Once we accept the fact that God is revealing Himself to us today, why do we turn to the Bible? After all, there are many "sacred" writings available. Why listen only to the Bible? Where is the evidence that the Bible is so special?

It may sound a little odd, but the place to begin when answering this question is with the Bible itself. It is one thing to develop a position toward the Bible from what others say or feel, but it is a significantly different thing to develop a position from reading the Bible itself. The challenge of Bible writers over and over is to "read it." Jesus Himself challenged the leaders of His day, who thought they knew what the Bible was saying, with, "Search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and they are they which testify of Me."

The legal profession has a term called "corpus delicti," which means "the body of the evidence." Similarly, we may say that the Bible itself comprises the body of the evidence or a substantial part of it. It is here where we must begin our examination. What does the Bible actually say? Is its history true? What claims does it make? What conditions does it set out? Can it be put to a test? If I submit myself to its conditions, will it prove itself in my life? Only after an serious and impartial study of the Bible, together with a submission to its requirements, is one qualified to voice a conclusion.

A postal inspector, investigating a post office burglary, begins at the scene of the crime. How was the building entered? If through a window, are there footprints on the ground underneath the window? Was the window pried open? If so, with what type of instrument? What materials were stolen? Were fingerprints or footprints left? After he has thoroughly explored the scene of tile crime, then he can branch out to inquire of neighbors and others in the community. Did they hear strange noises during the night. Were strangers seen in the area a day or two before the burglary, etc.? Everything begins with the scene of the crime.

Thus we begin with the "corpus delicti," the "body of evidence" presented by the Bible itself:

Forty authors wrote sixty-six books over a span of about 1,500 years on major subjects, such as sin, salvation, oneness of God, morality, suffering, death, life after death, and many others, embracing the whole scope of human existence, without a discordant note. There is complete harmony and consistency in their teachings from the first page of Genesis to the last page of Revelation. The Bible, consisting of sixty-six books, is really only one book.

Fancy, if you can, the compiling of a similar book over the centuries by as many authors. Let us say that one writer contributes material on the origin of all things fifteen centuries or so before Christ, another a section on history, another on morality and ethics, another on poetry, law, government, worship, etc. Perhaps one or more would venture to record predictions regarding events to happen far in the future. Imagine forty such writers, men of different time periods, habits, education, abilities, and outlooks on life, making contributions to a single book, and what would we have? A grand hodgepodge of contradictions, and a considerable amount of foolish ideas and views.

How is it possible for Peter the fisherman to agree perfectly with Paul, the man educated at Gamaliel's feet? How can Moses, educated in the wisdom of Egypt and mighty in words and deeds, agree perfectly with David with a shepherd boy’s background? The answer

is unmistakably a verification of the claim that holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. The true author and architect of the Bible was none other than God the Holy Spirit. He was the mastermind behind it all.

If there had been but one human writer, we would expect to find contradictions, because a man of sixty often modifies or even contradicts what he said and wrote at twenty or thirty. In fact, he may even be ashamed of foolish and immature thoughts expressed in his younger days.

The agreement and harmony of Bible books becomes all the more amazing when we consider how they dovetail and fit into each other. The Bible would be incomplete without Genesis, the book of beginnings. Revelation, the book of consummation, is needed to complete the inspired record. Hebrews complements and explains Leviticus. The prophecies of David, Isaiah, and others concerning the coming Redeemer demand Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, in which their fulfillment is given. The types and shadows of the Old Testament

find their fulfillment and explanation in Christ. The Book of Acts, and the epistles are necessary to show us the practical outworking of the benefits issuing from the death and resurrection of Christ.

Interestingly enough, while we find little apparent discrepancies between writers, which do not affect historical or doctrinal accuracy, we do not find any evidence of collusion; i.e., writers copying one from another. As someone has remarked, "While there is no collision among writers, neither is there evidence of collusion."

Repeatedly the Bible claims to be the Word of God. Old Testament writers keep saying, "Thus saith the Lord . . . ," "The Lord said . . . ," "The Word of the Lord came to . . . , " "The Spirit of God spoke by me," or similar language. There are over 3,000 such claims. New Testament writers use comparable language. For example, Paul says, "This we say unto you by the Word of the Lord," "Now the Spirit speaks expressly that . . . ," etc. If these claims are dishonest ones, then the messages of the writers must be regarded as untruthful.

