WHAT exactly did the apostle Paul mean when he said that the Bible is “inspired of God”? (2 Timothy 3:16) Paul, writing in the Greek language, used a word that literally means “God-breathed.” By that, Paul meant that God by means of his holy spirit guided the Bible writers to write only what He wanted them to write.

These Bible writers “spoke from God as they were borne along by holy spirit,” said the apostle Peter.  (2 Peter 1:21) Hence, the apostle Paul could also describe the books of the Bible as “holy writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through the faith in connection with Christ Jesus.”​—2 Timothy 3:15.

Many people strongly dispute that God is the author of the Bible. Critics​—often with what archaeologist Sir Charles Marston described as a “contemptuous disregard of the Bible narrative”—​have made virulent attacks on the Bible’s integrity. Some dismiss it as being no more than “an old collection of myths and fairy-tales.”

So can the Bible be trusted? It is important that you decide correctly on this matter. Why? Because if the Bible does contain communication from God himself, it would be foolish​—if not fatal—​to ignore it. The extent to which you let it be a real influence in guiding your actions and forming your beliefs will be greatly diminished if you view it simply as the words of men rather than the Word of God.​—1 Thessalonians 2:13.

How can you decide? Well, how do you decide whether to trust people you meet? One thing is sure. It is very difficult to have real trust in anyone about whom you know very little. Only as you get to know people well do you learn over time if they are truly honest and trustworthy. You can get to know the Bible in the same way. Do not accept without question speculative or even prejudiced theories that undermine confidence in the Bible. Take the time to consider the evidence that supports the Bible’s claim to be “inspired of God.”

Do not be put off by the fact that even some who describe themselves as “friends” of the Bible attack its authenticity and  reliability. Today, most Bible commentators, although claiming to be Christian, “will only speak of Scripture as a human record,” says the New Dictionary of Theology.

Many theologians challenge the authorship of the books of the Bible. Some say, for example, that the prophet Isaiah did not write the book of Isaiah. This Bible book, they say, was written long after Isaiah’s time. The Concise Bible Commentary, by Lowther Clarke, contends that it is “the product of many minds and many generations.” But such assertions ignore that Jesus Christ and his disciples repeatedly credit Isaiah with writing this book.​—Matthew 3:3; 15:7; Luke 4:17; John 12:38-41; Romans 9:27, 29.

Even worse, critics of the Bible, such as commentator J. R. Dummelow, say that the prophecies found in the book of Daniel “are really past history thrown by the author into the guise of ancient prediction.” Once again, in saying so, they ignore the testimony of Jesus Christ himself. Jesus warned of what he called “the disgusting thing that causes desolation, as spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in a holy place.” (Matthew 24:15) Is it reasonable for a Christian to believe that Jesus Christ himself would have been party to deception​—that he would have supported history disguised as prophecy? Surely not.

“But does it really make any difference who wrote the books of the Bible?” you might ask. Yes, it makes a huge difference. What weight would you give to a document that purported to be the last will and testament of a friend if it turned out that he had not, in fact, written it? Suppose experts told you that it was a forgery​—that well-meaning associates had written down what they believed were the wishes of your friend. Would that not devalue the document? Could you have real confidence that it truly conveyed the wishes of your friend?

It is the same with the Bible. No wonder so many people​—even those who profess to be Christian—​feel free to ignore what it says on subjects like honesty, sexual morality, and so forth. How often have you heard people disparagingly say things like, “Oh, but that is in the Old Testament!”​—as if that means it is of little real value. And this despite the fact that the apostle Paul described the so-called Old Testament as “the holy writings” that were “inspired of God.”

“Surely you cannot simply disregard the evidence of all experts and scholars,” you may protest. Of course not! We are indebted, for example, to honest scholarship that has helped us to identify the original text of the Bible. Clearly, minor mistakes did creep into the text of the Bible as it was copied and recopied over the centuries. Remember, though: There is a big difference between recognizing that minor mistakes crept into copies of  the Bible text and dismissing the whole Bible as a human fabrication.

Just prior to saying that the Bible was inspired by God, Paul told Timothy why such an inspired record was essential. “In the last days,” he said, “wicked men and impostors will advance from bad to worse, misleading and being misled.” (2 Timothy 3:1, 13) Already in Paul’s day, seemingly ‘wise and intellectual men’ were using “persuasive arguments” to delude people and weaken their faith in Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:18, 19; Colossians 2:4, 8) As a protection from their influence, the apostle Paul urged Timothy to ‘continue in the things that he had learned from infancy through the holy writings’ provided by God.​—2 Timothy 3:14, 15.

It is equally important for you to do that during these “last days.” Do not underestimate the danger of being misled by what are often very “persuasive arguments” presented by very clever people. Rather, like the first-century Christians, protect yourself by completely relying on what you learn from the pages of the Bible​—truly the inspired Word of God.

Jehovah’s Witnesses will be happy to help you to build faith in the Bible. They can show you, for example, how Bible principles have proved to be absolutely dependable throughout history; how the Bible is in agreement with science when it touches on scientific matters; how it is entirely harmonious from beginning to end; how its prophecies have unerringly come true​—and much, much more. If you wish, feel free to write to the publishers of this magazine for information that has helped millions of honesthearted people to see that the Bible really is the Word of God.