Skeptics and unbelievers have used their freedom of speech to say the Bible is just a collection of foolish myths and ancient tales, and to ridicule those of us who contend that the Bible is God's complete and final revelation to the human race. Their railings and false accusations have caused many others to shrink back from making any bold claims to faith in the Bible as God's word. It is time for believers to take the offensive and to show the incontestable evidence that supports our faith in the Holy Scriptures. The Bible's unique stature demands our attention and will, eventually, demand our explanation.
Its Moral Purity
The Bible's uniqueness is seen in many ways. I would suggest that first of all, this uniqueness is seen in the purity of its moral and ethical teachings. Throughout the Bible, righteousness is commended and sin is condemned. Even the Bible's heroes, such as Abraham, David, and Peter, are condemned without hesitation when they fall short of God's righteousness.
Not only that, but the righteousness that the Bible demands is always the true, inward righteousness of the heart, and not just the outward appearance of righteousness. See such passages as Psalm 51:17, Isaiah 1:10-17, and Matthew 5:21-48. Moreover, the righteousness the Bible demands is not for traditional or political reasons; rather, the Bible always bases its demand for righteousness on man's relationship with the holy God who created him (Leviticus 11:44).
The Bible's moral purity becomes all the more striking when it is compared with the moral condition of the rest of the world at the time the Bible was given. The language of the Egyptians, among whom the Israelites lived as slaves for 400 years, did not even contain a word for "sin." They had words for "mistakes" and "errors," but they simply lacked the moral understanding necessary to see themselves as sinners.
And the Canaanites, the people among whom the Israelites lived for the next 1000 years, had sunk to the very depths of immorality. They had actually made prostitution a part of their religion. But in the midst of such a culture, the Bible proclaimed, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." (Exodus 20:14)
The presence of such a high moral standard demands an explanation. Clearly, it did not originate with the people who surrounded the Israelites. And there is no reason to think that the Israelites themselves invented such moral purity. Their entire history was one of apostasy from the Bible's moral standards. There is only one sufficient explanation for the Bible's unique moral purity. That is the explanation the Bible itself gives. It is the God's word. Hence, it reveals God's moral standard, and not the morality of men.
Its Accuracy
Another Bible characteristic that must be evident if we are to believe in its inspiration is historical accuracy. The Bible's critics constantly portray it as nothing more than an unreliable fabrication of legends and fables. But the fact is, the Bible's fundamental trustworthiness with regard to its account of the history of the Israelite people and the events that occurred during the New Testament era has been corroborated over and over by the careful work of some of the world's most eminent archaeologists and historians.
- Nelson Glueck, a leading authority in Biblical archaeology once said he would go on record as stating that no archaeological discovery ever made contradicts historical statements in Scripture.
- Sir William Ramsey, another prominent archaeologist and historian of New Testament times, began his work as a skeptic, but was overwhelmed by the historical trustworthiness of the book of Acts in the New Testament. He eventually confessed his faith in Christ.
Some examples of Biblical events confirmed by the work of archaeologists include:
- The existence of the Hittite empire, Exodus 3:17 (skeptics used to deny that such a nation ever existed).
- The reign of Belshazzar in Babylon, Daniel 5:1 (again, skeptics used to deny that Belshazzar ever lived).
- The digging of a water tunnel by Hezekiah, 2 Kings 20:20 (the tunnel itself has been discovered).
- Sennacherib's invasion of Judah, 2 Kings 18:13 (Sennacherib's own account has been discovered).
- The imprisonment of Jehoikin in Babylon, 2 Kings 24:12 (his name was found on a ration list unearthed in Babylon).
Of course, the Bible's critics will still find things to which they object and will continue to dispute the Bible's trustworthiness, simply because the story of the Bible will never agree with how they, as unbelievers, believe things must have happened. But the fact remains that the Bible stands unshaken by their criticisms, and such trustworthiness begs an explanation. What explanation do you give?
Its Unity
A third area in which we see the Bible's uniqueness is its structure and unity. It is not surprising for a book written by a single man, or by a group of contemporaries, to exhibit a carefully planned unity. But when a book written by forty different men, over a period of 1400 years, exhibits such a unified structure, we must ask, "How can this be?"
The Bible is divided into two parts--the Old Testament and the New Testament--with each corresponding perfectly to the other. The New is even predicted in the Old (Jeremiah 31:31). The Old contains a promise of salvation. The New contains the fulfillment of the promise.
The Bible begins with the story of man, in fellowship with God, and enjoying all of God's blessings in the Garden of Eden. But man sinned, separated himself from God, and was cast out of the garden. The Bible proceeds to tell of man's inability to extricate himself from sin and the miserable state in which he finds himself apart from God. Then it tells of God's announcing to Abraham His intention to turn Abraham's descendants, the Israelites, into a great nation, and through them, to work out His plan for bringing men back into His fellowship where he can receive His blessings.
From that point forward, the Bible tells the story of the nation of Israel: how God took her; gave her laws, kings, and prophets, all in preparation for, and pointing to, the day of salvation--the day God would fulfill His promise to Abraham. Finally, we come to the New Testament and to Jesus, the fulfillment of the law and the prophets, the promised Savior and King. The story of the Bible climaxes with Jesus offering Himself on the cross as a sacrifice for man's sins, making it possible for man to be forgiven of his sins and restored to fellowship with God. The Bible concludes with the promise that those who believe on Jesus and submit to Him as Savior will spend eternity in the new Garden of Eden, in heaven itself.
That forty different men, writing over a period of 1400 years, could accidentally produce such a story defies human reason. There must be another explanation. There must have been one mind, behind all their minds, that guided them. And indeed the Bible tells us that mind was the mind of God. "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." {2 Peter 1:20,21}
Its Effect On Men
Finally, the Bible's uniqueness is seen in the effect it has on men's hearts. Many great literary works have stirred men's imaginations and souls, some for good and some for evil. But no work has moved so many as the Bible. And no work has had such a profound effect for good on men's hearts, turning us away from sin, and inspiring us with the noblest thoughts we dare to think. We believe the Bible's unique ability to penetrate to man's very soul is powerful testimony to the fact that its ultimate author was none other than the God who created man, and who knows what is in man.
All I can add to brother Hardin's words is a hearty AMEN!!! (KMG)