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"Errors" of the Bible:
3 Common misunderstandings
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SERIES—Introduction
The Bible is far and away the best seller on earth—every year.
Tens of millions are printed annually, and billions of them populate the planet—enough for every man,
woman, child, and even a few domesticated animals. (1)
Why is the Bible so popular?
Because the Bible contains the will of God, our Creator.
And—this is a logical conclusion—one derived from facts. (True faith is founded upon and extends from established facts.)
After all, no other plausible explanation exists for the astonishing Biblical revelation of scientific facts thousands of years before
their "official" discoveries;
for the numerous undeniable prophecies that have been incontrovertibly fulfilled—centuries after the original prophecies
were made; or for the uncanny harmony of all Biblical authors—in spite of the fact there were 40 of them who wrote in 3
different languages and spanned an incredible 16 centuries. (2)
But does any of this matter if the Bible is not accurate—if it is beleaguered with errors and contradictions?
Bible's accuracy under attack
Attacks on the Bible's integrity are by no means a new thing.
Voltaire (1694-1778), the renown French
philosopher / agnostic / anti-Christian, predicted that within 100 years of his time Christianity would become extinct.
Unfortunately for Voltaire, he has become extinct while Christianity has continued to explode.
In fact, within 50 years
of Voltaire's death the Geneva Bible Society acquired use of his home as a printing office and distribution center for
the very Bibles he so fervently scorned. (3)
The Bible has repeatedly endured and resiliently rebounded from attack after endless attack, but its extraordinary
truths, uncanny accuracy, and undeniable prophecies appear to have eternally inoculated it from
the numerous baseless accusations of those who do not seek the truth.
50,000 Errors in the Bible?
While millions of people consider the Bible to be the accurate word of God, many others, including some scholars,
question whether the Biblical words we read today are the same words penned by the original Biblical authors.
Muslims and other skeptics allege the Bible contains almost 50,000 errors and perhaps over 100 Bible contradictions
(examined in another article).
Their logic is unmistakable: "With so many errors, how can we really trust the Bible's message?"
Even some who call themselves "Bible believing" question Biblical accuracy.
They've apparently been convinced by the rumors of errors that Biblical content should be accompanied with a large grain of salt.
This baseless doubt sometimes gives license for some to justify including or excluding portions of the Bible based on
a "feeling" that certain verses may not be accurate.
Since—as some believe—"finer details" of the Bible's message "cannot be completely trusted"—then Bible doctrines,
and other details, "need not be taken seriously." This is a dangerous mode of thinking, since the Bible is very clear that we
are not permitted to add to or take away from any part of God's will
(for more on this, please read:
"If modernists re-wrote the Bible, what would it say?").
Needless to say, such allegations hold huge, perhaps even "religion-changing" implications.
A closer look at Biblical accuracy
In a moment I hope you will see that charges of gross Biblical inaccuracy are grossly untrue. But first let's examine the
reasons why some intelligent people make such startling accusations.
These allegations are probably due to misunderstandings in the following 3 areas:
- Not understanding how the Bible came into existence.
- Not understanding how ancient Bible manuscripts (hand-written copies) were collected and combined to form
a "reconstructed text" from which translations are translated—and how so-called "errors" are counted.
- Not understanding that, to find truth, one's own motives must not be allowed to cloud rational judgment and honest
logic; nor should religious traditions or pre-conceived opinions be allowed to influence one's quest for truth.
That being said, let's proceed to take a closer look at these misunderstandings.
(Note: This article will focus on the New Testament
portion of the Bible since it is the Christian's primary Guide. However, the following concepts apply to the Old Testament as well.)
Additional recommended reading:
How to interpret the Bible accurately: 12 critical tips
If modernists re-wrote the Bible, how big would it be?
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