Scripture: Micah, 2 Samuel 7, Isaiah 9, Isaiah 53:5, Romans 5:8, John 3:16
Is the Bible Really the Word of God?
Have you ever wondered if the Bible really is the word of God? I’m standing here today in the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. If you haven’t been here, you need to get here. It’s absolutely worth your time. And I’m actually standing in one of the coolest parts of the Museum of the Bible, in front of this ancient collection of Torah scrolls, one of the biggest on planet Earth.
Now, these old copies, of copies, of copies, of copies, make us think really deeply about the Bible. In fact, just on this floor in the museum it’s not just this, there’s ancient manuscripts from different languages, different places, different centuries, all retelling this story of the scriptures. But we have to get back to that big question, what are the scriptures? Are these actually the words of God, God speaking through men? The idea of the Bible as an inspired book, not just a holy book, but The Holy Book, the Holy Bible. Is that true? Is there any proof of it? Is it really error-free? Can I trust it? Should I believe it? Should I try to behave according to it?
Wrestling With Questions About the Bible
Now, I think back years and years when I first read the Bible for the very first time. I was a teenager. I went to a public school, not a Christian school. A few of my friends went to church but lots of them didn’t. And so, when I started reading the Bible I had questions. I thought about my friend’s questions, and my family member’s questions, and my own questions. And to be candid with you, there were lots of questions. You ever read the Old Testament before? You know, I remember underlining; I had a notebook. “Well, what about this?” And, “Well, how can God be good if this passage says this and the other one says that, don’t those two passages contradict?” I just didn’t have one or two questions. I had dozens, and dozens, and dozens of questions.
So, I reached out to my church’s pastor. Actually, I remember I wasn’t old enough to drive myself to the church. My mom had to be there with me by my side. And I pulled out my notebook, and I pulled out my Bible and I peppered him with all of my questions. I was deeply searching, “Is this true? Can I trust this? Should I base my life according to this?” And looking back, I’m super grateful because my pastor didn’t tell me just to sit down and be quiet and stop asking questions. He didn’t flex his education and knowledge of Hebrew and Greek. I was just some teenage kid, what did I know? No, instead, he humbly listened. He reminded me that many Christians have had the exact same questions and have stuck with the faith, the conviction that the Bible is the word of God. And he gave me some really good answers.
In fact, I remember the first book my pastor gave me. It was called, “When Skeptics Ask.” And a huge part of that book was trying to answer that question like, “What is the Bible, and where does it come from, and can we really trust it? Has it been changed? Tampered with? Used for bad purposes?” That book was really important in my young faith. And I’ve learned over the years since then that there’s this whole field of study, it’s sometimes called apologetics, which seeks to defend these claims of the Christian faith, that they’re not illogical or they’re not unreasonable. You don’t have to shut off your brain to believe in your heart that the Bible really is the word of God. And what my pastor did, the path that he sent me down really helped my faith to mature and grow. And now, for all these years, I’ve been connected to this book that has changed my world.
So, how about you? Do you have some questions? I wouldn’t blame you if you did. I had them too. Do you wonder, “Is this really from God?” I mean, that’s a huge claim to say that a book came from God, to say that this particular book is the one that God inspired and gave to us. I mean, is that really true? Is there any evidence to back that up? You might wrestle with that question too. Or maybe you have friends who don’t believe what you believe, family members. Maybe you’re dating someone. Maybe your kid who you raised in the church now is asking that question for the first time, “Is this really true?” Now, the teachings of Jesus aren’t easy to follow. Can we trust that this is what God wants? Just believing in Jesus Christ, that’s the path to Heaven. That’s a huge, beautiful promise, but is that true? Can I trust that?
Now, there comes a time in most of our lives when we really have to think, not just what I believe but why do I believe what I believe? Why Christianity? Why Bible? Why scripture instead of all the other options? Well, today, I want to try to give you the same gift that so many decades ago, my pastor gave to me. I want to honor those questions and wrestle with that. Is there any evidence, any proof, that the Bible is more than just another book? Yes, it’s old, but there are a lot of old books. Yeah, for sure, it has impacted and changed the world, but there’s other books that have changed the world too. Yes, it makes big claims about himself, but it’s not the only book that does so.
So, here’s the question for today. Is there any evidence that sets the Bible apart? Is there any evidence that we can turn to and claim that the origin and authorship of this book really is divine, it really is from God? That’s a great question. I can’t wait to answer it. So, follow me into the Museum of the Bible as we look for evidence to prove the authorship of the scripture.
Evidence #1: The Old Testament Prophets’ Predictions
So, is there any evidence to back up the big claims of the Bible? I’m here, once again, in the Museum of the Bible in the manuscript room and we’re trying to examine this really big claim that the Bible is actually God’s word. It’s God speaking through men. It’s a pretty big thing to believe. Is there any evidence to back it up? Well, there’s tons of it actually. And today, I want to share with you three key points that convince me, and compel me, and remind me, that I’m no fool to believe that this book actually came from God.
