Did God Write Other Books?

God Is the Standard

The Bible never tries to defend itself as the truth from God. It simply says that it is (Psalm 119:160; Proverbs 30:5; John 17:17). The Bible consistently says that God doesn’t lie (Titus 1:2) but that mankind does (Romans 3:4). Therefore, we know that God, not any person, must be the very standard for truth. Indeed, without God, who is truth, truth can’t exist as there must be a standard or authority to measure whether something is true.

Since the Bible came from the God who is the very standard of truth, we know that it must be true.

The Bible teaches that it is from God (2 Timothy 3:16). Over and over again, we read some variation of the words “thus says the Lord,” as God gives his authority to his Word. Since the Bible came from the God who is the very standard of truth, we know that it must be true.

Other Religious Texts Contradict the Bible

But how do we know other religious writings aren’t from God? If the Bible is the standard for truth that it claims to be, then a holy book that contradicts God’s Word can’t also be from God. By this standard, we know every book listed at the opening of this chapter is not from God because each contradicts the Bible.

• The Koran (the Muslim holy book) says that God has no son (Sura 4:171, 23:91), but the Bible says Jesus is God’s only begotten son (John 3:16).
• The Vedas (the scriptures of Hindus) teaches reincarnation and many gods and goddesses, but the Bible teaches that man is appointed once to die and then to face judgment (Hebrews 9:27) and that there is only one God (Isaiah 45:5).
• The Tripitaka (the main scripture of one sect of Buddhism) teaches that we can liberate ourselves from suffering through our own works, but the Bible teaches suffering is part of this world because of our sin (Romans 8:22) and won’t be fully dealt with until Jesus returns (Revelation 21:4). The only way to be freed from the penalty of sin is through faith in Christ.
• The Tao Te Ching (a sacred text of Taoism) teaches the main goal of life should be to live in harmony with the Tao (sort of like “the universe”), but the Bible teaches we’re to live for the glory of God (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
• The Book of Mormon (a Mormon religious writing) denies the Triune nature of God (Ether 3:14), something the Bible emphasizes (Matthew 28:19).

Because the Bible is our foundation for truth, we know anything that contradicts the Bible isn’t true. The Bible is the truth by which we test claims from other religions, and they all fail.

Fulfilled Prophecy

The Bible claims to be the standard of truth and, unlike other religious texts, that claim can be tested because it is a book of history. To test its truth claims, we simply need to look for historical and archaeological evidence that the people in the Bible really lived, the places described really existed, and the events really happened. And when archaeologists do that, the Bible’s historical accuracy is confirmed.

The Bible, written over a span of 1,500 years, also contains hundreds of prophecies, some extremely specific. And those prophecies came true. To deny the amazing accuracy of these prophecies, skeptical scholars must arbitrarily redate biblical books. But such redating isn’t really based on the evidence. It’s based on the assumption that God cannot accurately tell the future. When it comes to prophecy, no other religious book tries (and succeeds!) to accurately describe events hundreds of years into the future. Because God (and only God) knows and controls the future, all his prophecies are correct.

Skeptics may claim all religious books are alike, just chose your spiritual preference. But the Bible’s message is radically different from any other. Every other religious book teaches that people must work to earn salvation or some kind of reward or spiritual experience. Only the Bible offers the free gift of salvation. We don’t earn salvation from our sins—it is a free gift from God (Ephesians 2:8).

Yes, the Bible is utterly unique among other religious texts.