19. The message of God’s love for me in the Bible is not dependent on the historical accuracy of the text. 

(Before looking at the questions below, take a few minutes to think about this statement. Invite Jesus to speak to you about what He would like you to notice.) 

Are there historical issues in the Bible that cause you to think it might not be reliable?

If there were inaccuracies in the Biblical text, would that cause you to doubt the message of God’s love for you in the Bible?

This statement may cause alarm for some people, but this is not necessary. We are not saying that the Bible is not accurate. Quite the opposite; historians and archaeologists in the past decades have done much to validate the historical accuracy of the text. But there are still many issues of historical accuracy that have yet to be resolved and in these cases, we are left with a choice: can we trust that the deep message that God wants us to know remains true and real even though some of the details may be in question, or does our faith and love for God depend on the absence of any errors or questions about the historical accuracy of the text? 

As we wrestle with this question, it may be worth noting that many people who deeply love God and whose lives reflect a sincere following of Jesus, do not hold to the accuracy of the text. For various reasons, they hold the deep truths presented in Scripture to be true even though there are details of the text that to them don’t seem correct. 

The primary purpose and message of Scripture, that God created us and has given us guidelines for how to live abundantly with others and with Him, is overwhelmingly true, attestable, and illustrated in the lives of millions of people who choose to trust the message of the Bible. If there are questions about the details of the text that we wonder about, we should know that the deeper message and the God who gave it to us can be trusted.