Why Is the Bible Different from Other Religious Books?

Many religions have books that claim to contain truth about their god (or gods). What makes the Bible different from other religious books?

The Bible never tries to defend itself as the truth from God. It simply says that it is (Psalms 119:160; Proverbs 30:5; John 17:17). The Bible consistently says that God doesn’t lie (Titus 1:2) and that the Bible is from God (2 Timothy 3:16). We know God’s Word is true because it came from God who is the very standard of truth. Without God, who is the truth, truth can’t exist.

So how do we know other religious writings aren’t from God? Well, they say things that go against what we read in the Bible, so we know they can’t be true. For example, the Koran (the Muslim holy book) says that God has no son (Sura 4:171, 23:91), but the Bible says Jesus is God’s only begotten son (John 3:16). And the Book of Mormon (a religious writing of the Mormon religion) says that children aren’t sinners (Moroni 8:8), but the Bible says we all are sinners—even children (Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:23). Because the Bible is our foundation for truth, we know anything that contradicts (goes against) the Bible isn’t true.

The Bible is the truth by which we test claims from other religions. As an example of the truth of God’s Word, the Bible is also the only book that contains hundreds of fulfilled prophecies (predictions about the future that came true). No other religious book can make this claim. Because God (and only God) knows and controls the future, all of His prophecies are correct.

Most important, only the Bible offers the free gift of salvation. We don’t earn salvation from our sins—it is a free gift from God (Ephesians 2:8). In every other religion and religious book, people must work to earn salvation or a reward. The Bible’s message is totally unique!