THE TESTIMONY OF THE BIBLE TO ITSELF
By Ellet Joseph Waggoner
Some persons object that what the Scriptures say as regards their inspiration is not proper evidence—that we ought rather to have outside testimony concerning the Scriptures. It is true that, ordinarily, in the case of a man, his own testimony concerning himself is not conclusive; but it is not so in the case of the Bible. We must either take its testimony concerning its own inspiration, or else reject it entirely. He who doubts its testimony on this point will doubt it upon every point. Accepting the Bible as a book10of truth, we must necessarily accept all that it says of itself. We know that it speaks the truth when it tells us about ourselves, therefore we accept its testimony as true when it speaks of itself. The woman of Samaria said, “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did; is not this the Christ?” So we know that the testimony of the Bible is the testimony of that same one. The Pharisees found fault with Christ because he said, “I am the light of the world.” They said: “Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. Jesus answered and said unto them; though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true; for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye can not tell whence I come, and whither I go. . . . It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.” John 8: 13-18. The Pharisees could not see the Father, and therefore they would not accept Christ’s testimony concerning himself. If they had believed Jesus, they would have known that his testimony was true. It is by faith that we understand. He who believes has evidence of the strongest kind. He who believes God’s word, accepting it not as the word of man, but as it is indeed, the word of God, knows that the Spirit of God is witnessing through it. There is sufficient evidence to enable anybody to accept the Bible as the word of God; but the strongest evidence of all comes to the man after he has believed. This evidence can never be exhausted or measured, but becomes stronger the longer it is considered.