This is an honest question, and is not meant to offend anyone. The book was written thousands of years ago - many years after Jesus, by fallible men (they weren't perfect) who lived in a society with its own bias/rules/taboos. Since it was written many years after Jesus - then the words in the Bible can't be completely accurate, can it? I mean I played the game telephone when I was younger and many times the sentence was completely jumbled after it was passed around the circle and didn't even resemble what the beginning sentence was.... and that was within a 10 minute period.... not decades. There were many parts of the bible that were not included because religious leaders did not want them included and it seems that interpretation can be vastly different from one religion to another. Taking all of this into consideration - is it possible that the Bible is not the word of God, but the word of man? Please provide some explanation to your answer, I would appreciate it. I've received many responses concerning my reference to the telephone game... it is just that... a reference/example of passing information over a short period of time and not passing the information on correctly. It was not meant to trivialize the passing of information by word of mouth. Give me 5 minutes, be right back.
Ok, back to this question. This is a pretty long post, but please read through, and hopefully I don't ramble on.
As answers101 has said, We know by faith. But not just faith I believe there are many evidences that the Bible is true. Such things include fulfillment of prophecies:
"For example, Daniel the prophet predicted in about 538 BC (Daniel 9:24-27) that Christ would come as Israel's promised Savior and Prince 483 years after the Persian emperor would give the Jews authority to rebuild Jerusalem, which was then in ruins. This was clearly and definitely fulfilled, hundreds of years later."
Other facts include the scientific facts included in the Bible suggesting that the earth was created by God who inspired the Bible (scientific facts that were not proven until present times - last few hundred years) :
"Job 26:7 (written 3500 years ago): "He stretches out the north over the empty place, and hangs the earth upon nothing."
The Bible claimed that the earth freely floated in space. Science then thought that the earth sat on a large animal. We now know that the earth has a free float in space.
(The first scientist having this understanding would appear to be Copernicus around 1500. Examples of Scientific Accuracy in the Bible By David Pyles)"
Heres another-:
"Isaiah 40:22 (written 2800 years ago): "It is he that sits upon the circle of the earth."
The Bible informs us here that the earth is round. At a time when science believed that the earth was flat, it was the Scriptures that inspired Christopher Columbus to sail around the world. He wrote: "It was the Lord who put it into my mind. I could feel His hand upon me . . . there is no question the inspiration was from the Holy Spirit because He comforted me with rays of marvelous illumination from the Holy Scriptures . . ." (From his diary, in reference to his discovery of "the New World").
(Other statements in the Bible also indicate that God revealed this truth long ago. For example, David said that God has removed our transgression from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalms 103:12). On a spherical surface, east and west are infinitely separated in the sense that one can travel indefinitely in either direction without ever attaining the other. However, Solomon described the wind as blowing in circuits, first towards the south and then turning toward the north. North and south are not infinitely separated as east and west, because a southward traveler on a spherical surface will be heading north after crossing the south pole. Examples of Scientific Accuracy in the Bible By David Pyles )"
These are just a couple of reasons why a Christian believe the Bible is the "word of God".
Now I'm not trying to force my beliefs on anyone in any way at all. I'm just answering the question. But if you really want to learn, please study both sides of the issue. There are many many resources on these topics which I will share in a second.
I urge you to really study this out. Read up on the facts, but consider the source. Realise who the writer is and what their bias is. Because you will see quite a difference in both sides arguments . One will say something is true but the other will say it is false.
Here are resources both for and against this argument on if the bible is the 'word of God':
These should be for:
http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/e...
http://www.inplainsite.org/html/scientif...
http://www.inplainsite.org/html/scientif...
http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics...
Here are some Against:
http://www.truthbeknown.com/bible.htm
http://www.skeptictank.org/hs/b-error1.h...
Again, it can't be stressed enough. If you are serious about learning really study both sides. I'm convinced you will make the right choice. All the best. :-) We as Christians believe that the Bible is God's WORD inspired through man. Man physically wrote it down, but we have to have faith that it's God's true word. it is the word of men.
You have been blessed with my noodly appendage.
Go now, spread the word.
R'amen. I don't know. I simply believe that it is.
Brightest Blessings Its most certainly not the word of God.
