In today's confusing world, is there somewhere we can go to find absolute truth?
 

John 17:17   17     "Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth.  Ps 119:160  160     The sum of Thy word is truth, and every one of Thy righteous ordinances is everlasting.

When we are taught things by men, how can we determine if they are accurate and reliable?
Isa 8:20
20     To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no light in them.

Acts 17:11
11     Now these [Bereans] were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so .

Men can make mistakes. Men are fallible. The only way that we can determine if the spiritual things taught by any man are correct or not is to compare them with the one solid foundation of truth - God's Word. The Bible, and the Bible alone, is the source of spiritual truth and doctrine for Christians.

Who is the real author of the Bible?
 

2 Pet 1:20-21   20     But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation,   21     for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

1Thes 2:13   13     And for this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received from us the word of God's message, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.

God is the true author of the Bible. This is a critical point for us to understand. If we believe that the Bible is just a disjointed collection of religious thoughts and philosophies espoused by a group of human authors scattered throughout time, then we miss out on the unity that exists throughout the whole book. Recognizing that the thoughts of the Bible have a single origin allows us to study it topically and to trace common themes from Genesis to Revelation.

Has God empowered any person or organization to introduce new Christian doctrines which are not included in the Bible? Is anyone allowed to modify or change the Bible’s teachings?
 

Prov 30:5-6   5     Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.  6 Do not add to His words lest He reprove you, and you be proved a liar.  2 Pet 3:15-16  15     and regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you,  16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.  2 Pet 2:1  1     But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves .

Rev 22:18-19   18     I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues which are written in this book;   19     and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.  Note: The verse above speaks specifically about the book of Revelation, but the principle applies to the Bible as a whole.   Mark 7:7-8  7     'But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.'   8     "Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men."

The Bible was written over a period of 1500 years. It's most recent books were authored over 1900 years ago. Is this dusty old book still relevant to us today?
 

Heb 4:12  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.   Rom 15:4  4     For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.  Ps 119:105  105     Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.

The principles in the Bible are timeless. The Bible tells the story of God's interaction with mankind throughout human history. It is a love story of a God and His people. Since we know that God is unchanging in His attitudes and His character, we can apply the principles of the Bible to our own lives today. We can see how God has been faithful to His people in the past and then begin to recognize that same faithfulness shining through in our own lives. We can see the extent of God's love for us in the gift of His Son, and realize just how far God is willing to go to restore our broken relationship with Him.

What purpose does the Bible serve in our lives?
 

2 Tim 3:15-17  15     and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.   16     All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;  17     that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Ps 119:9,11  9     How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Thy word.  11     Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee.  John 6:63  63     "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.  1 Pet 1:23  23     for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God.

Who is the central figure of the Bible?
 

John 5:39  39     "You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me;   John 1:1, 14, 17  1     In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  14     And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.  17     For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.   Matt 5:17  17     "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill .		Heb 1:1-3  1     God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,   2     in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.  3     And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.   Luke 24:25-27  25     And He said to them, "O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!   26     "Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?"   27     And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

The central figure of the entire Bible is Jesus Christ. Many times we think that the Old Testament tells us about God the Father and the New Testament tells us about Jesus Christ. Often we have a difficult time reconciling the different images of God that we see in the Old and New Testaments. We perceive God the Father in the Old Testament as a harsh and demanding Judge. We then see the Jesus of the New Testament as a kind and loving Savior. But when Jesus said that the scriptures bear witness of Him, He was referring to the Old Testament. The New Testament had not been written yet. The loving Savior of the New Testament is the God of the Old Testament in character. One of the primary reasons that Jesus came to this earth was to reveal the true character of God through love in action. In Jesus’ life we see the true character of God revealed. The Old Testament must always be interpreted with this principle in mind. Jesus says, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father." -John 14:9.

How long will God's word endure?
 

Matt 24:35   35     "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away.  1 Pet 1:24-25  24     For, "All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower fades,  25 But the word of the Lord abides forever ." And this is the word which was preached to you.  Matt. 5:18  18     "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished.

The Bible is not subject to change by religious leaders. Every principle required for a full understanding of God's plan of salvation for us is contained in the sixty-six books of the Holy Bible. Nothing is left out.

How can we understand the principles that the Bible teaches? Do we need to have theology degrees to discern Biblical truth?
 

1 Cor 2:13-14  13     This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.  14     The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

John 16:13  13     "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.  John 14:26  26     "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

How we can know that the Bible is truly God’s revealed word, and that it is not just some fictional philosophy constructed by men?

Isa 46:9-11
9     "for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like me,
10     Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, 'My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure';
11     Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.

Prophecy is one way that we can know that God has spoken to us through the Bible. There are literally thousands of Bible prophecies that have been fulfilled exactly as predicted. The following is just one example.

Isa 44:28
28     "It is I who says of Cyrus , 'He is My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire.' And he declares of Jerusalem, 'She will be built,' and of the temple, 'Your foundation will be laid.'"
 

Ezra 1:1-3  1     Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,  2     "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem , which is in Judah.  3     'Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel ; He is the God who is in Jerusalem.  Through the prophet Isaiah, God actually named the person who would free His people from their Babylonian captivity and allow them to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. Isaiah recorded this prophecy almost 70 years before Israel was taken into captivity and approximately 150 years before Cyrus issued the decree. There are thousands of such prophecies in the Bible. Many of the most dramatic ones concern the life and ministry of Jesus and were made hundreds or thousands of years before His birth.

Yet, the most compelling evidence of the validity of the Bible is not prophecy. The most compelling evidence is in the millions of lives that have been changed by the God who is revealed in the Bible. No other book has pierced the hearts of such a diverse cross section of people around the world. Once you read the Bible with an open heart and mind, you will never be the same. In its pages, you will meet a God who loves you and who will lift you up from the sin of this world.