Why I Believe the Bible and Why It Is the Ultimate Authority

I want to start this with a quote from the late Pastor Voddie Baucham. Honestly, it's the best explanation I have heard to date on why we can trust the Bible.

“I chose to believe the Bible because it’s a reliable collection of historical documents written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They report supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies and claimed that their writings were divine rather than human in origin.”— Voddie Baucham

Pastor Baucham goes on to back up these claims with proof from within the Bible, because again, the Bible is the ultimate authority. I will go through and explain exactly what the above statement means so that you can understand it, and hopefully it will help you when people ask why you trust the Bible.

If you prefer to watch his teaching on this (and I highly recommend you do), you can find it on YouTube. He’s not only biblical and easy to understand, he’s also very funny.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1XJ7DeR5fc

The Common Question: “Why Do You Believe the Bible?”

When someone asks us why we believe the Bible, we often respond, “Because the Bible says so.” Now, that is true, and we are right to say it, but to someone who doesn’t believe that the Bible is true or authoritative, that answer doesn’t mean much. They might think the Bible is full of contradictions (it’s not) or that it’s just a book of fairy tales.

So what’s the next thing we usually do? We appeal to something else they might agree with. But that’s a problem. Why? Because without meaning to, we’ve just made something else a higher authority than the Bible.

We’ve all done it—without even realizing that’s what we’ve done.

The Bible Defends Itself

Instinctively, we want to defend the Bible, and that’s not wrong, but we need to rethink how we do it.

Charles Spurgeon once said, “I would no more defend the Bible than I would defend a lion. You don’t defend a lion; you just let him loose and he’ll defend himself.”

When I heard that, I laughed because it’s both funny and true. God will defend His Word and Himself—you can have no doubt about that.

But we need to understand why we believe the Bible as the ultimate authority so that when someone asks us questions, we can be confident in our answers. We can let the lion loose, knowing it will defend itself.

God tells us in Scripture that His Word does not return void. “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”— Isaiah 55:11

Tell me that’s not a lion let loose, defending itself!

Breaking Down the Quote

Let’s look at Voddie Baucham’s quote piece by piece, using both Scripture and some historical facts. The historical facts don’t trump the authority of Scripture, they simply confirm it. And as you’ll see, this is not blind faith.

The basis for this explanation comes from 2 Peter 1:16–21:

“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,’ we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

A Reliable Collection of Historical Documents

“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths…”

The disciples tell us clearly they weren’t following myths. They were recording true, reliable history. We’re often accused of believing fairy tales or myths, or that the Bible was just written by men. Yet these were men who died horrible deaths for what they proclaimed. People might make up a lie—but not many would die for one.

Another accusation is that the Bible has been “lost in translation,” as though it were a game of Chinese whispers or Telephone.

Wrong.

What most people don’t understand is how the Bible has been preserved and translated. It’s not one single book written by one person—it’s a collection of 66 books written by over 40 different authors, in three different languages—Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek—across three continents—Asia, Africa, and Europe—over a span of 1,600 years.

That’s not myth. That’s history.

How Translations Work

Perhaps you can accept that the Bible is a collection of historical documents. But what about its accuracy? Isn’t it just like a game of Chinese whispers or telephone, where things get lost in translation?

No.

Each true translation of the Bible goes back to the oldest manuscripts we have and is translated directly from the originals—Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic—into the target language like English, Italian, or German. They’re not copying from other modern languages; they’re going straight to the source.

Imagine the telephone game again—but this time, instead of whispering to one person who passes it on, the original speaker whispers the same message directly into each person’s ear. Everyone hears the exact same words. That’s how true Bible translations work.

Side note: Not all versions are true translations. For example, The Message, The Passion Translation, and the Book of Mormon are not translations from the original manuscripts. They’re paraphrases or personal interpretations—and should be avoided like the plague.

Eyewitness Testimony

“…written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses.”

We value eyewitness testimony in our society. It's foundational in courtrooms, police reports, and investigations.

The disciples were eyewitnesses to Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. But not just the disciples. Thousands witnessed His miracles and teachings.

