Why does it matter if the Bible is reliable? The Bible makes various claims, including that salvation is found in trusting that God raised Jesus from the dead (cf. Romans 10:9). So, if the Scriptures are true, they can be trusted in their promise of eternal life, but if they are mistaken, do not be led astray by them.
That being said, one should keep things in perspective. Christianity is about a relationship with God through the risen Lord Jesus, and a strong historical case can be made for this even if the Bible had errors.[1] So, you really should investigate the central matter of whether Jesus really rose from the dead. This question concerning the degree to which the Bible is reliable is really an in-house discussion for Christians.[2]
A comprehensive case for the Bible’s reliability would involve 1) defending the trustworthiness of the oral transmission period, including human memory and compositional practices; 2) the canon (whether the right books were selected); 3) manuscript transmission (whether the text was reliably copied); 4) given the text of the Bible, how does one know if the content can be trusted; 5) are there conflicts between the Bible and other historical documents or within the books of the Bible itself; 6) does science contradict the Bible; and 7) what about all the different modern translations.
Space permits only an overview of these matters, each of which is a vast topic in its own right.[3] It is generally thought that there was about a 20–60-year gap between Jesus’s life and the written records.[4] The Gospels are likely in the genre of ancient biography, meaning they aimed to report the main events of a historical figure’s life.[5] Except for short items (such as the tradition found in 1 Corinthians 15:3–7),[6] human memory is generally not capable of verbatim memorization.[7] However, through repetition, a community can remember the gist of events even decades later.[8]
Regarding which books, the canon, Protestants understand the Church as recognizing the intrinsic authority of sixty-six books, ultimately as being God-breathed. It is not that the Church made these books authoritative; rather, it is the other way around; the Church acknowledged the authority that these books innately possessed. In contrast, Roman Catholics see it more to do with the church’s authority in declaring these books as authoritative (including the Apocrypha).[9]
Regarding manuscript transmission, given the vast amount of Greek New Testament manuscripts, about 5000,[10] of which about sixty are complete New Testament manuscripts (the oldest being Codex Sinaiticus from the 4th century)[11] and the earliest fragment is dated about AD 100–200, being 𝔓52,[12] which just contains John 18:31–33, 37–38; from all this, scholars are able to reliably reconstruct the text such that no core doctrine is in doubt.[13]
Concerning how one can determine if the Bible’s content can be trusted, if one has reason to think that the Bible is God’s word, then, since God knows all things, the Bible, correctly understood, is true.[14] Alternatively, historians use various factors, such as criteria of authenticity or marks of memory, to assess whether something probably happened, and they have confidence in the general course of Jesus’ life.[15]
As for the question of contradictions, many scholars think these are only apparent and can be harmonized.[16] Similarly, regarding correspondence with science, Christians take different approaches about how to reconcile the two, but most think they go together.[17]
Finally, while there are many modern translations, they should not be understood as competing interpretations but rather as versions tailored to particular needs. For instance, the 1996 New Living Translation is aimed at a reading level of those aged 11+ and takes a dynamic equivalence approach. In contrast, the 2020 New American Standard Bible is aimed at a reading level of those aged 16+ and takes a formal equivalence approach.[18] Overall, English readers are spoilt by having a wide range of excellent translations, and it would be profitable to compare two or more to see the differences.[19] Not knowing your situation, I would generally recommend the 2011 New International Version and, for study, the 2019 New English Translation.[20]
Conclusion
In conclusion, while we have only been able to survey what is involved in the case for the reliability of the Bible, I hope you will further explore the matter and find the truth of God’s word and how it nourishes your soul.
Written by David Graieg
[1] For instance, Ehrman believed that there was an error in Mark 2:26, and he lost his confidence in the rest of the scripture (Misquoting Jesus, 9). This simply does not follow. Just because someone makes a mistake does not automatically mean the next thing they do will also be wrong. For a treatment of the problem in Mark 2:26, see Wallace, “Mark 2.26 and the Problem of Abiathar.”
[2] See Garrett and Merrick, eds., Five Views on Biblical Inerrancy. The two main positions Christians hold are inerrancy and infallibility. Inerrancy basically means that the Bible is true in whatever it affirms, whether that is matters of faith and practice or any other area, such as history, geography, etc. Infallibility is a weaker claim, namely that the Bible is only true in matters of faith and practice (i.e., theology) but might be mistaken in other areas.
[3] See Cowan and Wilder, eds., In Defense of the Bible.
