Famous atheist Richard Dawkins in his book, The God Delusion, argues that science proves things by an appeal to evidence, whereas faith is simply “blind trust, in the absence of evidence." I recently heard him say in a debate that if you have evidence, there is no need for faith. Such a statement is either a gross misunderstanding of biblical faith or a deliberate attempt to misrepresent Christianity. We understand that faith means trust, and trust requires evidence in order to believe and act in faith. Even Dawkins would require some form of evidence before trusting someone with his children. To say that faith is “blind” is simply a false statement.

When it comes to Scripture, do we believe the Bible is the Word of God on the basis of “blind faith?” Skeptics would say that believing the veracity, inspiration, and authority of the Scriptures simply because the Bible says it's true is circular reasoning. So no, we do not believe the Bible is God’s Word on this basis alone. We believe it on the basis of sound evidence.

What evidence is there that would lead one to believe the Bible is divinely inspired and authoritative in all matters of faith and practice? We could argue on the basis of historicity, that the biblical record of history is true. We might also argue on the basis of the Scripture’s incredible unity: forty different writers over a period of fifteen centuries formed a perfectly single narrative. Further, we could say that fulfilled prophecy is evidence of divine inspiration and even its incredible preservation, and so on.

However, there is another type of evidence, often overlooked, that powerfully demonstrates the inspiration and authority of the Bible: Jesus himself. How so? When you consider three important facts about Jesus of Nazareth you are faced with sufficient evidence to believe the Bible is the Word of God.

1) The claims Jesus made about himself.

On numerous occasions Jesus claimed equality with God. He often referred to himself as the "Son of Man." Before the Sanhedrin, he declared that he was the Messianic figure spoken of by Daniel the prophet and was condemned for blasphemy for it. He said things like, “before Abraham was, I AM,” thus equating himself with the God of the Old Testament.

Within twenty years of his crucifixion, a great following of Jews came to believe he was God in the flesh despite every predisposition to the contrary. So, it’s as C.S. Lewis proposed: Jesus was either a liar, a lunatic or Lord. Both his words and his works testify to the validity of his claims.

2) Jesus' resurrection from the dead substantiated every claim he made about himself.

This is why the resurrection is fundamental to Christianity and is what Paul characterized as “of first importance.” The evidence for Jesus’ resurrection is threefold: the fact that the tomb was empty, his post resurrection appearances, and the transformation of his followers--who previously had been in hiding but then boldly declared the truth of his rising from the dead.

3) What Jesus taught about the Scriptures.

Jesus often referred to the Old Testament as the Word of God. He used the scriptures to turn back Satan’s temptations. In Mark 7:9-10, Jesus equates God’s commandments with Moses’ writings thus signifying the inspiration of Scripture. Jesus referred to the Genesis account of creation to substantiate God’s institution of marriage. Further, in referring to the Old Testament, he declared the “scriptures cannot be broken.” (John 10:35)

Taken together, these three things provide solid evidence that the Bible is the inspired, infallible Word of God. So, if you’re ever confronted with the accusation that Christians believe on the basis of faith apart from evidence, share the truth of Jesus Christ. He’s really all the evidence you need.