Inspire 21-Day Devotional: Illuminating God's Wordਨਮੂਨਾ

WEEK 2, DAY 7: CAN WE TRUST THE BIBLE?

Witnessed

In the courtroom, the testimony of a reliable witness is invaluable. And the testimony of multiple reliable witnesses? Such corroborating evidence will almost certainly lead to justice being served in the court.

As it is in today's courtrooms, eyewitness testimony was valued in ancient Israel. In the Law of Moses, a legal matter could be established on the basis of two or more witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15). In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, Paul argues for the trustworthiness of the Gospel based on the eyewitness testimony of those who had seen the resurrected Jesus: not only Peter and the twelve disciples, but “more than five hundred brothers” who saw him “at the same time” (1 Corinthians 15:6). If one person saw him, it would be easy to dismiss as a hallucination. But 500 people at the same time? For Paul, such eyewitness testimony was undeniable.

The Apostle John also emphasizes the significance of eyewitness testimony in his first letter to the early Church. Look again at how he begins his letter: “That which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes...and have touched with our hands.” With his own two ears, he had heard Jesus teach about the Kingdom of God. His eyes had seen him perform miracles, die on the cross, and appear again in his resurrected body. His feet had been touched and washed by Jesus at the Last Supper. Jesus and the Gospel message he proclaimed were really real, and this reality impacted John to such an extent that he devoted his life to sharing it with others. And John was not alone.

Did you know that almost every book in the New Testament is written by someone who witnessed Jesus firsthand? What’s more, many of these same men were willing to suffer and die for the message they proclaimed—a fact that adds even more credibility to their testimony. And what was their purpose in sharing their testimony? As John writes, it was so that you might have fellowship with believers of all ages, a fellowship that is “with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

Artifact: New Testament Papyrus Fragment of John 8:14–22 (P39; P.Oxy 1780)

The Museum of the Bible houses one of the earliest known New Testament manuscripts of the Gospel of John. This fragment, known as P39 (P = Papyrus) or P. Oxy. 1780 (Oxy. = Oxyrynchus, denoting the place where it was discovered), preserves portions of John 8:14–22. In this passage, Jesus himself refers to the binding legal authority established by two witnesses under the Mosaic Law (Deuteronomy 19:15) and calls on God the Father as his second witness in order to testify that his testimony is true.

Q1. What are the main themes or ideas of the Scripture passage?

Q2. What does this devotional tell me about who God is?

Q3. How does this devotional challenge or encourage me?

Q4. What specific action can I take to live out this teaching?

Q5. Who should I share this with for encouragement or accountability?