[4] See Bernier, Rethinking the Dates of the New Testament.
[5] See Keener, Christobiography.
[6] See Graieg, Resurrection Remembered.
[7] See McIver and Carroll, “Distinguishing Characteristics of Orally Transmitted Material Compared to Material Transmitted by Literary Means,” 1251–69; Innes, “Stability and Change in Griot’s Narrations,” 105–18; Baum, “Zwischen Abschreibeverhältnis und frühjüdischer Gedächtniskultur,” 162.
[8] See McIver, Memory, Jesus, and the Synoptic Gospels, 40.
[9] See Kruger, Canon Revisited, chaps. 1–3.
[10] The online Kurzgefasste Liste der griechischen Handschriften des Neuen Testaments produced by the Institute for New Testament Textual Research, as of 10th March 2026, lists 6093 manuscripts consisting of papyri 141, majuscules 329, minuscules 3042, and lectionaries 2581; however, since some are probably parts of others, etc., the figure of 5000 is a fair estimate. Cf. Peterson, “Maths Myths,” 48–69.
[11] See http://codexsinaiticus.org/
[12] See Nongbri, “The Use and Abuse of P52,” 23–48; Hixson, “Dating Myths, Part One,” 90–109.
[13] See Aland, Aland, Karavidopoulos, Martini, and Metzger, Novum Testamentum Graece, 28th ed; Holmes, The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition; Jongkind, ed., The Greek New Testament: Produced at Tyndale House; Editio Critica Maior. The kind of doctrines affected by textual criticism includes whether demons should be cast out by prayer alone or by prayer and fasting (cf. Mark 9:29).
[14] On Biblical interpretation, see Klein, Hubbard, and Blomberg, Introduction to Biblical Interpretation. For an argument for scripture, consider the following (Craig, “Doctrine of Revelation (part 7)”):
1. Whatever God teaches is true. (God is always truthful and cannot lie.)
2. Historical evidences, prophecies, and other evidences show that Jesus is God. (Here you would use your traditional apologetic arguments for the resurrection, fulfilled prophecy, and so forth to show that Jesus is who he claimed to be.)
3. Therefore, whatever Jesus teaches is true.
4. Whatever Jesus teaches is true. (The conclusion from above, based on the divinity of Jesus.)
5. Jesus taught that the Scriptures are the inerrant Word of God
6. Therefore, the Scriptures are the inerrant word of God.
[15] For an intermediate-level treatment of this topic, see Bock and Webb, Key Events in the Life of the Historical Jesus. For an introductory-level treatment of this topic, see Bock, Who is Jesus?
[16] See Archer, New International Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties; Geisler and Howe, The Big Book of Bible Difficulties; McDowell and McDowell, The Bible Handbook of Difficult Verses.
[17] See Dembski, Luskin, and Holden, eds., The Comprehensive Guide to Science and Faith.
[18] See Petersen, “Bible Translation Reading Levels.”
[19] For more information, see Fee and Strauss, How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth.
[20] The NRSVue (updated edition) has also recently been released and should be worth checking out.
Bibliography
Aland, Kurt, Barbara Aland, Johannes Karavidopoulos, Carlo M. Martini, and Bruce M. Metzger. Novum Testamentum Graece. 28th ed. Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2012.
Archer, Gleason L. Jr. New International Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties. Zondervan, 2001.
Baum, Armin D. “Zwischen Abschreibeverhältnis und frühjüdischer Gedächtniskultur: McIvers experimentalpsychologische Kriterien zur Identifizierung eines Abschreibeverhältnisses zwischen den synoptischen Evangelien.” In Der jüdische Messias Jesus und sein jüdischer Apostel Paulus, edited by Armin D. Baum, Detlef Häußer, and Emmanuel L. Rehfeld, 137–172. Mohr, 2016.
Bernier, Jonathan. Rethinking the Dates of the New Testament: The Evidence for Early Composition. Baker, 2022.
Bock, Darrell L. Who Is Jesus? Linking the Historical Jesus with the Christ of Faith. Howard Books, 2012.
Bock, Darrell L., and Robert L. Webb, eds. Key Events in the Life of the Historical Jesus: A Collaborative Exploration of Context and Coherence. Mohr Siebeck, 2009.
Codex Sinaiticus. http://codexsinaiticus.org/
Cowan, Steven B., and Terry L. Wilder, eds. In Defense of the Bible: A Comprehensive Apologetic for the Authority of Scripture. Broadman and Holman, 2013.