So, the first bit of evidence are the Old Testament prophet’s predictions. If you’ve never read the Bible before, the first, about 75% of these pages were written by the Old Testament authors, many of whom we call prophets. Men like Moses, or Isaiah, or Jeremiah, or Micah. Now, what’s so interesting about their words is that they don’t just speak in generalities, you know, “God is real, or God is love, or God is powerful, or God is holy. Be nice to another. Make sure you pray and you’re generous.” No, they actually get specific and predict things that were to come. They sometimes name names, and mention people, and places, and empires, and kings. And maybe more than anything, what these men do is they remind us of the Messiah who has promised to come, the Messiah that we know as Jesus.
It’s actually incredible. If you would read, not just one or two, but dozens and dozens and dozens of predictions about the coming Messiah, the detail is shocking and compelling. And for example, the book of Micah, written 500 years before Jesus was born, predicts that he would be born in Bethlehem. 2 Samuel 7 says that the Messiah would come from the line of King David, which is exactly where Jesus came from. Isaiah 9 says that Jesus would live and bring light to the region of Galilee in northern Israel, that he would be born of a virgin, be betrayed by a friend, that he would be pierced, crucified, and risen from the dead. Prediction after prediction, after prediction, after prediction.
In fact, today, let me share one of my favorites with you. It comes from Isaiah 53, and speaking of Messiah it says this:
“He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him, the Messiah, the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death.” — Isaiah 53:5–9
Wow. Crushed, pierced, but he didn’t defend himself. That’s exactly what happened to Jesus. Buried, that happened to Jesus. Buried in a rich man’s tomb. That happened to Jesus. You see, detail after detail, after detail, and it just makes you ask this question, “Well, how in the world did Isaiah know that? How could Micah have predicted that? Did these prophets just get lucky?” Maybe once or twice, but not dozens, and dozens, and dozens of times. It just begs that question, “How could they have possibly known so much about the Messiah?” Unless, unless the one who is speaking in the Old Testament wasn’t just a man, but it was the all-knowing God.
It’s actually why I love the scrolls stretched out behind me. You ever heard the story of the Dead Sea Scrolls? Now, back in 1947, there was this shepherd who stumbled upon these caves right near the Dead Sea. Inside, ancient scrolls, like really ancient scrolls. Scrolls that had pieces of the Bible. And the jewel of what he found was what we call the Great Isaiah Scroll. You can see it behind me. It has from nearly start to finish all 66 chapters of the book of Isaiah including the passage that I just shared with you. They compared the ancient scroll to modern versions that we had in the 20th century, almost an exact match. And it’s just this great reminder that these words, which were written before the life of Jesus, predicted so many things about Jesus.
So, let me ask you that question. What do you do with that? It makes sense to me because I believe that the Bible is God speaking through men. But if you have questions — does that make you think, “How could Isaiah have known so much about Jesus? How could the Old Testament have known so much about Jesus?” Unless, unless, this big claim is actually true that the Bible is God speaking through men.
Evidence #2: The Apostles’ Honesty About Their Own Failures
Which brings us to our second piece of evidence. Let me jump to the New Testament, and not talk just about the prophet’s predictions. Let’s talk about the apostle’s actions. A friend of mine became a Christian a number of years ago. He started reading the Bible for the first time. He jumped in at the New Testament where I encouraged him to do so, and he soon had a question. His question was, “Pastor Mike, where are all the good guys?”
Now, he had just assumed that the leaders of the early church, like the apostle Peter, the apostle James, or the apostle John would be these really great people. But it turns out, if you read the New Testament, they are not such great people, they’re bad and sometimes embarrassingly so. You know, think about that for a second. Some people say, “Well, the New Testament was written by these people who had an agenda. Yeah, maybe there was a real guy named Jesus, but they said he was God, and he gave us this authority and power, so now you should follow us.” Right? They kind of used religion for personal gain.
But think for a second. If Peter, and James, and John, were in control of the early church as the Bible was being written, why wouldn’t they take those parts out? Well, why wouldn’t they, you know, strip off those passages that just make them look unimpressive, if not, outright pathetic. Have you read the stories? Maybe, you know, one of the 12 apostles was named Thomas. What do we know him for today, 2,000 years later? For his doubts, Doubting Thomas. James and John, two of Jesus’ closest friends. In the Bible, Jesus actually gives them a nickname, “the sons of thunder” because one day they just erupted in righteous anger. Jesus had to rebuke them, correct them, call them out. If you’re James and John and you’re making the Bible, why wouldn’t you take that part out?
