What the Bible says about itself

[Humble_Disciple]

I struggled with reading the Bible and taking its teachings seriously, until I took seriously what the Bible says about itself.

Matthew 4:4
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

Matthew 24:35
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

John 17:17
Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth.

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

2 Peter 1:16
We did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Instead, we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

2 Peter 1:20-21
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.

Revelation 22:18-19
I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.

 

[com7fy8]

"'So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
. It shall not return to Me void,
. But it shall accomplish what I please,
. And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.'"
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Isaiah 55:11)

 

[Richard Mulcahy]

I struggled with reading the Bible and taking its teachings seriously, until I took seriously what the Bible says about itself.

Matthew 4:4
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

Matthew 24:35
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

John 17:17
Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth.

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

2 Peter 1:16
We did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Instead, we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

2 Peter 1:20-21
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.

Revelation 22:18-19
I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.

Hi Humble Disciple!

Thank you for posting this I have a brother who is struggling to accept the bible is God's word. He struggles desperately with his faith in general. We were on WhatsApp yesterday discussing the illegal migrant crossings crisis affecting the United Kingdom specifically and he started asking about God, Christianity etc. Well he has been polluted with all sorts of sensationalist drivel about how Christianty is a man-made religion etc. and not really God's word... the usual nonsense atheists present as argument. Anyway, your references were just the thing I needed at the time. I copied three of them and sent them to him. Very glad you put this thread together.

Take care and God bless...

 

[Silly Uncle Wayne]

I struggled with reading the Bible and taking its teachings seriously, until I took seriously what the Bible says about itself.

It seems from your post that you imposing circular reasoning on the Bible. But if the words of the Bible can be shown to be true to your satisfaction then the loop is broken because there is an extra factor not covered by the loop.

"Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God - what is good and well-pleasing and perfect." (Romans 12:2).

So we are told to test and approve what is the will of God. Start doing that, don't take for granted what is said, but test it, and approve it. That basically means discipleship. It doesn't mean blind faith.

My advice, go through the scriptures and see if they are truth without relying on the scriptures to affirm their truth. When you read something test it. If you get a positive from it then approve it, otherwise leave it and come back to it later.

The more I study the Bible, the more I see it fitting together in amazing ways and some of the difficult passages become easier to test and approve because I have already tested and approved the easier ones.

I've still got a long way to go and I have been doing this for 30+ years so don't think this is an overnight approval - this is discipleship - it is for the rest of your life.

 

[Tolworth John]

until I took seriously what the Bible says about itself.

A useful set of verses.

Your diagram is inaccurate in that it does not show that the Bible's accuracy can be confirmed by both historians and archeology..

 

[Humble_Disciple]

Your diagram is inaccurate in that it does not show that the Bible's accuracy can be confirmed by both historians and archeology.

No amount of archaeological or historical evidence will be sufficient for someone whose heart is hardened to the Truth. Without the aid of the Holy Spirit, no one would be able to read the Bible and believe what it teaches.

John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

 

[timf]

You might wish to also consider that the bible is supernatural in that it works in people.

Isa 55:10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
Isa 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

 

[Mike from NJ]

OP, I suspect that chart at the bottom of your post wasn't created to support the idea of the Bible supporting the accuracy of the Bible.

 

[Ed1wolf]

I struggled with reading the Bible and taking its teachings seriously, until I took seriously what the Bible says about itself.

Matthew 4:4
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

Matthew 24:35
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

John 17:17
Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth.

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

2 Peter 1:16
We did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Instead, we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

2 Peter 1:20-21
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.

Revelation 22:18-19
I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.

It is not circular. The Bible is confirmed to be of divine origin by history, Science, and philosophy as well as the inward witness of the Holy Spirit.

 

[drich0150]

I struggled with reading the Bible and taking its teachings seriously, until I took seriously what the Bible says about itself.

Matthew 4:4
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

Matthew 24:35
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

John 17:17
Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth.

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

2 Peter 1:16
We did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Instead, we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

2 Peter 1:20-21
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.

Revelation 22:18-19
I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.

you do understand those words/verses you highlighted were not apart of scripture when written right? nor do any of them point to the irrarancy of the bible correct? that it looks like you are trying to work very hard to force a unsupported narrative of circular logic. As the poof of the bible is not found in the bible but like any other set of instructions or map. in that the bible tells us how to find and be accepted by God. because we achieve this via the instruction provided in the bible, it can be considered a valid document.

 

[Hawkins]

What humans don't even realize is that they don't have the ability and capability to confirm a past. In terms of science a past is hardly falsifiable to be a verifiable truth. As a result, history almost exclusively is conveyed in the form of human testimonies. If we want histories to be evidenced, we don't have histories. It is basically out of human capability to verify histories generally speaking, especially regarding to individual activities. Archaeology is basically about trails left by mass activities which are conserved usually by a fluke. as most trails of past mass activities are overriden by humans activities happened and continue to happen in the same spot.

God is thus about humans testimonies from those encountered Him historically. They encountered God in the different spots of time but all portraying the same God with the same set of characteristics. This remains the only way for such a kind of historical encounters to be conveyed.

So the question should be aske in a rather "reversed order". That is, if God is true then how can this piece of truth can be conveyed to today's humans. The answer is, the Bible way remains the only way for this truth to be conveyed, unless God shows up publicly for each and every humans to be informed of this truth. God however will not show up publicly as the covenant between God and men specifiels that men need faith to be saved. If God shows up publicly then men become not savable at all. As a result, God only showed up to His selected eyewitnesses (i.e., the prophets of Israel) and for their testimonies to convey such a truth. There's no other way round.

 

[drich0150]

What humans don't even realize is that they don't have the ability and capability to confirm a past. In terms of science a past is hardly falsifiable to be a verifiable truth. As a result, history almost exclusively is conveyed in the form of human testimonies. If we want histories to be evidenced, we don't have histories. It is basically out of human capability to verify histories generally speaking, especially regarding to individual activities. Archaeology is basically about trails left by mass activities which are conserved usually by a fluke. as most trails of past mass activities are overriden by humans activities happened and continue to happen in the same spot.

God is thus about humans testimonies from those encountered Him historically. They encountered God in the different spots of time but all portraying the same God with the same set of characteristics. This remains the only way for such a kind of historical encounters to be conveyed.

So the question should be aske in a rather "reversed order". That is, if God is true then how can this piece of truth can be conveyed to today's humans. The answer is, the Bible way remains the only way for this truth to be conveyed, unless God shows up publicly for each and every humans to be informed of this truth. God however will not show up publicly as the covenant between God and men specifiels that men need faith to be saved. If God shows up publicly then men become not savable at all. As a result, God only showed up to His selected eyewitnesses (i.e., the prophets of Israel) and for their testimonies to convey such a truth. There's no other way round.

funny you should mention God showing up. that's exactly what the holy Spirit is/does. he shows up, not on a grand scale but on a personal one. in fact million of testimonies/eye witnesses can atest to this.