Tips to Defend the Truth of the Bible
As a Christian, if you haven’t had your faith questioned, be ready because it’s coming! Whether it’s a relative at dinner, an instructor in your college class, a stranger confronting you about your Christian t-shirt, or some other circumstance, you will have an opportunity to defend your faith.
An Anti-Christian Trend
In the U.S. today, Christianity is very much under fire. “Thoughts and prayers” have become a target of much hatred and derision, as unlikely as that would have seemed even a decade ago. There is a mountain of evidence that our country was founded on the Bible, and yet prayer and references to Christian beliefs have been kicked out of public schools. Christmas programs in many schools no longer make a single reference to the season’s true meaning.
Through all this struggle, are you equipped to defend what you believe? The following can help you answer with confidence when you are challenged in what you believe. Some books outside the Bible that these facts come from are listed at the end of this blog post.
Historians Verify the Truth of Jesus
In addition to the New Testament, a total of 16 historians referenced Christ. It has been found by historical experts with no Christian belief systems that the crucifixion of Jesus and the empty tomb are realities that occurred. There is more evidence that Jesus lived than that Julius Caesar lived, and yet the existence of Caesar is unquestioned, says Dr. Jonathan Morrow in his book Questioning the Bible.
Abundant Evidence of the Bible’s Accuracy
A top rule among scholars regarding ancient works is that it is easier to reconstruct the original document, the more manuscripts you have.
Through verification of many, many ancient documents, scholars have found that Bible manuscripts are closer to the original work than any other manuscripts from the ancient world. The number of surviving ancient copies or pieces of the Bible outnumber all other ancient works by far. In fact, McDowell says, there are approximately 66,420 scrolls and manuscripts for the Bible.
Argument Supporting a Specific Event
The enormous round stone that was placed in front of Jesus’ tomb was rolled downhill in front of the tomb’s opening and then dropped into a groove to seal the tomb. It would have required a supernatural act for it to be moved without great, conspicuous effort. Of course, a supernatural act is exactly what happened. Angels opened the tomb and announced that Jesus was no longer inside.
Resources Referred to as “Apologetics”
The authors below each have several books on “apologetics,” which means information you can use to defend your faith and the Bible.
The following are books by Josh McDowell, who has written some of the most authoritative defenses of the Bible:
- Evidence That Demands a Verdict
- The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell
- God-Breathed
- 77 FAQs About God and the Bible
Lee Strobel, a former self-proclaimed atheist, set out to prove that Christianity is a mere hoax. In the process, he found so much evidence of the truth of the Bible, he became a believer. The following are books he has written to back up God’s truths with historical evidence:
- The Case for Faith
- The Case for Christ
- The Case for a Creator
- The Case for Miracles
What Scripture Says About Sharing the Gospel
One scripture sums up the need to be open about our faith, which sometimes means being ready to defend it for skeptics who may also turn out to be seekers. Romans 1:16 New King James Version (NKJV):
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”
