How do we know the
Bible is true?
Bodie Hodge, Biblical Authority Ministries, July 28, 2020
This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. (Psalms 18:30, ESV)
Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. (Proverbs 30:5, ESV)
God is the truth and truth exists because He exists (John 14:6). The Bible is true because any alternative would make knowledge, logic, and truth impossible. The [66 books of the] Bible is the only book that has the preconditions for knowledge/logic/truth [i.e., intelligibility]. God (and subsequently His Word) is the supreme standard that makes provability possible. There is no greater standard.
All other worldviews must borrow from the Bible for the world to make sense. Science, morality, and logic all stem from the Bible being true. If the Bible were not true, then knowledge would be impossible. In other words, if the Bible were not true, nothing would make sense—good or bad…everything would be meaningless and pointless.
This doesn’t mean someone has to believe the Bible to be true, but that it has to be. Consider someone who says he doesn’t believe air exists. He makes convincing verbal arguments and openly says he doesn’t believe in air…all the while using air to breathe and speak his argument.
It is like this with the critics of the Bible, they argue the Bible is not true and that they have knowledge to say so; all the while borrowing from the Bible, which accounts for truth and knowledge.
Think of it this way: Unless the Bible is true, which accounts for (1) knowledge and (2) truth existing and (3) that we are made in the image of an all-knowing, logical, God of truth [so we can seek to understand the answer] then no one and no worldview can even proceed to even answer the question, “How do we know the Bible is true?” unless they use these attributes from God’s Word.
So it is the impossibility of the contrary that proves the Bible to be true (called the presuppositional or transcendental argument). The Bible must be true for provability to be possible.
For more, I suggest you read chapter 1 by Dr. Jason Lisle in How do we know the Bible is true? Volume 1. The chapter itself can be found online here. Also Dr. Greg Bahnsen’s article on the transcendental or presupposition procedure is here. See also the DVD: Is the Bible True: How Do We Know?