Any document that claims the sun froze in the sky for a day, didn't come from some all knowing creator who knows that a frozen sun would mean that the day wouldn't end.
Allah says in the quran that it is the word of God, but you do not accept that as evidence, why not? It is the same, if you reject that the book of Kells doesn't prove that Leprechauns exist and that Leprechauns don't prove that the book of Kells is inspired, then you cannot use the same reasoning for God, or the bible. God says it is His Word, in the Bible. He says that His Word is eternal and will never fail.
The prophecies of the OT are fulfilled in Jesus. More are to come fulfilled in the future from the OT and Revelation. You don't you have to have faith to believe I dont know why i believe it is the word of God...but in my heart i know it is!!! You are correct...but you are also failing to see the larger picture. Yes....the Bible has been written and re-written numerous times. All with the hopes of helping those who read this magnificent Book.
This is why we must do our own Exegesis. This is why we must learn Koine Greek (the NT's original text) and Biblical Hebrew.
However...let's look at the Gospels. We have the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. All telling roughly the same story...all telling it in a different way. Why were they included then? Because the authors wanted to tell you a story from their side (granted Luke wasn't there...he just took the compilations and interviews of people who were there).
The words may be different...but the message IS THE SAME.
Good luck, and may God continue to bless you!
-Shalom
SideNote: Just because the words are different...doesn't mean that it didn't happen! Thank you for putting into words what I could not, all of these years. I can't answer your question because for me personally, I believe in neither the bible nor God (atleast not what the popularized image/concept of what "God" is). But I have wondered this same thing for very long - even when I did believe. Your question, more than anything else, is the reason I cannot be a Christian. My brain won't allow it.
It is such a SIMPLE THING for someone to claim that God inspired something that I'm amazed more people don't ask for proof. I could write a book tomorrow and say God inspired it. Everyone would quite rightly think I'd gone insane. So what's the difference between then and now?
I've become enough of a misanthropist over the years to see that some men really crave power and control. If you can convince people that you're speaking on behalf of God, you really have it made, don't you?
And yet at the same time, I DO believe there's a God. I just don't think it has anything to do with that book whatsoever. Classic deist thinking I guess...I wasn't even aware what a deist was until about 2 years ago. Well because of it's historic prophecy, and its truth proclaimed and fulfilled and also because it's the oldest book, it's also been tested by people of faith like myself in which when prayers are answered, and the trust in God gives you rest, strength, etc.... It's 100% absolute to me by the way that it's worked in my life. I've studied it, and will continue to study it and grow spiritually. It's the word of God because it says so.
Since it's the word of God, it's infallible. Therefore its claim to be the word of God must be true. Therefore it must be the word of God.
How's that for a nice piece of logic? It says so itself.
It wouldn't lie would it? Yes, it is perfectly possible - and more likely - that the Bible, indeed any religious document, is just the opinion of mankind. It is hard enough to prove a 'fact' written in the press last week, let alone 'facts' that have been retranslated and reinterpreted over thousands of years. However, all religious beliefs require faith - an unproveable trust. That's what makes them religions. It is up to the individual what they believe or disbelieve.
And anyone who attempts to prove that it is the word of god in their answers by merely quoting the bible itself is being no help in answering your honestly-asked question whatsoever. :o) The apologists will tell you all of your points are immaterial, but I believe you are raising a very important, correct, and critical point.
The earliest books of the new testament were written around 50 A.D. The gospels were written between 70 and 130 A.D. None of the books (NONE of them) were written by anyone who had first hand knowledge of jesus.
The earliest books are also different from the one's we have now - there is material added to the modern bible that is not in the original manuscripts
The bible is fiction Considering what you have to say. First and foremost we must have faith and know that somewhere deep in our spirit we know that it is truly The Word of GOD. Secondly, some of the apostles wrote the New Testatment. And Thirdly, Christ left the Holy Spirit for us and it is through the Holy Spirit that the Bible was written. It is a book for our salvation, not a history or science book. GOD Bless... it might had been written by man but it was thou the work and guidance of God
you just have to have faith It's through God's Spirit that we know what we know. It's not just the Bible, but it is the indwelling spirit that Jesus talked about and is illustrated in the Epistles which counsels us. That's why Jesus calls Him the Counselor. Because He counsels.
