Can We Trust the Bible?

We have all, at one time or another, read or heard stories from the Bible. A great number of people view these stories as they would fairy tales or fables. This is probably because they have only been exposed to the types of Bible stories that appear in children's books and Sunday School classes.

Some people say they believe certain parts of the Bible, but most of it is just too far fetched to have really happened. They choose only the passages that suit them or make them feel good about themselves and quickly dismiss the rest as symbolic or fictional. There is yet another group of people who believe every word of the Bible is inspired by God Himself and the events recorded within are historically accurate. These people have committed themselves to studying the Scriptures and have devoted their lives to following God and His teachings. Why have so many people from so many different parts of the world placed their trust in what the Bible has to say?

A good place to start is to examine what the Bible says about itself. "All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16,17). According to this passage, the men who penned the books contained in the Bible received the words directly from the mouth of God. Also suggested here are several things for which God intends us to use His words. For many people, this alone is not enough evidence to convince them of the Bible's reliability. People tend to be skeptical by nature and usually need something more tangible to prompt them to buy into something. They need something they can actually see or touch.