Many people claim that they have a divinely inspired revelation from God. One person says, “I believe that the Qur’an is God’s word.” Another says, “I believe that the Book of Mormon is God’s word.” And another says, “I believe that the Bible is the only true Word of God.” How do we know who is right? One way to evaluate these claims is to consider the evidence for each of these writings.
For example, we find that the Book of Mormon is plagued by a dearth of archaeological evidence for its historical claims, but there is solid evidence from archaeology for the Bible. Also, it is important to consider the quality of the testimony of those who claimed to have received a revelation from God. The Qur’an was supposedly revealed to one man. The Book of Mormon was supposedly translated from a set of gold plates by one man. In both cases only one man testified of the revelation. But the authority of the teachings of Jesus was validated by His resurrection from the dead, a fact joyfully proclaimed by many credible eyewitnesses.
We accept the Bible by faith, but it is also important that we have an answer to give to those who do not believe that the Bible is true. We ought to be able to show that it is reasonable to believe that the Bible is the revelation of God to man.
The new Bible Helps article presents evidence that the New Testament is a reliable record. It considers the remarkable preservation of the New Testament, the historical accuracy of the New Testament, and the trustworthiness of the eyewitness testimonies recorded in the New Testament.
Evidence for the reliability of the New Testament supports our belief that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and the infallible rule of faith and practice. The writing of the New Testament was superintended by the Holy Spirit as it was penned by men of God. Down through the centuries the New Testament has been faithfully preserved through the providence of God. “It is to be believed, as God’s instruction, in all that it affirms; obeyed, as God’s command, in all that it requires; embraced, as God’s pledge, in all that it promises” (Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, 1978).
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