So for those who have the Spirit of God, they can understand and value the things of God. Anyone else can read the Bible, but without the Spirit of God, they will not know what to value in the Bible.
1 John 3
24 Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. Yes, the Bible is the word of God.
You could read Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell, The Case for Christ by Lee Stroebel, or Mere Christianity by CS Lewis.
Lee Stroebel was an Investigative Journalist who set out to disprove Christ, and he is today a Minister.
CS Lewis was an atheist Oxford English Professor who started to investigate Christ as a response to an antagonist friend, and ended up being a Christian and apologetics author.
There are close to 25,000 early manuscripts of the Bible, and ther is MORE manuscript evidence of the Bible than any other work of antiquity. In the 1960's, after the New York Times said that God is dead, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls revealed newly discovered material more than 1,000 years older than anything previously known, and all it did to the ACCURACY of the Bible was reinforce it.
http://www.centuryone.com/25dssfacts.htm...
Sir Fredric G. Kenyon, director and principle librarian of the British Museum, and second to none in authority for issuing statements regarding manuscripts, stated "It is reassuring at the end to find that the general result of all these discoveries of the authenticity of the Scriptures, is our conviction that we have in our hands, in substantial integrity, the veritable Word of God."
People who "assert" that the Bible is anything less have no historical sources, uninformed opinions, or they are WILLFULLY ignorant. Actually, the Old Testament was written before Christ. The gospels were written within a generation of Christ by men who all died for what they said. If I knew I was lying, I would recant to save my life. The last book of the Bible was written in 96 AD, just about 70 years after Christ. That's relatively short. All the material in the Bible written about Christ was written while people who remembered were alive and could object if something false were being taught. And, let's not forget that the Romans ruling at the time were not friendly towards Christians. It wasn't for another 300 years that Christianity was even legal, so it definitely wasn't a "they were in power and no one could object" thing. And, half of the prophecies of the Bible have been fulfilled as written; there's no reason the other half won't be. And, there is amazing continuity considering it was written throughout 1500 years by 40 different people with their own personalities showing through and in dramatically different cultures. If we look at the Bible as a collection of principles to live by rather than just words to read, it's quite easy to see a loving God in them and to experience the power. But even principles need to be taken into context. By using a chain reference bible which leads us from one reference to the others, then we can understand the principles. It's the principles that have come through the test of time. I understand your analogy of the telephone game, but the bible isn't a game. The principles therein are a way of life. Actually the bible is Jesus' teachings to man and woman. He (Jesus (pbuh)) was INSPIRED by God. Later on each one of the disciples wrote it therefore it might not be as accurate as you think! It basically has been through God to Jesus and then to 12 different people! I believe that the Bible is only a book to be tought by and not live by. The Holy Book of Muslims has been written word by word straight from God to Muhammad (pbuh) and after someone believes they know it word by word they must renounce it to their teacher word by word before they can recite it again. Therefore it is the most accurate book to ever be written. Good question.
I have come to believe that the bible is the Word of God after much study and contemplation. It is the most reliable historic text in history (more reliable than most texts reffering to Julias Caesar for example)
But that is incidental. I genuinely believe that God speaks to me through the Bible.
The Jewish were famous for recording events accurately and this continued into New Testament times. Word of mouth was taken much more seriously than a game of "telephone" lol. In fact 14 year old boys were required to recite the whole Torah on their birthday. Acurately.
The bible has been subject to more scholastic scrutiny than any other text in history.
On another point. There are great mathematicians who've been converted simply on the basis of the Hebrew and Greek numbering system and its infallible patterns. The Hebrews included such patterns so as to avoid plagiarism. Google numbers in the bible sometime.
You say that many parts were not included because of religious leaders etc etc. In fact these "leaders" were constantly challenged and the cannon (the collection of books in the bible) was agreed upon at ecumenical councils of hundreds of scholars and church leaders.
You should have included examples of the books that were supposedly "omitted". Any one is free to read them! I have read a number of them and they all (as well as the 4 gospels of first century in the cannon) mention dozens of miracles of Jesus.
If even one was true (ie his resurection)
I think it would be worth looking into..
I hope your question is answerable and not just a statement of your disillusionment.
All the best in tracking down sources and understanding reliablility. It is SO important.
