Some people believe in God but don’t agree with or trust all aspects of the Bible. There are also people who believe in God but reject the Bible, its stories and teachings. Can you be a Christian, believe in God but not the Bible. First, we must ask ourselves if the Bible indeed God’s Word. How we answer this question will determine how the Bible should be viewed, the importance of the book in our lives and how it impacts us.
There is no question that the Bible does claim to be the very Word of God. This is seen in 2 Timothy 3:15-17, Paul’s commendation to Timothy, which says, “…from infancy you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” The Bible is divinely inspired and completely sufficient for all practice and faith matters.
There is internal and external evidence that the Bible is truly the Word of God. One of those internal pieces of evidence is the unity of all the authors of the Bible. The Bible was written over 1500 years, but more than 40 authors on three continents and in three different languages, and the book is still one unified voice with no contradictions. It is hard not to see the evidence that the Bible is of divine origin.
Additional evidence of this are the biblical prophecies. There are hundreds of detailed prophecies throughout scripture. These prophecies relate to the future of nations including Israel, and mankind. We also see prophecies about the coming of the Messiah who would save the world. The Old Testament tells us where Jesus would be born, His lineage and how He would die and rise again. No other religious book contains the extent of predictive prophecy that the Bible does.
There is also external evidence that shows that the Bible is truly God’s Word. One of these is the historicity of the Bible. What some people, including believers, don’t know is that there is historical evidence of scripture and Christ’s death. Those who say there is no credible evidence that Jesus existed outside of the Bible that isn’t true. In fact, there is solid, historical evidence that Jesus was not only a real person but that He also died on the cross for us. The earliest surviving Christian creed outside of the Bible, known as the Old Roman Creed, said that Jesus was crucified under Pontus Pilate. There are other sources outside of the Bible that can agree. This is the most significant link to a larger history. We also know that Pilate was a historical figure. He was the Roman procurator of Judea. Not only was he referenced in other sources of the time, but He was also mentioned in an inscription in ancient Caesarea in Israel.
In addition, New Testament scholars agree that the burial story is real and one of the best-established facts about Jesus. This is a result of the inclusion of Joseph of Arimathea as the one who buried Jesus. In addition, Joseph was a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, which was like a Jewish supreme court. Those in the ruling class were too notable for being included in fictitious stories. They would not have circulated this story if it wasn’t true.
This also includes the integrity of the very authors of the Bible. God channeled His words through men who came from various walks of life. When we look at the history of these men and the lives they live, we can trust that they were sincere. These men were persecuted for their faith. They were willing to die, many excruciating deaths for their faith, testifying the Bible is truly the Word of God. They shifted from hiding in fear to being willing to die, expressing that God’s message had been revealed to them.
There are many people that believe they can pick and choose which parts of scripture they deem true. However, God’s Word doesn’t give us this option. When we think about where we want to place our trust, we must remember this. The Bible states that it is the inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 2:16), that it is a guide for our lives (Luke 4:4) and that it is true (John 17:7). If we believe in God but don’t trust in the Bible’s truth, everything the Bible claims become suspect. This means that scripture and the promises in it can be doubted.
When we think that the Bible is untrustworthy, we also have to find another reasonable explanation for the Bible’s miraculous nature. Think about the fact that the Bible includes nearly 2,500 prophecies, more than 2,000 have been fulfilled, and there are more than 500 prophecies unfolding over time. The probability of all these prophecies unfolding without error is slim to none, but they are unfolding error-free. Not trusting the Bible is mathematically inconsistent.
One of the beautiful things about the Bible is that it has withstood time. There have been various kings, dictators and societies that have tried to challenge and abolish the Bible, but it still remains. The Bible continues to transform millions of lives, including the lives of tyrants, murderers and nations. While some will discredit the Bible’s truth, hate God’s Word and ignore it, the Bible’s impact can never be overlooked.
If we are true believers of God, we should fully trust the Bible, cherish it, study and obey it. When we dismiss God’s Word, then we are also dismissing God Himself. Our God has given us the free will to choose what we believe, but He has also placed His hand over all of creation. The Bible is our instruction manual on how to live, and the Bible’s truth should never be reduced.
