The Bible claims to be inspired, written by men who were guided by the Holy Spirit. It says its messages cannot be broken or proved untrue.

Jesus quoted from Scripture when He was tempted by Satan. He also said the Bible is truth (John 17:17). Jesus quoted Scripture as the authority for everything He was teaching.

Bible predictions of future events that have come to pass dramatically confirm the divine inspiration of Scripture. Here are just a few examples of fulfilled prophecies:

• Four world empires would arise: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome (Daniel 2, 7, 8).
• Cyrus to be the warrior to capture Babylon (Isaiah 45:1–3).
• After Babylon’s destruction, it would never be inhabited again (Isaiah 13:19,20; Jeremiah 51:37).
• Egypt would never again have a commanding position among the nations (Ezekiel 29:14,15; 30:12,13).

Yes. The Holy Spirit, who guided each Bible writer, always speaks the truth. Here are just a few Bible statements confirmed by science:

• The earth hangs on nothing — a scientific fact mentioned in Job, the Bible’s oldest book (Job 26:7).
• The Bible said the earth is round centuries before scientists confirmed it (Isaiah 40:22).
• Long before science verified it, the Bible reported that air has weight (Job 28:25).

God wants His creation to be happy and healthy. Following are a few examples of Bible health principles:

• Cover body waste with dirt (Deuteronomy 23:12,13). Moses’ command was thousands of years ahead of its time and has saved millions of lives.
• Do not commit sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 10:8). Following this counsel, people would have little reason to fear sexually transmitted diseases.
• Leave alcoholic beverages alone (Proverbs 23:29–32). If everyone followed this advice, millions of alcoholics would become sober and families reunited.

Note: God not only tells us how to succeed amid today’s problems, He also gives us the power to do it (1 Corinthians 15:57; Philippians 4:13; Romans 1:16).

Yes. Sometimes evidence is not yet available, but evidence has repeatedly surfaced proving the validity of the Bible. Note the following:

• Skeptics denied the Hittite nation (Deuteronomy 7:1) and cities like Nineveh (Jonah 1:1,2) and Sodom (Genesis 19:1) ever existed. Modern archaeology confirmed all three did.
• Critics said kings Belshazzar (Daniel 5:1) and Sargon (Isaiah 20:1) never existed. Their existence has since been confirmed.
• Skeptics said writing (Exodus 24:4) and wheeled vehicles (Exodus 14:25) didn’t exist in Moses’ time. Today we know they did.
• The 39 kings of ancient Israel and Judah were once known only from the Bible; independent records later proved the Bible accurate.

One of the greatest miracles of the Bible is its unity. The 66 books of the Bible were written:

• on three continents;
• in three languages;
• by about 40 different people (kings, shepherds, scientists, attorneys, an army general, fishermen, priests, and a physician);
• over a period of about 1,500 years;
• on the most controversial subjects;
• by people who, in most cases, had never met.

Yet the 66 books maintain harmony with one another and read as if written by one mind. And indeed they were: every writer was moved by the same Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). The Holy Spirit is the real Bible author.

The changed lives of those who follow Jesus provide some of the most convincing proofs. The drunk becomes sober; the immoral becomes pure; the addicted becomes free; the profane becomes reverent; the fearful becomes courageous; and the cruel becomes kind.

The Old Testament predictions of the Messiah were so specific and so clearly fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth that both Jesus and Apollos used them as proof. There are more than 125 such prophecies. Here are 12:

• Born in Bethlehem — Micah 5:2 / Matthew 2:1
• Born of a virgin — Isaiah 7:14 / Matthew 1:18–23
• David’s lineage — Jeremiah 23:5 / Revelation 22:16
• Target of murder attempt — Jeremiah 31:15 / Matthew 2:16–18
• Betrayed by a friend — Psalm 41:9 / John 13:18,19,26
• Sold for 30 silver coins — Zechariah 11:12 / Matthew 26:14–16
• Crucified — Zechariah 12:10 / John 19:16–18,37
• Lots cast for His clothes — Psalm 22:18 / Matthew 27:35
• No bones broken — Psalm 34:20 / John 19:31–36
• Buried in a rich man’s tomb — Isaiah 53:9 / Matthew 27:57–60
• Year, day, hour of His death — Daniel 9:26,27; Exodus 12:6 / Matthew 27:45–50
• Raised the third day — Hosea 6:2 / Acts 10:38–40

What are the odds Jesus could fulfill just eight of these by chance? Dr. Peter Stoner calculated the odds of eight being fulfilled by one man as one in 10 to the 17th power. All 125 simply couldn’t have happened by chance!

A person who accepts the Word of God will discover answers to many mysteries that confound those seeking only worldly answers. For instance, there is no known way life could spring up from non-life; the Bible says it took a supernatural agent, God, to start life.

You can also know that God created the world in six literal, 24-hour days; that a worldwide flood destroyed every living thing except sea life and what was inside the ark; and that the different world languages originated at the Tower of Babel. God’s ways are unsearchable (Romans 11:33). Believe the Bible, and you will always be ahead of the wisdom of mere humans.

The increasing number of natural disasters and the rise of worldwide terrorism are signs predicted by the Bible: at the end of time there would be distress of nations, with the sea and the waves roaring (Luke 21:25). The tsunami of December 26, 2004, left over 250,000 dead or missing.

The Bible also predicted that nation would rise against nation (Matthew 24:7). After the attack of September 11, 2001, people realized no nation is truly secure.

Jesus asked whether He would find faith on the earth when He comes (Luke 18:8). The theory of evolution is being discredited: molecular biology shows the single cell is irreducibly complex, making the accidental origin of life impossible.

Because it answers life’s most puzzling questions:

• Where did I come from? God created us in His image; we are not accidents. We are children of God (Galatians 3:26) and precious to Him.
• Why am I here? To discover God’s answers to life’s problems, to accept Jesus’ salvation, and to become more like Him each day (Romans 8:29).
• What does the future hold? Jesus will come soon to take His people to the home He is preparing in heaven (John 14:1–3). You will live forever in God’s presence (Revelation 21:3,4).