Lies about Bible

Critics often mislead the curious with a variety of statements about the Bible that are, in fact, erroneous. Although such statements are at times meant to deceive, they are more often the product of the critic's ignorance. Below we list ten of the more common lies about the Bible along with a short answers to each.

1. The Bible has changed or become corrupt over time.

The Truth  Thousands of ancient manuscripts, more than for any other ancient document, prove that the bible's content has been faithfully preserved. Minor copying variations do not affect core doctrines. Consistency over many documents shows that the scriptures have been well preserved over many centuries.

2. The Bible is full of contradictions.

The Truth  What skeptics like to call contradictions are actually complementary differences. Just as with the stories of multiple eye witnesses to an event, the slight differences in Bible accounts actually confirm the reliability of the stories reported. If the Bible were fabricated, we would find the different accounts to be suspiciously similar.

3. The Bible supports slavery and other immoral practices.

The Truth  Although the Bible acknowledges slavery as a part of the system in the ancient world, it prescribes rules and practices that planted the seeds for abolition. Ancient slavery was also nothing like race-based chattel slavery of more modern times, and in most cases was a form of indentured servitude to pay off debts. Importantly, it was the Christian principle of human dignity that finally led to the downfall of slavery.

4. Jesus never claimed to be God.

The Truth  Jesus repeatedly said and did things that only could be attributed to God, (forgiving sins, accepting worship, claiming divine names and not arguing when accused of blasphemy).

5. The Bible is anti-science.

The Truth  Many founders of modern science were devout Christians. In fact, the great scientific minds of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries assumed that there was a God-given order to the universe that could be understood by the processes built into the human mind. The Bible speaks to theological truths and not scientific methods, and has proven consistent with major scientific discoveries, including the origin of the universe.

6. Jesus never existed as an historical figure.

The Truth  No serious historian denies the existence of Jesus of Nazareth. Many non-Christian sources such as Tacitus and Josephus report about his existence and his death. The historical evidence for Jesus is actually stronger than for many other historical figures whose existence in history is taken for granted.

7. Bible teachings have been disproven by modern knowledge.

The Truth  Modern discoveries have generally reinforced, rather than disproven biblical teaching. This includes an increasing number of archeological findings that corroborate biblical narratives.

8. The gospels were written too long after Jesus' life to be reliable.

The Truth  The gospels were written within the lifetimes of eye-witnesses, which is an incredibly short gap by historical standards. The first century oral traditions were strong, and living eye witnesses and those who heard from eye witnesses were still alive to correct false stories that might have crept in.

9. The Bible is just a collection of of myths/ fairy tales.

The Truth  The Bible is grounded in real historical events, very much unlike mythical stories. Archeological finds continue to corroborate the Bible's historical claims.

10. The early church manipulated which books were accepted as canon based upon political considerations.

The Truth  Early Christians recognized certain books as key because of their connection to the eye witnesses and their consistency with the oral gospel message of the time. Councils only later confirmed what early Christians had already accepted as canon.