“Isn’t the Bible just written by men?” I often hear people ask. The answer is yes and no. Let me explain.

The Bible is written technically by men’s hands, but it still remains the words of God. It is explained this way in the Bible…

“But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

2 Peter 1:20,21

The apostle Peter here is telling us in a nutshell what the rest of Scripture tells us in a longer story. Human beings did pen the Bible, but they were inspired by God in doing so — specifically, the Holy Spirit.

This is demonstrated in a number of ways. First, although the Bible took about 1500 years to write (Moses to John) and although it was penned by about 40 authors from various educational, political, and national backgrounds, the Bible displays an amazing unity and consistency in its quality, prophecy, aim, and continuity. It is not merely a long unrelated series of stories and commandments, it is a single story with a number of subplots starting with creation and mankind losing its perfect Garden of Edan leading to a wonderful potential of reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ.

Secondly, the Bible’s record of fulfilled prophecy is 100%. Regardless of how “way out” or improbable the prophecies we read in the Bible might be, they have all been fulfilled with the exception of the end of time. From the destruction of Babylon, to the birth of a virgin, to the death and resurrection of the Messiah, they all have come to pass. This just makes good sense, if we believe that God is the real author, because while men may guess at the future, only God can predict and make the future. If the Bible failed in even one prophecy, it would be serious cause to doubt the Bible — but it hasn’t failed even once.

Thirdly, the wisdom of the Bible is untouchable. While it is true that there have been many excellent philosophers in this world and a few pretty moral religions, none of them hold a candle to the wisdom of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures. The Bible’s wisdom is way beyond mere human reasoning and has been tested for millennia and found not only work, but work out best for men, women, children, and nations. As the Bible’s book of Proverbs tells us, “Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him”(30:5).

Believe in the Bible, there’s lots of good reason to.