What our parents tell us could be wrong.  But, this is missing the point. The issue is whether it is reasonable to believe those we trust (and have good reasons to trust) when they tell us certain things are true.  And Timothy had good grounds for trusting his mother and grandmother. The only alternative is to doubt all sources of knowledge merely because they could be wrong.  

How do you know the Bible is the Word of God?

Virtually every Christian has heard that question at one time or another. And when we do, our hearts beat faster and we feel a flutter in our stomachs.  We want to offer an insightful, sophisticated, and compelling answer. Just something that will keep us from looking foolish.

So, we search our brains for that apologetics talk we heard years ago and the numerous historical data points that were mentioned.  But, since we don’t remember the details, we mumble something about the Bible having good “historical evidence” for its truth (hoping no one asks for the details).

But, lurking in the background of such discussions is an assumption that needs to be challenged.  And that assumption is that external “historical evidences” are the only proper grounds for forming our beliefs about the Bible.  We are only justified in our beliefs, so we think, if we can recite a litany of scientific data points to back them up.

Now, to be clear, there’s nothing wrong with defending the Bible on historical grounds.  The Bible has impressive historical credentials and there’s a time and a place to discuss them. But, if we insist this is the only grounds for our beliefs, then we run into a few problems.

For one, it would mean that hardly any Christians really know that the Bible is the Word of God.  If one must achieve nearly Ph.D.-level knowledge before their trust in God’s Word is justified, then very few Christians enjoy such a privilege.

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