By John R. Funk

Do you ever tire of hearing people question the accuracy of the Biblical account? All of my life I have heard people declare that the Bible is simply a book of fairytales concocted by people over the centuries which is now used to validate their particular religious viewpoint. These same people believe that the Bible is not God-inspired but is rather a collection, if you will, of fables or stories much like "Aesop's Fables" or "Grimm's Fairytales."

There is a particular study of Biblical matters called "apologetics" which is basically a study of the proofs of the Bible. It is used to validate the historicity of the Bible along with the truths contained therein. Apologetics has taken on particular importance in contemporary society where people seem to question everything. Cynicism is viewed as a virtue and faith has a diminished role in society. There was once a day when the Bible was accepted without question; today that is no longer true.

Contrary to expectation, science and particularly the study of archeology, has proven to be the friend of Christianity. Discoveries, such as the "Dead Sea Scrolls", have proven the accuracy of the Bible and its consistency throughout history. The remains of Sodom and Gomorrah have apparently been located at the southern end of the Dead Sea. There are accounts of the Ark of the Covenant being located under the Temple Mount. The position of Solomon's Stables has been established. There are extra-Biblical writings which refer to Jesus as a man who was crucified and reported to have been brought back to life. To date, there has been no archeological discovery that has disputed the Biblical account.

We are fortunate that the Bible is generally available for our use and study. God's Word was once used as teaching material in our school system. Organizations exist, such as the Gideon's, which make a practice of disseminating God's Word. Numerous versions of the Bible can be found including versions in most of the languages of the world today. There was a time in America when you would find the family Bible proudly displayed on a table in the living room. While other books have passed into the shadows of time, the Bible remains.

As time goes by, which portion of God's Word will last forever? Will it be only the important parts about creation and salvation, the teachings of Jesus that tell has how to live a moral life, the great stories that get handed down from one generation to another, or will it be every single detail, from the smallest letter to the least stroke of the pen?

Jesus repeatedly stated that nothing contained in the law would pass away until everything had been accomplished. When He made this statement, He was not referring to any particular edict or principle; instead, He meant that truly not even the smallest article (jot or tittle) would pass away. All would remain in its complete entirety until everything was fulfilled.

Similarly, in the Olivet Discourse, He foretold the longevity of His teachings and emphasized the eternal importance of His words. It is the Olivet Discourse which contains Jesus' description of the end times and the signs of His Second Coming.

This book we call the Bible is not just a book containing interesting stories, legal principles and moral teachings; it is also a history book just like any other history book that contains the original observations of those who were present at the time. It is a history book containing original stories and observations written for one primary purpose, to provide the passageway to God.

Today, just as they did then, we rely upon eyewitness accounts to provide information that can be used in our decision-making. Whether it be a corporate report, a financial statement, an eyewitness account in court, a weather report or a news story, we rely upon the observations of those people who are present at the time. We make decisions based upon the reports given and the credibility of the provider. If the provider's reputation suggests that he possesses a high degree of reliability, we give credence to the report, even if the report does not seem to be reasonable. On the other hand, if the provider lacks credibility, we will dismiss the report even if it may be plausible.

Luke was a physician, a meticulous man who was devoted to accuracy in everything he did. In the following passage he makes it clear that this was a rendition of the facts provided by eyewitness account which was thoroughly investigated and understood. These facts were then written in an orderly manner so that the reader (Theophilus) would know with certainty what he was told. It was a book of instruction and as such had to be absolutely correct and trustworthy. Although we do not know Luke personally, we can ascribe great credibility to his writings because of his profession, the fact that he was an eyewitness to what he reported and most importantly, his life choices made in reliance upon his observations. In other words, Luke died as a martyr for what he observed, wrote about and believed in. It is his death that brings the highest degree of credibility to what he said.

The rendition contained in the Biblical account is considered accurate for the reasons set forth above. They are eyewitness accounts by those who were present at the time and by many who ultimately died for what they believed in.

Another example of the eyewitness account is that of John who was also known as the disciple whom Jesus loved. John did not die as a martyr but rather was exiled on the Isle of Patmos where he lived out his days until he was an old man. Those days were days filled with physical and emotional suffering resulting from his belief in Jesus Christ as the Messiah.

This issue of reliability is not just a contemporary issue. It was apparently present during the time of Christ immediately following His resurrection as it was specifically addressed by Peter in his writings. Peter emphasized the significance of the eyewitness account and the fact that what was stated was factual and not fictitious. Peter's credibility also resides in the fact of his martyred death due to his refusal to recant his faith.

The Book of Acts records the growth and development of the first century church and contains several references to the fact that the attestation of the resurrection of Jesus Christ was due to eyewitness accounts. The resurrection of Jesus was a fact; it was real; it was undeniable.