These events were what we call falsifiable—they could have been publicly disproven. If they weren’t true, eyewitnesses could have said, “That didn’t happen.”

1 John 1:1–4 says, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life… that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you…”

They heard, saw, and touched Jesus. Even His enemies didn’t deny the events. They only denied His divinity.

And consider 1 Corinthians 15:3–8, where Paul says Jesus appeared to over 500 people at once, many of whom were still alive when Paul wrote those words. If it were false, people could have easily refuted it.

Manuscript Evidence

What about the manuscripts themselves? Can we trust something so old?

Let’s compare:

Work	Number of Manuscripts	Time Gap After Original
Julius Caesar’s Gallic Wars	10	~900 years
Aristotle’s Poetics	5	~1300–1400 years
Homer’s Iliad	~1,000	~500–1800 years
The Bible	6,000+	as early as 120–150 AD

Most people accept those other works as historically reliable, yet the Bible has far more manuscript evidence, with a dramatically shorter time gap.

If Jesus died in 33 AD, and our earliest manuscripts date to 120–150 AD, that’s less than 100 years later. It's equivalent to us reading a firsthand account about World War I or the Great Depression.

We don’t question those events, do we?

By that same logic, the Bible is more historically verifiable than any other ancient document in existence.

Supernatural Events

“They report supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies.”

Let’s start with 2 Peter 1:17–18, describing the Transfiguration.

“For when He received honor and glory from God the Father… we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with Him on the holy mountain.”

Peter, James, and John literally heard the voice of God. That’s supernatural.

The Bible is filled with such events—miracles confirming God’s power and purpose.

Here is a very small sampling of some of those supernatural events or miracles.

20 Old Testament Miracles:

1. Creation of the World - Genesis 1:1–31

God creates the heavens, the earth, light, land, sea, plants, animals, and humankind—all from nothing.

2. The Great Flood - Genesis 6:9–9:17

God floods the entire earth, sparing only Noah, his family, and the animals in the ark.

3. The Confusion of Languages at Babel - Genesis 11:1–9

God confuses human language to halt the building of the Tower of Babel, scattering people across the earth.

4. Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah - Genesis 19:24–25

The Lord rains down fire and brimstone to destroy the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

5. Lot’s Wife Turned to a Pillar of Salt - Genesis 19:26

Lot’s wife disobeys the command not to look back and becomes a pillar of salt.

6. The Birth of Isaac to Elderly Parents - Genesis 21:1–3

God fulfills His promise to Abraham and Sarah, giving them a son in their old age.

7. The Burning Bush - Exodus 3:2–6

God appears to Moses in a bush that burns but is not consumed.

8. The Ten Plagues of Egypt - Exodus 7:14–12:30

God sends devastating plagues upon Egypt to free the Israelites from bondage.

9. The Parting of the Red Sea - Exodus 14:21–31

God divides the Red Sea, allowing Israel to escape Pharaoh’s army on dry ground.

10. Water from the Rock at Rephidim - Exodus 17:5–7

God provides water for the Israelites from a rock in the desert through Moses’ staff.

11. Manna and Quail in the Wilderness - Exodus 16:4–15

God miraculously feeds the Israelites daily with bread (manna) and quail from heaven.

12. Mount Sinai Shaken and Enveloped in Fire - Exodus 19:16–20

God descends upon Mount Sinai in thunder, lightning, smoke, and fire as He gives the Law.

13. The Sun Stands Still for Joshua - Joshua 10:12–14

God stops the sun and moon so Israel can finish defeating its enemies.

14. The Fall of Jericho - Joshua 6:1–20

The walls of Jericho collapse after Israel marches around them for seven days as God commands.

15. Gideon’s Victory with 300 Men - Judges 7:19–22

God delivers Israel from the Midianites using only 300 men armed with trumpets and torches.

16. Elijah Calls Down Fire on Mount Carmel - 1 Kings 18:36–38

God sends fire from heaven to consume Elijah’s sacrifice, proving He is the true God.

