The Bible The Bible is Full of is Full of

Mistakes?Mistakes?

MYTHBUSTERMYTHBUSTERSS

The StorytellersThe Storytellers

Fact file: the BibleFact file: the Bible

‘‘Bible’ = ‘library’Bible’ = ‘library’ 66 books66 books

Two partsTwo parts Old Testament (OT)Old Testament (OT) New Testament (NT)New Testament (NT)

Original languagesOriginal languages Hebrew & Aramaic Hebrew & Aramaic

(OT)(OT) Greek (NT)Greek (NT)

Written betweenWritten between 1,500 BC and AD 1001,500 BC and AD 100

Lands of the BibleLands of the BibleContinents & Land MassesContinents & Land Masses

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Southern EuropeSouthern Europe

Middle EastMiddle East

Asia MinorAsia Minor

Northern AfricaNorthern Africa

Mediterranean Mediterranean SeaSea

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The New TestamentThe New Testament

4 accounts of Jesus’ life, death & 4 accounts of Jesus’ life, death & resurrectionresurrection Matthew, Mark, Luke, JohnMatthew, Mark, Luke, John

History of early ChristianityHistory of early Christianity ‘‘Acts’Acts’

22 letters written by early Christians 22 letters written by early Christians in specific circumstancesin specific circumstances E.g. ‘1 Corinthians’E.g. ‘1 Corinthians’

The early Christians The early Christians made mistakes when made mistakes when they decided which they decided which books should be in books should be in the Bible in the first the Bible in the first

placeplace

2 Peter 1:12-212 Peter 1:12-21

Other ‘gospels’?Other ‘gospels’?

The people who The people who translated the Bible translated the Bible

made mistakesmade mistakes

non occides

Thou shalt not kill

You shall not murderW

RONG!

WRONG!

New InternationalVersion

Revised StandardVersion

English StandardVersion

Other versions

The people who The people who copied the original copied the original documents made documents made

mistakesmistakes

Events ofJesus’ life

Written downSeen by

Eyewitnesses

The people who wrote The people who wrote the original the original

documents made documents made mistakesmistakes

Mistakes?Mistakes?

Myths?Myths? 1 Timothy 4:7 Have nothing to do with godless

myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

Contradictions?Contradictions?

The criterion of multiple attestationThe criterion of multiple attestation

‘‘when numerous ancient sources when numerous ancient sources independentlyindependently offer roughly the same offer roughly the same portrait of an event or person that portrait of an event or person that portrait takes on greater plausibility’portrait takes on greater plausibility’

John Dickson, John Dickson, The Christ Files, The Christ Files, page 52page 52

Contradictions?Contradictions? Luke 24:1-4 On the

first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.

Matthew 28:1-3 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.

Politarchs (Acts 17:6)Politarchs (Acts 17:6)

The biggest mistake of allThe biggest mistake of all

1 Corinthians 15:14-15:And if Christ has not been raised, our

preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead.

PLEASE Try this at home!PLEASE Try this at home!

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