Pastor Greg Gilbert has a message for people who don't trust the Bible. All he wants is a hearing, for open-minded people to look at the evidence of the Bible's historicity and validity. In Why Trust the Bible?, Gilbert clearly and succinctly lays out his arguments for trusting the Bible. It's a relatively brief book, aimed at a broad audience, but his footnotes provide an array of scholarly sources that interested readers can explore.
Gilbert's strongest arguments demonstrate the reliability of the text itself. Compared to other ancient writings, we have many more copies of the Old and New Testament books than other works. While there are some differences between different manuscripts, the differences are so few and far between that they are insignificant. Gilbert tells the story of the passing down of the books and the assembly of the canon, putting together a strong case for the reliability and originality of the text.
On matters of faith, the case is not as convincing for the true skeptic. Yet Gilbert does lay out enough that one must grapple with the testimony of scripture before rejecting it out of hand. Many non-believers parrot arguments against the Bible without really knowing what they are talking about. Many believers parrot their faith in scripture without a knowledgeable foundation. Both groups should spend some time with Why Trust the Bible? and take Gilbert's exposition seriously.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
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