The Bible as we know it today exists in many translations and versions, but what about the original texts? Do we have access to the actual first manuscripts that the biblical authors penned thousands of years ago? Let’s explore what the Bible says about its own preservation throughout history.
The Old Testament
The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew and some Aramaic. The oldest existing Hebrew manuscript is the Dead Sea Scrolls, which date back to around 150-100 BC. These scrolls contain fragments of every Old Testament book except Esther. The remarkable thing is how accurately these ancient Dead Sea Scrolls match much later complete Hebrew manuscripts from the 10th century AD. This shows the meticulous care that Jewish scribes took in hand-copying the biblical texts generation after generation.
Aside from the Dead Sea Scrolls, other ancient Old Testament texts include the Silver Scrolls found in Jerusalem and dated to 600 BC, containing the Aaronic blessing from Numbers 6:24-26. The Nash Papyrus from 150-100 BC contains the Ten Commandments and Shema from Deuteronomy. The Aleppo Codex from 930 AD was considered the most authoritative Hebrew manuscript before much of it was destroyed in 1947. Fragments of Hebrew texts from as early as the 500s BC have also been found by archaeologists. So although we don’t have the original documents, we can have confidence that the Old Testament has been faithfully preserved by scribes for over 2,000 years.
The New Testament
The New Testament was written in Greek. Over 5,800 Greek New Testament manuscripts from fragmentary to complete remain today. The earliest fragment is the John Rylands manuscript dated around 130 AD, containing a few verses from John’s gospel. The Bodmer Papyri from 150-200 AD contain most of the books of the gospel of John and parts of Luke, Acts, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, Jude and Revelation. The Chester Beatty Papyri from 200 AD contain major portions of the four gospels and Acts, the Pauline epistles, and Revelation. The Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus date back to 325-350 AD and contain nearly complete New Testaments.
What is noteworthy is that no major Christian doctrine hinges on any disputed New Testament passage. Modern textual criticism can recreate the original text with over 99% accuracy. This shows that the New Testament we read today is extremely close to the original writings.
Preservation Throughout History
The Old and New Testament texts were meticulously copied by Jewish and Christian scribes respectively. Deuteronomy 17:18 instructed the Israelite king to copy the Law for himself, likely referring to Genesis through Deuteronomy. The New Testament writers viewed both the Old Testament and their own writings as Scripture (2 Peter 3:15-16). This shows that the act of copying and preserving Scripture began early in biblical history.
As far as we know, the original documents penned by the authors no longer exist. However, based on the number and reliability of the manuscripts available to us today, scholars affirm that the Bible we hold now is extremely accurate and reliable. The original message has been transmitted to us through the centuries by faithful copyists, scribes, printers and translators. God’s Word has been divinely preserved as Jesus said it would be when He declared, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).
The Apocrypha Debate
The apocryphal books refer to texts written between the time of the Old and New Testament, which some traditions accept as Scripture but others do not. Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox churches include these books as part of their Bible. But Protestants and Jews do not, considering them helpful but not rising to the level of inspired Scripture. Some key reasons are:
- The apocryphal books were never accepted into the Jewish canon, and the first century Jewish historian Josephus explicitly excluded them.
- None of the apocryphal books claim to be the Word of God.
- No major doctrine is affected by the exclusion or inclusion of the apocrypha.
- The apocryphal books contain some inaccurate historical and geographical details.
- Jesus and the New Testament writers never directly quoted from the apocrypha, in contrast to their frequent quoting from the Old Testament canon.
So whether or not the apocrypha is considered Scripture does not undermine the reliability of the original Old and New Testament texts that we have today. This ongoing debate simply provides two alternative perspectives within Christendom.
Preservation Supernaturally Guaranteed
The Bible affirms that God’s Word will stand forever (Isaiah 40:8) and cannot be broken (John 10:35). Jesus promised His disciples that the Holy Spirit would bring His teachings to their remembrance and guide them into all truth (John 14:26, 16:13). Paul said the gospel he preached came by a direct revelation from Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:11-12). Peter affirmed that Scripture was inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21). The Bible declares itself to be God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).
Based on these biblical promises of preservation, we can be confident that God has supernaturally guarded His Word throughout history. The textual evidence supports this. The facts show that the Bible has been transmitted accurately through the centuries. As the English preacher Charles Spurgeon said, “The Word of God is like a lion. You don’t have to defend a lion. All you have to do is let the lion loose, and the lion will defend itself.”
Minor Variations Do Not Change the Message
Although we can be fully confident in the reliability of the biblical text, it is true that minor variations exist in the manuscripts available to us today. These are mainly misspellings, alternate word order, omitted or repeated phrases that do not affect essential Christian beliefs. For example, the difference between 616 or 666 as the number of the beast in Revelation 13:18 does not change the identity of the Antichrist. Or John 1:18 saying Jesus is the “only begotten God” or “only begotten Son” does not alter His divinity either way. Such minor variations have no impact on the overall message.
Textual criticism is the fascinating study of how the Bible has been preserved over time. This field gives us even more confidence in Scripture by analyzing how accurately it was transmitted in the original languages of Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. But the Spirit enables all believers to have assurance in God’s Word despite not being scholarly textual critics ourselves.
