The Bible proves itself (4, conclusion)

15-07-2025 - Posted by Geert-Jan
Originally posted on July 14, 2025 – by Andre Piet

The Bible needs no human defense. Just as a lion does not need to prove its strength but simply is what it is, so the Bible reveals its divine origin through its own activity. This Word is living and powerful; it speaks, it convicts, it transforms. And that is its proof.

Through the centuries this Word has been praised, feared, forbidden, and mocked—but never overcome. In this article we explore how the Word of God demonstrates its imperishable power: in human lives, societies, science, art, and history.

indestructible power

Through the ages, the Bible has been the most read—and the most attacked—book.

• For centuries it was forbidden by the Roman Catholic Church, which kept people from the Word.
• In totalitarian regimes, such as communist Russia or China, it was viewed as threatening and banned.
• In the West it has been ridiculed as outdated, discriminatory, or heretical.
• The so‑called higher biblical criticism tried to undermine its unity and divine origin.

But it was to no avail. The more it was attacked, the more it spread. As Isaiah says:

The grass will wither, the flower will fade away, but the word of our God will stand forever.
—Isaiah 40:8

History demonstrates: human attempts to suppress the Bible are in vain. Its power cannot be broken.

light in the darkness

While the world sinks deeper into moral darkness—as the Word has foretold—the same Word is more accessible than ever. The light has not vanished, but shines brighter in the night.

• Never before have so many Bibles been in circulation worldwide.
• Digital means make Scripture accessible everywhere—not remote and costly, but nearby and (often) free.
• The original text is available via interlinears and Bible software—right on smartphones and computers.

The truth of the Word is often suppressed, but its power remains irresistible. Isaiah expresses it:

As the rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth … so will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, But it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
—Isaiah 55:10–11

The Word reaches where it is intended. Always. It bears fruit—in hearts and lives, wherever God sends it.

fruit in civilization

Where the Word takes root, there it changes human lives—but also societies. In regions darkened by injustice and violence, the Word brought peace, order, and civilization. Not by power or violence, but by the inner power of the Word.

The Bible not only points out an exalted way, but also grants the strength to walk it. Just as Joseph brought blessing to his Egyptian master’s house (Genesis 39:5), so the Word brings blessing everywhere it goes and works.

source of science and technology

At the foundation of modern natural sciences stand believers who, from their trust in the Creator, wanted to investigate creation. Think of:

• Blaise Pascal
• Johannes Kepler
• Isaac Newton
• André‑Marie Ampère
• Louis Pasteur

They sought in God’s creation traces of order and wisdom. That same drive to understand God’s works also led to the desire to spread knowledge. No book contributed more to that than the Bible. The invention of the printing press was in large measure motivated by the desire to make Scripture widely available. And not coincidentally, the first major printed publication … was the Bible. (Johannes Gutenberg, ca. 1455)

inspiration for art and music

No other book has inspired as many artists as the Bible. Painters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Rembrandt; composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach and Georg Friedrich Händel—they found their themes in the Word. The echo of Scripture still resonates in music, painting, literature, sculpture, and architecture. From cathedrals to chorales—the Word shaped Western culture.

life‑changing power

Perhaps the strongest evidence of the Bible’s power is its ability to transform people from within. The Word is living and active — Hebrews 4:12. Not merely words on paper, but living power that touches hearts and changes directions.

The question is not what people do with the Bible—but what the Bible does with a person.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes.
—Romans 1:16

Ten effects of this power, visible in believers’ lives:

• it renews the mind (Romans 12:2)
• sanctifies and cleanses (Ephesians 5:26)
• refreshes and rejoices (Psalm 19:8)
• gives life meaning (Psalm 19:11)
• imparts wisdom and insight (Psalm 19:8)
• offers hope (Romans 15:13)
• brings happiness (1 Timothy 1:11)
• gives strength in hardship and struggle (Romans 8:37)
• grants peace beyond understanding (Philippians 4:7)
• imparts courage to die (1 Corinthians 15:55)

This power is no theory, but practice and reality.

a living Word

The Bible is unique. It is not a human book, but proves itself to be what it claims. It withstands resistance, overcomes opposition, inspires creativity, reveals truth, and gives life. Its power attests to its origin.

For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any two‑edged sword…
—Hebrews 4:12

Just as the sun does not need to explain itself but simply shines—so the Bible does not need to defend itself. It is the light. It is the proof.

Delen: