Authenticity and
Reliability of the
Bible
The
Material for this presentation is primarily derived from Meekness and Truth Ministries.
The NUS Navigators is grateful for their generous sharing of presentation resources
with us in our ministry.
What some
critics of the
Bible have said….
“There is no history written at the time
Jesus Christ is said to have lived, that
speaks of the existence of such a person,
even as a man.”
Thomas Paine, Age of Reason, p. 234
“Historically it is quite doubtful whether Christ
ever existed at all, and if he did we do not know
anything about him.”
Bertrand Russell, Why I am not a Christian, p.16
When people question the
authenticity and reliability
of the Bible, what are they
really asking about?
Is the Bible Reliable?
Possible Questions Behind the Question...
1.
How do you know if Bible we have today is
the same as the original? (Issue of accuracy
of translation and copying)
2.
Assuming that the translation/copying is
accurate, how do we know if the writers did
not make up the stories?
3.
How do we know that the Bible is not just a
myth that was embellished over time?
To discover whether the Bible is reliable,
you need
•
•
•
•
M.A.P.S.
Manuscripts
Archaeology
Prophecy
Statistics
(M.A.P.S. was developed by Hank Hanegraaff)
How do you know if Bible we have today is
the same as the original? (Issue of accuracy
of translation and copying)
Manuscript Evidence
Three Tests:
 Bibliographical
 External evidence
 Internal evidence
Bibliographical Test
It examines how well the texts are
transmitted to us.
1.
2.
3.
The number of copies of the original
The time gap between the original and
the existing copies
The degree of accuracy of the copies
The Number of Copies
•
•
•
•
There are:
5,686 hand written Greek N.T. manuscripts
10,000 Latin Vulgate
Close to 25,000 manuscript copies of portions
of the New Testament exist today
Taken from Norman Geisler, Unshakable Foundations, p. 257
The Time Interval
The N.T. has earlier manuscripts closer to the time of
original composition.
For example:
 John Ryland fragment (117-138 A.D.) - one generation
 Bodmer Papyrus (150-200 A.D. ) - whole books
 Chester Beatty Papyri (250 A.D.) - most of the N.T.
 Codex Vaticanus (325-350 A.D.) - nearly all the Bible
Comparing Ancient Manuscripts
Author
Book
Date
Earliest Copy
Gap
in Yrs
Homer
Illiad
800 BC
400 BC
400
Herodotus
History
480-425 BC 900 AD
1350
Thucydides History
460-400 BC 900 AD
1300
Plato
400 BC
900 AD
1300
Demosthenes
300 BC
1100 AD
1400
Julius Caesar Gallic Wars 100-44 BC 900 AD
1000
Livy
Hist of Rome 59 BC-17 AD 4th C (partial)
400
10th C (almost complete) 1000
Tacitus
Annals
100 AD
1100 AD
1000
Pliny
Nat History 61-113 AD
850 AD
750
N.Testament
50-100 AD 130 AD (fragments)
50
200 AD (books)
100
250 AD (most of NT)
150
325 AD (complete NT) 225
Josh McDowell, New Evidence That Demands a Verdict, p. 38
No. of
Copies
643
8
8
7
200
10
1 partial
19
20
7
5686
Degree of Accuracy
Even with 25 thousand NT manuscripts, they are
so close that we are virtually certain of 97% - 98%
of the New Testament.
For the remaining 2-3%, almost ½ are 1 and 2 word
variants for spelling, adding “the”, etc. None of
these affect doctrine.
For details: www.BibleQuery.org
Degree of Accuracy
“If Comparative trivialities such as changes of
order, the insertion or omission of the the article
with proper names, and the like are set aside,
the words in our opinion still subject to doubt can
hardly amount to more than a thousandth part of
the New Testament.”
B.F. Westcott and F.J.A. Hort, The New Testament in the Original
Greek, Vol. 1, p.2
Degree of Accuracy
A. T. Robertson suggests that the real
concern of Textual Criticism is of a
“thousandth part of the entire text.”
A. T. Robertons, An Introduction to the Textual Criticism of
the New Testament, 1925, p. 22
External Evidence Test


