BIBLE
Commentary
Scripture References
The Bible is a compilation of 66 individual books—39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament—and is the only divinely inspired religious book ever to exist. It is God-breathed in its origin by an all-knowing and perfect God, yet it is human in its penmanship as God used the writing styles, personalities, and backgrounds of godly men to reveal Himself, His gospel, and His plan of redemption.
The Bible is vital to every Christian's life, health, and growth. It enables them to know Jesus on a deeper level, helps them understand and discover His plan for their life, teaches them how to live for Jesus, increases their faith, renews their mind, instructs them in sound doctrine, trains them in righteousness, equips them for every good work, helps them avoid sin, arms them with absolute truth, and readies them to refute false beliefs and heretical doctrines.
The Bible is without error. Unlike humans, who can say things but not follow through with their promises, God’s Word cannot be anything but true. If God said something would happen, it can do nothing but come to pass because God is perfect and cannot lie. God’s Word also accurately records historical events as they happened. However, this does not mean everything written on its pages should be practiced or is God-approved. For example, when Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter drew his sword and cut off the high priest’s servant’s ear. The Bible recorded that event accurately, but not with the implication that people should respond to conflict in this manner. This fact was evidenced by Jesus rebuking Peter and immediately healing the servant’s ear (Luke 22:49-51).
Many proofs authenticate the Bible as the only divinely inspired Word of God. These proofs include but are not limited to internal consistency, prophetic fulfillment, archaeological discoveries, extrabiblical verifications, and scientific accuracy.
Internal Consistency: The Bible was written over a span of 1,500 years by 40 authors living on three continents speaking three different languages with diverse educational and cultural backgrounds—yet it reads as one cohesive story from Genesis through Revelation.
All 66 books of the Bible are perfectly harmonious and consistent in their message, especially when answering and addressing life’s essential questions, “Where did we come from, and why are we here? Do we have a purpose? Does God exist, and if so, what is He like? Why is there suffering, evil, and trouble in the world? Is there life after death, and if so, where do we go and why?” If a survey were taken of twenty people from the same generation with similar backgrounds asking them these crucial questions, their responses would be diverse. Yet, the biblical writers’ content and doctrines are entirely coherent and congruent, fitting together within a logical framework. This fact is one powerful evidence of its divine origin.
Prophetic Fulfillment: The fulfillment of predictive events, things, and occurrences foretold in the Bible is another strong evidence of the Bible’s divine inspiration. There is not another religious book—past, present, or future—containing even one verifiable fulfilled prophecy. Yet, the Bible contains hundreds of precise and detailed prophecies about people, places, and incidents, many of which have been fulfilled.
When the Bible was written, approximately 27% of its contents were prophetic (Payne, J. B., The Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy, Baker Pub. Group, 1980, p. 675). In other words, God inspired its writers to record hundreds of future occurrences in advance. This percentage is staggering because it encompasses over one-fourth of the Bible.
The conservative number of prophecies contained in the Bible is over 1,800. Many of them have been fulfilled, converting them from prophecies to verifiable historical facts. Over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament alone are related to the coming Messiah who would save people from their sins. Each of these Messianic prophecies was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who was not born until 400 years after the Old Testament's completion.
Using the science of probability, Peter W. Stoner, in his book Science Speaks, calculated the likelihood of one person fulfilling only 8 of the 300+ Messianic prophecies cited. He determined that number to be 1 in 10 to the 17th power, which is 1 in 100 quadrillions. To put this probability into a relatable analogy, it would be like filling the entire state of Texas two feet deep with silver dollars, marking one of the coins with a red “X,” stirring the whole mass thoroughly, and then having a blindfolded person go anywhere in the state to choose one silver dollar, and the coin they chose was the one marked with the red “X.”
This example expresses a “1 in 100 quadrillion” chance of success. It is the same probability the Old Testament prophets would have for eight of their prophecies to be fulfilled in Jesus Christ using their own wisdom rather than God’s divine inspiration. Therefore, according to Peter Stoner, “the fulfillment of these eight prophecies alone proves that God inspired the writing of those prophecies to a definiteness, which lacks only one chance in 10 to the 17th power of being absolute.”
Peter W. Stoner took it a step further by calculating the likelihood of one person fulfilling 16 of the 300+ Messianic prophecies cited. The plausible number increased to 1 in 10 to the 45th power, which is 10 with 45 zeros after it. When he mathematically computed the probability of one person fulfilling 48 prophecies, the figure jumped to 1 in 10 to the 157th power, which is 1 in 10 unquinquagintillion. Yet, all 300 Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah were fulfilled in one person—Jesus Christ. This truth is not surprising, given that the all-knowing, all-powerful God of the universe inspired men to record these facts hundreds of years before Christ’s birth (Isaiah 46:9-10).