The Bible records even the most important and outstanding events in a simple manner, without employing extravagant language or using numerous descriptive adjectives and adverbs. The account of the creation, the flood, the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ, as well as His miracles, are set forth in straight-spoken and unvarnished language.

The raising of Lazarus from the grave, for example, recorded in John 11, gives the barest of details and leaves much to the imagination. The record simply states that "he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, "Loose him, and let him go." The ecstasy of Mary and Martha in having their brother restored to them, the emotional impact on the crowd, any comments Lazarus may have made, are left to our imagination. What a field day it would have been for today's newspaper reporters in describing such an event.

The point is this: Whenever truth is set forth, the use of lavish language together with an insistence that a certain event did indeed happen is not necessary. In fact, the use of such language could signal doubt in the reader's mind that it did happen. If someone were to claim that a particular event occurred, and added, "I am willing to swear on a stack of Bibles that it is true," the additional statement causes you to question the assertion.

Neither can we find Bible writers adding ridiculous or foolish events. Suppose you found the following description of God offered by a Mohammedan sect, in the Bible: "From the crown of the head to the breast, God is hollow, and from the breast downward He is solid. He has curly black hair and roars like a lion at every watch of the night." What interesting material this would offer to the scoffer if it were found in the Bible.

However, someone might counter the foregoing by calling attention to many events, such as miracles found in the Bible which unbelievers question and even ridicule. As will be explained later on, these are most reasonable for faith to receive. The absence of miracles would be rather unreasonable. An almighty God makes them necessary.

As the bones give rigidity and shape to the body, so the doctrines of the Bible give substance and force to it. A brief examination of some principal teachings together with a contrast with world religions will disclose the obvious man-made character of the latter.

A. The Doctrine of God. The Bible says there is one God. "Hear, O Israel, the Lord, thy God is one God . . . (Deut. 6:4). This is so elementary to the believer that it is almost unnecessary to mention it. Yet, amazingly enough, humans throughout 6,000 years or more of history have been unable to arrive at this simple truth. When Paul visited Athens (Acts 17), he found so many gods that an altar had even been erected to the "Unknown God," to insure that such a god would not feel left out. There was a trite saying in Athens that it was easier to find a god than a man.

In addition, the gods worshiped by the nations were often grotesque, horrible, and hideous gods, who were cruel, lustful, corrupt, or a mixture of bad and good. Moses, for example, was taught in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. Where did he obtain his concept of but one God? Surely not from the religions of Egypt. Ancient Egypt bowed to the crocodile, the lizard, the bull, the serpent, the hawk-headed man, and the cat-headed woman. These gods suffered from hunger, thirst, disease, and old age. They perspired, their limbs quaked, their heads ached, their teeth chattered, their eyes wept, their noses bled. They were stung by reptiles and burned by fire. They howled with pain and grief. If aspirin had been available, they would undoubtedly have consumed prodigious quantities. Rome adored the bloody god of war and the riotous god of wine. Athens gave 60,000 women to the licentious rites of the god, Venus, and thousands of prostitutes served in the temple of the great goddess Diana. These gods were merely reflections of depraved hearts and corrupt imaginations. People manufacture what they want to believe in. Apart from God’s revelation, we make gods in our own image.

When we come to the Bible, we find no such nonsensical, fairy-tale accounts of God. He is a personal God, holy, just, righteous, a God of light in whom is no darkness, not even a tiny speck. Where did this exalted and "other-than-human" concept of God come from? Not from humans, for we are unholy, and in our natural state we hate holiness. How would we ever have developed this high concept of a holy, just God? Even if we could have, we would not have included it in the Bible, because such a God requires obedience, and we have a natural hate for one who commands obedience. In short, the concept of God portrayed by the Bible, could not be of human origin, otherwise He would be like all the other gods in the world.

B. The Doctrine of man. According to Genesis 1:26, God made man in His own image and likeness. That’s why we are personal, moral, and spiritual beings. There is a sacredness and dignity about us because we bear God's trademark, even though we are sinners. This image of God supplies the reason for the institution of capital punishment in Genesis 9:6. The murder of a human being is a direct assault on God Himself. When the foregoing truth is denied or rejected, human beings are denigrated and debased. "Woman is regarded by us as an animal and not a very high class animal at that." So said a Frenchman during the reign of terror, commonly called the French Revolution.

