LTRBE Seminar | Section 15: Critics of the Bible

Learn To Read The Bible Effectively

Section 15
Critics of the Bible

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Section 15: Critics of the Bible

We cannot be students of the Bible without recognizing the fact that such a book, one which claims Divine inspiration, is continually being attacked by all types of critics to its claims. We acknowledge this, and though the scope of this class is not aimed at proving the critics wrong, we have attempted to summarize a few of the most often cited criticisms of the Bible.

CRITICISM: The Bible is an ancient document written by primitive men who were only trying to force their will on others by claiming a book of divine origin. This makes the Bible nothing more than a compilation of crude facts, fiction, folklore and legend.

This criticism is disproved by:

• Archaeology
• Geology
• History

CRITICISM: The Claim of the Bible to be an inspired revelation is an out of date concept in the light of "scientific" progress. Moreover, the predictions made in the Bible could have occurred due to coincidence or natural phenomena.

This criticism is disproved by:

• Prophesy
• Fair application of scientific methods and principles

CRITICISM: Even if the Bible were originally the inspired Word of God, languages, constant revision, etc., would remove any hope of using the Bible as a standard of life for all of mankind.

This criticism is disproved by:

• Bibliographical Test
• Dead Sea Scrolls

SURVIVING NEW TESTAMENT MANUSCRIPTS

GREEK
Uncials - 267
Minuscules - 2,764
Lectionaries - 2,143
Papyri - 88
Recent Finds - 47
Bohairic - 100
Arabic - 75
Old Latin - 50

OTHER
Latin Vulgate - 10,000+
Ethiopic - 2,000+
Slavic - 4,101
Armenian - 2,587
Syriac Pashetta - 350

TOTAL: 24,000+

A COMPARISON OF ANCIENT DOCUMENTS

AUTHOR  - NO. OF COPIES
Caesar - 10
Tacitus - 20
Pliny - 7
Thucydides - 8
Suetonius - 8
Herodotus - 8
Demosthenes - 200
Sophocles - 193
Aristotle - 49
Homer (Iliad) - 643

CRITICISM: If the men who wrote the Bible were inspired by God, why are there different accounts of the same event? Should not the accounts recorded be identical and not in seeming contradiction?

This criticism is disproved by:

• Harmony of Facts
• Consistent Message
• Different Accounts actually give credibility
• Proximity to Events

THE TIME BETWEEN THE DOCUMENT AND KNOWN COPIES

Author: Caesar
Written: 100-44 BC
Earliest Copy: 900 AD
Time Span: 1,000 years

Author: Tacitus
Written: 100 AD
Earliest Copy: 1100 AD
Time Span: 1,000 years

Author: Pliny
Written: 61-113 AD
Earliest Copy: 850 AD
Time Span: 750 years

Author: Thucydides
Written: 460-400 BC
Earliest Copy: 900 AD
Time Span: 1,300 years

Author: Herodotus
Written: 480-425 BC
Earliest Copy: 900 AD
Time Span: 1,300 years

Author: Demosthenes
Written: 383-322 BC
Earliest Copy: 1100 AD
Time Span: 1,300 years

Author: Sophocles
Written: 496-406 BC
Earliest Copy: 1100 AD
Time Span: 1,400 years

Author: Aristotle
Written: 384-322 BC
Earliest Copy: 1100 AD
Time Span: 1,400 years

Author: Homer (Iliad)
Written: 900 BC
Earliest Copy: 400 BC
Time Span: 500 years

The Bible: New Testament
Written: 40-100 AD
Earliest Copy: 130 AD
Time Span: only 30 years