God bless There are many things in the Bible that might at first glance or superficially be taken as contradictions, however if it is really studied well under guidance of the Holy Spirit, you will find a thick golden thread going through the whole Bible with no contradictions in the absolute ideas. Then youl'le find that God from the OT is really the same as God from the NT. The book of Hebrews illustrate this so brilliantly.
The old Hebrew, Aramaic and greek texts were never passed to new generations by "word of mouth". It was always meticulasly copied from the original or oldest possible texts that was available. We should really praise God for those people! When you get into the text, you will perceive intelligence combined with worldly expressions. When you continue to study the one third regulatory, one third history, and the other third prophesy, it will telegraph it's divine message to you, as easily as an astute person can read emotional expressions of faces, eyes, and other body communicational language. Okay, I'm an Atheist of nature, and I can accept your theory, now some prove that the bible is the word of God.
Let me tell you a secret, the bible ain't totally true, what did I say? it's full of mistakes, but that is according to many scientists do to bad translation of the language it was written in. now prove if the bible was right or not:
There have been hundreds of books written on the subject of the evidences of the divine inspiration of the Bible, and these evidences are many and varied. Most people today, unfortunately, have not read any of these books. In fact, few have even read the Bible itself! Thus, many people tend to go along with the popular delusion that the Bible is full of mistakes and is no longer relevant to our modern world.
Nevertheless the Bible writers claimed repeatedly that they were transmitting the very Word of God, infallible and authoritative in the highest degree. This is an amazing thing for any writer to say, and if the forty or so men who wrote the Scriptures were wrong in these claims, then they must have been lying, or insane, or both.
But, on the other hand, if the greatest and most influential book of the ages, containing the most beautiful literature and the most perfect moral code ever devised, was written by deceiving fanatics, then what hope is there for ever finding meaning and purpose in this world?
If one will seriously investigate these Biblical evidences, he will find that their claims of divine inspiration (stated over 3,000 times, in various ways) were amply justified.
now some bible phrases, to see if it says something to "prove" that what is in this books, is all right.
-let us state(!) for now that the bible is true from the first page to the last.But science is true at the same time, of course this is not the case in reality, we need to find out why.
1. THE BEGINNING OF THE UNIVERSE
According to the bible:
John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."
prove:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?sea...
according to science, we will have Albert
Einstein, -Scientist- and founder of the most famous theory ever called E= MC2, also co-creater of the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb.(Also an Astrologer btw and left-handed just like me.) It is proven that he was one of the most intelligent scientist in the globe. the word is up to him:
"The Big Bang theory rests very strongly on Einstein鈥檚 theory of general relativity, which combines with nuclear and particle physics and all the other physical laws to describe the contents of the universe. The theory is that 13.7 billion years ago, there was a singularity, a point of infinite density, and the universe emerged, emerging and very hot, from that singularity."
prove: http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/...
Einsteins theory doesn't go allong with the bibles theory now does it?
bible says: word of God
science says: big bang
now we have to look which one of the two is right the big bang or the word, God?
to look after that we need PROVE, then lets look for some.
we go further on Einsteins theory about the big bang;
"But the singularity is not describable with Einstein鈥檚 theory. The theory fails: everything goes to infinity. The density of the universe goes to infinity. The curvature of spacetime goes to infinity. All the properties we normally use to describe the universe and its contents just fail. "
Experts just say, 鈥淟et鈥檚 assume the universe sprang into existence, start our decription a tiny fraction of a second after that, run the clock forward and never ask where it came from.鈥?br>
prove: http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/...
Now, obviously, some scientists say that the big bang just can't have happened that moment, and never did. so the bible can stil be true its still 50/50. but why so many unsingularities between the bible and sciense, what is right?
To see that we need to investigate deeper into the bible.
2. DOES EVIL AND DARKNESS EXIST?
not entirely, according to Albert Einstein.
John 3:20" Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed."
So, its seems pretty clear to me, God hates a$$holes and sends them to the lake of eternal fire, with Satan.
but what does the fellow friend of God (ha ha..) -science- say about evil? does evil even exists?
for that we need prove from educated scientists; hard prove.
This may or may not be a true story but it is a nice bit of logic!
