CAN WE TRUST THE BIBLE?
(PROVING THE TEXT)
One of the most common claims made today is that the Bible has been changed, corrupted, or distorted over time. Skeptics often argue that it is merely a collection of ancient religious writings that cannot be trusted as historically reliable or divinely preserved. Yet when the Bible is examined honestly using the same standards applied to other ancient documents, it stands alone as the most well-attested book in human history.
The reliability of Scri... moreCAN WE TRUST THE BIBLE?
(PROVING THE TEXT)
One of the most common claims made today is that the Bible has been changed, corrupted, or distorted over time. Skeptics often argue that it is merely a collection of ancient religious writings that cannot be trusted as historically reliable or divinely preserved. Yet when the Bible is examined honestly using the same standards applied to other ancient documents, it stands alone as the most well-attested book in human history.
The reliability of Scripture does not rest on blind faith. It rests on overwhelming historical, textual, archaeological, and prophetic evidence.
First, the manuscript evidence for the Bible is unmatched. For the New Testament alone, there are over 5,800 Greek manuscripts, more than 20,000 in other ancient languages such as Latin, Syriac, and Coptic, and tens of thousands of quotations from the early church fathers. These manuscripts span centuries and geographical regions, yet they display remarkable consistency. The small textual variants that exist do not affect a single Christian doctrine. No other ancient work comes remotely close in manuscript support. By comparison, works like those of Homer, Plato, or Tacitus survive in only a few copies written hundreds or even a thousand years after the originals.
The Old Testament shows the same extraordinary preservation. The Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered in the mid-20th century and dated over a thousand years earlier than the previously known Hebrew manuscripts, confirmed that the Hebrew text had been transmitted with astonishing accuracy. The book of Isaiah found among the scrolls is virtually identical to the later Masoretic text. This demonstrates that Jewish scribes preserved the Scriptures with meticulous care for centuries.
Second, fulfilled prophecy provides powerful evidence that the Bible is not merely human literature. Hundreds of prophecies written centuries in advance were fulfilled with precision. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ alone fulfill dozens of specific Old Testament prophecies, including His birthplace in Bethlehem, His lineage from David, His betrayal for thirty pieces of silver, His manner of death, and His burial in a rich man’s tomb. These were not vague predictions written after the fact. They were recorded long before the events occurred and preserved in manuscripts that predate Christianity itself.
Third, archaeology consistently confirms the historical accuracy of Scripture. Cities, kings, customs, battles, and events once dismissed as fictional have been verified through archaeological discoveries. The existence of King David, once denied by skeptics, is now confirmed by the Tel Dan inscription. The pool of Bethesda described in John 5 has been excavated. The Hittite civilization, long considered a biblical myth, is now well documented. Time after time, archaeology has moved from “the Bible is wrong” to “the Bible was right all along.”
Fourth, the New Testament is rooted in eyewitness testimony. The Gospels were written within the lifetime of those who saw Jesus alive. Luke explicitly states that he carefully investigated everything from the beginning using eyewitness sources. Paul reminds his readers that over five hundred people saw the risen Christ at one time, many of whom were still alive when he wrote. These were not legends that developed over centuries. They were public claims made while hostile witnesses were still living and could have refuted them.
Even more compelling is the fact that the apostles were willing to suffer and die for their testimony. People may die for something they think is true but is false, but they do not willingly die for something they know is a lie. The men who claimed to see Jesus risen from the dead maintained that testimony under torture, persecution, and execution.
Fifth, the internal consistency of the Bible defies natural explanation. It was written by over forty authors across roughly fifteen hundred years, in three languages, on three continents, and across vastly different cultures and historical settings. Yet it tells one unified story of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. It contains no contradictions in doctrine and presents a coherent, unfolding revelation of God’s plan of salvation.
Finally, Jesus Himself affirmed the authority and permanence of Scripture. He quoted it as the very word of God, declared that Scripture cannot be broken, and based His teaching and mission on its truth. If Jesus rose from the dead, then His view of Scripture settles the matter.
The Bible has survived the fall of empires, the hatred of tyrants, the fires of censorship, and the ridicule of critics. It has been scrutinized more than any book in history and has come out standing stronger every time.
The question is no longer whether the Bible is reliable.
The real question is whether we are willing to accept what it says.
“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”
Matthew 24:35
✠SGT Dinah Scivoletti✠
✠Joan of Arc Priory✠
✠✠Act and God will Act (Actus et Deus Act)✠✠
