Studying the Bible

I just started going to church and I know nothing about the Bible. I was
not raised in a church environment. I would like to learn. If my pastor
asks us to turn to a certain place in the Bible, I have no idea where it is or
how to get there, so I just don’t take a Bible with me; I just listen. Where
do I begin?

Some of the great characteristics of the Bible are its complexity, depth,
and sheer volume. God did not send just a little information, but He sent
us everything He wanted us to have in this life to learn about Him, His
love for us, His provision of salvation, and how to live life victoriously
through Him. And thankfully, the Bible isn’t a book that you can read
through once and set aside saying, “That’s done.” Quite the contrary! If
you ask any elderly man or woman who has given their life to living for
God and studying His Word, they will likely tell you they have merely
scratched the surface of it, though perhaps they have read it through
hundreds of times!

You have decided that you would like to learn the Bible, and I want to
encourage you with a few thoughts on why Bible study is profitable, how
to begin, and what you can do when questions arise.

WHY LEARN THE BIBLE?

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine,

for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (2 Timothy
3:16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
See All...) The first thing to do if you want to learn the Bible is to
recognize that it is God’s personal message to His human creation. In it
are the words of life! He chose to use men to put it on paper, but every
word is exactly what He intended. Secondly, realize that the Bible is both
written for all people and, at the same time, specifically for you. It is an
instruction manual, a love letter, an historical record, and much more.
Knowing these things should make opening God’s Word an exciting
venture on a personal level.

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to
be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15Study to
shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
See All...) God has commanded us to study His word. The Lord wants us
to be joyful, fruitful, and at peace with Him, so He gave us a book full of
great truths to help us achieve those things. Much like a parent requiring
his child to do homework; it is not done so to be overbearing or
unreasonable, but out of love, because the parent knows what benefit it
will bring the child…and what detriment, if the effort is neglected.

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received
the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily,
whether those things were so. (Acts 17:11These were more noble than
those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of
mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
See All...) Listening to the preacher during church is a good priority. God
has established preaching as a means for spreading the Gospel (1
Corinthians 1:21For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom
knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save
them that believe.
See All...). However, since God has also provided you with a copy of His
Word, you have a responsibility to make sure what you hear from any
pulpit (or read on the web or in another book, etc.) agrees with what you
read in the Bible. The Bible is the ultimate authority on truth, not any
man or woman. Now, that is not to say that you can’t trust your pastor or
someone else who may be teaching you. It is only to say that you should
verify what you hear by God’s own words. Be concerned and raise
questions when you hear or read something that doesn’t agree with the
Bible. Pray for clarification. Get a second or third opinion, if necessary.

Until you become more familiar with the Bible and more skilled at turning
to particular verses, I recommend bringing a notebook and a pen to
church. Make note of any references that you would like to read for
yourself, and look them up later at your own pace. Be wary of any
preaching or teaching that isn’t backed up by specific verses. We all like
to espouse our opinions, but that doesn’t mean God agrees with us.

HOW TO BEGIN

Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
(Psalm 119:18Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things
out of thy law.
See All...)

Begin every effort to study the Bible with prayer. God has the ability and
the desire to help you, so ask.

The very best way to begin learning the Bible is to spend time in it; the
more, the better. In the front of your Bible there should be a listing of all
the books found in the Old and New Testaments. If not, make your own
list. Read through the list once a day for a while. Flip through the pages
to find the beginning of each Book. This will start to give you an idea of
the length of each book and where it falls relative to the front and back
covers of your Bible. You could also set out to read the first few verses of
each book over the course of a week. Make some notes about the content
of those first verses and any names mentioned. Check out our article on
the “Seven Natural Divisions of the Bible”. These exercises are to help
you become more familiar with your Bible.

Bible study requires time and effort, but I promise it is worth it. God will
reward your desire to study His word. Throughout your efforts, you will
begin to see things that catch your eye – interesting verses and stories.
Don’t be afraid to jump around in your study. You don’t have to sit down
and read the Bible from front to back in that order. Just open it and read!
The book of John is a great place to start. In the Old Testament, try
Genesis. I know it’s the first book, but it really is full of many of the Bible
stories I remember hearing as a child.

And, although the Bible can be very entertaining to read, that is not its
purpose. As you read, think about why God chose to include the things He
did. Do you see any application to your own life? Write down any verses
that have special significance to you and try memorizing them. You’ll be
surprised how God’s word begins to pop into your mind throughout today.
That’s one way God works in the hearts of his children.

