Many books claim to be divine. Muslims trust the Koran; Mormons, the Book of Mormon. Many Chinese base their moral beliefs on the teachings of Confucius. What makes the Bible different from those writings? How can we know that the Bible is the true Word of God? Let us look at twelve things that testify that the Bible is not a book of man but the actual Word of God.

1. The Bible’s Order and Completeness⤒🔗

The Bible is com­prised of sixty-six books written by more than forty people. Its writers included judges, tentmakers, kings, herdsmen, priests, soldiers, prophets, doctors, presidents, and fishermen. The Bible was written in tents, deserts, mountains, cities, palaces, and prisons. The last writer lived more than two thousand years after the first. Yet, the Bible has perfect unity throughout. From Genesis through Revelation, it teaches a single code of ethics, a single system of doctrine, one plan of salvation, and one rule of faith. It is clearly one book. What other book is written by forty authors of different occupations, from different backgrounds, living in different eras, whose writings come together in perfect unity with no dif­ferences of opinion concerning the core issues of life? We, as human beings, could never produce the Bible. Why? Because the Bible is the Word of God.

2. The Bible’s Indestructibility←⤒🔗

Countless Bibles have been confiscated, burned, or shredded during eras of per­secution. Emperors have waged wars to destroy the Bible. Governments have outlawed its printing and possession. People who have owned a Bible or confessed its truths have been burned, thrown to wild animals, and tortured to death. Yet the Bible has survived and continues to be distributed across the world to this very day. The Bible is the most widely read book in the world. Since the invention of the printing press, the Bible has remained a best seller. Never has a book been so hated and so loved by mankind as the Bible. Why? Because the Bible, is the Word of God.

3. The Bible’s Universality←⤒🔗

The Bible speaks to all types of people. It has spoken to the hearts of people of different ages from different cultures, backgrounds, occupations, and periods of history. Despite these differences, thousands of people have found the Bible speaking personally to them. This book reveals God to them, helps them understand their human identity, and teaches them the purpose of their lives. Why? Because the Bible is the Word of God.

4. The Bible’s Power←⤒🔗

The Bible has influenced people and countries across the world throughout all time. Think of missionaries who enter a foreign territory, not with weapons to force people to believe in Christ or money to bribe them to believe, but only with the Bible. In many areas of the world, the Bible has replaced savagery with civilization, cruelty with kindness, and lust with purity. Think of nations throughout history, from the children of Israel to our nation today; when they followed the teachings of the Bible, they prospered, but when they departed from its truths, they declined. Why? Because the Bible is the Word of God.

5. The Bible’s Inexhaustibility←⤒🔗

Hundreds of commentar­ies have been written on the Bible. Countless sermons have been preached on single texts over thousands of years. Yet, the Bible always offers something new. That is because the Bible’s author, the one true God, is infinite, while we humans are finite creatures who cannot fathom the limitless depths of the Bible. Why? Because the Bible is the Word of God.

6. The Bible’s Honesty←⤒🔗

Biographies about people often portray them in the best light. The author smoothes over personal faults and mistakes, and enlarges positive traits and achievements. This is also true of the foundational writings of other religions. But it is not so with the Bible. The Bible tells us about Noah’s faith as well as his sin, David’s trust and his doubt, Solomon’s wisdom and his foolishness. The Bible is honest about the sins and failures of its saints. Why? Because the Bible is the Word of God.

7. The Bible’s Teachings concerning God and man←⤒🔗

Most ancient religions worshiped idols similar to human beings. These gods were not infallible; they had faults and made mistakes. But the God of the Bible is different. He is one God who is perfect and infinite in all His attributes. The books of other religions also look at man differently than the Bible does. They teach that man is either good, or that he is somewhat sick but by improving his attitudes and beliefs and by doing good works he can improve and eventually earn his salvation. These religious beliefs reveal their human author­ship, for they reflect what mankind wants to hear. We like to think of ourselves as basically good, or at least good enough to improve our condition, for this appeals to our pride. But the Bible has a different view of mankind. It proclaims that man is spiritually dead in sin and cannot save himself. Only God can deliver him from his fallen condition. The Bible rightfully exalts God to the highest and abases man to the lowest. Why? Because the Bible is the Word of God.

