Notice how hard it is to reconstruct the original text:
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat
ltteer are in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it slef but
the wrod as a wlohe.
People are often times in fearful shock with I inform them that the Greek manuscripts
that preserve the New Testament have over 500,000 variants. The above paragraph
well illustrates what is at stake with variants. Does anyone have a difficult time understanding
the above paragraph? If not, you will find the Greek manuscripts a breath of fresh air compared
to the above paragraph. At a quick glance, I count 69 words in the above paragraph with
34 variants or errors in spelling. But what is at stake? What can be disputed?
What is comforting with the 500,000 variants in the manuscripts that support the New Testament
is this: what are the odds of finding one more manuscript that will alter the meaning of the existing
New Testament. That is, we already have over 5,900 Greek manuscripts, and comparing these
to each other, there are over 500,000 variants; what would be the odds of finding a new Greek
manuscript that will significantly alter the meaning of the Bible.
In fact, as we find more and more Greek manuscripts, the number of variants goes
up and up, and yet despite all this, the ability to piece together what the original New Testament
said becomes EASIER AND EASIER.
Assume the jumbled paragraph above is a copy of an original paragraph, and we wanted to determine
what the original paragraph actually said. With just this one copy we can get pretty close. But
if we were to find another paragraph written with such atrocities, we would at least have another
source to compare it to in determining what the original paragraph actually said. If we were to find
5,000 such poorly written paragraphs, we could with relative certainty reproduce the original document.
The next time someone tells you that the Bible is full of mistakes, you better thank your lucky
stars that that is indeed the truth, for without that very fact we would be at a loss in reconstructing
the original New Testament. It is this unusual fact that gives evidence to a supernatural preservation
of the Bible. How? 500,000 errors and not one cardinal doctrine is at stake!
As a side note, I had the opportunity to "talk" (via email) with one of the world's leading critics of our
New Testament, Dr. Bart Ehrman. In his own words, although
with much reluctance, he conceded that "we can reproduce over 95 percent of what the
New Testament originally said." To which Dr. Wallace of Dallas Seminary adds, "...and not one
major doctrine of the Christian faith is at stake within HIS disputed 5 percent." (What Dr. Wallace
means by "HIS disputed 5 percent" is that most conservative scholars contend that the original
New Testament can be reconstructed to within 99.6 percent. As more manuscripts are dug up,
that percent will approach 100 percent, maybe even attaining 103 percent.)
If we end up with 103 percent, we then need to take away the dross.
Just some thoughts,
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat
ltteer are in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it slef but
the wrod as a wlohe.
People are often times in fearful shock with I inform them that the Greek manuscripts
that preserve the New Testament have over 500,000 variants. The above paragraph
well illustrates what is at stake with variants. Does anyone have a difficult time understanding
the above paragraph? If not, you will find the Greek manuscripts a breath of fresh air compared
to the above paragraph. At a quick glance, I count 69 words in the above paragraph with
34 variants or errors in spelling. But what is at stake? What can be disputed?
What is comforting with the 500,000 variants in the manuscripts that support the New Testament
is this: what are the odds of finding one more manuscript that will alter the meaning of the existing
New Testament. That is, we already have over 5,900 Greek manuscripts, and comparing these
to each other, there are over 500,000 variants; what would be the odds of finding a new Greek
manuscript that will significantly alter the meaning of the Bible.
In fact, as we find more and more Greek manuscripts, the number of variants goes
up and up, and yet despite all this, the ability to piece together what the original New Testament
said becomes EASIER AND EASIER.
Assume the jumbled paragraph above is a copy of an original paragraph, and we wanted to determine
what the original paragraph actually said. With just this one copy we can get pretty close. But
if we were to find another paragraph written with such atrocities, we would at least have another
source to compare it to in determining what the original paragraph actually said. If we were to find
5,000 such poorly written paragraphs, we could with relative certainty reproduce the original document.
The next time someone tells you that the Bible is full of mistakes, you better thank your lucky
stars that that is indeed the truth, for without that very fact we would be at a loss in reconstructing
the original New Testament. It is this unusual fact that gives evidence to a supernatural preservation
of the Bible. How? 500,000 errors and not one cardinal doctrine is at stake!
As a side note, I had the opportunity to "talk" (via email) with one of the world's leading critics of our
New Testament, Dr. Bart Ehrman. In his own words, although
with much reluctance, he conceded that "we can reproduce over 95 percent of what the
New Testament originally said." To which Dr. Wallace of Dallas Seminary adds, "...and not one
major doctrine of the Christian faith is at stake within HIS disputed 5 percent." (What Dr. Wallace
means by "HIS disputed 5 percent" is that most conservative scholars contend that the original
New Testament can be reconstructed to within 99.6 percent. As more manuscripts are dug up,
that percent will approach 100 percent, maybe even attaining 103 percent.)
If we end up with 103 percent, we then need to take away the dross.
Just some thoughts,
