Can We Really Trust the Bible?

Dear friend,

Somewhere tonight, a young person you love is watching a video that says the Bible was written by men, changed by kings, and used to keep Black people in chains. It sounds sure of itself, and nobody in the comments is answering it.

We wrote this guide with you in mind: the parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle, youth leader, Sunday school teacher, pastor or mentor who wants to answer that video well. If you feel unready, you have company. When Lifeway Research surveyed churchgoing parents of students in grades 6 through 12, 80% said they are at least a little concerned their student will feel unsure about their faith, and 94% said they want to be better equipped.

I often say we treat the Bible, when we come to faith, like we treat Apple terms and conditions. We say we believe it, but we don’t really know what’s in it. Then life gets hard, we start reading the fine print, and we find passages we didn’t know were there. That is where many of our young people are right now. They said yes to Jesus. Now they have questions.

In six movements you will find plain definitions of the words that come up, a self-check on how the Bible was handed to you, what scholars on our podcast say about whether we have the Bible as written and whether history backs it up, and practical help for the conversation itself: quick answers to common objections, readiness by age, conversation starters, and what to do when a talk goes sideways. Everyone quoted here spoke on our podcast, and you can hear each conversation in full.

Read it alone, with your spouse, or with a small group of parents or leaders. Take one movement at a time, and answer the reflection questions yourself before you ask anyone else a question. Then go have a conversation. Then have another one.