"They say it might rain." "They say that new restaurant is pretty good." Who are they? If it's weather, they are probably meteorologists. If movies or books, they might be professional critics, or your friends. Does it matter what they say?

When it comes to movies or books, I often have the opposite opinion of critics. I don't respect their perceptions. But some have proven to share my tastes and standards.

What about you? If you respect certain people you know or know about—who've shown themselves to be knowledgeable or sensible—then their point of view is certainly worth considering.

This applies to the most important book of all—the Bible. While the opinions of other people cannot establish or deny the Bible's validity, it's nevertheless worth knowing what they say about it. I'm a minister, so it's my job to tell you to trust the Bible. But you might value the opinions of others as much, if not more.

Here's a look at what some respected figures from history had to say about the Bible—for all of us to consider.

Literary giants

Charles Dickens penned several classic English novels, including A Tale of Two Cities and Oliver Twist. He said, "The New Testament is the very best book that ever was or ever will be known in the world."

Noah Webster, the one who wrote the dictionary, also wrote, "All the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery, and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible."

Great scientists

Sir Isaac Newton defined basic laws that help us understand the universe. He said: "I have a fundamental belief in the Bible as the Word of God, written by men who were inspired. I study the Bible daily."

Sir William Herschel, the German-born astronomer who discovered the planet Uranus, said, "All human discoveries seem to be made only for the purpose of confirming more and more strongly the truth contained in the Sacred Scriptures."

African-American agricultural scientist George Washington Carver said: "The secret of my success? It is simple. It is found in the Bible, ‘In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths' [Proverbs 3:6]."

Rocket scientist Wernher von Braun, father of the U.S. space program, said: "In this age of space flight, when we use the modern tools of science to advance into new regions of human activity, the Bible … this grandiose, stirring history of the gradual revelation and unfolding of moral law… remains in every way an up-to-date book. Our knowledge and use of the laws of nature that enable us to fly to the moon also enable us to destroy our home planet with the atom bomb. Science itself does not address the question whether we should use the power at our disposal for good or for evil. The guidelines of what we ought to do are furnished in the moral law of God."

Some of America's greatest leaders

The first president of the United States, George Washington, said, "It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible."

The president who led the nation during the American Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, said: "I believe the Bible is the best gift God has given to man. All the good Saviour gave to the world was communicated through this Book. But for this Book we could not know right from wrong."

America's seventh president, Andrew Jackson, said, "That book, Sir, is the Rock upon which our republic rests."

Perhaps the most enthusiastic U.S. president and a prolific author, Theodore Roosevelt wrote, "A thorough understanding of the Bible is better than a college education."

Other notable leaders

Queen Victoria of the British Empire said, "That book accounts for the supremacy of England."

French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte said, "The Bible is no mere book, but a living creature, with a power that conquers all that oppose it."

All these people—and many more—said we should study the Bible and use it as a guide in life. Should we listen to what they tell us? There's good reason to. They were leaders, scientists, educators, thinkers and philosophers who accomplished great things for themselves and for others. Indeed, a great many successful people have had a high regard for the Bible. They tell us to read the Bible. I hope we all recognize this as advice worth heeding.