Chapter 15: Questions Honestly Asked

Has the Bible been changed over the centuries? The manuscript evidence answers this. The Dead Sea Scrolls show that the Old Testament text of 125 BC agrees in all that matters with the Masoretic text of AD 1000 (chapter 5). The New Testament is supported by manuscripts that begin within a few generations of the apostles (chapter 9). Where manuscripts differ, the differences are known and can be examined, and none changes a doctrine.

Do the Gospels contradict one another? The Gospels give four complementary accounts of the same events, each from a different perspective, as four reporters would. Differences in detail, such as the number of angels at the tomb (Matthew 28:2-5; Luke 24:4; John 20:12) or the death of Judas (Matthew 27:5; Acts 1:18), are the kind of variation found in genuine independent testimony, where one writer may mention what another omits. Careful readers have long offered ways of harmonising these accounts. Where a satisfying explanation is not at once clear, the proper response is patience: not every difficulty has been solved, and none has been shown to be a real contradiction.

Why these sixty-six books, and no others? Because these are the books that came from the prophets and apostles and that Christ and his church recognised (chapters 4 and 8). The writings of the Gnostics came too late and taught what the apostles had not taught.

Are there lost books of Scripture? The Bible refers to some writings not in the canon, such as “the book of the wars of the LORD” (Numbers 21:14), “the book of Jasher” (Joshua 10:13), and a previous letter of Paul to Corinth (1 Corinthians 5:9). A letter from Laodicea is mentioned too (Colossians 4:16). Not every inspired utterance or every apostolic letter was meant for permanent preservation. God has preserved what his people need, and Scripture itself assures us that it is sufficient for faith and life (2 Timothy 3:15-17).

Did a council or emperor decide the Bible? No. The councils of the late fourth century recorded what the churches already used, and the emperor Constantine did not decide the canon (chapter 8).

Can a translation be the Word of God? Yes. The apostles quoted the Greek Septuagint as Scripture, and the KJV translators said that even the humblest English Bible containing the Word of God “is the word of God” (The Translators to the Reader, 1611). A translation is as faithful as the translators’ care and the original it follows.

Is the King James Version the only legitimate English Bible? Faithful Christians hold different views. The KJV is a superb translation that has served believers for four centuries. Newer translations draw on older manuscripts and on changes in the language, and many are also reliable. The reader should choose a faithful translation, read it regularly, and consult others to see more of the sense (chapter 11).

Does the Spirit still speak today? The Spirit speaks supremely through the written Word. He also gives gifts and guidance to the church, and Spirit-filled Christians testify to his present work. But every claimed prophecy or experience is to be tested by Scripture (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21; 1 John 4:1), and nothing that is truly from the Spirit will contradict the Scriptures he inspired.