6 Times the Bible Gives Evidence of its Authenticity

Entire books have been written documenting how the Bible has predicted events that were later fulfilled. Although people often deny the inspiration of Scripture, the fulfillment of prophecy demonstrates its authenticity as the Word of God. We should expect this, though, since God is the source of all prophecy. What He promises, He always fulfills.

With this in mind, a single article could not contain all the fulfilled prophecies of the Bible. A few examples are enough to show the authenticity of Scripture:

Israel’s exile

The Northern and Southern kingdoms of Israel were exiled after they turned away from God and disobeyed the Law. The Lord sent prophets, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, to these kingdoms to warn Israel. They desired to turn the people away from their destructive path. However, the people did not listen. Israel went into exile as God had foretold (see 2 Kings 17:6-20; 24:1-4). 

Years later, Daniel read the writings of Jeremiah the prophet and learned that their exile to Babylon would last seventy years (Daniel 9:2; compare to Jeremiah 25:11-15 and 29:10). After those years passed, the Lord brought His people back to their homeland as promised. The book of Ezra, for example, shows the people returning to Israel as fulfillment of Jeremiah’s words (Ezra 1:1-6).

The virgin birth of Jesus

Isaiah prophesied that a virgin would give birth to a son who would be called Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14). Hundreds of years later, the words of this prophet were fulfilled when the virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus (Matthew 1:20-23). The newly born Jesus was aptly called Immanuel, because He is literally “God with us” as the incarnate Son of God.

Numerous other prophecies surround the birth of Christ, including being born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1-12) and the promise of the coming of a king in the line of David (2 Samuel 7:16; Luke 1:33).

Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection

Another chapter in the book of Isaiah contained a prophecy that was fulfilled by Jesus. He is the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53, who was pierced for our transgressions and who bore our sins (Isaiah 53:4-5). The Apostle Peter specifically ascribed Isaiah’s prophecy to Jesus (1 Peter 2:24).

In addition to Isaiah, Psalm 22 predicted Christ’s suffering on the cross (Mark 15:34). Another psalm also spoke of His resurrection (see Psalm 16:10 and Acts 2:24-32).

During His earthly ministry, Christ prophesied His death and resurrection multiple times (Matthew 16:21-23; 17:22-23; 20:17-19; Mark 8:31-32; 9:30-32; 10:32-34; Luke 9:21-22, 43-45; 18:31-34). Though the disciples did not fully understand these predictions, everything happened just as He said. He fulfilled the Scriptures by dying for our sins and rising to life (Luke 24:44-47).

The destruction of the second temple

Jesus told the disciples that the temple would be destroyed (Luke 21:5-6). In 70 AD, this occurred during the Siege of Jerusalem at the hands of the Roman army under general Titus.

Of course, this is only a selection. Jesus alone fulfilled hundreds of prophecies at His coming, as well as images and festivals of the Old Testament. Many more predictions await fulfillment. Like the other prophecies, we can trust that these will happen as God has promised.

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Among some Christian circles, there is a high view of the New Testament but not the same attitude toward the Old Testament. Lots of people think the stories of Adam and Eve, Noah’s ark, and Jonah and the great fish are too fantastic to believe. Or the judgments in the Old Testament, like that of Sodom and Gomorrah, were too severe. Therefore, they argue that these accounts are not true.

The problem with these viewpoints, whether held by believers or unbelievers, is that the Lord Jesus affirmed that these stories were true. He spoke of Adam and Eve as real people and their relationship as the basis for biblical marriage (Matthew 19:4-6). We find no allegorizing of the creation account as if it were only a myth incorporated into the Hebrew worldview. The judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah was likewise accepted as historical (Matthew 10:14-15).

Other people that Christ affirmed as real include: Abel (Matthew 23:35), Noah (Matthew 24:37-39), Moses (John 5:46-47), Jonah (Matthew 12:38-45), Zechariah (Matthew 23:35), and Daniel (Matthew 24:15). His words confirm the authenticity of the Old Testament.

Recognizing this – that Jesus affirmed the inerrancy and inspiration of Scripture – is important for believers as well as skeptics. If we find the story of Jonah and the fish fantastic, for example, then what are we to make of Jesus connecting it to His death, burial, and resurrection? As He said, “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40). To dismiss the book of Jonah as allegory ignores how our Savior used the story, as a historical event that would mirror His burial in a tomb.

Regularly during Jesus’ ministry, He referenced the Old Testament and affirmed every part of it.

