How reliable is the Bible of today ?

We have seen that the original gospels were very accurate and reliable (or else, they

would be criticized)

We don’t have the original version, but copies !!!

How accurate are the Bible of today ?

How was the Bible passed down?

• Copy by HAND !!!

Are there copy mistakes ?

• Sure…

• Matthew 5:22, NIV:– But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his

brother will be subject to judgement

• Matthew 5:22, KJV ("Received Text"): – But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry

with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgement.

More copy mistakes…

• 2 Chronicle 36:9 – Jehoiachin was eight years old when he

began to reign

• 2 Kings 24:8 – Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when

he began to reign

What’s the effect of copy mistakes ?

• Bible textual analysis scholars who studied the evolution of the Bible text through history conclude that:– The Bible that we have TODAY is 99.5%

the same as the one originally written

– None of the copy mistake has affect any essential Biblical teachings (only minor details)

Perspective on Bible accuracy

• You will often hear that the Bible is more accurate than any account from similar period in history

• In fact, the Bible is more accurate than any account on the life of Caesar or on the life of Alexander the Great

• What exactly do people mean when they say that ?

Compare Bible with Julius Caesar

Caesar died

44 BC

Jesus died

30 AD

Mark

EarliestSurvivingCopy Mark

Tacitus

70 AD60 AD

100 yrs

40 yrs

350 AD

EarliestSurvivingCopy Tacitus

950 AD

Compare Bible with Alexander

Alex died323 BC

Jesus died

30 AD

Mark

EarliestSurvivingCopy Mark

Plutarch

70 AD60 AD

400 yrs !!!

40 yrs

350 AD

EarliestSurvivingCopy Plutarch

950 AD

Conclusion on Bible accuracy

• The New Testament is written much quicker after the death of the main character of the account than MANY important ancient characters

• The New Testament is better preserved than ANY ancient historical document

• Therefore, the New Testament is more accurate than MANY historical accounts that you read, such as Caesar and Alexander !

Further evidence for Bible accuracy

• Before discovering the Dead Sea scrolls, the earliest surviving copy of Isaiah was written around 900 AD

• A copy of Isaiah was found in the Quran caves, that was written around 100 BC

• When the text were compared, they found very few and minor copy errors – and that between two copies from 1000 yrs apart !

Summary

• The Bible that we have today is 99.5% accurate

• Scribes have taken extreme care in copying the Biblical text– The copiers have developed tricks to

check for copy mistakes !

– Count # words in a book, count # letters in each verse, and so on…