In a world of flashy headlines, conflicting perspectives, and “your truth” and “my truth,” it can be incredibly difficult to know who and what to believe. How do we know what the real truth is? Is it really okay for everyone to believe what they want without any questioning? Should we question the sin we see in the world, even if it is broadcasted as right? These questions are hard ones to answer, but luckily, a sound base of truth is readily available to us—the Bible. You might be wondering, out of all the information out there, what makes an almost 2,000-year-old book the right choice? Wouldn’t it be outdated and irrelevant? From both Christian and simply logical perspectives, we can answer with a resounding “no.” The Bible has a combination of longevity, relevance, and power that no other source does; it has far more answers than one might think.

First and foremost, the Bible is one of the most foundational elements of the Christian faith. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work;” “The instructions [found in the Bible] of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple” (Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 1996/2015, 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Psalm 19:7). As these passages clearly show, the Bible teaches, corrects, uplifts, revives, and encourages; it is a crucial piece of any Christian’s walk.

If you’re not already a Christian or maybe just need more persuading, consider the following facts about the Bible. As opposed to other texts (both religious and secular), the Bible was written by forty different authors over about 2,000 years, yet it maintains unified themes; it has approximately 2,000 prophecies that we can confirm have been fulfilled; and it is the #1 best-selling book of all time. This is not even to mention the astounding number of personal testimonies of its life-changing power. Only a book that is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12) and divinely inspired (2 Timothy 3:16) could have such a universal, widespread, positive impact. Even though it was written so long ago, it still contains information that is incredibly relevant for our lives today (a byproduct of its being alive and active). Besides establishing universal standards of conduct and morality such as kindness, love, patience, etc., the Bible also contains insights on culturally relevant issues, like abortion, gender identity, and homosexuality. There is no limit to its potential applications.

With all this in mind, we have both spiritual and rational bases for using the Bible as our standard of truth. So, to answer the questions posed in the opening of this article: First, we can know the real truth by evaluating what we hear and comparing it with the Bible. Second, no, it is not okay for individuals to declare their own opinions as unquestionable fact; there is no such thing as “your truth” and “my truth,” only “the Truth.” Finally, in accordance with the last point, we can and should evaluate all kinds of perspectives; unfortunately, many posit opinions as fact that are not, and it is the Bible-believer’s job to consider these opinions in a biblical light. “But test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good” (Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 1996/2015, 1 Thessalonians 5:21). With the Bible as our guide, we can find the truth and, ultimately, go through life with a firm, God-inspired foundation.

References

Chaffey, T. (2011). Unity of the Bible. Answers in Genesis. https://answersingenesis.org/the-word-of-god/3-unity-of-the-bible/

Guinness World Records. (2021). Best-selling book. https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/best-selling-book-of-non-fiction

Holy Bible, New Living Translation. (2015). Tyndale House Publishers. (Original work published 1996)

Ross, H. (2003). Fulfilled prophecy: Evidence for the reliability of the Bible. Reasons to Believe. https://reasons.org/explore/publications/articles/fulfilled-prophecy-evidence-for-the-reliability-of-the-bible