Has the BIBLE been CORRUPTED over time? (Brilliant Answer!)

In this video, Voddie Baucham address the popular view that the Bible we have today has been corrupted over time and that we have know way of knowing what it had originally contained. Baucham debunks several popular myths surrounding the formation of the Bible as well. Enjoy!

[jerome]

Here is a list of authors (none of whom were Christians) and one text from which we can corroborate the historicity of the New Testament. It is by no means a comprehensive list.
• Tacitus – Late 1st Century Roman Historian
• Lucian – Mid 2nd Century Greek Author
• Suetonius – Early 2nd Century Roman Historian
• Thallus – Mid 1st Century Historian
• Pliny – Mid 1st Century Author
• Talmud – 3rd Century Jewish account of the life of Jesus
• Mara bar Serapion – Mid 1st Century Jewish Philosopher
• Celcus – 2nd Century Greek Philosopher
• Flavius Josephus – 1st Century Jewish Historian

Here is a list of at least 33 claims in the New Testament which can be corroborated by examining these authors and texts.
• Jesus lived
• Jesus spent part of his early life in Egypt
• Jesus was a wise teacher
• Jesus performed public wonders
• Jesus healed
• Jesus fed multitudes
• Jesus raised people from the dead
• Jesus proclaimed his deity
• Jesus had a significant following during his life
• Jesus was tried by Pontius Pilate
• Jesus was crucified
• Jesus’ crucifixion happened at the behest of Jewish leadership
• Jesus’ support waned during the crucifixion
• Jesus died during the reign of Tiberius
• An unprecedented eclipse occurred during the crucifixion
• An earthquake occurred during the crucifixion
• Christians believed in eternal life
• Christians were martyred
• Christians viewed themselves as brothers and sisters
• Christians worshiped Jesus as God
• Christians cared about morality
• Christians shared their things in common
• Christians met the needs of the poor
• Christians met weekly
• Christians sang worship to Jesus
• Christians were evangelistic
• Christianity included Gentiles, not just Jews
• Christianity persisted after the crucifixion and quickly gained momentum
• Rome viewed Christians as a threat by the 40s A.D.
• Rome persecuted Christians in the first century
• The authorities who opposed Jesus and the church never produced Jesus’s body.

Credit: Matt Whitman "How We Know Jesus and the Early Church Existed"

[Gabriel.Ponce.De.Leon.]

In 30 years reading my Bible, at certain point, I quit being jealous in checking the veracity of the stories.; I saw many analog-Bible-stories continuously happening in my own life, I knew then, I was learning a truth and that truth came from God. That’s when I knew those Bible stories were absolutely true and also understood that those principles of life would repeat themselves at any scale, at any time.

[Ryuxx]

People say that the Bible has been written by people. But they will believe newspapers, fortune, cookies, and horoscopes.

[danovenchjean]

To all who believe and especially those that want to prove why they don't believe. At the end of the day, it takes a degree of FAITH to believe in anything. Just make sure what you're putting your FAITH in allows your soul to rest at the end of the day. None of us are exempt from what comes next when we reach the end of our earthly lives. God Bless everyone.

[JC_DobieDad]

This is remarkable - just 3-4 days ago someone at my job was trying to argue with me about religion and had stated all religions are man-made, & written by man. I did my best not to argue but to articulate what I know. This video explains it far better than I did, thank you for sharing.

[Simonet]

I became a Christian largely because of the overwhelming evidence for its truth handed to us by reliable documentation and tradition. Christianity is the only faith that holds up historically, morally, spiritually, philosophically and psychologically. ☦️☦️☦️

[ReasonsForOurFaithMinistries]

Having many copies of the original Hebrew and Greek texts of the Bible makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to corrupt the text because of several reasons:

1. Multiple independent sources: The existence of numerous copies from different time periods and geographical locations provides multiple independent sources of the text. This means that any attempts to corrupt a single copy would be ineffective in altering the overall integrity of the text. Corruptions or alterations in one copy can be identified and corrected by comparing it with other copies.

2. Textual criticism: Scholars and experts employ the method of textual criticism to compare and analyze the various copies of the Bible. By examining the differences and similarities between different manuscripts, they can identify any errors, variations, or intentional corruptions. Through this meticulous process, they can reconstruct the most accurate version of the original text.

3. Early manuscripts: The availability of early manuscripts, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls for the Hebrew Bible and the Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus for the Greek New Testament, allows researchers to trace the textual history back to early centuries. These ancient manuscripts provide valuable evidence for the original text, making it harder for any later corruptions to go unnoticed.

