Expert: Dean Gade - 9/16/2009

Question
Dear Dean, I chanced upon you site while searching answers to questions I  had about the Bible.I am a somewhat of a hard to convince, take nothing for what is seems,kind of guy..and need to do a lot of research before accepting anything this deep. Yet, I feel something is missing in me..I do not feel,whole,complete..know what I mean...I want to believe, I want to worship..but just can't seem to convince myself to act because of the several questions I have...There are preachers in my community who have more or less learnt the bible by heart and quote verses left, right and center...but delve a little deep and they are foxed. My question to you is 'is there a comprehensive, complete book/source that has researched the origins and authenticity of the Bible and its contents

Answer
No, I'm quite sure that no such book exists that you ask about. Any such book that would claim that it is, "a comprehensive, complete book/source that has researched the origins and authenticity of the Bible and its contents" would be very suspect as having a strong bias one way or the other.

We are now almost 2,000 years since the last addition was made to the Bible. If any such book had been written in the past, I would know of it. And any such book written in the present time would only be assumptions of the author(s) and without any proof of authenticity for itself.

The claim of the Bible itself is that it was written by God through people that He chose to write and sustain it.  If that is false, then there is little value in reading it as anything other than faulty mysticism and legend with a bit of historical fact.

It is a "spiritual" book.  Given by the Spirit of God and its real meaning understood only through the Spirit of God.  That is, its purpose and power will only be effective in a person by faith and not by human logic or reason.
It does say this of itself also:

1 Co 2:10-3:1
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.   14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment:
16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?"
But we have the mind of Christ.
NIV

1 Co 1:20-25
20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
NIV

This leaves only one option if believing and understanding the Bible is the goal:  to just go to God and ask Him to reveal His word as it is read.  If this is done in sincerity, it is amazing how clear the things of God get.

The word "spook" has long been associated with a "spirit" and I do admit that this sounds "spooky"...and in a sense, it is because it is His Spirit that does the work in our minds.

Ro 1:16-17
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."
NIV

Blessing to you.