WHERE TO GO FOR HELP

And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and
said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I,
except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would
come up and sit with him. (Acts 8:30-31 [30] And Philip ran thither to
him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest
thou what thou readest? [31] And he said, How can I, except some man
should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit
with him.
See All...) When I first started reading the Bible, I had a lot of basic
questions; so many, in fact, that I almost gave up. Then I met someone
who really seemed to know a lot about the Bible and believe it with his
whole heart. He really loved God’s Word. I went to him with many of my
questions, and he always took the time to help me understand what I was
reading. Eventually, once I understood enough of the Bible to realize I
was a sinner in need of salvation through Jesus Christ, this friend showed
me from God’s word how I could be saved. What a glorious day that was!

Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. (1 Thessalonians

5:24Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
See All...) If you pray, asking God to help you learn the Bible and
understand the truth of His word, I am fully persuaded that He will
provide you with the help you need. Write down any questions that you
have while studying the Bible, then set out to find the answers. Ask your
pastor or Sunday School teacher to explain confusing verses or passages.
Do some research on LearnTheBible.org. (Some of your questions may be
addressed on our site.) Ask others whom you trust to be knowledgeable
believers of God’s Word. Then, as always, verify what you read or hear
with what the Bible says. And remember, God does not expect you to
know everything about the Bible right away. It is a life-long pursuit.
However, as long as you are seeking to learn, He will make sure you
continue to grow. He will see that you have just what you need.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psalm
119:105Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
See All...)

Before I was saved, I would open my Bible and read, but there was
nothing special about it. Often, the writing even seemed confusing,
repetitive, and without order. I was reading it as I would any other book,
but it is not like any other book! Then I sincerely prayed to God, saying,
“Lord, I want to understand what you have written – please help me!” It
wasn’t until I showed God my sincerity that He began to bless me with
some answers. Now, I look forward to spending the rest of my life
seeking and discovering His truth!

The characteristics of God's revelation

So how would God authenticate His message so that skeptics could be sure the Bible was truly from God and not
just the writings of mere men? Here are several key points.

1. The Bible was written by about 40 different authors (the exact number is not certain)
over a span of 1600 years.

You've seen those story starters that ask you to continue the story. Imagine the result of different people
continuing a story starter like this over centuries resulting in one unified message. It would be almost impossible
for that many people to write one continuous story containing a single message without contradiction unless
inspired by God. Imagine a group of doctors over a thousand-year period writing on the subject of medical
practice. They would quickly be discrediting previous authors as new discoveries are made. Even when a few
authors write about a single event, such as WW2, a number of contradictory accounts are created. Yet the Bible
contains no accounts that have been proven to be genuine contradictions. Only a few minor questions can even
be raised about specific points that are mentioned by certain writers and left out in other accounts.

Naturally, God chose one group or family of peoples to record and carefully guard His message to the world. He
chose the Jewish people, a small defined race that maintained its identity over many centuries. Through a
unique, highly sophisticated language, these writers maintained a remarkable level of accuracy as these accounts
were transmitted over many generations.

God's divine communication to the human race was transmitted by divine inspiration to individual writers, but
recorded in a permanent written form capable of being examined and read by the writer's contemporaries and
every generation from every race that was to come in the future.

2. The Bible contains information that could not have been written by any person without
divine inspiration.

Hundreds of detailed prophecies were fulfilled exactly as described up to hundreds of years after those
predictions were made. Some were calculated to the exact day of the future event. No one but God can predict
the future.

3. God inspired biblical writers to record His infinite wisdom and truth.

The wisdom of the Bible continues to transcend all of man's wisdom, even today. None of the guidelines for living
contained in the Bible have been proven to be less than ideal at any point in human history, by any civilization.

4. The writers of the Bible present themselves with all their faults and weaknesses.

This is significant, because it runs against human nature to find authors revealing themselves with such candor.
Authors recording typical human history always try to present themselves in the best light possible. In addition,
the biblical revelations contain intricate details that have been verified with secular archeological records, proving
the overall truthfulness of the historical accounts.

5. The Bible contains advanced medical and sanitation knowledge that was thousands of
years ahead of its time.

This medical knowledge from the Bible continues to be corroborated by the most sophisticated new medical
science. Hundreds of the commands revealed by Moses refer to sophisticated medical knowledge of bacterial
infection and other issues.

