Preliminary Remarks
- Before providing specific elements, it is important to remind people that they read various books not presented as the word of God simply because they hope to find useful knowledge for their lives. Start by taking the Bible as a book you can familiarize yourself with in order to better appreciate it. I recommend in this context that you first read Matthew, Proverbs, and Deuteronomy. You need to know the content of the book to better criticize or appreciate it.
- The Bible invites us to love and justice, towards God and our neighbour, and the reality is that generally the effort to reject the Bible comes from the desire to turn to other gods or to remain in sin against one’s neighbour, by relying on a denial of God. In the first case (the desire to turn to other gods or religions), since there is already a concern for God, it is necessary to seek seriously to avoid being mistaken. In the second case, the one who denies the existence of God cannot prove this non-existence. In fact, in view of the convincing evidence of God’s existence, believing in His non-existence is less reasonable than believing that by leaving some pieces of paper long enough without any intelligent intervention, they will turn into a smartphone. Such a man believes the wages of sin are sweet, but he bets his life, mistakenly thinking that God cannot grant him happiness.
- The best way to verify if the Bible comes from God is to experience it. Jesus Christ is alive; He is not a fable. He is at your door and knocks. Open the door, let Him in, and experience His presence. Not opening the door and spending time debating is just bad faith. If you open it and experience His presence, you will emerge with the most credible experience and testimony for you: your own.
- There are numerous testimonies on social networks from ex-satanists or people who have had near-death experiences (NDEs) acknowledging Christ and the Bible. If you cannot believe them, build your own testimony by accepting Jesus Christ.
- The Bible comes from God, is inspired by God, but is not, in the literal sense, “the word of God”. In the Bible, we find the word of God, the word of Satan (he asked God to test Job, he spoke to Eve in Genesis), and the words of men (Pilate, the thief on the cross…). We will therefore say that the Bible is inspired by God and contains the word of God, as it is written: 2 Timothy 3:15 “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
The first means at our disposal to recognize the words of men or the devil is found directly in the mentions surrounding the text read, specifying who is speaking.
Which Bible Are We Referring To
The Various Versions of the Bible
When we talk about the Bible, some people immediately ask: which Bible? There are many translations, many versions, many editions of each translation. There are Bibles with 66 books, others with 73 books, or even 81 books.
Regarding the number of books, we will limit ourselves to the 66 books that have reached a consensus among all. All the books rejected by some because they were doubtful and did not meet the logical criteria for inclusion are not considered here. They did not pass the test of consensus on the proof of their authenticity, the criteria of which are presented here: https://www.editionsceb.com/cv1-n3b/.
As for translations, we exclude all translations made for the general public, with the idea of simplifying understanding. These translations are rather interpretations of the translators, which can sometimes be erroneous to the point of being considered falsifications. These include the Bible in French courant, Paroles de Vie, Parole Vivante, …
We initially retain the following translations: Ostervald 1811, Martin 1744, Darby 1885, Louis Segond 1910, King James 1611, Jerusalem 1950 (this Jerusalem 1950 translation is to be used only for debates with Catholics).
Please note that editions are very important. Almost all editions of the Bible after 1950 introduce modifications that greatly alter the deep meaning of the verses, to the point of giving a strong impression of wanting to preach something other than the original word and leading people to perdition. These editions are therefore strongly discouraged. Do not read the Louis Segond editions post-1910, as the modifications are too significant to maintain the seriousness of the initial truth. We similarly discourage TOB and everything that has been done for religious or societal convenience since 1950.
However, we recommend that when you want to make operational decisions based on a verse, or in the context of in-depth Bible studies on a verse or passage, you do not limit yourself to a single version but compare the studied text across several old editions of the Bible, in which at least one edition of the group below is included. It will sometimes be useful to go to the texts in the original language. You can accomplish this (several versions, original language) by using a site with this function, including the following sites:
The Holy Bible allows one to read each verse simultaneously in at least four translations and also allows displaying the text in several other translations of choice. Bible Gateway allows you to choose between various translations and, most importantly, to search for verses containing specific words. The multi-Bible display also enables access to several Bible translations. This allows, for critical questions, to have a reading as close as possible to the original texts or even to go to the original texts in their original languages, to get the best idea of reality. It should be noted that the fundamental message does not change between these various versions that have not undergone alterations, or even falsifications, of recent versions. Some divergences on certain other points can be resolved by comparing versions or even by accessing the texts in the original language. It is in this context that we speak of the reliability of the Bible.
Group 1 Bibles: Olivetan Bible, Calvin Bible, Geneva Bible, Ostervald Bible, Martin Bible, and the Sword Bible. Here we see an example of modification that we call falsification of the Bible.
