Q: How do I explain to people who ask me how I know the Holy Bible is true when its been wrote and re-wrote so many times. And it’s the only true message from God? I’ve told them that it was inspired by God and He’s the Almighty protecting His Word. Please help me to help them understand. God Bless and thank you so much!! —Ronda
A: Yes, you are right on both counts: the Bible is indeed inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21), and God has protected and preserved His Word (Psalm 119:152; Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 5:18, 24:35; 1 Peter 1:25).
We believe the Bible to be inspired and inerrant in the original manuscripts. We do not have the original copy or a perfect manuscript copy of the original biblical text. However, that should not alarm us for we do possess more than 14,000 handwritten copies of all or part of the New Testament, and these copies, remarkable in their similarity, vary from one another in about 8% of the text. Very minor in nature, these differences do not call into question even one major doctrine or event.
Click on these two resources: Can I Really Trust the Bible? and 10 Reasons To Believe in the Bible to read in greater detail about the trustworthiness and reliability of the Bible. —K.T. Sim
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mike wittmer on April 6, 2012 at 4:34 pm
Ronda: Also remember that it is not your job to persuade others that the Bible is God’s Word. Only the Holy Spirit can do that. Invite them to read the Bible for themselves, perhaps suggest the Gospel of John, and pray that the same Spirit who opened your eyes will open theirs.