Can we really trust the Bible?

In our modern world, many are convinced that the Bible is nothing more than a silly old book. It’s just a mixture of myths, fairy-tales and children’s stories, all rewritten over time. What possible evidence is there to support the Bible as an accurate, trustworthy book?

The Bible makes substantial claims about God, history, humanity and Jesus Christ. It is reasonable to ask whether a collection of ancient writings deserves the confidence Christians place in it.

Can We Really Trust the Bible? takes some of the most common objections seriously. It considers the Bible’s own claim to divine inspiration, then looks beyond that claim to historical and archaeological evidence: the Tel Dan Stele, the Cyrus Cylinder and other discoveries connected with people and events recorded in Scripture, alongside non-Christian writers such as Josephus, Tacitus and Pliny who refer to Jesus and the earliest Christians.

This booklet also examines two questions that often sit behind modern scepticism. Does science make biblical miracles impossible to believe? And after centuries of copying and translation, can we have confidence that the text has been preserved? Its discussion of the Dead Sea Scrolls and surviving New Testament manuscripts helps explain why textual transmission is taken seriously by scholars rather than simply assumed by Christians.

Evidence matters, but the study finally returns to the Bible’s central subject: Jesus. The Christian case for Scripture rests not only on the survival of ancient manuscripts but on the claim that through these writings we encounter the God who entered human history to reconcile people to Himself.

Download your free copy if you have questions about the Bible’s reliability, or if you want to become better equipped to respond when someone else does.

A shared invitation

Our Daily Bread Ministries wants to accompany people who are asking serious questions about Scripture, including those who are not yet convinced by its claims. We offer resources like this without charge so that those questions can be examined rather than avoided. Donations from readers help us continue producing accessible Bible resources and making them freely available to anyone who wants to look more closely.