we do not have the space to do so. I will, therefore, mention a couple of interesting details to illustrate.

Jesus Christ – possibly the most prophecies were fulfilled about Jesus Christ, most of which He could in no way have knowingly/consciously influenced at that time. Many scholars and scientists therefore, with cheer calculate the various possibilities and comparisons to underline the absolute impossibility that all of these prophesies could be fulfilled by one person. One illustration basically goes like the following

"We find that the chance that any man might have fulfilled all eight prophecies is one in 10¹⁷. That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. To illustrate this, suppose that we take 10¹⁷ silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly... Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing those eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man… providing they wrote them in their own wisdom."[1]

Let us not forget that this illustration applies to only 8 of the hundreds of prophesies concerning Jesus! These prophesies pointed to the fact that Jesus had to be born at a certain time (a time when the temple existed in Jerusalem because it was destroyed in 70BC), to be a descendant of King David, to be born in Bethlehem in Palestine, to be called out of Egypt, to teach and to be widely admired and rejected, to be betrayed, to have soldiers gamble for his clothes and so on. In another place, the Bible predicts that he must die by crucifixion, which was a method of execution established by the Romans hundreds of years after the writing of this specific prophecy.

The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple 

Another interesting prophecy that Jesus himself gave was of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple as a result of the Jews rejection of him and his crucifixion. Jesus said, "Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down." (Mark 13;2; Luke 21:6; Matthew 24:2) and the temple will be demolished. How was this prophesy fulfilled? The Roman general Titus conquered Jerusalem and destroyed it in 70AD. During the fighting, the temple was lit on fire by mistake and burned down completely. This in itself would not have been a complete fulfilment of Jesus' words. However, truth can be more amazing than fiction. The temple was covered in gold and in the heat of the fire, all the gold melted and ran into the spaces between the stones. Therefore, the soldiers had to separate the stones one by one in order to get to the gold.

In other places, the Bible predicts that in the last days knowledge will increase (scientific research is flourishing). It also speaks of "signs of the last days", one of which is the spread of the gospel around the world (at that time unthinkable but a reality today), another of a greater persecution of Christians (in the past years, more Christians have been tortured and martyred for their faith than in the past 2,000 years), also of the rise of the occult and false teachers, of wars, earthquakes, fear of water (tsunamis, the rise of the level of the ocean), and moral corruption. Although some of these predictions are general in nature, they still fit nicely into a picture of our day. Many of these prophesies "stick in the throats" of critics to such an extent that they have to make up various theories so as to cast doubt on the prophesies. Many of the prophesies can be confirmed by historical facts, so the critics' most common arguments cast doubt on the time of the writing. The critics say that the prophesies were written after the events. Thanks to the rich fundamental text sources that we have today, many such arguments cannot stand.

More that once the so-called "unfulfilled" prophesies put forward were based on a misunderstanding of the context of the Biblical text or from not knowing the principles of Biblical interpretation. Yes, and sometimes, of course, it is possible that it has not yet happened. There are still several prophesies in the Bible for which we are waiting to be fulfilled. One of these so-called "unfulfilled" prophesies is of the destruction of the city of Tyre. Critics point out that the Bible is not true because Tyre (and a couple of other cities) still exist today and are in fact UNESCO world heritage sites. Let us take a look at how this seeming contradiction developed.

The prophecy of the destruction of Tyre

We are dealing with the Mediterranean city, which at the time of the prophet Ezekiel was a flowering economic centre and, from a military viewpoint, an impregnable coastal fortress. Its fame was so great that the people elevated themselves and mocked God and his people. God, therefore, pronounced a judgment on them through the prophet Ezekiel in the year 587BC – 586BC. For the following analysis, I have used a breakdown of the prophecy from Werner Gitt, Thus it is Written. The prophecy presents several details, six of which the author focuses on:

1) Tyre will be destroyed by the nations – Ezekiel 26:3-4a

2) All that will be left of it will be a bare rock on which fishermen will dry their nets – Ezekiel 26:4b-5a

