Eastside church of Christ

The Bible is an entirely unique book. As we read through its accounts and teachings, we soon come to the realisation that the Bible makes claims that ordinary books do not claim. The most important claim that the Bible makes is that it comes from God, not from the mind of man. We often come across statements in the Bible such as:

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (II Timothy 3: 16)

For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost (II Peter 1: 21).

...let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord (I Corinthians 14: 37b).

Of course, it is one thing to claim to be a message from God, but quite another to prove it. Can we therefore show that the Bible is indeed inspired, a message from God to mankind?

There are indeed a great many reasons to beleive the Bible. It is certainly fashionable in some circles today to deride what the Bible says about history or the origin of man or the earth, but in most cases this comes from mankind's desire to do what he wants rather than what God wants. Instead, we should look at the facts and ask if perhaps the Bible supplies us with a more plausible and reliable guide to the great questions of life than man alone can.

For example, in the Bible we read of many nations, kings and events, especially in the Old Testament. Many of the archaeological investigations in the Middle East have confirmed the truth of the Bible's accounts, demonstrating that the Bible is certainly not a book of myth and fairytale. Cities, nations, governors, kings and even ordinary individuals whom we meet in the pages of the Bible have been demonstrated to be real, historical characters.

Another area we can investigate is the fulfilment of prophecy. In the Old Testament, there are numerous mentions of events that would be fulfilled in the future. Notable among these are the prophecies of the coming saviour, the Messiah. In over three hundred prophecies, the Old Testament writers spoke of the coming Messiah's birthplace (Micah 5: 2), His rejection by men (Isaiah 53: 3), His betrayal (Zechariah 11: 12-13), His death (Daniel 9: 26) and numerous other things. When we turn to the New Testament, we find all of these prophecies being fulfilled in detail by Jesus, demonstrating that He was indeed the Messiah promised in the Old Testament. These prophecies would only have been possible if God had guided the writers of the Bible, just as indeed the Bible claims.

At the Eastside church of Christ we want to help you come to a knowledge of the Bible, the Word of God. We have a series of Bible studies and correspondence courses available to help you learn more about the Bible, all of which are available free of charge and without obligation. Please get in touch with us at one of the e-mail contacts below if we can help you in any way.