The Bible is a real, ancient document. Scrutinized by the world, it has withstood the tests of its most ardent critics. We ought to take very seriously the claim of those writers who wrote God’s words and commands (2 Pet. 1:16-21; 3:14-18; 1 Cor. 14:37).
Fact 1 – We have no “autographed” books of the Bible. Instead, we have thousands of copies. The New Testament Greek manuscripts alone number more than 5,800! Imagine having a single man say, “I did a backflip while holding a child” versus 5,000 saying, “He did a backflip while holding a child.” Which would be the greater witness and accepted testimony? To borrow a phrase, God has given us a “cloud of witnesses” that testify to the message of the Bible!
Fact 2 – We have no book that is as unique as the Bible. With 66 books over a period of 1,600 years, written from different perspectives from different walks of life, it would be natural to assume that the Bible is just a hodgepodge with very little in common. Yet, we find a central theme – The salvation of man to the glory of God through Jesus Christ His Son (Jn. 17:1-5; 21:19; Rom. 15:6-9; 1 Cor. 6:20; 1 Pet. 4:16; Phil. 2:11). Not only is there a central theme, there is a unified structure. Each book is complete in its own right, yet together they form a cohesive whole. Try to select any 66 books written over such a vast period and see if they function together as a whole. The unified theme and structure contribute to the consistent teaching throughout the Bible. If 40 men threw a rock over a hill and hit a small target perfectly, we would doubt that it was by mere coincidence. To find the various writers of Scripture consistently teach the same things regarding God, the world, man, ethics, prophecy, etc. stands as a testament to its supernatural origin.
Certainly, God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33), and just as certainly, God is the author of Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16-17)!
-LS
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