The Bible was written over a span of 1,500 years, which is a long time to write one book. If the average lifespan is seventy years, 1,500 years incorporates approximately twenty-three lifetimes, or 22.857143 to be exact. With forty writers over this expanse of time, we can know some were contemporaries, but most never laid eyes on each other, much less sat together over an open fire discussing the content of their writings.
Think about it. Between the Scriptures recognized as the oldest, to the most recent New Testament writings lay centuries of warring kingdoms, breached borders, and annihilated people groups. Yet, somehow the Scriptures were preserved and formed into the texts we read and study today. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947 points to this preservation. After examination of the biblical texts found among these scrolls, the writings are shown to bear only a small number of errors which do not compromise the interpretation or integrity of the message. (For a good read on the Dead Sea Scrolls click here.)
One reason for this remarkable preservation of the Bible is the impeccable skills of the Hebrew scribes given the responsibility of copying the scrolls containing God’s word. This was not a task for someone who suffered from a short attention span or a lousy work ethic. The Hebrew scribe cared about his labor. He strived for the highest standards of accuracy due to the link between his deep faith and his work. One dare not mess around with God or His word. The consequences could be life-altering, to say the least. If the scribe made a mistake in copying the text, his entire work would be destroyed, and he would have to start over. It was imperative the copied document preserved every jot (the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet) and tittle (a small pen stroke in Hebrew writings; akin to the dot over our i’s) as the original.
The scribes’ fervor for such precision is found in the national identity of the Israelite. Called out as God’s chosen people, the scrolls contained record of their ancient history as told through their prophets, priests, and leaders of old. It preserved their past while pointing to their future. These parchments contained the very oracles of God. The words assured the promises for future blessings through God and outlined the punishments for ignoring Him. These written codes served as the Hebrews governmental, as well as, spiritual laws. The scribes revered the law and wanted to avoid error at all costs.
Another reason for its survival is the number of copies used to share the message during the early spread of Christianity. The Hebrew scribe cared for and created copies of what we have as the Old Testament text; the early church created copies and shared the message of what we have as the New Testament through letters (Epistles), written accounts of the life of Jesus (the Gospels), and the exploits of the disciples and first missionaries (the Book of Acts). Even though we have copies and not original writings (known by historians as original autographs), we can be confident of their authenticity because of the massive amount of survived copies, the accuracy shown through comparisons of the text and the dating of the copies to the original time period. No other ancient writing carries with it the evidence of legitimacy like the Bible.
Take for example the writings of Plato compared to the New Testament. From the chart below we see Plato would have written his texts around 427 to 347 B.C. The earliest copies (seven in total) are dated around 900 A.D. That shows a gap of 1,200 years from the original texts. However, the earliest copies (24,000 in total) discovered of the New Testament (written from 40 to 100 A.D.) are dated only 25 to 50 years from the original writings.
The main reason for the preservation of the Scriptures is expressed to us within its pages and points us to Author of the text.
Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; so that the man [all believers whether man, woman, or child] of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17 Amplified Bible (2015).
But understand this [You know this] first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of or comes from one’s own [personal or special] interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God (2 Peter 1:20-21 AMP).
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets (Hebrews 1:1 KJV).
God used human instruments to pen His word. He used their unique positions, perceptions, and personalities. He spoke to each one in a certain place and time. There may have been forty different writers (free download) over the expanse of 1,500 years, but the Bible has one Author. Throughout the Scriptures, His signature is evident in unity, verity, prophecy, and accuracy.
Next time, we’ll look at The Unity of the Bible.
Please join me next month as I continue How the Bible Came Together.
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References
Bandstra, Barry L. (1999). Reading the Old Testament: An Introduction to the Hebrew Bible (2nd ed.). Belmont, Calif., Wadsworth Publishing Co.
Barna, 2016. The Bible in America: 6 Year Trends. Retrieved from https://www.barna.com/research/the-bible-in-america-6-year-trends/
Benyola.Net, 2018. Manuscript Evidence for Ancient Writings Chart. Retrieved from http://benyola.net/roman-catholicism-mormonism-and-the-biblical-gospel/9/
Geisler, Dr. Norman. (2002). Systematic Theology, Volume One, Minneapolis, Minn. Bethany House Pub.
Hinson, Ed and Canner, Ergun. (2008). The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics, Surveying the Evidence for the Truth of Christianity, Eugene, Ore., Harvest House Pub.
Kennedy, D. James. (1997). Skeptics Answered, Sisters, Ore., Multnomah Books.
Literacy Foundation Words of Hope, 2017. Causes of Illiteracy, Surveys and Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.fondationalphabetisation.org/en/causes-of-illiteracy/surveys-and-statistics/
Literacy Foundation Words of Hope, 2017. Consequences of Illiteracy. Retrieved from https://www.fondationalphabetisation.org/en/causes-of-illiteracy/consequences-of-illiteracy/
Scofield, Rev. C. I. (1996). The Scofield Reference Bible, New York. Oxford University Press, Inc.
Zondervan. (1984). The Rainbow Study Bible New International Version, El Reno, Okla., Zondervan Bible Pub.
Zondervan and The Lockman Foundation. (2015), The Amplified Bible, La Habra, Calif. Zondervan Publishing House.
I just love the history (and historicity) of the biblical text. Nothing compares! God’s hand in preserving the manuscripts and watching over the early scribes is as much a part of the Bible as the words themselves. We can be confident that the text we have today is almost exactly the same as the original autographs!
As well, I’m always excited about linguistic advancements that help us translate more accurately.
Thanks for sharing this important information with so many.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge, Carla. Very informative.
Excellent research – well done, Carla