And then there’s Peter. Oh man, do you know Peter? I wonder if his sandal tasted good, because it was in his mouth, like half of his life. In the Bible, Peter, you know, he talks so big and then he falls on his face. Actually, let me read this to you from Matthew. Jesus was saying, “I’m going to the cross to die for you.” Peter called him out, “That’s not going to happen.”
“Jesus turned around, and he said this, ‘Peter, get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.'” — Matthew 16:23
Jesus called him Satan. Now, if I’m Peter and I’m the CEO of the early church, if there is a word I’m going to drop from the New Testament, it’s that.
I mean, think about that. In our own lives today, don’t we try to cover up the embarrassing stuff? If you had a sketchy relationship history and you’re doing online dating, do you really put the stuff that makes you look bad on that report? If you’re interviewing for a job and things went south, and it got ugly, and messy, and dramatic, do you include all the details for your next boss to know? Think of celebrities who have too much to drink or impulsively Tweet something that totally ruins their image, don’t the PR people try to cover that up and erase the evidence of it? That’s what we do. Now, we humans are experts in image management. We try to cover up the bad stuff.
So, back to the question, why didn’t the apostles cover up their bad stuff? Maybe because they didn’t think that they had the copyright to this book. But even if they themselves were writing it, Peter and Paul, James, John, Matthew, and Mark, they didn’t think they could erase the embarrassing parts about their story, because it wasn’t their story to tell. It was God’s story. Because the Bible is God speaking through men.
Evidence #3: The Gospel’s Grace
But I saved my favorite bit of evidence for last. The amazing predictions of the apostles. How do you explain that besides God? The embarrassing actions of the apostles themselves. Wow. How do you explain that besides God? But the thing that convinces me most that this book came from above is the gospel’s grace, the unconditional love offered to people who’ve messed up like you and like me.
I have a really good friend who grew up as Buddhist. A few years ago, she became a Christian, was baptized into the name of Jesus. And recently, she went back to her country to see her family, and she decided to sit down with and talk with the local Buddhist monk. Now, he was like the family monk. They knew him well. And she didn’t sit down to just chat and share beliefs for a minute or two, she spent hours with this man.
Here’s what she told me afterwards. She asked the monk, you know, what happens when we die? How do things turn out good for you in the life to come? And the monk said to her, “Well, if you meditate enough, like, if you devote yourself to spiritual growth and meditation,” like he did as a full-time job, “And if you did enough of it, and worked hard enough at it, things would go good for you in the life to come.” And my friend said, “Well, I’m not a monk. I’m a woman. I can’t become a monk like you. So, what will happen to me?” Well, he wasn’t so sure. She probably couldn’t get to his level. But maybe if she worked hard enough, and tried hard enough, she would get to a good level. “Well, how much do I have to do?” My friend asked, “How much meditation? How many days, hours, years?” “Well, I don’t know,” he said, “But hopefully, you do enough.”
Do you know why my friend became a Christian? Because years ago, she heard this simple statement that God is love. In fact, God is so full of love, he doesn’t make people work, and work, and earn, and earn, and deserve, and deserve. Instead, he gives us this amazing gift through his son Jesus. And one of the most famous passages in the whole Bible comes from John 3:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” — John 3:16
Who has eternal life? Not the one who works, not the one who’s done enough to deserve it. The one who just looks to Jesus. That’s what we call grace. That’s what we call the gospel. That God would just love us even though we messed up.
So, here’s my question. Why would the Bible’s message be so different than all the other messages of all the other religions? Now, if you study it, you’ll quickly find that almost every other religion, at the end of the day, has this concept that if you do enough, it’ll go well for you in the life to come. And yet, this book comes around, and it says, “No, you could never do enough. God is so far above us, so holy, so pure.” But how about this? What if God came down to us? What if Jesus gave his life for us? What if the forgiveness of sins was a free gift, not something you pay for, but something that God, out of his big, generous kind heart, just gives to you? What if these words were true, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son?” Why would the Bible’s message be distinct? Maybe because its author is.
Now, put it all together. Man, doesn’t that make you think if you don’t believe in the Bible? Doesn’t it give you peace if you do? That we don’t just believe in this book because that’s what mom said, or that’s what dad believed, or that’s what the pastor told us was true. There is compelling evidence and there’s so much more I haven’t shared with you today. But just meditate on that for a second. The prophet’s predictions. How could that happen besides God? The apostle’s actions. Why would that be in there unless this was a book from God? And the grace of the gospel, the free forgiveness of your sins. The only thing that really works at the end of the day. Why would this message be so distinct? Unless its author was too. I love the Bible. I want you to read it. I want you to study it. I want it to be a part of your life. And I want you to know at the end of the day, you are no fool to believe this. There’s powerful evidence to back up this simple claim that the Bible is God speaking through men.
