The evidence supports God as the author.
I am continuing to present 6 lines of evidence that God is the ultimate author of the Bible.
4. Evidence from historical investigation (index finger).
The index finger moves as if filing through pages of history. The Bible is historical and is open to historical investigation. Both archeology and the manuscript evidence support the historical accuracy of the Bible. Renowned archaeologist William Albright said, “There can be no doubt that archaeology has confirmed the substantial historicity of the Old Testament tradition.”
Archaeologist Nelson Glueck adds, “It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference.”
An example of an archaeological find is detailed in John chapter 5. Here we find a story of Jesus healing a man at the pool of Bethesda. John writes that 5 colonnades, which we would call columns, surrounded this pool. Now this seems to be an insignificant detail. Why write about such a trivial matter as to how many columns surround the pool? Many scholars say John wrote his gospel 40-50 years after the death of Jesus. Personally, I would have had a hard time after 50 years remembering a healing took place by a pool.
A few years ago an archeological dig uncovered a pool like the one mentioned in John 5. And guess what? It had 5 columns surrounding it. Now this doesn’t prove the Bible is historically accurate but don’t you think it is significant that John didn’t write the pool had 3 or 4 columns but that it had 5 columns, just like the archeologists found. Why would John go to such detail to describe the scene where Jesus healed a man? I believe God was guiding his writing and detail is important to God. Archeology has provided many such examples of historical support for the Bible.
Additional support comes from the ancient Biblical manuscripts. We have over 5,700 partial or full ancient Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. Textual critics examining these manuscripts and comparing them tell us the Bible is 99% accurate and that no historical account or theological doctrine that is in doubt. God supernaturally protected the Bible and we can trust it.
As Christians we can feel confident with the help of archeology and the manuscript evidence, we have the words of Jesus. Being historically accurate is what we would expect if God were the author. The index finger stands for filing through the pages of a historical investigation.
