What is your proof that the bible is the "inerrant word of God"?

Question

I see this said often and it cracks me up. What, did God move their hands for them? Did they hear voices in their head? If He supposedly inspired the bible, than why does it contradict itself? Paul was a male chauvenist homophobe, he inspired the bible. If there is no proof that there is a God, than how can you attempt to prove that some fictional book was inspired by God?

!st Corinthians says that when you die your soul will not rise until the rapture. 2nd Corinthians says that your souls will rise to be with God at the moment of your death. So did God change his mind? Or did more than one man with an agenda of his own write the books that are included in the bible that is known today?

Everyone loves to quote Leviticus when they want to condemn homosexuals. How about Leviticus 20:9, Any child who curses his mother or his father shall be put to death. So, I get it, it is ok to kill your children, but it is not ok to sit on my bed if I am menstruating.

Not all true Americans have no common sense. I have quite a bit actually!

Do you actually believe that you can use the bible to prove itself? That is as ridiculous as using the bible to prove the existance of God.

Answer 1

Hi Gorgeous,

This statement is correct to a believer, once they make up their mind to believe, and it should be. So, believer to believer, this is true, and does not need to be proved.

It is also true to all of the writers of any of the books in the bible. It is certain that all of the writers were trying to spiritually discern something about God when they wrote what they wrote. Thus, everyone one of them believes what they wrote was the truth. Just like I believe what I am writing right now is the truth, even though someone else may not believe me.

To a non-believer, the bible is a book written by people about their thoughts about God. How does one prove this? It is impossible, thus, any and all non-believers will be skeptical, and they should be. The words inerrant word of God are wrong for the bible is a book of faith, not fact. But, once you have faith, it is like fact. Thus, if you are skeptical, it is a non-issue, it can never be proven.

To me, the bible is simply a spiritual book, since it was writen by spiritual people. It is a realistic book, that describes how a human civilization grows and matures, and it includes all the realistic mistakes people and socities make when faith is gone, weak, or strong. For this reason, you can read it and learn from the mistakes of others. It is the most realistic spiritual book on earth. And it is up to each person, to learn from it.

To me, the right perspective is: Leviticus to a new society that was forming is like the rules you have when you are young. Highly prescriptive, and black and white. As you mature and are an adult, you make the rules, like in the new testament, when you are born again, and are past the law [of Leviticus], as it is clearly stated. That is a more correct context and perspective. However, many Christians do what you did, and it is a mistake and causes great confusion.

Look how honestly things are included in this spiritual book. These things truly happened at that point in time, so they were included. There is no sugar coating. Some terrible things are described. Thus, truth is the standard, and not trying to create a holier than thou perception.

If someone from eastern someplace were to read the constitution of the US and then read a history of the US with slavery and discrimination and war, they would say the constitution is a fraud, for it speaks of rights, and yet does not do what it says it should do. However, the speaking of rights is the vision that led us down the difficult road to eliminate slavery and to accept diversity. Were our actions in Manifest Destiny wrong? Some believe they were wrong. However, our nation was young and growing and immature, the frontier was up for grabs, and we fought for it, as we fought to eliminate slavery. Isn't this similar to the history of the bible. Life is a maturing process and is an ongoing struggle for people and societies.

My point is that I am proud to be an American. And that a non-american can prove that americans are inconsistent, just like non-believers can show the bible and believers are inconsistent. But that is reality. When I was young, I was different than I am now, I learned and grew. Does that mean I am inconsistent with my youth. Yes, absolutely. If perfection and consistentcy are the standards then we all have failed. That is why context and perspective is critical.

At least that is the way to have come to see both sides of this issue.

Hope this is helps.

Answer 2

No God's Word DOES NOT contradict itself, and you can best tell its Gods word because of prophecy, the book of daniel and rev. talks about kingdoms to come that have came as told, and the fact that so many folks from different lands wrote the different passages, of all the knowledge that A human has no idea where to find it, does not know its there can God live there, God does live, and no the bible says in Gen that God breathed into the man the breath of life and HE BECAME A living soul, A soul is something we become not something God pokes in you.remember the book of Lev. the old testament was BEFORE Christ the second member of The Godhead died on Calvary for you, and there was no hope for A child that was in the grip of satan, but now thats all changed do To Christ, IF you will pray and really Ask God for proof He is there IF you really Look, seek Him with ALL your heart He has promised YOU WILL find Him. free bible lessons learn more www.itiswritten.com God bless bible questions www.bibleinfo.com EMAIL me also [e-mail]

Answer 3

If you look up a word in the dictionary, that same word cannot not be found in its definition.

Ask a Christian, how do you know the Bible is truth? ....Because the Bible says it is.

Then they go about devoting their lives looking for loopholes in the scientifically-established age of Earth (a few billion years), but they find nothing wrong with believing dates recorded by Bronze Age tribesmen sitting in their tents who guessed that the Earth is a few thousand years old.

They are outraged when they hear about terroristic acts committed by Moslem extremists, but they don't even flinch when God slaughters all the babies of Egypt in "Exodus" and orders the elimination of entire ethnic groups in "Joshua."

While modern science, geology, biology, and physics have failed to convince them of anything, someone rolling around on the floor and "speaking in tongues" is evidence of the validity of Christianity

They vigorously deny the existence of thousands of gods of other religions, but feel outraged when someone denies the existence of theirs.