17.The Widow’s Oil Multiplied - 2 Kings 4:1–7

Through Elisha, God miraculously multiplies a widow’s small jar of oil to pay her debts.

18. The Healing of Naaman’s Leprosy - 2 Kings 5:10–14

Naaman, the Syrian commander, is healed of leprosy after washing in the Jordan River as Elisha instructs.

19. The Fiery Furnace - Daniel 3:19–27

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego survive being thrown into a blazing furnace without harm.

20. Daniel in the Lions’ Den - Daniel 6:16–23

God shuts the mouths of lions, sparing Daniel after he is thrown into their den for praying to God.

20 New Testament Miracles:

1. The Virgin Birth of Jesus - Matthew 1:18–25; Luke 1:26–38

Jesus is conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, fulfilling prophecy and marking the Incarnation.

2. The Star and the Visit of the Wise Men - Matthew 2:1–12

A miraculous star guides the Magi from the East to the place where Jesus was born.

3. Jesus Turns Water into Wine - John 2:1–11

At a wedding in Cana, Jesus transforms water into wine—His first recorded miracle, revealing His divine power.

4. The Miraculous Catch of Fish - Luke 5:1–11

After an unproductive night, Peter and the other fishermen catch a vast number of fish at Jesus’ command.

5. Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy - Matthew 8:1–4; Mark 1:40–45; Luke 5:12–16

With a touch, Jesus cleanses a leper completely.

6. The Centurion’s Servant Healed - Matthew 8:5–13; Luke 7:1–10

Jesus heals a Roman centurion’s servant from afar, praising the centurion’s great faith.

7. Jesus Calms the Storm - Matthew 8:23–27; Mark 4:35–41; Luke 8:22–25

At Jesus’ command, the winds and waves immediately cease, astonishing His disciples.

8. The Healing of the Paralytic - Mark 2:1–12; Matthew 9:1–8; Luke 5:17–26

Jesus forgives and heals a paralyzed man lowered through the roof, demonstrating His authority over sin and sickness.

9. The Feeding of the 5,000 - Matthew 14:13–21; Mark 6:30–44; Luke 9:10–17; John 6:1–14

With five loaves and two fish, Jesus feeds over five thousand men plus women and children.

10. Jesus Walks on Water - Matthew 14:22–33; Mark 6:45–52; John 6:16–21

Jesus walks on the sea toward His disciples’ boat during a storm, showing His mastery over creation.

11. Peter Walks on Water - Matthew 14:28–31

Peter, at Jesus’ invitation, briefly walks on water before sinking in fear, and is then rescued by the Lord’s hand.

12. The Transfiguration - Matthew 17:1–8; Mark 9:2–8; Luke 9:28–36

Jesus’ divine glory shines visibly as His face and clothes radiate light, witnessed by Peter, James, and John.

13. Raising of Jairus’s Daughter - Mark 5:21–43; Matthew 9:18–26; Luke 8:40–56

Jesus raises a twelve-year-old girl from death, revealing His power over life itself.

14. Healing of the Woman with the Issue of Blood - Mark 5:25–34; Matthew 9:20–22; Luke 8:43–48

A woman suffering for twelve years is healed instantly when she touches Jesus’ garment in faith.

15. Feeding of the 4,000 - Matthew 15:32–39; Mark 8:1–10

Jesus feeds four thousand men plus women and children with seven loaves and a few small fish.

16. Healing of the Man Born Blind - John 9:1–12

Jesus restores sight to a man blind from birth, a sign of His authority as the Light of the World.

17. Raising of Lazarus - John 11:1–44

Jesus calls Lazarus from the tomb after four days, proving His power over death and foreshadowing His own resurrection.

18. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ - Matthew 28:1–10; Mark 16:1–8; Luke 24:1–12; John 20:1–18

The central miracle of all Scripture. Jesus rises from the dead, conquering sin and death forever.

19. The Ascension of Jesus - Luke 24:50–53; Acts 1:9–11

After forty days with His disciples, Jesus ascends bodily into heaven before their eyes.

