Can the Bible Be Trusted?

Here’s what some people say: The Bible is just a bunch of old letters written by total strangers thousands of years ago. And we don’t even have the originals... just copies of copies. So why should I trust it?

Let’s answer that question. Please turn to John 17. 

I have a friend who is super smart. But he can’t understand how I can trust an old book (the Bible) to solve problems in my life? He even gave me another book to read. But… I thought about it. And so the question is: Why do I trust the Bible? That’s a fair question. 

So here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to answer that question. We’re going to look at three numbers... 66, 40, and 1. We’ll also look at copies of the Bible, mistakes made by the copiers, recorded eyewitnesses, and the best evidence for trusting the Bible. 

Now, let’s take a look at the first number: 66 (66, 40, and 1). 

Turn to 2 Timothy 3.

The First Number: 66

The Bible isn’t just one book. It’s a library... 66 books and letters bound into one.

The last of them was written almost 2,000 years ago. The first one? About 3,500 years ago. So, they were written over a span of about 1,500 years. That’s a big span of years. 

And they were NOT written in one place. They were written in Italy... in Egypt... across the Middle East. That’s three continents (big span of distances)... in a world where you got everywhere… either on foot, or a donkey, or by boat.

And it’s NOT all one kind of WRITING either. In the Bible, there’s history, law, poetry, proverbs, biographies, and letters. That’s a lot of different kinds of writing.

So, there’s a lot of different stuff related to the 66. BUT… what do all 66 have in common? We’re in 2 Timothy 3.

2 Timothy 3:16 —  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

“Given by inspiration of God” is one Greek word: theopneustos. It’s theos, God, plus pneō, to breathe. God-breathed. All scripture is God-breathed. 

The history is God-breathed. The poetry is God-breathed. The letters written to us are God-breathed. All of it. That’s what all 66 have in common.

Turn to 2 Peter 1. We’ll take a look at our 2nd number: 40. 

The Second Number: 40

There were about 40 writers. That’s a rough count, because not every book says who wrote it. The writers were kings and prophets, shepherds and fishermen... even a physician. Many different writers. They didn’t all know each other. 

So how did they all write the Bible? 

2 Peter 1:21 – For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

“Moved” is pherō. It means to carry or bear along, the way wind carries a sailboat. These men were not making it up as they went. God carried them along.

That’s how all scripture came to be... including the seven church epistles… the 7 letters written to us. Paul wrote those letters... to you… and to me... as God moved him.

Turn to John 5. And we’ll look at the 3rd number: number 1.

The Third Number: 1

Now, that’s 66 books and letters. About 40 writers... over 1,500 years... on three continents... in different cultures and different languages.

You’d expect a mess. Right? But instead, the whole message of the Bible fits together.

How?

Our third number. Number one.

There’s one author: God. That’s the only way to get one message across. One source. One author. With one message. 

Forty people held the pen... but one Author gave the words. That’s why it fits together so well.

And what’s that one message about? 

John 5:39 – Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

Jesus Christ was telling the religious leaders of his day that all scripture points to him. The Old Testament foretells of a coming redeemer. The Gospels show his life, his death, and how God raised him from the dead. And Paul’s seven letters tell us everything he accomplished for us, and how to live a life of abundance and power. 

That’s why this isn’t just a book of good advice and positive thinking. It’s a book that tells us how to be born again… and live a new life… of love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, strength, self-control. And above all things, God wants us to prosper and be in health.

Romans 10:9 says that if I confess with my mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in my heart that God raised him from the dead, I shall be saved.

Confess... believe... saved. That’s the one message in all 66 books and letters.

But Wasn’t It Changed?

Now back to that question of not having the originals. We just have copies of copies. We don’t have the originals... So how do we know it wasn’t changed completely from the original God-breathed writing?

Well, who saw The Odyssey movie recently?

It’s based on Homer’s poem from about 3,000 years ago. Matt Damon plays Odysseus, who spends ten years fighting his way home... the Cyclops, the Sirens, all of it.

