Cornerstone Church Long Beach

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The Reliability of Scripture

Simon Viss

For the past few weeks we have observed common arguments and objections for the existence of God.  How do we know that God exists?  We have argued through the cosmological and moral arguments that it is more reasonable/plausible to believe that God exists than not.  However, with so many religions claiming they are the superior faith (or, more commonly, that all religions are equal), how do we conclude which one is true?  We have to look at the internal evidence, meaning we have to review the specific documents/beliefs that each religion holds to and either confirm or deny its consistencies with external evidence (Natural Law/General Revelation).  In other words, we have to look at Special Revelation (how God reveals Himself), which means the Christian would have to look at the Bible.  This begs the question: “Is the Bible reliable?”  For the sake of this post, we will mainly look at the Bible’s historical reliability and address the truthfulness of its message in the coming weeks. 

Manuscripts

We obviously do not possess the original texts of Scripture, so how do we determine its validity? 

One of the ways that we test whether or not a certain text is historically reliable is through the observation of manuscripts.  We study when they were written, compare them with other manuscripts, look at the earliest possible copy, and how many we possess. 

The earliest piece of the bible we have is a 3x5 piece of papyrus called P52 with text on both sides (John’s Gospel- 18:31-33 and 37,38, dated 125 AD).  Papyrus is very old and cheap.  People didn’t start using animal skins until about the 3rd or 4th centuries because it was found to be more durable.  This blew secular scholarship out of the water because they claimed John was written well into the 2nd century, when in fact p52 proves that John was written in the 1st Century because if it is a copy, it would’ve taken awhile to write out copies of the original.  We also have P66 (150-200) with most of the Gospel of John. 

But how does Scripture compare to other historical sources that have been widely considered as reliable through their manuscripts

Caesar’s Gallic Wars

  • Date: Around 100 BC

  • Earliest Copy: 900 AD

  • Gap: 1,000 years

  • Total Manuscripts: 250

Plato’s Seven Tetralogies

  • Date: 400 BC

  • Earliest Copy: 900 AD

  • Gap: At least 1,200 years.

  • Total Manuscripts: 210

Tacitus (1st Century Roman Historian)

  • Date: 100 AD

  • Earliest Copy: 1100 AD

  • Gap: 1,000 years

  • Total Manuscripts: 31

Pliny the Elder’s Natural History

  • Date: 49-79 AD

  • Earliest Copy: Around 400 AD

  • Gap: 400 years

  • Total Manuscripts: 200

Homer’s Iliad

  • Date: Around 850 BC

  • Earliest Copy: 400 BC

  • Gap: 400 years

  • Total manuscripts: Around 2,000

Biblical Manuscripts, Scrolls and Translations

  • Date: 50-100 AD

  • Earliest Copy: 130 AD

  • Gap: 50-80 Years

  • Greek N.T. Manuscripts: 5,838

  • Greek New Testament Early Translations: 18,524

  • Old Testament: 42,000

  • Total Manuscripts: 66,362

If we question the reliability of Scripture, then we have to throw out every piece of ancient literature in all of human history, because no other works have the kind of credibility that Scripture has. 

Preservation of Original Writings

The Ancient Near East and the setting of Christianity’s origin was an oral culture that held great emphasis on memorization.  80-90% of Jesus’ words were in poetic form.  Things didn’t rhyme but it has meter and balanced lines in parallel form that make it easier to memorize.  In oral tradition, memorization was expected and required.  The disciples were able to memorize Jesus’ words based even on their education of memorizing the Torah. 

For example, critics will compare the message of Scripture with the game of Telephone.  Like Telephone, Scripture’s messages probably changed over time through each individual, and the goal for the game, really, is to come up with a convoluted message.  However, IT’S A GAME.  It has nothing to do with how the New Testament was put together.  There wasn’t any whispering going on.  This was serious information.  IT WAS THE GOOD NEWS.  It was publicly communicated through stories from memory.  If George is telling a story about the last supper 5 years after it actually occurred to a group of people, there were probably other eye witnesses to the story and could make corrections when needed.  Valuable information requires careful details, and if someone was getting the details wrong they would be corrected.

