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Why Should I Trust the Bible?
For generations people have asked tough questions and made accusations about the Bible. “The Bible is racist.” Or, “The Bible has too many errors and edits.” Or, “The Bible is merely a mythological story like Homer’s Odyssey.”
Why Should I Trust the Bible? tackles accusations like those head-on. Author A. Trevor Sutton compares the Bible to writings that have been deemed more credible than the Bible, like the Book of Mormon, encyclopedias, and even Shakespeare’s works. He tests the Bible using the same rigorous standards that have been used to test those other writings. He examines historical evidence, witness accounts, and translation concerns.
By the end, you’ll be able to better defend your faith when its very foundation is attacked. You’ll get many of your tough questions answered. And you’ll see that when all other texts fall, the Bible still stands—as completely, undeniably trustworthy.
"If you’ve never been asked why the Bible can be trusted, you will be. If you’ve never asked that question yourself, you should. And this brief, non-technical volume will be of great help in beginning to formulate an answer. With both humor and humility, Trevor Sutton guides readers through some of the most common objections to Scripture’s trustworthiness, answering each winsomely and wittily—and pastorally. Highly recommended for youth and adult Bible studies, and for all parish libraries." —Korey Maas, Assistant Professor of History, Hillsdale College, Michigan
Why Should I Trust the Bible? tackles accusations like those head-on. Author A. Trevor Sutton compares the Bible to writings that have been deemed more credible than the Bible, like the Book of Mormon, encyclopedias, and even Shakespeare’s works. He tests the Bible using the same rigorous standards that have been used to test those other writings. He examines historical evidence, witness accounts, and translation concerns.
By the end, you’ll be able to better defend your faith when its very foundation is attacked. You’ll get many of your tough questions answered. And you’ll see that when all other texts fall, the Bible still stands—as completely, undeniably trustworthy.
"If you’ve never been asked why the Bible can be trusted, you will be. If you’ve never asked that question yourself, you should. And this brief, non-technical volume will be of great help in beginning to formulate an answer. With both humor and humility, Trevor Sutton guides readers through some of the most common objections to Scripture’s trustworthiness, answering each winsomely and wittily—and pastorally. Highly recommended for youth and adult Bible studies, and for all parish libraries." —Korey Maas, Assistant Professor of History, Hillsdale College, Michigan
- GenresNonfictionReligion
230 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2016
15 people are currently reading
152 people want to read
About the author
A. Trevor Sutton
15 books43 followersA. Trevor Sutton is associate pastor at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Haslett, Michigan. He is currently a graduate student in Writing and Rhetoric at Michigan State University. Sutton has a BA from Concordia University in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and an MDiv from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri.
Sutton’s work has appeared in Faith & Leadership (Duke Divinity School), The Cresset (Valparaiso University), and Concordia Journal (Concordia Seminary). He has published multiple sermons, Bible studies, and devotional books with various Christian publishers. He previously served as managing editor of Relief Journal: A Christian Literary Expression. He speaks at academic conferences, retreats, and congregations.
Sutton lives in Lansing, Michigan, with his wife and two daughters. He enjoys cycling, hiking, fly-fishing, and impromptu dance parties with his daughters.
Sutton’s work has appeared in Faith & Leadership (Duke Divinity School), The Cresset (Valparaiso University), and Concordia Journal (Concordia Seminary). He has published multiple sermons, Bible studies, and devotional books with various Christian publishers. He previously served as managing editor of Relief Journal: A Christian Literary Expression. He speaks at academic conferences, retreats, and congregations.
Sutton lives in Lansing, Michigan, with his wife and two daughters. He enjoys cycling, hiking, fly-fishing, and impromptu dance parties with his daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 11, 2023
I actually rated this book at 3.75 stars on other platforms, but that's not an option here and I didn't want to mislead with a 4-star rating when it wasn't quite that for me, as you'll see below.
I really struggled with rating this book. I found it challenging to differentiate between what I had hoped to be able to rate and how I actually felt about it. And I had desperately wanted to love this book. Let me backtrack a second. I had set this goal for myself for during the non-festival half of the Church Year (named it my Green Season Goals and everything) and I wanted to do some deeper learning on doctrine and apologetics and such. This book was at the top of that list for me, especially after reading the blurb. While there were some really strong points made, there were other parts that either rubbed me the wrong way or fell short of my expectations.
What I liked about Why Should I Trust the Bible?:
What I liked, I really really liked - I was particularly drawn to the portions that got down to the nitty gritty of arguments that don't depend on faith. Let me be clear: I would wish for everyone to come to saving faith, but that's not up to me; that's on God's to-do list. I am cognizant of the fact that there are people who aren't going to be open to anything less than a secular response, and this is something I want in my arsenal. The sections that provided historical confirmation of Biblical accounts that are found outside of Holy Scripture; the use of proof texts in validating any form of literature; addressing misunderstanding/misinterpretation/misuse that leads to criticisms regarding bigotry, chauvinism, and slavery, to name several, through means of explaining cultural and historical context -- I found each of these profoundly helpful.
