Been around long enough to have seen this happen in real time: dictionary word meanings, encyclopedia entries, history books, the Bible and so much more. Those of us old enough to know, know it's been going on for a few hundred years at least, if not more.
The idea of an "evil cabal" manipulating and changing the canonical books of the Bible to deceive is not supported by the extensive manuscript evidence and quotations from early church fathers. The biblical text is incredibly well-preserved due to the vast number of manuscripts spanning various geographical locations and time periods. Additionally, the early church fathers extensively quoted and referenced biblical passages in their writings.
The sheer volume of manuscripts, along with the geographical spread and diverse sources, makes it virtually impossible for any secretive group to alter the text without detection. Scholars and researchers compare these manuscripts, employing rigorous methods of textual criticism to ensure the accuracy of the biblical text. If any significant alterations had been attempted, the discrepancies would have been readily apparent in the multitude of manuscripts and early citations.
In essence, the collaborative efforts of countless scribes, the geographic distribution of manuscripts, and the vigilance of early church writers make the idea of a covert manipulation of the biblical text implausible and inconsistent with the robust historical evidence we possess.
Consider what Bart Ehrman (an Agnostic American scholar of religious studies, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Textual Critic, and an author of several books on the New Testament and early Christianity) said regarding the accuracy of our modern biblical text:
"Essentially, most of the changes found in the manuscripts discovered in the last century affect words or phrases alone; only about one per cent involve substantial differences in meaning. Many of these are easily recognized and corrected."
"In fact, most of the changes found in the manuscripts discovered in the last hundred years affect words or phrases alone. Many of these variants are so minor that they have no impact whatsoever on the meaning of the text."
"The essential Christian beliefs are not affected by textual variants in the manuscript tradition of the New Testament."
These quotes are from Bart Ehrman's book "Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why."
Been around long enough to have seen this happen in real time: dictionary word meanings, encyclopedia entries, history books, the Bible and so much more. Those of us old enough to know, know it's been going on for a few hundred years at least, if not more.
Nothing is what they tell you.
The idea of an "evil cabal" manipulating and changing the canonical books of the Bible to deceive is not supported by the extensive manuscript evidence and quotations from early church fathers. The biblical text is incredibly well-preserved due to the vast number of manuscripts spanning various geographical locations and time periods. Additionally, the early church fathers extensively quoted and referenced biblical passages in their writings.
The sheer volume of manuscripts, along with the geographical spread and diverse sources, makes it virtually impossible for any secretive group to alter the text without detection. Scholars and researchers compare these manuscripts, employing rigorous methods of textual criticism to ensure the accuracy of the biblical text. If any significant alterations had been attempted, the discrepancies would have been readily apparent in the multitude of manuscripts and early citations.
In essence, the collaborative efforts of countless scribes, the geographic distribution of manuscripts, and the vigilance of early church writers make the idea of a covert manipulation of the biblical text implausible and inconsistent with the robust historical evidence we possess.
Consider what Bart Ehrman (an Agnostic American scholar of religious studies, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Textual Critic, and an author of several books on the New Testament and early Christianity) said regarding the accuracy of our modern biblical text:
These quotes are from Bart Ehrman's book "Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why."
Thank you!
Welcome, fren.