STUFF ABOUT GOD AND CHRISTIANITY | Dr. Ron Braley
How do we Know — Part II: The Most Reliable Texts
This column represents the thoughts and opinions of Dr.
Ron Braley. This is NOT the opinion of the Taylor Press.
In the first part of this series, I shared evidence that Jesus, the apostles and other biblical characters were real. I also introduced a ‘chain of custody’ to link those people with others we know that lived because of their connections and writings. Here, I’ll focus on the authenticity and reliability of the contents of the Bible.
Chain of Custody
Connections between known things can bring confidence in everything in between. For instance, Jesus’ disciple was John, and Polycarp was John’s disciple. Irenaeus was Polycarp’s disciple. From Polycarp, Irenaeus learned about the apostle Matthew and his gospel. He and Ignatius quoted from Luke’s letter, which we call the Acts. Plenty of writings by Polycarp and Irenaeus exist, so Jesus and John’s existence and the biblical texts John and Matthew authored are undeniable. The texts were written and circulated far earlier than some are willing to believe.
Timing
The Old Testament was written between 1430400 BC and translated into Greek in about 170 BC. This is the Septuagint — the ‘Scriptures’ — Jesus and the apostles quoted. What about the New Testament? More than 5,000 early fragments and manuscripts date to 125 AD, only about twenty years after John wrote his gospel and pastoral letters. In 130 AD, Papias (the bishop of Hierapolis) affirmed that Mark, Peter’s scribe who wrote his gospel, confirmed the accurate reflection of Peter’s words through Mark. Finally, a collection of fragments containing 23 New Testament books and Irenaeus’ writings existed around the same time. Let’s consider more that lends credibility to biblical texts, making them undeniable and highly believable.
Accuracy and believability
Jesus and the apostles quoted the Old Testament Scriptures. After Jesus was crucified and ascended, the Jewish leaders reported (in writing) that things in the Temple stopped working, beginning about 40 years before the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD. Doors opened independently, lights would go out and priestly lots and religious artifacts malfunctioned. Something else worth considering: if there hadn’t been common knowledge and agreement on the details in the New Testament texts, contemporaries would’ve challenged, and perhaps killed, the authors. So, they had to tell the truth. Also, about 99 percent of the New Testament can be accurately reconstructed from fragments and manuscripts. Why do I say accurately? Even after considering minor differences in the copies, only about one percent involved meanings of the texts. Finally, historical and archeological research verified at least 84 facts about places and people in the last 16 Acts’ chapters.
Summary
Just like the biblical players, the texts are believable (and accurate).
Chains of custody and history and geology say so. What’s next? Let’s pay homage to those who’ve sacrificed time, talents and life to bring God’s Kingdom near to others. Meanwhile, let obedience to God trump religion and tradition. Let’s have coffee together if you’re unsure of how. Email questions or comment to [email protected].
Blessings and peace, Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.
Dr. Ron Braley Guest Columnist
