All the evidence that the Bible is true, is it contained in the Bible itself?

Question

MY POINT EXACTLY -- HOW CONVENIENT.

Answer 1

Yup. The only place that verifies the "veracity" of the bible, is in the bible itself.
Funny huh? It's like saying that the Chronicles of Narnia are historical books, because they refer to themselves in the books.
Nice circular logic there...

Answer 2

Tautology is the word you are looking for. There are many documents that are self-qualifying. The best example I can think of is our (USA) Declaration of Independence. "We hold these truths to be self-evident" then the document goes on to state the truths that are held by the signers to be true. Existence of the document is the qualifying truth of its contents.

The Bible asserts its own authority most clearly in John Chapter 1. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." The word that is being spoken of (at the time of writing) was the Jewish Torah and Talmud (or now the "Old Testament"). Specifically it was referring (most likely) to the prophesy of the coming of the Christ. Later, when this letter was incorporated into the "New Testament", the phrase self-qualified the Gospel of the Disciples as being true and grounded in the older more widely read and believed "Old Testament".

Now your main question: All "evidence" that the Bible is true being contained completely in the Bible. Understand that each book of the Bible was written by different people for many different reasons. Some are testimony to what was witnessed, some are moral instruction, some are "revelation" and prophesy.

You ask about truth, just what are you looking for? There are corroborating records of the time periods given in the Bible that give accounts that are usually supporting. Then there are some that are simply poetic gesture (such as in the Songs of Solomon) and reported moral examples. Do you want concrete verifying secondary source information? Jesus had no birth certificate and he never joined a synagogue by filing a letter of reference.

Telling more would take both more time and more space then allowed here. I would suggest a Masters in Biblical History to fully answer your query. Or you could just accept the truths given as self-evident on faith. The Bible has been a reliable source of moral instruction, mutual interest, and community trust for about 1900 years. I have believed without proof that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights for my entire life and never once really wondered if the Declaration of Independence was supported by anything more reliable then the signatures of those that stated what they thought. That document is only about 230 years old. I maintain that my faith is not misguided in either case in determining that what those documents contain is the truth.

Answer 3

Not all the evidence, but some. This is especially true in regards to the New Testament reaffirming the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). However, generally it has been my experience that people have come to some form of belief (or have an experience of God) before claiming that the Bible is true in their heart. It is the actions of God in people's lives that open them up to the truth in Scriptures. Other than that action or influence, you do end up with what others above me have already answered: circular logic. It is silly to say that the Bible says it is true, therefore it is true. Also, people have related Scriptural ideas to ideas in other fields of study and have found them complimentary. In this case, people will translate the truth they find in the field of study (like one of the sciences, natural or social) onto the Scriptures through that relation. (If A is true and A=B, then B is true) Thus not all the evidence can be contained there.

Answer 4

You can tell by the way it was put together through time. Also when Jesus was on earth. Even secular people talked about Jesus in history. Romans have him on record for being killed. You can look through the science of the Bible. The flood for example. Or that the Sun as a rotation, we just recently discovered that in secular science when it was in the Bible all along. In the Pslams which were written 1000 of years ago talked about path ways in the sea, it wasn't until the 1800's when someone discovered ocean currents. These are just a few.

Answer 5

On the existance of god, yes, on battles and Jewish history and whereabouts, no. There is historical and archological evidence for a lot of the stuff in the Bible. Mainly the battles and stuff. However, there is one battle with, I believe it was the Assyrians. The Assyrian version has them as the winner and the Jewish says the Jews did. However, this does not give evidence of a god, just that the Jews wrote down their stories and histories as all cultures did.

Answer 6

I wonder how people can ask such a deep question and expect it to be answered in 10 words or less. Unfortunately I can not do that. Here is why I think God exists and the bible is his word.

The Bible contains numerous prophecies, many of which have already been fulfilled. Consider an example. Through the prophet Isaiah, who lived in the eighth century B.C.E., God foretold that the city of Babylon would be destroyed. (Isaiah 13:19; 14:22, 23) Details were given to show just how this would happen. Invading armies would dry up Babylon’s river and march into the city without a battle. That is not all. Isaiah’s prophecy even named the king who would conquer Babylon—Cyrus.—Isaiah 44:27–45:2.

Some 200 years later—on the night of October 5/6, 539 B.C.E.—an army encamped near Babylon. Who was its commander? A Persian king named Cyrus. The stage was thus set for the fulfillment of an amazing prophecy. But would the army of Cyrus invade Babylon without a battle, as foretold?

