Books of Note - Can I Really Trust the Bible? (Questions Christians Ask)

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Trust is a high commodity among people today but it something that is not given as easily as it was a few generations ago. Almost gone are the days where a gentlemen’s agreement was all that was needed between two people. It was possible because people had more trust in one another. Now, trust among people is harder to acquire. This natural reaction to distrust others has affected how people view the Bible. In our post-Christian world people don’t just naturally trust the Bible as reliable, let alone as the Word of God.

Now, more than ever, people want reasons to trust things and they often put a higher demand on religious texts like the Bible. They want to be reassured that there are good reasons to trust the Bible and that it comes from God. In his recent book, Can I Really Trust the Bible?: And Other Questions About Scripture, Truth and How God Speaks, Barry Cooper answer these questions and more. This book is a mini-introduction and apologetic to the doctrine of Scripture for the believer and non-believer alike.

The book is divided into five chapters. The first two chapters answer the question, “Does the Bible claim to be God’s word?” as in both from God Himself (the ‘word’) and revealing God through Christ (THE Word). Cooper does a great job showing the relationship between Scripture as God’s revelation of both His words to man and of Himself to man in Christ. Cooper states:

God makes himself known through Jesus, who is revealed in the Bible…Jesus repeatedly points to Scripture: the Word points to the word. At the same time, Scripture points to Jesus: the word points to the Word. …We can’t know Jesus apart from the Bible because, as Jesus himself says, the Bible always and on every page testifies to him. (27)

This is perhaps the best statement in the whole book. The Bible tells us of Jesus and Jesus affirms His trust in the Bible.

Chapters three, four and five tackle different aspects of the Bible. Chapter three briefly discusses the issues of the Bible’s consistency and possible corruptions. Using Scripture itself, Cooper shows how the message of the Bible is internally consistent and how it does not fit well with a conspiracy myth. Chapter four addresses the issues surrounding canonicity: how we got the 66 books of the Protestant canon. Due to the brevity of the book Cooper is only able to highlight the answers to these questions. He does spend half the chapter on inerrancy and what it does and does not entail (p. 58-63).

The final chapter answers the question of how the Bible proves to be God’s word. Using Scripture again as his basis, Cooper points to passages like John 7:17 and James 1:22 where people are called to live out the teaching of the Bible. It is those who live it in addition to reading it that really see the truth of the Bible in their lives. It is in living out the Bible that we see its truth fleshed out in our lives which in turn strengthens our trust in it.

Can I Really Trust the Bible? is a great resource for a new believer who has questions about the Bible and needs some basic answers to get their feet wet. It is also a good book for Christians to study with their non-Christian friends who have questions and are open to answers. Cooper’s answers to these questions show his own trust in Scripture as God’s word. He is not ashamed to let Scripture have a say in what we are to believe about it.

About the Author

Barry Cooper is an author and speaker. He is the Director of Product Development at Christianity Explored Ministries and a member of Trinity West Church, Shepherd’s Bush in London, England.

About the Questions Christians Ask Series

Important questions dealt with and explained. Short, readable and to the point, these books are perfect for students, small groups and anyone genuinely interested in the questions we have all asked.