John 2:3-5 (Louis Segond 1910): “And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. 4Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. 5His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” Jesus Christ refers to Mary here as ‘woman’ and not ‘mother’, and asks her a question that might be surprising to many. Today, in some new editions of the Bible, those who are determined to mislead God’s people have falsified the text to convey their message. This can be seen here by comparing the texts of three editions of the Bible that Catholics use.
John 2:4 Jerusalem Bible – Jesus said to her: “Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.” John 2:4 Word of Life 2017 (PDV2017): Jesus replied to her: “Mother, what do you want from me? It’s not yet time for me.” John 2:4 Good News Bible (GNB): But Jesus replied: “Mother, is it for you to tell me what I must do? My hour is not yet come.” Notice that the Jerusalem Bible uses “woman” like Louis Segond. However, the recent translations of the Bible, such as Word of Life and Good News, have managed to find that ‘Mother’ is a synonym for ‘woman’, thus replacing ‘woman’ with ‘Mother’. This gives a clear idea of the translators’ intent to distort the word and intent of Jesus Christ to convey their own message. You will notice that this verse no longer has the same meaning. Several other similar verses can be found.
Under the pretext of simplifying the Bible’s understanding for the reader, the message has been changed. It is better to use a Bible with not so easy understanding and use a dictionary or websites that provide several simultaneous old translations like “the Holy Bible”, to get a correct idea of a verse not well understood.
Special case of the New World Translation of Jehovah’s Witnesses
In the following link,
the statement “The New World Translation conveys the thought of Jesus accurately…” is very worrying and reminds me of the current falsifications of the Bible, where people replace scriptures with their interpretation. And here, it is precisely stated that what is written is replaced by the interpretation of those who wrote this version, who claim to access the thought of Jesus. This is very serious. This apprehension is confirmed in the following link
where it is said, I quote, “The New World Translation is unique in one very particular way: it is the first systematic and conscious effort to produce a complete Bible version edited and revised to support the doctrine of a particular group.”
In other words, what others are doing today through their recent translations, the Witnesses had done in their translations. And thereafter, it is said, I quote, “The Bible says: Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thessalonians 5:21) Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. (2 Corinthians 13:5)”
Some “Jehovah’s Witnesses” think: Everything that comes from the Society is the truth, there is no need to check. Everything that comes from elsewhere is false, there is no need to inquire about it.” (https://www.info-sectes.org/tj/tmn.htm)
Unfortunately, this way of thinking is not unique to them; it is found in several denominations. Today we have access online to texts in the original language and to translation tools. Compared elements allow us to better grasp them. I think it is useful for any Witness, even if he wants to defend the New World Translation (NWT), to read the contents of the links.
Elements of Proof of the Inspired Nature of the Bible as the Word of God
How to verify this claim, we will start with the following foundations:
- The Effects of Scripture
- The Variety and Unity of Scripture
- Discoveries About Scripture
- The Excellence of Scripture
- The Fulfilment of Prophecy
- The Complete Anchoring to the Relationship with God
- The Survival of Scripture
- The Apparent Contradictions and Errors in the Bible
The Effects of Scripture
This refers to the fulfilment of the promises of the Bible. Miraculous healings, deliverance from demons, drugs, and alcoholism, and the transformation of lives… Numerous testimonies are accessible on the Internet. You can choose to ignore all these testimonies by deciding that they are false without proving their falsehood. The remaining option is to experience the effects of Scripture yourself.
The Variety and Unity of Scripture
Many authors, over more than a millennium, offer a coherent and harmonious content. Prophets at different times say the same thing, without knowing each other, without consulting each other. There is visible internal coherence in the Bible when analysed, through confirmations in various books of events or prophecies, very often by different people.
The very nature of the multiplicity of the authors of the Bible is important, as God often chose to confirm His word by having it carried by several, the testimony of several being more credible than that of a single individual. Thus, in the Old Testament, the prophets and the books of kings or the like narrate the same things seen by different authors. The writings can be confronted, the prophecies cross-referenced. This is also why the gospels do not recount events in exactly the same terms, as several witnesses cannot have exactly the same account, but it is even this difference that confirms the authenticity of each gospel, and it is the unity of the core that confirms the authenticity of the message.
Discoveries About Scripture
Archaeological or historical discoveries confirm several points of the scriptures; medical discoveries also show the relevance of biblical recommendations (e.g., circumcision on the eighth day, among others).
The Excellence of Scripture
The excellence in the teaching of wisdom (Proverbs, for example), in the teaching of love, justice, and mercy (Matthew, Deuteronomy…), shows that fundamentally, at its core, there is a being of love, and the scripture is not the work of humans; otherwise, these humans would be exceptional scholars with incredibly vast knowledge.
The Fulfilment of Prophecy
Prophecies announced several centuries earlier in the Bible find their fulfilment, proving that they do not come from humans. To confirm that they come from God, their stated objective is always to bring people back to God. Dozens of prophecies have been fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and many others before him as well.