(Again here Albert Einstein is the last student, talking to the professor)
A university professor challenged his students with this question. "Did
God create everything that exists? A student bravely replied, "Yes, He
did!"
"God created everything?" the professor asked. "Yes, sir," the student
replied.
The professor answered, "If God created everything, then God created
evil, since evil exists. And according to the principal that our works
define who we are, then God is evil." The student became quiet before
such an answer.
The professor was quite pleased with himself, and boasted to the
students that he had proven once more that the faith in God is a myth.
Another student raised his hand and said, "Can I ask you a question,
professor?" "Of course," replied the professor. The student stood up and
asked,"Professor, does cold exist?"
"What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never
been cold?" The students snickered at the young man's question.
The young man replied, "In fact, sir, cold does not exist. According to
the laws of physics, what we consider cold is, in reality, the absence
of heat. Everybody or object is susceptible to study when it has or
transmits energy. Absolute zero (-460 degrees F) is the total absence of
heat. All matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that
temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe
how we feel if we have no heat."
The student continued. "Professor, does darkness exist?" The professor
responded,"Of course it does."
The student replied, "Once again you are wrong, sir. Darkness does not
exist either. Darkness is, in reality, the absence of light. We can
study light, but not darkness. In fact, we can use Newton's prism to
break white light into many colors and study the various wave lengths of
each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break
into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a
certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this
correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when
there is no light present."
Finally, the young man asked the professor, "Sir, does evil exist?" Now
uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course, as I have already said.
We see it everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to
man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the
world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."
To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist, sir, or at least it
does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is
just like darkness and cold -- a word that man has created to describe
the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not like faith, or
love, that exist just as does light and heat. Evil is the result of what
happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like
the cold that comes when there is no heat, or the darkness that comes
when there is no light."
The professor sat down. The young student's name -- Albert Einstein.
prove: http://www.newciv.org/nl/newslog.php/_v1...
Thus, Einstein says God exists, but not that there is darkness, nor that there is evil, so the bible is full of mistakes, no doubt.
bible: there is darkness, and all who does wrong shall go there
Einstein; Darkness does not exist, there is only light.Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when
there is no light present."
To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist, sir, or at least it
does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is
just like darkness and cold -- a word that man has created to describe
the absence of God. God did not create evil
The professor sat down. The young student's name -- Albert Einstein
this doesn't mean that God doesn't exist, it proves that the bible and the - one who wrote it- are wrong
3.DOES GOD EXIST?
But the bible is -for many scientists- the word of God, actually God and science goes hand in hand, God shows us his message, and scientists prove it to the people, its simple as that. despute that I cannot believe that the God as most Christians know Him allows such pain and agony in the world, for this to be true he needs to :
1) "Wants us to look after ourselves."
this is entirely possible
look:
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
All in all, to answer your q. "is the holy bible the word of God"?, yes, but not entirely, It was foolish man who missinterpreted the word of God. The Bible was written by 40 men over a period of 1610 years, beginning in 1513 B.C.E. I can understand why you could think this way, but 2 Timothy 3:16,17 says: "All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, 17聽that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work'
2 Peter 1:20,21: "For YOU know this first, that no prophecy of Scripture springs from any private interpretation. 21聽For prophecy was at no time brought by man鈥檚 will, but men spoke from God as they were borne along by holy spirit."