A small sampling of fulfilled prophecies about Jesus includes His supernatural conception (Isaiah 7:14; fulfilled as recorded in Matthew 1:23), His opening blind eyes, mute mouths, and healing the deaf and lame (Isaiah 35:5-6; fulfilled as recorded in Mark 10:52 and Matthew 15:30), His death for humanities’ sins (Isaiah 53:11-12; fulfilled as recorded in 1 Peter 2:24-25 and Hebrews 9:26-28), His crucifixion (Psalm 22:14-18; fulfilled as recorded in Matthew 27:27-50 and Luke 23:32-34), and Him rising from the dead (Psalm 16:10; fulfilled as recorded in Mark 16:6 and Acts 2:24-28.) For a more exhaustive list, click the Scripture References link at the top of the page.Archaeological Discoveries: The historical reliability of people, places, events, and things mentioned in the Bible have been verified by over 25,000 archeological discoveries in the Middle East. Incredibly, this vast number of findings were unearthed by excavating only 1% of Israeli soil. Furthermore, many of these findings were discovered and confirmed by non-Christian archaeologists, which is significant.
Dr. Nelson Glueck, one of the world’s most prominent archaeologists in history, said, “It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings have been made, which confirm, in clear outline or exact detail, historical statements in the Bible. And, by the same token, proper evaluation of Biblical descriptions has often led to amazing discoveries.” For in-depth, detailed information on archaeological evidence for the Bible, see Archaeological Evidence for the Bible: Exciting Discoveries Verifying Persons, Places, and Events in the Bible by Charlie H. Campbell and Archaeology and the New Testament by John McRay.Extrabiblical Verifications: There are dozens of writings from non-Christians that exist outside of the Bible that confirm the historical accuracy of various people, places, and events recorded in the Bible. These written records include those of the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Romans.
In Antiquities of the Jews, First-century historian Flavius Josephus verified and documented facts about more than a dozen biblical figures, including John the Baptist, Herod Antipas, Herod’s unfaithful wife, Caiaphas, Pontius Pilate, Jesus’ half-brother James, Felix, Festus, and Jesus.
More than 30 other non-Christian sources confirm facts about Jesus in their writings, including Cornelius Tacitus (Roman historian), Gaius Suetonius (Chief secretary of Emperor Hadrian), The Jewish Talmud, and Philo Judaeus (Jewish philosopher). Their documented works were penned within 150 years of Jesus’ life and verify more than 100 facts concerning His life, teachings, death, and resurrection (see The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ and The Verdict of History by Gary R. Habermas).
Other non-biblical historical sources substantiate particulars in the Bible, including those related to the worldwide flood, the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, the Assyrian invasion of Israel, Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion of Judah, the extended darkness when Jesus died, Herod Agrippa’s immediate death, and the Jews’ expulsion from Rome. (For full citations and footnotes, see Archaeological Evidence for the Bible: Exciting Discoveries Verifying Persons, Places and Events in the Bible and Scrolls and Stones by Charlie H. Campbell.)Scientific Accuracy: The Bible is not a science textbook but is 100% scientifically accurate. All known, testable, and verifiable scientific facts are in perfect harmony with what the Bible states. Furthermore, many scientific beliefs adhered to in the past were found false as technology advanced and scientific practices evolved. Today, most scientific understanding concerning the earth’s solar system, atmosphere, structure, oceans, and living organisms all confirm what God declared in the Bible thousands of years ago. These truths are further evidence of the Bible’s divine origin, given the absence of microscopes, telescopes, satellites, and modern technological advances when the Bible was written.
Some critics of the Bible reject its scientific accuracy and divine inspiration based on its first statement in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Bible critics supporting the Big Bang Theory and Biological Evolution render this statement false because they claim the universe came from nothing and that all living things can be traced back to a common ancestor, evolving into what they are through mutations and the natural selection process (i.e., “survival of the fittest). However, the only thing nothing can create is nothing, and mutations do not and cannot add new genetic information (or increase existing information) to cause one species to evolve into a different species. Mutations can only produce small changes within a species’ existing genetics. Furthermore, “Natural selection only operates on the information that is already contained in the genes—it does not produce new information” (Lane P. Lester, The Natural Limits to Biological Change).
