The Old Testament books (OT) were written approximately during the period 1400 BC to 400 BC. The New Testament books (NT) were written approximately from 40 AD to 78 AD.

As of date, over 1,900 years have passed since God’s last revelation to us was recorded.

During this time, the Bible has been meticulously copied and preserved. However, as with any ancient texts, the original manuscripts—those written directly by the authors—have not survived. This has led some skeptics to question the authenticity and reliability of the Bible we have today.

So has the Bible been divinely preserved? Let us look at some facts to determine this. When God initially inspired men to write His word, it was God-breathed and inerrant.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV)

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The Bible nowhere applies this verse to the copies made of the original manuscripts. As meticulous as the scribes were replicating the scriptures, no one is perfect. Despite this, the process of copying these manuscripts by scribes, though prone to minor human errors, has largely maintained the integrity of the Bible’s core message. These minor discrepancies are primarily spelling errors or pen slips, common in hand-copied documents.

It must be noted that these are minor copyist errors and do not undermine the Bible. It is widely accepted (even among unbiased scholars) that despite minor differences in the Bible over the centuries, it has been remarkably well preserved. Even after 1,000 years of copying, there are no changes in the meaning of the text and almost no changes in the wording.

Even many hardened skeptics and critics of the Christian faith admit that the Bible has been transmitted over the centuries far more accurately than any other ancient document.

In addition, there is no evidence that the Bible has been revised, edited, or tampered with in any systematic manner. Any attempt to distort God’s Word is easily recognizable due to the sheer number of biblical manuscripts available.

In addition, various Bible copies dating to the 14th century AD had nearly identical content to those from the 3rd century AD. Moreover, with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls (copies of the Old Testament manuscripts dating to at least 150 BC), scholars were shocked to see how similar they were to other ancient texts of the Old Testament.

So, can we trust the Bible? Yes! God has preserved His Word despite the accidental faults and deliberate attacks of human beings. Because of this, we can be assured that the Bible we have today is a highly reliable copy of the original written by the prophets and apostles. There is no doubt that the Bible is God’s Word.