The Bible trustworthiness, authenticness, and truthfulness can be established with an investigation into its history, geography, and the origin of humanity; its accuracy when it touches on science, culture, and customs; the honesty and forthrightness of its authors, harmony, and the integrity of its authors and its prophecy.

“The Bible is a literary masterpiece and we must learn to read it as such. Its major organizing features are literary. … But read on its own terms, the Bible has a deep and abiding literary beauty.” (How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth: Retrieved February 24, 2019) Yet, Duncan S. Ferguson writes, “… but it is not necessary to become a scholar to understand the literary character of the Bible and appreciate the fact that the Bible is a literary masterpiece.” (Bible Basics: Mastering the Content of the Bible, p. 14: Retrieved February 24, 2019) What a remarkable accomplishment for the authors: a general, kings, shepherds, fishermen, a tax collector, a tent maker, and a physician to mention just a few. These men penned sixty-six books over 1,600 years but when put together, they become just one book with the same message.

The authors themselves bear witness that what they wrote came from Almighty God himself. This is the reason for the great importance of this book, its beauty of expression, as well as the life-saving knowledge that runs through it. Jesus, the Son of God, said c, “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” (John 6:63) The apostle Paul tells us, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” (2 Tim. 3:16) Paul also tells us that, “the Jews were entrusted with the words of God.” (Rom. 3:1-2) The apostle Peter informs us that these authors, “men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Pet. 1:21) Gad and Nathan, the authors of 2 Samuel say of themselves, “The Spirit of Jehovah spake by me, And his word was upon my tongue.” (2 Sam. 23:2) All of the prophets gave God credit for what the saw and penned. Moses warned in the opening books, “You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of Jehovah your God which I command you.” Finally, in the last book of the Bible, Revelation, the author, the apostle John warned all, “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and out of the holy city, which are written in this book.”—1 Pet. 1:10-12; 2 Pet. 1:19-21; Deut. 4:2; 2 Pet. 3:15-16; Jude 17-18; Rev. 1:1, 10; 21:5; 22:18-19.

A Not So Circular Argument

Some would call it circular reasoning or circular arguments (logical fallacy) that the Bible authors themselves testified that the Bible is inspired, fully inerrant, that men were moved along by the Holy Spirit, and thus, authentic and true. In other words, the fact that creation involves a Creator makes it unacceptable. Surely, this is the same kind of circular reasoning that is used against Bible miracles as well: Miracles are impossible because they are miraculous! Even though, yes, this is circular reasoning, it does not mean that it is not true, it still provides us with an ultimate explanation for how and why these men received a special revelation. In short, is it just a coincidence that 40+ men wrote 66 Bible books over a 1,600 year period, which contain no errors, mistakes or contradictions, and when joined together, they are in perfect harmony, as though it is one book by one Author?

I would agree that the Bible is the Word of God because the authors said that it is inspired and inerrant and they said that they were infallible men when they wrote, so the Bible is the Word of God is circular reasoning. However, I would also argue that because an argument might contain a logical fallacy, this does not in and of itself make it untrue. Being a circular argument does not in and of itself invalidate the premises or propositions. Both the argument and all its premises must be true for a statement to be true.

The Bible critic is beyond biased in that he generally is dismissive of it all, for if you disagree with him, you simply are not a critical thinker. He will use your circular reasoning fallacy to dismiss the argument and all its components out of hand, even though the components of our circular argument are logically valid because the premises are provable and thus true; therefore, the conclusion is true. However, we openly agree that the premises are just as much in need of proof or evidence as the conclusion; then, the argument will be persuasive. The conclusion that the Bible is the Word of God is logically justified by sufficient and unbiased evidence that validates the premises. This is not the case with the atheist’s circular reasoning because the components of their circular argument are logically invalid because the premises are verifiably untrue; therefore, the conclusion is false.

A proposition is a statement or assertion that expresses a judgment or an opinion, or a concept that can be true or false. If a proposition is true, then we say it has a truth value of “true;” if a proposition is false, its truth value is “false.” For example, “Grass is green,” and “2 + 5 = 5” are propositions. The first proposition has the truth value of “true” and the second “false.”

A premise is a previous statement or proposition from which another is inferred or follows as a conclusion. It is is a statement that an argument claims will induce or justify a conclusion. In other words, a premise is an assumption that something is true. “if the premise is true, then the conclusion must be true.”

A claim is a statement (the Bible is the Word of God), which is also called a proposition.

An argument is a conclusion supported by one or more reasons. A claim can also serve as a reason for an argument. So, when you see whether the person gave at least one reason as he said, ‘the Bible is the Word of God;’ then, you know an argument is present.

Issues arise when there is uncertainty about whether to accept or reject a claim. For example, we are arguing for the claim that you ought to believe the Bible is the Word of God because it (the authors) said it is inspired and inerrant and said that they were infallible when they wrote, and you wonder whether it really is the Word of God. You are wondering about the following issue:

whether the Bible is the Word of God

Proof is a convincing argument, an argument that should convince people, not simply that does convince them. You prove a statement to other persons if you give them reasons that ought to convince them.

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