Can we trust that the exact words were recorded?  In the NT world/1st Century there was no such thing as a “quotation” or even quotation marks.  You didn’t have to quote somebody word for word.  If you listened to a Rabbi in a synagogue and took notes, you had to put together his words accurately in a way where his message was not construed.  Different words could be used and would be necessary if spoken to different audiences.  There was no concept of saying the exact same words.  For example, some of Jesus’ words are spread throughout the gospel narratives but have slightly different words compared to another narrative.  Does this mean the message is convoluted?  If you read the texts, though there are different words, shortened phrases, and different audiences that the author is writing to, the message is still getting across! 

Character Test: Did these writers have great integrity?

They gave their lives for it!!!  We’ll address this more next week on the topic of Jesus’ Resurrection, but there are plenty of people who have died and will die for a lie/cause.  However, there are people who rarely, if not, at all, die for a cause that they know is a lie. 

Consistency Test: Do writers agree with each other? 

Yes, they do!  The Gospels are EXTREMELY consistent with each other by ancient standards, by which is the only standards that are fair to judge them by. 

Contradictions and challenges?  The Centurion who asks Jesus to heal his servant.  One Gospel writer says that the Centurion himself came to Jesus (Matthew 8:5-13), and another says that one of his servants came to him (Luke 7:1-5).  It’s an easy answer once we consider the topic of authority.  If the President gives out a press release statement but has one of his secretaries write it out and present it, it still functions as the President’s own authoritative words.  The President doesn’t say any of those words, but he signs off on them, making them his approved words.  They carry the authority of the President.  So this is with the Centurion and his servant.  This is a very plausible explanation. 

The two different locations that Jesus casts out the legion of demons into the pigs.  One talks about Gerasa, the other says Gadera.  One could be a city, and the other can be a province.  Both statements are accurate, but said in a different way.  If I said I spoke at Cornerstone Church in one account, and in another I said I spoke in Long Beach, these are both true statements but said differently depending on the audience.  

The Bias Test:  Did they skew the material they wrote? 

If they did, they did a really poor job! The disciples had nothing to gain from the world except criticism, persecution, martyrdom, and ostracism.  They had nothing to gain financially.  If anything, this would have provided pressure to deny Jesus, to keep quiet, to downplay him, and forget that they had ever met him.  Instead, they pursued a life of integrity and suffering for their convictions and evidences that these things were in fact true. 

The Bible’s Internal Testimony

We can benefit from Aristotle’s Dictum/Principle concerning a source’s internal claim to be true: For any claim of truth, we need to give the benefit of the doubt to the document in question.  We shouldn’t rule it as false before we hear its testimony.  It should be allowed to give a testimony for itself.  In other words, innocent until proven guilty.  Here is an outline of Scripture’s claim, beginning with prophecies. 

  1. The testing of a Prophet: How do we know that God really spoke to them?

    1. Fulfilled prophecy confirmed that the prophet was from God (Deut. 18:20-22; Is. 41:23)

    2. Miracles showed that the prophet was from God (Exodus 4:1-9)

  2. Preservation of the Old Testament: Were the prophets proven to be reliable?

    1. Fulfilled Prophecy (2 Peter 1:19-21)

                 i.     Persian nation and ruler (Cyrus) were named and the overtaking of Babylon before it was even world power (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1-3)

                                             ii.     Actual Destruction of Babylon (Isaiah 13:1-14, 23; 21:9; 47:1-5)

                                            iii.     Jesus (Micah 5:2; Isaiah 9:1; 50:6; Psalm 22:18; Isaiah 53:9, 12)

    1. Miracles Performed

                                               i.     Moses (Exodus 4:28-31; 7:1-5; 10:1-2)

                                             ii.     The young prophet of God (1 Kings 13:1-6)

    1. Preservation

                                               i.     The O.T.’s preservation was vital for the Jewish religion (Romans 3:2)

