IS THE BIBLE HOLY?

Is the Bible really a true Holy book, containing a collection of Gods words?

Should it be considered Holy, which means to be exalted and worthy of our complete attention and devotion?

Many have wondered if this ancient book is actually a revelatory, prophetic, historical, and true word of direction and guidance from the creator of the universe.

Oh, and not to mention this word was only revealed to a small group of uneducated, poor, former slaves, who lived in a remote desert part of the world.

These were not nobles or scholars, but refugees, goat herders, and fisherman.

And this is what we are supposed to build our Faith on? Seriously!

Some say NO, we shouldn’t because it was written by fallible men.

Others say YES, we should, because its writings were inspired by an infallible God.

“Bible” or biblos in Greek, means a collection of books.

So “The Bible” is not one book but rather a bunch of books put together.

Many question its veracity for a variety of reasons.

One of the more popular reasons given is that the Bible is full of contradictions.

We tend to associate a contradiction with a lie. They are not the same thing.

A contradiction is two counter perspectives about a subject, from the same source.

A lie is an untruth. Something that is not accurate.

A contradiction can be both accurate and truthful. But it’s not the same as a lie.

The Bible can be both divinely inspired, and humanly written.

Here is an example of what some call a contradiction that is found in the Bible, “God is Love” and “The Lord revengeth, and is furious”

Both are true. God is very loving, and he is also the only true judge of all things.

Oftentimes matters dealing with relationships can be deemed contradictory.

“I wish he or she never came into my life” and “I really miss him or her”, both can be true and yet appear contradictory.

Perhaps a better word to use would be paradox.

A paradox is something that sounds absurd or self-contradictory but when fully investigated or explained may prove to be well founded and true.

The Bible does in fact offer many paradoxes.  This is a true statement.

So too does anyone who has ever been in love, had children, family, or friends.

Some contend that the Bible is not Holy because it is not factually or historically accurate because it was largely passed along by word of mouth.

My response to that is, there is no such thing as an original manuscript of any ancient book in existence.

The materials of such a works could not withstand the effects of time and atmospheric change over all those years.

For example, there is a very small number of writings from Caesar’s Gallic Wars, which were written some 900 years after his death.

There are only a few copies of what is said to be the work of Aristotle, that were written fourteen centuries after his death.

Yet there are five thousand Ancient Greek manuscripts about the New Testament, and ten thousand copies in ancient languages.

There are fragments and parts of these copies that date back to as early as thirty years after the originals were written.

Archaeologist today continue to provide proof that biblical writings are accurately recorded accounts of history.

The pool of Bethesda, where Jesus healed a paralyzed man, was once thought to be fictional until proven by science to exist.

I have personally seen the pool of Bethesda, and they have tours to take you to it.

King David was said to be mythical, until 1994 when proof was found otherwise.

The book of Acts was said to be made up, until a well-known scholar proved it to be historically accurate.

Luke mentions 32 countries, 54 cities, 9 Mediterranean islands, 95 people and didn’t get a one of them wrong.

Meanwhile, when the encyclopedia Britannica was first published it had so many errors that it had to be recalled.

There are numerous evidential proofs that the Bible is God’s Holy and True Word.

But the best proof comes from personal experience.

You must read it for yourself and get to know the author and subject personally.

The reason the Bible is considered Holy is because the God featured in it is Holy, and those are his Holy Words.

One of the greatest contradictions in it is that a Holy and Righteous God loves us, the hot mess that we are, and wants us to spend eternity with him in paradise.

                                                          This is a Thompson Truth