Question about Bible validity?

Question

For a long time I have believed that the Bible was made by men so it had to not be totally true.

Then recently I became a believer and started reading the Bible, Maybe about a year ago.

But now I am starting to wonder. I do not doubt that the real Bible was true but now it has been translated over hundreds of years, words today can not possibly mean what they meant then, there must be words in the real Bible that they could not find the exact meaning for in English, I have heard that books have been erased. How can we possibly be sure that we are doing the right thing by having faith in these people that they rewrote the Bible correctly? What if our having faith that this Bible is true leads us into damnation?

Answer 1

You have to trust God to guide you. If what you are saying is true, then know that God cares about us. He wants to show us the right way. The right way isn't about doubting him, and after 20 years of being a Christian, I can say that there is great reason to believe what was written.

If you have more specific questions, and are really a Christian, I would like to show you a few things about the bible that might help you. Please e-mail me if you have time.

Answer 2

You are right in thinking that words change their meaning over time. What I think your are missing is that the human experience does not change. Pain is still felt as pain, no matter what language you use to express it. You must remember that religion is a relationship, where its the meaning of words that count, not the actual words. When you say "Real Bible" it sounds like you think the bible is a book of magic which contain incantations: words that must be read in a particular way.

In the old testament it says that God will inscribe his word in our hearts. This tells us that we know God's Word, or God's message, its natural to being human. Just think about words like love, justice and compassion. We feel these things rather than analyse them. Nobody has to tell a three year old that they are being teased. They feel the indignation and it feels bad, wrong and hurtful.

Culture does change and some words do go become untranslatable. Brother and sister are good examples. In many cultures, it means relations of the same generation, so our word, cousin, was not needed and their brother may mean our cousin. On americian TV shows brother is used by black males to call another black male to solidarity. How would you translate that Brother to French or German? This is the task of the translator. I think the bible translators have taken their work very seriously and honestly have tried to convey God's message as best they can.

The Catholic Church teaches that the bible contains the intention of its author. To understand the message of the bible, look for the intention of the story, not just the actual words that are employed to convey the meaning. Remember also that the message is not complete until its received. Look at the story in the light of your own lived experience and then you will know the message. It will challenge and enlighten you. You will know its right and that it will lead to salvation. Be open to inspiration and the Holy Spirit will fill your heart and mind with divine truth beyond human words.

Answer 3

To answer your question I have to explain to you how the Bible came about. But before that,let me assure you that there is really no need to worry about the claims of some about the authenticity of the Bible. The original manuscripts have been preserved (e.g. Qumran scrolls) and we can always check from the originals if translation errors have been made.

The word "Bible" comes from the Greek word "Biblia", meaning "books." Therefore, the Bible is a collection of "books." The content was first passed on by oral tradition over a long period of time before it was put in written form.

The Old Testament was composed in Hebrew and translated into Greek around the 2nd and 3rd centuries before Christ. The New Testament was composed in Greek during the 2nd half of the 1st century A.D.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Scripture grew from the life, worship and teaching of the early Church. Therefore, the Church is its authentic interpreter, under the active help of the same Holy Spirit.

The gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) were formed in three stages. First, Jesus' own teaching in his early lifetime. Second, the oral tradition in which the apostles passed on what Jesus had said and done; and third, the putting into writing of the Gospels that we have till this day.

In interpreting Sacred Scripture, the Church searches out: (1) the human author's meaning; (2) the context of the text in relation to the whole Bible; (3) within our own search for meaning; (4) under the guidance of the Holy Spirit through the authentic interpretation of the Magisterium, the teaching Church.

Peace and every blessing!

Answer 4

How can you trust a G-d you've never seen? How can you believe in the benevolence of a being that allows wars, earthquakes, tornadoes, terrorists, and sickness to continue to exist? What convinced you a man named Jesus really lived and that his death on a cross, which is also in debate since scholars and historians say crucifictions weren't even around in the time of Jesus, holds any weight towards the destiny of your soul?

There are many, many questions that can be asked about the Christian faith, and in time G-d will answer them for you. For this one, I will try to start you out on the right path to learning this for yourself. Pay attention to the construction of the bible. Does G-d ever contradict his true nature and character? Does Jesus fail any of the prophecies of the old testament? Keep in mind, people will argue the answers to these because, as you said, different people have different interpretations. What you have to do is have faith that if G-d brought you into this, he's going to answer your questions and show you why the path is correct and the scripture is trustworthy. For me, I use the human element test. Is abstinence something I inherently desire? Does doing kind things for people who hate and torment me come naturally, or would I rather react in a different way? If the bible were really being rewritten every few hundred years, why do our old testament books still look like the Jewish old testament books? Why have the translations of the Greek new testament continued to stay perfectly in line old testament prophecy? Were people that long ago really smart enough and ingenious enough to reconstruct the bible to allow for what they wanted while still keeping the overall themes and prophecies intact?

