It is natural that a book demanding our belief in such great things
should be asked for its credentials and that these credentials should
be subjected to the most searching investigation. The Bible has
nothing to fear, however, from the keenest scrutiny of any scholar who
has only the desire to get at the truth. The trouble begins when a
critic, who is hostile to its spiritual truth or who has a theory to
maintain, takes a part in the investigation; even then the truth is
sure, in time, to assert its rightful claim (Acts 5:39). The fact of
different interpretations of the same set of facts in different times,
but leading to the same practical results, must also be taken into
consideration. All men do not receive the same truth in the same way
while they may be one at heart in the fundamentals (1 Corinthians
12:4-14).
The Bible welcomes any and all searching of its claims; it stands out
in the open; it has won its way amongst mankind not by the might of
those who advocate its claims, but by the power of the truth within
its pages.
Some of the arguments for the credibility of the Bible are here given.
The Argument from History.--Back of all questions of authorship, date
and composition of the books of the Bible, is the one great question,
Are the records true to the facts? Is the Bible, in plain words, true
history?
The writers of the New Testament use the historical argument. They
speak of the things most surely believed amongst us and of the
testimony of eyewitnesses (Luke 1:1-4; John 19:35; 21:24,25). The
disciples were not to go forth preaching a subtle philosophy, but were
to be witnesses of certain facts and were to testify of the things
which they had seen and heard (Acts 1:8). Peter's speech upon the day
of Pentecost is a recital of facts. Paul's argument for the
resurrection of Christ is based upon the testimony of eye-witnesses (1
Corinthians 15:1-20). If God has manifested Himself in the person of
Jesus Christ we need to know it through the best of testimony in
regard to the fact. The record of the New Testament is made to this
end.
The writers of the Old Testament profess to give us statements of
facts in regard to God's dealings with the Israelitish people. The
critical dealing with each of the books of the Old Testament is all to
the intent whether it fairly represents a historical situation. The
older scriptural narratives show of the doings of other nations than
the Israelites, they describe situations in times long past, where
owing to broken and imperfect records, it has been difficult to get at
the exact facts. Unfortunately in some quarters the tendency has been
to cast doubt upon the Old Testament writings where the statements
were not corroborated by a research in the archives, often very
imperfect, of other nations. But happily this state of affairs is
being changed and confidence in the historicity of the Old Testament
records is being greatly strengthened by the investigations of the
archaeologists in the ruins of the great empires of Egypt, Assyria and
Babylonia with which Israel came so closely in contact. Until recently
the Old Testament stood alone in its assertion of a comparatively high
civilization antedating Moses and Abraham, but now we know from
excavations made in Nippur and other buried cities that the contention
of the Bible is true to the letter. The situation in Egypt and
Palestine about the time of the Exodus is made plain by the
Tel-el-Amarna tablets. The history of first and second Kings is not
only corroborated but amplified by the monuments. Much yet remains to
be done along this line, some views may have to be changed, but the
period of destruction has passed and that of construction has begun.
The Argument from Prophecy.--The Old Testament prophets were not only
the preachers of righteousness for their own times and their own
nation, but they had a mission to other nations and times as well.
Their ruling idea was the establishment of God's kingdom upon
earth. They taught the unity, spirituality, holiness, justice and
goodness of God. They made predictions in regard to Egypt, Babylon,
Assyria, Syria, Moab, and their cities, when they were at the height
of their power; these predictions were remarkably fulfilled. They
foretold the captivity and restoration of Israel. Their great subject
was the expectation of the Messiah and the Messianic Kingdom. The
prophecies in regard to the Christ became more and more explicit as
the time drew near; they declared His mission, His prophetic power,
His kingly office, His priestly activity, the circumstances of His
coming through a man, a nation, and in a definite place.
The Arguments from Vitality, Adaptability and Growth.
1. Vitality. The religions of Babylon, Egypt, Greece and Rome died
with the nations which gave birth to them. The religion of the Bible,
shows its divine author in its vitality and power to outlast the
religions with which it has come in contact. Empires, systems of
thought, mighty kings, great men rise and have their day and pass
away, but this book lives on. Here is a vitality which persists in
spite of any and all adverse circumstances and influences.
2. Adaptability. The Bible is at home with all races in all climes. It
adapts itself to all conditions of life, the most humble and the most
exalted. The Asiatic, the African, the European, the American accept
it as their book. It finds men, as men, in the deepest needs of their
nature and shows them the all loving Saviour.
3. Growth. The multiplying power of the book is shown by its
translations into hundreds of languages and dialects. It makes its own
way into the remotest quarters of the globe and is found wielding its
power in the hut and the palace. More popular than any book that has
ever been published, its sales, of millions of copies a year are ever
increasing, because it comes with a message from God direct to the
heart of man.