Question:

53.1—Considering that the Bible was written by man many many years ago, what are the chances that it’s truly accurate and that there aren’t discrepancies that have occurred through translations and errors of men throughout the centuries?  There are several “findings” out today that have documentation of very early meetings in Jerusalem and suggest that when Christianity separated into different factions, it was actually much earlier than suspected—and was done by one of the apostles in order to satisfy the Roman and Greek public.  Basically, the teachings of Jesus in the years before do not match the teachings of some of the apostles after his death…meaning that since the Bible was not written by God, but by man, things could have been changed, purposely or not, and the Bible could just be a guide but not an actual accurate representation of history.

53.1—Before seeking to answer the question, we must ask this question: “Was the Bible written by man?” The answer the Bible gives to this question is in the verses quoted in the answer above, and that is that man did NOT write his own thoughts, but that God used “holy men” to write the very “words” that the Spirit of God told them to write. “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21). These men did not write their own “will” or thoughts. In fact, 1 Peter 1:10,11 tells us that they searched even their own prophecies that the Spirit gave to them, to see when they would be fulfilled.

How wonderful it is that God who created everything has chosen to “reveal” His thoughts and truth to us in His Word, the Bible! God took great pains over approximately 1600 years, using about forty different men, to speak to man through the written Word, but His message is not revealed to man apart from man believing what God says in His Book. It is only through FAITH in His written Word that we can “understand” what God is saying in the Bible (Hebrews 11:3). Speaking of faith as the vital link to having God reveal His mind to us, a little girl was once asked, “What is faith?” She answered, “It is taking God at His Word and asking no questions.” That is basically what faith is, but naturally speaking we don’t have faith because we like to figure things out ourselves. One person said, “If I can figure it out I will believe it,” but it would not be faith if we could figure it out. The Bible says that faith is the gift of God: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). And, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). God gives us faith as we hear Him speak to us in His Word.

John Wesley wrote about “The Problem of Inspiration: (1) It could not be the invention of good men or angels, for they neither would nor could make a book and tell lies all the time they were writing saying: “Thus saith the Lord” when it was their own invention. (2) It could not be the invention of bad men or devils, for they could not make a book which commands all duty, forbids all sins, and condemns their own souls to hell for all eternity. (3) Therefore, I draw the conclusion that the Bible must be given by Divine inspiration.”

But should our faith be blind as to what we put our trust in? Definitely not! Your question deals with this: “What are the chances that it’s truly accurate and that there aren’t discrepancies that have occurred through translations and errors of men throughout the centuries?”

(1)  God has seen fit to preserve literally thousands of copies of the original manuscripts. Scribes made these copies by hand, and the copies are so much alike that they vary in less than one percent between them. Actually, having so many copies is better proof of what the words were on the original manuscripts than if we had the original manuscripts themselves, because whether it were indeed an original would be in question. Thus, except for a very few instances, we are certain what the original words were that the Spirit of God had the “holy men” write down.

(2)  The problem with the translation from the original languages of Hebrew and Greek to English comes when the translators inject their own thoughts into the translation. What is essential for an accurate translation is that each Hebrew and Greek “word” be translated as accurately as possible into the English. This is called a “verbal translation.” The apostle Paul, who wrote 14 of the books of the New Testament, tells us that He spoke the “WORDS” the Spirit of God gave him to write: “Which things also we speak, not in the WORDS which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth” (1 Corinthians 2:13). Many of the so-called translations of late have been a translation of phrases instead a translation of words. Thus they are actually “paraphrases” instead of “translations.” A paraphrase may make for easy reading, but the interpretation of the paraphraser is in the text, which allows for human thought, and often does not give the thought the Spirit of God had in mind at all.

So, the answer to your question: “What are the chances that the Bible is truly accurate and that there aren’t discrepancies that have occurred through translations and errors of men throughout the centuries?” is that we can fully rely on verbal translations such as the King James Version, and the New King James Version. There are other verbal translations by men of God who were scholars of the Hebrew and Greek such as J. N. Darby, William Kelly, F. W. Grant, and others who, through diligent labor, studied the manuscripts and translated them into English. Their translations are the most accurate of the translations available to us.

You say as a reason for your questions: “There are several ‘findings’ today that have documentation of very early meetings in Jerusalem and suggest that when Christianity separated into different factions, it was actually much earlier than suspected—and was done by one of the apostles in order to satisfy the Roman and Greek public.  Basically, the teachings of Jesus in the years before do not match the teachings of some of the apostles after his death…meaning that since the Bible was not written by God, but by man, things could have been changed, purposely or not, and the Bible could just be a guide but not an actual accurate representation of history.”

These “findings” have to come from people who have no love for God and His precious Word for they reject the testimony the Bible itself gives that it was written by God and NOT by man. There is great danger in turning away from the Scriptures that we have heard from a child. The apostle Paul told Timothy: “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:14,15).

Regarding the teaching of Jesus being different than the apostles after His death, what teaching are they referring to? The apostles taught the same teaching as Jesus did for the salvation of our souls. Jesus taught: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). On the day of Pentecost, Peter and all the apostles said: “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21). The apostles taught that believers are added to the church when they are saved (Acts 2:47), and Christ, the Head of the church, was the first to announce this wonderful truth by saying, “I will build My church” (Matthew 16:18).

In these days when the Bible is rejected more and more even by religious people, we can say with confidence that the Bible is God’s accurate, infallible, and eternal Word. “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the Word which by the gospel is preached unto you” (1 Peter 1:23-25).

Please let us know if you, or any reader of In Touch, have any further questions on this most important subject. The matter of the Bible being inspired by God Himself is basic and vital to our soul’s blessing and well-being. Without this we have no anchor for our souls and no assurance as to what is true of us before God.