Is the New Testament accurate

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Gravity True For You But Not For Me


Yes, according to most Biblical scholars. In the Baker Encyclopedia of Apologetics, Bruce Metzger a highly recognized scholar, is quoted as estimating the New Testament we have today as 99.5 percent accurate. There are approximately 5,600 Greek handwritten manuscripts (MS), which is the original language of the New Testament. In total there are more than 25,000 full or partial manuscripts in several languages. Due to the enormous number of texts, scholars can compare one to another and determine what the originals said. The texts have what scholars call variants, small variations, due to word placement like Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus, spelling, proper nouns and the like. These are not errors they are just variations in the text. Because there are more than 25,000 manuscripts, there are an estimated 400,000 variants. Here are two simulated verses that vary in five places, thus five variants:

Jesus Christ died for our sin and rose again.

Christ Jesus died fr your sins and arose.


The actual texts have nowhere near this number per line. If 1,000 manuscripts had 100 spelling errors each, that would equal 100,000 variants. This demonstrates why the estimated 400,000 variants discovered in the manuscripts are not that significant. Notice how even in a short verse with several variants, we can still determine what the verse says. Just think if you had 1,000 MS with the same verse, do you think you could figure out what it says? According to Biblical scholars, inconsequential variants like these alter no meaning and account for 99 percent of the total. Only one percent are of any consequence and they do not affect Christian doctrine. Ironically, God’s plan for man to disperse thousands of hand-written manuscripts in the ancient world protected it from alteration better than if one person had the original and could change it.


‘While the New Testament documents do not survive or have not yet been found, we have abundant and accurate copies of the original New Testament documents – many more than for the ten best pieces of ancient literature combined. Moreover, nearly perfect reconstruction of the originals can be accomplished by comparing the thousands of manuscript copies that do survive. We have discovered manuscript fragments from the second century as early as the mid first century. There are no works from the ancient world that even come close to the New Testament in terms of manuscript support. Turek and Geisler, I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist, page 248.


“Non-believers are concerned that our New Testament Scriptures cannot be trusted, but they’ve come to this concern without examining the evidence. As Christians, we KNOW that we have the most reliable and attested ancient documents. You can trust that, if nothing else, we have today what the ancients had to begin with.” Detective Jim Wallace, former atheist. www. pleaseconvinceme.com


In addition to all of the Manuscripts, there are more than 36,000 quotes of New Testament scriptures by the early Church Fathers. All but 11 New Testament verses are quoted, allowing for virtually 100 percent reconstruction of the New Testament. Many critics claim the Bible cannot be accurate or true because it was written by men and men make mistakes. But men write accurate and truthful books all of the time. Look at a dictionary or encyclopedia. The Bible says all scripture is inspired by God, so just like you use a pen as an instrument to write a letter, God used man as an instrument to record His Word.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching,for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.2 Tim. 3:16

Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.2 Peter 1:20-21

“The interval between the dates of original composition (of the N.T.) and the earliest extant evidence becomes so small as to be in fact negligible and the 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 N.T. may be regarded as firmly established.” Sir Frederic Kenyon, Director, principal librarian of the British museum, foremost expert on ancient manuscripts.

“The science of textual criticism is used to test all documents ofantiquity–not just religious texts–including historical and literary writings. It’s not a theological enterprise based on haphazard hopes and guesses; it’s a linguistic exercise that follows a set of established rules. Textual criticism allows an alert critic to determine the extent of possible corruption of any work.” Greg Koukel, Host of, Stand to Reason Radio program since 1990, L.A. CA. www. str.orgRead the entire book for free online at http://www.godevidencetruth.com/



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