Uncovering the Reliability of the Bible
As a historical record, the Bible presents itself as a factual account of real events that occurred in the course of time. At its core, Christianity claims that something extraordinary happened – something concrete, real, and historical. But can we trust the Bible as a reliable source of information?
Examining the Historical Documents
One way to approach this question is to examine the New Testament as a collection of historical documents that speak for themselves. Scholars have been working on translating these ancient texts for centuries, and while translation can be challenging, it is possible to achieve accurate and correct communication.
In fact, the vast majority of the New Testament content has been translated with a high degree of confidence, with only a small percentage of content proving difficult to translate. Furthermore, the best Bible translations acknowledge these challenges with footnotes, ensuring that readers are aware of any potential issues.
Reconstructing the Original Text
While the original physical pieces of “paper” on which the New Testament authors wrote have been lost to history, we have thousands of other ancient writings that contain original-language text copied from each book of the Bible. These 5,400 distinct pieces, many of which date back to the first three centuries, allow us to reconstruct the original text with a high degree of confidence.
In comparison, other ancient texts like Julius Caesar’s Gallic Wars have far fewer readable copies, with the earliest dating back 900 years after Caesar’s time. This highlights the remarkable stability and reliability of the New Testament text.
Verifying the Accuracy of the Text
By comparing ancient copies of New Testament content with each other, scholars have found a remarkably stable history of copy-making. While there are some genuine doubts about the original text in a few passages, the vast majority of variations are minor and do not affect our understanding of the Bible’s meaning.
Evaluating Alternative Accounts
Some may wonder if other “Gospels” exist that tell a different but equally reliable story about Jesus. However, the only Christian books dated confidently to the first century are the ones that make up the New Testament. Books that departed significantly from New Testament teaching did not appear until about 100 years later.
Assessing the Reliability of the Authors
The New Testament authors included verifiable details of real, historical facts in their narratives, making it clear that they were not writing fiction or perpetrating a hoax. They obviously believed that what they wrote really happened, and their writings are not hopelessly confused, contradictory, or filled with errors.
Addressing Skepticism and Contradictions
Despite scorching criticism from skeptics, every alleged contradiction, inconsistency, and error in the Bible has been met with plausible resolutions after patient study. This demonstrates that the Bible is a reliable historical record of what the authors believe happened.
The Miracle of the Resurrection
One miracle in particular stands out – the resurrection of Jesus. If biblical writers were genuinely mistaken about this event, it is unlikely they were right about much else. However, careful historical analysis reveals that what happened at Jesus’ tomb could not have been a “near death” experience, hoax, or mass hallucination.
The Implications of the Resurrection
Because of the resurrection, Christians believe what Jesus said, and since Jesus endorsed the entire Old Testament and authorized the entire New Testament, Christians believe these writings are reliable and true. Ultimately, deciding whether the Bible is reliable is just a means toward a more important question: Is Jesus reliable?
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