How do we know for sure there were angels, a traveling star, a virgin birth, or a Son of God in a manger?
I want to take a cue from one of the most famous Bible passages about Christmas. The story tells how an angel announced to a group of shepherds that “unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Following this announcement, “the shepherds said one to another, ‘Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing….”
The shepherds were determined to get to the bottom of the matter. They went to check out the evidence for themselves. The ultimate question is: Who was in the manger on that first Christmas morning?
So, investigate the validity of the book that talks about these stories of Jesus: the Bible. Can we trust the Bible to give us a truthful account of this historical event?
Can I trust the Bible?
We don’t have any original writings, so how do we know that we can trust the Bible we have in our hand?
The Scribe. No printing presses existed, so people were trained to copy, by hand, the documents. They were extremely careful in copying. For example, if they copied the book of Isaiah, they would total up the number of letters. If one letter was missing, they threw it away and started another copy. These men were meticulous in their job.
The Dead Sea Scrolls. In 1947, a goat herdsman found some writings in clay pots, that we call ‘The Dead Sea Scrolls.’ The entire Book of Isaiah was there, along with nearly every Old Testament book. These were dated around 100 BC. A comparison of a modern Hebrew Bible shows little or no text change in 2,000 years. For example, in the 166 words of Isaiah 53, one word is in question and does not change the meaning of the passage.
Manuscript Evidence. Two things are most important in determining the reliability of a historical document: the number of manuscript copies in existence and the time between when it was first written and the oldest existing copy.
When you compare the New Testament with other ancient works, it’s reliability is obvious.
- Caesar (100-44 BC) wrote The Gallic Wars. The earliest manuscript is 1,000 years later. We have 10.
- Plato (427-347 BC) wrote Tetralogies. The earliest manuscript is 1,200 years later. We have 7.
- Aristotle (384-322 BC) has his earliest manuscript 1,100 years later. We have 5.
For the New Testament (40-100 AD) we have more than 24,000 different copies. The earliest copied within 25 years after it was first written. No other ancient document comes close. The closest is Homer’s Illiad, with 643 copies, the earliest copied 500 years later.
Personal Evidence.
If I want to play the ‘prove the Bible is true’ game I can argue from personal experience. I believe the Bible is true because it gives me the experience that it claims it will give me. The greatest evidence that has convinced me of the truthfulness of the Bible is the personal effect it has had on me.
The Bible says that God will forgive my sins. I believe that. I accepted God’s forgiveness and it happened. How do I know? I have a sense of freedom from guilt.
The Bible says that if I come to Christ I will be a new creation. Old things will pass away and all things will become new. I believed in Christ one day and it happened just as the Bible said it would. Old things did pass away and all things became new. I experienced it in my life.
The Bible changes lives. Millions of people – leaders, brilliant educators, scientists, philosophers, generals – all testify the Bible has changed their lives. Millions of people are living proof that the Bible is true.
You can not only trust that the events of the first Christmas are true, but the promises are equally true. “For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).
Read a similar article of mine: 5 Reasons the Bible is True