The Reliability of the Bible Essay Example

teachings, and spiritual essence. For over 1900 years, the Bible has remained unchanged without any need for alterations or amendments. The authors of the Bible come from diverse backgrounds such as Moses—a educated political leader; Joshua—a military commander; Solomon—a king; Daniel—a Prime Minister; Nehemiah—a cupbearer; and Amos—a herdsman.

Despite their diverse backgrounds, Matthew as a tax collector, Simon Peter as a fisherman, and Paul as a rabbi all come to a unanimous agreement on crucial eternal matters. The fascinating aspect is that this agreement transcends differences in backgrounds, time spans, cultures, and languages. According to Kennedy (23-24), the only plausible explanation for this is that although human writers penned the Bible, its true author is God. This unity amidst diversity serves as one of Kennedy's points highlighting the extraordinary nature of the Bible.

The remarkable aspect is that a varied group of individuals has come to a consensus on controversial matters throughout an extended duration. There might be doubt regarding the genuineness and intended interpretation of their statements, but this will be examined further in the document. Currently, the answer is undoubtedly affirmative.

The formation of the Scriptures we know as the Bible is accompanied by other extraordinary events, which can be considered a miracle.

The miracles recorded in Scripture are authenticating and cannot be dismissed as products of a prescientific era. Unlike other ancient sources, biblical miracles possess a restrained character. As C. S. Lewis mentions in "Miracles," they do not occur randomly, but instead concentrate around crucial moments in divine revelation.

The frequent occurrence of miracles reduces their importance as a means of verification. However, miracles become impressive

when they happen in a meaningful context, as seen throughout the biblical account (Inch, 96-97). Thus, the presence of miracles in the formation of scripture emphasizes the exceptional nature of the Bible and calls for further examination.

The reliability of the New Testament

R. C. Sproul emphasized the importance of the New Testament's reliability in understanding Jesus and establishing a historical foundation for Christianity (Sproul, 249). Without this reliability, Christianity would become obscure and esoteric, reducing Jesus to a mere matter of personal opinion. To assess a document's trustworthiness, various tests such as the internal evidence test can be employed.

The Internal Evidence Test

The testimony of Jesus provides strong evidence for the divine origin of the Bible, as even non-Christians recognize his teaching ability. Jesus confirmed that the Old Testament is God's Word and promised to assist his disciples in finding all truth. He considered the Bible not only authoritative but also as God's exact words. Additionally, we have numerous scriptures that confirm their own trustworthiness and status as God's word.

We did not create clever tales when discussing the power and coming of Jesus Christ. Instead, we directly witnessed His greatness (2 Peter 1:16, NKJV). We are sharing what we have seen and heard so that you too can participate in our connection with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ (1 John 1:3, NKJV).

Numerous individuals have begun documenting the incidents that have transpired within our midst. These writers were both firsthand observers and servants of the message, and they have imparted their encounters to us. I too resolved to compose a meticulously structured account for

you, Theophilus, as I possess an all-encompassing understanding of all occurrences from the very start (Luke 1:1-3, NKJV).

The record of scripture presents a unified narrative, but it does not serve as definitive proof for the events it describes. Instead, it underscores a shared storyline. There is potential for skepticism regarding the possibility of a conspiracy behind the creation of this account. However, Don Bierle provides an intriguing explanation by emphasizing that the New Testament documents were written early on, making it improbable for legends to develop within just 20-30 years after Jesus' death.

According to F.F. Bruce, the disciples had to be cautious and avoid any inaccuracies or intentional manipulation of facts since they would easily be exposed by those who would be eager to do so. It is not known for any legends to have emerged during the same generation as the events and people involved, as Bierle explains. Additionally, Bierle emphasizes the immense difficulties in fabricating a history while the original witnesses are still alive.

The teachings and deeds of Jesus were quickly recorded and shared in written form following his death and resurrection. In contrast, it would be difficult today to publish a completely fictional biography about former president John F. Kennedy.

The text claims that JFK is credited with performing extraordinary feats such as walking on water, healing the sick, resurrecting the dead, and miraculously feeding a crowd of 5000 with limited resources. Following his death, it is believed that he was witnessed ascending to heaven by over 500 people and has since become the central figure of worship in a growing religious movement (Bierle, 41-42).