Do other historical material confirm or deny
the internal testimony of the New Testament?
The test asks: What other sources are there,
apart from the documents under analysis, that
substantiate its accuracy, reliability and
authenticity
Extra-Biblical Christian Sources
Quotations from early Church Fathers
concerning the New Testament
Writer
Justin Martyr
Irenaeus
Clement (Alex)
Origen
Tertullian
Hippolytus
Eusebius
Grand Totals
Gospels Acts Pauline General Revelation Totals
268
10
43
6
3
330
1,038
194
499
23
65
1,819
1,107
44
1,127
207
11
2,406
9,231
349
7,778
399
165
17,992
3,822
502
2,609
120
205
7,258
734
42
387
27
188
1,378
3,258
211
1,592
88
27
5,176
19,368 1,352 14,035
870
664
36,289
Taken from Josh McDowell, New Evidence That Demands a Verdict, p. 43
External Evidence Test
“Indeed so extensive are these citations that if all
other sources for our knowledge of the text of the
New Testament were destroyed, they would be
sufficient alone for the reconstruction of practically
the entire New Testament.”
Bruce Metzger, The Text of the New Testament, p. 86
Extra-Biblical Secular Sources








Writer
Date
Cornellius Tacitus 112
Lucian
2nd C
Flavius Josephus 66
Suetonius
120
Pliny
112
Thallus
52
Philegon
1st C
Mara Bar-Serapion 73
Subject
Death of Jesus at the hands of Pilate
The new cult of Christianity
Life/Death of Jesus
Christ-The reason for Jews expulsion from Rome
Christians bound not to sin - Jesus
Histories-Darkness at Christ’s death (eclipse)
Darkness (Eclipse)
Calamities brought by deaths of Socrates,
Pythagorus and Jesus
Roman Source: Josephus
Josephus says,
“At this time there was a wise man who was called Jesus.
And his conduct was good and (he) was known to be
virtuous. And many people from among the Jews and other
nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be
crucified and to die. And those who had become his disciples
did not abandon his discipleship. They reported that he had
appeared to them three days after his crucifixion and that he
was alive; accordingly He was perhaps the Messiah
concerning whom the prophets have recounted wonders.”
As cited in Josh McDowell, Evidence that Demands a Verdict, p. 85
(Arabic text, 10th Century)
The Significance of Josephus
The significance of this passage by Josephus:






Makes reference to Jesus’ claim to be the Christ
Speak of His miracles
Points out that people perceived Jesus’ teachings as the truth
Indicates the historicity of Pilate and the event of the cross
Records the claim by His disciples that Jesus was resurrected
Documents that Jesus had many converts
Jewish Source: The Talmud
“On the eve of Passover Yeshua was hanged. For
forty days before the execution took place, a herald
went forth and cried, ‘he is going to be stoned
because he has practiced sorcery and enticed Israel
to apostasy. Any one who can say anything in his
favor, let him come forward and plead on his behalf.’
But since nothing was brought forward in his favor he
was hanged on the eve of the Passover.”
The Talmud, Sanhedrin, 43a (cf. John 11:8, 16)
The Significance of the Talmud
The significance of Jewish writings about Jesus:




Confirms the historicity of Jesus’ life.
Confirms His death by the method of crucifixion (The
Jewish method of execution would have been stoning)
Indicates that Jesus did do miraculous things but attributed
his power to the devil (similar to Mark 3:22; Matthew 9:34;
12:24)
Indicated that Jesus gathered many converts from the
Jewish community
Story of Jesus from secular writers - Summary
“Jesus lived during the time of Tiberius Caesar. He lived a
virtuous life. He was a wonder worker. He had a brother named
James. He claimed to be the Messiah. He was crucified under
Pontius Pilate. An eclipse and an earthquake occurred when he
died. He was crucified on the eve of the Jewish Passover. His
disciples believed that he rose from the dead. His disciples
were willing to die for their belief. Christianity spread rapidly as
far as Rome. His disciples denied the Roman gods and
worshiped Jesus as God.”
Taken from Dr. Norman Geisler’s PowerPoint lecture “Twelve Points that Prove
Christianity is True” (Order the CD at www.normgeisler.com)
Accuracy Established
Conclusion from bibliographical and external evidence test
“The interval then between the dates of the original
composition and the earliest extant evidence becomes so
small as to be in fact negligible, and the last foundation for
any doubt that the Scriptures have come down to us
substantially as they were written has now now been
removed. Both the authenticity and the general integrity of
the books of the New Testament may be regarded as finally
established.”
Sir Frederic Kenyon, The Bible and Archaeology, p. 288
Conclusion:
New Testament Documents have been
Reliably translated/copied and
can be regarded as Authentic
Assuming that the translation/copying is accurate,
how do we know if the writers did not make up
the stories?
Manuscript Evidence
Three Tests:
Bibliographical
External evidence
Internal evidence
Internal Evidence Test

Is written record believable? To what extent?

