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The Big Ten
Why Should I Trust the Bible?
The Bible is a cobbled-together selection of ancient writings that have been changed so many times by so many people over hundreds of years that surely the text can no longer be trusted - right? Certainly, there are plenty of people who take this view. Timothy Paul Jones here addresses the fact that the Bible is a difficult book to believe. It is full of incidents that seem highly improbable, if not impossible. Written for people who are sceptical of its accuracy, and of its authority, this book takes a reasonable look at the claims made about the Bible.
208 pages, Paperback
Published January 10, 2020
53 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
About the author
Timothy Paul Jones
53 books52 followersTimothy Paul Jones is an American evangelical scholar known for his work in apologetics and family ministry. He serves as the C. Edwin Gheens Professor of Christian Family Ministry at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Jones has authored influential texts defending the historical reliability of the New Testament and has promoted a model of “family-equipping ministry,” which balances family discipleship with age-specific church programs. His apologetics have evolved from evidential to presuppositional approaches, emphasizing the role of the church’s moral witness and care for the marginalized. He has been recognized for books such as Misquoting Truth, How We Got the Bible, and In Church as It Is in Heaven, the latter promoting multiethnic church communities. Jones is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and has been praised as a leading voice in engaging both secular critics and intra-faith debates. He and his wife Rayann have four adopted children.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
May 12, 2021
Timothy Paul Jones has written an excellent defense of the reliability of the Bible. Grounding his apologetic of Scripture on the resurrection of Jesus, Jones does not overreach, claiming more evidence than what is actually there. Rather he makes humble and reasonable assertions. Jones recognizes that not everyone is going to be persuaded by his arguments, but he hopes to make the case for the reasonableness of believing the Bible to be true in what it affirms. Throughout, Jones consistently explains difficult topics in a manner that does not dumb them down. He is candid about some of the difficulties that New Testament scholars face. I would recommend this book to skeptics or any Christian who has questions about the reliability of the Bible.
January 11, 2022
Most theological books have a fatal flaw. They’re either poorly written, dense, or boring. Lewis’ books, while expressing his thoughts and arguments in an extremely persuasive manner, can be rather dense and hard to read at times. This book accomplishes something rare as far as theological books go.
It isn’t poorly written. It isn’t dense. And it’s not boring.
I give it five stars for more reasons than that, but that’s a huge part of it.
This book helped give me a good look at some of the questions I’ve been having recently about the Bible. Why are certain books in the Bible and others are not? What’s up with the Catholics having more books in their Bible? And the biggest one: why should I trust the Bible?
This book managed to answer all of these questions for me in an engaging and meaningful manner. It’s not hard to read at all. The author weaves in illustrations ranging from the Kentucky Meat Shower to The Simpsons. He also writes in a way that can be comical at times.
All in a theology book.
I really enjoyed this book. It answered a ton of my questions, gave me resources to dig deeper if I wanted to, and most of all, it wasn’t boring. If you have any questions about the validity of the Bible or what it says, even if it’s just a nagging doubt in the back of your mind, read this book.
It isn’t poorly written. It isn’t dense. And it’s not boring.
I give it five stars for more reasons than that, but that’s a huge part of it.
This book helped give me a good look at some of the questions I’ve been having recently about the Bible. Why are certain books in the Bible and others are not? What’s up with the Catholics having more books in their Bible? And the biggest one: why should I trust the Bible?
This book managed to answer all of these questions for me in an engaging and meaningful manner. It’s not hard to read at all. The author weaves in illustrations ranging from the Kentucky Meat Shower to The Simpsons. He also writes in a way that can be comical at times.
All in a theology book.
I really enjoyed this book. It answered a ton of my questions, gave me resources to dig deeper if I wanted to, and most of all, it wasn’t boring. If you have any questions about the validity of the Bible or what it says, even if it’s just a nagging doubt in the back of your mind, read this book.
January 25, 2022
3.5 stars:
Praise God there is no shortage of apologetic work on the trustworthiness of the Bible today! Timothy Paul Jones’ contribution to this field has both its strengths and weaknesses. In terms of strength, Jones sustains a humble, conversational tone that I assume builds trust with skeptical readers. Jones is honest about his own skepticism throughout, which shows that he did not write the book in order to create a straw-man argument. He is genuinely concerned with helping skeptics to trust the Bible. He thoughtfully engages all of the relevant issues associated with the trustworthiness of the Bible. Where the book lacks is in its organization. The book does not seem to follow a clear logical progression, as it jumps from topic to topic. The illustrations used in the book are often related to issues that the author seems interested in but are not always connected to a broader experience of those outside the author’s context. As a whole, it’s a helpful primer on the subject, but I don’t think it contributes much new literature if you have already studied the Bible’s trustworthiness.
