How do Christians "know" that the Bible is the word of God?

Question

"Because it says so in the Bible" is not a valid answer - and that includes "because of the prophecies coming true."

Answer 1

This question comes up all of the time. Basically, fulfilled prophecy is the number one reason that a person was assumed to be a prophet. That, and the fact that this person worked miracles. Raising another person from the dead or walking on water, for example, was a rather dramatic way of showing that a person was acting on God's authority.

There is also the fact that the Bible has surrivied numerous attempts to burn it, or destroy it. It is still the best selling book of all times in spite of many people's attempts to discredit it or ban it.

------------------------------------------
...The two great cities of Phoenicia were Tyre and Sidon. Ezekiel as a captive in Babylon made some very specific predictions about the seacoast metropolis of Tyre. In Ezekiel 26 and 27 the destruction of Tyre was given in detail (592-570BC)

Ezek 26:3. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I [am] against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up.
Ezek 26:4. And they shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break down her towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock.

Ezek 26:5. It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea: for I have spoken [it] saith the Lord GOD: and it shall become a spoil to the nations.

Ezek 26:7. For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and much people.

Ezek 26:12. And they shall make a spoil of thy riches, and make a prey of thy merchandise: and they shall break down thy walls, and destroy thy pleasant houses: and they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water.

Ezek 26:14. And I will make thee like the top of a rock: thou shalt be [a place] to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the LORD have spoken [it] saith the Lord GOD.

Nebuchadnezzar came against Tyre in 585 BC (fulfilling vs 26:7). The siege lasted until 573 BC. When he broke down the gates of the city he found most of the population had escaped by ship to a city they had built on an island about a half mile out into the sea.
Sometime after defeating the Persians in a battle in 333BC, Alexander III in a southern campaign demolished old Tyre and used the materials and dirt (fulfilling verse 26:4) to build a causeway to the new city which had been built out in the water. After a long siege, the island city was destroyed and the materials cast into the sea (fulfilling 26:12).

Eighteen years after Alexander's defeat of Tyre on the island, Antigonus laid siege to the city and again destroyed it. The Moslems were next to win and occupy it for a time but were defeated by the Roman Crusaders. Still later, the Moslems again retook and utterly destroyed the city with a vengeance, seeming to hate the very stones on which the Crusaders walked. All these "waves" of conquerors fulfilled vs 26:3.

Today, Tyre is literally a place for local fishermen to spread their nets to dry. The proud commercial seaport of ancient Tyre has never been rebuilt (fulfilling vs 26:5 and 14)...

...[There] are over 20 prophesies [listed here] regarding the Lord Jesus Christ from his birth to his resurrection. The probability of these all happening to a single person is 1 in 246 quintillion (246+15 0's). There are not just 20, however, some have estimated as many as 333 such prophecies!!! There is no need to calculate that probability for if a person will not be satisfied with 1 in 246 quintillion they are not to be convinced!

Answer 2

Because there are so many things outside the Bible that back up what the Bible says. There are many more sources than just the Bible that we can rely on (although the Bible is more than sufficient on it's own).

1. Geography
2. Texts
3. Toponymy
4. Archaeology

Geography- If you study the geography of Israel you would see how it affected the settlement patterns, routes of travel commerce, econmy, politics and thus the history of that time. The geography of the Biblical Israel confirms what we read in the Bible.

Texts- There are extra-biblical texts (texts outside the Bible) that also confirm what is written in scripture. Egyptian sources are primarily from the 2nd millenium BCE. There are 4 types.
1) Expedition journal and topographical lists- example is Thutmose III.
2) Literary papyri-example, Journey of Sinuhe
3) Execration texts- 2 sets (ursing)
4) Coorespondance archives- El Amarna letters
Other Extra Biblical texts include Mesopotamian sources, from Syria the Ebla texts, from Transjordan the Mesha Stele, from Israel the Tel Dan inscription.
Also look at authors like the famous historian Josephus, Tacitus, Pliny the younger, Julius Africanus, and the Talmud.

Toponymy- the study of place names. If you study the cities and other names in the Bible you will see that they have the Principles of Location which prove they really did exist. Those are:
1) Near a water source.
2) Defensible.
3) Continuity of the name through the centuries.
4) It fits with the geography described in the text.
5) Check data from archaelogical surveys.
No one would settle in a place that did not have these Principles of Location.

Archaeology- If we dig in Israel and find ancient sites that are consistent with where the Bible said we would find them, that shows the Bible's history and geography are accurate. One prominate archaeologist carefully examined Luke's references to 32 countries, 54 cities, and 9 islands, finding not a single mistake. These are only some sites that have been excavated: The Pool of Bethesda in John 5:1-15, the Pool of Siloam from John 9:7, Jacob's well from John 4:12, even Pontius Pilate's identity has been confirmed by archaeology! John McRay PH. D. was asked if he had ever encountered an archaeological finding that blatantly contravene a New Testament reference he responded, "Archaeology has not produced anything that is unequivocally a contradiction to the Bible. On the contrary, there have been many opinions of skeptical scholars that have become codified into 'fact' over the years but that archaeology has shown to be wrong."

Answer 3

I agree with you that there are inconsistancies in the bible- and that it is often followed naively with no questions asked. Your opinion does count. Try not to assume all Christians think it doesn't because of some of the extremists on these boards. I posted a question adressed to Christians today and had some people who weren't necessarilly the way I portrayed it. Just be careful as not all Christians follow the bible in the same what. I think I will go with 1 because it has been proven that texts have been changed to justify intolerance and mass-murder over time. Some may have been guided to write in the bible others may have been stating how they see the world. In my honest opinion the bible was written by man reflecting their views over time and changed when convenient or a need to wipe out another belief occured. That is not at all saying Christians are wrong so don't start that crap

Answer 4

Why would that include "because of the prophecies coming true." if one includes examples of specific prophecies?

