By Ron Halbrook
The Bible claims to be the holy and sacred Word of God, “given by inspiration of God” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). That means we have heaven’s message on earth “in the words which . . . the Holy Ghost teacheth” (1 Cor. 2:13). The idols of ancient nations (Babylon, Greece, Rome, etc.) supposedly gave sacred messages, as do heathen religions in the modern world. The Hindu offers his Vedas and the Moslem his Koran. Masonry claims to distill “secrets” and “mysteries” from, many ancient religions, can put the sacred books of any religions on “our holy altar,” and pretend to make all good men “better.”
Divine messages are alleged by astrologers, fortune tellers, and prognosticators such as Nostradamus, Jeane Dixon, and Edgar Cayce. Joseph Smith’s Book ofMormon and Mary Baker Eddy’s Science and Health pose as revelations. The words of the Pope, the creed books of Protestant denominations, the cries of charismatics, and the pronouncements of sectarian boards (Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, etc.) all avow the inspiration or illumination of the Spirit of God.
The following evidences of divine inspiration are found in the Bible and in the Bible alone. That is why the Bible urges us to reject any and all other claims of a word from God, and to expose them as fraudulent and false (Rev. 2:2; 22:1819).
| Evidence For Inspired Bible | All Other Claims Fall |
| Fulfilled Prophecy. Every prophecy matches its fulfillment perfectly. Over 300 refer to Jesus Christ (Isa. 53; Mic. 5:2) | Failed Prophecy. No other book in all history can match the Bible record. Guesses result in hit-&-miss pattern. Jehovah’s Witnesses predicted 1914, 1925, etc. as the end. |
| Resurrection of Jesus. This proved him “to be the Son of God with power.” All power and authority to reveal and command is his (Rom. 1:4; Matt. 28:18). | None Raised. None of the leaders listed above can offer such powerful proof. God gave them no authority to reveal or command. |
| Unity in Message. 66 books by 40 men in 1,500 years all fit together with perfect unity in purpose and message. Jesus Christ as God’s Son and man’s Savior is the one story (Jn. 20:30-31). | Disunity. No similar collection of religious literature reflects the unity and harmony of the Bible. Denominational creeds contradict each other. The Koran is full of contradictions. |
| Genuine Miracles. The miracles of the prophets, Christ, and his apostles could not be denied even by their enemies. These miracles confirmed the word as revelation (Acts 4:16; Mk. 16:20; Jn. 3:2). | Fake Miracles. No other claim to divine inspiration has ever been confirmed by true miracles. False claims to speak in tongues or heal are a dime a dozen (Oral Roberts’ 900 ft. Jesus says to send money!). |
| Text Preserved. No other book has faced as many efforts by its enemies to eliminate its existence. Yet the Bible text is the most accurately preserved of all ancient literature. God protects it (Isa. 40:8; 1 Pet. 1:25). | Texts in Doubt. Pali texts written 300-500 years after Buddha lived (500 B.C.); earliest copies date A.D. 900. 3,911 changes were made in the 2nd edition of The Book of Mormon. |
| Many Other Evidences. The Bible record is consistent with all proven facts of history, geography, science, and archaeology. | Many Other Fallacies. The Book of Mormon contradicts facts of history, geography, science and archaeology. It claims to have been written in Reformed Egyptian; no such language existed. |
| Infallible, Inerrant. The Bible equips man fully unto salvation and service for God. It teaches error of no kind but reflects the perfect character of God (2 Tim. 3:16-17). | Full of Error. All other claims of divine inspiration, revelation and illumination reflect the fallible character of their authors. |
Guardian of Truth XXXII: 11, p. 331
June 2, 1988