The Timeless Authority of the Bible – January 27, 2026 (28/365)

Just finished my second cup of (instant) coffee.

I was about to go ahead and play something on Steam, when I thought, there are other things that need to be done, other things that need to be addressed, written about, thought over, and so on.

I remembered how it was during my 10-hour shifts working as a dispatcher, where I had no option but to do what needed to be done, over what I wanted to do. Here, perhaps, I needed to keep on realizing that, weeks after I worked my last day with that company. It’s not like the concept ever changed – I mean, there’s always the option for me to discipline myself and to do what needs to be done, over what I want to do.

I can’t believe that I’m over 40 years old and I’m still coming to terms with this. To do what we want to do is such a luxury.

So instead of hopping into yet another session traversing the post-apocalyptic Mojave, I think I’ll go ahead and write more on the Scripture.

By the Spirit we have the Word, and by the Word we know the Spirit.

In my checking on what documentation we already have on what qualifies as our church’s Statement of Faith, I saw, as the first item in one document, the need for us to proclaim that the Bible is the foremost authority, the ultimate reference we have to the faith we have. After all, it is from the Bible that we understand that Christ is the Author and the Finisher of our Faith, among so many other wonderful things that establish and reinforce our belief.

I was about to talk about how we oft like to quote 2 Timothy 3:16 as our basis to the infallibility of Scripture… when I think we should also ensure that we have knowledge of the legitimacy of the Bible, apart from the Bible.

I am thankful for the opportunity and privilege to use AI. Through Grok, we are given online references that back the following regarding the Bible’s legitimacy:

Textual Reliability and Manuscript Evidence
- 5,800 Greek manuscripts (plus thousands in other languages), dating from the 2nd century onward, with scholars estimating 99% textual purity—far higher than works like Homer’s Iliad (1,800 manuscripts) or Caesar’s Gallic Wars (~10 manuscripts).
- For the Old Testament, the Dead Sea Scrolls (discovered 1947–1956) contain nearly complete copies of books like Isaiah, dating to ~200–100 BC. They closely match later Hebrew texts, confirming transmission stability over centuries.

Non-Biblical Historical Sources
- Several ancient non-Christian writers reference Jesus, his crucifixion, and early Christianity, often in hostile or neutral contexts (which strengthens their value as independent corroboration).
  1. Flavius Josephus (Jewish historian, ~93–94 AD): In Antiquities of the Jews, he describes Jesus as a wise teacher who performed “surprising deeds,” was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and whose followers (called Christians) continued. Another passage mentions “James, the brother of Jesus who was called Christ.” Scholars widely accept the James reference as authentic; the longer “Testimonium Flavianum” is seen as partially authentic (with some Christian edits).
  2. Tacitus (Roman historian, ~116 AD): In Annals, he notes “Christus” was executed by Pontius Pilate during Tiberius’s reign, linking this to the origin of Christianity (which Nero blamed for Rome’s fire).
  3. Pliny the Younger (Roman governor, ~112 AD): In a letter to Emperor Trajan, he describes Christians worshiping “Christus as to a god” and following strict moral codes.
- Other mentions (e.g., Suetonius, Mara bar-Serapion) confirm early Christian practices and Jesus’s execution. These align with Gospel accounts on core facts like crucifixion under Pilate.
- Archaeology further supports figures like Pontius Pilate via the “Pilate Stone” (discovered 1961 in Caesarea), a 1st-century inscription naming him as prefect of Judea.

Archaeological Corroboration
- Archaeology confirms many people, places, and events—especially in the Old Testament. Over 50 biblical figures have been verified through inscriptions, seals, and records. Key examples:
  1. House of David: The Tel Dan Stele (9th century BC) mentions the “House of David” as a defeated dynasty, providing the earliest extra-biblical reference to King David.
  2. Kings like Hezekiah (Sennacherib’s Prism describes his siege of Jerusalem), Omri, Ahab, and others appear in Assyrian/Babylonian records.
  3. Pharaohs (e.g., Shishak’s invasion) match Egyptian inscriptions.
  4. Places like Nazareth, Capernaum, and the Pool of Bethesda align with digs.
- While not every event (e.g., the Exodus) has direct proof, many once-doubted details have been supported over time.