Furthermore, we were created with the privilege of choice. We could choose to do right or wrong. Adam and Eve were in an innocent state in the Garden of Eden untested and untried. When God tested them with the command not to eat of the fruit of a certain tree, they failed by disobeying God and falling into sin. God could have made us like robots or machines which never did anything wrong. He could have made us like a rubber doll, which says, "Mamma" each time the child squeezes it and nothing else. But the fullest expression of genuine, heart-felt love and devotion could be derived only when a person, capable of both loving and hating, chooses to love and obey God of his own free will. The satisfaction and enjoyment of God in this life and that to come consists in the volitional expression of love, adoration, and gratitude from human beings who deliberately choose to do so.

C. Salvation. How can a sinner be reconciled to a holy God? The Bible reveals the only system of grace in all the world. Ask a Buddhist this question. He answers, "Be sublimely indifferent to everything." The Confuscist says, "Be a good citizen of China." The Mohammedan, who is forever "turning over a new leaf," says, "Do your duty, i.e., stand by the Five Pillars," or in essence, "do better." The ancient Parsee rejected all ideas of forgiveness. He said, "there is no savior. Man must suffer the penalty of whatsoever he has done. The only savior is a virtuous life." Mercy was an unknown word in ancient Egypt. There was no forgiveness with the gods. The sum and substance of the doctrine of destiny was, "Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap." The only answer to a sinner's cry, "What shall I do to be saved?" was, "Prepare for the judgment of Osiris by observing the rules of right conduct."

The doctrine of salvation, taught in the Bible, is amazing, particularly in solving the problem of how a just God can save an ungodly human. How is it possible for a God of love and justice to both save and punish the sinner? The problem is perfectly met at the cross. Christ is God's answer. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" (John 3:16). His Son is the fullest expression of His love. He could love no more than that. "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him" (I John 4:9).

At the same time the cross provides the fullest expression of God's justice, by punishing the sinner's substitute, Christ. Christ was made sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21). He bore our sins in His body on the tree (1 Peter 2:24). Because Christ is infinite God, He atoned for an infinite number of sins on the cross. God can now meet the sinner on the grounds of absolute justice. "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood . . . to declare His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of him that hath faith in Jesus" (Rom. 3:25-26). At the cross we find the infinite love of God and the absolute justice of God in harmony. Both are completely satisfied, and neither is shortchanged.

There is nothing in all the religions of the world which has the slightest similarity to this doctrine of salvation. The genius of Christianity lies in the fact that Salvation, a new life, the ability to live victoriously in this life, and the offer of hope beyond the grave, are available to a sinner. Further, it is totally free, all of grace. The world religions are utterly powerless to save a man. They require works, and man is never able to work hard or long enough to achieve salvation. They embody the ingredients of hopelessness and despair.

Where did this plan of salvation originate? Surely not in the mind of a human being. It is foreign to our "do it ourselves" methodology. It could only have come from a supernatural source, God Himself.

Righteousness, purity, love, truth, morality, a high standard of ethics are everywhere set out in the Bible. We are repeatedly urged to embrace them. Sin, unrighteousness, lust, greed, drunkenness are everywhere condemned. The morality of the Bible is not flexible. One does not find "situational ethics," which are so commonly advocated today.

It is immaterial to God as to who the sinner is. He does not give a special indulgence or play favorites. The Bible sets forth with candor the sin of Noah, who lay drunken and naked in his tent; the sins of Abraham and Isaac, who lied regarding their wives; the sin of Moses, who lost his temper; the sins of adultery and murder, committed by David; the three-fold denial of Christ by Peter; the sharp conflict between Paul and Barnabas, which temporarily severed their friendship. Others could be cited. The Bible does not gild its heroes. Writers of biographies and autobiographies are prone to omit or minimize shortcomings and sins of their subjects and puff their good traits and accomplishments. Objectivity is always difficult to achieve.

The candor of the Bible in relating the sins of the saints argues strongly for its honesty and truthfulness. It’s hard to believe that Peter, James, and John would have permitted some of the things they said and did to be written down in the four gospels, if these books were of human authorship.

