Has God adequately preserved the Bible?

About the Bible?, All Questions

Has God adequately preserved the Bible?

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Bible,   All Questions

Last Updated

Jan 22, 2025

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The preservation of the Bible is closely tied to the nature of God Himself. Christians believe that God is perfect and if so, the Bible should also be without any imperfection. The question then arises: Would a perfect God who inspired a perfect word,  let it deteriorate over time?

The Bible, as God’s revealed word, is a perfect expression of His mind and will.  It is consistent with God’s nature and power that He would also preserve this revelation for future generations. The idea that God would allow His crucial revelation, especially one so integral to human salvation, to become corrupted over time, is absurd to even think of.

Despite the challenges of textual transmission over centuries, especially before the invention of the printing press, the core message and essential doctrines of the Bible have remained intact. Modern textual criticism has shown that while there are minor variations in the manuscripts, however these do not affect the Bible’s fundamental teachings. The substantial number and quality of New and Old Testament manuscripts available reinforce the confidence that the message we have is the one as revealed to the writers.

In conclusion, considering God’s character and the historical process of textual preservation, there is strong theological and empirical evidence to believe that God has indeed preserved the Bible effectively. This preservation ensures that the Scriptures remains reliable , reflecting God’s unchanging truth.

The preservation of the Bible reflects God's perfect nature and unchanging truth, ensuring that His revealed word remains intact and reliable for all generations.

What does it mean when said “the Bible was “inspired” by God?

About the Bible?, All Questions

What does it mean when said “the Bible was “inspired” by God?

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Bible,   All Questions

Last Updated

Jan 22, 2025

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In order to answer this question, we need to understand the difference between revelation and inspiration. Revelation is the communication of divine truth to man by God; inspiration is the recording of this communication in a reliable way.

During the writing of the Bible, the Holy Spirit exerted a supernatural influence on the writers, ensuring that what they wrote was accurate and reliable. 

2 Peter 1:21 (NKJV)

for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Paul also affirmed this concept to Timothy by stating that the scriptures were literally “God-breathed”;

2 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV)

All scripture is given by inspiration of God (or God-breathed), and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

As Peter understood it (2 Peter 1:21), prophecies of scripture are not the result of human initiative or human will, but are the result of the Holy Spirit working supernaturally through holy men of God.

Inspiration does not mean that God dictated His messages word for word to those who wrote the Bible. Rather, the Holy Spirit conveyed God’s exact words through human writers by guiding their thoughts, desires, and language, ensuring that what they wrote was precisely what God intended.

In the same way that a ship is guided to its destination by the wind, the Holy Spirit moved the human authors of Scripture to accurately convey God’s message.

By combining His sovereign will with the writers’ unique styles, vocabularies, and experiences, the Spirit of God filled the minds, souls, and hearts of the Bible writers, guiding them to produce a perfect and inerrant text.

The phrase “breathed out by God” is an important expression of divine inspiration, meaning that God is the source and ultimate author of scripture. 

Though written by human authors, the scriptures have the full weight of His authority; the Bible is God’s inerrant word from start to finish.

Most importantly, the Greek term “theopneustos,” translated as “breathed out by God,” refers to all of scripture and not just portions of it. In other words, the totality of the canon of scripture, down to the individual words themselves, was given by God and, therefore, is entirely true.

We also learn from scripture (2 Peter 1:20–21) that when the Holy Spirit of God used men to write the Word of God, He did not erase their natural characteristics but, in His Providence, prepared the writers for the task of developing the Scriptures. Each writer maintained their own distinctive style and vocabulary, as they wrote out of their special set of circumstances that were guided by the Spirit to bring about the miracle of the scripture.

Sometimes God told the Bible writers the exact words to say (e.g., Jer. 1:9), but more often, He used their minds, vocabulary, and experiences to produce His own perfect, infallible, inerrant Word (1 Thess. 2:13; Heb. 1:1; 2 Pet. 1:20, 21). 