3) The first king to invade/attack Tyre will be King Nebuchadnezzar – Ezekiel 26:7

4) The ruins of the city will end up at the bottom of the sea – Ezekiel 26:12

5) Tyre will never be rebuilt – Ezekiel 26:14

6) Tyre will cease to exist without trace – Ezekiel 26:21

Someone could argue that the destruction of a big city was standard practice for that time. Well, yes, sometimes. The prophecy of the disappearance of a nation or specific city could have a considerable possibility of being fulfilled. Here, however, we have many details that were remarkably fulfilled! You can find these historical details in secular sources.

A year after declaring the prophecy on Tyre, Nebuchadnezzar II attacked. The city was under siege for 13 years and then was conquered and destroyed. Through this action Tyre became a part of the new Babylonian Empire and was under its control. Several tens of years later, the Babylonian Empire was conquered by Cyrus, Lord of the Persian Empire. So, Tyre was then under the rule of the Persian government. In this way, the first and third details of the prophecy were fulfilled. The rest of the metropolis of the ancient city however, continued to exist and the rest of the prophecy remained unfulfilled. A smaller island (about 1km off the coast) existed next to the fortress (the original) part of the city. After the destruction of the original city, the island was fortified and became the last place of opposition.

250 years after the prophecy of judgment, the Macedonian, Alexander the Great came. He and his army defeated the Persians, after which he then turned on Egypt. He captured city after city. New Tyre (the island part), however never gave up and decided to resist. The island was well-fortified and protected by high ramparts. Alexander countered with a superb move in order to capture the island. He had the old Tyre (on the mainland) pulled down (that majestic metropolis that had blasphemed God), and by throwing the debris into the sea, he formed a 60 metre causeway that joined the island to the mainland. Because the stones and rubble of the old Tyre were not sufficient, he even poured the ground of the city into the sea. This approximately one kilometre causeway and a gigantic besiege tower served to conquer the city. Alexander the Great was not thinking about fulfilling a Biblical prophecy, but unconsciously he did. The second and fourth prophecies were fulfilled. The place where the one-time famous metropolis stood remains vacant 2,500 years later. There has never been another city built in this place. Because of the conditions there, it has served as a place for drying fishing nets. According to prophecy six, every trace of old Tyre has disappeared.

Prophecy five states that the city will never be built again. After centuries, this prophecy is still valid today. The ancient island has now become the headland of a peninsula because Alexander's causeway has been widened and filled with sand. Today, therefore, the shape of the coast is different. The place where the island was originally now belongs to the Lebanon and is called Tyre (earlier Sur). The sceptics may think that "Tyre" exists and has not been overflown by the sea, thus the Bible is incorrect and they therefore consider that the prophecy is unfulfilled. However, as you were able to follow, the reality is something quite different. It is enough to read the prophecy carefully and observe that the details have been fulfilled. The proud Tyre to which the prophecy was connected, this rich metropolis of the ancient world, was destroyed, wiped out and the sight swallowed up by the sea.

4) Scientific accuracy

The Bible is not a scientific book, nor is its goal to give scientific theories or describe how our world works. Its foundational message is not "how" the world works but "why" it exists and works. Nevertheless, passages and indications sometimes occur that describe phenomena and facts that agree with today's scientific knowledge but that were unknown to the "science" of that time. Some scholars present around a hundred examples of such allusions. I will mention only a few interesting ones.

