The Bible - Is it Reliable?

Why is the Bible Suspect?

Unlike any other piece of literature, the Bible is suspect until proven otherwise!  Simply taking it as a piece of literature like any other literature the prudent person asks, "Why?"  If one doubts the Bible as being the word of God, why is it not left alone?  

Then when one factors in the supernatural nature of the Bible it really evokes a great deal of criticism.  Again there is the question, "Why?"  Why if you do not believe it to be any different than any of a number of other ancient writings would one feel the need to discredit it?

The Age Old Question

From the opening chapters of Genesis until the present there is a question that has dogged the pages of Western history.  It is ever present in a number of different forms but none-the-less is there.  The question is this, “Indeed, has God said…” (Genesis 3:1)?

Biblical Scrutiny

The Bible is unique in that it has undergone such vast scrutiny.  Yet, over and over again those who set out to disprove the Christian Scriptures and their message end up proving the veracity of same.  Therefore, they resort to finding some supposed error or another and thus claim that such invalidates the whole.

Why is this attempt at discrediting the Scriptures so?  The whole notion of Christianity not to mention Judaism is based upon the validity and reliability and thus the authority of the Biblical text.  If there is no validity to it, then the messages thereof may be called into question.  It is therefore no wonder that the Bible is under attack.  

What the cynical critic generally does is to point to supposed errors in the English text and then discount any explanations that rely upon the culture of the day, the difficulties of translating one language into another, different dating systems employed, and/or explanations that have to do with dispensational or covenantal theology.   Indeed there is a reason that the Bible is to be studied, not just casually read!

The Root Issue

If the Gospel accounts prove accurate, then the central figure of those accounts, Jesus Christ and all that He was and taught must receive careful attention.   As well, the Gospel's insights into the condition of mankind also must be considered.

If on the other hand, the reverse is true as some postulate, then the divinity of Christ, the teachings of Christ, and His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension may be called into question.  For that matter even the existence of Jesus may be questioned.  As well such allows for a high view of man.  

To say the least the view one takes of the Gospel accounts effects every aspect of one's life, even those which seem only remotely connected.

Plausibility Argument

In considering the following one must ask whether each of the items and what they suggest is plausible or one might say reasonable and likely.  Also keep in mind this is one plausibility track, there are others. 

The Bible was written over a period of some 1500 to 2000 years by as many as 40 different writers and yet the various books are completely consistent with one another.  Is it not plausible that there is a supernatural element to the writing?

The comparison of the Hebrew text with the Dead Sea Scrolls (discovered in 1947) gave evidence to the accuracy of the Hebrew text.  Is it not plausible that the text is accurate as written?

The Hebrew text contained 300 or more prophesies of the coming of the Christ, the latest of which was written some 400 before the opening of the Gospel accounts.  Is it not plausible that such prophesies are true and accurate?

Jesus fulfilled all of those prophecies.  If one was to calculate the chances of only 50 of the prophecies being true depending upon which 50 one chooses the chances of one man fulfilling those prophecies is something on the order of one chance in 10 with 157 zeros.  Does it not follow then that it is plausible that Jesus is the fulfillment of those prophecies and thus the Christ?

If Jesus is the Christ, then is it not plausible that His testimony about Himself and His teaching is true?

Compare one chance in 10 with 157 zeros with the Jesus Seminar which argues against the teachings of Jesus.

The Jesus Seminar

The arguments of the Jesus Seminar come from a gathering of supposed scholars which met to decide the validity of the Gospel Text.  Even from the left or liberal perspective there is a problem with the Jesus Seminar. 

It is that it is neither a fair academic discussion of textual issues nor does it conform to the basic assumptions of academic scholarship.  In fact, it would approximate medieval European scholasticism as certain dogma was assumed as opposed to beginning with a “blank” slate and from that begin academic research.   Such is explained in an article, “Unmasking the Jesus Seminar: A Critique of Its Methods and Conclusions” by Dr. Mark D. Roberts © 2005.*

*Article available at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/markdroberts/series/unmasking-the-jesus-seminar/

Even the most liberal of academics would and has questioned the methodology employed and in fact in at least one case and perhaps others, left the Seminar for reasons of academic integrity.  The point is that if the main source for one’s conclusions is not reliable, neither can the conclusions reached be of any certainty. 

Wild Accusation without Foundation

Another rather ambitious statement found in the article that prompted this posting is as follows.  “These texts have been amended, translated, and re-translated so often that it’s extremely difficult to gauge the accuracy of current editions—even aside from the matter of the accuracy of texts written decades or centuries after the death of their subject.”

Once again such a statement is pure speculation as no foundational material is presented.  As well it demonstrates the ignorance of the writer in these matters.  There is no credible evidence that such is so.  It simply lacks support and therefore credibility.  However, it is consistent with the tone and purpose of his writings.

In reality the original documents were scribed in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic.  Later due to the Western Church and the Eastern Church, Greek and Latin translations came into being.  Today’s translations carefully translated out of the original three languages and from the oldest and thus the most reliable of documents would in no way conform to such speculation. 

Rudimentary Investigation

Additionally, the critic of the Gospel accounts and of the story of Jesus makes several errors.  They fail to even do rudimentary investigation into the validity of the Gospel Text.  Consider a few.

Historic Accuracy:  The historical references in the Gospel text lines up with Roman and Jewish History.

Archeology:  Over and over again archaeological discovery validate places of which the Bible speaks.  As more and earlier archaeological evidence is unearthed, there is nothing comes to light to disprove the Gospel accounts but only to validate.

Integrity:  There is an internal integrity between the four Gospel accounts even though they were writing over a period of sixty years by four different writers with different purposes.

Verifiable:  At the writing of all of the Gospels, there were people living who had personally witnessed the events described or who were one generation removed from eye witnesses.

Dating:  The existing copies of the Gospel text are great in number (24,000) and dated close to the original writings.

Consistency:  The various manuscripts enjoy a certain integrity and consistency with the other manuscripts.

Prophetic consistency:  The gospel accounts are consistent with the writings of prophets dated hundreds of years earlier. 

It is therefore quite possible to conclude that as with the Jesus Seminar, the genuine “scholarship” of the below referenced source is non-existent and with such as the case much may be read into the text! 

As an aside, honest scholarship will yield that the manuscripts for the Bible are a great deal more reliable than the manuscripts of such men as Aristotle, Plato, and the story of Homer etc.  In fact, the sheer number of manuscripts and the dating which puts quite a number in the first century plus the consistency and accuracy across the various manuscripts speak to there veracity.

Why then does the secularist disregard the Scriptures and embrace these other writings?  The answer is found in the word “inconvenience.”  The Bible even in its most rudimentary teaching is inconvenient!

Background

To see the list of subjects to be discussed in this series see my blog (Christianity – Is it a Faith Driven by Fear? http://alviesthots.blogspot.com/2012/11/christianity-is-it-faith-driven-by-fear.html).  Contained within that blog is a reference, 20 Reasons to Abandon Christianity and in that reference is a list which is the springboard from which this subject has been discussed.