SEMINARY PAPERS

Central India Theological Seminary

CAN WE TRUST THE BIBLE?

Domenic Marbaniang
MDIV, CITS, Sept 21, 2000

I am convinced that we can trust the Bible: trust it as the true

revelation of God. The pluralism of “revelations” calls for the
exercise of the law of non-contradiction. The modern relativistic,
pluralistic mood looks at the Bible as another “truth”. But the
fact is that there can never be an absolute infrastructure for
relative truth. They always differ in their infrastructure though
the superstructure might appear to be the same. The
trustworthiness of the Bible is a very important issue, since it
addresses issues of ultimate concern: Theology, Cosmology, and
Teleology (purpose, salvation). And it supercedingly differs from
other “revelatory” sources. Either the Bible is true or false; it is
either trustworthy or non-trustworthy. How do we know if we
can trust the Bible, then?

1. The Philosophical Test of Internal Consistency. In depth

study shows that the Bible is never self-contradictory or
self-defeating. As a matter of fact, though the books of
the Bible were written over a time span of more than
1000 years by different men of differing intellectual
status, economic status, and cultural background etc, yet
the Bible is indubitably seen to be strewn together by
one theme—redemption. It is internally consistent.
2. The Correspondence Test. The accounts and statements
of the Bible factually correspond to the truth of history
(archaeology) and science. The prophecy of Scriptures
also corresponds with its fulfillment in history.
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3. The Cosmological Test. The writers of the Biblical books

were genuine, truthful men—many of them ready to give
their lives for the truth (e.g. Jeremiah, John, Paul,
Peter…). They could never have been deceivers. The
Bible itself speaks of them as being moved by the Spirit.
Concerning whether they were perpetuating falsehood,
the philosophical and the correspondence test has
examined the claims and accounts.
4. The Community Test. The Bible has never done any
harm to any society which could trace the vindication of
its actions to the Biblical principles themselves (the
Crusaders couldn’t trace their moral concepts to the
principles of the Bible). The community has always
benefited by the principles of the Bible. The modern
clarion for equality of men and women, freedom of
rights, justice, non-violence, can be best traced to the
teachings of the Bible alone. The Bible has transformed
whole peoples, clans, and tribes.
5. The Pragmatic Test. The Biblical truth works. It is still
working. The Gospel truly is powerfully changing the lives
of thousands daily. Voltaire said that a hundred years
from his time, the Bible would be extinct. Voltaire is
dead and gone, his thoughts and philosophy known by a
mere few; the Bible is still the best selling, far-reaching
Book of all books. All the philosophies of all philosophers
in history put together couldn’t change the nature of one
man. Ironically, this Book that the philosophers disdain
at has turned the world upside down.

In conclusion, the Bible is the most trustworthy Book in the

world. Even science books are not always trustworthy—they
indulge much in theories of convenience. Can we trust the Bible?
Why can’t we? There are enough proof for the authenticity and
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Central India Theological Seminary

reasonability of this Book on the basis of which we can place

faith and trust in its revelation of God Himself and also the end
and salvation of the universe.

© Domenic Marbaniang, Sept 2000.