That seems like the greater stretch, to me, than an omnipotent being inspiring his word to be written by his subjects...

Answer 5

As a new believer you're bound to have doubts. It's true that the Bible was written by man, and translated - and you could spend your entire life researching languages and history. There are a lot of books out there that do this for you - I'd go to a Christian bookstore and just browse for awhile. There's also a book called "The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel which is good - granted, it's kind of one-sided since he is trying to prove that Christ is who he says he is, but he addresses some of your questions about missing gospels, etc.

The bottom line, in my opinion, is that if you believe in Christ, that he is the son of God (IS God), died for our sins, and was resurrected - if you have faith in him and accept him, then the verbiage and specifics of the Bible as it is today isn't as important as having a personal relationship with God.

I don't think that having faith in the Bible as it is translated today will lead us into damnation - because the core of the history, regardless of how it is written, is true.

I think it's great to wonder, and question, and research. That is the only way to grow your faith. God knows your heart, and as long as you're sincere and truthful then you're on the right path. God bless.

Answer 6

Hi Candice H. The total number of human authors in the Bible is at least forty. And yet, even though all these different men wrote at different times, the message they wrote is always the same, without any contradiction in any details.

The reason is that God is the author, who used men to set down what He wanted to say. The human writers lived and died at different times, but the same God Who lives forever told each man what to write. For that reason, we are able to compare different parts of the Bible and find that they agree with, support, and clarify each other. God tells us this in I Corinthians 2:13:

"These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual."

We can go to any part of the Bible and know it is consistently trustworthy.

It is a good thing to ask if we can trust the Bible. The Bible is able to take our scrutiny and come through vindicated. God tells us in James 1:6 that we must never feel reluctant to ask God for the ability to trust in His Word and the wisdom needed to get the most out of the Bible:

"But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."

Bible study is a holy inquiry. It is only when we approach the Bible humbly and with an open mind toward the truth, that will we find the answers we need.

Answer 7

Candice, the books that you refer to, the Apocrypha, are left out of the Protestant canon because their authenticity is in doubt. If you want to read them, get a Catholic Bible.
While it is true that there are words in the KJV that aren't quite right, a good Lexicon, such as Strong's Bible Concordance can give you the correct translation. The NIV is a Bible that is written from the most recent translations from the manuscripts found in what is known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. It should be of interest to you that those scrolls and our current translations are a near perfect match. The differences are minor, and do no damage to the central theme of the Bible. That theme being the history of man, God's interest and desires for man, as well as what Jesus came to do, and why. Hold to your faith Candice, the Bible as we know it will lead you to God. Prayer would also be a good thing to be doing. Ask God for understanding. If you truly desire it, and truly believe that God will answer you, then He will. You do, however, need to trust Him. So far as prayer goes, you talk with your friends don't you, talk to God as you would any of your friends. There is no formula, and He doesn't like such things anyway.

Answer 8

The Bible is a fictional work, largely created by four men- Jeremiah, Baruch, Nehemiah and Ezra.

See the Supreme Bible of God for more details
http://one-faith-of-god.org/final_testament/bible_of_god.htm

However, the New Testament is largely the work of Paul of Tarsus and the Jewish High Priests to deliberately distort and consume the message of Jesus.
See:
http://one-faith-of-god.org/new_testament/apocrypha/founders_christianity/founders_christianity_0010.htm

Jesus did not found christianity. he founded the Nazarenes.
http://one-faith-of-god.org/new_testament/apocrypha/nazarenes/nazarenes_0000.htm

Jesus knew 100% the Bible was a fictional story about real people. Eg Moses in the Bible is based on the real person Pharaoh Akhenaten.

Jesus also knew a much more sinister and evil side- that YHWH that Amen is really Satan pretending to be god (the jealous god, the vengeful god).

Unfortunately, christianity as a parasite was far stronger and consumed the true message of Jesus and the apostles.

However, for every soul that is saved, like you, Jesus cries for joy.

Answer 9

The Bible has over 24,000 original transcripts containing the New Testament. The dead sea scrolls kind of put the clamps on the Old Testament as being accurate.

Search for a disc set by James MacDonald called God Wrote a Book! Very good and full of great facts stating the validity of the Bible!

Answer 10

Only believe what your heart speaks to you as true. I have had these same feelings. Especially you being a new believer, be careful. Satan will be trying especially hard to get you to fall.

Don't be worried though. I don't think that having faith in the Bible is going to lead you into damnation. Just remember that the Truth is written on your heart and no one can change that. You know the Truth no matter what.