6. There continue to be hundreds of times as many original manuscripts of the biblical

records as there are of any other historical book from equivalent time periods.

This fact demonstrates not only that the Bible was the most significant book at any point in history, but that it
remained completely unchanged throughout all the centuries. Over 24,000 manuscripts of the New Testament
alone exist today despite the fact that the Roman emperors attempted to kill all Christians and burn their books.

7. A careful study of the original Hebrew manuscripts reveal unique mathematical

designs.

These sequences are so complex that no human could possibly have produced them. Although some
mathematicians are convinced that these codes are simply random occurances, and many Christians reject the
idea that they exist, no relevant codes of this type have been found in other books despite numerous attempts to
do so. Since many different authors wrote the books of the Bible, there is no human explanation for these
mathematical intricacies except divine inspiration.
There are a number of important characteristics of the Bible that
should hold our attention.
• Posted by UDDY on January 2, 2009 at 8:38am in Spirit and Self
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(1) Its unity: The Bible at first sight appears to be merely a collection of ancient
literature. However, considering that it was written by approximately forty authors over a
period of nearly sixteen hundred years, its unity is amazing. The plan of salvation is
revealed progressively from Genesis to Revelation. There is unity in its theme: The
Messiah is promised throughout the Old Testament and declared in every New Testament
book to have come in the person of Jesus Christ. And there is complete harmony of
teaching:

The doctrines of the Old and New Testament are the same. (2) The history it
portrays: The Old Testament embodies the oldest history of any people in the world.
William F. Albright, the greatest archaeologist of the twentieth century, wrote, “Hebrew
national tradition excels all other in its clear picture of tribal and family origins. In Egypt
and Babylonia, in Assyria and Phoenicia, in Greece and Rome, we look in vain for
anything comparable. There is nothing like it in the tradition of the Germanic peoples.
Neither India nor China can produce anything similar.”—The Biblical Period From
Abraham to Ezra (New York: Harper, Torch Book, 1963), p. 27.

(3) Its survival: The Bible, compared with other ancient writings, has more
manuscript evidence than any other piece of classical literature—in spite of early
attempts by Roman emperors to destroy it. For example, there are more than five
thousand known Greek manuscripts of the New Testament in existence. Homer’s Iliad is
second with only 643 manuscripts that have survived. The reason for this phenomenon is
the Holy Spirit, the real author of God’s Word, who inspired all the human authors. He
ensured that the biblical historians presented an accurate picture, and He watched over
the history and preservation of the Bible.
 Fulfilled Prophecy, God’s
own proof of the Bible
“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All
the kingdoms of the earth the LORD
God of heaven has given me. And he
was commanded me to build him a
house at Jerusalem which is in Judah.
Who is among you of all his people?
May his God be with him, and let him
go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah
and build the house of the LORD God
of Israel (he is God), which is in
Jerusalem. And whoever is left in any
place where he dwells, let the men of
his place help him with silver and
gold, besides freewill offerings for
the house of God which is in
Jerusalem.” Ezra 1:2-4.

This is the proclamation by Cyrus to release the people of

Judah, the Jews from their Babylonian captivity. Now this is
history, old stuff, it’s in the history books as well as recorded
here in the Bible, in Ezra 2:2-4. You may be thinking, ‘So
what? What does this have to do with proving the Bible is
God’s inspired Word and not the writings of some nomadic
wondering Jews? Let’s establish a few facts. Isaiah was a
prophet of God writing from the southern kingdom of Judah
Why do during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah,
established as having lived some 116 years before Cyrus
many was born. Isaiah penned what follows 116 years before
Cyrus was born and 180 years before the event recorded in
Ezra 1:2-4 occurred!

“I am the L ORD who makes all

things, who stretches out the
heavens all alone, who spreads
abroad the earth by myself;…who
says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,
and he shall perform all my pleasure,
saying to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be
built,’ and to the temple, ‘Your
foundation shall be laid.’” Isaiah
44:24, 28.

