The last time I heard someone try to give a reason why we should believe that the Bible is God’s word, he used 2 Timothy 3:16. Well, that’s all well and good, since I already believe the Bible is true. I believe the Bible is God’s word. But how can you use a single verse from the Bible to prove it’s true, unless you already believe it’s all true? I can say I’m telling the truth, but that doesn’t make what I’m saying true just because I told you it is.This book is different.
In his book Has God Spoken?, Hank Hanegraaff uses information both from the Bible and other sources. He starts with disproving the argument that the Bible has been distorted over the years by faulty copying practices and therefore cannot be true. He also notes archaeological finds that prove the Biblical events really did happen, and compares what the Bible says to what has been noted in history. He also compares the Old Testament to the New, to show that the Bible does not contradict itself. The last section of this book address misconceptions about what the Bible says, and how to correctly interpret Scripture.
No book is perfect, of course. This one has repetitive spots and a lot of acronyms, and I'm sure there are plenty of problem spots that people wiser than myself could point out, but for someone wanting a clear answer to the question "has God spoken?", there you have it.
Although I do believe the Bible is God’s Word, I want to be able to explain why I believe that to someone else. Using a verse from the book I’m trying to prove true isn’t going to cut it. And although proving that requires reading of the Bible for oneself (which the author encourages), Has God Spoken? shows that the Bible is in fact God’s word.
-Ashley M.
Thanks for the review. It is certainly important that we know what we believe, and especially why we believe it. That way we can give a reason for the hope we have in Christ.
ReplyDeleteYou might like to check out Michael Green's Evangelism in the Early Church - especially portions of the introduction. He presents some findings that every believer should know. For example, in the same caves that the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered, there have been fragments found of the Gospel of Mark (which is one of the many things that disproves the claim that Christianity was "made up" in the 4th century).