The Complete Anchoring to the Relationship with God
The entire Bible speaks to us of God, tells us how to serve Him, invites us to love and justice, to a level that far exceeds the simple thought of a human. It confirms through prophecies and their fulfilment, as well as the miracles of God, its divine origin. It also confirms through the transformations and current miracles in the lives of believers. Satan or a human would not likely produce a book whose purpose is essentially to serve God in the best of ways. They might produce a book supposed to be the word of God with the aim of deceiving humans. This book would then meet the following criteria as a necessary condition, but not sufficient:
- It would present itself as the word of God.
- It would also focus on the relationship of humans with God.
- It would also have to provide evidence of its authenticity.
- It would not have glaring internal inconsistencies and would also allow the fulfilment of its promises to be observed.
- It would essentially defend love and justice.
The only book I know of outside of the Bible that tries to meet the first three requirements is the Qur’an, the Torah being in some way included in the Bible. If someone chooses to consider the Qur’an as the word of God, here is what the Qur’an says:
Surah 3:55 (Here, superiority is given to Christians over everyone! And it speaks of ridding Christ of those who did not believe!) – “(Remember) when Allah said: ‘O Jesus, verily, I will cause thee to die and raise thee to Myself, and cleanse thee of those who disbelieve, and I will place those who follow thee above those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection; then unto Me shall be your return, and I will judge between you of that wherein ye used to differ.'”
Surah 5:66 (Authentic Christians are recognised on the right path!) – “If they had observed the Torah and the Gospel and that which was revealed to them from their Lord, they would surely have enjoyed (blessings) from above them and from beneath their feet. Among them are a people moderate, but many of them are of evil conduct.”
Surah 5:46-47 – “And We caused Jesus, son of Mary, to follow in their footsteps, confirming that which was (revealed) before him in the Torah, and We bestowed on him the Gospel wherein is guidance and a light, confirming that which was (revealed) before it in the Torah – a guidance and an admonition unto those who ward off (evil).”
The Qur’an thus confirms that the Bible contains the word of God, that the Gospel contains guidance and light, and that Christians who act rightly are in the TRUTH.
In this context, someone who denies the Bible as the word of God would fall into one of the following hypotheses:
- He denies the existence of God.
- He believes that God exists but has not given His word.
- He believes that God exists but His word is other than the Bible.
Let’s examine each hypothesis:
- He denies the existence of God. We have already said that one who does this cannot prove it, but that even believing it is the height of stupidity in light of the implications when considering elements of nature and life as mere chance without any will (couples, the eye, the human brain…). Furthermore, he cannot explain all the daily miracles accomplished in the name of Jesus Christ in people’s lives, whose testimonies are numerous and accessible. It is not the denial of thousands of testimonies, engaging in an irrational belief and decreeing it as true, that makes it a reality.
- He believes that God exists but has not given His word.
This is yet another belief that he cannot impose as true as long as he is honest, if he has not proven it. However, trying to prove it is like trying to say that we can impose upon God not to have revealed His existence or His will to men. Anyone who embarks on this path knows that they have nothing for a demonstration, and above all, that they must confront the confirmations of the word by miracles and fulfilled prophecies, which they must explain.
- He believes that God exists but His word is other than the Bible.
Through the demonstration of Spirit and power, the God of the Bible continues to prove His superiority over other gods, as He did in Egypt, reminding us that He is God, above all others: 1 Corinthians 2:4-5: “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” More so, have those who are with these other gods experienced love, peace, joy…? The gospel has made significant progress in our villages before the sorcerers and Satanists, every time, in the demonstration of spirit and power, they observe the weakness of their gods and realize they did not truly have peace and love. If someone is devoted to such gods, let them know that these gods are not God and are worthless before Jesus Christ.
Let’s examine the second case: the god of this book is presented as the same as the God of the Bible (case of the Qur’an). As I have already said and proved, the Qur’an itself confirms essential parts of the message of the Bible (Gospel, Torah) as coming from God. Therefore, there is no longer a problem due to the existence of the Qur’an to consider the Bible as a guide. I will not address here the question of whether the Qur’an is or is not the word of God, although according to the Bible, a priori, we cannot consider it as such. One of the fundamental problems with Muslims is that the Qur’an tells them to believe in Christ and that there is guidance in the gospels, but they do not even take care to know what Christ said. A Muslim who truly observes the Qur’an should first and foremost be a Christian and be baptized according to Christ’s command. By not doing so, he does not respond to the order the Qur’an has given him to believe in Jesus, or to the order of Jesus to be baptized.
Surah 5:111: “And when I inspired the disciples [saying], ‘Believe in Me and in My messenger (Jesus).‘ They said, ‘We have believed; so bear witness that indeed we are Muslims [in submission to Allah].'”