In conclusion, God’s perfect and complete revelation of the Bible reveals the glorious character of its author. Because He is a God of truth, His Word is infallible. Because He cannot lie, His Word is inerrant. Because He is the King of kings, His Word is absolute and supreme.

Scriptures speak with His authority, and certainly there can be no more reliable source of truth. 

The totality of Scripture, from beginning to end, is 'God-breathed,' carrying the full weight of His authority, infallibility, and inerrancy, as the Holy Spirit guided human authors to convey His perfect truth.

Dead Sea scrolls

About the Bible?, All Questions

What are the dead sea scrolls?

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Bible,   All Questions

Last Updated

Jan 23, 2025

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One of the most significant discoveries of the 20th century was the discovery of the dead sea scrolls. As a result of this discovery, we were able to authenticate many of the Bible’s stories and events.

The discovery of the dead sea scrolls matters because it gets to the heart of the question of whether we can genuinely trust the Bible as we have it today.

Dead Sea scrolls were discovered in 1947 by three Bedouin shepherds exploring a mountainous area near Qumran (about 20 miles east of Jerusalem, on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea).  

When one of the shepherds threw a rock into a cave, they heard pottery shatter and decided to explore it further. Next morning, one of the cousins climbed into the cave and found the jar shattered and a bunch of scrolls inside. He was disappointed to come across a few ancient manuscripts; however, he had no idea that these scrolls would be worth millions and would turn the archaeological and biblical world upside down.

The rock they had thrown hit a ceramic pot containing leather and papyrus scrolls that were later determined to be nearly 20 centuries old.  

In the years following the discovery of the dead sea scrolls, archaeologists have found at least 11 caves with more than 1,000 different complete manuscripts or scrolls. 

Essentially, they discovered an ancient library of books that provided a glimpse into the first century and earlier. These writings were done between 250 BC, before the time of Christ, and 64 AD, before the Romans came in and destroyed everything in Jerusalem. While many of these writings were just personal notes for the community, there were also actual Biblical books among them. That is, every biblical book of the Old Testament except Ester was found in whole or, in some cases, partial copies.  

One of the most significant Biblical discoveries was the Great Isaiah scroll (which prophesies Jesus’ coming and accounts of His crucification). The reason it is essential is that this scroll dates to about 125 BC, about a century and a quarter before Jesus was born. Before this finding, the only copy of Isaiah we had in its entirety was a version dated to 1008 AD.  

The scroll was further tested by historians against the copy written a thousand years after Christ’s death in order to determine if there were any changes made. They found that the two documents were virtually identical with only a couple of spelling / grammatical mistakes, which is expected as they had been copied by hand over millennia. In totality, this shows how much care Jewish scholars took when copying the word of God. 

Dead sea scrolls offer assurance to those reading the Bible today that the scribes weren’t just changing things at random. Rather, the Jewish scholars made sure that the scriptures were carefully copied. 

The dead sea scrolls finding is one of the many reasons why we can trust that the Bible we have today has not been manipulated or tampered with.

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls confirms the Bible's authenticity, showing that its texts were meticulously preserved over centuries, providing powerful evidence that the Scriptures we have today remain trustworthy and unchanged.

What about the apocryphal books?

About the Bible?, All Questions

What about the apocryphal books?

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Bible,   All Questions

Last Updated

Jan 22, 2025

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It is common knowledge that the Catholic Bibles differ from Protestant Bibles. It is because the Roman Catholic Bible contains seven additional books.

These seven books (written during four-hundred-year period between the Old Testament and New Testament) are referred to as the Apocrypha (meaning “hidden” or “doubtful”) because of their questionable authenticity and authority.

The Protestant Bible lines up with what the Jews considered the complete Old Testament. However, the Roman Catholic church added seven books to the Old Testament at the Council of Trent (AD 1545–1563). This was a period when Catholic doctrines were being questioned, and the Apocrypha was seen as supporting some of the traditions practiced by the Roman Catholic Church, such as prayers for the dead (Mac 12:45).