4. Widespread dissemination: The Bible has been widely disseminated throughout history, with copies spread across different regions and languages. This wide distribution ensures that any deliberate corruptions made in one region or language would be noticed when compared to copies from other regions or languages. The diverse nature of the copies acts as a safeguard against significant corruption.

5. Community of scholars: The Bible has been studied and scrutinized by a community of scholars, theologians, and experts for centuries. This collective effort ensures that any attempts to corrupt the text would face rigorous examination and challenge. The scholarly community acts as a check and balance against any potential corruption.

While it is impossible to claim absolute immunity from corruption, the presence of numerous copies, the method of textual criticism, the availability of early manuscripts, widespread dissemination, and the collective efforts of scholars make it highly challenging to corrupt the original Hebrew and Greek texts of the Bible.

[TheBitingBat]

Reminder that the bible is not one singular book, it is a compilation of dozens of books written by contemporary authors at the time. While its not to say the bible should be taken literally without context or cultural understanding, as its rife with allegory and philosophy, it wasn't just made up by one person. Entire generations of people worked together to put the bible together. I've read the bible in greek, latin, and hebrew and the events described have consistency that would not be possible unless multiple sources corroborated it.

[Maverickt]

Love it. The fact is that you can compare the Dead Sea Scrolls (which are dated to the 2nd century before Christ) to the Leningrad Codex, a Masoretic text printed in 1008/9, and with over 1200 years of copying and recopying and so on that people say did so much damage, there are only a few differences that have no effect on the message of the Bible. Most of them reflect the natural evolution of the Hebrew language over time.

[kurtcpi]

Differences in textual versions occur in three ways. 1) Errors in translation. 2) Errors in interpretation. 3) Errors in "modernization". Different translations vary in the way they restate the same passage, sometimes adding or removing nuance, even context. This is human, and it's unavoidable. Does that constitute corruption? You'll have to decide that for yourself.

[Jezpe]

Here in YT you're doing the thing I felt somebody had to do. Now I don't need to do it myself, since you're doing it so well. That means, I have more time to play drums and make music. You've saved me hundreds of hours of work.
Thank you!

[sandrasoto]

The Bible is not corrupted. The people are.

[zayacrow]

In my experience knowing the validity of the bible is such a helpful tool in sharing the word

[aaronjohannsen]

Scripture is a record. Similar to a vinyl record, it has wear and tear, pops, clicks and skips. Even with all this, you can still hear and understand the music.

[blackswan]

Gotta appreciate that Voddie doesn't pull any punches.

[klote]

Voddie is the real deal & one of the few actually sharing the true word! Soooo many false teachers right now!

[paulmcwhorter]

To me it really comes down to the fundamental question . . . when we look with amazement and wonder at creation around us, we have to ask, did it happen by accident, or was it created. Any logical mind would say that the creation screams there is a creator. Then we must ask, would that creator leave us in the dark and confused, or would He leave us with instructions. Certainly the creator would leave us with instructions. Now we must ask, if the Creator spoke a universe into existence, where every electron, proton and neutron is in its perfect place and in its perfect order, across time and the vastness of space, could he possibly have left us with a corrupt book. Obviously not. The creation attests that He is the creator of perfect things, and it would not be conceivable that He could leave us with a corrupt word.

[superchargedsteve]

I think the argument is things are lost or changed in translation, which is true. Some versions of the Bible have different translations of words. I don't know that anyone is arguing that people changed the Bible to fit their needs necessarily, well I'm sure some are. Non-believers will always find a way to make an argument for not believing.

[aprilk]

The thing that really turned me around on this subject was fully grasping the omniscience and timelessness of the Lord.
At the beginning of my path to Jesus I had concerns and doubts about the canonization of the Bible, the countless opportunities for mistranslation, and the validity of what I saw as man-made parts such as the epistles. Basically that man had corrupted or manipulated the Bible throughout history to serve their interests. But here was my answer: The Word is what we are told to turn to for just about everything (granted I am Pentecostal lol), it's the source of the continuing teachings of His church, so why would he allow it to be tainted? It was logical to me that He would have protected it. From the my then skeptic point of view, keeping it exactly how He wants it would serve His purposes. Of course since then I have learned so much more and grown in my faith, but that was my turning point. Once you get to the point of believing and understanding the vastness of His greatness and powers everything just starts falling into place.

[TheKingkingg]

Even if Bible got corrupted, there is still enough good lessons and conduct that if everyone on earth followed, the world would be so peaceful.