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I know the Bible is God’s Word. But what about the reliability of the Bible as ancient literature? How can we be sure we have what God originally gave us?
Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35). Jesus’ words will go on forever. He promised to give us that Word: “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26). We have the Holy Spirit’s reminder in the Bible! We can be sure because God promised we would have his Word.
Historically impeccable
When compared to other ancient documents, the Bible shows itself as the most reliable. Wherever the Bible can be tested in these areas, it has passed with flying colors. Even when some think that they have found an inconsistency, further evidence verifies the biblical record.
In addition, dozens of outside historical sources speak about Jesus from within 150 years of his life. This list of sources includes non-Christian historians like the Roman Tacitus and the Jewish historian Josephus. They wrote within a generation of Jesus, and neither of them had a pro-Christian agenda. They simply recorded the historical facts about Jesus. Their writings confirm the facts we find in the Bible.
Reliable copies
Some say that we cannot be sure of what the Bible says because we only have copies of copies. However, this same objection could be made of any ancient manuscript. The scribes were incredibly careful when copying the biblical manuscripts.
The scribes were known as the sopherim, which means “counters.” Why? Because they counted the number of letters in their copy of a scroll, and if it did not add up to the correct number, they burned the scroll. Why did they burn it? Because they wanted to preserve the message just as it was written.
What about mistakes in copying that made it through the counting? In the great majority of the cases, the original reading can easily be identified. For example, if I am dictating a letter to 50 people who are copying it down and 49 copyists record one word while 1 has a different word, which word did I likely say? The word that 49 people copied down. The one variant doesn’t nullify the other 49 copies. So, none of the variant readings affect a single teaching of Scripture.
One compelling illustration of this reliability is the finding of the Isaiah Scroll—one of the Dead Sea Scrolls—at Qumran around 1947. Previous to that find, the most recent complete Isaiah scroll dated from about 900 a.d. That’s 1,600 years after the original writing of Isaiah! The Qumran Isaiah scroll was one thousand years older than that scroll. And do you know what was amazing? Nothing was substantially different between the two! The Qumran scroll verified the text of Isaiah.
Number of manuscripts
Finally, the reason there are so many variant readings is because there are so many more manuscripts than any other ancient document. Julius Caesar’s Gallic Wars have about 10 Latin copies. Plato’s Tetralogies have less than 10 Greek copies. No one doubts whether Plato or Julius Caesar existed or what they wrote. The New Testament has over 20,000 manuscript copies. More copies mean more certainty!
Have a question? Submit it here.
Author: David Scharf
Volume 108, Number 7
Issue: July 2021
- Q&A: What would Jesus think about all the different Christian denominations?
- Q&A: Are there times when it is okay to lie?
- Q&A: What advice does the Bible have for single people?
- Q&A: How do I know I am elected by God?
- Q&A: Why is Pontius Pilate immortalized in our creeds?
- Q&A: How does remembering my baptism help with the guilt I carry?
- Q&A: Do parts of the Bible teach works righteousness?
- Q&A: How can I overcome my struggle with lust and pornography?
- Q&A: How should I help my child struggling with same-sex attraction?
- Q&A: Should Christians pray to saints?
- Q&A: Is anger sinful?
- Q&A: How can parents encourage adult children who wander from the faith?
- Q&A: Does the doxology belong in the Lord’s Prayer?
- Q&A: Is God fair?
- Q&A: When we pray, “Your kingdom come,” what are we praying for?
- Q&A: How can I better manage what God has given me this year so that I glorify him?
- Q&A: What are ways to glorify God besides singing in church?
- Q&A: I have no special gifts, and I mess up all the time. Does God really need me?
- Q&A: How do I overcome the feeling that my life has no purpose and I don’t make a difference?
- Q&A: My friend died and was not a professing Christian. What do I say to the family?
- Q&A: How can my mother and I forgive my father for being unfaithful and causing my parents to divorce?
- Q&A: Why were demon possession, gifts of healing, and gifts of tongues more prevalent in biblical times?
- Q&A: Is Christianity the only religion that gives the certainty of heaven?
- Q&A: If people go to hell, isn’t it their fault because God gave them free will and they rejected him?
- Q&A: Why are the 40 days between Jesus’ resurrection and his ascension important for the disciples and for us?
- Q&A: Can you explain Jesus’ words to the wailing women he met on his way to be crucified?
- Q&A: What if spouses don’t “love” each other anymore?
- Q&A: Is it wrong to have a cross with Jesus’ body on it?
- Q&A: Is our time of grace really unchangeable?
- Q&A: I know that we are saved by grace apart from works, but how can it be that easy?
- Q&A: Are there degrees of glory in heaven as a reward for good works?
- Q&A: Do Lutherans take the Bible literally and teach millennialism?
- Q&A: Are there different interpretations of the Bible?
- Q&A: How can we be sure the Bible includes what God originally gave us?
- Q&A: Why does it seem like Christianity is so negative?
- Q&A: How can I explain how Jesus’ resurrection is possible and if the Bible is reliable?
- Q&A: Is it okay to live together if we are planning to get married?
- Q&A: How is the Bible God’s Word?
- Q&A: Were we “created to make a difference”?
- Q&A: Am I being judgmental if I point out someone’s sin?
- Q&A: Do I need to read the Bible to have a relationship with God?
- Q&A: Can a Christian vote for a political candidate who supports abortion?
- Q&A: Does God really care?
- Q&A: Does it really matter how God made the world?
- Q&A: Does God send people to hell?
- Q&A: Is death natural?
- Q&A: How can I forgive and forget?
- Q&A: Does God help those who help themselves?
- Q&A: How can we say that the Old Testament God is the same as the New Testament God?
- Q&A: Is Jesus the only way to get to heaven?
- Q&A: Doesn’t God want me to be happy?
- Light for our path: Does God hate us?
- Light for our path: What kind of comfort can you give someone when a loved one commits suicide?
- Light for our path: What does a submissive wife in a Christian marriage look like?
- Light for our path: Is it a sin to want to die from a terminal illness?
- Light for our path: What advice can you give about applauding in church?
- Light for our path: Can you please explain Matthew 5:20?
- Light for our path: What is karma?
- Light for our path: Can the devil personally be tempting me and a lot of other people at exactly the same time?
- Light for our path: Does the word Easter refer to Ishtar, the Babylonian fertility goddess?
- Light for our path: What role does emotion play in contrition?
- Light for our path: What does the white stone in Revelation 2:17 mean?
- Light for our path: Is the cross symbol now anti-Christian?
- Light for our path: Were Joseph and Mary engaged or married when Joseph learned of Mary’s pregnancy?