The Bible claims its own authenticity and inspiration. Christians believe it, they have faith that it is true.

But if that's all you have, what distinguishes it from another religious book that has the same characteristics.

I don't think it's good enough to just believe the Bible. It has to be true for it to be worth believing in, and it claiming to be true and us believing it is not good enough...I don't think. At least my mind balks at such a suggestion. How do you defend that in the open market of ideas? Christianity should be defensible intellectually, and to say that it's true because it claims it is and I believe it doesn't seem defensible.

You know?

It is defensible in the open market of ideas, I firmly believe, because it is the truth. It is. Christ died and conquered death, that's a verifiable fact. And that right there is where to start in thinking about the authenticity of the Bible. Prophecy and archaeology are right there too, supporting what Scripture says.