8. The Bible’s Historical accuracy←⤒🔗

Critics of the Bible have long questioned some of the historical events and locations described in the Bible. But archaeologists are continually proving the truth of the Bible. For example, the story of the flood in Genesis has been verified in myths and traditions of ancient peoples in many countries on most other continents of the world besides the Middle East. The former site of Sodom and Gomorrah has been identified. Under huge quantities of sulfur, bitumen, and volcanic rock, the large amounts of sulfuric gases in the soil of the southern Dead Sea verify the biblical account of the overthrow of these cities.

Solomon’s large stables and copper furnace at Ezion­gaber have been uncovered. Sennacherib’s threats to capture Jerusalem and his subsequent return without taking the city have been translated from stone records. Hezekiah’s pool and water conduit have been discovered intact. In short, Nelson Glueck, a well-known authority on Israeli archaeol­ogy, states: “No archaeological discovery has ever disproved a biblical record. Scores of findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or in exact detail historical state­ments in the Bible.” Errors and exaggerations have been identified in the ancient records of the Assyrians, Egyp­tians, and other nations living during Bible times, but no historical mistake or exaggeration has been found in the Bible. Why not? Because the Bible is the Word of God.

9. The Bible’s Scientific accuracy←⤒🔗

Many books, some printed only a few years ago, contain mistakes due to a lack of scientific knowledge. This is especially true of scientific books written several hundred years ago. Many offer strange expla­nations and beliefs regarding scientific matters. No proven scientific fact, however, disagrees with the teachings of the Bible. On the other hand, several scientific facts recently discovered were recorded in the Bible thousands of years ago. For example, for centuries people were obsessed with counting the stars. Each time a more powerful telescope was produced, scientists discovered more stars. Not until recently were galaxies beyond our own discovered. With this knowl­edge, scientists realized the impossibility of ever counting the stars. Yet, nearly 2,500 years ago, Jeremiah wrote in the Bible that the stars of heaven cannot be numbered (Jer. 33:22).

Also, for many years, scientists believed the earth was flat and built upon a solid foundation. Not until the time of Columbus did people realize that the earth was round. Years later, people learned that the earth was suspended in space. The Bible, however, had long testified of these facts. Isaiah said more than 2,700 years ago that the Lord “sitteth upon the circle (sphere) of the earth” (Isa. 40:22). Approximately 3,500 years ago, Job said the Lord “hangeth the earth upon nothing” (Job 26:7).

In addition, the Bible spoke thousands of years ago of a water cycle, wind circuits, and the circuit of the sun in our galaxy. These truths have only recently been discovered by man. How could the Bible know these things thousands of years before man? Because the Bible is the Word of God.

10. The Fulfillment of Bible Prophecy←⤒🔗

Biblical prophe­cies are not vague as the predictions of many self-acclaimed prophets. These so-called prophets offer vague predictions and then later interpret actual events in order to claim them as fulfillments of their prophecies. The prophecies of the Bible are different. They are clear, concise, and plain. For example, Ezekiel 26, written in 590 B.C., predicts seven things will happen to the city of Tyre:

1. Nebuchadnezzar will capture the city of Tyre.
    
2. Other nations will participate in the destruction of Tyre.
    
3. The city will be flattened like the top of a rock.
    
4. It will become a place for spreading fishing nets.
    
5. Its stones and timbers will be laid in the sea.
    
6. Other cities will tremble at the fall of Tyre.
    
7. The old city of Tyre shall never be rebuilt.

In 586 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar and his soldiers surrounded Tyre. They captured the city in 573 B.C. When Nebuchad­nezzar entered the city, however, the inhabitants were gone; they had secretly moved to an island about one-half mile from the shore. Nebuchadnezzar could not overpower them on the island without a navy, so he left after conquering an empty city. Tyre stayed in this condition for 251 years, with only the first prophecy of the seven fulfilled.

