Is the Bible True?

A Great Conference

Many years ago, I went to a conference in the often not-so-sunny Vancouver called God’s Word Written. The topic was the “truthfulness, dependability, and power of the Bible.” I figured I probably wouldn’t hear anything new, but that it’d just be a good review of what I already knew. I was wrong. The speakers were excellent, the information incredibly helpful, and the talks riveting. And the weather improved.

The talks were recorded and available online, but now even the website is gone (in case you tried to click). Therefore, enjoy some of the highlights in a series of blog articles. Keep in mind that these aren’t a summary of the conference; they include my own thinking and research. They are my reflections, if you like.

Bunk-Detecting

I like “bunk-detecting.” The Bible would call that the gift of “discernment.” I enjoy reasoning, using logic, and finding and evaluating evidence—as one would expect for a trained scientist.

Therefore, my attention was immediately focused on the conference’s claim that the Bible is truthful. How do we know? Do we just believe? Do we close our eyes and block our ears to all challenges? What about the claims that there are contradictions in Scripture and that the Bible was corrupted as it was copied? Do we, as believers, have to hang our intellects up at the door of the church? Is that what faith is? Or could it be that faith is built on reason? Is the Bible true? And what is truth anyway? That’s where I’ll start.