How can we be certain that the Bible really is the Word of God? Consider these thoughts.

The Bible is a perfectly conceived document. There are 217 separate compositions in the Bible, counting the Psalms. A span of more than 1500 years separates the writing of the first book (Genesis, by Moses) from that of the last (Revelation, by John). More than forty individuals had a hand in the writing, most of whom lived in different places at different times, and never met any of the others. If the Bible does not represent supernaturally inspired authorship, how else do you explain its consistency over that period of time, with that many hands involved? You can’t.

The Bible is flawlessly historical. The Bible represents the only written record of certain events, yet in those events it describes in common with secular sources, it is accurate in every detail. The Bible has for centuries been used as a sourcebook by archaeologists — it tells of nations and cities known only because the Bible revealed their existence and location.

The Bible has never been successfully challenged. Often you’ll hear people say, “The Bible is full of contradictions.” The simplest way to answer one who expresses that view is to hand him or her a Bible and say, “Show me one.” Granted, there may be slight differences in the details where an event is described by two Bible authors, just as two artists painting the same landscape will not paint it exactly alike. One sees things the other does not see, or omits details the other uses. But that is not the same as contradiction. No so-called conflict between Bible authors stands up under scrutiny. By comparison, the Book of Mormon is riddled with narrative holes, and it is the plagiarized work of only one teenaged boy.

The Bible never argues in its own behalf. The inspired writers simply state the facts and move on. When miraculous happenings are recorded, there are no explanations of how these things took place; we just learn that they occurred. A human author whose work had been assailed as viciously as the Bible has been would likely try to present all sorts of evidence to support his views. God just tells us what He wants us to know, and leaves it to us either to believe or disbelieve.

The Bible does not try to make its characters look good. Although the Scriptures present numerous individuals as examples of faith, it always displays these people in a very human light. We hear of the steadfastness of Abraham, but we also see instances where he was willing to sacrifice his wife’s virtue to save his own neck. We have David described as “the man after God’s own heart,” but we also see him fall into temptation. We read of the instability of Peter in the same gospels where his faith is praised. It would have been easy to record only the positive qualities of these men, but instead we see them as they were.

The Bible tells us everything we need to know, and no more. Although the Scriptures contain the greatest poetry ever composed, and tell the most wonderful stories, not a word is wasted. Unlike a book written for entertainment, adjectives and descriptions are used only when necessary to make the point. Not a word appears to tell us what Jesus looked like, for instance. It isn’t important, so it isn’t there. No other book known is written in so clear and direct a manner as the Bible.