In 322 B.C., Alexander the Great decided to capture Tyre because of its strategic location. He could not conquer the island city with only his navy so he ordered his army to build a causeway from the mainland to the island. To make the causeway, the soldiers took the stones and timbers from the old city of Tyre and pushed them into the sea. They scraped away the soil, leaving the old city as a flat rock. When the causeway was finished, Alexander’s army attacked the inhab­itants of Tyre by land and his navy by sea. The neighboring cities were so frightened after hearing about Alexander’s conquest that they all surrendered to him.

Today, the flat rock area, the former site of Tyre, is a popular place for fishermen, who spread their nets out to dry on this very spot. Despite its excellent location, the city has never been rebuilt.

How could Ezekiel have written in detail exactly what would happen to Tyre more than 250 years before it hap­pened? The Bible is full of prophecy. Think of the prophe­cies regarding Samaria, Jericho, Jerusalem, Moab, Ammon, and Babylon. Above all, think of more than three hundred prophecies concerning the birth, life, death, and resurrec­tion of the Lord Jesus. Every one of those prophecies was fulfilled. Why? Because the Bible, is the Word of God.

11. The Bible’s Plan of Salvation←⤒🔗

All but one of the reli­gious and moral frameworks of the world require man to do something to earn salvation. They demand precise adher­ence to some god’s demands, or to some leader’s rules, or to some code of ethics. The Bible is different. It reveals a plan of salvation that is graciously given by God and is freely offered to man. Only the Bible unveils a God who gave His only Son as a ransom to pay for man’s sin. Only the Bible presents a Son of God who freely gives Himself to die on the cross to pay the price for human sinners. Only the Bible offers a gracious way of salvation for sinful, rebel­lious human beings. Only the God of the Bible loves rebels enough to offer such a gracious plan for sinners.

Man-generated religions rely on man to earn or merit salvation. In this way, man receives the credit. God-created religion, however, is based on what God has graciously done and freely offers to man. God therefore receives all the praise, honor, and glory. Why is the Bible’s plan of salvation differ­ent from all others? Because the Bible is the Word of God.

12. Personal Application of the Bible←⤒🔗

The Bible is the Word of God because of its personal application in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. This power produces change in a person’s life. It implants new birth and new spiritual life. It convicts us of sin. It teaches us what sin is and tells us we are spiritu­ally lost without God. It goes beyond earthly time and space, making eternity and spirituality real. It convinces us that God is righteous in His demands upon us. It reveals a personal way of escape by God’s grace from the just penalty for our unrigh­teous rebellion against our holy and righteous Creator. It works faith, hope, and trust in a Savior outside of ourselves. It is the power of a sovereign, sinner-electing God. In short, it is the power of God the Holy Spirit blessing His Word to secure our salvation in Jesus Christ. Why does the application of the truths of the Bible to a person’s heart produce life-changing realities? Because the Bible is the Word of God.

More than three thousand times, the Bible says that it is the Word of God. The Bible testifies through its order, completeness, indestructibility, universality, power, inex­haustibility, honesty, teachings, historical exactness, scien­tific accuracy, prophetic fulfillment, plan of salvation, and personal application that it is the inspired Word of God.

Who of us would dare to walk across a frozen lake if we did not know that the ice was solid? Who of us would cross a deep ravine on a plank if we were not certain that it would hold our weight? In the same way, we must not base our lives, salvation, values, ideas, and hopes on shaky foundations. Instead, by God’s grace, we must build the house of our hope upon a solid, proven, and immovable foundation. We must base our life on God’s own Word, the Bible.

God said: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” Therefore, seek God’s grace to center your heart and life upon the Bible. Why? Because the Bible is the Word of God.

Yes, I believe in the Bible as the Word of God. Do you?