Christians, please help me understand why you think the bible did not suffer changes with time?

Question

How do you know the bible we have now is what was written 2000 years ago? And if it was, how do you know it wasn't written (or maybe influenced) by bad people who just wanned to tell lies?

I asked this before, and someone told me "the bible is the word of god, cause god would not lie". I am seriously hoping for no circular logic this time, and hope you understand what I ask

This is not a way that I try to prove you wrong so please don't take offense, I just want to understand you

and just when did you spoke to god and did he tell you this? That's what I'm asking. Is there anything really reliable that you rely on?

ignoramus_the_great: I feel obliged to tell you, many people like myself use those life principles for other reasons that reading them in the bible.

Answer 1

Seems like when you want something to be right, you'll find any argument.
We can read the originals......um...alright, sure.

Answer 2

There are several instances where either through poor translation or error of manuscript copying minor additions and removals did occur to the bible. We are talking a few words here and there. However due to the amount of copies in the beginning being copied from scholar to scholar the amazing part is not those few minor differences it is the fact that the script did not fall victim to the telephone effect. The continuity of the story and message remained the same due to the dedication of the scribes. New versions discovered that are comparable to the canonized texts such as the dead sea scrolls confirm this as they are nearly identical to the books already found in the bible. Obviously it was a bit of a generalisation to assume that all christians deny change but at the same time I feel that God would be prepared for these subtle alterations in his Word. This is how such a massive volume was able to retain it's message regardless of 5000 not 2000 years of writing.

Answer 3

The bible is open to international scholars, archaeologist, bible experts and to universities to study it it for language and context against the most ancient available documents. The names and institutes are far too many to list here on Yahoo. For the seriously minded, it becomes a labor of love to verify that the words do not lose translation in the process of updating. That what was written 2,000 years ago means the same today.
Today there exist one truly bad translation "New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures" by the Watchtower Society. That translation was written to support Watchtower doctrines which runs contrary to what was written in the original manuscripts supporting the bible has it has been written from the beginning.
Mormonism has added attentional books to support their teachings. Books that are not part of the original manuscripts supporting the bible.

Answer 4

I answer this same question all the time and I had the same one before becoming a Christian.

Christianity has a rich history which started with the Jews at the beginning of time. The bible is filled with historical facts that Archaeologists use and has been proven very reliable. We have over 5000 documented ancient findings of scripture, many in different languages, all the same. WE have the dead sea scrolls to prove this also. The Vatican just bought 2 gospels dating 90 ad, the same as we have today. There is prophesies that has come to pass from the bible that proves it's reliability. Over 300 just for the man Jesus.

We have non christian evidence of Jesus from Tacitus and Josephus both historians. And a Governor named Pliny the Younger who all wrote about "Christos" and his followers the Christan's.

Archaeologists have found the tomb of Caiaphas who was the Pharisee that brought Jesus to trial.
Jesus WAS a real person who was an historical figure. Even well read Atheists KNOW this.

We have eye witnesses who had every thing to loose by claiming to be a follower of Jesus. Why? When Jesus was killed they scattered. Afraid. BUT when they saw he was resurrected they became bold. Why?
Since the bible is reliable, and Jesus WAS here you must decide.
Was he a nut? A liar, Or who he claimed to be.

The bible is VERY accurate-read, learn research, this is what I did and found it to be the truth.
I hear people say, 'Well, there's so many versions how could it be accurate?" Well, if they would just look the different versions are just different English or different languages. They all read the same with only minor differences. I've studied this in detail. I do not have blind faith like so many non-Christians think about us. I have looked, I have studied most religions and Christianity IMHO is the only truth.
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Answer 5

I am a Christian, but I agree with suspicions that the Bible may have been corrupted over the years. In relation to the Hebrew Bible, everything else are just attempts to translate. Even the original itrself may not be so original after all. But God has preserved his Word. It can be absorbed by an inspired reading of the Bible. This can only happen if the reader is able to petition the Holy Spirit effectively for guidance.

Answer 6

I do think it's suffered change with time, although if you compare the manuscripts from the Dead Sea Scrolls with modern translations, you don't find tons of change.

The bigger problem I have is that the way language is used over time changes. Example, if I write in my diary that so-and-so is "hot," and that gets read in 2000 years, will they understand how many ways that word gets used today? Probably not.

Context and idiom is crucial to the Bible. That's why we've changed to The Complete Jewish Bible. It's translated from Hebrew, by a Hebrew speaker in Jerusalem, a Jew, who has studied the context and idiom all his life. What a breath of fresh air it is!

I also recommend the Jewish New Testament Commentary.

Answer 7

The very first deception that Satan used was to place doubt upon God's Words. Satan said; "hath God said?" or Did God really say? This has been the modus operandi of the devil to cast doubt, when it comes to the Bible. When people discussion Plato's writings no one says - How do we know these are Plato's writings? The truth is the Bible has more witnesses, more testamony, and more claboration then any historical writings.

For a number of reasons one can see that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God. The best way and clearest way is when one becomes saved or born-again. God the Holy Spirit illuminates us and we have a confidence that God's Word is indeed, God's Word. However if you don't have that inward illumination - there is only temporal facts that I can point to which indicates this truth.

However we can find evidences that the Bible is the Word of God, because the 'heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole (which is, to give all glory to God), the full discovery it makes of the only way of man's salvation, the many other incomparable excellencies.'

Answer 8

Tp truly study the bible it is critical to study the Hebrew and Greek too word for word. Unfortunately, many of the modern translations did change by mans convenience. The KJV is the best, but not perfect as it is a translation from the original languages which are infallible.

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Answer 9

The NIV is an "interpretation" not a translation. What are viewed as errors are actually the scribes own side notes. Most of the scribes of the time were eyewitnesses to occurances. We have access to over 24,000 early manuscripts including The Dead Sea Scrolls, taken from the Hebrew, Greek and Latin texts. It is accurate and reliable and also documented by people who did not claim Christianity.. The Sanhedrin, the Roman Government, Josephus, Thallus. The Romans had a policy of not error. errors in recordswere punishable by Death.

Answer 10

We have the original texts (Dead Sea Scrolls) of the Old Testament Bible to translate from in the various languages as well as over 24,000 documents for the New Testament. The Bible has been mis-translated over the centuries by certain religions which is why a person needs to be careful as to which church to join and which version or translation of the Bible to read. To be faithful to God's original Word should be the utmost imperative and importance of any church body. Many scholars and transcribers of the Bible down through history have devoted their entire lives to maintaining the accuracy of the Bible from the original texts and hold it's Word as a sacred trust. The Protestant Reformation movement was a direct result of "protests" within the Catholic Church as to the interpretations of the Bible and men who wanted to "reform" the teachings of the church to be more in line with what the Bible actually revealed in Scripture.
God's Holy Word in the Bible is our source of truth from God himself who inspired it's 66 books to be written by 40 different authors over a period of around 1500 years and should be adhered to in absolute accuracy to the best of our understanding.
http://www.allabouttruth.org/who-wrote-the-bible.htm

Answer 11

Well when they find original text as in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The language change but the message is just about the same.

Also the text that spread out from the Holy Land by different cultures still is pretty much true to the original.

I don't take offense at your question but is a fair question to ask.

I hope you are open up enough to accept my answer to consider.