A brief defense of our reliance on the Bible for ultimate truth.
Can the Bible be true, based on its own testimony?
How can we know for sure that the Bible is indeed God’s word and that what it says is true? We can know because the Bible says so!
You might say, “Wait just a minute! That is a circular argument! You are begging the question, and your statement is logically fallacious!”
On the surface, it certainly does seem that way. But can God reveal Himself to His people any way He sees fit? If so, could He not reveal Himself to believers through the Scriptures? The answer is, “Yes, He could, and He does.”
The believer can say with the utmost confidence “because the Bible says so” for the following reasons: the Bible is unique among all other books, it is self-authenticating, it is breathed out by God, God alone has ultimate Authority, and He alone is the ultimate Source of truth.
What makes the Bible so special?
There is no other book like the Bible. It is made up of 66 books, written in three different languages by more than forty authors from all walks of life and from three different continents. It took over 1400 years to write, and yet it maintains a perfect consistency of message from cover to cover. The Bible has accurately predicted future events hundreds of years in advance. This along with other such signs indicate its uniqueness.
These facts alone separate it entirely from any other book ever written. But I do not claim to be able to prove that it is the word of God. I don’t have to.
The Bible is self-authenticating.
The Holy Spirit (who is God) testifies supernaturally to the claims of the Bible, and the Bible bears evidence within itself of its own divine origins. (1 John 5:6-8, John 17:17)
You might reply by saying “This is a deduction based on Scripture itself; therefore, it is unacceptable to anyone who does not already agree with the accuracy of the Bible.”
Scripture is for believers (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The word of the cross is the power of God for us who are being saved, but at the same time, it is utter folly to those who are perishing (1 Corinthians 1:18). Although the natural person knows God exists, he suppresses the truth about this fact (Romans 1:18, 20). He does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14). Yet, faith comes by hearing and hearing through the word of Christ (Romans 10:18). Although the natural man rejects the word of God, God uses it to bring him to saving faith.
Just because unbelievers do not agree with the accuracy of Scripture does not mean it is inaccurate. In order for them to understand Scripture and know God in a saving way, God Himself will have to give them ears to hear and a heart to understand.
Those who truly follow God will recognize these truths to be self-evident. For those of us who believe, no other evidence is necessary; to those who will not believe, no evidence would ever be acceptable.
God, the Source of all truth, inspired the Bible.
The Bible being self-authenticating is not an arbitrary claim because it is “breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). Think about it.
God alone is the Source of all truth (Isaiah 65:16), and the Bible is inspired by Him (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Since all truth originates from God, there is no higher source from which to get truth. This type of circularity is entirely justifiable because it circles back to the original Source of all truth.
God is the ultimate Authority.
If a mathematician writes a math book, he is an authority and has the right to write a math book. Although he is an authority, he is not the ultimate authority. He is still subject to the laws of mathematics. However, even the laws of mathematics are not the ultimate authority because they exist within the created order.
The laws of mathematics are not self-existent or self-created. They, along with everything else, were brought into existence by God the ultimate source of everything (Genesis 1:1, John 1:1-3). He alone is eternal (without beginning or end Psalms 90:2), all-knowing (Psalms 147:5), all-powerful (Daniel 4:35), and everywhere (Jeremiah 23:23-24). He brought time, space, matter and energy into existence along with all the invisible laws that govern the universe, including mathematics (Genesis 1:1, John 1:1-5, Romans 1:20, Proverbs 3:19-20).
Even though an accountant can count, he cannot account for counting without God. Although unbelievers use laws of mathematics and logic, if they are to be consistent, they cannot justify the existence of these things apart from God.
Conclusion
The Bible is true because the God who made everything also made it, and He says it is true. The Bible is completely unique, it is self-authenticating, it is breathed out by God who alone is the ultimate Authority and the ultimate Source of all truth. Everyone knows God exists and yet, they suppress this truth. They reject the Scriptures not because they are not true, but because they are spiritually discerned.
However, it is through the word of Christ (the Gospel) that spiritually dead people are made alive and enemies of God are reconciled to Him. Once this happens, they too will treasure the truth of God’s Word, because His sheep hear His voice (John 10:27).
If anyone ever tells you that they don’t believe in the God of the Bible or that the Bible is not true, then you can simply ask “where do you get truth without God?”
Apart from God, unbelievers are left with an illogical, infinite regress. Without an absolute ultimate eternal Source of truth, all that remains is meaningless, subjective relativism.
How can you know this is true? Because the Bible says so!
~ Jeff Patton, Elder