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Throughout the New Testament, we find references to the Old Testament as inspired Scripture. These stories were given to us for our benefit and are completely true as the Word of God (1 Corinthians 10:1-11; 2 Timothy 3:16). But, what about the New Testament? Critics often claim that the church compiled the New Testament much later and tossed out books from the canon that they did not agree with, like the gnostic gospels.

The internal evidence of Scripture presents us with a much different picture. During the time of the Apostles, they already viewed the Gospels and epistles as inspired and inerrant.

In 2 Peter 3:15-16, we find an interesting statement from the Apostle Peter. He mentioned Paul and how this Apostle’s letters were sometimes difficult to comprehend. However, Peter clearly equated Paul’s writings with Scripture. As he wrote, “His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:16). Paul’s letters conveyed wisdom from God and another Apostle viewed his writings as inspired. 

Therefore, the claim that the books of the New Testament are inauthentic does not align with the evidence in the Bible. The Apostles were already using the writings of their fellow disciples. What was seen as inspired by God was already being established, even during the early days of the church.

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The Apostle Paul also referred to a part of the New Testament as Scripture. In his letter to Timothy, Paul told his son in the faith that elders who direct the church as well as preach and teach are worthy of double honor (1 Timothy 5:17). In other words, they are worthy of payment.

Paul supports this statement through two verses in Scripture. The first is a quote from Deuteronomy 25:4, which says that an ox should be allowed to eat the grain it treads. He then references Luke’s Gospel: “The worker deserves his wages” (Luke 10:7). Notice that both verses are referred to as Scripture (see 1 Timothy 5:18).

Such a quick quotation might seem insignificant, but Paul’s use of Luke’s Gospel provides evidence to the Bible’s authenticity. Already an Apostle was citing a Gospel as authoritative Scripture. Together with Peter’s citation of Paul, these verses show us that the New Testament is inspired and valid, like the Old Testament.

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Direct quotations are not the only internal evidence in the New Testament. James’ epistle contains many indirect references to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Clearly, he had studied and absorbed the Lord’s teachings. This is why we find them enmeshed in James’ letter instead of quoted.

Multiple parallels exist, but a few examples include:

Joy in trials and persecutions

James told the believers that they should consider it a joy to suffer trials and troubles (James 1:2). This mirrors what Christ said in the beatitudes, that those who are persecuted are blessed and should rejoice (Matthew 5:10-12).

The importance of showing mercy

Believers should not expect mercy if they do not extend mercy to others (James 2:13). The Lord’s half-brother likely thought of another beatitude when writing this part of his epistle: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matthew 5:7).

True faith produces deeds

One of James’ most controversial passages is about faith and works. Some Christians are wary of the verses that say that faith without deeds is dead (James 2:14-17). However, James was reflecting the words of the Lord that only those who do the will of the Father will enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 7:21-23). Deeds do not save us. Rather, deeds are always the fruit of genuine saving faith.

Do not swear

Just as Christ had told the disciples not to take oaths, James told believers to not swear but to give a simple “yes” or “no” (James 5:12; Matthew 5:33-37).

These indirect references to the Sermon on the Mount are not coincidences. James was drawing on the words of Christ from Matthew’s Gospel, demonstrating that the Gospel is authoritative and divinely inspired. Yet again, Scripture’s inner consistency testifies that it is genuine.

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Another area that shows that the Bible is authentic is that it was written by people who had firsthand experiences with the events recorded. For example, multiple New Testament books refer to eyewitnesses of Jesus’ earthly ministry, death, and resurrection. John wrote that he had seen Jesus in the flesh. Like the other disciples, he had seen, heard, and touched the living Lord (1 John 1:1-3).

Similarly, in his letter to the Corinthians, Paul described how many people who were still alive at the time of writing had seen the resurrected Christ. This was not only the Apostles and the half-brother of the Lord, but also more than five hundred other people (see 1 Corinthians 15:3-8). If any reader of the epistle had any doubt, they could have easily spoken to one of these eyewitnesses and received assurance that Jesus had, indeed, risen from the dead. Thus, the accounts that detail Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection are firmly rooted in eyewitness reports.

The writers of the New Testament were not compiling rumors. Most of the books were written by the Apostles, or people who were close associates with them. One example of the latter is Luke, who carefully conducted research to validate events and history. At the beginning of his account of Jesus’ life and ministry, he affirmed that he had “carefully investigated everything from the beginning” (Luke 1:3). He also stated that his account was firmly established in eyewitness reports by those who had been with Jesus (Luke 1:1-2). The book of Acts was similarly written in this way, as a continuation of the Gospel of Luke (Acts 1:1).

We can trust Scripture because it accurately records what happened, as supported by the firsthand reports from those involved and the careful research of the writers.

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