If God Is Real, Can the Bible Be Trusted?

Examining the Evidence for the Reliability of Scripture

By Darin Smith | Renovate Church

If God is real, can the Bible actually be trusted?

That’s the tough question we tackled this week in our Rise Up series at Renovate Church. It’s a fair question — and an important one. Because if the Bible is unreliable, then everything Christians believe about God, salvation, and truth rests on shaky ground.

But if it is trustworthy?
Then it isn’t optional. It’s foundational.

Rather than starting with the Bible to prove the Bible (which would be circular logic), we approached this question like a courtroom.

Not to put God on trial — but to examine the evidence.

A Courtroom Approach to the Bible

In a courtroom, jurors weren’t present when the events occurred. They evaluate credibility based on testimony and evidence.

When people ask, “Can the Bible be trusted?” they’re really asking several questions at once:

Was it corrupted over time?
Was it changed?
Are there contradictions?
Is it just another myth?
Was it written by biased men?

Those are objections. And objections deserve thoughtful responses.

But before we answer them, we need to understand something important:

We never approach evidence neutrally.

If someone has already decided the Bible is false, no amount of evidence will be enough. If someone has already decided it’s true, objections may feel small.

So the real question becomes:
Are we willing to apply consistent standards?

How Do Historians Evaluate Ancient Documents?

You can’t scientifically prove ancient history. Science tests repeatable events. History investigates past events using evidence.

No one today can recreate George Washington crossing the Delaware. Yet historians accept it because of documented testimony.

History is evaluated using standards such as:

Multiple independent sources
Closeness to the events in time
Manuscript volume and consistency
External corroboration
Internal coherence
Author motive

These are not Christian standards. They’re historical standards.

If we trust them for other ancient documents, we must apply them consistently to the Bible.

Where Did the Bible Come From?

The Bible didn’t fall from the sky fully formed. It developed through a traceable historical process.

The Old Testament

Written over centuries by Jewish prophets, leaders, and scribes, these writings were treated as sacred long before the time of Jesus. They were copied carefully by trained scribes who:

Counted letters and lines
Checked spacing
Destroyed flawed manuscripts

In 1947, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls — over 1,000 years older than previously known manuscripts — confirmed remarkable consistency in the Old Testament text.

Differences were minor spelling variations — not rewritten theology.

That strengthens trust rather than weakens it.

The New Testament

Written in Greek within decades of Jesus’ life, the New Testament documents were:

Written by eyewitnesses or close companions
Circulated publicly
Read in churches
Copied across regions

Today we have thousands of Greek manuscripts. When you have that many copies across time and geography, changes cannot go unnoticed.

The evidence shows preservation — not corruption.

Objection: “The Bible Was Written by Men”

Yes. Every historical document was.

The question isn’t whether humans wrote it — the question is motive.

Did the early Christian authors gain wealth? Power? Safety?

No.

They were persecuted, imprisoned, and many were executed.

Propaganda protects its heroes. The Bible is honest about its leaders:

Abraham lies.
Moses kills.
David commits adultery.
Peter denies Jesus.

That doesn’t read like mythology. It reads like truth.

Objection: “There Are Contradictions in the Bible”

Many supposed contradictions dissolve under examination.

For example:

How many women were at Jesus’ tomb?

Different Gospel writers name different women. But none say “only these women.” Different eyewitnesses highlight different details.

Difference does not equal contradiction.

Judas’ death

One account describes how he died. Another describes what happened afterward. These are complementary details — not conflicting ones.

Ancient historical writing often reflects perspective, not precise timestamps.

Objection: “Verses Are Missing in Modern Translations”

Modern translations (like NIV, ESV, NLT) are based on older manuscripts discovered after the King James Version was translated.

When a verse appears in later manuscripts but not the earliest ones, modern translations note it transparently.

Nothing is being hidden. Transparency builds trust.

And no core Christian doctrine depends on those few disputed passages.

Objection: “The Bible Borrows from Other Myths”

Yes, many cultures have flood stories or creation accounts.

But similarity does not automatically mean copying.

It could also suggest a shared memory of real events passed down and reshaped over time.

What sets the Bible apart is:

It roots its claims in history
It names real kings, empires, and genealogies
It presents one unfolding narrative

Unlike mythology, which floats outside history, Scripture anchors itself inside it.

The Decisive Authority: Jesus

Ultimately, Christianity does not rise or fall on manuscript counts.

It rises and falls on Jesus.

Jesus quoted Scripture as authoritative:

“It is written.”
“Scripture cannot be broken.”
“I have not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it.”

But why trust Jesus?

Because of the resurrection.

Jesus predicted His death and resurrection in front of many people. His followers proclaimed that He rose from the dead — publicly, not privately.

If the resurrection did not happen, Christianity collapses.

But if it did?

Then Jesus is not merely a teacher. He is risen authority.

And if the risen authority affirmed Scripture, that settles the case.

The Verdict Is Personal

The question isn’t merely:

Can the Bible be trusted?

The deeper question is:

Can Jesus be trusted?

If He rose from the dead, then His view of Scripture carries weight.

And if Scripture is God-breathed — as 2 Timothy claims — then it teaches, corrects, trains, and equips us for life.

It’s not optional.

It demands a verdict.

So What Will You Do?

Every one of us places faith somewhere.

The real question is:
What is your faith anchored to?

If the Bible is merely human opinion, dismiss it.

But if Jesus affirmed it — and if He rose — then ignoring it is not neutrality.

It is a verdict.

And every verdict carries consequences.