The Bible is filled with prophecies reflecting detailed knowledge of the future, something impossible for humans. For example the prophecy at Isiah 44: 24, 27,28; 45:1-4 : "This is what Jehovah has said, your Repurchaser and the Former of you from the belly: 鈥淚, Jehovah, am doing everything, stretching out the heavens by myself, laying out the earth. Who was with me? 27聽the One saying to the watery deep, 鈥楤e evaporated; and all your rivers I shall dry up鈥? 28聽the One saying of Cyrus, 鈥楬e is my shepherd, and all that I delight in he will completely carry out鈥? even in [my] saying of Jerusalem, 鈥楽he will be rebuilt,鈥?and of the temple, 鈥榊ou will have your foundation laid.鈥欌€?br>
45 This is what Jehovah has said to his anointed one, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have taken hold of, to subdue before him nations, so that I may ungird even the hips of kings; to open before him the two-leaved doors, so that even the gates will not be shut: 2聽鈥淏efore you I myself shall go, and the swells of land I shall straighten out. The copper doors I shall break in pieces, and the iron bars I shall cut down. 3聽And I will give you the treasures in the darkness and the hidden treasures in the concealment places, in order that you may know that I am Jehovah, the One calling [you] by your name, the God of Israel. 4聽For the sake of my servant Jacob and of Israel my chosen one, I even proceeded to call you by your name; I proceeded to give you a name of honor, although you did not know me." This was written by Isaiah and completed by 732 B.C.E. Cyrus was not born when that was written in fact that was written 200 years before he was born. The Jews was not taken into exile to Babylon until 617 -607 B.C.E, and Jerusalem and its temple were not destroyed untul 607 B.C..E. In detail the prophecy was fulfilled starting in 539 B.C.E. Cyrus diverted the waters of the Euphrates River into an artificial lake, the river gates of Babylon were carelessly left open during feasting in the city, and Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians under Cyrus. Thereafter, Cyrus liberated the jewish exiles and sent them back to Jerusalem with instructions to rebuild Jehovah's temple. The Encyclopedia Americana (1956) Vol 3, Page 9'
Prophecy: Jeremiah 49:17, 18 "Edom must become an object of astonishment. Everyone passing along by her will stare in astonishment and whistle on account of all her plagues. Just as in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and her neighbor towns,' Jehovah has said, 'no man will dwell there.'" This prophecy was completed by Jeremiah by 580 B.C.E.
Fulfillment: "The Edomites were driven from Palestine in the 2nd century B.C. by Judas Maccabaeus, and in 109 B.C. John Hyrcanus, Maccabaean leader, extended the kingdom of Judah to include the W. part of Edomitic lands. In the 1st century B.C. Roman expansion swept away the last vestige of Edomitic independence.. After the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D. the name Edom disappeared from history. (The new Funk & Wafnalls Encyclopedia, 19562 Vol. 11, P 4114) Notice that the fulfillment extendes down to our day. In no way can it be argued that this prophecy was written after the events had taken place.
The Bible's contents are scientifically sound on matters that human researchers discovered only at a later date. The oritin of the Universe: Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The Shape of the earth: Isaiah 40:22: "There exist One who is dwelling above the circle of the earth. In ancient times the general opinion was that the earth was flat. Not until the 20th century has it been possible for humans to travel ay airplans, then into outer space and even to the moon, this giving them a clear view of "the circle" of the earth's horizon. Details of Human Anotomy: Job 19:20: "I escape with the skin of my teeth." "on the enamel surface of the teeth is a highly indestructible pellicle (thin skin) or film indistinguishable to the naked eye known as the enamel cuticle. The Encyclopedis Americana 1956, Vol XXVI, p.321.
The Internal harmony is significant: This is especially so in view of the fact that the books of the Bible were recorded by 40 men as diverse as king, prophet, herdsman, tax collector, and physician. They did the writing over a period of 1,610 years; so there was no opportunity for collusion. Yet their writings agree, even in the smallest detain. To appreciate the extent to which various portions of the Bible are harmoniously intertwined, you must read and study it personally.
How can we be sure the Bible has not been changed. "In the number of manuscripts attesting a writing, and in the number of years that had elapsed between the original and the attesting manuscripts, the Bible enjoys a dicided advantage over classical writings. No ancient book is so well attested to
` as the Bible. "The Bible From the Beginning (New York, 1929, P. Marion Simms, PP74,76.There are more than 1,700 ancient manuscripts of the Hebrew Scriptures, the whole or part; the oldest dates back to the first or second century B.C.E. Of the Christian Greek Scriptures, there are more than 6,000 in the original Greek, the oldest dating back to the beginning of the second century C.E.; in addition, there are some 10,000 copies of the early translations in other languages.
In the introduction to his seven volumes on The Chester Beatty Biblical Papyri, Sir Frederic Kenyon wrote: 鈥淭he first and most important conclusion derived from the examination of them [the papyri] is the satisfactory one that they confirm the essential soundness of the existing texts. No striking or fundamental variation is shown either in the Old or the New Testament. There are no important omissions or additions of passages, and no variations which affect vital facts or doctrines. The variations of text affect minor matters, such as the order of words or the precise words used .聽.聽. But their essential importance is their confirmation, by evidence of an earlier date than was hitherto available, of the integrity of our existing texts.鈥濃€?London, 1933), p. 15.