                                             ii.     Textual Criticism – multiple manuscripts

  1. Preservation of the New Testament – The Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled and preserved.

    1. Jesus proved He was the foretold Messiah (Matthew 3:1-6, 13-17; 17:1-13; John 5:31-47; 10:37-38; Acts 2:22)

                                               i.     He fulfilled hundreds of prophecies about the coming Messiah (2 Peter 1:16-21)

1.     Born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1)

2.     Hands and feet were pierced (Psalm 22:16; John 20:24-29)

3.     Bones were not broken (Psalm 34:20; John 19:31-36)

                                             ii.     Jesus foretold future events, showing his Divine Authority

1.     His crucifixion and resurrection (John 2:18-22; Matthew 17:22-23)

2.     Judas would betray him (John 13:21-30; Matthew 26:45-46)

3.     The Fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD (Luke 21:20-24)

                                            iii.     He performed miracles, proving he was from God (Acts 1:3)

1.     Healed many people (Matthew 15:30-31)

2.     Raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:32-45)

3.     Cast out demons (Matthew 8:28-34, Mark 5:1-20)

    1. The Apostles were Christ’s authorized ambassadors (2 Cor. 5:18-20; Matthew 10:40)

                                               i.     Jesus promised that he would guide the Apostles into all truth (John 14:16-17, 26; 16:7-15)

                                             ii.     Apostles claimed to have all truth after Jesus’ ascension (1 Cor. 2:6-16; 2 Peter 1:3)

                                            iii.     The preached God’s message through miracles, proving they were from God (1 Cor. 2:4-5; Romans 15:18-19; Acts 5:12-16; 2 Cor. 12:12; Hebrews 2:1-4)

                                            iv.     They preached the knowledge of God’s mystery through inspiration (1 Cor. 2:13; Matthew 10:20; 1 Thess. 2:13)

                                             v.     Their writings contained this same knowledge (2 Peter 1:16-21; Eph. 3:2-5; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

    1. Their writings were preserved

                                               i.     N.T. Christians copied and circulated texts (Gal. 1:2; 2 Cor. 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:2; Colossians 4:16)

                                             ii.     Thousands of manuscripts

  1. Security of Scripture as a Whole – It’s all we ever need!

    1. Unity of Scripture – There are no contradictions!

                                               i.     Written by about 40 different authors over a period of about 1,500 years. 

                                             ii.     God cannot lie or contradict Himself (Hebrews 6:16-18; 1 Cor. 14:33)

    1. It is complete, lacking nothing (2 Timothy 3:15-17)

    2. It was given only once, and for all time (Jude 3; Hebrews 10:17)

    3. It will endure forever. It is incorruptible. It cannot be undone (1 Peter 1:22-25; John 10:35; Matthew 24:35; Matthew 5:18)

    4. No other message can be taught truthfully (Galatians 1:6-9)

    5. God’s word is the source of all truth and the message of salvation (John 17:17) 

Conclusion

In John 17:17, Jesus asks the Father to sanctify the disciples in truth.  Sanctification is a long process, and while on this side of eternity we are to be made more and more like Christ through our joys and sufferings.  For this to be true of ourselves we need the Holy Spirit and the Message that He illumines in our hearts to know the Father and exercise Christ’s Lordship in our lives.  Scripture reveals this truth to us.  The Bible may be a widely known historical document, but its message changes lives through the power of the Holy Spirit upon those whom God has chosen.  Next week, we will discuss more of this message, pertaining to the greatest event in history: the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

Simon Viss - High School Minister

About the author:

Simon Viss has been Cornerstone’s High School Minister since 2016 and deals directly with High School Programming, Male Mentorship, and Campus Outreach. With over 7 years of experience in Youth Ministry, Simon is passionate about leading high school students in discipleship and an understanding of the gospel message revealed in Scripture.

He graduated from BIOLA University in 2015 with a BA in Christian Ministries and is currently attending Talbot School of Theology in pursuit of an MA in Theology.

Simon and his lovely wife, Monica, have been married since June 2017 and love to travel, drink coffee, and lead together in youth ministry.