For a species to evolve into a different species, a new genetic blueprint would be required to develop the new limbs, organs, and functions necessary. For example, a great white shark cannot evolve into a human over time without new genetic information added to transform its gills into lungs for breathing outside air and its fins into legs to walk on land. In other words, a great white shark’s DNA only provides instructions to develop gills for extracting oxygen exclusively from water—not for growing lungs to breathe outside air. Furthermore, its DNA does not give instructions to grow or develop legs for mobility on land. It only provides instructions to develop fins for maneuvering exclusively in water. Therefore, a great white shark cannot evolve into a human or any other species without new or additional DNA added to its "blueprint." Mutations do not and cannot add or increase genetic information to cause one species to evolve into another (and another and another), despite The Theory of Evolution’s claims.
Dr. Werner Gitt, director and professor at the German Federal Institute of Physics and Technology, stated, “Can new information originate through mutations? Although the idea is central in representations of evolution, mutations can only cause changes in existing information. There can be no increase in information, and, in general, the results are injurious, not helpful. New blueprints for new functions or new organs cannot arise from mutations. Mutations cannot be the source of new information.”
Dr. Lee Spetner of Johns Hopkins University stated, “In all the study I have done in my career in life sciences, I have never found a mutation that added information. All mutations that have been studied on a molecular level turn out to reduce the genetic information and not increase it. Information cannot be built up by mutations that all lose information. That is like saying a business can make money losing it a little at a time.”
Another fact that cannot be overlooked regarding the claims of biological evolution is the lack of evidence in the fossil record to support it. If all living things evolved from a common ancestor, the fossil record would contain numerous species in different stages of transition. Yet, the fossil record conclusively confirms that each species fossilized millions or billions of years ago is the same as today. Furthermore, if biological evolution were true, there would be thousands upon thousands of observable species currently in various stages or forms of transition—yet there are none.
In addition to the Bible’s accurate statement that God created the heavens and the earth, it also refuted, in advance, the false theory of “biological evolution through mutations” hundreds of years in advance. It says in 1 Corinthians 15:39-41, “All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish. There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory” (NASB).
The Bible also foretold what DNA now proves, which is that each species is its own kind and reproduces after its own kind: It says of vegetation in Genesis 1:11-12, “Then God said, ‘Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them’; and it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good” (NASB).
It says of marine life and birds in Genesis 1:20-21, “Then God said, ‘Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.’ God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good” (NASB).
It says of insects and land animals in Genesis 1:24-25, “Then God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind;’ and it was so. God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good” (NASB).
It says of humanity in Genesis 1:26-31, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’ Then God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food;’ and it was so. God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day” (NASB).
Therefore, everything in existence did not evolve from "nothing" to "something" to "something else" over time but was created by an all-powerful God who spoke everything into existence from nothing, as Genesis chapter one repeatedly proclaims.
Critics of the Bible also reject its scientific accuracy and divine inspiration based on passages like Joshua 10:13 and Revelation 7:1. In Joshua 10:13b, it states, “and the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hurry to go down for about a whole day.” In Revelation 7:1, John wrote, “After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind would blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree.”
Given that science has proven the Earth is a sphere that revolves around the stationary Sun, critics discredit the Bible as scientifically accurate and divinely inspired by asserting these verses teach the Sun revolves around a flat Earth. Despite their assumption, the Bible plainly states the Earth is a sphere in Isaiah 40:22. The biblical writers’ use of metaphors, figures of speech, or unscientific terminology elsewhere in the Bible to describe things they saw does not undermine or invalidate the Bible’s 100% scientific accuracy and divine origin.
In context, the biblical writers of these two passages were not penning a scientific textbook on astronomy. Joshua was relating what he saw with his eyes, which appeared to him as the Sun no longer moving. In reality, God miraculously stopped the Earth from revolving for a day, which Joshua described as the “Sun stopping.” This same type of unscientific terminology is used in the modern 21st century to explain what is seen with the eyes. For example, meteorologists and multiple smartphone weather applications use the terms “sunrise” and “sunset” to refer to the time when the true Sun's center is on the observer's rational horizon. These common everyday terms are unscientific yet commonly used to convey what is observable to the eyes rather than using technical terms to describe the Earth’s rotations around the Sun.
Likewise, John used the figurative term “the four corners of the earth” in Revelation 7:1 to describe a colossal, futuristic event he witnessed, which affected the entire globe from its outermost borders or most distant parts (to the North, South, East, and West). John was not providing a scientific geography lesson or insinuating the Earth was flat by his statement, but accurately expressed the magnitude of what is to come using relatable language to describe it.