One of the most common claims made by Muslims against Christians is that the Bible has been corrupted and therefore cannot be trusted as a reliable source of information. This claim has been propagated for centuries and has been used to undermine the credibility of Christianity.
However, upon closer examination of the evidence, it becomes clear that this claim is unfounded and lacks any merit.
Let’s find out more.
Evidence from the Bible
The Bible is a collection of 66 books written by various authors over a period of 1,500 years. Despite this, the Bible has been remarkably well-preserved over the centuries. The earliest copies of the Old Testament date back to the 2nd century BC, while the earliest copies of the New Testament date back to the 2nd century AD. This was centuries before Muhammad and the Quran came about.
Now think about this logically:
1. We have thousands of manuscripts of the Bible from hundreds of years before Muhammad.
2. We can compare these manuscripts to the Bibles we have today.
3. We find that it is virtually the same.
If Islam claims that the Bible has been corrupted:
1. When was it corrupted?
2. Where are the corrupted manuscripts?
3. Who corrupted it and when?
Muslims have no answers to these crucial questions. The Islamic premise is not based on any actual evidence but on the fact that the Quran differs from the Bible and the “hope” that the Quran is right.
The Bible has undergone rigorous scrutiny and criticism over the centuries, yet it has withstood the test of time. Scholars have compared the earliest copies of the Bible with more recent copies and have found that the differences are minimal and do not affect the overall message of the text. In fact, the Bible has been called the most reliable ancient document in existence.
There are many quotes from both Christian and non-Christian scholars attesting to the preservation and reliability of the Bible.
- “The New Testament is the most reliable ancient manuscript in existence.” – F.F. Bruce, Biblical Scholar
- “It is a matter of wonder that through so many centuries such a large number of manuscripts has survived.” – Bart Ehrman, Agnostic Biblical Scholar
- “The Bible is the most reliable and authentic of all ancient literature.” – Sir Frederic Kenyon, British Scholar and Archaeologist
- “The Bible has been preserved with an accuracy that is truly amazing.” – William F. Albright, Biblical Archaeologist
- “No other work in all of literature has been so carefully and accurately copied as the Old Testament.” – James Boice, Christian Theologian
- “The Bible, unlike other ancient writings, has been transmitted through the centuries with almost perfect fidelity.” – John Warwick Montgomery, Christian Theologian
- “The New Testament documents are the most reliably transmitted in all of ancient literature.” – Daniel B. Wallace, Biblical Scholar
- “The Bible is the best-preserved book from the ancient world.” – Bruce Metzger, Christian Theologian
- “The Bible has been transmitted with remarkable fidelity.” – E.M. Blaiklock, Christian Scholar
- “The New Testament is the most well-attested book in the ancient world.” – Craig L. Blomberg, Biblical Scholar
These quotes, from both Christian and non-Christian scholars, demonstrate that the Bible has been preserved with remarkable accuracy and is one of the most reliable ancient documents in existence.
Furthermore, there are numerous prophecies in the Bible that have been fulfilled with astounding accuracy. For example, the Old Testament prophesied the birthplace of Jesus (Micah 5:2), his crucifixion (Psalm 22:16), and his resurrection (Psalm 16:10). The Prophet Micah lived about 500 years before the birth of Jesus. The author of Psalms lived 1000 years before the birth of Jesus. The fulfillment of these prophecies is strong evidence that the Bible has not been corrupted.
Evidence from the Quran
The Quran itself confirms the authenticity of the earlier Scriptures. Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:46-47 states, “And We sent, following in their footsteps, Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming that which came before him in the Torah; and We gave him the Gospel, in which was guidance and light and confirming that which preceded it of the Torah as guidance and instruction for the righteous.”
This passage clearly confirms that the gospel is a reliable source of guidance and instruction for the righteous. The Quran also acknowledges the existence of the Torah and the Psalms, which are also part of the Bible.
Furthermore, the Quran encourages Muslims to consult with the people of the Book (Jews and Christians) for guidance. Surah Al-Ankabut 29:46 states, “And do not argue with the people of the Scripture except in a way that is best, except for those who commit injustice among them, and say, ‘We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you. And our God and your God is one; and we are Muslims in submission to Him.’” See also 10:94.
This passage clearly indicates that Muslims are to acknowledge the revelations given to Jews and Christians and engage with them in a respectful manner. This would not be possible if the Bible had been corrupted.
If it was true that the Bible had been corrupted as Muslims today allege, why would Allah give these verses? Was he ignorant of the fact that the Bible has been corrupted? Or was he unaware that the Bible will be corrupted? Again the question arises: WHEN was the Bible corrupted?
- If the Bible was corrupted BEFORE the revelation of the Quran, why did Allah honor the People of the Book and tell them to judge by their “corrupted” books as their guidance ?
- If the Bible was corrupted AFTER the revelation of the Quran, that means Allah’s words in the Quran have become obsolete at best, or one could accuse of Allah of short-sightedness and deception for failing to warn that the Bible was going to be corrupt in the future.
