Introduction: Can We Really Trust the Bible Today?
Skeptics often ask, “Hasn’t the Bible been copied and translated so many times that we can’t trust it anymore?”
They imagine a long game of spiritual telephone, where the original message has been lost, distorted, or manipulated.
But is that true?
Let’s explore the evidence for the preservation of Scripture and answer the question:
What are the odds that the Bible we read today is still the true Word of God?
1. What Did Jesus Say About His Word?
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”
— Matthew 24:35 (ESV)
“Scripture cannot be broken.”
— John 10:35 (ESV)
If Jesus is who He said He is — the Son of God — then His Word is eternal, unchangeable, and protected by divine power.
2. The Bible’s Transmission: More Reliable Than Any Ancient Book
Old Testament
- Jewish scribes followed extreme precision: counting letters, lines, and words.
- If a single error was found, the scroll was discarded.
- The Dead Sea Scrolls match the Masoretic Text with 95% accuracy — no doctrinal difference.
New Testament
- 5,800+ Greek manuscripts
- 20,000+ early translations and citations
- 99.5% textual purity — unparalleled among ancient works
| Ancient Text | Earliest Copy | Time Gap | Copies | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homer’s Iliad | 500 yrs later | 643 | ~95% | |
| Caesar’s Gallic Wars | 1,000 yrs later | 10 | unknown | |
| New Testament | 30–50 yrs later | 5,800+ | ~99.5% |
What are the odds the Bible survived unchanged?
Overwhelmingly high — because no book in history was preserved like this.
3. What About Translation Differences?
Modern Bible translations may differ in style or reading level, but they use the same reliable manuscripts.
The message remains consistent:
“For God so loved the world…” is clear in every faithful translation.
God’s Word has been translated, not twisted.
4. What About Copyist Errors?
- Yes, scribes occasionally made minor errors.
- But scholars compare thousands of manuscripts to restore the original.
- No doctrine is affected by any known textual variant.
The Bible’s message remains intact — crystal clear, consistent, and unchanged.
5. Is There a Conspiracy Behind Bible Changes?
- The early church quoted nearly the entire New Testament before any council met.
- Councils like Nicea did not change the Bible — they affirmed what was already used and trusted.
- There is no historical evidence of organized Bible corruption.
The Bible has endured not because of institutional control, but because of God’s sovereign hand.
6. What Are the Odds That the Bible Was Preserved?
- 40+ authors across 1,500 years…
- Copied and carried across continents…
- Persecuted, hidden, smuggled, quoted…
- And yet it still says what it said from the beginning.
The odds? Astronomical — unless the Author is God.
7. Why It Matters
- You can trust its message.
- You don’t need to fear deception.
- You can open it today and know — “Thus says the Lord.”
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”
— Isaiah 40:8 (ESV)
8. Satan’s Oldest Strategy: “Has God Really Said?”
From Eden onward, Satan has attacked the Word of God. His first recorded words:
“Did God actually say…?”
— Genesis 3:1
If Satan can cast doubt on the Bible, he can also cast doubt on:
- Heaven
- Hell
- Salvation
- Jesus
- Truth itself
Destroy the Bible, and you destroy the foundation.
9. The Holy Spirit Is the Final Witness
“When you have been told the truth, you know it in your heart.”
The Holy Spirit confirms God’s Word internally:
“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit…”
— Romans 8:16 (ESV)
“Your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.”
— Psalm 119:89 (ESV)
Truth is not only preserved in ink — but in the hearts of those who believe.
10. A Word That Cannot Be Broken
Satan has tried everything:
Burning it. Banning it. Twisting it. Mocking it.
But Jesus said:
“The word of our God will stand forever.”
— Isaiah 40:8
“My words will not pass away.”
— Matthew 24:35
The Bible remains because God wrote it — and God preserves what He proclaims.
11. Written in Blood: The Price Paid to Preserve God’s Word
The Bible’s survival is not only miraculous — it is marked by martyrdom.
🔥 In the Early Church
- Emperor Diocletian (303 AD) ordered all Bibles destroyed.
- Christians died rather than give up their scrolls.
✍️ In the Dark Ages
- Scripture was locked in Latin. Reading the Bible in your language was heresy.
⚔️ In the Reformation
- Wycliffe translated into English. After his death, his bones were burned.
- Tyndale translated from Greek. He was strangled and burned. His last words: “Lord, open the King of England’s eyes.”
📖 Today
- 30–40 million Bibles printed every year
- Over 700 languages with full Bibles
- Over 3,500 languages with Scripture portions
The Bible has survived every attack — because it is more than paper and ink. It is the living breath of God.
12. A Living Word. A Global Miracle.
The Bible is not only inspired, inerrant, and infallible —
It is indestructible.
“Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.”
— Psalm 119:89
And still it speaks.
And still it saves.
Conclusion: God Wrote It. God Preserved It.
No, the Bible has not been changed.
It has been challenged, attacked, and questioned — but never defeated.
You’re not reading a rumor.
You’re reading eternal truth.
Next in the Series:
- Why Are There So Many Bible Translations? (Coming Soon)