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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:
"The plans that have been made public so far — including the high school curriculum — seem aimed at portraying scripture as historically accurate and an unequivocal force for good"
"The poll shows that 28% of Americans believe the Bible is the actual Word of God and that it should be taken literally; that’s down from the 38% to 40% reported in the late 1970s."
“[W]e may be losing some precious things when we get away from the habit of reading and using real Bibles.” Why I Returned To My Old Leather-bound Bible