Why I believe the Bible: – Adam Keegan
If you are like me, some of the points raised below will be very surprising. That is because there is a huge amount of mis information about the Bible that is widely portrayed in schools, cults, churches, universities, the media and movies etc. You have likely heard one of the many false narratives, but do you know any of the truth behind it?
While many don’t understand the Ye Olde English version (King James Version translated 400+ years ago), it is actually very economical in its explanations. Simple, down to earth language and illustrations often give in-depth and profound truth that has withstood intense and calculated scrutiny. Many people have devoted thrives lives to proving the Bible is false, only to be convinced of the opposite and start following it’s advice.
Although it is not a science book, it contains information about our observed world that can not be ignored. As one famous scientist once remarked: “a little science will turn you away from the Bible, but a lot of science will turn you right back to it!” (Albert Einstein).
But before we look at some specific evidence (and my personal experience with the Bible), have a think about these:
The fact that it survived
For years, in many places around the world, people found with any piece of the Bible were tortured and executed. Many Empires and Countries (including the Roman, Jewish, Chinese and Arab nations) where determined to eradicate the Bible (and Christianity) altogether. This continues in some parts of the world, yet many are willing to die instead of deny it’s divine authorship and devote their lives to sharing it with others. Tens of Thousands of people have willingly given up their lives preserving, translating or distributing the Bible despite the added persecution, threat of death and lack of financial gain.
People dying for the Bible
Christians are the most persecuted people group on the planet, yet they willingly stay committed to Jesus. Millions have died simply for refusing to deny the Bible’s message or author… There is no benefit, yet they remain loyal and steadfast in what they have discovered.
Tens of thousands were burned at the stake just for even owning the Bible. Many, as they were being tortured and dying, had only love and forgiveness for their murderers. I hope that you investigate its’ claims as seriously as their deaths demand…
Authorship
The Bible was written by more than 40 different writers from a huge diversity of cultures, time and backgrounds. Lowly Shepherds, tax collectors, prophets, doctors, disciples, Jewish and foreign kings…the wide scope is amazing. But what is even more amazing is that all the authors agree on the complex issues! How often do we find two authors agree on minor, let alone a wide range of controversial issues? In other religious books, later writings quickly contradict what was originally said while the Bible is consistent throughout.
Another incredible aspect is that all of the authors give total credit to God – some even remaining nameless: no credit or payment or fame is sought. The unanimous claim: “God inspired this book!”
“God inspired this book!”
Content – Honesty
While other religious writings try to ignore, condone or simply lie about the failings of their ‘heroes’, the Bible clearly describes the errors and faults of even the main characters. In fact, there is only One that is described without fault: Jesus! (SEE the People who God uses). You, with your faults, are not alone – and God loves you anyway!
Content – Eye Witnesses
If you have ever been to court, (or are a prosecutor, lawyer or law enforcement officer), you will know how much difference accurate eye-witness testimony makes.
In ancient history, the accuracy is often proportional to a) how many different witnesses there were that recorded the events and b) how long after the events occurred that they were written down.
The Bible can claim incredible numbers here – far exceeding any other ancient work. Tens of thousands of original manuscripts have been found, written by a wide variety of eye witnesses, and often only 50 years after the events! Much of what you read in the Bible was written by the very people who experienced / witnessed the said events!
Compare this to say Pliny the younger’s work: 7 documents written 750 years after the events…hardly a comparison!
Content – Message
The Bible’s message is consistent throughout, despite it’s variety of authors, locations and time zones (historical eras). It’s message, rules and ideals are directly opposite to culture: why would anyone want to write it? Non of the authors gained popularity by writing it – in fact quite the opposite.
The message itself is completely unique: Counter to popular belief, the Bible takes the emphasis off human effort (religion) and pretence – quite opposite to every other religion. It clearly shows God as a loving Father who desires to forgive humans that are desperately wicked and incapable of good at all.
The Bible goes to great lengths to explain that those who think they are good / religious are the very ones who are most in danger of being doomed!
Textual Accuracy
No other historical or religious texts can claim even one of the points the Bible has that count towards accuracy:
Written only 50 yrs after events occurred (for the New Testament)
The number of manuscripts available (tens of thousands).
Meticulous copying and cross-checking (by scribes) to avoid errors
Grammatically eloquent, Historically verified, Prophetically fulfilled, Scientifically correct, Archeologically proven – there really is no text on earth like it!
