I know it is real in the sense that it’s a book that I can hold. Is it real in the sense that this is God’s word to us? People who study this use terms like internal evidence (words within the Bible that point to this being God’s words to us.) and external evidence (changed lives, historical evidence, etc). Is the Bible more real than other holy books? For years those have been fighting words. I am not trying to provoke a fight. But, it is true that there is a lot riding on the question of the Bible’s validity over another holy books claims. Each holy book teaches how to be right with God. Each holy book teaches how to live as the people of God. Each holy book teaches something about what comes next. Some people take a pluralist approach and decide they will sort, sift and take the best from each one. In so doing they rob each of its essence. Like trying to take the cherries out of a cherry pie and call what’s left a cherry pie. It doesn’t work. Here is where faith comes in. We are faced with making a choice and then devoting ourselves to the choice we have made. No one can tell you with absolute certainty that their choice is the right one. I don’t care how adamant they communicate the “rightness” of their choice. I won’t throw stones at other people’s choices, but I will argue passionately for choosing the Bible.