It is true that some translations of the Bible adhere more closely to what is in the original languages than others do. Modern paraphrase Bibles have taken liberties that at times alter the original meaning. Some translators have allowed personal beliefs to color their renderings. But these weaknesses can be identified by comparison of a variety of translations The Bible Indicates that In Addition to the Written Word, we are to accept Oral Tradition.
Perhaps the clearest Biblical support for oral tradition can be found in 2 Thessalonians 2:14, where Christians are actually commanded: "Therefore, brethren, stand fast; and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle."
Sacred Tradition complements our understanding of the Bible and is therefore not some extraneous source of Revelation which contains doctrines that are foreign to it. Quite the contrary: Sacred Tradition serves as the Church鈥檚 living memory, reminding her of what the faithful have constantly and consistently believed and who to properly understand and interpret the meaning of Biblical passages. In a certain way, it is Sacred Tradition which says to the reader of the Bible "You have been reading a very important book which contains God鈥檚 revelation to man. Now let me explain to you how it has always been understood and practiced by believers from the very beginning."
The Catholic Church emphasized that the Scriptures must be read in light of the apostolic Tradition that was handed down through the ages.
As Saint Peter writes in his epistle, Scripture is not a matter of personal interpretation.
It therefore must mean that it is a matter of public interpretation, and that is the interpretation of the Church.
The Church has always encouraged reading the Scriptures.
In fact, the Catholic Church is the one who first translated the Scriptures into the vernacular.
Since the Catholic Church holds that the Bible is not sufficient in itself, it naturally teaches that the Bible needs an interpreter. The reason the Catholic Church so teaches is twofold: first, because Christ established a living Church to teach with His authority. He did not simply give His disciples a Bible, whole and entire, and tell them to go out and make copies of it for mass distribution and allow people to come to whatever interpretation they may. Second, the Bible itself states that it needs an interpreter.
The doctrine of Sola Scriptura overlooks 鈥?or at least grossly underemphasizes 鈥?the fact that the Church came before the Bible, and not the other way around. It was the Church, in effect, which wrote the Bible under the inspiration of Almighty God: the Israelites as the Old Testament Church (or "pre-Catholics") and the early Catholics as the New Testament Church.
To say that the early Church believed in the notion of "the Bible alone" would be analogous to saying that men and women today could entertain the thought that our civil laws could function without Congress to legislate them, without courts to interpret them and without police to enforce them. All we would need is a sufficient supply of legal volumes in every household so that each citizen could determine for himself how to understand and apply any given law. Such an assertion is absurd, of course, as no one could possibly expect civil laws to function in this manner. The consequence of such a state of affairs would undoubtedly be total anarchy.
Since the Bible did not come with an inspired table of contents, the doctrine of Sola Scriptura creates yet another dilemma: How can one know with certainty which books belong in the Bible 鈥?specifically, in the New Testament? The unadulterated fact is that one cannot know unless there is an authority outside the Bible which can tell him. Moreover, this authority must, by necessity, be infallible, since the possibility of error in identifying the canon of the Bible would mean that all believers run the risk of having the wrong books in their Bibles, a situation which would vitiate Sola Scriptura. But if there is such an infallible authority, then the doctrine of Sola Scriptura crumbles.
Another historical fact very difficult to reconcile with the doctrine of Sola Scriptura is that it was none other than the Catholic Church which eventually identified and ratified the canon of the Bible. The three councils mentioned above were all councils of this Church. The Catholic Church gave its final, definitive, infallible definition of the Biblical canon a the Council of Trent in 1546 鈥?naming the very same list of 73 books that had been included in the 4th century. If the Catholic Church is able, then, to render an authoritative and infallible decision concerning such an important matter as which books belong in the Bible, then upon what basis would a person question its authority on other matters of faith and morals?
Protestants should at least concede a point which Martin Luther, their religion鈥檚 founder, also conceded, namely, that the Catholic Church safeguarded and identified the Bible: "We are obliged to yield many things to the Catholics 鈥?that they possess the Word of God, which we received from them; otherwise, we should have known nothing at all about it." |