Are the authors telling the truth?
Criteria for Establishing Credibility
Internal Evidence Test
David Hume’s criteria for testing the credibility of witnesses:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Do the witnesses contradict each other?
Are there a sufficient number of witnesses?
Were the witnesses truthful?
Were they non-prejudicial?
David Hume, Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding, p. 120
Internal Evidence Test 1
The witnesses did not contradict each other.
To be sure, there are minor discrepancies:
 One account (Matt. 28:5) mentions only one
angel at the tomb.
 John says there were two angels at the tomb
(John 20:12).
But they both testified that JESUS ROSE FROM
THE DEAD.

Resolving Discrepancies
Matthew (27:5): Judas "hanged himself.“
Acts (1:18): "... falling headlong, he burst open
in the middle and all his entrails gushed out."
Resolution: “Sometime after hanging himself, his
body was discovered, the rope cut, and the body
fell on sharp rocks and burst open.” Dr. Norman Geisler
Internal Evidence Test 2
There was a sufficient number of witnesses.
There are nine different people who wrote the N.T., all
of whom were eye witnesses or contemporary to the
events they recorded. Six of them are most important
to establishing Jesus’ claim of miracles (Matthew, Mark,
Luke, John, Acts, and 1 Corinthians).
 All of these books bear witness to the miracle of the
Resurrection.
 In 1 Cor. 15, Paul mentions there were 500 people who
saw Jesus after the Resurrection.

Internal Evidence Test 3
The witnesses were truthful.
Most of them even died for what they taught
about Christ (2 Timothy 4:6-8; 2 Peter 1:14).
Internal Evidence Test 4
The witnesses were non-prejudicial
Jesus not only appeared to believers; He also appeared to
unbelievers like James. (John 7:5;1 Cor. 15:7)
He appeared to the greatest unbeliever of the day—a Jewish
Pharisee named Saul of Tarsus. (Acts 9:5)
Internal Evidence Test 4 (cont.)
The witnesses to the resurrection had nothing to gain
personally.
 They were persecuted and threatened with death for their
stand. (cf. Acts 4, 5, 8)
 The witnesses wrote things that didn’t reflect favorably on
themselves or their cause:
 Disciples arguing about positions of honor in heaven;
who would have a seat at Jesus right hand
 Peter not eating with those who were uncircumcised
 Women found the tomb empty first
 Jesus calling Peter Satan

Did the Writers Use Primary Sources?
Luke 1:1-4 says,
“In as much as many have undertaken to compile an
account of the things accomplished among us, just as
those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and
servants of the word have handed down to us, it
seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated
everything carefully from the beginning, to write [it]
out for you in consecutive order, most excellent
Theophilus; so that you might know the exact truth
about the things you have been taught.”
Did the Writers Use Primary Sources?
2 Pet. 1:16 says,
“For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we make
known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His Majesty.”
I John 1:3 says,
“What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also,
that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our
fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus
Christ.”
Did the Writers Use Primary Sources?
John 19: 35 says,
“And he who has seen has borne witness, and his
witness is true; and he knows that he is telling the
truth, so that you also may believe.”
To discover whether the Bible is reliable,
you need
•
•
•
•
M.A.P.S.
Manuscripts
Archaeology
Prophecy
Statistics
(M.A.P.S. was developed by Hank Hanegraaff)
The Testimony of the Stones
1.
2.
No archaeological evidence has ever
refuted the Bible.
Thousands of archaeological finds
support the Bible.
Dr. Norman Geisler
Archaeology (N.T.)
Archaeological Discoveries:

Pharaoh Shishak’s attack on Israel (1 Ki 14:25-26)
confirmed by the walls of the Temple of Amun
Archaeology (N.T.)
Archaeological Discoveries:

Moab’s revolt against Israel (2 Ki 3:4-27)
confirmed by the Mesha Inscription.
Archaeology (N.T.)
Archaeological Discoveries:

In the 19th C, the Bible was accused of being fictitious because no
non-Biblical texts have been written about the Hittites. In 1906,
digs at Hattushash proved that it was the capital city of the Hittites,
silencing the sceptical scholars and archaeologists.
A Skeptic’s Conclusion
Is the New Testament corroborated by archaeology?
“I began with a mind unfavorable to it (Acts), for the
ingenuity and apparent completeness of the Tubingen
theory had at one time quite convinced me. It did not lie
then in my line of life to investigate the subject
minutely; but more recently I found myself often
brought in contact with the book of Acts as an authority
for the topography, antiquities, and society of Asia
Minor. It was gradually borne in upon me that in various
details the narrative showed marvelous truth.”
Sir Wm. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen, p. 8
“Pontius Pilate Prefect of Judea” 26-37 AD
(Discovered 1961)
Accuracy of Acts
WHOEVER HEARD OF "POLITARCHS"?
Ac 17:6 - CONCERNING THE TERM "RULERS OF
THE CITY" (GREEK "POLITARCHS")...
Since the term is not found in the classical
literature of the Greeks it was assumed that
Luke was wrong to refer to such an office.
HOWEVER... some 19 inscriptions have now
been found that make use of this title; five of
these are in reference to Thessalonica!
Another Skeptic’s Conclusion
Archaeology (N.T.)
“As a matter of fact, however, it may be stated
categorically that no archaeological discovery
has ever controverted a biblical reference.
Scores of archaeological findings have been
made which confirm in clear outline or exact
detail historical statements in the Bible.”
Nelson Glueck, Rivers in the Desert, p. 31
A Reporter’s Conclusion
Archaeology (N.T.)
“In extraordinary ways, modern archeology has
affirmed the historical core of the Old and New
Testaments--corroborating key portions of the
stories of Israel’s patriarchs, the Exodus, the
Davidic monarchy, the life and times of Jesus.”
Jeffrey Shelter, “Is the Bible True?”, US News and World Report, Oct.
25, 1999, p. 52
A Scientist’s Declaration
“The grand old Book of God still stands; and this old
earth, the more its leaves are turned over and
pondered, the more it will sustain and illustrate the
sacred Word.”
James Dana, Yale professor, President of the Geological Society of
America and the American Association for the Advancement of
Science” quoted in The Bible: Fact or Fiction? by Dr Robert G. Witty,
p 91
How do we know that the Bible is not
just a myth that was embellished over
time?
Conclusions of a Respected Archaeologist
Couldn’t the stories about Jesus be a myth that was
invented over a period of time?
“Rephrasing the question, I would answer that, in my
opinion, every book of the New Testament was
written by a baptized Jew between the forties and the
eighties of the first century A.D. (very probably
sometime between about 50 and 75 A.D.”
Wm. F. Albright, Toward a More Conservative View, Christianity
Today, Jan., 1963, p. 359
Conclusions of a Respected Archaeologist
“We can say emphatically that there is no longer any
solid basis for dating any book of the New
Testament after about A.D. 80, two full generations
before the date between 130-150 given by the more
radical New Testament critics of today.”
Albright, Recent Discoveries in the Bible Lands, p. 136
Liberal Dating
Couldn’t the stories about Jesus be a myth that
was invented over a period of time?
I Corinthians
Spring 55
 Mark
45-60 AD
 Matthew
40-60 AD
 Luke
57-60 AD
 Jude
61-62 AD
 Acts
57-62 AD
 John
40-65 AD
John A. T. Robinson, Redating the New Testament, p. 352