Dead Sea scrolls – proven to be reliable and completely complimentary (not contradictory) to the Bible as we have it today. This amazing discovery validates the Bibles’ accuracy incredibly.
Manuscripts discovered written a thousand years apart were word for word identical for 95%, the only changes were slips of the pen or name spellings, with no change in meaning. Compare this to any other work of antiquity where even a few hundred years bring in vast changes, omissions and additions (i.e. the Papyrus of Ani – Archer, SOT, 23-25)
Prophecy in the Bible
There are 3856 verses concerned with prophecy in the Bible! Intricate, specific and verifiable – unlike the vague and failed predictions of many false pagan prophets (think Nostradamus!)
Of 322 Prophecies about the Messiah, the odds for just 48 prophecies being fulfilled are one in 10 exp 157 (that’s over 150 zeros!) but they all were!
There are over 1000 direct prophecies – 668 are known to be fulfilled – almost all the rest are to do with the second coming of Christ. Some specifics ones:
Rise & fall of Greece & Rom (Daniel 2.39,40), Tyre (Isaiah 23) Destruction of Jerusalem, Middle East conflict, Messiah (virgin, born in Bethlehem, Called a Nazarene, betrayed for 30 pieces Silver)
Jews to inhabit Jerusalem in the last days (this is big folks)
The focus of the world will be on Jerusalem in the end times (this is big too)
The Numerology of the letters and words in the original languages point towards divine authorship
These systems are not some gimmicky ‘predict the future nonsense’ but there are real systems of numbers that can not be replicated by human minds. There are so many of these it is incredible, but as an example:
The appearance of multiples of the number 7 in Genesis 1:1 (Hebrew) and Matthew 1:1-17 (Greek) are beyond statistical probability.
There are also systems seen in the:
Number of Words
Number of Letters
Number of Vowels
Number of Consonants
Number of Male Names
Number of Compound Names
in many books, chapters and verses throughout the Bible. Again unique to the Bible, this alone would be enough to verify that the Bible had to be inspired by a Higher Power – described throughout to be the Creator – Jesus!
History is verified
Many historical events are verified from other sources throughout the covered time frame of the Bible. Take just on section where the kings are mentioned:
The names of foreign kings have been verified as copied accurately to the smallest detail – unparalleled in the history of literature. Compared to say Manetho, who wrote on the Egyptian kings, 63 names are unrecognisable in any single syllable – the transmission of names was no easy fete
The probability of mentioning the 40 kings correctly in chronological order is 1 chance in 750,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. Again – the Bible nails it.
Archeology continually proves that places / events & artefacts described in the Bible are true
Examples:
the Hittites which at first were thought to be a ‘Bible Mistruth’ until 1906 when a library of 10,000 clay tablets was discovered which documented the Hittite Empire.
The fall of Jericho (Joshua 6) thought to be old wives’ tale or Jewish Mythology, but excavation shows that the walls fell flat and then rolled outward – opposite to what normally happened when battering rams were used.
Joshua’s altar at Mount Ebal (Duet 27:4-8), apparently has been found, matching the time, pottery and artefacts and the bones of 50 – 100 goat, sheep and oxen which were the only animals permitted in Biblical sacrifices.
Mount Sinai – once believed to be a proof of the inaccuracy of the Old Testament text, has now been found. Not where the traditional site rests – but exactly where the Bible describes it to be.
Deposits of gold…yep people got finically rich from this one!
The numerous scientific facts that are dotted through it
Although the Bible is not a science book, it is indeed scientifically accurate…
Despite being written many thousands of years ago, the Bible has some of the most advanced scientific knowledge within it’s writings.
There are too many scientific facts to list. A few examples:
the proportionate dimensions of the Ark, are still used in modern ship building [30.5.3] (Genesis 6)
the Earth’s ‘floating’ in orbit in space (Job 26:7)
the Earth being spherical (Isaiah 40:22)
running water sanitises… medical science took until 1845 to discover this. The death rate of new born babies dropped from 30% to 2% immediately.
do we really need to mention quarantine laws – (which so far has been the only reliable protection against Covid 19!!)
objects we see being made from particles we cannot see – (molecules, atoms, quarks etc)
ocean currents – not discovered until recently
the life is in the blood (seems obvious – but science thought the opposite until 120 years ago & patients were often ‘bled’ to remove infection!!)
There are many, many amazing snippets like this – and none that have been found to be false. This is astounding even for a science journal, while unheard of for a ‘religious text’ as can be seen from the many obvious flaws in the Quran or Book of Mormon etc.
