Can I Trust The Bible? 5 Great Resources on The Reliability of Scripture
Several years ago, I went through a spiritually challenging phase of doubt. I started pulling on different threads and felt like a lot of my theology was becoming undone. During what is now commonly called “deconstruction,” I was influenced by many authors and theologians who questioned the veracity of Scripture. While I questioned and wrestled with God’s wrath, hell, the exclusivity of Christ, God’s sovereignty, and other essential doctrines, the primary doctrine that had to be undermined first was the trustworthiness and reliability of Scripture. Some of the teachers I was listening to at the time sounded like the snake who asked Eve, “Did God really say…?”
That is why I believe that Bible-believing Christians must be equipped to answer questions like “How did we get the Bible?”, “Is the Bible true in what it affirms?” and very importantly, “Can we trust the Bible?” As someone who has asked that question and explored it with some depth, I wanted to share some resources with you that can help you dive into this subject with some trusted help and guidance. The following is my short list of my favorite and most helpful articles and podcasts to help you shore up your faith and have a stronger foundation for your doctrine of Scripture. Happy listening/reading!
"Jesus of Nazereth: How Historians Can Know Him and Why It Matters" - 29-page article by Craig Blomberg. This a great primer on the question of the reliability of Scripture. A fascinating read!
Outline notes for chapter 3 from Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology - "The Canon of Scripture". It covers all the important basics and gives you a good lay of the land.
"Where the Bible Came From?" is a good teaching by Preston Sprinkle on the process of how our Bible came to be in its current form.
How Badly Was the New Testament Corrupted? is a Veritas Forum talk by Daniel Wallace, who is an American professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary and the foremost expert on the New Testament field of Textual Criticism.
Looking to take a deeper dive? Seminary professor Michael J. Kruger has a free lay-level online class on The Origins and Authority of The Bible, where you can find handouts and mp3 downloads of his lectures.
Studying Scripture and learning about your faith is one of the most worthwhile things you can do with your time and energy. I encourage you to keep diving into God's Word, asking hard questions, seeking good answers, and growing in your faith and love for Jesus.
Fady Ghobrial is a Ministry Fellow with Christian Union at Harvard.
