What Is the Bible and Why Should I Trust It?

Understanding inspiration, inerrancy, and canonization — simply explained for every believer

If you've ever held your Bible and wondered, Where did this come from? How do I know it's really God's Word? — you are asking exactly the right question. A strong faith isn't built on blind trust. It's built on knowing why you believe what you believe. And when it comes to the Bible, the more you understand it, the more your confidence in it grows.

This month at The Bible Bloom, we are building strong foundations in God's Word — and we're starting right here, at the very beginning: What is the Bible, and why can you trust it?

What Is the Bible?

The Bible is not simply an ancient book of religious stories. It is a collection of 66 books written by more than 40 different authors, across approximately 1,500 years, on three different continents — and yet it tells one seamless, unified story. That story, from Genesis to Revelation, is the story of a holy God creating and redeeming a people for Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ.

The Bible is divided into two major sections:

• The Old Testament (39 books) — the story of God's creation, humanity's fall, and God's covenant relationship with Israel, pointing forward to a coming Savior.

• The New Testament (27 books) — the arrival of that Savior, Jesus Christ, His life, death, resurrection, the birth of the Church, and the promise of His return.

  
  

Why Can We Trust It? Three Foundational Truths

1. The Bible Is Inspired — God-Breathed

The word we use for this is inspiration, but the biblical word is even more powerful. In 2 Timothy 3:16, the apostle Paul writes:

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." — 2 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV)

The phrase "given by inspiration of God" translates the Greek word theopneustos — literally, God-breathed. This means that while human authors wrote the words of Scripture, God the Holy Spirit moved through them, ensuring that what was written was exactly what God intended. The authors wrote in their own styles, from their own experiences and personalities — but they were carried along by the Spirit.

Peter confirms this in 2 Peter 1:20–21: "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."

The Bible is not man's thoughts about God. It is God's Word to man.

2. The Bible Is Inerrant — Without Error

Because God is the ultimate Author of Scripture, and because God cannot lie (Titus 1:2), the Bible is without error in all that it affirms. This is what theologians call inerrancy.

This doesn't mean that every translation is perfect, or that we won't find passages that require careful study. It means that the original Scriptures, as God gave them, are completely trustworthy — in matters of faith, history, and everything they address.

Jesus Himself demonstrated complete trust in the authority of Scripture. When He faced temptation in the wilderness, His response was always "It is written..." (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10). He didn't debate the reliability of the Word — He stood on it.

Psalm 119:160 declares: "The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever." (NKJV)

3. The Bible's Canon — How We Got These 66 Books

You may have heard the word canon and wondered what it means. The biblical canon simply refers to the collection of books recognized as the authoritative, inspired Word of God.

The word "canon" comes from a Greek word meaning measuring rod or standard. The canon is the standard by which all teaching is measured.

The Old Testament canon was largely settled among the Jewish people long before the time of Jesus. Jesus Himself quoted from and affirmed the Hebrew Scriptures throughout His ministry (Luke 24:44).

The New Testament canon developed in the early church over the first few centuries. Church leaders and councils didn't create the canon — they recognized which books bore the marks of divine inspiration. The criteria included: Was the book written by an apostle or under apostolic authority? Was it consistent with the rest of Scripture? Was it widely accepted and used in the churches?

By God's providence, the 27 books of the New Testament we have today were affirmed as canonical at the Council of Carthage in AD 397 — not as a new decision, but as a formal recognition of what the Church had received and accepted from the beginning.

The Bible Is Alive

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the Bible is not its history — it's its power. Hebrews 4:12 says:

"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (NKJV)

The Bible is not a dead document. It is a living word that the Holy Spirit uses to speak to hearts, bring conviction, bring comfort, and bring transformation. Millions of people across thousands of years, in every culture and language, have encountered God through this book. That is not coincidence. That is testimony.

How Should This Change How You Read It?

When you understand that the Bible is God-breathed, inerrant, and carefully preserved for you, it changes everything about how you approach it:

• You read it expecting God to speak.

• You trust it even when it challenges you.

• You study it knowing it will always reward effort.

• You stand on it when everything else shifts.

  
  

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." — Matthew 24:35 (NKJV)

A Prayer Before You Read

Before you open your Bible today, try praying this simple prayer:

"Lord, open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law." — Psalm 119:18 (NKJV)

Want to Go Deeper This Month?

Download the free June Scripture Reading & Writing Plans on our file share page and read alongside our monthly teaching series, Building Strong Foundations in God's Word.

Next week: How to Study the Bible — a simple, practical method for every believer.

All scripture quotations are from the New King James Version (NKJV).

With grace and love,

Yvonne Perry