If truth does not fit their answers, then it must not be truth

Nature abhors a vacuum.

Answer 4

Considering your followup comments, I'm not sure of what answer you're seeking to find. But...here goes...

The Bible, despite what a lot of Christians believe, does not claim itself to be the inerrant word of God (that would be circular reasoning). The Catholic Church, at that time the only One Christian church through the Council of Hippo put together all the books that would be the Bible as we know it today. And the Catholic Church received its authority from Christ who promised that the Holy Spirit would come and lead them to all truth.

We know the Bible to be true because among other things it has shown to be a historical book. There are a lot of prophecies (over 171 I think) made in the books of the Old Testament that would later be fufilled in Jesus Christ.

Truly understood, the Bible doesn't contradict itself. You'd have to understand the context of what is said in each.

Answer 5

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Now Paul under insperation of the Holy Spirit said that there is neither male nor female but EQUALITY (Galatians 3:28)

The soul / spirit does go to be with the Lord but the physical body awaits the resurrection.

Any other errors you would like to address?

Concerning your question - the Bible contains info that man could not have know nor understood. Such as knowledge of bacteria, the world being a sphere, under water ocean currents, etc etc etc. The Bible also contains hundreds of fulfilled prophecies - even from our day. Basically, man could not have written the Bible without divine insperation.

Answer 6

By definition, religion is supernatural and defies natural law, requiring followers to incorporate faith within their practice. For many, there is something beautiful in placing your trust, your love in that which you believe to be your creator. Living only on proof can deny an entire part of the human existence.... But functioning within this constraint of proof is enough, indeed, vital for others. I guess it all depends on where you are on your journey.

Answer 7

Lectio Divina is Latin for “spiritual reading” and represents an early monastic technique of prayer which continues in practice though less widely, intended to achieve communion with God as well as providing special spiritual insights and peace from that experience. It is a way of praying with Scripture that calls one to study, ponder, listen and, finally, pray from God's Word.

History
Lectio Divina was first expressed in the year 220 AD. It was found that to read the Bible profitably it is necessary to do so with attention, consistency and prayer. The systematization of “spiritual reading” into four steps dates back to the 12th century. Around 1150, Guigo II, a Carthusian monk, wrote a book entitled “The Monk’s Ladder” (Scala Claustralium) wherein he set out the theory of the four rungs: reading, meditation, prayer and contemplation. In 2005, Pope Benedict XVI stated, “This is the ladder by which the monks ascend from earth to heaven.”

Method
Lectio is typically practiced daily for one continuous hour. A selection from the Holy Scriptures is chosen ahead of time, often as a daily progression through a particular book of the Bible.

Time
Selecting a time for lectio divina is important. Typical methods are to pray for one hour in the morning, or to divide it into two half-hour periods, one in the morning and one in the evening. The key is to pre-select the time that will be devoted to the prayer, and to keep it. Using the same time every day leads to a daily habit of prayer that becomes highly effective.

Place
The place for prayer is to be free from distractions. This means it should be isolated from other people, telephones, visual distractions, etc. Some find a religious icon to be helpful. The same place should be used for lectio if possible, especially as one first begins to practice it. Familiarity with a location reduces the possibility of distraction away from the prayer. Some practitioners conduct other devotions, such as praying before the Catholic Eucharist, as a preparation for Lectio Divina.

Preparation
Prior to reading, it is important to engage in a transitional activity that takes one from the normal state of mind to a more contemplative and prayerful state. A few moments of deep, regular breathing and a short prayer inviting the Holy Spirit to guide the prayer time helps to set the tone and improve the effectiveness of the lectio.

Once the stage is set it is time to begin the prayer. There are four phases of the prayer, which do not necessarily progress in an ordered fashion. One may move between different phases of the prayer very freely as the Spirit guides.

The Four Moments
Lectio
Read the passage several times.

Meditatio
Reflect on the text of the passage, thinking about how to apply to one's own life. Gravitate to any particular phrase or word that seems to be of particular import. This should not be confused with exegesis, but is a very personal reading of the Scripture and application to one's own life.

Oratio
Respond to the passage by opening the heart to God. This is not primarily an intellectual exercise, but more of the beginning of a conversation with God.

Contemplatio
Listen to God. This is a freeing oneself from one's own thoughts, both mundane and holy. It is about hearing God talk to us. Opening our mind, heart and soul to the influence of God. Any conversation must allow for both sides to communicate, and this most unfamiliar act is allowing oneself to be open to hearing God speak.

Answer 8

Looking at it from one point of view it is the infallible word of the GOD of the Israelites first and then the Christians through Jesus"the CHRIST". AS a Sept of the Jewish religion. This part starts with the Garden of EDEN . ADAM was the first of the line of Israelites . AS ADAM and family met OTHER TRIBES OUTSIDE OF THE GARDEN. Who were these other tribes and who made them .Also who long before ADAM had they been made.

Answer 9

I do not believe the bible is the word of God, but I do believe there is a God. I just don't think he/she/it would reduce itself to written word.

I do not believe in organized religion. It makes people say things like "Yes, kill them all." That is clearly WRONG.

Answer 10

"For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." (1 Corinthians 1:19)