A Book That Can Change Your World
Wow, what a building. I wasn’t exaggerating. The Museum of the Bible is a truly amazing place. And, wow, what a book. That’s no exaggeration to say that this book can change your world. We’ve learned how it can impact everything from cultures and nations to human hearts, and your personal story. We talked about the origin story of the Bible that actually comes from God, his heart, his mind, as he reaches out to communicate to a person like you. We talked about the evidence of the Bible that proves this isn’t just any book. This actually does come from God, and has incredible, logical proof. So, can I ask you, would you spend today engaging with a book that changed the world? Would you open its pages and not just skim its words, but meditate on this wisdom that God has for you? Will you make a commitment in your own heart today to be a person of the book? Connecting as many days as you can until you see your father’s face and hear his personal voice? Would you engage with this book? Because it’s not just the book that changed the world, it’s the book that will change your world.
A Fourth Visit to the Museum of the Bible
Hey, I’m wrapping up my time here in Washington D.C. at the Museum of the Bible. It’s actually my fourth time being here. And, you know, I was thinking, “What was my big takeaway from this trip?” And for me, it was the moment that I got to see, it was just a replica, but they pulled it out in an amazing ceremony, a little strip of John 8. That’s one of the earliest discovered pieces of the New Testament where Jesus is kind of debating his identity and legitimacy. And just seeing that little strip up close, it’s such an awesome reminder that the Bible wasn’t invented yesterday. It stretches all the way back to the original authors. That’s why I love it. That’s why I trust it. That’s why I read it. That’s why I believe it. Just so many cool things in this museum and it’s such a blessing to be able to see them, experience them, and share them with you. I hope someday you can get here to the Museum of the Bible, even more, I hope you can read this incredible book.
Oh man. I just think of how beautiful it is. Like, there are people who really believed that they couldn’t tamper with it, or edit it. It was like the word of God. And so, having studied the process, every little line, every little letter, knowing that sometimes they’d start over on the whole scroll if they messed something up. It’s like, profound to me that many of the people who copied the scriptures were like so committed to its accuracy, because they believed in the origin story that it came from God.
Do you know what this is? It’s a facsimile, and it says, “Romans 5:8-13.” So, my favorite Bible verse in the whole Bible is Romans 5:8. It’s a translation of it.
“But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:8
This dates back to, what? 200 to 325 AD. So, 1,700-1,800 years old with the best message in the world that Jesus died for us, not when we are good, or worthy, or deserving, but while we were still sinners Jesus died for us. Man, I wish they would let us take this stuff home. That’s not going to happen. But we can take the passage home, and I’m super grateful for that.
What to Read Next: The Book of Acts
In some previous videos, I encouraged you to find someone to help you read the Bible because you’re going to have a lot of questions. And then I encouraged you to start with the life of Jesus, with what we call the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Should have taken you about four and a half hours if you’ve gotten that far, but now maybe you’ve finished the last chapter of John and you’re wondering, “Well, what next?”
Alright, so there are 66 total books in the Bible, so you’ve got four down perhaps, 62 to go. Which one do you pick? Here’s my bit of advice for you. I think that you should pick the sequel. It’s known as the Book of Acts. Right after Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the New Testament is a book called Acts, and it was actually written by the same Luke who wrote the Gospel of Luke. And essentially, the book of Acts is the sequel of what happened after Jesus. So, here Jesus was born, he lived this perfect life, he died on the cross for our sins, he rose from the dead on the third day, 40 days later, he returned back to his heavenly father. And then what? In this tiny little church, couple dozen people, maybe a couple hundred people in this big world, you have the very religious and political officials who put Jesus, the son of God to death just like two months ago, what next? And the Book of Acts tells that amazing story.
I won’t spoil any of the amazing accounts that you’ll find in the Book of Acts, but you’re going to run into Peter, Jesus’ friend who got up to speak to this massive crowd. And in one of the funnier lines of the Bible, the crowd said, “Are you drunk?” And Peter somehow took that dig into one of the biggest, most successful sermons in human history where 3,000 people became Christians on a single day and were baptized into the name of Jesus.
A few pages later, you’re going to meet a bounty hunter named Saul of Tarsus, a very religious man who believed that Jesus and his followers were very wrong and needed to be stopped at any cost. Well, that’s what he did believe until he met Jesus. And then he changed his name from Saul to Paul, and if you’ve ever driven past a church called St. Paul’s, that was that guy. The same guy that God would use to write many books that show up in the Bible itself. You’re going to hear about a riot that broke out when Paul’s preaching about Jesus was being believed by so many people. You’re going to hear about the injustice of Paul being arrested, almost killed for his faith, sitting in jail for something he didn’t do. And yet, how God was powerfully working through him. I honestly, personally love reading the Book of Acts. It is packed with action, and most importantly, it’s packed with Jesus.