Common Arguments Against the Bible and Responses
- Critics raise several objections; apologists and scholars offer counters, often emphasizing context, genre, and harmonization.
  - “The Bible is full of contradictions”: Many arise from differing perspectives (e.g., Gospel accounts like eyewitness reports) or genres (Proverbs are general wisdom, not universals). Scholars argue most resolve with study; apparent discrepancies don’t undermine core messages.
  - “It promotes violence/genocide”: Passages reflect ancient Near Eastern judgment on corrupt cultures (e.g., Canaanites). The Bible shows God’s justice against evil, culminating in Jesus’ non-violent path. Modern misuse doesn’t negate the text’s trajectory toward love and justice.
  - “It contradicts science”: The Bible isn’t a science textbook; Genesis uses poetic/figurative language focused on “who” created, not “how.” Many Christians see compatibility with evolution or old-earth views.
    - It actually supplements science
  - “It’s ancient and irrelevant”: Its human authors addressed timeless issues (sin, redemption). Historical context enriches, not invalidates, its application.
  - “Christians disagree on interpretation”: Unity exists on essentials (e.g., Jesus’ divinity, resurrection); secondary debates don’t disprove core claims.
- These are debated—some scholars see stronger/weaker evidence depending on worldview—but the historical case is robust.

∴ The Bible is historically reliable. It has its own word. Non-Biblical accounts speak of Biblical figures and incidents. Archaeological findings and scientific discoveries further prove the legitimacy of Biblical locations and events. Contentions against the legitimacy of the Bible actually further prove its reliability and clarify its purpose.

Or, here’s a suggested way to preface the rest of the Statement of Faith:

We believe the Bible—consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments—to be the inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God. It is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16–17), inerrant in the original writings, and preserved by divine providence as the sole and final rule for faith, doctrine, morality, and Christian living. The Scriptures are sufficient for every good work, equipping believers for life and godliness, and they stand supreme over all human tradition, reason, or experience.

The Bible’s unity shines through when read in context, genre, and historical setting, with core truths (like salvation through Christ) clear and consistent across Scripture.

I started this off with the intention of eventually leading to 2 Peter 1:16-2:3, and not just 2 Timothy 3:16-17, and I suppose I’ll keep going with it:

For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Destructive Doctrines

But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

From everything underlined we can also say the following about the Bible:

It’s not, as some folks would claim, a collection of ‘cunningly devised fables’ – per Grok, ‘the Bible’s prophetic accuracy underscores its divine inspiration and authority (2 Peter 1:20–21; Isaiah 46:9–10). It shows Scripture isn’t cleverly devised stories but God’s reliable revelation culminating in Christ.‘
- ‘The most well-known treatment of this comes from mathematician Peter W. Stoner in his 1944/1958 book Science Speaks (endorsed by the American Scientific Affiliation for its mathematical approach). Stoner and his students calculated conservative probabilities for just eight key Messianic prophecies being fulfilled by chance in one person… Multiplying these independent probabilities together gives roughly 1 in 10^17 (1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000, or one in 100 quadrillion) for all eight happening by chance in one person. Stoner illustrated this vividly: Imagine covering Texas two feet deep in silver dollars, marking one, mixing them thoroughly, then having a blindfolded person pick the marked one on the first try—that’s the scale of improbability.‘
The Gospels were not mere stories but eyewitness accounts.
We ought to encourage the curious to keep on trusting in the Holy Spirit for guidance, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
False teachers deny the existence and/or authority of the Lord (contrary to ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’) and by covetousness (as ‘The love of money is the root of all evil’) many will follow their destructive ways… the way of truth will be blasphemed, and they will exploit you with deceptive words.

∴ We believe the Bible, the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is the inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16–17)—God-breathed, inerrant in the originals, and the supreme rule for all faith and practice.

It is not “cunningly devised fables” (2 Peter 1:16) but eyewitness testimony confirmed by prophetic fulfillment (with odds defying chance and conspiracy), historical corroboration, and archaeological evidence.

We heed its prophetic word through the Holy Spirit’s illumination (2 Peter 1:19–21), while guarding against false teachers who deny the Lord and exploit with deceptive words (2 Peter 2:1–3).

I am fully aware that these words are not all mine and shouldn’t be counted against my word count… But what I intend to do is, as I did last year, go far and beyond 365000 words this year, to make up for the deficit.

Besides ‘fruitfulness’ and ‘bearing much fruit’, I believe another word for me for this year 2026 is ‘documentation’… or, really, I’m just geared to write a hell of a lot more, not just for this blog, but in general. There’s more than just the Church’s statement of faith I need to work on, mind you.

We need to fix our systems. A friend of mine suggested that everything should just burn so we can start afresh… but honestly I don’t think we can afford that sort of venture. There’s no time, and too many people will suffer.

I feel the need for us to document as much as we can, and if there exists any desire to demonstrate a show of force… well, let it be in implementation, not pure destruction.

28510/365000