Praise God there is no shortage of apologetic work on the trustworthiness of the Bible today! Timothy Paul Jones’ contribution to this field has both its strengths and weaknesses. In terms of strength, Jones sustains a humble, conversational tone that I assume builds trust with skeptical readers. Jones is honest about his own skepticism throughout, which shows that he did not write the book in order to create a straw-man argument. He is genuinely concerned with helping skeptics to trust the Bible. He thoughtfully engages all of the relevant issues associated with the trustworthiness of the Bible. Where the book lacks is in its organization. The book does not seem to follow a clear logical progression, as it jumps from topic to topic. The illustrations used in the book are often related to issues that the author seems interested in but are not always connected to a broader experience of those outside the author’s context. As a whole, it’s a helpful primer on the subject, but I don’t think it contributes much new literature if you have already studied the Bible’s trustworthiness.
November 13, 2020
Excellent book written in a simple conversational style for skeptics. Dr Jones focuses deliberately on a few topics that get to the bottom of Christianity's rational, evidence-based aspect of Biblical faith. Only 5 chapters and a very fast read, the author explains the plausability of the Bible as a true and reliable basis for the Christian faith. He discusses the Gospels and their reliability, the process of the selection of the books that were accepted as authoritative by the early church, and finally, the copyists and the variants among manuscripts. He concludes that the Bible is indeed reliable and authoritative from a purely analytical standpoint. He ends by addressing several accusations against the reliability of the Bible put forth by Bart Ehrman in his book, "Misquoting Jesus". Very well researched and reasonable.
July 13, 2024
In Timothy Paul Jones’s Why Should I Trust the Bible, the Christian apologist makes a lay level case for the trustworthiness of the Scriptures. Moving through basic historical facts, to the Scriptures, to canon, common objections, and textual criticism, the author argues the Bible is a reliable work. In short, this is an apologetic work aimed at convincing unbelievers or new Christians that the Bible is worth trusting as a historical document. In other words, this is a book aimed at getting people to read the Bible with confidence rather than an argument for the inerrancy. While I wasn’t in love with a few of the illustrations and methods of argumentation, overall the book is excellent as a tool for the purposes I have described here.
November 11, 2025
4.8/5
Just an absolutely solid introduction to why one can and should trust the Bible. Many of these arguments I was already familiar with, so it was a good refresher. For someone who has not studied these things before, Dr. Jones' approach out of his own personal story and studies would, I hope, be very helpful. It's easy to read. The illustrations are helpful. Dr. Jones' manages to be both incredibly charitable to the skeptics and push them on the basis of what the Bible claims. I will definitely have this as a back pocket resource for church members and skeptics that I run into!
Just an absolutely solid introduction to why one can and should trust the Bible. Many of these arguments I was already familiar with, so it was a good refresher. For someone who has not studied these things before, Dr. Jones' approach out of his own personal story and studies would, I hope, be very helpful. It's easy to read. The illustrations are helpful. Dr. Jones' manages to be both incredibly charitable to the skeptics and push them on the basis of what the Bible claims. I will definitely have this as a back pocket resource for church members and skeptics that I run into!
March 18, 2020
Timothy Paul Jones answers the question ‘Why Should I Trust the Bible?’ with “because Jesus rose from the dead.” This May seem circular, but the argument presented is winsome, cogent, and succinct. Starting with the New Testament gospels as historical texts, moving through which books belong in the Bible, and examining text critical arguments against the reliability of our texts, Jones keeps pointing his readers back to the only reason to write a book like this: Jesus.
September 4, 2024
Required reading for school, but I was pleasantly surprised with how helpful and readable this book was. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the topic.
June 1, 2024
Very readable and concise. Brevity is a virtue in writing and TPJ levies it well. Persuasive. Would recommend for anyone interested in fortifying their trust in the Scriptures.
June 1, 2020
Come one now, don’t pretend you haven’t ask yourself this question! Whether you’re a Christian or not, if you’ve spent any time around Christians you’ll know that they talk about the Bible a lot. But can we really trust what it says? Is it reliable?
There are many people today who have been brought up in the church, they’ve been taught the Bible from an early age and that is a wonderful thing! However, one danger is that we might be tempted to disengage our minds and critical thinking when it comes to the Christian faith. Please don’t do that!
In Why Should I Trust the Bible? Timothy Paul Jones tells his own story; how he was raised with many wrong ideas about the Bible and evidence for its trustworthiness. During college Jones spent many hours in the library, he was challenged and started thinking through his faith properly. He wanted to see for himself that the Bible stood up to logic, how christianity dealt with evidence and if the claims of Scripture were true. Maybe that’s you! If it is then this book is for you.
