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From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Dear Rev. Graham: My history professor stated that the Bible isn’t a reliable source and will not allow students to use any reference from God’s Word for any assignment. He claims that the writers of the Bible were uneducated and served their own purposes. One student dared to ask him if he’s read the Bible from cover to cover before handing down such an absurdity. He answered that he could not waste precious time on a fraudulent book. — E.B.

Dear E.B.: The Bible’s message is straightforward. No writer changed the message to put himself or his friends in a better light. The sins of mankind are frankly admitted, and life is presented as it actually is.
Critics claim the Bible’s full of forgery, fiction, and unfulfilled prophecy; but the findings of archaeology have corroborated rather than denied the Biblical data.
The Christian faith is not dependent upon human knowledge and scientific advancement. The inability to comprehend fully the mysteries of God doesn’t in any way curtail the Christian faith, but enhances it. The Bible’s the greatest document of the human race, and remains a bulwark of national, personal, and spiritual freedom.
A well-known quote by Yale educator William Lyon Phelps, once called the most beloved professor in America, stated, “I thoroughly believe in a university education for both men and women, but I believe a knowledge of the Bible without a college course is more valuable than a college course without the Bible.” The world has a multitude of people who agree with the famed professor.
The first requirement placed upon the critic is that he or she read every page of the Bible. The critic should also know something of the Bible’s history and the miracle of its writing. Biblical history is fascinating and makes us appreciate the Book, which has been preserved for us to this day.
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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)