We have been exploring a few of the reasons why the Bible is trustworthy. We have seen how the Bible proves itself, but also how archeological and scientific evidence offer their support, despite the efforts of godless men to force them to do otherwise. We also saw how evolution fails to offer any valid explanations for anything.
Today we’re going to consider three common reasons why, in the face of plain evidence, many stubbornly choose to reject the Bible as true and trustworthy. Along the way we will see why - regardless of whether a person believes God's word or not - Scripture cannot be classified as a myth, legend, fairy tale, or fable.
Reason #1: People Reject Scripture Because of Perceived Contradictions
Many claim that the Bible is untrustworthy because they claim it contradicts itself. Depending on how closely they have read the Bible (if they have even tried), they will run you to some seeming contradiction with God’s commands, God’s character, or even some set of recorded numbers. The overall principle that addresses this is found in II Timothy 2:15 and 3:16-17. If a person fails to recognize that all of the Bible is written for us, but it is not all written to us, then they will try to make everything apply to everyone all the time. That is a surefire way to either A) become deeply frustrated with the Bible, or B) develop a heresy. Likewise, approaching the Bible in pride by standing in judgment of it rather than assuming that God is right and you are wrong will inevitably lead you to an impasse.
Reason #2: People Reject Scripture Because of Hypocritical Christians
The brutal truth is that Christians are hypocrites. Why? Because we’re a bunch of rotten no-good sinners, just like the people who accuse us of being so. But do you really want to judge something as important as the Bible solely based on people’s behavior? Would you want to be judged based solely on the basis of your family and friend’s behavior? The Bible tells you to expect that Christians will disappoint you! See James 3:2, I Timothy 1:15, Romans 7, and Matthew 7:21. Even though God’s people fail, God does not. Christianity is about trusting Christ, not Christ’s people.
Reason #3: People Reject Scripture Because They Claim It Is Myth, Legend, Tale, or Fable
Some want to shelve the Bible next to Greek mythology and Aesop’s fables, claiming that it is nothing more than a set of “significant cultural stories” rather than truth. The problem with that approach is that the Bible was written by eyewitnesses (II Peter 1:16). In fact, regarding the resurrection of Jesus Christ, there were well-over five hundred witnesses, which is more than would be needed in a court of law!
In addition, the Bible does not share any of the qualities of a fable, myth, or legend when compared with those type of texts. Here’s an overview some of the genres people have tried to use to classify the Bible; the quoted material is taken from The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms:
Myths
“A traditional anonymous story, originally religious in nature, told by a particular cultural group in order to explain a natural or cosmic phenomenon. Individual myths are typically part of a collection of such tales, known as a culture’s mythology. Myths generally offer supernatural explanations for the creation of the world (whether seen as the planet alone or the universe generally) and humanity, as well as for death, judgment. And the afterlife” (p. 284).
Legends
Legends “detail the adventures of a human cultural hero (such as Robin Hood or Annie Oakley) and tend to be less focused on the supernatural. Whereas a legend may exaggerate – perhaps even wildly – the exploits of its hero, it is likely to be grounded in historical fact" (p. 284).
Tales (including Fairy Tales and Tall Tales)
A tale is “a comparatively simple narrative, either fictitious or true, written and recounted orally in prose or verse. A tale often recounts a strange event, focusing on something or someone exotic, marvelous, or even supernatural. Tales may be attributable to a particular author, whether known or anonymous, or may simply be part of the lore or a given culture” (p. 475).
Fables
“A short, fictional (non-historical) prose or verse tale with a specific moral. As allegorical works, fables are told to illustrate a particular point or lesson, which is often explicitly expressed at the end of the tale via an epigram. Fables often feature animals (personified) as their principal characters” (p. 150).
An honest person who has sincerely read the Bible would have to admit that the Bible does not fit in any of the categories! The two most obvious categories that people rely on when attempting to explain away the Bible are myths and legends. However, both J.B. Phillips and C.S. Lewis, who are experts in the fields of storytelling, testify that the Bible cannot be what other are eager to label it:
“I have read, in Greek and Latin, scores of myths but I did not find the slightest flavor of myth [in the Bible].” - J.B. Phillips
“I have been reading poems, romances, vision-literature, legends, myths all my life. I know what they are like. I know that not one of them is like [the Bible].” - C.S. Lewis
Legends are primarily conveyed through oral tradition, and are easily corrected or dismissed by historical facts and archeology. A previous post in this series has already given a sample of evidence that would prevent the Bible from being demoted to a legend.
Myths attempt to explain the world, and have cultural importance, but the “gods” behave like people rather than something better than people! They sometimes contain kernels of truth, making them easier for people to believe, but even a single “un-truth” pollutes something entirely.
In contrast to both of these, the Bible is primarily a history book. It contains verifiable historical facts and reflects accurate scientific facts...oftentimes before science has verified them! It tells us about a God who is wholly different from us in ability and behavior and offers more than just an explanation - it offers hope!
The Bottom Line
What’s the bottom line? The Bible is not a myth, a legend, or any other such fiction. It is trustworthy, and it serves as the FINAL AUTHORITY for a Bible-believer!
Everything requires some measure of faith. How do you know George Washington existed, or that Caesar crossed the Rubicon, or that the US dropped an atomic bomb on Japan? You have faith in written eye-witness accounts of historical events. Do you actually understand how wi-fi works? Probably not, but that doesn’t stop you from using it every day. Why then do we feel like we have to “understand” God? Have you ever seen your brain? Probably not, but you believe it is there. So why do we feel like we have to “see” God? People will listen to anything by the Truth so that they can avoid the authority of God’s word – see II Timothy 4:1-4. It is faith (Romans 10:17), confidence (I John 5:13, II Peter1:19), experience (Psalm 34:8), promise (Jeremiah 29:13, Matthew 7:7, Proverbs 3:5-6), and verifiable (II Peter 1:16).
A Challenge
This series of posts has just been a taste of the evidence that demonstrates the trustworthiness of the Bible. But you may still be skeptical. If you are, that's probably healthy - accepting the Bible as trustworthy and true is not something to be taken lightly, because you are banking your eternity on it! So, if you're still skeptical, here's a challenge: prove the Bible wrong. Honestly read it from cover to cover to see for yourself what it claims. With most copies of the Bible, reading five pages a day would get you through in one year. If you bump it up to ten pages a day, you could be done in six months. Does that feel like too much? Start in the book of John, and read through to the book of Philemon.
Here's an important tip: don’t ask God to open up the Bible to you – ask Him to open you to the Bible. It is perfect and plain. God isn’t hiding. It’s our sinfulness that makes it difficult. As you read, there will be bad days, and there will be boring days, and there will be busy days…but there will be good days too!
Give God's word a chance. You won't be disappointed.
Recommended Reading
If you want more on the subject of the trustworthiness of the Bible, I recommend Josh McDowell’s Evidence that Demands a Verdict. McDowell started as a skeptic, and after an honest, thorough investigation (the results of which are fully documented in the book) trusted Christ as his Savior.
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