In his book Coronavirus and Christ, John Piper explains how we can know that the Scriptures (the Bible) is genuinely from God and really does speak the truth to us. The following is a brief extract which, I hope, should encourage us to read the Bible for ourselves...

There is a divine glory that shines through the Scriptures that fits perfectly with the God-shaped template in your heart. In that way, it authenticates the truth and value of the Bible. Yes, I do believe that there is a God-shaped template—a kind of indirect knowledge of God—in every human soul. The Bible puts it like this. Speaking of all humanity, it says, “What can be known about God is plain to them. . . . Although they knew God, they did not honor him as God” (Rom. 1:19, 21). The Bible teaches that this knowing in every soul makes us all responsible to see the glory of God in nature. In the same way, we are also responsible to see the glory of God in Jesus through his word. “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Ps. 19:1). We are obliged to see it and give thanks. So also the Son of God displays the glory of God. And we are responsible to see it and worship. The apostle John says, “We have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father” (John 1:14). This is the self-authenticating glory that shines from God’s word and gives us a warranted, well-grounded foundation for believing that the Christian Scriptures are from God.

The way we come to know the glory of God in Scripture is similar to the way we know that honey is honey. Science and technology may say that this jar contains honey because of chemical experiments—just like biblical scholars can argue compellingly that the Bible is historically reliable. But most people are not scientists or scholars. We know that this is honey because we taste it.

Similarly, there is a divine sweetness in the glory of God in the message of the Bible. It touches a part of us that we know was put there by God. “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Ps. 119:103). “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Ps. 34:8). This is a real seeing and tasting. It is not make believe. It sees and tastes what is really there.