QUESTION: How can I know for sure that the Bible is the Word of God?

ANSWER: We will continue (from last two issues) with the facts that show the Bible is different from any other book. One of these facts is:

4. The unity of the Bible's sixty-six books. The Bible was written by about forty men who were not contemporary, but lived at various times during a period of over 1,500 years. What makes it even more interesting is the varied occupations of these men. Kings, fishermen, shepherds, noblemen, tax collectors, doctors, lawyers and statesmen were among those whom God used to write the Bible. They wrote about every subject which vitally affects us—creation, sin and its origin, death, life, heaven, hell, Satan, and God.

When you consider all of this diversity you might expect that the result would be a book which would be both contradictory and confusing. But instead, we get a book which has a continuity and unity throughout the sixty-six books that is simply amazing. You can only come to one conclusion from this—THE BIBLE IS GOD'S WORD.

5. It alone claims to be the Word of God. From the "And God said" of Genesis 1 to the "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things" of Revelation 22 we have God speaking to us in this Book. The men whom God used to write the Scriptures were inspired or controlled by God to write the exact words which He gave them. This means that what we have in the Bible are the very words of God completely free from man's thoughts and reasonings (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:20,21.) THE BIBLE IS UNIQUE!

6. It is relevant to our needs today. Go into any large bookstore today and you will find hundreds of books, many of them with catchy titles, all claiming to meet some of our needs. Though a great number of these books do fill a need for knowledge and learning, they do not give us the answers to our spiritual needs. Many of them leave a void and emptiness in our hearts. Only the Bible can explain, to the satisfaction of our hearts and consciences, the facts of sin, death, judgment, the love and holiness of God, the atoning work of Christ, and heaven and hell to mention a few. These are the things which meet our deepest needs, both present and future. Many who have questioned the Bible's relevancy for today can testify that when they finally came to read and believe it, they found peace, joy, and satisfaction. You don't have to go far to find such people because they are everywhere—your next door neighbor, your doctor or dentist, your friend or teacher or fellow employee. One thing they will all tell you—THE BIBLE HAS THE ANSWERS.

In summary, then, you can be sure the Bible is God's Word by reading it and also by considering its uniqueness.

—John D. McNeil