| Are
there errors in the Bible?
This is a big question that’s
very difficult answer completely without offending
somebody or sounding like I am avoiding the question.
There are some technical considerations
to keep in mind. First, we must remember that the
Bible was written by many authors over a span of thousands
of years, thousands of years ago, in two languages
that are no longer spoken by anybody on Earth and
on materials that were very rare and often quite fragile.
If the Bible were any other book, it would be roundly
celebrated as the best preserved, most consistent,
and universally relevant book in the history of the
world. If it were any other book, an inconsequential
mismatch of detail would be quickly cataloged as a
typo and never mentioned again. In truth, judged by
the standards of far more recent manuscripts, the
Bible stands up as extraordinary, unique, and unexplainably
superior to any competitor.
Second, we need to keep in mind the
changing face of history and the "errors"
it may indicate. For example, for many years Bible
critics emphatically stated that no archeological
evidence existed to support the contention that criminals
were crucified during Jesus' time. However, a pair
of heel bones were recently found. These bones had
been nailed together and were dated to be contemporary
to Jesus' Jerusalem. With that discovery, the Bible
was suddenly vindicated, the "error" vanished,
and critics moved on to their next "air-tight"
case.
Lastly, remember that an error is often
in the eyes of the beholder. Luke says that Jesus
was born in a stable while Matthew says that the wise
men visited Mary in a house. Critics say that this
is a contradiction between the two accounts but a
more balanced reading shows that there is no reason
to infer that the events happened simultaneously.
It's completely possible that the wise men came some
time after Jesus' birth - allowing a period of several
days, weeks or even a year for Joseph and Mary to
settle down in a house.
Realistically, the question of the
Bible's inerrancy has often divided the church from
the world and occasionally has divided the church
within itself. But the real question is not whether
100 generations of monks and scribes were able to
copy every letter perfectly by hand. More important
is the Bible's unparalleled history of saving lives,
changing the world and speaking wisdom and truth into
the most difficult situations. Next to that profound
truth, a person’s inability to find where Cain's
wife came from seems less and less important.
"All scripture is given by inspiration
of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished
unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
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