[Guest Post] Why We Can Trust The Bible. PT2

Why I can trust the Bible PT2

In the previous post we looked at prophecies from the Bible that have all been fulfilled which shows that it is far more trustworthy than people such as Nostradamus who predicted many things but made a number of mistakes in at least ten of his predictions. There are predictions in the Bible regarding the end times which are happening before our very eyes now.

Another reason we can trust the Bible is the ample evidence that the personalities in the Bible did exist. The main person is Jesus himself.

The gospels are eye witness accounts of what he said, how he acted, and where he travelled. There was never any debate in the ancient world whether Jesus was a historical figure. Some mentioned him as a trouble maker but his existence was never questioned. 

Josephus considered one of the ancient world’s greatest historians independently provides evidence that Jesus was a real person who did exist. He also confirms the crucifixion of Jesus under the orders of Pontius Pilate just as the Bible says. If you are interested, here are the names of two of his most important works. The Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews.

James the brother of Jesus was martyred in AD62 and an inscription dating back to that time has been found. It says, “James son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.” 

The first Christian writings were written within 25 years of Jesus’s death at the very latest and the New Testament gospels around 40 years after his death which means there would have been numerous eyewitnesses to agree or disagree with the writings. We can be sure that Jesus lived. That is why I trust the Bible.

When I visited the Vatican in Rome I saw where the tomb of Peter is. There is a historical inscription which says that this is where Peter lies. History tells us that 10 of the 12 apostles of Jesus were martyred. The only two not were Judas who betrayed Jesus and John who died of old age. It makes no sense at all that 10 out of 12 people who knew Jesus well and walked and talked with him would die for the “cause”. They would not have died for a lie or hoax. The coincidence is too great.

Historical Evidence

In the book of Numbers, it talks about two spies being sent to the land of Canaan by Moses where they cut a branch of grapes to carry home. Just recently a 1600 Mosaic depicts two men, one in red and one in blue balancing a cluster of grapes on a pole between them. Numbers 13v24. It was found at the ancient village of Huqoq in Northern Israel. This village is near the place mentioned in Numbers where the spies were.

On my last visit to Israel, we went to the city of Jericho where the walls of that city fell down. The story is told in Joshua 6v1-27.
I saw the walls of Jericho that had been excavated.
I wondered how Rahab and her family survived after being told by Joshua that due to her act of kindness to the spies her and her family would be saved. The guide showed us a section of the wall that had collapsed. Looking at it there was a portion that was still fully intact. That is supposedly Rahab’s house that was not damaged when the wall collapsed. Pretty hard to argue with that evidence.

The story of Samson has been confirmed by archeological finds.
There are four mosaics that depict certain events in the life of Samson such as killing a lion with his bare hands, carrying the gates of Gaza to a nearby hill, and another depicting Samson and Delilah all dating back to 12 BC. The other depicts Samson setting fire to the tails of the foxes who then run amongst the enemies fields mentioned in the Bible.

I have personally seen in Athens the market place where Paul worked making tents and Mars Hill where Paul preached which is nearby. All mentioned in the Bible.

The Palace of King David has recently been discovered in Jerusalem in the city of David. An inscription of Pilate who was the Roman Governor at the time of the crucifixion has also been found.

I have visited the palace of King Herod Agrippa in Capernaum and saw the place where the Apostle Paul stood trial before him and was eventually sent to Rome. In the same area is an ancient arena where Herod sat and professed to be greater than God. He was struck dead. One can see the actual place where this happened. The book of Acts tells the stories and history tells us that they are true.

You can still visit the sites where the seven Churches in Revelation are mentioned. Historical places and mentioned in the Bible. The ruins of the cities can still be seen.

There is so much more evidence that has been discovered that shows that the Bible can be trusted.

What I have written last week and this week is more than enough evidence that the Bible is trustworthy. Every day more discoveries are being made to verify Biblical accounts.

This brings me to the point that the Bible is the inspired word of God and needs to be taken notice of. Let’s treasure it and learn from it. It is God’s gift to us. Ignore it at your own peril.