The summaries - Each sub-section included a summary in conclusion titled "What You Need to Know" that I did find beneficial, especially when I had kind of lost track of what point was being made (see the next section of my review for more detail on that matter). Following each chapter was an Excursus that provided an example that addressed the chapter topic and used the information provided in "real time" to demonstrate application. Finally, there were study questions to ponder at the end of each chapter, but where I found tremendous benefit with that was actually at the end of the book where there were answers provided to the study questions. While I had considered these questions on my own as they were initially presented, it felt like an excellent review of the entire book when I concluded the book by reading through the study questions along with the author's answers.
What I didn't care for:
The overuse of alliteration - I am being generous here in the deployment of 'overuse'. I actually felt like I was drowning in it. Here's the thing: thoughtfully placed alliteration is a great tool because it can help what's being shared to stick in the mind. Other times, it can convey a lighthearted feel to what's being delivered. But when it happens multiple times per page, it becomes cumbersome. I began to cringe after a while, because when I had read several paragraphs without it, I just knew I was about to get clobbered again. What it boils down to is if you don't show some restraint with this literary device, it becomes overbearing, annoying, and starts to feel like lazy writing. And darn it, if that doesn't make the rating take a hit. You can't avoid the effect of presentation.
What left me conflicted:
Conversational tone - This is the type of reading that is without a doubt designed for the layperson. It never talked over my head or if it was about to, it gave me enough "intro to..." to not be entirely lost. While I certainly appreciated that it was not excessively scholarly (because a scholar I am not), there were times I got the impression of being a little too casual and short on explanation when I wanted and could have handled more.
It wasn't as applicable as I'd hoped, however... - Which isn't to say that it wasn't a helpful read, because it was. The author chose a variety of skepticisms and questions to address, and they covered an array of topics, which I appreciated. Some made me really hone in because I've heard these criticisms and doubts before, and I would like to be well-armed to address them. There just weren't enough of those for me. I have not ever personally encountered some of the subjects brought up. However, I am fully aware that just because I've never heard them presented as reasons not to trust the Bible doesn't mean no one has, so I am trying to temper my conflict here a bit, since this book was written for more than just yours truly.
Not all arguments are created equal - Some of them were exceptionally well constructed. The rebuttals felt considered, thought out, strong, in these cases. I sat up and took notice, even when (see above) they weren't arguments I'd heard against trusting the Bible before. But others seemed to settle on "it's true because it's the Bible", which... yeah, I agree, but I already trust the Bible to be the infallible Word of God, I don't take any convincing. However, that feels to me like an argument that will hold exactly zero water with someone outside or on the fringes of the faith, someone either looking to discredit the Bible or who is seriously struggling with believing what's in it. It felt like the parental equivalent of "because I said so".
Overall, this book was worth my time to have read, and while I'm sorry I was subjected to so very much alliteration, I am not sorry for what I was able to take away from the content. I think if you enter reading this book without extremely high expectations, and understanding that there are parts that just won't apply to your personal life experiences as far as the criticisms and skepticisms you've encountered, there are some good nuggets to be mined. The author openly admits that the topics he selected barely scratch the surface of those that have ever been posed, and I respect that honesty; there's no way a set of encyclopedias, much less a single book of 230 pages, could delve into every argument that might be raised. If nothing else, I feel better equipped than I was when I opened the book, and possibly have a better toolkit for how to research an answer to a question presented to me that wasn't addressed specifically here.
I really struggled with rating this book. I found it challenging to differentiate between what I had hoped to be able to rate and how I actually felt about it. And I had desperately wanted to love this book. Let me backtrack a second. I had set this goal for myself for during the non-festival half of the Church Year (named it my Green Season Goals and everything) and I wanted to do some deeper learning on doctrine and apologetics and such. This book was at the top of that list for me, especially after reading the blurb. While there were some really strong points made, there were other parts that either rubbed me the wrong way or fell short of my expectations.
What I liked about Why Should I Trust the Bible?:
What I liked, I really really liked - I was particularly drawn to the portions that got down to the nitty gritty of arguments that don't depend on faith. Let me be clear: I would wish for everyone to come to saving faith, but that's not up to me; that's on God's to-do list. I am cognizant of the fact that there are people who aren't going to be open to anything less than a secular response, and this is something I want in my arsenal. The sections that provided historical confirmation of Biblical accounts that are found outside of Holy Scripture; the use of proof texts in validating any form of literature; addressing misunderstanding/misinterpretation/misuse that leads to criticisms regarding bigotry, chauvinism, and slavery, to name several, through means of explaining cultural and historical context -- I found each of these profoundly helpful.
