QUESTION 4

Do you believe in the Bible as the sole religious authority?

We live in a culture that resists authority. We like to think that we make our own decisions and that no one else tells us what to do. Yet, all of us make choices and live our lives according to some source of authority. How do we choose what authority we will allow to guide our lives?

The Bible certainly claims to be a message directly from God, and scripture tells us it is more than just a collection of temporary suggestions. Even inspired authors of scripture realized when they had a message that was from God and not just from them. Consider these passages of scripture:

1 Peter 1:22-25 - Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever." And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 – And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. We have more manuscript evidence for the Bible than for any other ancient writing. For example, there are many classical ancient writings preserved by only a few manuscripts, whereas approximately 25,000 manuscripts attest the existence of scripture. If our Creator gave a message to us, wouldn’t we expect it to have more manuscript evidence than any other? There is simply no other ancient document like it.

We have more manuscript evidence for the Bible than for any other ancient writing. For example, there are many classical ancient writings preserved by only a few manuscripts, whereas approximately 25,000 manuscripts attest the existence of scripture.

If our Creator gave a message to us, wouldn’t we expect it to have more manuscript evidence than any other? There is simply no other ancient document like it.