Nothing else has a credible description of the start of the Universe
The Bible has stood the test of time…and innumerable calculated, determined attempts to discredit its’ creation account. It sounds crazy, yet many of the worlds best investigative minds have become believers after spending years to prove it incorrect. While ‘science’ continually revises its’ unprovable and unscientific theories it boils down to ‘nothing exploded and created everything in perfect order and balance’. The Bible has no such privilege. The holes in the theories get larger the more you look, while the opposite is true of the Bible.
It makes outlandish statements that through all their trying, scientists cannot prove wrong
Many scientists, even evolutionists believe that there was an initial void, a ‘big bang’ – and concede that the order of Creation at least is correct. The evidence for a young earth is continually growing, while the lack of evidence for any element of macro evolution continues to awaken the masses to the fact that evolution is an unfounded theory. Even if the theory of evolution could find some credible proof, there would still be the issue: who Created the initial chemicals & space for the big bang? The truth is that evolution is not possible (the title of many other articles) though the words of the Bible have continually been found factual.
It has the best advice for relationships, business, work, finance, life and the after life
Other books try, but no book is active & alive like the Bible! All other books are light & fluffy compared to the Bible – which addresses the heart of the issues in this life and the next. Far from the typical spiritual books around that combine palatable elements from opposing religions, it pulls no punches and gives hard hit-hitting, life changing truth.
Law & Order
The laws and constitutions of many ‘advanced’ societies use the Bible as a basis: Countries based on it flourish. The further from the Bible a civilisation gets in terms of humanity and oppression of the poor etc…
But a warning here folks, just because a nation afters off serving or at least honouring God, when they reject Him & condone sin, He reaches a limit and judgement is rendered. When tis happens, the society will fall. Every time.
Personal Experience:
God opened my eyes through it.
When I started reading the Bible, I believed I had done no wrong: I thought I was a good person. I had no idea that there was a God that was watching or cared about me or if I had broken His ‘commandments’ (lying, stealing, lust, envy, hatred) let alone my crime & dealing. I had excuses for it all…or so I thought. But the Bible highlighted the fact that I had failed to live up to His standard and would be judged by this all-knowing Being. The Bible clearly described my problems could all be traced back to one thing – my own sin!
Thankfully, my eyes were also opened to the fact that Jesus had paid for my sin! Although I was guilty God sent His Son to die for me.
God opened my heart through it.
I was spiritually dead and emotionally empty. Yet again, I had no idea…that is until the words of the Bible cut through me with the power of a sword but the accuracy of a scalpel. I suddenly knew I was empty. I knew I was guilty, I knew I was going to be judged. I knew Heaven & Hell were real. But I also knew, that this God who deserved to judge & condemn me – offered love & forgiveness instead. He loved me so much, that He sent His only Son (Jesus) to die on my behalf. Talk about powerful!
God speaks to me through it.
This is a continual process – not ‘just’ a one-off occurrence. After reading it repeatedly and regularly, after studying it for years, it still amazes, strengthens, guides, encourages and convicts. Daily! It is amazing how often the verse(s) I read that day are exactly what I need to hear. And the same is true for millions.
When I read it, it strengthens me inwardly
I don’t always know what God is saying, and it may be hard – but whenever I read it, it is just a matter of time before I notice the difference emotionally and spiritually.
It helped me overcome addictions & suicidal demeanour.
The more I read the Bible as God’s Word for me, the more my mind is at ease. The less I need other vices, the more secure I seem and the more free I become.
I met Jesus through it!!.
Not a religion but a living relationship with the author! He Created us & speaks to us through the Bible! Again this is not a dry list of rules, but a dynamic interaction that is personal.
I have seen what it has done in other people’s lives.
I have seen many people (who were as skeptical or off the rails as myself), completely changed by reading and applying the Bible to their lives.
A well-known example is that of Josh McDowell who decided to publish a paper on the errors in the Bible, though through his research looking for errors, found that the Bible was truthful. This is not an isolated incident, but common occurrence for those who read the Bible. We pray that you start.
My hope & prayer is that you would, at the very least, be willing to read the Bible for yourself to examine it’s claims. We would be happy to send you a Bible for free – a version that is accurate and easy to understand.
If you would prefer to buy one yourself – we would suggest the New Living Translation (NLT) – available here or from Word / Koorong or eBay.
Lord, please speak and confirm Your existence / power / love to….