Genesis 22:17 and Jeremiah 33:22 mention the reality that the stars cannot be numbered as opposed to the traditional concept that there were only a couple hundred (those that can be seen). Genesis 1:9-10 refers to the originally undivided "super continent". Job 26:7 points again to the fact that planet Earth "hangs" in space. Job "28:25 speaks of the weight/mass of the wind, whereas Ecclesiastes 1:6 points to the circular course of the wind. Jonah 2:6-7 describes the existence of mountains and valleys under the sea. Job 38:16 alludes to springs under the seas. Psalm 8:7-9 also points to the existence of sea currents. At the same time, the emphasis on precautions to be taken against diseases and epidemics when God regulated that hand washing be done under running water (not standing water as was the custom) can also be mentioned. Leviticus 17:11 emphasizes the importance of blood for the life of a person. It is interesting that there is an assumption of nuclear fission in 2Peter 3:10-12. Last but not least, let us not forget the allusions to a round earth when, for example, Luke 17:34-36 points to a situation when during a specific event one group of people will be sleeping at night and another group will be working in their fields (in this case most likely in another part of the world, and logically during the daytime). We could continue further. Many of the above-mentioned facts were not known at the time the Bible was written. The mention of these facts thousands of years before their discovery and confirmation by modern science points to the supernatural origin of this information. In conclusion, let us allow two men who are not unfamiliar to scientific research speak:

Evolutionary biologist Andrew Parker, director of research in the National History Museum in London talks about his surprise with the first book of the Bible:

"Without expecting to find anything, I discovered a whole series of parallels between the creation story on the Bible's first page and the modern, scientific account of life's history. This at least made me think. The congruence was almost exact and it had put itself in place – it was free of intervention by human hands. Most importantly, I was considering the scientific account first, which ruled out partiality or clouded judgement." [15]

James D. Dane from Yale University, first in his class of graduates, said:

"The grand old Book of God still stands; and this old earth, the more its leaves are turned over and pondered, the more it will sustain and illustrate the Sacred word." [16]

5) The preservation of the Bible in spite the effort to destroy it

Basically, from the moment of its existence, Christianity and its "members" have been persecuted and killed. The life and experience of Jesus was, in some way, a picture of what his disciples/followers would also have to go through. During many periods of world history, a similar thing happened to the Bible. Godless, despotic governments tried to destroy the physical Bible, whereas in an earlier time, the church, in a similar way, tried to keep it out of the hands of the people. At some times in history, ownership of the Bible was actually illegal and was very severely punished. Despite this effort to destroy the Bible, these people are forgotten to history whereas the Bible has lasted and flourishes even more than at any other period.

6) The influence on history

Whether we recognise it or not, the values that we consider to be natural and normal (for example, the place/standing of women in our society, ethical norms, human dignity, the foundation of a system of laws and so on) stand on the pillars of Christianity – therefore on the Bible. The whole of western civilization is based on Christian foundations without which we certainly would not have existed in such a form as we do today. Few are aware of the reality that Christianity is also more or less behind the birth of modern science. Godly scientists who were often at the beginning of many scientific fields and the same philosophical supposition that goes with it, a faith in the God of the Bible, can be given credit (for modern science). More time will be given to this question in the section science and faith.

7) The influence on mankind

Simply put, the Bible changes the lives of millions of people. Many of those for whom modern psychology has been of no help have found that the Bible has changed their lives and helped them to deal with their problems. I, myself, can personally sign my name under this point. God not only speaks to us through the Bible, but He also forms us, changes our attitudes, our view of the world, helps us to orient ourselves in the complex situations of our world, and gives us hope for the life that follows our death. The message about Jesus, a central theme, frees people from many types of bondage and addictions. It brings supernatural peace, love and change where chaos, fear, hatred and depression frequently reign.

8) Jesus Christ

We will discuss the proof pointing to the facts of Jesus' resurrection from the dead, His deity, and so on in the following section of questions. However, we must refer to this argument (concerning Jesus) in the context of the support for Biblical inspiration. The whole Bible, including the Old Testament, centres on the coming of the King of kings and Lord of lords who will bring peace and reign forever and ever. This person is no other than the Lord Jesus Christ. If, therefore, we are going to talk about the proof for the inspiration of some of the textual material, we should certainly explore the person of whom these texts speak and whether or not this object is credible. Further on we will show that Jesus is credible and we can take His historicity as indisputable. All of this confirms that the Bible is speaking about real and objective facts.