“The words that I’ve penned in these pages are for people who fact-check every claim they see on social media and second-guess almost every story they hear. When it comes to trusting the Bible, this book is for people for whom skepticism has at some point felt more natural than faith”
But how on earth can you answer such a big question in just 200 pages?
“The Bible does not come with empirical proof and it certainly does not come without problems––but is also does not come without evidence. The evidences for the trustworthiness of this text are not scientific but historical. Such evidences do not result in the same type of certainty as scientific experiments or mathematical calculations. What historical evidences provide instead is a reasonable confidence that grows from reconstructions that are cultivated in a seedbed of testimonies and texts, manuscripts and artifacts.”
Jones pulls out all the stops and logically takes you through the evidence for why he thinks the Bible is trustworthy. The book has facts and figures, names of old and tables of stats, it has all the academic research of a doctorate but it’s written in an easy and readable way.
Keep reading... https://achalmersblog.com/2020/06/02/...
There are many people today who have been brought up in the church, they’ve been taught the Bible from an early age and that is a wonderful thing! However, one danger is that we might be tempted to disengage our minds and critical thinking when it comes to the Christian faith. Please don’t do that!
In Why Should I Trust the Bible? Timothy Paul Jones tells his own story; how he was raised with many wrong ideas about the Bible and evidence for its trustworthiness. During college Jones spent many hours in the library, he was challenged and started thinking through his faith properly. He wanted to see for himself that the Bible stood up to logic, how christianity dealt with evidence and if the claims of Scripture were true. Maybe that’s you! If it is then this book is for you.
“The words that I’ve penned in these pages are for people who fact-check every claim they see on social media and second-guess almost every story they hear. When it comes to trusting the Bible, this book is for people for whom skepticism has at some point felt more natural than faith”
But how on earth can you answer such a big question in just 200 pages?
“The Bible does not come with empirical proof and it certainly does not come without problems––but is also does not come without evidence. The evidences for the trustworthiness of this text are not scientific but historical. Such evidences do not result in the same type of certainty as scientific experiments or mathematical calculations. What historical evidences provide instead is a reasonable confidence that grows from reconstructions that are cultivated in a seedbed of testimonies and texts, manuscripts and artifacts.”
Jones pulls out all the stops and logically takes you through the evidence for why he thinks the Bible is trustworthy. The book has facts and figures, names of old and tables of stats, it has all the academic research of a doctorate but it’s written in an easy and readable way.
Keep reading... https://achalmersblog.com/2020/06/02/...
March 18, 2023
I liked this book by Dr. Timothy Jones. It is a book suitable for laypeople as well as for pastors and missionaries who seek a short work which gives good evidence for the reliability of the Bible. And, per Dr. Jones's own testimony in chapter one, it is also a book for any who lean toward skepticism and like to "fact check almost everything they read on social media" (page 11). Especially compelling was Dr. Jones's own story of moving from trust in the Bible, through doubt in it's reliability, and back to trust again.
I will recommend this book to some in the church where I pastor who are curious about evidences for the reliability of the Bible; and it is a new addition to my tool pouch to recommend to any who struggle with doubt as to the Bibles trustworthiness; and for those who desire to do more research, there are many references cited which will provide ample additional reading.
I will recommend this book to some in the church where I pastor who are curious about evidences for the reliability of the Bible; and it is a new addition to my tool pouch to recommend to any who struggle with doubt as to the Bibles trustworthiness; and for those who desire to do more research, there are many references cited which will provide ample additional reading.
June 22, 2023
A decent little introduction. Nothing very earthshattering here, but covers some of the historical arguments for Scripture as a reliable eyewitness testimony to the reality of Jesus Christ.
Main emphasis is to eliminate barriers to a non-believer thinking the Scriptures are a plausible source of knowledge. Emphasis on the word "plausible" there. Given Jones' view of apologetics, he is not pretending he will persuade you completely in this book.
Rather he simply hopes to make the Christian claims about Scipture plausible. He employs a lot of legal evidentialism to establish common ground between himself and a skeptic and call them to give the Bible the same kind of treatment they might give other historical artifacts they come across. A simple method but one with some real strengths and does the job for him.
There are better reads out there, especially if you want something a bit more technical. But overall a useful and quick read if you haven't read much on this topic!
Main emphasis is to eliminate barriers to a non-believer thinking the Scriptures are a plausible source of knowledge. Emphasis on the word "plausible" there. Given Jones' view of apologetics, he is not pretending he will persuade you completely in this book.
Rather he simply hopes to make the Christian claims about Scipture plausible. He employs a lot of legal evidentialism to establish common ground between himself and a skeptic and call them to give the Bible the same kind of treatment they might give other historical artifacts they come across. A simple method but one with some real strengths and does the job for him.