Nobody in the theater asked, “Wait... do we have Homer’s original text?”

We don’t. Nobody does. There’s no original Homer, no original Plato... no original of any ancient book. Everything from the ancient world... comes to us... because people… copied it by hand, over and over, for centuries. Scholars call copies “manuscripts.” A manuscript just means a handwritten copy.

For Homer, the oldest complete copies were made more than 1,500 years after he lived. For the New Testament? About 300 years. But nobody calls The Odyssey a fake.

And there are a lot more copies of the Word... Greek copies… thousands more copies of the Bible than of Homer.

And the number of historical copies of the Bible matter. Why? I’ll show you. 

Let’s Be Scribes

[Hand six people cards and pens. Cast 2 Timothy 3:16.]

2 Timothy 3:16 – All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

“You six are scribes now. Copy this verse onto your card... by hand... and you’ve got 30 seconds. Go.”

Okay… So... what did the original say? All we have are the copies. 

[Let them answer.]

You figured it out in about five seconds. How? You compared. One person slipped up, but the other five didn’t make the same mistake in the same spot. So the mistake stuck out.

That’s exactly how it works with the Word. If you had only one copy and the scribe made a mistake, you’d never know. You’d be stuck with it. But with thousands of copies, made by careful scribes in different places who treated the Word with reverence... the mistakes stick out. More copies means it’s easier to see what the original said.

What About the Mistakes?

So did the scribes make mistakes? Yep. Lots of them. But most are just spelling errors, and those are easy to spot.

Here’s a fun one. Turn to 1 Thessalonians 2.

1 Thessalonians 2:7 – But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children.

“Gentle” is the Greek word ēpioi. But one later copy from a scribe said, “we were hippoi among you.” Hippoi means horses. Horses... the animal.

In Greek, “gentle” and “horses” look almost the same. If a tired scribe switches a little letter... then “gentle” turns into “horses.” 

BUT… because we have thousands of other copies that say “gentle,” that mistake sticks out right away.

More copies means it’s easier to see what the original said. And that builds trust.

Eyewitnesses

Please turn to 1 Corinthians 15.

1 Corinthians 15:3–6 – For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas (Peter), then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

Paul wrote these words about 30 years after the resurrection. Peter saw the risen Christ - a documented eyewitness. Then the twelve saw him. Then, more than five hundred people at the same time saw him. They were all eyewitnesses. And most of them were still alive when Paul wrote that letter. 

We’re not trusting the Bible just because it says it’s true. We’re trusting it because the evidence backs it up... the copies, the one message, the eyewitnesses. And the best evidence? The best evidence is you.

The Best Evidence: You

Turn to and read 2 Corinthians 3:2 – Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men. 

An epistle is just a letter. But you… are a letter (Ye are our letter). People read you. They read you like a letter. Some people will never open the Bible... but they will read your life.

A while back, I hurt myself. Skiing. Dumb accident. I was doing something I shouldn’t have been doing - skiing - moving my body across frozen water - dumb. Ever see an elephant ski. NOPE. There’s a reason. Well, at that time, I couldn’t stand. I could walk. They had to slide me down the mountain! Did I get surgery? Nope. And 20 years later, I’m walking just fine. I’ll run a race, if you come with me. On that mountain, hurt, I believed that everything would eventually work out just fine. And it has. All things work together is the verse that I apply to my life. 

That’s evidence. My best evidence… that I trust the Bible. Every day, I see blessings in my life. I see signs, miracles, and wonders too. 

So, Can the Bible Be Trusted? 

Let’s recap.

• 66 books and letters, written over about 1,500 years, across three continents.

• 40 writers, carried along by God.

• 1 author, which is why it all fits together, same message, and it all points to Jesus Christ.

• Thousands of copies… that let us see what the original said.

• Eyewitnesses who saw the risen Christ.

• And you... a living letter, read by everyone around you.

That’s why we’re not hoping it’s true. We know it is. 

And that’s what I wanted to share. 

Amen?