In contrast, observe this quote from The Religions of the World, by Dr. D, J. Burrell: "On a certain day, Mohammed, entering unexpectedly the house of Zeid, had a momentary glimpse of the charms of his beautiful wife and uttered a cry of passionate admiration. The circumstance was reported and the disciple, by an immediate divorce, enabled the prophet to add a new bride to his harem. By these marriages, now numbering six, the legal number allowed to the faithful had been overstepped. However, Mohammed had an easy and effectual method of avoiding scandal and other complications, He simply added another surah (a new section) to the Koran. It read, "O Prophet, we have allowed thee wives, and also the slaves which thy right hand possesseth, and any other believing woman if she give herself and the Prophet desireth to take her to wife. This is a peculiar privilege granted thee above the rest of the believers." Mohammed gave himself special treatment. It might be added that Mohammed is reported to have spent the last ten years of his life in licentious and immoral living.

Athens in the day of her greatest prosperity and culture was a city of terrible vices, despite all of her religion. In fact, her religions contributed to her corruption. Society was polluted through and through. Demetrius says, "There was not in Athens, in my time, one great or noble mind." Divorces were so frequent as to be counted boastfully by rings on fingers. Infanticide was common and was formally approved by Aristotle and Plato. The philosophers, with scarcely an exception, are convicted of beastly vices and uncleanness by their own mouths. Prof. Seelye, a student of Greek culture, says, "I suppose it to be literally true that no vice nor crime nor cruelty can be named which did not show itself at home in the highest circles of this most blooming society in the ancient world."

Paul, after reciting various gross and revolting practices, wrote to the Corinthians, "And such were some of you, but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (I Cor. 6:9-11). Here is the contrast of night and day, of sin and God’s Salvation.

Only God knows the future. Therefore, if the numerous prophecies made in the Bible can be shown to have been fulfilled right down to the minutest particular, we can only conclude that God Himself must have communicated these prophecies through men. He must, therefore, be the author of this Book.

By prophecies we mean the unveiling of the future, the setting forth of events in such detail and at such a future distance that no mere human foresight could possibly be involved. Washington "Seeress" Jeane Dixon was catapulted into an international celebrity through the book, A Gift of Prophecv. The book omitted most of the wrong predictions which Mrs. Dixon made, and left in mainly those which she had guessed correctly. For example, she predicted that Fidel Castro of Cuba would fall from power in 1960; that Nixon would be elected president in 1960; that Russia would be the first nation to land a man on the moon; that Eisenhower would not run for a second term; that Mrs. Kennedy would not marry Onassis. Incidentally, the announcement of Jackie’s marriage to Onassis came out the very next day after Dixon’s prediction. Admittedly, her crystal ball had its cloudy areas. In Old Testament days, a "seeress" who made so many patently false predictions would have been stoned to death, and that rather promptly. The fact that people like Mrs. Dixon attract us with her unclear, half-right guesses, shows our ignorance of the future. We have absolutely no idea what tomorrow may bring, to say nothing of the weeks or years that follow.

But when we enter the Bible world, we find that numerous 0ld Testament prophecies concerning Christ were made hundreds of years before their fulfillment. Christ's birthplace, Bethlehem, was prophesied by Micah 5:2. To make sure there would be no mistake, the prophet said it would be Bethlehem "of Judea." The words Christ spoke on the cross, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me," were predicted in Psalm 22:I. Psalm 34:20 prophesied that none of His bones would be broken, a most unlikely prophecy. John 19:32-36 records the fulfillment. A graphic description of crucifixion is given in Psalm 22. Crucifixion was an unknown form of capital punishment among the Jews. Isaiah 53:12 stated that He would make intercession for transgressors. Gambling for His clothes was prophesied in Psalm 22:18. The fulfillment is recorded in John 19:23-24. Luke 23:34 records Christ’s prayer on the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Isaiah 53:9 prophesied that He would make His grave with the rich, a most unlikely prospect of fulfillment. The gospel records state that He was buried in the new tomb of Joseph of Arimathea.

Prophecies demonstrate the omniscience of God. No human is capable of making such long range predictions.