One of the greatest proofs that the Bible is indeed the Word
of God is the internal evidences of inspiration found in
fulfilled prophecy that is now part of the history books. Ezra
is one of the historic books of the Bible, and is verifiable in
secular history. Isaiah is known to have lived during the
reigns stretching from Uzziah to Hezekiah, and was killed by
Hezekiah’s evil son, Manasseh. He penned these words
around 716BC (Verifiable dates of Isaiah’s life, death of
Uzziah, 740BC through time of Sennacherib’s death,
 churches use the Bible as
their sole source of teaching?
Christian churches of an evangelical base generally use the Bible as the sole
authority for their beliefs and practices because they accept the Bible as God's
inspired, infallible Word. The foundation for this belief comes from the
combination of many overwhelming facts:

(1) The Testimony of Scripture. The Bible itself, claims to be the truly inspired
word of God. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Tim. 3:16).
The term "inspiration" comes from the Greek, THEOPNEUSTOS, which means
"God breathed." Elsewhere, the scripture says, "For prophecy never came by the
will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2
Pet. 1:21).

(2) The Testimony of Jesus. Jesus endorsed the reliability of the scriptures by
repeated claims that God was the author, that they were authoritative, and
continually quoted from them (Matt. 19:4,5, Matt. 24:37-38, Luke 4:1-13, Luke
17:28-31, John 6:49, Luke 24:27). If one has confidence in Christ's infallibility,
one must also bring an equal weight of confidence to the credibility of the Bible
from which He based His teachings.

(3) The Bible's Harmony. One of the most unique characteristics about the Bible
which shows a divine origin, is its unity despite its diverse, composite structure. It
was composed by dozens of different authors who lived hundreds of years apart,
who spoke different languages and lived in different cultures. Yet the Bible
speaks with complete harmony from Genesis to Revelation, and conveys one
consistent theme throughout: God's redemption of man.

According to Christian apologist, Josh McDowell,¹ this remarkable trait of

scripture is retained throughout, even though it was:

(a) Written during a span of 1,500 years.

(b) Written over 40 generations.
(c) Written by over 40 authors from every walk of life including kings,
peasants, philosophers, fishermen, poets, statesmen, scholars, etc.
(d) Written in different places — everywhere from dungeons to palaces.
(e) Written at different times — sometimes in war others in peace.
(f) Written during different moods — sometimes in joy others in sadness.
(g) Written on three continents (Asia, Africa, and Europe)
(h) Written in three languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek)

To illustrate the phenomenal harmony of scripture, McDowell tells the story of his
encounter with a sales representative of the "Great Books of The Western
World," a series of writings by some of the great philosophers of ancient and
modern times. He challenged the representative to take just ten of the authors,
all from the same walk of life, the same time period, the same place, the same
language and pose to them one controversial subject. Would they agree? The
gentleman paused, then replied, "No! You would have a conglomeration."
However the Bible is far more complex and does agree. It is a harmonious book
covering many intricate and controversial issues. This fact points to an all
knowing, all powerful God behind its construction and composition.

(4) The Survival of Scriptures. There is no other literature in history that has
been more of a target of destruction than the Bible. Yet, it has miraculously
withstood every challenge to its survival — unquestionable evidence of divine
preservation. The Bible has been attacked by atheistic philosophies, higher
criticism, modernists, liberal theologians, rationalists, humanists, scientific
skeptics, communists and every conceivable brand of critic. And not only has it
survived the determined and aggressive assaults, it has consistently triumphed
over all its enemies.

The noted theologian, Bernard Ramm, writes in his book, Protestant Christian
Evidences; "No other book has been so chopped, knifed, sifted, scrutinized, and
vilified. What book on philosophy or religion or psychology or belles letters of
classical or modern times has been subject to such a mass attack as the Bible?
with such venom and skepticism? with such thoroughness and erudition? upon
every chapter, line and tenet? ... Yet the Bible is still loved by millions, read by
millions, and studied by millions."

An example of the way the Bible outlives its critics: during the 18th century, the
French infidel Voltaire confidently boasted of the eventual extinction of
Christianity and the Bible. However, only fifty years after his death the Geneva
Bible Society actually used his own press and house to produce scores of Bibles.

In 303 A.D., Roman Emperor Diocletian issued an edict pronouncing the

obliteration of Christianity. "... an imperial letter was everywhere promulgated,
ordering the razing of churches to the ground and the destruction by fire of the
scriptures, and proclaiming that those who held high positions would lose all civil
rights, while those in households, if they persisted in their profession of
Christianity, would be deprived of their liberty." And yet it was his successor, the
emperor Constantine the Great, who issued the "Edict of Milan" only 10 years
later, which ordered the cessation of persecution against the church (and the
Bible) and legalized Christianity.

