The bible is just nonsense

Reflection

'The Bible is just nonsense' is a bold claim, but it is worth asking what would make an ancient collection of sixty-six books 'nonsense'. Its manuscripts are among the most abundant and best-attested of any ancient text, its historical settings keep being confirmed by archaeology, and its central claim — that God entered history in Jesus, died and rose again — is precisely the kind of claim that changed the world rather than fading into myth. You can reject the Bible's claims, but calling it nonsense usually means it has not really been read. The wisest response to the claim is neither anger nor argument, but an invitation: open it, and see for yourself.

Questions to sit with

• Have you actually read the Bible for yourself, or only heard it described?
• What would you expect the evidence for an ancient book to look like if it were reliable?
• If the Bible really is God's word, what would change about how you treat it?

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