If you want to explore the gospel, the Bible is the book to read.
Perhaps you have heard that the Bible is, at best, a collection of myths, edited and re-edited until it has become unreliable. The evidence points to a different conclusion.
The Bible is a collection of sixty-six books divided into two “Testaments”, but from the beginning of the Old Testament to the end of the New Testament it tells one big story. It begins in Genesis with the beauty and order of God’s perfect creation, followed by an account of humanity’s rebellion (sin) against God and the disastrous consequences. The Old Testament then reveals God’s relentless plan to redeem and restore what was lost because of sin. Key figures are introduced such as Abraham, Moses and David, as the narrative focuses on God’s relationship with Israel and His promise of a Messiah. The story reaches its climax at the commencement of the New Testament in the Gospel accounts of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (the promised Messiah), and concludes in Revelation with the triumph of God’s redemptive purposes in the new heaven and new earth.
The Bible is an extraordinary piece of literature, but it is far more than that. Let’s explore some outstanding features which give us confidence in its authenticity and authority.
1. Historically grounded
Although the Bible does not specify when the first four books of the New Testament (the Gospels by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) were written, most historians agree on the period between AD 60 and AD 95. Mark’s Gospel most likely came first, within 30 years of Jesus’ death and well within the lifetime of eyewitnesses who could verify his account. Early Church Fathers, such as Clement of Rome (AD 95), referenced Matthew[^1] and the other Synoptic Gospels (Mark and Luke)[^2], indicating these texts existed at that time.
It is significant that the book of Acts, which records the commencement and spread of the Christian Church from Jerusalem, has no mention of the Jewish war against the Romans or the fall of Jerusalem (AD 66-70). According to the historian Josephus[^3], the Romans destroyed Jerusalem, killed 1.1 million Jews and took 200,000 captive as slaves. This enables us to conclude that Acts was written before AD 70.
Paul’s letters, which are such a significant part of the New Testament, were written in the 50s and 60s AD, just 20 years after Jesus’ crucifixion. There is no credible disagreement among historians as to the date or authenticity of these letters.
2. Textually reliable
The New Testament is the best-attested work from the ancient world: over 5,800 Greek manuscripts survive, plus 10,000 in Latin and thousands more in other languages.
Some fragments are extremely early, like the Rylands Library Papyrus of John’s Gospel^4, dated to around 125 AD, within a generation of the original writing. Complete copies like Codex Sinaiticus^5 and Codex Vaticanus^6 (4th century) demonstrate that the biblical text we have today matches what was circulating in the early church.
Compared to other ancient works such as Homer’s Iliad (1,800 manuscripts, most from more than 500 years later), or Tacitus’ Annals (fewer than 20 manuscripts), the New Testament stands apart for textual reliability.
3. Archaeologically supported
The Bible is full of names, places, and events for which archaeology has consistently discovered supporting evidence. For example, the Pilate Stone (discovered in Caesarea) confirms the existence and title of Pontius Pilate. Excavations have uncovered the Pool of Bethesda (John chapter 5) with its five porticoes, and the Pool of Siloam (John chapter 9). The Dead Sea Scrolls^7 (discovered in 1947) show that the Old Testament text we have today matches manuscripts written over a thousand years earlier.
4. Prophetically fulfilled
Centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ, the Old Testament Scriptures - which contain many prophecies - provided important details about the coming Messiah.
Some examples are:
Micah predicted that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah (Micah 5:2).
David vividly describes the suffering of crucifixion centuries before it was ever used as a method of execution (Psalm 22:14).
Again, David speaks of God’s Holy One not seeing decay, which was fulfilled in the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Psalm 16:10).
No other religious text offers this level of fulfilled prophecies that can be historically verified.
5. Powerfully proven
For two thousand years the Bible has outlasted empires, critics, and attempts to destroy it. More importantly, it has radically changed multitudes of lives across cultures and generations.
The Bible is historically grounded, textually reliable, archaeologically supported, prophetically fulfilled, and a powerfully proven record of God’s words to humanity. It shows itself to be the inerrant Word of God. You can trust it. And if you set it aside you are left facing life’s biggest questions with nothing but speculation, human philosophies and second-hand opinions.
Here is the challenge: don’t dismiss the gospel without reading it for yourself.
Start with one of the four Gospels and ask yourself whether this story could be true. If it is, you have found more than reliable history – you have arrived at the place where you can read the good news, learn about the Saviour of sinners, and come to know the living God.
[^1]: 1 Clement 13.2
[^2]: 1 Clement 24.5; 46.8
[^3]: Josephus, Jewish War, 6.5.271-73; 6.9.420; 7.5.118; 7.5.138; 7.5.154.
[^4]: https://www.library.manchester.ac.uk
[^5]: https://www.codexsinaiticus.org
[^6]: https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Vat.gr.1209