The Bible Stands Confirmed By History and Christ
In evaluating the Bible’s claim to be the Word of God, we have both internal and external evidence to consider. Internally, the united message of the Bible written by over 40 authors spanning 1,500 years bolsters its credibility. Externally, archaeological findings and historical records support the biblical account. Most importantly, Jesus Himself affirmed Scripture and promised that His words would never pass away (Matthew 5:18). Every book of the Bible finds its meaning in Jesus Christ, the living Word of God who took on flesh (John 1:1, 14).
This Christological focus is why the Bible has authority. The Scriptures all point to and testify about Jesus Christ, the Savior and centerpiece of God’s redemptive plan for humanity. We can have confidence that the Bible we read today contains this same Christ-centeredness and saving message that has been proclaimed since the apostolic age.
So is the original Bible still in existence? While we don’t have the autographed copies, by God’s providence the original words of Scripture have been preserved accurately through centuries of careful transmission. This allows us to say definitively that the Bible has passed the test of time with reliability, authority and life-transforming power.
The Bible’s Relevance Stands Beyond Time
Some skeptics argue that the Bible lacks relevance because of how long ago it was written. But God’s Word transcends culture and time, containing absolute spiritual truths and principles that are applicable to all people in every age (Hebrews 4:12). Theologian Thomas Oden stated it this way:
“The Bible was written: (1) by people like ourselves, (2) in various times and places, (3) in concrete historical situations, (4) using every literary form, (5) in three languages over 1000 years, (6) on three continents, (7) by over 40 writers of diverse backgrounds, (8) who nevertheless exhibited a united testimony about God and his will.”
This makes the miraculous continuity and harmony of Scripture even more amazing. Despite being composed across diverse times and contexts using different writers, the Bible tells one unified story of redemptive history centered on Jesus Christ. God’s Word defies time and culture because it reveals timeless spiritual truths that every generation can understand and apply. Additionally, over 25,000 archaeological findings have affirmed people and places once thought fictitious in the Bible.
So when we consider the Bible’s claims about itself, textual preservation and evidence within history, the case for reliability is extremely strong. The original message stands confirmed. This is why after 2,000 years, billions of people worldwide still turn to this ancient Scripture for guidance, wisdom, comfort and truth that is far from obsolete.
Preservation Allows Application Today
Knowing that Scripture has been accurately preserved allows us to wholeheartedly trust its divine authority and obey its instruction. If the biblical texts had become corrupt over time, we could have no confidence in turning to them for salvation and godly living. But God in His sovereignty has seen to it that His Word remains intact and accessible today.
Theologically conservative scholars such as J.I Packer, R.C. Sproul, John Piper, Wayne Grudem and many more affirm the Bible’s reliability based on the faithfulness of its transmission throughout history. This gives us assurance that Scripture is entirely true in what it affirms. The Bible makes momentous claims to be the only written revelation from the one true God who deserves our full allegiance. Although written long ago, all Scripture testifies about Jesus Christ and applies to us today with transforming relevance (Luke 24:27, 44-49).
Knowing that God’s Word has been preserved and passed down accurately should strengthen our trust in the Bible and obedience to its commands. We have full confidence that Scripture contains the same saving gospel message that has been proclaimed since the 1st century. The Bible’s truthful witness about Christ and godly living equips us for a righteous life of good works and evangelism in the 21st century. God’s Word stands forever (Isaiah 40:8). The Bible we hold today retains the power and authority with which the original was delivered.
Preservation Used By God’s Sovereignty
Ultimately, the preservation of Scripture is a display of God’s sovereignty over human history. Despite all attempts over the centuries to destroy God’s Word, it remains fully intact and accessible today. This providential preservation allows people worldwide to hear the gospel and come to faith in Jesus Christ. Truly, the Word of the Lord endures forever (1 Peter 1:25).
The Bible affirms that all Scripture is “breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). The Holy Spirit moved upon the biblical authors to record exactly what God wanted written, down to the very words (2 Peter 1:20-21). This divine origin makes Scripture unique among all writings. Other ancient texts may offer historical insights, but only the Bible contains the very words of God Himself through the Holy Spirit’s inspiration. This explains why the Bible stands in a class of its own compared to any other book from history.
Jesus taught that “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). God’s written Word provides spiritual nourishment, truth and life when received with faith. So we can be eternally grateful that God has preserved the Scriptures intact throughout the millennia. This allows God’s voice to continue speaking through its pages directly to readers today, offering the same spiritual riches and truths contained when the ink was still wet on the original manuscripts.
Conclusion
While we no longer have the original biblical documents penned by the authors themselves, evidence shows that God has preserved His Word with remarkable accuracy through centuries of careful copying and translation. The texts available to us today can be considered equivalent to the originals in all essential aspects. This gives us confidence that when we pick up our Bible, we hold in our hands the very words of God communicated through imperfect yet divinely inspired men.
Knowing Scripture has been transmitted reliably down to us today is foundational to trusting its supreme authority in our lives. We can anchor our faith upon the unchanging truths of God’s Word rather than shifting cultural trends. The Bible contains timeless principles and the amazing story of redemption through Jesus Christ our Savior. Though written long ago, God’s Word remains powerfully relevant and vitally important for the church today. We have every reason to have full assurance in the Bible we hold now as accurately communicating what God wants to teach us through its divinely inspired pages.