There are several reasons why Protestants do not consider these books canonical, which are summarized below:

      • No New Testament writer quoted from any of these books as Scripture or even considered them inspired, though they often quoted from other Old Testament books.
      • These books were virtually ignored by Jesus and the disciples, which they would not have done if they considered them to be inspired by God.
      • As early as AD 90, the Jewish Council of Jamnia rejected the Apocrypha as Scripture. Additionally, most church fathers of the first four centuries of Christian history rejected these books as inspired.
      • The Apocryphal books were written between 250 BC and the first century AD. However, according to Judaism, by about 400 BC, the Spirit of prophecy had departed from Israel.
      • The Apocrypha contains clear historical errors, such as the assumption that Sennacherib was the son of Shalmaneser instead of Sargon II (see Tobit 1:15).
      • As opposed to many biblical books, none of the Apocryphal books claim to be inspired by God.
      • Unlike the Old and New Testament books, the Apocrypha contains no predictive prophecy.
      • Apocryphal books were emphatically rejected by Jerome, the famous Roman Catholic scholar (lived around AD 420) who translated the Latin Vulgate Bible.
      • They were not written by the apostles whose names the books bear since the apostles died in the first century.
      • There are many errors in doctrine and heresies in them.
      • Apocryphal books contain doctrines that contradict the inspired scriptures. For example, 2 Maccabees 12:43–45 teaches the efficacy of prayers and offerings for the dead. Ecclesiasticus 3:30 teaches that alms-giving atones for sin and justifies cruelty to slaves (33:26, 28).

Furthermore, the Roman Catholic church’s acceptance of these books in AD 1546 is also unjustified for the following reasons:

      • They were the wrong group to make this decision i.e., New Testament Christians (in 1500 AD) whereas it was the Jews who were entrusted with the oracles of God as per Romans 3:1-2;
      • It took place at the wrong time (16th Century AD), and
      • It was done for the wrong reasons in response to the Reformation.

The Apocryphal books, added to the Roman Catholic Bible in the 16th century, were rejected by Protestants due to historical inaccuracies, lack of prophetic inspiration, and contradictions with Scripture, affirming the 66 books of the Protestant Bible as the true canon.

Is there enough textual evidence for the New Testament?

About the Bible?, All Questions

Is there enough textual evidence for the New Testament?

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Bible,   All Questions

Last Updated

Jan 22, 2025

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In comparison with other ancient writings, the New Testament has significantly more textual evidence in its favor. Despite its age, the Bible has maintained remarkable accuracy and clarity in transmission largely due to its careful preservation and widespread circulation.

As a result, it has become one of the most reliable ancient documents in existence.

The Bible was written between 30 and 60 years after Christ’s death and during the lifetime of His apostles’ and followers’ lives. This means that the Bible was written by people who lived close to the time of Jesus and had direct knowledge of his life, teachings, and ministry.

This close proximity to Jesus’ life ensures the reliability of the gospel accounts. The earliest manuscript copy available, the John Rylands Papyrus (P52), dates to about 95-120 years after Jesus’ death.

This timeframe helps to ensure the accuracy of the Scriptures, since there were still people still alive during that period who would have been able to dispute any inaccuracies.

Moreover, since there is an exorbitant amounts of copies (about 24000 manuscripts) available, anyone trying to alter/modify any Bible verses would have found it extremely difficult. Additionally, this number of textual evidence far exceeds that of any other ancient document, allowing for extensive cross-checking and verification of the text’s consistency and accuracy.

Another significant aspect of textual evidence comes from lectionaries and the extensive quotations of the New Testament in the writings of the early Church Fathers. The wealth of these quotations is so extensive that the New Testament could nearly be reconstructed from them alone.

In conclusion, the textual evidence for the New Testament is overwhelmingly supportive. Its early manuscript evidence, the vast number of copies, and the detailed preservation in lectionaries and Church Fathers’ writings all contribute to its reliability as God’s Word. This makes the New Testament one of the most well-supported and credible documents from antiquity.