There are better reads out there, especially if you want something a bit more technical. But overall a useful and quick read if you haven't read much on this topic!
March 9, 2023
This is the best popular-level treatment of the reliability of the New Testament manuscripts I have yet read. It's clear, concise, and—most importantly—faithful to the data. After years of working at an organization that handles and preserves Greek New Testament manuscripts and being exposed to the scholarship surrounding the topic, I'm used to being discouraged by a lot of the misinformation that's spread when apologists defend the Bible on the popular level. This book does an excellent job fairly representing the facts and data, as well as the opinions from the other side. And even with all that, Jones still manages to do a great job making a compelling case for the reliability of the New Testament text that is concise and should be understandable to a broad audience.
March 30, 2021
Incredibly helpful—especially as he reflected on the wrestling and grappling that took place in his own heart and soul because of the false beliefs and claims that were made on Scripture by well-meaning Pastors.
I found some better grounded hope hidden between the lines of this book. And for that I am extremely grateful.
I found some better grounded hope hidden between the lines of this book. And for that I am extremely grateful.
June 29, 2021
Accessible and helpful argument for the truth of the the Bible. Jones centers his reasoning on the resurrection. If Jesus really rose from the dead, then all his claims were authenticated. This book and “Taking God at His Word” are both easy to read starting points for understanding a Christian defense of the truth of Scripture.
July 27, 2023
Short, helpful overview of the answer to the title’s question: “Why should I trust the Bible?” Opens with the author’s own story of breaking down what he had been taught about the Bible and how he arrived to his conclusions today. Written empathetically especially for skeptics in a conversational tone. Highly recommend.
October 5, 2023
Solid! I like how he led with some analogies and examples before diving into the heavier content. I also enjoyed his sharp yet gentle critique of Ehrman’s work near the end of the book. He doesn’t shy away from some of the tougher questions of textual criticism, and deals very honestly with textual variants, emphasizing that none of them compromise the Bible’s core messages.
July 9, 2024
This book was a concise and easily accessible walkthrough of why the Bible can be trusted and unpacked well much of the textual and historical criticism that has occurred over the years. A helpful read for sure.
February 26, 2021
A lot of overlap here between this work and Jones' other work "How we got the Bible." But it is good, basic, and introductory in mind for answering the title's question.
May 20, 2021
A reasonable defense for why it’s reasonable to trust the Bible as God’s Word.
February 12, 2023
A good resource for those questioning the reliability of the Bible, but for me there was nothing in here I didn't already know
February 24, 2023
Short, honest, easy read for anyone beginning to look into the reliability of Scripture.
October 24, 2023
Solid and engaging apologetic of Scripture.
March 22, 2024
Compelling historical defense of the the authority and inspiration of Scripture, the reality of the resurrection and miracles, and the overall rationality of the Christian Faith.
April 26, 2021
Very good introduction to a vital topic
Timothy Paul Jones has written an excellent defense of the reliability of the Bible. Grounding his apologetic of Scripture on the resurrection of Jesus, Jones does not overreach, claiming more evidence than what is actually there. Rather he makes humble and reasonable assertions. Jones recognizes that not everyone is going to be persuaded by his arguments, but he hopes to make the case for the reasonableness of believing the Bible to be true in what it affirms. Throughout, Jones consistently explains difficult topics in a manner that does not dumb them down. He is candid about some of the difficulties that New Testament scholars face. I would recommend this book to skeptics or any Christian who has questions about the reliability of the Bible.
Timothy Paul Jones has written an excellent defense of the reliability of the Bible. Grounding his apologetic of Scripture on the resurrection of Jesus, Jones does not overreach, claiming more evidence than what is actually there. Rather he makes humble and reasonable assertions. Jones recognizes that not everyone is going to be persuaded by his arguments, but he hopes to make the case for the reasonableness of believing the Bible to be true in what it affirms. Throughout, Jones consistently explains difficult topics in a manner that does not dumb them down. He is candid about some of the difficulties that New Testament scholars face. I would recommend this book to skeptics or any Christian who has questions about the reliability of the Bible.
August 15, 2020
I enjoyed this book because it honestly addresses many of the questions people have about the Bible. The author acknowledges the many questions and perceptions people have about the Bible and builds a strong case for why we should believe the Bible. Even if you are already convinced this is a great book to deepen your understanding of the Bible and the history of how we got to today. If your not convinced the Bible is accurate or true this is very helpful in coming to an understanding about the Bible.
September 9, 2020
Great book
Objectively and accurate insight of the apologetic focus on the defense of Bible credibility. Totally useful. May God uses this resource to encourage many peoples.
Objectively and accurate insight of the apologetic focus on the defense of Bible credibility. Totally useful. May God uses this resource to encourage many peoples.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews