In defense of the original question, you can't really use the Bible to defend itself. You can write a paper on anything and defend it from the basis of itself. Something should have some verification from an outside source to support it's arguement. That was the point of a lot of what I posted, it explains the process of how it came about, how it was translated and copied over the centuries, and external verification. I took a class on early civilization at Purdue (a non-christian school) that was taught by someone who was definately not a Christian. He said that in archaelogical studies the more they find the more the Bible is found to be accurate. He taught some from the Bible, not as a spiritual truth but as an explanation of some parts of history.
There's some solid external support for the validity of the Bible, but there's not undeniable evidence to back all of it up. It is something that requires faith to believe in. People like Ken Ham work to try to reconcile science and the Bible, to explain creation in a scientific way. Biblical scholars and archeologists work to give a solid foundation of what the Bible contains. People like Josephus give external testimony to the existance of Jesus. But nothing is going to give undeniable proof to everything in the Bible. That's why we have to rely on faith. The greatest testimony we have to the validity of the Bible is the Holy Spirit and in the words of Jesus
Matt. 11:4 Jesus answered and said to them, Go and report to John what you hear and see:
Matt. 11:5 the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM.
Matt. 11:6 And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.
For me the greatest testimony of the validity of the Bible and the Holy Spirit is watching the power of Christ work in people to transform them. I know recovering alcoholics, former drug users, partiers, broken people whose lives have been transformed by the power of God working through His Word and through people filled with the Holy Spirit.
1John 5:5 ¶ Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
1John 5:6 This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
1John 5:7 For there are three that testify:
1John 5:8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.
1John 5:9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son.
1John 5:10 The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son.
1John 5:11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
1John 5:12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