(5) Enduring Acceptance. The Bible continues to be the best selling book in
history. No other piece of literature can compare to its widespread acceptance. It
has managed to survive the continual attacks of critics, and its popularity has not
been eroded by time or persecution. The Latin Vulgate Bible was the first major
book printed on the Gutenberg press in the 1450's, and since then more than
seven billion copies have been printed. No other book comes close to its
popularity and circulation. It has been translated, entirely or in part, into nearly
nineteen hundred languages or dialects.

Scores of great historical figures have accepted and staked their honor upon
their confidence in the Bible. The great scientist, Sir Isaac Newton, wrote, "There
are more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any other profane
history." The father of our nation, George Washington, wrote "It is impossible to
rightly govern the world without God and the Bible." Abraham Lincoln said, "I
believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from the
Savior of the world is communicated to us through this book." And another
notable president, Woodrow Wilson, made this profound statement: "When you
have read the Bible, you will know it is the Word of God, because you will have
found it the key to your own heart, your own happiness, and your own duty."²

The uniqueness of the Bible's long-standing acceptance by millions, both great

and common, and its durability throughout the centuries attests to its divine origin
and preservation.

(6) Manuscript Accuracy. The Bible has more manuscript evidence supporting
its reliability and accuracy that any ten pieces of ancient literature combined.
According to McDowell, there are over 5,300 known Greek manuscripts of the
New Testament, over 10,000 of the Latin Vulgate, and at least 9,300 other early
versions, and we have more than 24,000 manuscript copies of portions of the
New Testament in existence today.¹

No other document of antiquity even comes close to such numbers or attestation.

In comparison, another ancient writing, Homer's Iliad, is second with only 643
manuscripts that still survive. The accuracy of translation and the massive
amount of manuscripts in existence, gives tremendous credence to the divine
authorship and preservation of the Bible.

(7) Scientific Accuracy. Despite efforts to the contrary, no fact or discovery of

science has ever disproven any of the claims of the Bible. In fact, the progress of
science only continues to confirm the scriptures' accuracy.

For example, long before man knew anything about bacteria, God commanded
the Israelites to remove human waste and bury it outside the camp (Deut. 23:12-
13). This prevented the spread of deadly disease. Had this direction been
followed by the people of Europe in the middle ages, the infamous black plague,
which spread from the open sewers flowing freely in the city streets, would not
have killed thousands.³

As we know from history, it was 15th century explorers that discovered that the
world wasn't flat as had been thought, but the Bible had already declared that the
earth was round (Isa. 40:22).
Before the invention of the telescope, gazers tried to count the number of stars
that filled the skies, such as Ptolemy who established the number at 1,056.
Today, we know that such estimates were futile, but as far back as 600 B.C. the
prophet Jeremiah revealed that the number of stars were innumerable (Jer.
33:22).

Perhaps one of science's most amazing testimonies of its interface with the Bible
is contained in a document found in the Bodleian Library of Oxford, England. The
following statement was signed by eight hundred of Great Britain's scientists:
"We the undersigned, Students of the natural sciences, desire to express our
sincere regret that researchers into scientific truth are perverted by some in our
own times into occasion for casting doubt upon the truth and authenticity of the
Holy scriptures. We conceive that it is impossible for the Word of God written in
the book of nature, and God's Word written in Holy scripture, to contradict one
another."²

(8) Prophetic Accuracy. The fulfillment of Bible prophecy is one of the greatest
proofs of the authenticity of God's Word. There are hundreds of prophecies in the
Bible which list specific detail in regard to persons, places, events and times, and
history has repeatedly shown such prophecies relating to the past were fulfilled in
the most exact of terms (as they will also for future events).

An example of such involves the 6th century B.C. prediction of the overthrow of
the city of Tyre (Ezek. 26:1-21). Seven specific things were predicted, and each
were later fulfilled to the letter during the 4th century B.C. The mathematical
probability of this happening by mere chance has been calculated to be 1 in
75,000,000.

Perhaps the most amazing series of prophetic fulfillments involves the numerous
Messianic predictions concerning Christ. The Old Testament contains 332
specific prophecies which were fulfilled by Christ. These not only bear proof of
His divine authenticity, but they also help substantiate the divine authorship of
the Bible.

