Some people believe in evolution only because they read about it in a science book written by humans, and then turn around and say they don’t believe in the Bible because it was written by humans. Where would we be if we did not believe anything that humans wrote? For example, I believe Sir Edmund Barton was the first prime minister of Australia, even though he died well before my time, and lived on the other side of the planet. I never met him or even met anyone who did meet him. How do I know he really even existed? I believe it simply because a human wrote about it in a book. I have to put my faith in something.
While it takes faith to believe history books as well as the Bible, there are some ways to know if it is valid to put faith in any book. For example, historians say they trust books that are fair-minded. They are skeptical when a history book portrays a rose-colored view of the author’s own country. By contrast, the Bible writers actually share some embarrassing things about themselves that they probably would not share if they were just making things up. For example, Paul speaks of being “the chief of sinners.”
Another test of accuracy is to ask whether the claims in a book are compatible with other history books? For example, not just one, but many books tell me Sir Edmund Barton was the first prime minister of Australia. Likewise, not just one book of the gospel tells me Jesus died for us, but Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all tell the same story.
Archeology also helps to validate history books, and it does the same for the Bible. It is interesting that many civilizations, even in communist countries, have a story about a great ancient flood, just like the great flood in Genesis. Here are some quick logical reasons to believe the Bible, based on prophecy:
- This is one we don’t hear about much, but Revelation 9, written some 1,700 years before, gives us the exact day and year of the voluntary surrender of the Ottoman empire. When this prophecy was fulfilled, August 11 1840, many Bible skeptics became believers, when this prophecy was fulfilled to the exact day!
- Over 2600 years of earth’s history was accurately foretold by the image in Daniel 2. This includes Napoleon’s and Hitler’s defeats, as the prophecy says there will never be another one-world empire. (In fact someone sharing this prophecy with Hitler!)
- Jesus perfectly fulfills all the Old Testament prophecies regarding the birth, baptism, death and resurrection of the Messiah.
Of course, there are many more reasons why I believe, but these are three quick examples of why it is logical and reasonable to believe the Bible