Why I Believe the Bible is Inspired by God

[Scooter]

So let’s address the issue of Biblical inspiration. Dr. Voddie Bacham states this as to why he trusts the Bible:
I choose to believe the Bible because it is a reliable collection of historical documents written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They report supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies and they claim that their writings are divine rather than human in origin.

I love his position, but there is even a stronger witness for me. The Bible was penned by roughly 40 different writers, over a period of 1500 years, in three different languages, on three different continents. And yet there is a seamless theme that runs from Genesis to Revelations…man’s failure and God’s restoration. The main character throughout is Jesus Christ. He is seen in the OT through types, figures and even in person. Only a single author could pull off this feat of continuity.

Then there is the overwhelming amount of ancient manuscripts that verify a divine perseveration. There are more manuscripts and portions of manuscripts for the Bible than any other ancient writings.

Finally, the Bible has never been disproven in any area. While it is not a science book, it agrees with good science; while it is not a history book, it is in perfect alignment with history. Archaeology has verified many Biblical claims that most “experts “ scoffed at. Then there are the numerous fulfilled prophecies recorded in the pages of Scripture. IMHO, it takes more faith to ignore the evidence for the Bible than it does to believe the Bible.

 

[AgnosticBoy]

@Scooter

I'm not a Christian, but I can still appreciate a well-articulated post that has a viewpoint that's different from mine.

 

[Scooter]

@Scooter

I'm not a Christian, but I can still appreciate a well-articulated post that has a viewpoint that's different from mine.

Thank you Sir!

 

[AgnosticBoy]

So let’s address the issue of Biblical inspiration. Dr. Voddie Bacham states this as to why he trusts the Bible:
I choose to believe the Bible because it is a reliable collection of historical documents written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They report supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies and they claim that their writings are divine rather than human in origin.

A lot of non-believers would not accept this view because they view the Bible as a religious book with little to no historical focus. The reason for that is because it has a lot of stories involving the supernatural and that it's also a religious book. That perspective is becoming less and less sustainable, and I think for good reasons. Just look at the difference between how biblical scholarship was done in the 19th century vs. how it is done now. The former time period saw some hyperskeptical treatment of the Bible to the point of where hardly anything about Jesus's life was taken as fact.

The biggest barrier for me when it comes to accepting God's inspired the Bible (or that God even exists) is the lack of good evidence for such claims, the practicality of such claims (Christianity is failing the cultural wars, and some of it is self-inflicted), and because of the reliance on faith which I think leads to a lot of superstition and dogmatic thinking/behavior (as opposed to someone like myself that tries to build their worldview using logic and evidence from the bottom/up w/out assuming any worldview is true, whether it be Creationism or Materialism.)

 

[Scooter]

I believe there is more than enough evidence for God. Creation, is a tremendous evidence for God. Life cannot come from non-life. The nation of Israel is another proof of God. When you look at the Hitites, Jebusites, Moabites, and all the other “ites” from the OT, they’re all gone. God promised to protect the Israelites and make them a nation again. He has done so. The Bible, again, is irrefutable evidence of God. The Scriptures are inerrant and infallible. When I look at all the overwhelming evidence for God, I am amazed at the people who reject Him and claim there is no evidence to support His existence. Nonbelievers have more faith than I do.

 

[AgnosticBoy]

I believe there is more than enough evidence for God. Creation, is a tremendous evidence for God. Life cannot come from non-life. The nation of Israel is another proof of God. When you look at the Hitites, Jebusites, Moabites, and all the other “ites” from the OT, they’re all gone. God promised to protect the Israelites and make them a nation again. He has done so. The Bible, again, is irrefutable evidence of God. The Scriptures are inerrant and infallible. When I look at all the overwhelming evidence for God, I am amazed at the people who reject Him and claim there is no evidence to support His existence. Nonbelievers have more faith than I do.

You make it sound simple and easy!

I don't intend to change your mind, but the challenge is getting other rationally-minded people to see the things that you're saying. In general, I can say that there is definitely some good things about Christianity. I like some of the moral principles, and a big fan of plenty of Jesus's teachings like on forgiveness, community, etc. That's a start, but more is definitely needed.

You also have a wealth of other religions that are claiming to have the same status as some of the claims you're making.

 

[Scooter]

You make it sound simple and easy!

It is. You place your trust in an airline pilot you’ve never met or heard of. You have no idea how many hours he/she has flown; you don’t know if he/she is going through depression or on drugs. Yet you strap yourself into your seat and expect to get to your destination. If a loved one finds themselves in an emergency situation and the surgeon says he/she has to operate immediately, you give consent. You trust them without researching to see if they are the best surgeon for your loved one. When you drive down the interstate at 80 mph you are trusting the other drivers around you to properly operate their vehicle. You have no idea who the other drivers are or what they are going through yet you’re willing to drive side by side with them. All of these examples take faith and trust on a daily basis on less evidence than there is for God.

 

[AgnosticBoy]

It is. You place your trust in an airline pilot you’ve never met or heard of. You have no idea how many hours he/she has flown; you don’t know if he/she is going through depression or on drugs. Yet you strap yourself into your seat and expect to get to your destination. If a loved one finds themselves in an emergency situation and the surgeon says he/she has to operate immediately, you give consent. You trust them without researching to see if they are the best surgeon for your loved one. When you drive down the interstate at 80 mph you are trusting the other drivers around you to properly operate their vehicle. You have no idea who the other drivers are or what they are going through yet you’re willing to drive side by side with them. All of these examples take faith and trust on a daily basis on less evidence than there is for God.

In general, I agree with your point. I can admit that there are times when I don't always rely on evidence because sometimes it is hard to do or even impractical.

I think there has to be some reasonable balance when it comes to having faith when you consider the problems of relying on faith for everything or just believing. Some examples of that scenario that come to mind are the Salem Witch trials, where perhaps a woman looking at someone the wrong way or having one bad event occur while she was around might get them accused of being a witch and killed. For decisions where someone's life is on the line or they are being accused of something, i would say that we need to rely on evidence in that case, the stronger the better. I also think that in a purely intellectual context, such as a debate, we also need to rely on reason and evidence. Even this is not a perfect solution, but I would say that it's better than no solution.

 

[Scooter]

I agree with you in part. My mom has recently been diagnosed with lung cancer. Once we meet with the oncologist we’ll decide on what course of treatment (if any) we’ll take. Now I have total faith that God can heal her without medication. But I also believe God has given us the knowledge of several methods to treat cancer. So we will look at the options based on available evidence we’ll decide what direction to take. And no matter what direction we choose, we’re still trusting God with the outcome. If He decides my mom will not survive the cancer, we have the confident expectation that He will give her the ultimate healing and bring her home.

So while I have complete faith in God, I still intend to pursue all avenues of treatments. If God decides to heal through miracle or medicine, I’ll praise Him. If the Lord decides to take my mom home with Him, I’ll still praise Him. My faith is not a blind faith; it is not a hope-so faith. My faith is focused, confident and yes, based on evidence.