Is The Bible God's Word?
how exactly does the Bible’s reliability compare with other ancient texts
What do you believe about the Word of God? A recent report revealed a surge in Bible sales in 2024, up 22%, while general U.S. book sales barely increased. This is especially encouraging given the “State of the Bible 2023” report, which showed declining Scripture engagement among Millennials and Gen Z, correlating with heightened anxiety and depression. Could this resurgence in Bible interest signal a spiritual awakening? I’m hopeful—something is happening worth noting and my prayer is that it indicates a turning point in a generation seeking answers from God’s Word.
“ You don’t just read the Bible, the Bible reads you.”
Do you believe the Bible is God’s Word? Maybe you don’t and that’s why you don’t read it as often as you should. Or, maybe you do believe it’s God’s Word and that’s why you avoid it more than you should. How reliable is the Bible? What I mean is, how can we know for sure that it is actually the Word of God? The Bible certainly makes big claims about the Bible.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17, ESV)
Let’s breakdown the phrase, “that the man of God may be complete”. In the Greco-Roman world the concept of completeness comes from the term "artios" and would have been understood in different contexts, such as a tool being ideally designed for its intended purpose; another way to describe it would be "functional.”1 Over the years, I have had countless conversations with believers who do not seem to understand their purpose. And often, those same conversations reveal some level of dysfunction in their faith. A disconnect between what we believe and how we live can almost always be traced back to our lack of relationship with Scripture. The Word is linked with our purpose both spiritually and practically. To neglect it will result in a faith that is simply not functional. What about this next claim?
For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12, NASB)
This claim about Scripture has forever changed the way I approach the text. Here’s what it’s saying in my opinion. You don’t just read the Bible, the Bible reads you. Why do I feel the way I feel? What is the source of my anxiety? Where does this anger come from? How can I let the offense go? When will things change? We think we can answer these questions on our own because we assume we know the intentions of our own heart, but that is not always the case. “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9, NIV). We don’t even understand our own hearts half the time, but the Word of God is able to discern it all the time! Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4, NIV). Every Word? Is this to be taken literally or is Jesus just exaggerating? We’ve known for a long time now, that reading prevents long-term decline in cognitive function—but several studies reveal that people who read actually do live longer! My relationship with the Word of God is linked to my purpose, my heart, and my longevity. And according to Jesus, I simply cannot live without it. That is a bold claim. Still, how can I trust that the Bible is actually God’s Word?
“Wherever there is divine authority there is counterfeit authority.”
When you pick up any of the common Bible translations—you find the same 66 books in them: 39 in the Old Testament (OT) and 27 in the New Testament (NT)—of the 39 in the OT, Jesus just plainly stated it, “comes from the mouth of God”. When Jesus made this bold claim, the NT had not been written yet, it was being written in real time. So, what about the 27 books of the NT coming together with the OT to form what we refer to as the Bible? How did that process play out? The term Biblical canon refers to a definitive list of inspired, authoritative books that "constitute the recognized and accepted body of sacred scripture" found in the faiths of Judaism and Christianity.2 This process involved subjecting the NT to a great deal of scrutiny, verification of original manuscripts, and scholarly consensus over the course of a few hundred years. While that may sound like a long time, that time gap is much shorter than time gaps attributed to most ancient texts that have been deemed historically reliable. I give some examples of that below. Furthermore, the Bible—particularly the NT—has undergone more textual criticism than any other ancient text on the planet! The basic criteria used to canonize the New Testament as God’s Word was as follows:
Apostolic Origin: texts had to be written by apostles or close associates
Eyewitness Testimony: they had to reflect the witness and teachings of those who actually walked with Jesus
Divine Inspiration: the Holy Spirit confirmed these texts’ authority through the activity of the early Church
These distinctions were important then, and they remain critical today. Why? Because, wherever there is divine authority there is counterfeit authority. With the upward surge of Bible sales, there is also an upward surge of interest in apocryphal books, extra-biblical texts, and other sensational literature that fall outside of the canonized books of the Bible. These additional texts may carry some influence, but they do not carry the same authority.
“God doesn’t miss stuff. That includes the details of your life and His Word.”
So, how exactly does the Bible’s reliability compare with other ancient texts? Among ancient texts, aside from the Bible, scholars on this topic suggest the Iliad stands out as one of the most historically reliable based on textual criticism. Written around 750 BC, the earliest surviving copies date back to 415 BC, creating a gap of approximately 335 years. There are over 1,900 copies available. To compare, consider other ancient works:
Herodotus’s Histories: Written around 425 BC, with the earliest copies dating from 150–50 BC, resulting in a 275–375-year gap and 106 surviving copies.
Caesar’s Gallic Wars: Written around 50 BC, with copies only from 900 AD, creating a gap of 950 years and roughly 261 copies.
Pliny’s Natural History: Written around 77 AD, with surviving copies from 500 AD, a 423-year gap, and about 200 copies.
Tacitus’s Annals: Written around 100 AD, with copies dating back to 850 AD, resulting in a 750-year gap and only 36 copies.
In contrast, the New Testament alone has manuscripts with much shorter time gaps—ranging from 50 to 150 years. Within 225 years of its writing, there are over 5,600 Greek manuscripts. Expanding to 400 years, there are over 19,000 manuscripts in Syriac, Latin, Coptic, and Aramaic. Altogether, the New Testament boasts over 24,000 ancient manuscripts, with a textual accuracy of 95–99%. The Old Testament adds over 42,000 manuscripts to this total.3 The Bible surpasses the manuscript evidence of most ancient texts combined and demonstrates shorter time gaps between the original publication and copies. Given the Bible’s overwhelming textual accuracy compared to other ancient works, to question the reliability of Scripture would logically mean doubting the reliability of nearly all classical texts—and much of ancient history.
So, how can we trust that God’s hand was on the process of bringing together 66 books, complete God-breathed works from Genesis to Revelation? In the same way we trust that God spoke and the entire universe came into existence.
Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. (Isaiah 40:26, NIV)
God doesn’t miss stuff. That includes the details of your life and His Word! My prayer is that you approach the Bible with renewed reverence and awe knowing you can live off every Word. Don’t just read it, let it read you. Let the Word of God discern your heart. Invite the Holy Spirit to breathe new life into your time alone with the Word of God. Let it speak to you, heal you, and complete you.
Strong’s Lexicon, artios: Cultural and Historical Background https://biblehub.com/greek/739.htm
Eugene Ulrich, "The Notion and Definition of Canon," 29, in The Canon Debate, edited by Lee Martin McDonald & James A. Sanders, (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Press, 2002), ; "canon of scripture" is defined as follows: "…the definitive, closed list of the books that constitute the authentic contents of scripture."
McDowell, Josh. Evidence That Demands a Verdict (p. 53). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.