Can You Trust the Bible?

The Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double –edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

Dear Rachel,

In 1947 Bedouin shepherds made a great discovery in the desert between Bethlehem and the Dead Sea. According to local hearsay a boy threw a rock into a cave to flush out his wandering goat. He went in to explore the sound of breaking pottery. Instead of his lost goat, the shepherd boy found ancient clay jars filled with seven scrolls. Archaeologists conducted a careful survey of the region. Later finds in other caves yielded about 15,000 fragments. These scrolls were copies of Old Testament Hebrew writings. Every Old Testament book was found except the book of Esther.

Earlier skeptics accused the translations of the Old Testament of being flawed. The Dead Sea Scrolls confirm the accuracy of Bible translation over the years. One scroll contained a copy of the entire Book of Isaiah dated to 125 BC. This scroll proved to be identical to a later version of Isaiah in more than 95% of the text. The differences were slips of the pen and minor spelling alterations.

Besides the Dead Sea Scrolls, there are thousands of New Testament documents. It has been preserved in more than 24,000 discovered manuscripts. Every book of the New Testament was written by a baptized Jew between the 40s and the 80s of the first century A.D.

The writings of other ancient works are not questioned though there are few copies of these writings. There are only seven copies of Plato’s work. Homer’s Iliad takes the prize with 643 pieces. The rest have fewer copies. No other ancient document equals the New Testament when it comes to the preservation of manuscripts.

 Lee Strobel’s book, The 10 Most Common Objections to Christianity tells about a mathematic and astronomy professor who set out to test eight of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah. He concluded that the odds that these prophecies happening by chance were astronomical. He came to the conclusion that every one of the prophecies came true. He was convinced of the reality of both God and the Bible.

God’s Word cannot be destroyed. Throughout history leaders have attempted to do this. Yet God’s Word has survived.

The Bible has influenced legal documents all over the world. Famous paintings depict biblical stories. The Scriptures have inspired musicians like Bach, Brahms, Beethoven, and others. The Bible changes hearts. This all-time best-seller appeals to the hearts and minds. It has a lasting effect.

Rachel, Consider this letter. You can trust the Bible. It needs to be your roadmap for life.

Love,

Gram