The Babylonians were holding a festival that night and felt secure behind their massive city walls. Meanwhile, Cyrus cleverly diverted the water of the river that flowed through the city. Soon the water was shallow enough for his men to cross the riverbed and approach the walls of the city. But how would Cyrus’ army get past Babylon’s walls? For some reason, on that night the doors to the city were carelessly left open!

Regarding Babylon, it was foretold: “She will never be inhabited, nor will she reside for generation after generation. And there the Arab will not pitch his tent, and no shepherds will let their flocks lie down there.” (Isaiah 13:20) This prophecy did more than predict a city’s fall. It showed that Babylon would be desolated permanently. You can see evidence of the fulfillment of these words. The uninhabited site of ancient Babylon—about 50 miles [80 km] south of Baghdad, Iraq—is proof that what Jehovah spoke through Isaiah has been fulfilled: “I will sweep her with the broom of annihilation.”—Isaiah 14:22, 23.

Considering how the Bible is a book of reliable prophecy is faith strengthening, is it not? After all, if God has fulfilled his past promises, we have every reason to be confident that he will also fulfill his promise of a paradise earth. (Numbers 23:19) Indeed, we have “hope of the everlasting life which God, who cannot lie, promised before times long lasting.”—Titus 1:2.

THE prophet Daniel lived more than 500 years before the birth of Jesus. Nevertheless, Jehovah revealed to Daniel information that would make it possible to pinpoint the time when Jesus would be anointed, or appointed, as the Messiah, or Christ. Daniel was told: “You should know and have the insight that from the going forth of the word to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Leader, there will be seven weeks, also sixty-two weeks.”—Daniel 9:25.

To determine the time of the Messiah’s arrival, first we need to learn the starting point of the period leading to the Messiah. According to the prophecy, it is “from the going forth of the word to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem.” When did this “going forth of the word” take place? According to the Bible writer Nehemiah, the word went forth to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem “in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king.” (Nehemiah 2:1, 5-8) Historians confirm that the year 474 B.C.E. was Artaxerxes’ first full year as ruler. Therefore, the 20th year of his rule was 455 B.C.E. Now we have the starting point for Daniel’s Messianic prophecy, that is, 455 B.C.E.

Daniel indicates how long the time period leading to the arrival of “Messiah the Leader” would last. The prophecy mentions “seven weeks, also sixty-two weeks”—a total of 69 weeks. How long is this period of time? Several Bible translations note that these are, not weeks of seven days, but weeks of years. That is, each week represents seven years. This concept of weeks of years, or seven-year units, was familiar to Jews of ancient times. For instance, they observed a Sabbath year every seventh year. (Exodus 23:10, 11) Therefore, the prophetic 69 weeks amount to 69 units of 7 years each, or a total of 483 years.

Now all we must do is count. If we count from 455 B.C.E., 483 years takes us to the year 29 C.E. That was exactly the year when Jesus was baptized and became the Messiah! (Luke 3:1, 2, 21, 22) Is that not a remarkable fulfillment of Bible prophecy?

Answer 7

You need to look at a book called, "Ancient Near Eastern Texts Related to the Old Testament". It's a collection of documents written between 3000 BC and 200 BC all of which suggest or verify details given in the Old Testament.

Answer 8

Absolutely not. It is contained in history and the testimony of millions of lives changed.
God said 3500 years ago that He would scatter the Jews around the world, yet afterwards would gather them again into THEIR OWN LAND.(See Deuteronomy 30:1-5) This He did in 1948 against impossible odds - 700,000 poorly armed Jews against 40 million heavily armed Arabs, whose intent was to drive them into the sea. Jesus Christ said "Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles is fulfilled." (Luke 21:24) This was fulfilled in 1967, when the Jews regained control over the Old City of Jerusalem, for the first time in nearly 2600 years.
Several billion Christians celebrate a historical events every day in their religious observances, namely the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Millions of Jews celebrate the historical event of the Passover, when God miraculously brought His people out of Egypt over 3500 years ago, and they have been celebrating this event for thousands of years. They celebrate Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, when the priest entered and offered the blood of atonement in the days of the tabernacle and later the temple. They celebrate Purim, when God miraculously delivered them from genocide during the reign of Xerxes around 500 BC. Many archaelogical finds have confirmed the accuracy of the Biblical record. In fact, the difference between the God of the Bible and every other so-called god through the course of History, is the God of the Bible is the One who actually does something. I know whereof I speak - the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob changed my life, by causing me to be born again, before I even know such a doctrine was taught in the Bible.

Answer 9

All the evidence of knowledge and teachings which refers to the bible is in the bible, therefore is contained in the bible. It is true to the believers.

Answer 10

Yes....take this little gem for example...

Exodus 35:2 ...For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it must be put to death.