Is the Bible text reliable?
FAQs (015)
This question may be posed in a number of forms. Is the Bible as we have it the same as it was originally written? How do we know it has not been changed over the years?
Most of us do not get the opportuinity to study the original manuscripts from which our modern Bible is taken. We therefore have to listen to those experts who have studied them.
Sir Frederic Kenyon was the director and principle librarian of the British Museum and a great expert on ancient documents. He has said
"The last foundation for any doubt that the Scriptures have come down to us substantially as they were written has now been removed. Both the authenticity and the general integrity of the books of the New Testament may be regarded as finally established." - The Bible and Archaeology. Pg 288.
John Montgomery has said that
"to be skeptical of the resultant text of the New Testament books is to allow all of classical antiquity to slip into obscurity, for no documents of the ancient period are as well attested bibliographically as the New Testament" - History and Christianity. Pg 28.
In other words, there is so much evidence to support the text of the new Testament that we can be sure we are reading essentially what the writers meant us to read.
Therefore we can say the Bible text is reliable.
We hope to have a fuller description of this evidence on this site in due course.
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