The Bible is accurate
Apr 02, 2008
MUAMMAR Gadaffi’s comments that the Bible is a forged document are easy to disprove. The criteria for testing the historical reliability of all historical documents include; the bibliographical test, the internal evidence test and the external evidence test.
By Peter Asiimwe
MUAMMAR Gadaffi’s comments that the Bible is a forged document are easy to disprove. The criteria for testing the historical reliability of all historical documents include; the bibliographical test, the internal evidence test and the external evidence test.
The bibliographic test
This test looks at the number of manuscripts (copies of the original) and compares them to the original document. The total number of New Testament (NT) manuscripts (MSS) that have been copied and preserved for centuries are in excess of 24,970.
No other document of antiquity even begins to approach such numbers and attestation. The abundance of MSS copies makes it possible to reconstruct the original with complete accuracy.
Archaeological discoveries of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947 help us to compare the accuracy of biblical copies we have today with the copies of the first century AD and earlier that were discovered. The scrolls affirm that the Bible we have today is accurate.
Internal Evidence Test
This test uses three criteria in determining authenticity: Giving the document benefit of doubt, ascertaining that the document is free from known contradictions and examining whether or not the writer used primary sources.
Internal evidence for the validity of a historical document follows Aristotle’s dictum that “the benefit of the doubt is to be given to the document itself, not arrogated by the critic to himself.†The integrity of the document should be cross examined without prejudicial presuppositions.
There are two examples that give the Bible internal credibility; mathematical probability and the resurrection. Mathematical probability estimates that if a prophecy has 27 details, concerning a person, a place, or an event, then there is only one chance out of more than 33 million of its being fulfilled accidentally.
There are over 300 references to the first coming of Jesus Christ — the circumstances of his birth, where he would be born, etc. All these were fulfilled at his first coming. It is worth noting that the more the details given, the less the chance of their accidental occurrence.
There are 25 predicted details concerning the betrayal, trial, death and burial of Jesus Christ. They were all fulfilled within 24 hours at the time of his death. That means even those prophetic details concerning his second coming will be fulfilled. The evidence of Christ’s resurrection, such as his empty grave, gives the Bible great internal credibility. The evidence that his disciples stole the body while the Roman guards were asleep is inadmissible in any court of law (Matthew 28:13).
If they were asleep how did they know who “stole†the body? How could all of them have slept at the same time? How could they have slept at all, knowing the penalty of losing a prisoner was death? Post-mortem results ascertained Jesus’ death and he was seen alive by more than 500 eyewitness that could have been cross examined (1 Corinthians 15:6-8; Acts 1:3). All this evidences proves the Bible has internal evidence of its authenticity.
Is the document free from known contradictions? To understand the authenticity of a document said to be biblical, generally agreed on principles of divine revelation and interpretation should be followed. For example to determine what should be included in the Bible, church fathers used principles that enabled them to recognise which books had been inspired by God from their inception
The third criterion is to examine whether or not the writers were eyewitnesses, or recorded from firsthand information? The gospels and epistles were written in a period ranging from AD 50 to 100AD. The writers were very close to the events they had seen and heard and recorded from firsthand information. Gadaffi’s evidence is inadmissible given that he came 2,000 years late.
External Evidence Test
This test looks at other historical materials to see if they confirm or deny the internal testimony provided by the documents themselves? In other words, what are other sources of literature that substantiate the accuracy, reliability, and authenticity of the Bible? Notable among these non-Christian writers is Josephus Flavius (AD 37-AD 100) who makes many statements that verify, either generally or in specific detail, the historical nature and accuracy of both the Old Testament and New Testament of the Bible.
There is also direct evidence to the authenticity of the bible. In my quest to find meaning and purpose in life, I discovered four important principles in the Bible:
a) God loves man and offers him a wonderful plan. Man is not an accident; God had a purpose for man (Jeremiah 29:11 and John 10:10).
b) All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The wages of sin for all is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life (Romans 3:23; 6:23).
c) Jesus Christ provides the solution to man’s sin. Jesus died for my sins so that I could live; that he was punished that I might be forgiven (john 14:6); God’s kindness, patience, and tolerance were meant to lead me to repentance (turning around).
d) Since Christ is alive, we need to invite him to take over the throne of our lives. I asked Christ to come into my life and change me (see Revelation 3:20). When I made that decision, I discovered a new sense of peace and a new direction for my life. The truth of the Bible dealt with the lies and corruption that I had hitherto entertained. Christ led me to repent and ask for his forgiveness from those I had hurt. I discovered that the spirit of Christ in me could not tolerate lies.
Like begets like, lies beget lies and truth begets truth. The Bible that does not tolerate lies cannot be a forgery. The Bible is the true living word of God, validated by internal and external evidence, archaeology. Gaddafi’s claims should be rejected.
