In the year 2010, publisher Nan A. Talese and author James Frey, came under scrutiny when it was discovered that Frey's autobiography was not entirely truthful and contained descriptions of his life that did not actually happen. In an article which called the publisher's integrity into question, Talese was quoted as saying in her defense of promoting a book with so many inconsistencies and out-right lies, "When someone starts out and says, 'I have lied, I have cheated...', you do not think this is going to be the New Testament." They were interesting words when considering they came from someone who did not actually believe the New Testament was trustworthy and accurate. In my own experience I find that most people like what the Bible has to say but give it no more importance than their favorite self-help book, a myth or other religious writings like the Koran. In our day and age of wanting every detail to be proven beyond a doubt the Bible has been relegated to “just another book” worthy of collecting dust on the bookshelf. Sadly we do not take the time to recognize that the Bible can and does really stand up to scrutiny if we take the time to honestly examine how it was compiled and how it has endured over the course of time. Throughout Scripture we are reminded how trustworthy God's Word really is. It is called the "Word of Truth" in 2 Tim. 2:15, living and active in Heb. 4:12, and the prophet Isaiah proclaimed that the Word of the Lord would endure forever (Is. 40:8), while John wrote in Revelation that God's Word was faithful and true (Rev. 21:5; 22:6).
Our Bible is unique among other literary works, spiritual and secular. Although it's subject matter spans thousands of years and was written by at least 40 different authors, it is more accurate than other ancient writings whose oldest manuscripts still exist. For example the scribes who copied the Old Testament followed a strict set of criteria. If at any point the smallest stroke of the smallest letter was copied incorrectly, the entire scroll was destroyed. This is why Jesus could claim with confidence that, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will not pass away" (Mk. 13:31). He also noted that, “Not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Mt. 5:18). Jesus is referring to the Hebrew letter yod which resembles our comma and the tiny upper portion of that letter. Simply stated even the tiniest portion of the Law is so significant it will be fulfilled.
But accuracy and truth are not limited to the Old Testament writings. The transmission of the New Testament followed the same scrutiny in that many of the early believers were still alive while it was being written and any untruth or inaccurate accounts of the life, death and resurrection of the Lord were branded as heresy and kept out of what came to be known as the New Testament. While writings such as The Gospel of Thomas tickle the fancies of Hollywood and sensationalistic authors, there are blatant inaccuracies in their historic facts and their treatment of Jesus is more like that of a fairy tale character. Not only did the early believers refute writings which were inaccurate (and ultimately kept them out of the final collection of Scripture), many died for the Divine Author who oversaw the composition of the book we call the Bible today (2 Tim. 3:16). I know some people will die for a cause, but not too many people will die for something they know is factually wrong and historically inaccurate.
Many think the Bible has been disproved through scientific discoveries, but these discoveries have done just the opposite. For example, it was long believed that King David was a figment of the Bible's imagination. Archaeologists had not found any evidence which proved otherwise, until an excavation in northern Israel unearthed a stone tablet which included the phrase "the house of David" confirming not only David's existence, but his kingship as well. Other areas of science continue to confirm Biblical thought and understanding not only of nature but the human mind and life in general. Most of these discoveries are kept hidden by our major news sources. Why? It goes against the grain of what they want to believe! But for those who do read its words and have faith in what the Bible teaches, a great reward awaits (Rom. 10:11; 15:4). Nan Talese attempted to minimize the extent of her accountability over the lies in Frey's book by claiming it was not Sacred Scripture. Scripture, however, scrutinizes a person’s integrity with the precision of a surgeon (Heb. 4:12). No one will ever be quoting Nan Talese or David Frey when speaking of truth nor will they be testing what they’ve published to see if it “holds up in court” the way the Bible has been scrutinized or tested through the years. But the Bible withstands any argument humankind can throw at it. Therefore we can be confident in what is recorded there and live by what it teaches us with assurance (Ps. 18:30; 119:105, 111).
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre
Our Bible is unique among other literary works, spiritual and secular. Although it's subject matter spans thousands of years and was written by at least 40 different authors, it is more accurate than other ancient writings whose oldest manuscripts still exist. For example the scribes who copied the Old Testament followed a strict set of criteria. If at any point the smallest stroke of the smallest letter was copied incorrectly, the entire scroll was destroyed. This is why Jesus could claim with confidence that, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will not pass away" (Mk. 13:31). He also noted that, “Not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Mt. 5:18). Jesus is referring to the Hebrew letter yod which resembles our comma and the tiny upper portion of that letter. Simply stated even the tiniest portion of the Law is so significant it will be fulfilled.
But accuracy and truth are not limited to the Old Testament writings. The transmission of the New Testament followed the same scrutiny in that many of the early believers were still alive while it was being written and any untruth or inaccurate accounts of the life, death and resurrection of the Lord were branded as heresy and kept out of what came to be known as the New Testament. While writings such as The Gospel of Thomas tickle the fancies of Hollywood and sensationalistic authors, there are blatant inaccuracies in their historic facts and their treatment of Jesus is more like that of a fairy tale character. Not only did the early believers refute writings which were inaccurate (and ultimately kept them out of the final collection of Scripture), many died for the Divine Author who oversaw the composition of the book we call the Bible today (2 Tim. 3:16). I know some people will die for a cause, but not too many people will die for something they know is factually wrong and historically inaccurate.
Many think the Bible has been disproved through scientific discoveries, but these discoveries have done just the opposite. For example, it was long believed that King David was a figment of the Bible's imagination. Archaeologists had not found any evidence which proved otherwise, until an excavation in northern Israel unearthed a stone tablet which included the phrase "the house of David" confirming not only David's existence, but his kingship as well. Other areas of science continue to confirm Biblical thought and understanding not only of nature but the human mind and life in general. Most of these discoveries are kept hidden by our major news sources. Why? It goes against the grain of what they want to believe! But for those who do read its words and have faith in what the Bible teaches, a great reward awaits (Rom. 10:11; 15:4). Nan Talese attempted to minimize the extent of her accountability over the lies in Frey's book by claiming it was not Sacred Scripture. Scripture, however, scrutinizes a person’s integrity with the precision of a surgeon (Heb. 4:12). No one will ever be quoting Nan Talese or David Frey when speaking of truth nor will they be testing what they’ve published to see if it “holds up in court” the way the Bible has been scrutinized or tested through the years. But the Bible withstands any argument humankind can throw at it. Therefore we can be confident in what is recorded there and live by what it teaches us with assurance (Ps. 18:30; 119:105, 111).
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre
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