The summaries - Each sub-section included a summary in conclusion titled "What You Need to Know" that I did find beneficial, especially when I had kind of lost track of what point was being made (see the next section of my review for more detail on that matter). Following each chapter was an Excursus that provided an example that addressed the chapter topic and used the information provided in "real time" to demonstrate application. Finally, there were study questions to ponder at the end of each chapter, but where I found tremendous benefit with that was actually at the end of the book where there were answers provided to the study questions. While I had considered these questions on my own as they were initially presented, it felt like an excellent review of the entire book when I concluded the book by reading through the study questions along with the author's answers.
What I didn't care for:
The overuse of alliteration - I am being generous here in the deployment of 'overuse'. I actually felt like I was drowning in it. Here's the thing: thoughtfully placed alliteration is a great tool because it can help what's being shared to stick in the mind. Other times, it can convey a lighthearted feel to what's being delivered. But when it happens multiple times per page, it becomes cumbersome. I began to cringe after a while, because when I had read several paragraphs without it, I just knew I was about to get clobbered again. What it boils down to is if you don't show some restraint with this literary device, it becomes overbearing, annoying, and starts to feel like lazy writing. And darn it, if that doesn't make the rating take a hit. You can't avoid the effect of presentation.
What left me conflicted:
Conversational tone - This is the type of reading that is without a doubt designed for the layperson. It never talked over my head or if it was about to, it gave me enough "intro to..." to not be entirely lost. While I certainly appreciated that it was not excessively scholarly (because a scholar I am not), there were times I got the impression of being a little too casual and short on explanation when I wanted and could have handled more.
It wasn't as applicable as I'd hoped, however... - Which isn't to say that it wasn't a helpful read, because it was. The author chose a variety of skepticisms and questions to address, and they covered an array of topics, which I appreciated. Some made me really hone in because I've heard these criticisms and doubts before, and I would like to be well-armed to address them. There just weren't enough of those for me. I have not ever personally encountered some of the subjects brought up. However, I am fully aware that just because I've never heard them presented as reasons not to trust the Bible doesn't mean no one has, so I am trying to temper my conflict here a bit, since this book was written for more than just yours truly.
Not all arguments are created equal - Some of them were exceptionally well constructed. The rebuttals felt considered, thought out, strong, in these cases. I sat up and took notice, even when (see above) they weren't arguments I'd heard against trusting the Bible before. But others seemed to settle on "it's true because it's the Bible", which... yeah, I agree, but I already trust the Bible to be the infallible Word of God, I don't take any convincing. However, that feels to me like an argument that will hold exactly zero water with someone outside or on the fringes of the faith, someone either looking to discredit the Bible or who is seriously struggling with believing what's in it. It felt like the parental equivalent of "because I said so".
Overall, this book was worth my time to have read, and while I'm sorry I was subjected to so very much alliteration, I am not sorry for what I was able to take away from the content. I think if you enter reading this book without extremely high expectations, and understanding that there are parts that just won't apply to your personal life experiences as far as the criticisms and skepticisms you've encountered, there are some good nuggets to be mined. The author openly admits that the topics he selected barely scratch the surface of those that have ever been posed, and I respect that honesty; there's no way a set of encyclopedias, much less a single book of 230 pages, could delve into every argument that might be raised. If nothing else, I feel better equipped than I was when I opened the book, and possibly have a better toolkit for how to research an answer to a question presented to me that wasn't addressed specifically here.
June 28, 2025
This is a sincere book that is filled with some honest and faithful answers. But I really didn’t like it.
The worst part? I could not get over the style. For example, Sutton regularly lists three things with alliteration. From the conclusion: “Even if you did not, you will certainly have more quandaries, queries, and questions as you walk with Jesus in the days ahead” (p 197). You can hardly go two pages without running into it. The overuse of alliteration, lists of synonyms, and verbose chapters were the reading equivalent of listening to a podcast with a host who habitually clears his throat or has too much spit in his mouth. I get annoyed with an emphasis on something I imagine a writer thinks is clever, but it sacrifices clarity (and doesn’t end up being all that clever). This book is “cutesy”, I am speaking pejoratively.
Other than style, the content left me wanting. I can understand a simple, apologetic approach to questions (something the Objections Overruled series does quite well), but the author made a lot of faithful assertions without supporting details, or the rebuttal drifts from the initial claim addresses some other kind-of-related point.
There was an attempt to introduce theological vocabulary. This was good, but rather than organic and complementary, the inclusion of it in each chapter that it appeared felt forced.