The writer is a researcher at the Department of Religious Studies, Makerere University
MUAMMAR Gadaffi’s comments that the Bible is a forged document are easy to disprove. The criteria for testing the historical reliability of all historical documents include; the bibliographical test, the internal evidence test and the external evidence test.
The bibliographic test
This test looks at the number of manuscripts (copies of the original) and compares them to the original document. The total number of New Testament (NT) manuscripts (MSS) that have been copied and preserved for centuries are in excess of 24,970.
No other document of antiquity even begins to approach such numbers and attestation. The abundance of MSS copies makes it possible to reconstruct the original with complete accuracy.
Archaeological discoveries of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947 help us to compare the accuracy of biblical copies we have today with the copies of the first century AD and earlier that were discovered. The scrolls affirm that the Bible we have today is accurate.
Internal Evidence Test
This test uses three criteria in determining authenticity: Giving the document benefit of doubt, ascertaining that the document is free from known contradictions and examining whether or not the writer used primary sources.
Internal evidence for the validity of a historical document follows Aristotle’s dictum that “the benefit of the doubt is to be given to the document itself, not arrogated by the critic to himself.†The integrity of the document should be cross examined without prejudicial presuppositions.
There are two examples that give the Bible internal credibility; mathematical probability and the resurrection. Mathematical probability estimates that if a prophecy has 27 details, concerning a person, a place, or an event, then there is only one chance out of more than 33 million of its being fulfilled accidentally.
There are over 300 references to the first coming of Jesus Christ — the circumstances of his birth, where he would be born, etc. All these were fulfilled at his first coming. It is worth noting that the more the details given, the less the chance of their accidental occurrence.
There are 25 predicted details concerning the betrayal, trial, death and burial of Jesus Christ. They were all fulfilled within 24 hours at the time of his death. That means even those prophetic details concerning his second coming will be fulfilled. The evidence of Christ’s resurrection, such as his empty grave, gives the Bible great internal credibility. The evidence that his disciples stole the body while the Roman guards were asleep is inadmissible in any court of law (Matthew 28:13).
If they were asleep how did they know who “stole†the body? How could all of them have slept at the same time? How could they have slept at all, knowing the penalty of losing a prisoner was death? Post-mortem results ascertained Jesus’ death and he was seen alive by more than 500 eyewitness that could have been cross examined (1 Corinthians 15:6-8; Acts 1:3). All this evidences proves the Bible has internal evidence of its authenticity.
Is the document free from known contradictions? To understand the authenticity of a document said to be biblical, generally agreed on principles of divine revelation and interpretation should be followed. For example to determine what should be included in the Bible, church fathers used principles that enabled them to recognise which books had been inspired by God from their inception
The third criterion is to examine whether or not the writers were eyewitnesses, or recorded from firsthand information? The gospels and epistles were written in a period ranging from AD 50 to 100AD. The writers were very close to the events they had seen and heard and recorded from firsthand information. Gadaffi’s evidence is inadmissible given that he came 2,000 years late.
External Evidence Test
This test looks at other historical materials to see if they confirm or deny the internal testimony provided by the documents themselves? In other words, what are other sources of literature that substantiate the accuracy, reliability, and authenticity of the Bible? Notable among these non-Christian writers is Josephus Flavius (AD 37-AD 100) who makes many statements that verify, either generally or in specific detail, the historical nature and accuracy of both the Old Testament and New Testament of the Bible.
There is also direct evidence to the authenticity of the bible. In my quest to find meaning and purpose in life, I discovered four important principles in the Bible:
a) God loves man and offers him a wonderful plan. Man is not an accident; God had a purpose for man (Jeremiah 29:11 and John 10:10).
b) All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The wages of sin for all is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life (Romans 3:23; 6:23).
c) Jesus Christ provides the solution to man’s sin. Jesus died for my sins so that I could live; that he was punished that I might be forgiven (john 14:6); God’s kindness, patience, and tolerance were meant to lead me to repentance (turning around).
d) Since Christ is alive, we need to invite him to take over the throne of our lives. I asked Christ to come into my life and change me (see Revelation 3:20). When I made that decision, I discovered a new sense of peace and a new direction for my life. The truth of the Bible dealt with the lies and corruption that I had hitherto entertained. Christ led me to repent and ask for his forgiveness from those I had hurt. I discovered that the spirit of Christ in me could not tolerate lies.
Like begets like, lies beget lies and truth begets truth. The Bible that does not tolerate lies cannot be a forgery. The Bible is the true living word of God, validated by internal and external evidence, archaeology. Gaddafi’s claims should be rejected.
The writer is a researcher at the Department of Religious Studies, Makerere University