In the book, Science Speaks, Professor Peter Stoner used the mathematical
principle called "the Law of Compound Probability," to assess some of the
prophecies relating to Christ. Simply stated, this law is used to calculate the odds
against a "chance" fulfillment of such predictions when compounded by a specific
set of conditions, requirements, or qualifications. His findings were carefully
evaluated by the American Scientific Affiliation, and were found to be sound and
convincing. By this method, he was able to show evidence that would rule out
coincidence, chance or human manipulation in the fulfillment of biblical prophecy.

Stoner started by calculating the probability of one individual who could precisely
fulfill only eight prophecies relating to Christ. He computed the odds at 1 in 10
(17th power), the same as 1 followed by 17 zeros. This is the equivalent of
covering the entire state of Texas 2 feet deep in silver dollars, specially marking
one of them, and instructing a blindfolded man to pick the right silver dollar on the
first try.

Dr. Stoner then computed the odds of one individual that could fulfill just 48
prophecies relating to Christ. He calculated the odds at 1 X 10 (to the 157th
power) — or 1 followed by 157 zeros. This figure is astronomical and beyond
human comprehension, but Christ fulfilled over 300 distinct prophecies, proving
the divine authorship of scripture beyond any doubt.

(9) Archaeological Evidence. The discoveries of archaeology have consistently,

and continually verified the reliability of the Bible. There has never been a
discovery which has contradicted a scriptural reference, and to this day, ongoing
research continues to show that the Bible was correct about its references to
historical figures, civilizations and cities. Nelson Glueck, the renowned Jewish
archaeologist wrote, "it may be stated categorically that no archaeological
discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference."¹

During the excavations of Jericho archaeologist John Garstang found something

so starling that a statement of what was found was prepared and signed by
himself and two other members of his team. In reference to these findings,
Garstang said, "As to the main fact then, there remains no doubt: the walls fell
outwards so completely that the attackers would be able to clamber up and over
their ruins into the city." Why so unusual? Because the walls of cities do not fall
outwards, they fall inwards. And yet in Joshua 6:20 we read "...the wall fell down
flat, so that the people went up into the city every man straight ahead, and they
took the city."¹

(10) Sacrifice of Martyrs. Millions have laid down their lives in defense of the
Bible. Foxes Book of Martyrs describes scores of believers who historically
endured banishments, torture, confiscation of property, and imprisonment rather
than to deny their confidence in the Holy Scripture. William Tyndale was tried as
a heretic, strangled and burned to death in 1536 for translating the Bible into the
language of ordinary people. John Hus was burned at the stake in 1415 because
he taught that the Bible was the only inspired and reliable message from God to
man. If the Bible was a mere book, without the attestation of such remarkable
internal and external proofs, persons would not have been willing to throw away
their lives for a book of fairy tales. Among other evidence, the Bible has spoken
to men's hearts and changed their lives, therefore they know it is true and have
been willing to die for it.

(11) The Resurrection of Jesus. Christ's resurrection confirmed that Jesus is

who He claimed to be, and that His own statements regarding scripture are
reliable. The fact of the resurrection can be proven by many "infallible proofs"
(Acts 1:3). The appearance of Christ after the resurrection was verified by more
than 500 eyewitnesses (1 Cor. 15:6) who touched, spoke to, and ate with him.
The number of witnesses, together with the circumstances and various
appearances provide powerful proofs that the resurrection was not a hoax or plot.
These witnesses were of high moral integrity and many were executed for their
defense of the resurrection. Authorities claim more evidence of the resurrection
than any other event in history.¹

(12) Personal witness and Transformation. When one reads the scripture, it
speaks to the heart and bears witness to our inner, spiritual man. This attests
that it is a communication of God designed to speak to the heart of man — and
that message changes and transforms lives. The Bible has produced the same
life changing effect upon the lives of millions all over the world, despite whatever
differences of sex, age, nationality, culture, social class, vocation, intellect, or
religious background. Millions of born again Christians are a testimony of the
transforming power of God's Word.

The Bible tells us what God wants us to know, and it does so in the best
way possible.
The books of the Bible are totally perfect and very precise in the way they say things,
even though they do not say things the way people often want them to be said. What
people want and what they need are two different things.

These three things can be said about the Bible's message:

• It is totally accurate, precise, to the point, and it does not waste time on
unimportant issues. (People often prefer to focus on trivial matters, while
ignoring what the Bible says is of greater importance.)

