Can We Really Trust the Bible?
“How do I know the Bible isn’t just a made-up book, changed a bunch of times over history? What if it’s full of mistakes?”
“Is the Bible really reliable, or has it been rewritten so many times that we can’t know what the original said? What if it’s just people’s opinions instead of God’s words? And if it’s supposed to guide my life, how can I be sure it’s not full of contradictions or myths? How can I trust a book that old to still matter today?”
The Bible is the most reliable ancient document in existence — backed by thousands of manuscripts, archaeology, fulfilled prophecy, and its life-changing power.
Skeptics often question the Bible’s historical accuracy, divine inspiration, and relevance. A Christian response highlights both evidence and spiritual authority:
Historical Reliability: The Bible was written over 1,500 years by more than 40 authors, yet it tells one unified story. It has more manuscript evidence than any other ancient text — over 5,800 New Testament manuscripts, with some as early as the second century. The Dead Sea Scrolls confirm the accuracy of Old Testament writings.
Archaeological Evidence: Discoveries continue to confirm Scripture’s history — from King David’s existence to once-doubted civilizations like the Hittites.
Internal Consistency: Despite diverse authors, the Bible’s message is remarkably unified — God’s plan of redemption through Jesus runs through every book.
Divine Inspiration: Scripture claims divine origin: “All Scripture is God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16); “Prophets… spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). The Bible contains hundreds of fulfilled prophecies, including over 300 about the Messiah fulfilled in Jesus.
Transformative Power: Across history, lives and societies have been changed by its message of grace, forgiveness, and justice.
Addressing Contradictions: Many supposed contradictions can be explained through context, genre, or translation. For example, Genesis 1 and 2 give different perspectives on creation (overview vs. close-up). Differences in Judas’s death accounts (Matthew 27:5 vs. Acts 1:18) reflect complementary details, not contradictions.
Conclusion: Far from being an unreliable, outdated book, the Bible is the most well-preserved and trustworthy text in history. Its historical reliability, fulfilled prophecy, divine inspiration, and ongoing impact all affirm that it is God’s Word, given to guide and transform our lives.
The REAL Question
If the Bible is trustworthy — and the evidence says it is — then it’s not just an old book, it’s God’s voice to you. The real issue isn’t “Can the Bible be trusted?” but “Will you trust the God who speaks through it?” You can keep treating it as theory, or you can open it, hear His words, and let them lead you to Jesus.