Finally, Paul, formerly Saul who was the Pharisee amongst Pharisees, wrote about his experience and the eyewitness testimony of those of his day. In his letter to the church at Corinth, he makes mention not only of his own eyewitness experience but also of the eyewitness experience of more than 500 other believers who could attest to the post-crucifixion appearances of Jesus Christ. The importance of the recitation of the 500 appearances is that there is no such thing as a mass hallucination; moreover, there is no record disputing this particular recitation or any of the other passages cited above.

Due to the fact that the Bible is a collection of eyewitness accounts handed down over time, many people contend that it is a writing copied by men and as a result, errors must have arisen with each new version. What they do not understand is the process by which the Bible has been transcribed.

The Bible was originally recorded by the Sopherim (scribes) between the fifth and third centuries B.C. These scribes were then eclipsed by the Talmudic scribes from A.D. 100-500 who were then followed by the Masoretic scribes (A.D. 500-900). Their rules of transcription were so rigorous that when a new copy was complete, they would give the reproduction equal authority to that of its parent copy because they were thoroughly convinced that they had an exact duplicate.

As it concerned the Old Testament text, the Masoretic guidelines for copying manuscripts required the following:

The accuracy of the Scriptures was recently confirmed by the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Before 1947, the oldest complete Hebrew manuscript dated to A.D. 900, but with the discovery of 223 manuscripts in caves on the west side of the Dead Sea, we now have Old Testament manuscripts that have been dated at around 125 B.C.

Once translated, the scrolls proved to be virtually identical, word for word, in more than 95 percent of the text. The five percent variation consisted mainly of spelling variations, e.g. of the 166 words in Isaiah 53, only 17 letters were in question. Of those, 10 letters were a matter of spelling and 4 were stylistic changes; the remaining 3 letters comprised the word "light," which was added in verse 11. In other words, the greatest manuscript discovery of all time revealed that a thousand years of copying the Old Testament produced only excruciatingly minor variations, none of which altered the clear meaning of the text or brought the manuscript's fundamental integrity into question. Suffice it to say that each letter of each copy was extensively validated so that there was no question that the copy was exactly like the original. The only possible way to make it more accurate would be to use a photocopy machine.

The importance of the law and its place in Hebrew society was emphasized to the point that the law of God held the foremost position in the land of Israel. Moses made it clear that the fate of Israel and its people relied upon the law and their adherence to those commandments.

Consequently, there was a price to pay if the people failed to follow the law laid down by their Creator. These consequences dictated that the accuracy of the law was paramount in importance. The following verses do not fully encompass the curses that would afflict the people should they fail to keep the law but are indicative of what would befall them.

As it concerns the New Testament text, two standards are applied:

In order to compare various ancient writings which remain unquestioned in their historical accuracy, we should consider the following:

The New Testament, on the other hand, has 25,000 manuscripts in libraries and universities throughout the world. The earliest of these is a fragment of John's Gospel currently located in the John Rylands Library of Manchester, England; it has been dated to within 50 years of the date when the Apostle John penned the original.

As for external confirmation of God's Word, the Bible is the most widely referenced and quoted book in history. The New Testament is so extensively quoted in the ancient manuscripts of nonbiblical authors that all 27 books from Matthew to Relevation could be reconstructed virtually word for word from those sources.

Additionally, the writings of early Christians confirm the Biblical account. These writers include:

Other non-Christian historians such as Tacitus (A.D. 55-117) and Josephus (A.D. 37-100) also give credence to the Biblical account.

In my personal library, I have volumes penned by Euripedes, Socrates, Plato, Livy, Homer, Aristophanes and Aristotle. The academic world did not discard their works simply because we did not have abundant validation of the copies handed down from the original manuscripts. To the contrary, these works are considered some of the greatest writings in history.

On the other hand, many so-called academics dismiss the writings set forth in the Bible as unreliable or worse yet, as fiction, despite the fact that Biblical writings have been validated far more than any other ancient manuscript. Is the Bible merely a collection of tales and fables? I think not. Rather, it is a collection of writings thoroughly documented and validated upon which the fate of all mankind hinges. It is the most important written work ever penned and should be treated as such. It is the Holy Word of God. If you haven't read it, you might want to. It might just change your life.

** A modern language quote is provided for readability, but every effort should be made to understand the accompanying KJV version believed by many to be a more accurate representation of the original scripture.

***The study of apologetics is extremely interesting and challenging. There are a number of authors who study and write on this particular topic. One of my favorite authors who has had a dramatic impact on my life is Josh McDowell. I recommend several of his books including "Evidence that Demands a Verdict" and "A Ready Defense."