Our faith journey often leads us to questions, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Questioning our beliefs helps us grow stronger in our faith and enables us to better understand the teachings of our religion. As we ponder these issues, one of the more critical questions that may come up is about the authenticity and trustworthiness of the Biblical depiction of God.
The Nature of God in the Bible
God isn’t simply an impersonal cosmic force but a personal being who actively involves Himself in the world and in the lives of His creations. The Bible paints a multifaceted portrait of God that is both complex and compelling.
From the opening lines of Genesis, we see God as the Creator of everything (Genesis 1). He’s not a distant watchmaker who sets the world in motion and then steps back; He is continually involved in His creation, maintaining it, caring for it, and guiding its events towards His purposes.
God is also depicted as holy and perfect in every way (Psalm 18:30). He is infinitely righteous, so much so that He cannot tolerate sin (Habakkuk 1:13). But even in His righteousness, God is not cold or distant. His justice is tempered by His mercy. He loves His creation and has provided a way for sinful people to be reconciled to Him, through faith in His son Jesus Christ (John 3:16).
One of the most comforting aspects of the Biblical portrayal of God is His unfathomable love. While He is holy and just, He is also full of compassion and kindness (Psalm 103:8). God’s love is demonstrated most profoundly in the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:8). God loved the world so much that He sent His one and only Son to live as a human, die a sacrificial death, and rise again so that anyone who believes in Him can have eternal life.
Another important feature of the God of the Bible is His immutability or unchangeableness (Hebrews 13:8). God does not change His mind or waver in His purpose. This aspect of God’s nature is deeply comforting because it assures us that His promises are dependable. His love for us, His commitment to justice, and His plan for our salvation do not change over time.
God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent—meaning He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and present everywhere (Psalm 139:7-10; Jeremiah 32:17; Psalm 147:5). These attributes reveal a God who is far beyond our human understanding yet intimately involved in our lives.
The Bible describes God as a personal being who is actively involved in His creation. He is depicted as perfect and holy, incapable of tolerating sin, but His justice is tempered by His mercy. His unchanging nature assures us of His dependable promises. His omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence highlight His transcendence above human understanding, while His love, demonstrated through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, shows His intimate involvement in our lives.
The Historical Reliability of Biblical Texts
Reliability is a term often associated with historical documents, and in our case, the Bible. Historical reliability refers to the degree of trust we can place in the historicity of events and teachings described in the Bible. The question about the historical reliability of the Bible, particularly when it speaks about God, is tied closely to the Christian faith.
The Old Testament has passed the test of archaeological verifications in multiple instances. Places, people, and events mentioned in the Old Testament have found corresponding archaeological evidence, reinforcing the accuracy of these scriptures. For instance, the discovery of the Hittite civilization matched with biblical references (Exodus 3:8), providing credibility to the historical narratives of the Old Testament.
The New Testament, particularly the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is historically reliable. There is a broad consensus among historians, regardless of their personal beliefs, that Jesus of Nazareth was a historical figure who lived during the first century. His crucifixion under Pontius Pilate is also widely accepted as a historical fact (Mark 15:15).
The writings of the New Testament were completed within the first century, not long after the events they describe. This close proximity to the events enhances the reliability of the testimonies, as they were recorded by eyewitnesses or those who directly interacted with eyewitnesses (1 John 1:1-3).
The number of manuscript copies for the New Testament significantly outstrips that of other historical documents from the same period. Over 5,800 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament have been found, along with thousands more in other languages. This high volume of manuscripts allows for a rigorous process of cross-checking and verification, enhancing our confidence in the reliability of these texts.
Despite the passage of time and the hand copying of manuscripts, the Bible’s message has been remarkably preserved. While minor variations exist among the copies, none of them alters any significant theological teaching. The message of God’s character and his plan for humanity’s salvation remains consistent across all versions and translations (2 Timothy 3:16).
The historical reliability of the Bible plays a vital role in reinforcing our trust in what it says about God. Archaeological findings have confirmed many details of the Old Testament, while the New Testament provides historically accepted accounts of Jesus Christ. The closeness of the New Testament writings to the events they describe and the extensive collection of manuscripts contribute to their reliability. The consistent preservation of the Bible’s message over time further assures us of its trustworthiness.
Personal Testimonies and Spiritual Experiences
There’s a dimension of faith that transcends intellectual understanding or historical confirmation, and that’s the realm of personal experience. While not negating the importance of intellectual and historical validation, the impact of personal experiences and testimonies cannot be understated in our journey of faith.
From the inception of Christianity, personal encounters with God have been instrumental in the affirmation of Biblical truths. The conversion of Paul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9) stands as a powerful testament to the transformative nature of a personal encounter with God. Paul, initially a fierce persecutor of Christians, became one of the most passionate apostles of Christ following his personal experience with Jesus.
Countless individuals throughout history have echoed similar experiences of God’s transformational power in their lives. These experiences often reflect the Biblical depiction of God as loving, forgiving, and life-changing. The person who was once lost in addiction finds freedom, the individual burdened with guilt experiences forgiveness, and the person filled with despair discovers hope. Such transformative experiences align with the Bible’s portrayal of God as a deliverer and redeemer (Psalm 34:17-18).
In addition to transformation, many believers testify to experiencing the comforting presence of God in times of pain and hardship, consistent with the Bible’s portrayal of God as a comforter (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Others speak of experiencing divine guidance in their decision-making, echoing the Biblical promise of God’s guidance for those who seek Him (Proverbs 3:5-6).
These personal experiences provide an experiential confirmation of the Biblical depiction of God. Of course, subjective experiences need to be evaluated carefully and held up against the standard of Biblical truth. Yet, when such experiences align with the character of God as revealed in the Bible, they offer powerful, personal validation of the trustworthiness of the Bible’s portrayal of God.
Personal testimonies and spiritual experiences offer a potent form of evidence supporting the trustworthiness of the Bible’s depiction of God. These experiences, from Paul’s transformation to countless stories of changed lives, reflect the biblical portrayal of God as loving, forgiving, and life-changing. Testimonies of comfort during hardship and divine guidance mirror the promises of God in the Bible. While personal experiences should always be evaluated against Biblical truth, when they align with the Biblical portrayal of God, they provide a robust validation of its reliability.
Finding Assurance in Our Faith
Trusting in what the Bible says about God is fundamental to our Christian faith. We have considered how the Bible presents a multifaceted portrayal of God, seen the historical reliability of the Biblical texts, and noted the impact of personal testimonies and spiritual experiences. All of these elements intertwine to form a robust foundation on which we can build our faith.
Consider these questions:
- How has your understanding of the Bible’s portrayal of God evolved over time?
- Have personal experiences strengthened your trust in the Bible’s depiction of God?
- In what ways does understanding the historical reliability of the Bible strengthen your faith?
Let our faith be an anchor in the vast ocean of life. Rooted in the trustworthiness of the Bible and its depiction of God, let us stand firm and unwavering in our faith, illuminated by the divine light that guides us forward.