20. The Coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost - Acts 2:1–4

The Holy Spirit descends on the apostles with tongues of fire, empowering them to preach in many languages and spread the gospel.

John 20:30–31 reminds us, “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.”

Prophecy: Proof of Divine Origin

"that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies and claimed that their writings were divine rather than human in origin."

So far, we’ve established that the Bible is a reliable, eyewitness-based historical record that reports verifiable supernatural events. But what about prophecy?

Prophecy is divine foreknowledge—foretelling things that could not possibly be known by human means.

God’s prophets didn’t guess. They spoke by the Holy Spirit, and not one prophecy failed. If even one did, that prophet was false (Deuteronomy 18:22). God never gets it wrong.

“No prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”— 2 Peter 1:19–21

There are hundreds of prophecies about Jesus in the old testament long before he was born. Here are just ten of them:

1. The Seed of the Woman (The First Promise of a Redeemer)

Prophecy: Genesis 3:15 - “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

Fulfillment: Galatians 4:4; 1 John 3:8 - Jesus, born of a woman, defeats Satan through His death and resurrection — the “seed” who crushes the serpent’s head.

2. The Descendant of Abraham

Prophecy: Genesis 12:3; 22:18 - “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.”

Fulfillment: Matthew 1:1; Acts 3:25–26; Galatians 3:16 - Jesus, descended from Abraham, brings salvation and blessing to all nations through the gospel.

3. Born of a Virgin

Prophecy: Isaiah 7:14 - “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Fulfillment: Matthew 1:22–23; Luke 1:26–35 - Jesus is miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary — “Immanuel,” meaning “God with us.”

4. Born in Bethlehem

Prophecy: Micah 5:2 - “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah… out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

Fulfillment: Matthew 2:1–6; Luke 2:4–7 - Jesus’ birthplace precisely matches the prophecy — Bethlehem, the city of David.

5. From the Tribe of Judah

Prophecy: Genesis 49:10 - “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah… until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”

Fulfillment: Matthew 1:2–3; Hebrews 7:14; Revelation 5:5 - Jesus, the “Lion of the tribe of Judah,” is the rightful ruler and fulfiller of this promise.

6. A Forerunner Would Prepare the Way

Prophecy: Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1 - “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD.”

Fulfillment: Matthew 3:1–3; John 1:23 - John the Baptist fulfills this by preparing the hearts of the people for Jesus’ ministry.

7. He Would Perform Miracles

Prophecy: Isaiah 35:5–6 - “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped…”

Fulfillment: Matthew 11:4–5; John 11:43–44 - Jesus heals the blind, deaf, and lame, and even raises the dead — signs of the promised Messiah.

8. He Would Be Rejected by His Own People

Prophecy: Isaiah 53:3; Psalm 118:22 - “He is despised and rejected of men… The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.”

Fulfillment: John 1:11; Luke 9:22; Acts 4:11 - The Jewish leaders reject Jesus, fulfilling prophecy that the cornerstone would be refused.

9. His Suffering and Crucifixion

Prophecy: Psalm 22:16–18; Isaiah 53:5–7 - “They pierced my hands and my feet… He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities.”

Fulfillment: Matthew 27:35; John 19:18, 34–37 - These vivid prophecies describe crucifixion centuries before it existed — fulfilled perfectly in Jesus’ death.

10. His Resurrection

Prophecy: Psalm 16:10; Isaiah 53:10–11 - “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”

Fulfillment: Matthew 28:5–7; Acts 2:24–31 - Jesus rises from the dead, fulfilling Scripture and confirming His divine identity as the Son of God.

The Preservation of God’s Word

Finally, consider this, the Bible is a reliable collection of historical events, written by forty different authors over 1,600 years, across three continents, in three languages.

And yet, less than a century after Jesus’ death, we have manuscripts that preserve nearly every verse.

If every Bible on earth disappeared today, we could reconstruct the entire Word of God from those manuscripts—and it would read exactly the same.

That’s not chance. That’s divine preservation.

God promised He would preserve His Word—and He has.