Mark 16:16: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
The survival of Scripture The survival of the Bible over millennia is also evidence of its divine inspiration.
NB: this survival alone does not prove its divine inspiration, but it is by adding all the other evidence
1 Peter 1:24-25: “For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”
Apparent contradictions and errors in the Bible
Some people denounce contradictions in the Bible, errors, or even simply “the violence” of God in the Old Testament, the fact that He allows slavery as being incompatible with a God of love, and therefore not in agreement with the Bible as “the word of God”. Upon analysis, most of the supposed contradictions in the Bible simply stem from the reader’s misunderstanding and misinterpretation. In the face of an apparent contradiction, one should ask those who know more before taking a stance. In certain places, there are accounts of events, told by different people, with different details. Most often, despite these differences, the details are complementary and not contradictory. Where there is thought to be a real contradiction in such accounts, if that is the case, it is proof that there was no attempt to falsify the writings to harmonize them. Furthermore, God wanted the narratives based on testimonies to be generally made by several witnesses, to confirm their truthfulness, because a single witness can easily lie. It is normal for different witnesses not to say exactly the same thing if they did not agree beforehand. This does not call into question the common ground that emerges from their testimony. It does not detract from the authenticity of all the other writings to which there is no objection.
There is no contradiction in the central message of the Bible, in the words reported by the prophets. This central message is attested by the entire Bible and manifested today by the demonstration of Spirit and power that is still realized in Christ. Depending on your mood, your face changes; if you are wounded on the face, the face will appear wounded, but it will always be recognized as your face because the underlying framework does not change. If there has been an insertion of a falsely attributed word to God in the Bible, then it will be either a prophecy that does not come to pass or a word that can be verified as false or that opposes the central message. It will not be proof that the Bible does not come from God, because God Himself said there could be false prophets, but only that word will be called into question. The apocryphal gospels were rejected precisely because they demonstrated by their content that they were not of God. The idea of violence and slavery incompatible with the God of love always comes from a misunderstanding of the biblical message. God even promised slavery to the people of Israel if they turned away from His ways and His commandments. It is a punishment, the cause of the punishment being clearly described in the Bible, and the action to be taken for it to cease being also described.
Many people who do not understand the Bible analyze God’s action essentially from a carnal and earthly perspective, forgetting the spiritual perspective and that of eternal life. The death of the soul is the worst thing, and the punishment of the flesh, even if it is extreme and can lead to repentance, has its place. If in a flock you have animals afflicted with a contagious disease that must be killed to save the flock, you do it without hesitation, and it is neither cruelty nor lack of love. On the scale of God, man is nothing more than clay in the hand of the potter, than a sheep in the shepherd’s flock. Neither the clay nor the sheep have the necessary knowledge to judge the potter.
The Synthetic Message of the Bible
The Bible is vast, yet it holds a concise message that can be well summarised in a few verses around which everything is constructed. This message is so simple and magnificent that one can easily conclude about those who reject the scriptures, as the Lord Jesus Christ said:
John 7:7: “The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.”
John 3:20-21: “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”
And this message, we recall here:
Mark 12:29-31: “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”
John 20:31: “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Mark 16:16: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
Romans 5:7-8: “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Matthew 6:33: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Matthew 7:12: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”
Acts 4:12: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
Matthew 11:28: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Luke 4:18-19: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Isaiah 53:4: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows…”
Matthew 8:17: “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.”
Proverbs 28:9: “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.”
Matthew 7:21: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
You can learn more about the true synthetic message of the gospel by clicking here: The True Message of the Gospel
It is evident when reading, that people who love darkness and evil works will contest the Bible. They will seek to go into the Bible, grasp onto misunderstood secondary elements for argument, and will refuse to experience the power and presence of Jesus Christ. However, this does not change the reality attested by all that I have presented here: the Bible is inspired by the God of the Bible and contains His word, who is God, the only God above all things, all dominions, and all authorities.
Read the Bible, so you may know it before even thinking of opposing it.
Some Additional Reading and References:
- Proofs That the Bible is the Word of God
- Is the Bible the Word of God?
- Christian Answers on the Bible
- Grace to You Sermons: The Bible as the Word of God
- Excerpts from Christian Works
- Ten Reasons to Believe in the Bible
- CEB Publications on the Bible
- Response to Biblical Queries
- Comparison Chart of Religious Texts
For Our Other Publications:
For more reliable answers to your questions about Christianity, go here: Christian Publications. There you will find links to a Telegram group with various free documents to download, a WhatsApp group where you can receive daily audio teachings, and links to YouTube channels, Amazon Music, Spotify for online audio content.
Discover Here the True Message of the Gospel and the Secret of Effective Prayer:
Note: It is recommended to read the entire text without looking up the references, then revisit the points of doubt and search for the references as explained at the end of the text.