A Historian Speaks
Roman Historian, A.N. Sherwin-White says,
“For Acts the confirmation of historicity is
overwhelming… Any attempt to reject its basic
historicity must now appear absurd. Roman
historians have long taken it for granted.”
A. N. Sherwin-White, Roman Society and Roman Law in the New
Testament, p. 189
A Scholar’s Observation
Williams Lane Craig says,
“The tests show that even two generations is too
short to allow legendary tendencies to wipe out
the hard core of historical facts.”
William Lane Craig, The Son Rises, p. 101
To discover whether the Bible is reliable,
you need
•
•
•
•
M.A.P.S.
Manuscripts
Archaeology
Prophecy
Statistics
(M.A.P.S. was developed by Hank Hanegraaff)
Messianic Prophecy
J. Barton Payne in his Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecies
(P. 665-670) lists 191 Prophecies that were literally fulfilled
in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Place of birth (Mic. 5:2)
Time of birth (Dan. 9:25)
Manner of birth (Is. 7:14)
Sold for 30 pieces of silver (Zech. 11:12)
Manner of death (Ps. 22:16)
People’s reactions (mocking, spitting, staring, etc.)
(Ps. 22:7,8, 17)
His side pierced (Zech. 12:10)
Burial in a rich man’s tomb (Is 53:9)
To discover whether the Bible is reliable,
you need
•
•
•
•
M.A.P.S.
Manuscripts
Archaeology
Prophecy
Statistics
(M.A.P.S. was developed by Hank Hanegraaff)
Statistical Probability
8 prophecies all being fulfilled in the life of Christ:
17
I X 10
157
48 Prophecies: I X 10
(more atoms than there are in the Universe)
Taken from Peter Stoner, Science Speaks
Statistical Probability Affirmed
H. Harold Hartzler, of the American Scientific Affiliation
writes,
“The manuscript for Science Speaks has been carefully
reviewed by a committee of the American Scientific
Affiliation members and by the executive Council of
the same group and has been found, in general, to be
dependable and accurate in regard to the scientific
material presented. The mathematical analysis
included is based upon principles of probability which
are thoroughly sound and Professor Stoner has
applied these principles in a proper and convincing
way.”
In Forward to Science Speaks by Peter Stoner
What about
Canonicity?
Principles for Discovering Canonicity
Canonicity is determined by God and
discovered by man
Criteria:
Is the book authoritative - does it claim to be of God?
1. Is it prophetic- was it written by a servant of God? (2
Pet. 1:20-21; Heb. 1:1)
2. Is it authentic-does it tell the truth about God, man,
etc.? (Acts 17:11)
Taken from Norman Geisler, From God to Us, p.67
Principles for Discovering Canonicity
4. Is the book dynamic-does it possess the lifetransforming power of God? (Heb. 4:12; 2 Tim. 3:1617)
5. Is this book received or accepted by the people of
God for whom it was originally written - is it
recognized as being from God?
Taken from Norman Geisler, From God to Us, p.67
What if skeptical people ask these questions?
Your responsibility is to give them a reasonable
answer in meekness and truth.
But have reverence for Christ in your hearts, and honor him as
Lord. Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you to
explain the hope you have in you, but do it with gentleness
and respect. (1 Peter 3:15-16 Good News Translation)
In Forward to Science Speaks by Peter Stoner
Remember the Goal in Answering Their Questions!
Keep the Door Open to Share the Gospel!
Give them an answer:
“Now that I’ve given you some reasons for
the reliability of the Bible, does this
change your thinking about Jesus?”
For Those Who Are Still Not Convinced!
“Why don’t you believe that the Bible is as reliable as as some of
the historical books written around the same time period, like
Josephus or Tacitus, or Homer’s Iliad?”
“After all no one has heard of the Trojan Cow*, right? Why?
Because we know from history that Homer wrote about a Trojan
horse not a cow. But Homer wrote the Illiad about 800 B.C. and
the earliest copy of the Illiad we have is 400 years later!”
* Concept adapted from Glenn McGorty (Mirror Model)
Our Response (cont.)
“So if we can know certain things from history,why is it that we can
not know that certain things about the Bible are true?”
“I’m not asking why we can’t know that everything about the Bible
is true. But why can’t we know that some of the basic historical
events surrounding Jesus’ life, that the Bible records, are, in fact,
true?”
Remove Barriers
Your question:
“Now if you did determine that what was said in
the Bible about Jesus was true, and that He
really is the only way to God, would you follow
Him?”
“If not, why not?”
Remember Jesus himself said that some won’t
believe “even if someone is raised from the
dead?” (Luke 16:31)
Websites You Can Go To
PleaseConvinceMe.com
ChristianAnswers.net
BibleQuery.org