The Bible is not a collection of legends, myths, and folklore of the Hebrew people, as some critics have alleged, but a factual, historical account. Literally dozens and hundreds of examples could be given to illustrate its historicity, and further, that this history is accurate. David and Solomon were historical characters. Their great kingdoms, which some claimed were impossibilities because of the powerful empires of Assyria, Babylon, and Egypt, are proven by archeology to have existed. The ten tribes of Israel were carried into captivity by Assyria, and later the two southern tribes into captivity by Babylon. Secular history amply verifies these facts.

Sir William Ramsey was one of the most eminent authorities in his day on the geography and history of ancient Asia Minor. He undertook an intensive research of the books of Acts and Luke with much skepticism. His search completely transformed his attitude. He concluded, "I take the view that Luke’s history is unsurpassed in regard to its trustworthiness . . . you may press the words of Luke in a degree beyond any other historian's and they stand the keenest scrutiny and the hardest treatment."

Dr: William F. Albright, who held more than six doctor's degrees, was one of the most respected oriental scholars who ever lived. He wrote the following regarding the Bible and his historical findings: "The reader may rest assured. Nothing has been found to disturb a reasonable faith, and nothing has been discovered which can disprove a single theological doctrine . . . . We no longer trouble ourselves with attempts to 'harmonize' religion and science or to 'prove' the Bible. The Bible can stand for itself."

With respect to the New Testament, we can say without fear of contradiction that Jesus Christ was an historical figure. He stood before Pontius Pilate, confirmed by secular history as having lived at that time. Paul stood before Felix, Festus, and Agrippa, Roman rulers, who were historical figures. Many Bible characters, events, and customs, which were questioned and denied by the critics as not being factual, have been verified by archeology.

Compare the foregoing with some of the myths and fables which abound in the religions of the world. Mohammed, for example, tells the story of the "Seven Sleepers," dormant in a cave for 309 years to illustrate God's alleged care of those who shun idolatry.

Undoubtedly the greatest proof of the supernatural character of the Bible is the supernaturalness of Jesus Christ. The integrity of the Bible as well as the truthfulness of the whole structure of Christianity rests upon this fact. The reason for this is that Jesus Christ accepted the Old Testament as the inspired word of God. He accepted the details, such as Adam and Eve, and Moses, and Jonah and the whale, as true. He questioned or re-wrote nothing from the Old Testament. In fact, He claimed things like, "till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled" (Matthew 5:18). Thus the Bible and Jesus Christ come to us as a package. They verify each other. We can’t say, "I believe in Jesus, but I don’t believe that book which He trusted." Neither can we say, "I believe the Bible, but I don’t believe in the Christ it portrays.

Jewish people in Christ's day said to Him, "What shall we do that we might work the works of God"? Christ answered, "This is the work of God that ye believe on Him Whom He has sent" (John 6:63). In John 7:17, Christ threw out this challenge, "if any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself."

The Bible sets forth the claim that if a sinner will acknowledge her sin and trust Christ as her Savior, to the exclusion of any dependence on human merit or work, she will experience a life changing transaction called the "new birth." Through it, she becomes partaker of the Holy Spirit and receives a divine nature. God's peace pervades her heart. She is enabled to live victoriously and with purpose, overcoming bad habits, with a new purpose and a new hope. In 2 Corinthians 3:2, Paul declared to the Corinthians, "Ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men." The Corinthian believers, saved out of unbelievably filthy habits and practices described in chapter 6:9-10, became walking demonstrations of the truthfulness and reality of Paul's written epistles.

Thus the proof that the Bible is true can be demonstrated in the lives of believers. They become walking examples of the effect of the truth. Here lies the chasm between the world’s religions and Christianity. Religions teach ethics, a system of rules and regulations. Christianity is a life. Life demonstrates itself in joy and peace and growth and fruit. The life of the believer may fall short of the Bible's standard of holiness, but it is still life. One can buy an artificial flower for a fifty cents. The flower can look so real that the bees cannot tell the difference. Perfume can be sprayed on it so it even smells real. It may look much better than the real flower, but it is still artificial. It may be possible to duplicate to some extent the fruits of a Christian, by exhibiting kindness, courtesy, love, etc. But that doesn’t bring life. An unbeliever is dead in trespasses and sins, though he may be the very epitome of courtesy and good behavior.

Millions through the centuries have testified of this death-to-life change, making them a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). "In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established" (2 Cor. 13:1). The transformation that takes place in a believer’s life, therefore, is one of the most powerful evidences of the truthfulness of the Bible.