9) The Jewish people

Many thousands of years ago, God chose the Jewish people to be a special nation through which He would give the Messiah and in turn would reveal God to mankind. Unfortunately, in many places the Old Testament points to the fact that this nation failed, was unfaithful to God, and several times was on the edge of complete annihilation. However, for the sake of His promises and faithfulness, God chose to sustain this nation. Even before Jesus came, God promised the Jews that their nation would never cease to exist ("I will leave a remnant") and that one day they would return to their country. Many world empires have fallen and have been destroyed, nations have been wiped out/annihilated, however, the Jewish race surprisingly has withstood.

"I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a reproach, a byword, a taunt, and a curse in all the places where I shall drive them." (Jeremiah 24:9. Also referenced in the books of Deuteronomy, Ezekiel, Hosea and Luke)

"In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people,… and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth" (Isaiah 11:11-12)… "Thus says the Lord GOD: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel." (Ezekiel 11:17)… '"I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them", says the LORD your God.' (Amos 9:15)

Of course, from their viewpoint at that time, they did not understand these words. We, however, can know what prophetic and wonderful words they were. The state of Israel disappeared when Jerusalem was conquered in 70AD. The Jewish people were scattered to all corners of the world after a certain amount of time (prophesied). Wherever they went, they became objects of hatred (prophesied) and finally, there was an effort to annihilate them completely, just as in earlier times (prophesied). At one time, they were persecuted by Egypt, Persia, Babylon, and later by Greece and Rome, particularly the church itself, or more specifically by Hitler. No other nation on the planet can claim such an unenviable prerogative. Many times throughout the centuries, people have tried to annihilate them. They did not exist as a state for almost 2,000 years, but only as various groups of individuals and families. Despite all of this, they survived impossible odds in a simply miraculous way – and once again they have their own country. A person with an average education knows about Israel. This tiny country is the subject and interest of nearly the whole world. It came into existence in 1948, just a few years after a repeated brutal attempt to annihilate the nation. It originated in the midst of armed Arab states that wanted to (and still want to) destroy it. Israel however, is still here and is much more powerful than it was previously. The Jewish people have, to a great degree, had a great influence on the development of science. Simply put, the Jewish nation has no competitors in the history of planet Earth. The fact that it still exists is a miracle in and of itself. Of course, it is not anything unexpected for those who take the Bible seriously.

10) Other arguments

Defenders of the Bible use even other arguments to support it and its uniqueness. Some are concrete, others are of a rather general nature. One thing to mention is the fact that it is not possible to "exhaust" the Bible. Hundreds of Bible commentaries exist in addition to it. It inspires innumerable topics for preaching, yet new lessons and knowledge are still being uncovered.

The Biblical message is universal and the most unsophisticated person can understand it. On the other hand, the greatest intellectuals of all times have contended with it. One author has compared it to a swimming pool. On one side it is shallow so that children can paddle in it. However, the same pool is deep at the other end and one must swim there. Therefore, everyone can understand the basics of God's will. The Bible is also universal for all cultures.

We can mention, in particular, the fact that works written by humans exalt mankind. They describe the heroic acts of the main characters and diminish or cover up their mistakes and questionable actions. On the other hand, the Bible exalts God and at the same time does not present its main characters in the best light. Indeed, it does the opposite – in its descriptions it is simply brutally honest. As well as recording the victorious faith of its main characters, it also describes their great mistakes, failures and sins. Many times it even describes important events unfavourably. As an example, we can state the fact that the first witnesses to the empty tomb where Jesus had been placed were women. At that time, a woman's testimony would not have been taken into consideration. Another example is the human weakness of Jesus when he called from the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

This is quite uncomfortable information for those who claimed that Jesus was God, yet the Bible records it. Why does it do this? Simply because it happened that way…

Summation

It is difficult to state in a few sentences the challenge for "proof that the Bible is from God". As you yourselves have been able to see, we can study it from many various fields that relate to the question. All of them form strong arguments pointing to the fact that the Bible is not just an ordinary book.