As you know, I’ve decided to write a series on “Why I Come From A Christian Perspective.”

In this article, I’d like to share the third answer that comes to mind:

The Bible – which includes the story of Jesus (main focus of last article)- is unique among all books in its reliability and widespread impact in history, culture, and even civilization.

Again, my goal here is not to be exhaustive but to share some well-known facts (which chatGPT helped learn or remind of):

The Bible was written over approximately a 1500-year period and has 40 different authors and yet has an amazingly cohesive story – the story of God’s relationship with and love for mankind.

There is no book that has more manuscript copies in antiquity than the Bible, easily passing classics such as the “Iliad,” “Gallic Wars,” and other notable works of literature. While the Old Testament copies number around 2,500 copies, the New Testament has possibly more than 25,000 copies.

The Bible is the best-selling book of all time and has unparallel impacts on art, music, literature, law, education, science, human rights movements, culture, and western civilization (for ex – a number of the founding fathers were strong Christians). It’s also the most translated book ever.

There is a lot of archeological evidence supporting real historical figures and places in the Bible. And there continue to be discoveries in this area which I find fascinating.

The Old Testament contains a number of prophecies, many of which were fulfilled by Jesus many, many years later.

Other interesting things I’ve observed and thought about over the years that has to do with Jesus – one of the the main and central characters in the Bible.

How we reference the year is based upon the birth of none other than Jesus Christ. Apparently in 525 AD, Dionysius introduced the A.D. designation (“Anno Domini” = “In the Year of our Lord”) to start the calendar based upon the birth of Jesus. And later in the 700’s AD, an English monk established the B.C. designation (“Before Christ”) to count the years prior to the birth of Christ. (it’s like we’re literally referring indirectly to Christ every time we mention what year we are in!).

People – whether in real life or movies – often mention the name “Jesus” or “Jesus Christ” as a swear word or exclamation when they experience something shocking or are angry or emotional. I’ve never heard people reference any other name like this and I just find it interesting that people would use the name of the Lord so much – even if in an inappropriate way (almost like the human soul knows there’s something unique about Jesus!).

In summary, the Bible – which houses and indeed highlights the story of Jesus Christ – is an incredibly well-preserved collection of books that is unique in its reliability, impact, and influence throughout history.

And since the Bible is central to our understanding of the universe and of Jesus, that’s Reason #3 that I come from a Christian perspective.

Let’s thrive together!