Positive notes: I found the excursuses at the end of each chapter generally good. Most were creative and fun to read. Sutton doesn’t promote untruths (except in his gender roles chapter), it just lacks depth or the assertions don’t address the claim very well. It’s definitely a quick read.
All in all, there are better, more thoughtful, and definitely more-concise-for-the-depth apologetics resources out there. I would not recommend this one.
The worst part? I could not get over the style. For example, Sutton regularly lists three things with alliteration. From the conclusion: “Even if you did not, you will certainly have more quandaries, queries, and questions as you walk with Jesus in the days ahead” (p 197). You can hardly go two pages without running into it. The overuse of alliteration, lists of synonyms, and verbose chapters were the reading equivalent of listening to a podcast with a host who habitually clears his throat or has too much spit in his mouth. I get annoyed with an emphasis on something I imagine a writer thinks is clever, but it sacrifices clarity (and doesn’t end up being all that clever). This book is “cutesy”, I am speaking pejoratively.
Other than style, the content left me wanting. I can understand a simple, apologetic approach to questions (something the Objections Overruled series does quite well), but the author made a lot of faithful assertions without supporting details, or the rebuttal drifts from the initial claim addresses some other kind-of-related point.
There was an attempt to introduce theological vocabulary. This was good, but rather than organic and complementary, the inclusion of it in each chapter that it appeared felt forced.
Positive notes: I found the excursuses at the end of each chapter generally good. Most were creative and fun to read. Sutton doesn’t promote untruths (except in his gender roles chapter), it just lacks depth or the assertions don’t address the claim very well. It’s definitely a quick read.
All in all, there are better, more thoughtful, and definitely more-concise-for-the-depth apologetics resources out there. I would not recommend this one.
August 11, 2017
Has some good thoughts explaining why the Bible is trustworthy, but I wasn't able to get into it as much as I had hoped. Can't put my finger exactly on why, but it felt like the book was written more for those already in the church than it was for someone who doesn't believe. I wouldn't mind giving it to a church member, but I don't know that I would give it to an unchurched friend. It isn't that there aren't good answers in it, but the book also presumes a lot and leaves some big questions untouched.
October 23, 2021
Sutton walks through why the Bible can be trusted in this book. He looks at several critical claims about the Bible and unpacks the error in these claims in a simple and understandable way. Does he answer everything? No. But he even claims he doesn't. It's a good start into the typical claims.
December 25, 2025
It has noble intentions and some good comments, but it didn’t really answer the question. The questions I have about the bible are much harder than the ones explained in the book. Still a good read for those who question the faith and bible.
May 12, 2017
Excellent read. I took it in small chunks so I could really consider what I read and Gove it the attention it deserved.
November 28, 2017
I felt that he answered the question in the first sentence and just reiterated it several more times. I gave it 3 stars because he did have some good points in the book.
February 24, 2019
Made some good arguments/defences. I wish he would have dealt more with the claims made by those who say the Bible is not culturally relevant and correct (homosexuality, abortion, etc).
January 3, 2022
This book is a good introduction to Christian Apologetics. For those who are challenged to defend their Christian Faith, this book will be a good resource. There are study questions at the end of each chapter so, the book could be used for a group study.
October 12, 2025
Lots of good information
February 7, 2023
Every Christian needs to read this book. Why? In the words of Rev. Dr. Patrick Ferry in the foreword, “Absolute truth is a concept inherent to the Christian faith but not much in step with the relativist worldview that is so much in vogue. Truth assertions of the Bible seem groundless in a relativistic culture” (p. 8). In our relativistic culture, truth is relevant. Truth is only what is good for the individual. This makes truth subjective rather than objective, and therefore uncertain since “truth” is constantly changing. This is in direct opposition to the Christian way of life. We make vital truth claims because God’s Word IS truth. For the Christian, truth is not relevant; it is absolute, which God reveals to us in His Word. Young Christians are pummelled with the lies of our culture’s growing moral relativism, so this book is especially important for our youth and college students to read. Ferry comments that this book “may not satisfy the severest critic” of Christianity because the audience is not for such critics; it is written for “God’s people whose hope is built on Jesus Christ who loves us” (p. 10). Whether you’re Lutheran or not, I highly recommend this book. The mark of an excellent book is that it can be read multiple times. This is one of those books.
December 16, 2021
Really great book about countering the arguments against the Bible's truth and validity. I would have appreciated it if the author had included citations and extra resources to back up his statements. I would still recommend it though!
May 6, 2017
This book was concise but packed full of really helpful knowledge. We used it for our college student Bible study and everyone really enjoyed it. It sparked great questions that made us dig deeper and look back and forth between the text and our Bibles. This seems like a really foundational read for churches and groups and I encourage leaders to utilize this resource for their people.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews