Are the stories in the Bible for real?

on Dec 15, 2025

Daniel in the lion s den with hungry lions surrounding him. Dreamstime/TCA

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Growing up on Bible stories about Daniel in the lion’s den, Noah’s ark and the animals, and the sea rolling back its mighty waters as Israel crossed on dry ground are indelible in my mind, but I realize that these are likely illustrations more than true stories. If I could see something this miraculous, I might believe – but I have to admit, they are sensational. – M.R.

A: We hear stories almost daily of some heroic act; whether it’s someone being rescued from a fire or a flood, or someone pulled from a fiery crash. We praise the rescuers and sigh with relief for the victims wonderfully saved! The outcomes of rescue missions become part of history, even those that happened before we were born. We watch documentaries and movies of mighty battles down through the ages and believe them not because we were there as witnesses; we believe these stories by faith.

Down through the centuries, people haven’t wanted to believe the accounts found in the Bible and have rejected truth. Human nature says, “We weren’t there to witness these things for ourselves. How can we believe such a story that God created man and woman, they disobeyed God, they were tempted by Satan, they chose to believe Satan’s lie over God’s promise, and now all humanity must be saved from sin by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross?”

Whether or not we believe doesn’t change the truth. The problem is that human nature doesn’t exercise faith in the truth of God’s Word. God put within each soul a longing to know Him. But sin is a barrier that keeps us from knowing Jesus as personal Savior and Lord. We’re bound by this barrier of sin unless we are freed from it. This is gloriously accomplished by the saving grace of Jesus Christ (see Ephesians 2:8).

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)