Anyway, what about scientific facts that of which humans of the time would have had no knowledge? For example, matter and energy can not be created nor destroyed, but only converted back and forth; this is a scientific fact. It is in harmony with what the Bible states at Isaiah 40:26 - “Raise your eyes high up and see. Who has created these things? It is the One who is bringing forth the army of them even by number, all of whom he calls even by name. Due to the abundance of dynamic energy, he also being vigorous in power, not one of them is missing."

Also the wind & water cycles as described in Ecclesiastes 1:6, 7.

And Job 26:7 tells us that that God is "Hanging the earth upon nothing."

Answer 5

We as Christians do not "know for certain" and "cannot prove" ,as you have so gloriously pointed out, that the Holy Bible is true. Furthermore, we do not generally feel that it is necessary to explain why we feel that the Bible is the inspired word of God to people who don't believe. We accept the Word of God by faith just as we accept the news that Jesus came, offered Himself for our sins, died, and rose again the third day so that we might have eternal life. To the world's unsaved population, this all seems like a fairy tale. I personally believe through evidence that I have experienced with the Holy Spirit of God after I accepted Jesus as my Saviour that Jesus is real, the Bible is real protected all this time by God so that He can instruct us to live for Him. The Bible is our "rule book" of sorts. I have had over 30 years to test its authenticity by world standards - it hasn't failed me yet. God is eternal and in the end (as the Bible says)-"every knee shall bow and every tongue confess the name of Jesus--". Why don't you have some faith that God knows best for us. He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on a cruel cross for our sins - all we need do is confess His name and claim the gift that He has given us already. Be saved before it is too late, for there is coming a day soon when it will be too late.
In summary, we can't prove the Bible as true, but we do accept it's teachings by faith that God preserves His precious Word for us.
As a final thought - do you question the existence of God? Man surely did not have anything to do with creation - man did not create himself. How do you explain this? The Bible falls into the same category to some extent - you either believe or you don't believe (and there can be no riding the fence here either). I choose to be a believer. God bless you in your decision.

Answer 6

I know the bible is the word of God, because it is supernaturally written. You have to be able to rightly divide the word of God. Just reading it in English is not enough to understand it. When I supernaturally written I am refering to the content, and how every answer you may ever need is included. You have to use a Strong's Concordance to get to the true meaning of the english translation.

Answer 7

Scientists- NON BELIEVING SCIENTISTS- have calculated the chances of all the prophecies in the bible coming true.

The 109 about Jesus:

Chances were 1 to 1 with 117 zero's.

Faith is the answer, of which, you apparently have none.

And when you DO have faith and focus on God instead of DOUBT, it... WORKS!

semper fi..

Answer 8

THE BEFORE CHRIST AND THE AFTER CHRIST IS THERE

JESUS GENEALOGY AND 2007 CALENDAR TIME

~~~~ Gen.1:1,2 All Exist. 1:3-25 Earth prepared. Space Job 38:30-32;
0130 Adam Gen.5:3
0105 Shem Gen.5:6
0090 Enos Gen.5:9
0070 Cainan Gen.5:12
0065 Mahalaleel Gen.5:15
0162 Jared Gen.5:18
0065 Enoch Gen.5:21
0187 Methusalen Gen.5:25
0182 Lamech Gen.5:28; 1056 Noah born.
0600 age of Noah, Flood Gen.7:6; 1656 flood year at 1656 after Adam.
0000 Noah 350 years Gen.9:28,29; Shem 502 years Gen.11:10,11,
0222 Gen.11:10,11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22,24 is Terah at, 222 years.
0205 427 Gen.11:32 [ 205 dies ]; Gen.12:4; Abraham age 75. Matt.1:1-17;
0430 857 Exo.7,7; 12:40,41; Gal.3:16-18 [ Abraham & 430 to law ];
0040 897 Num.33:38,39 [ Deut.34:7 Aaron & Moses die ];
0000 898th after flood. Josh.5:6,10,12; 14th day of New Year.
0000 Judges 11:26; 300 & 898 after flood, is 1198. 1212 BC
0000 Acts 13:20 450 & 857 is 1307 after flood. 1103 BC
0000 1Ki.2:10,11 David [ 1037 BC ]. Ruth 4:18-22; 1Chr.3:1-17;
0480 1Ki.6:1; Promised Land 897 to 1377 after flood. 1033 BC
0036 1Ki.11:42 Solomon dies 1413 after flood. 997BC
3069 & 997 & 2007 is 6073 after Adam as LOST to SAVED.
0000 Rev.20:6; 1000 year reign of Jesus. 1000 is 7072 years accounted for.

Eph.2:7; 3:21; The world with jesus is without end. John 3:16l 2Pet.3:13 All made new.

THIS IS NOT THE AGE OF THE EARTH.

Answer 9

Because believe it or not God still quotes the bible in our spirits. He'll give us a verse when we're hurting, when we're depressed, when we're ready to commit suicide. He'll speak to us how He see fit. Well I can talk for myself. This is how you know God, when He can give you what you need without you asking Him. He's knows what we need! So I say this because while you're still trying out if God is real, He can be doing marvelous things in your life. Things you'll never believe but you don't wanna give Him a chance. And if you're waiting on science you'll die waiting. Only God can satisfy us. Always know this!!!!!!!

Answer 10

No one can prove that it is the Word of God.

The evidence does seem to weigh in that the Bible is the Word of God. The Bible has been held in this view for centuries. Let alone that the Bible NEVER contradicts itself theologically.

You can not PROVE that the Bible is not the Word of God, either.