An accusation that some people make against the Bible is that men have ruined it, or distorted it, in the translations throughout the centuries. However, this cannot be the case…no matter how hard some try to denigrate the Word of God, they will be unsuccessful.
There are two main passages in the New Testament that address the promises of God’s word and the inability for man to twist it. The first is 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and the second is 2 Peter 1:20-21.
Paul, the apostle, writes to his young disciple: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (HCSB, Homan Publishers, 2010). The first five words are the most important as we take up our topic. We see right away that “All”, meaning, the whole Bible, is “inspired by God”, that is both the Old Testament and New Testament.
When Jesus and the writers of the New Testament are referring to the Scriptures it is understood that they are pointing to the Old Testament. How we do we know, however, if the New Testament is on the same level? We look to Peter, the apostle, for this answer: “Also, regard the patience of our Lord as an opportunity for salvation, just as our dear brother Paul has written to you according to the wisdom given him. He speaks about these things in all his letters in which there are some matters that are hard to understand. The untaught and unstable twist them to their own destruction, as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures” (2 Peter 3:15-16 – HCSB). It is very clear from here that what Paul wrote, Peter thought of as equal with the Old Testament Scriptures. And what equates the rest of the New Testament is that each author was either an apostle or associated with an apostle such as Mark and Luke.
The second passage is taken from Peter ,the apostle, in 2 Peter 1:20-21: “First of all, you should know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” Peter seems to be saying the same thing that Paul does in his letter to Timothy. God is the Author of Scripture! And since God is a living God He is more than capable of making sure that what He wrote through these 40 plus men, and over a period of 1500 years, is without contradictions. It would be impossibly difficult to say the Bible has been changed by man.
It is not a matter of accuracy on God’s part over the many years but it is a matter of obedience to His word on man’s part that is truly at issue. God’s word has not changed in meaning and impact over the years, but only what language it was translated into from the original tongues of Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek.
In 1948 the Dead Sea Scrolls were found and it was a copy of the Old Testament. Skeptics thought that these writings would discredit the Old Testament and by implication the New Testament. But the opposite was true! These scrolls dating from the third century BC were found to substantiate that what was already written in our English Bibles. Yes, men over the centuries have attempted to discredit the Bible from seemingly every possible angle, only to be discredited themselves. It is the only book ever written that has taken so much criticism and yet maintained its integrity. And it is also the most coveted book known to mankind since people have suffered and died for it to be translated and given in so many languages throughout ancient and modern history. No other book compares to it.
So, those who have criticized it over the years, and continue to do so, have seen, and will continue to see, their work was and is done in vain. Instead of criticizing the Bible it would be wise if the detractors would read it for themselves and be honest in that reading and study. However, as followers of Jesus know and understand, those who do not know Jesus as Savior and Lord will not understand what it written from the hand of God through men. Read what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:14: “But the unbeliever does not welcome what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated/discerned spiritually” (HCSB).
Followers of Jesus have nothing to defend or apologize for regarding the trustworthiness of the Scripture. Begin and end with the written Word of God that which points to the Living Word of God – Jesus Christ! A wise friend has told me repeatedly, regarding people questioning the validity of Scripture… “What does that Book teach?”
Thanks to our Guest Contributor:
Pastor Ray Peters
Harvest Alliance Church
