If the Bible is at the foundation of our beliefs as followers of Jesus, then we must decide if we truly believe that it’s dependable and trustworthy. In this lesson we wrestle with the reasons we can hold that belief—along the way, teenagers will see that Scripture is genuinely trustworthy.
Lesson Objectives
- WHAT: Despite the centuries that have passed since it was written, the Bible remains a trustworthy and reliable book—a book that points us back to Jesus again and again.
- WHY: Young teenagers are entering a season of life when they will examine and question many things they’ve been taught, including their faith and the trustworthiness of Scripture.
- HOW: Students will gain confidence that their faith in Jesus is based on truth, and learn how the Bible is trustworthy.
Primary Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:3-8
Secondary Scriptures: John 10:35 and Galatians 1:11-12
Let’s see what this Scripture and some other verses reveal about our ability to trust the Bible.
1. You can trust the Bible because of eyewitness accounts
What standards must you meet to be considered an “eyewitness” to something?
Often we experience something very differently than others who experienced the very same thing—why is that?
In this passage, the Apostle Paul talks about hundreds of people who saw Jesus after his resurrection—they were eyewitnesses. How much “proof” do you need before you feel convinced about something you didn’t personally eyewitness?
Many eyewitnesses were alive to confirm or disprove the stories and teachings of Jesus. The book of 1 Corinthians was written just a few decades after Jesus’ death and resurrection. This is important because of all those people who had seen the risen Christ. If someone had been exaggerating or lying, the people who were there would have corrected them and told them how it actually happened. Those eyewitnesses believed in Jesus and in the truth of Scripture, which can help us believe it, too.
2. You can trust the Bible because of other evidence
If you hear something from a friend or on social media, how do you decide if it’s believable or true?
Do you find it easy to trust that the Bible is accurate and reliable? Why or why not?
Read the first sentence of John 10:35. Why does it matter that “Scripture cannot be altered”?
Why is it important that the Bible we have today hasn’t been changed over the centuries?
Scholars have found thousands of manuscripts that date back many hundreds or even thousands of years, and those copies are consistent with our Bibles today. We can compare these old manuscripts to our Bibles and see that the message of Scripture has stayed the same. And get this: The different books of the Bible were written over a span of 1,500 years by more than 40 different authors in different places, yet everything in the Bible fits perfectly into place. There’s no way this all happened by chance or coincidence—it’s a divine work. This is yet another piece of evidence for why we can trust the Bible.
3. Jesus points to truth in Scripture
Think about the people you trust most—what makes them trustworthy?
What makes Jesus trustworthy?
Sometimes people we experience as trustworthy say outlandish things—for example, Jesus said he’s the Son of God. What do you know about Jesus that helps you to believe and trust this incredible statement?
If the New Testament is reliable, then Jesus is who he claimed to be—the Son of God—and he actually rose from the dead. And if this is true, then the claims Jesus made about the Old Testament and its reliability must also be true. Over and over Jesus talked about the importance of Scripture and the truth it contains—still another reason we can trust the Bible.
BGroup Questions
- What was the most significant idea we discussed today, and why?
- Today’s conversation was about whether or not the Bible is trustworthy—how did our exploration impact the way you see the Bible?
- If you trust the Bible, what has fueled that trust, and how strong is your trust?
- What’s one challenge that sometimes keep you from reading the Bible? What’s one thing that could help you overcome that challenge?
TAKE ACTION: Memorize this Scripture this week! “Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning” (Galatians 1:11-12).
**Leaders, leave 3-5 minutes for prayer at the end of your group time.
Youth Small Group Series
To fully understand the story of Scripture, we need to start at the beginning. Genesis gives us that window into God’s loving care for his creation and the freedom he gives his children is abundantly clear from the beginning. But Satan had plans to exploit that freedom and replace it with chains. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection reflect God’s full-circle plan to make things right after sin entered the world. When we approach Scripture and human history as a story, it helps us more clearly grasp what God has done and what God is doing today. This series will focus on God’s originally perfect plan, how humanity went off course, and how God is making things right again.