Craig, William Lane. “Doctrine of Revelation (part 7).” Reasonable Faith, Defenders Podcast: Series 2. February 10, 2010. https://www.reasonablefaith.org/podcasts/defenders-podcast-series-2/s2-doctrine-of-revelation/doctrine-of-revelation-part-7/
Dembski, William A., Casey Luskin, and Joseph M. Holden, eds. The Comprehensive Guide to Science and Faith: Exploring the Ultimate Questions About Life and the Cosmos. Harvest House Publishers, 2021.
Ehrman, Bart D. Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why. Harper Collins, 2005.
Fee, Gordon D. and Mark L. Strauss. How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth: A Guide to Understanding and Using Bible Versions. Zondervan, 2007.
Garrett, Stephen M., and J. Merrick, eds. Five Views on Biblical Inerrancy. Zondervan, 2013.
Geisler, Norman L., and Thomas A. Howe. The Big Book of Bible Difficulties: Clear and Concise Answers from Genesis to Revelation. Baker Books, 2008.
Graieg, David Jonathan. Resurrection Remembered: A Memory Approach to Jesus’ Resurrection in First Corinthians. Routledge, 2024.
Hixson, Elijah. “Dating Myths, Part One: How We Determine the Ages of Manuscripts.” In Myths and Mistakes in New Testament Textual Criticism, edited by Elijah Hixson and Peter J. Gurry, 90–109. InterVarsity Press, 2019.
Holmes, Michael William. The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition. Lexham Press; Society of Biblical Literature, 2011–2013.
Institute for New Testament Textual Research. Online Kurzgefasste Liste der griechischen Handschriften des Neuen Testaments. University of Munster, Germany. https://ntvmr.uni-muenster.de/liste
Innes, Gordon. “Stability and Change in Griot’s Narrations.” African Language Studies 14 (1973): 105–118.
Jongkind, Dirk ed. The Greek New Testament: Produced at Tyndale House, Cambridge. Crossway, 2017.
Keener, Craig S. Christobiography: Memories, History, and the Reliability of the Gospels. Eerdmans, 2019.
Kruger, Michael J. Canon Revisited: Establishing the Origins and Authority of the New Testament Books. Crossway, 2012.
McDowell, Josh, and Sean McDowell. The Bible Handbook of Difficult Verses: A Complete Guide to Answering the Tough Questions. Harvest House Publishers, 2013.
McIver, Robert Kerry. Memory, Jesus, and the Synoptic Gospels. Society of Biblical Literature, 2011.
McIver, Robert Kerry, and Marie Carroll. “Distinguishing Characteristics of Orally Transmitted Material Compared to Material Transmitted by Literary Means.” Applied Cognitive Psychology 18.9 (2004): 1251–1269. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.1040
Nongbri, Brent. “The Use and Abuse of P52: Papyrological Pitfalls in the Dating of the Fourth Gospel.” Harvard Theological Review 98.1 (2005): 23–48. doi:10.1017/S0017816005000842
Peterson, Jacob W. “Maths Myths: How Many Manuscripts We Have and Why More Isn’t Always Better.” In Myths and Mistakes in New Testament Textual Criticism, edited by Elijah Hixson and Peter J. Gurry, 48–69. InterVarsity Press, 2019.
Petersen, Jonathan. “Bible Translation Reading Levels.” Bible Gateway. June 21, 2016. https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2016/06/bible-translation-reading-levels/
Porter, Stanley E. The Criteria of Authenticity in Historical-Jesus Research: Previous Discussion and New Proposals. Sheffield Academic Press, 2000.
Strutwolf, Holger, and Klaus Wachtel, eds. Novum Testamentum Graecum, Editio Critica Maior: Parallel Pericopes. Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2011.
Wallace, Daniel B. “Mark 2.26 and the Problem of Abiathar.” Evangelical Theological Society: Welcome Southwest Regional Meeting, March 13, 2004. Available at https://bible.org/article/mark-226-and-problem-abiathar
Further Reading
Johnston, Jeremiah J. The Jesus Discoveries: 10 Historic Finds That Bring Us Face-to-Face with Jesus. Bethany House Publishers, 2026.
Keener, Craig. The Gospels Are Reliable History: Eyewitnesses to the Ministry of Jesus. Eerdmans, 2026.
Lanier, Gregory R., and Zachary J. Cole. New Testament Textual Criticism: A Comprehensive and Practical Guide. Baker Academic, 2026.
Williams, Peter J. Can We Trust the Gospels? Crossway, 2018.