Faith in Jesus stands on solid historical evidence, but also on the descriptions of Jesus and his teachings found in the Bible. How can we know that what we read there is really true?

Let's consider first the manuscript evidence. Since no original manuscript of any ancient book exists today, we need to know if the Bible we possess today is a trustworthy copy of the original books. So we rely on "textual critics," scholars who compare ancient manuscripts to produce a copy as close to the original as possible. Those who work with biblical texts believe that the Old and New Testaments we possess today are virtually identical to the originals. The only questions which remain affect matters of spelling, punctuation, and isolated verses; none relates to essential doctrine or practice of the faith.

Archaeological discoveries provide a second reason to trust the Bible. For instance, the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:2) was once dismissed as non-historical. Now tour guides in Jerusalem point groups to its location in the northeast quarter of the Old City. I've seen the ruins myself. We have a stone inscription documenting the life and office of Pontius Pilate; the ossuary (coffin) of Caiaphas, the High Priest of the crucifixion; an inscription found at Delphi which describes the work of Gallio, proconsul at Corinth (Acts 18:12-17); and scores of other artifacts which document the accuracy of biblical history and description.

Third, the Bible keeps its promises. For instance, the Old Testament contains more than 50 promises regarding the coming Messiah; Jesus fulfilled every one of them. The internal consistency of the Scriptures is evidence that they are inspired by God.

But the best way to know if the Bible is true is to test its claims personally. You know a car repair manual is trustworthy if it works in repairing your car. A recipe is proven by the meal it produces. When we meet Jesus personally, we discover that he is who the Bible says he is. And that the Bible really is the trustworthy word of God.