• It cannot be corrected since it is already correct in its entirety. (People often

criticize the Bible, because it doesn't present issues the way they want them to
be presented, and it often disagrees with the opinions and viewpoints that
people have invented.)

• It cannot be improved in the form in which it was given to us, since it is

already written in the best form possible, so that it can communicate the
message that God wanted to communicate. (People often choose a method or
a literary structure that they think is best, and then criticize the Bible for not
being written that way.)

It is important to remember that the intended purpose of the message is not to distribute a
sterile list of doctrinal facts in an easy-to-memorize, "systematic" manner. Nor it its
purpose to give us a collection of "inspirational stories," which we can interpret in
whatever way we want. Rather, its purpose is to change a person's whole perspective on
reality, along with his conduct. It wants to make these changes within all the contexts of
life - even those not explicitly mentioned. The form in which the words of Scripture have
been given is the best form possible for accomplishing this task. Even if we do not fully
understand the reason for the way something is presented, we can trust God to
accomplish his purposes through it - even if those purposes involve other people, rather
than us!

Note that we are focusing here on the message of the Word, and the way God gave it to
us. There is history, poetry, doctrinal presentations, stories, songs, genealogies, and much
more. The Word was given to us over a span of perhaps 20 centuries, through
approximately 40 human authors who came from many different cultures and
backgrounds. Yet it all comes together as a unified message from God. Note that we are
not focusing on the issue of variations between manuscripts (copies of the original
documents which the apostles and prophets wrote). Passages do exist, in which there are
questions as to the exact wording. Yet we have thousands of manuscripts available for
examination, and it has been shown that, among all these variations, there are none which
have a significant impact on the message of the Word! (Errors of this type are just a fact
of life. Even today, with computers, printing presses and other forms of technology, there
are often spelling errors and other types of mistakes in printed literature. Even without
comparing thousands of manuscripts, we can normally understand the message being
communicated with no problem at all. I repeat: Errors of this type are just a fakt of life!)
There are many types of "resources" and "helps" that people have written, to aid us in
understanding the Bible. Some are helpful in certain ways - and we do not need to ignore this
fact. But too often, man's "improvements," which appear to help in one way, just serve to
hinder the Bible's ability to accomplish what God intends in other ways. At times, the only
thing they really prove is that "God's ways are not the same as man's ways" - and when this
is the case, man's ways are the wrong ways.

Many so-called "resources" have absolutely no legitimate place in the interpretation of the
Bible. Interpretational schemes and "keys" beyond number have been invented and
superimposed upon the Bible. It is claimed by proponents of such things that the Bible
cannot be correctly understood until their own favorite "key" or "basic principle" is accepted.
Yet if they were really necessary, God would have included them in his Word. Furthermore,
they would have been strongly emphasized, rather than being some obscure interpretation of
some isolated verse or "proof text." We must conclude that, since he didn't include them,
they aren't really necessary.

Other people try to make the Bible "relevant" by superimposing man-made teachings into the
Bible. Popular religious trends and viewpoints (or even non-religious worldly ones) are
suddenly "discovered," after being read-into the Bible, and then they are taught to others as
"the Christian perspective." Whatever the latest fad is, someone will come along, who will
reinterpret the Bible and then "prove" that the Bible teaches the fad they are trying to
promote. Frequently, there will be two or more groups holding contradictory viewpoints,
with each claiming that the Bible promotes their own view and not the others' view! This is
why many people claim (wrongfully so) that a person can prove "anything" with the Bible.

Of course, scheme-inventors will claim that the Bible supports their view. But people
normally have to be told to interpret a verse the way that the scheme promotes, before they
will begin to "see" it that way! They will not normally reach such a conclusion by simply
reading the Scriptures the way they are written.

As we said before, some resources are truly helpful. Yet even these might not be perfect in
all ways, for they are written by imperfect people. We who use them are also imperfect, and
are capable of abusing them. If there is ever a potential for conflict or disagreement between
a resource and the Bible, the message of the Bible as a whole must be given priority over the
resource.
We need to follow the example of the Bereans, mentioned in Acts 17:11. They were
unwilling to accept the words of the apostle Paul, until after they had compared what he said
with Scripture - and they were praised for having such an attitude! Certainly Paul was a
much greater "resource" than anything we have today!