I am absolutely convinced that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God. 2 Timothy 3:16a states:
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.”
That settles it right there.
Yet, throughout history, the credibility of the Bible as being truly God’s Word has been endlessly attacked by critics in this unbelieving world throughout history. It has been mercilessly attacked in by skeptics who inspect every tiny detail in an effort to disprove its authority, preferring to reduce it to the writings of men filled with myth. So they do everything they can to prove the Bible to be false. But, time after time, historical and archaeological discoveries have vindicated the text.
The Pattern of Archaeological Discovery
Critics have repeatedly claimed the Bible was inaccurate whenever external records were absent—only for archaeology to prove the biblical text correct.
* The Hittite Empire: For many years, critics claimed the Hittites were a mythical group because no independent record of them existed. In the 19th century, archaeologists uncovered the remnants of the Hittite civilization—located exactly where the Bible said they would be.
* The Ancient City of Nineveh: History recorded the existence of the mighty Assyrian Empire, but because no physical evidence of its capital, Nineveh, had been found, skeptics labeled it biblical folklore. That was until archaeologists discovered the site of ancient Nineveh, and it was as the Bible described it and right where the Bible said it had been, perfectly matching the scriptural descriptions.
* Pontius Pilate: Because no Roman record of Pontius Pilate had been found, critics asserted that early writers invented the Roman governor who ordered Jesus’s crucifixion. Following the modern establishment of the nation of Israel in the late 1940s, archaeologists digging in the ancient Roman regional capital of Caesarea uncovered a stone artifact explicitly engraved with Pontius Pilate’s name.
* King David: More recently than the Pontius Pilate case, critics even attempted to deny the existence of King David, the most famous, storied, powerful king Israel ever had. In fact, Jesus would be of the family of David. But they tried to disprove his very existence because there was no record, historically, of David until relatively recent times, right there in the Old City of Jerusalem, they have uncovered his palace.
The Bible stands unscathed until this very day.
Resolving Apparent Contradictions: The Healing at Jericho
Beyond historical sites, critics often target “apparent contradictions” between Gospel accounts to claim the Bible cannot be divine. But the truth is that, in anything that appears to be a contradiction, there is always a very legitimate answer to that apparent contradiction.
I want to give you one example of that. In the Gospel of Matthew, it talks about Jesus on His way to Jerusalem. It says in Matthew 20:29–30:
“Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, ‘Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!’”
Now Luke, in his Gospel, recounting the very same incident, puts it this way in Luke 18:35–38:
“Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging. And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he cried out, saying, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’”
Critics point to two differences, two apparent contradictions:
* How many men were healed? Matthew mentions two blind men, while Luke (and Mark) mentions only one (Bartimaeus).
* Which direction was Jesus traveling? Matthew state that Jesus was leaving Jericho, while Luke states he was entering Jericho.
Critics love that one! This can’t be inspired by God because, look, there are obvious differences there. But the truth is, there are NO contradictions there.
The Solutions
* The Number of Men: Matthew notes that two men were present, whereas Luke and Mark focus specifically on the primary spokesman, Bartimaeus. Focusing on one key individual in a narrative does not deny the presence of a second.
* The Location: Archaeology provides the answer to the geography. It has been discovered that in the time of Christ, there were actually two Jerichos: the original Old Testament city (where the poor resided) and, just down the road, there was a newer, affluent city built nearby by King Herod, featuring his winter palace and gymnasium.
Bartimaeus was obviously positioned along the road between the two cities. Jesus was exiting the old city of Jericho (as recorded from Matthew’s perspective) and entering the new city of Jericho (as recorded from Luke’s perspective).
This context aligns seamlessly with what follows in Luke’s Gospel: upon entering the new city, Jesus meets Zacchaeus, a wealthy tax collector living in that upscale city. Zacchaeus came to faith in Jesus Christ when Jesus came and dined at his house that afternoon. So, that fits perfectly; Zacchaeus was a wealthy man living in the new city. So the critics’ argument falls flat, yet again. Once again, the Bible stands on its own merit, perfectly.
Trusting the Scripture
My point is this: don’t judge the Bible by what the so-called experts are saying. Instead, brethren, you can judge what the “experts” are saying by what the Bible says, because IT is the truth.
It has been proven, over thousands of years of history, to stand its ground. You can put your trust in what this Book says from Genesis to Revelation, and you won’t go wrong. It may be challenged by what modern theories are saying, but it won’t stand against any proven facts. Proven facts stand with the Bible. So, I’m telling you, if you will just receive it and believe it all, you will inherit eternal life through Jesus Christ, God’s Son and our Savior. From Genesis to Revelation, the entire Book is about Him—and it doesn’t get any better than that.
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About Pastor Brian
Pastor Brian Larson ministered in Truckee, California, for more than 40 years, having moved there with his young family from Southern California in the summer of 1975 to pastor a denominational church in the area. He stepped out in faith in 1978 to begin a nondenominational fellowship in North Tahoe. By June of 1981, the small fellowship had moved to the high school auditorium in Truckee, and it was then that they became known as Calvary Chapel of Truckee. For more than 38 years, the emphasis of Pastor Brian’s ministry at Calvary Chapel of Truckee was simply on the building up of the body of Christ through the clear, objective teaching of the Word of God, the praise and worship of His Name, and diligent prayer. He firmly believed that as the body was fed and nourished in His Word, we would grow in His grace and love. In October of 2019, Pastor Brian stepped down as senior pastor of Calvary Chapel of Truckee and soon after moved to Connecticut where he has continued ministering to the body of Christ through teaching engagements and through his non-profit ministry True To His Word.
