Christians spend a lot of time and energy studying the Bible. We believe the Bible-the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments-is the authoritative words of God. So, if the Bible says something, then we submit our thoughts, preferences, and actions to that teaching. But, this raises a foundational question. Why do we believe the Bible?

I’m convinced that if you take the time to examine the evidence, then you will discover multiple weighty reasons to believe the Bible is the authoritative message of God given to us by his grace so that we would know and follow Christ unto salvation.

For this post, I want to boil it down to the seven top reasons to believe the Bible. I will also include book suggestions at the end, if you would like to pursue further study.

Reason #1. The Bible claims to be the authoritative message from God.

Imagine a man on trial in a courtroom. He is asked, “How do you plead, guilty or not-guilty?” Then, he replies, “Not-guilty.” Okay, his answer is not sufficient for the judge or jury to make a final determination. But, it does establish important foundational context for the trial.

Similarly, we should start with what the Bible pleads about itself. Does the Bible claim to be divine revelation from God? Yes. Unquestionably yes. Let’s look at a few examples throughout Scripture.

Reason #2. Jesus taught the authority of the Bible.

When asked about marriage–Jesus quoted Genesis.

Jesus answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? Matthew 19:4-5

Likewise, Jesus said that not one dot or line of a letter of the Scripture will pass away until all has been fulfilled (Matthew 5:18). When Jesus began his ministry he went into the Temple and read from the scroll of Isaiah as authoritative (Luke 4:17-21). When he confronted the devil in the wilderness, he used Scripture to overcome temptation (Matthew 4:1-11). When he was on the cross Jesus quoted Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Jesus held the Bible as authoritative and sacred. Moreover, his resurrection validates his own authority and teaching. Therefore, we should believe the Bible, because our resurrected Lord Jesus believes the Bible.

Reason #3. The Bible’s prophecies have been fulfilled.

There are 333 prophecies in the Old Testament about Jesus Christ. These prophecies were given hundreds of years before Christ came and fulfilled them all. (the link is to a YouTube video of Josh McDowell teaching through the prophecies–jump to about 14 minutes to get to the crux).

Take these three prophecies as profound examples:

• “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14
• “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5
• “For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet—I can count all my bones—they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” Psalm 22:16-18

Reason #4. The Bible’s miracles were witnessed and verifiable by multiple people.

Let’s look at two examples. First, the parting of the Red Sea was experienced by the entire Israelite people.

“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.” Exodus 14:21-22

A massive group of people would struggle greatly to fabricate their collective testimony. Furthermore, if they were lying, then why would they collectively decide to pass on these lies to future generations? That doesn’t make sense. Therefore, they actually experienced these miracles and preserved and celebrated them from generation to generation.

Similarly, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus was witnessed by multiple people. The apostle Paul reminds the church in Corinth of this remarkable fact. He even adds “most of them are still alive”, as if to imply that you could go talk to them if you need to hear it for yourself.

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-8

Remember, many of these eyewitnesses would become martyrs holding fast to their testimony under severe pressure. Their unshakable conviction unto death gives even greater credibility to their testimony.

Reason #5. The Bible is historically accurate.

The locations, geography, nations, and people groups are historically accurate. Archaeology supports biblical testimony at every turn. Also, Jesus’ life and death are documented by ancient non-Christian historians (Josephus the Jewish historian, and Tacitus the Roman historian).

Reason #6. The Bible has a unified message despite diverse authors, languages, and time periods.

The Bible is written by well over thirty different authors, across thousands of years, diverse languages, and a variety of locations. Yet, still the message of the Bible gives unified answers to life’s most significant questions. The Bible speaks with unity regarding the nature of God, the nature of humanity, and the nature of salvation in Jesus Christ. What could account for this miraculous unity other than divine inspiration?

Reason #7. I’ve personally experienced the power of the Bible.

There is a type of evidence that is experiential. In believing the Bible, I’ve experienced the power of it’s teachings. For instance, the Bible has shaped and enhanced my moral life, my marriage, my parenting, my work life, my prayers, my friendships, my rest, and on and on. There isn’t an area of my life that hasn’t been blessed and transformed by following the teachings of the Bible. Therefore, I believe the Bible, because it has clearly been effective and transformational personally.

The most profound impact the Bible has had on me is in revealing my sin and leading me to Christ. The Scriptures (Romans 3:23) taught me of my sin–that I was prideful and lost. Then, the Scripture revealed my only hope of salvation (Romans 6:23; John 3:16) in Christ. This is the primary purpose of the Bible and it has been effective in redeeming my soul from sin to salvation. I’m not who I was before and the Bible was central to that transformation.

Not only has the Bible transformed my life, but has transformed thousands of lives from generation to generation, from nation to nation. From Charlotte to Haiti, from India to China, the Bible is alive and active at changing lives for the better.

How about you? Would you dare to read the Bible and believe that God wants to speak to you and transform your life today and for eternity?

Resources for further study:

Thy Word Is Truth by E.J. Young

From God To Us: How We Got Our Bible by Norman Geisler and William Nix

Is The New Testament Reliable? by Paul Barnett