Remember that these verses in the Quran were revealed when the Bible had already been in existence for hundreds of years! The Bible had been translated into multiple languages and spread far and wide on 3 continents before Muhammad was born. It was IMPOSSIBLE for the Bible to be corrupted! How is someone going to corrupt thousands of books in multiple languages spread all over the known world? Even if someone managed to corrupt one book, what about the rest?
This Islamic claim has dug itself a big hole and nothing can save it from falling into it.
Evidence from history
There is no evidence to support the claim that the Bible has been corrupted. In fact, the opposite is true. The Bible has been meticulously preserved and transmitted over the centuries. The Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered in 1947, contains copies of the Old Testament that date back to the 2nd century BC. These copies are nearly identical to more recent copies of the Old Testament, providing strong evidence of the reliability of the text.
Moreover, the early Christian church had a strict process of canonization to ensure that only the most reliable and authentic texts were included in the Bible. The canonization process was rigorous and took several centuries to complete. It involved the examination of numerous manuscripts and the consensus of the early Christian leaders. This process ensured that the Bible we have today is a faithful representation of the original texts.
Conclusion
The claim that the Bible has been corrupted is a common one, often propagated by those who wish to discredit its teachings. However, this claim is not supported by any credible evidence and is therefore baseless.
a. First and foremost, the Bible has been meticulously preserved over the centuries through the work of scribes and scholars who dedicated their lives to copying and translating texts. The sheer number of manuscripts and fragments that have been discovered attest to the accuracy of the biblical texts. For instance, the Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered in the mid-20th century, contains numerous copies of Old Testament texts that date back to the second century BC. These manuscripts are almost identical to the texts we have today, with only minor variations in spelling and grammar.
b. Additionally, the Bible has been translated into numerous languages, and the various translations show remarkable consistency and accuracy. Scholars have compared the texts of different translations, such as the King James Version, the New International Version, and the English Standard Version, with the original texts and have found very little variation in the essential meaning of the texts.
c. Furthermore, many of the earliest Christian writings, such as the letters of Paul and the Gospels, were written within a few decades of Jesus’ death and were circulated among the early Christian communities. These writings were widely accepted and quoted by early Christian writers and church leaders, such as Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp, and Irenaeus, who lived in the first and second centuries AD.
d. In fact, even non-Christian historians of the time, such as Josephus and Tacitus, mention Jesus and the early Christian movement in their writings, providing further evidence of the historical accuracy of the biblical accounts.
e. Scholars who have studied the biblical texts and their transmission also reject the claim that the Bible has been corrupted. For example, Bruce M. Metzger, a renowned scholar of New Testament studies, stated in his book “The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration” that “the amount of variation in the [New Testament] manuscripts is relatively minor, and the differences between the major text types are insignificant.”
Similarly, F.F. Bruce, another prominent New Testament scholar, wrote in his book “The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?” that “the evidence for our New Testament writings is ever so much greater than the evidence for many writings of classical authors, the authenticity of which no one dreams of questioning.”
In conclusion, the claim that the Bible has been corrupted is unfounded and lacks any merit. The evidence is overwhelming. The preservation of manuscripts, the consistency of translations, and the historical accuracy of the biblical accounts, all point to one fact. The Bible has been remarkably well-preserved over the centuries and is one of the most reliable ancient documents in existence. Therefore, we can confidently assert that the Bible is a trustworthy and reliable source of information.
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Do you even know the number of contradictions in your book 🤣🤣
Ahsan,
The topic is corruption.
However, I am well aware of the alleged contradictions in the Bible. All have been easily refuted long ago.
What about you? Do you know the contradictions in the Quran?
See this: https://www.faithbrowser.com/contradictions-in-the-quran/
Short answer to the title question is a plain “yes” to me. Shepherd of Hermas and Apocalypse of St. Paul, for example, were widely read during the first era and were considered to the canon. Thomas is a gamechaning read. Today’s Jews and Christians are no longer considers IMO “ahl al-Kitab” mentioned in the Qur’an, either they are muslim or mushrik. Do not play the modernist “equivocation fallacy” card on me. How about scholarship of the “Kitab al-Muqqadas” (not mentioned in Qur’an) by early to contemporary Subimitters? That would make this topic more interesting… Ibn Khazm, Ally?
The existence of other books like Shepherd Of Hermas is not evidence that the Bible is corrupted.
Yes, it was considered a valuable book with early Christians and still available to be read today. No one burned it. No one destroyed it.
It just wasnt considered inspired to be included in the canon.
Uthman burned numerous Quranic manuscripts. Going by your logic, the Quran is corrupted because there were many Qurans.
Uthman was trying to hide the evidence of corruption. We didn’t burn our books. Scholars can go ahead and study our manuscripts.
Nothing to hide, unlike Islam.
Thank you very much. I have learned so much from this and will taking this into battle against the deceiver Allah. (Satan)