The Bible is God’s word, and we can trust it to be accurate.

Refer to the chart below for a comparison of the New Testament scriptures with other ancient manuscripts. (This chart was adapted from “Evidence that Demands a Verdict” by Josh McDowell, 1979, pages 42 and 43.)

The New Testament's unmatched manuscript evidence and preservation affirm its accuracy and trustworthiness as God's Word.

Do the Old Testament laws still apply to Christians today?

About the Bible?, All Questions

Do the Old Testament laws still apply to Christians today?

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Bible,   All Questions

Last Updated

Jan 23, 2025

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The question of whether Christians should adhere to Old Testament (OT) laws is often debated. Many progressive Christians completely disregard the OT laws in favor of those more commonly accepted today. Additionally, there are laws in the OT that many legalist preachers have used to burden their congregations.

However, we need to carefully understand and examine the laws and whether they are binding to Christians today and what purpose do they serve if they are. Now, in order to determine if these OT laws apply to Christians today, scholars have divided them into three categories: civil law, ceremonial law, and moral law.

Ceremonial Law: 

Reason for?

Explicitly related to Israel’s worship:

      • Like the offering animal sacrifices.
      • Circumcision.

What about it now?

      • Its primary purpose was to point toward Jesus Christ; these laws are no longer necessary after Jesus’ death and resurrection, as we now have direct access to the Father.
      • While we are no longer bound by the ceremonial laws, the principles behind them to worship and love a holy God still apply.
      • The Pharisees often accused Jesus of violating the ceremonial law.

Civil Law: 

Reason for?

A guide for daily living in the days of Israel:

      • Like the requirement of wearing cross-fiber clothing.
      • Men commanded not to cut their hair.

    What about it now?

        • Society and culture in the modern world today are so radically different from the days of Israel, these guidelines cannot be explicitly followed.
        • However, the principles behind these commands are timeless and should guide our conduct.
        • Jesus demonstrated these principles by example through His daily living and conduct while on earth.

    The Mortal Law: 

    Reason for?

    They are direct commands from God, such as the 10 Commandments.

    What about it now?

        • These direct commands from God require strict obedience.
        • The moral law reveals the nature and the will of God, and it still applies today.
        • Jesus obeyed the moral law completely.

    The segregation of Jewish law into different classes is a concept created by scholars in order to gain a deeper understanding of God’s reason / motive behind these laws.

    While not all applicable the OT laws are still valuable for Christians as a source of moral instruction and wisdom. While ceremonial and civil laws had specific applications for Israel, moral laws have ongoing relevance. For instance, most of the Ten Commandments are reiterated in the New Testament, demonstrating their continued importance.

    It’s important to remember that the law we have today isn’t necessarily a bad thing; rather it serves three glorious purposes:

        • It is a reflection of who God is
        • A guide to what God expects of us and from us
        • A mirror to see how well we measure up against God’s standards.

    The law reveals our shortcomings, and since we are unable to achieve its standards, it enables us to focus on looking onto Christ, who became the fulfillment of the law.

    Jesus Christ not only raised the standards of the law to a higher level, He also showed that only He could fulfill them.

    Matthew 5:17 (NKJV)

    Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

    The fulfillment of Jesus’ claim in the above verse is seen as completing the law’s spiritual purpose rather than negating its moral principles. Christians, therefore, are not bound by the ceremonial and civil laws specific to Israel but are guided by the moral laws which reflect God’s enduring character.

    In conclusion, while Christians are not under the Old Testament as a legal system for salvation, the moral aspects of the law continue to provide ethical guidance. The ceremonial and civil laws, while not directly applicable, offer valuable historical and theological insights. The Old Testament remains a crucial part of Christian scripture, illuminating the path to understanding God’s plan and character.

    While Christians are not bound by Old Testament ceremonial or civil laws, its moral laws remain a guide to God’s character and ethical standards, fulfilled and exemplified in Jesus Christ.

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