Fewer See The Bible As The Word Of God

The Gallup organization reported in July 2022 that a new high of 29% of Americans say the Bible is a collection of “fables, legends, history, and moral precepts recorded by man”. In 1980, 10% of Americans felt this way. As you might imagine, the results fell broadly in line with American’s religious affiliation. For instance, 16% of people who identify as “Christian” believed that the Bible was mythical and produced man, while 65% of Americans who had no religious affiliation felt this way. The bottom line is belief in the Bible is declining, part of a general pattern of declining religiosity among the American population.

Of course, the Bible itself claims to be from God. Paul, the most prolific writer of the Bible, said in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that Scripture originated with God. In fact, New Testament writers identified the Scriptures with the voice of God (Matthew 19:4-5; Acts 4:24-25; Romans 9:17; Galatians 3:8; Hebrews 3:7).

Beyond the claims, what evidence is there that the Bible could be from God? Can anything be suggested that shows it could be more than “fables, legends, history, and moral precepts recorded by man”? Think about these proofs:

• Unity: The Bible contains a consistent picture of the nature of God, the nature of man, and the nature of sin. There is a historical continuity to the unfolding of the scheme of redemption; God’s plan for saving man runs like a single thread from beginning to the end.
• History: No archaeological discovery has ever been made that contradicts historical statements in Scripture.
• Foreknowledge: The Bible does contradict some theories held by scientists. However, a conflict between scientific fact and the Bible has never been established.
• Prophecy: Fulfilled prophecy is one of the greatest proofs of divine inspiration. God rests His claim to Deity on His ability to predict the future and then to bring it to pass (Isaiah 41:4; 42:9; 44:7; 46:8-11; 48:3-5). He did that beautifully with over 300 prophecies of the Messiah.
• Impartiality: A book written by man would seek to minimize the faults of its heroes. This is not the case with the Bible. It deals very frankly with the sins of its figures like David, the apostles, and the churches.

Humanistic philosophy has been successful in diverting people away from a high concept of Scripture. But Bernard Ramm wrote, “A thousand times over, the death knell of the Bible has been sounded, the funeral procession formed, the inscription cut on the tombstone, and committal read. But somehow the corpse never stays put.”

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