Not One Word

No other body of ancient literature has more manuscript support than the books of the New Testament. More than 5,800 Greek and 10,000 Latin manuscripts, plus 9,300 more in other languages, testify to the reliability of the New Testament. Whereas copies of the earliest classical literature, well-regarded works like Plato’s Republic, were written nearly a thousand years after their composition. New Testament copies that are under two hundred years from when first written have also been found.

While God has protected the transmission of His Word through the ages, there have been many attempts to corrupt His message to humanity through sophistry. For those who do this work, God says He will add unto them the plagues written in this book. How important, then, that we have the utmost integrity when it comes to sharing exactly what God has said.

Today’s Bible landscape contains a flood of translations and paraphrases, each interpreting the Bible in new and sometimes strange ways. While no translation is perfect, much confusion stems from relatively new manuscripts that contain significant alterations and deletions when compared to the majority of existing manuscripts. These have paved the way for the creation of so-called “critical texts,” which are carefully constructed to make “more correct” the Word of God that has been with us for thousands of years.

Thankfully, we are not without a witness to the truth. We may be certain that God has preserved His Word to this generation, and we may be equally assured that we have the true Word of God.

Dear Jesus, Your Words are life and are more precious than fine gold. They are sweeter than honey and lead me to my eternal home.

For Further Study: 2 Timothy 3:16; 1 Peter 1:23; Matthew 24:35

Key Bible Texts

And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (Revelation 22:19 KJV)