If the Bible Was Written by Humans, Does that Change Its Reliability?
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Jul 2, 2025
Discover the intriguing relationship between the Bible and Jesus as the Word at creation. Explore how human authorship influences the reliability of biblical texts and the complexities introduced by editing processes. The hosts discuss how earlier Christian writings, like the Apocrypha, enrich our understanding of scripture. Delve into the fluctuating status of the book of Revelation and the significance of early Christian texts that offer diverse perspectives on Jesus. Engage in a thoughtful exploration of these themes and their implications for faith.
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insights INSIGHT
Bible's Truth in Meaning, Not Detail
The Bible's reliability is about conveying the true meaning and wisdom of events, not absolute precision in every detail.
Differences in details like ages or reactions show creative interpretation rather than errors or falsehoods.
insights INSIGHT
God's Word Beyond the Written Text
God's Word primarily means God's living voice spoken or proclaimed, not just written texts.
The Bible is called God's Word because it allows us to encounter God's will and purpose through its written form.
insights INSIGHT
Editing Bible vs. Covenant Commandments
Biblical commands not to add or take away God's word refer to the covenant's terms, not to Bible's manuscript formation.
Biblical book editing aimed to clarify and highlight divine wisdom, not to alter God's covenant commands arbitrarily.
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J.K. Elliott's "The Apocryphal New Testament" is a valuable resource for anyone interested in exploring non-canonical Christian writings. This collection brings together a wide range of texts, including gospels, epistles, and apocalypses, that were not included in the official New Testament canon. The texts offer fascinating insights into the diverse beliefs and practices of early Christians, revealing perspectives that differ significantly from the dominant orthodox tradition. Studying these apocryphal texts provides a richer understanding of the historical development of Christianity and the various theological debates that shaped its evolution. The collection is essential for scholars and anyone seeking a broader perspective on early Christian thought.
The journey from texts to translations
Paul D. Wegner
This book provides a thorough introduction to the Bible's origins, covering its writing, collection, canonization, transmission, and translation. It is divided into sections that logically trace the development of both the Old and New Testaments, addressing fundamental questions relevant to all serious readers of the Bible. The work includes discussions on early translations and a detailed study of English versions, making it useful for both students and lay readers.
How the Bible Was Formed Q+R (E5) — What is the relationship between the written word of the Bible and Jesus as the Word at the beginning of creation? How do we reconcile the Bible’s editing process with Scriptures that forbid adding or taking away from God’s word? And what should we do with other writings that closely followed the New Testament? In this episode, Tim and Jon respond to your questions from our How the Bible Was Formed series. Thank you to our audience for your thoughtful contributions to this episode!
CHAPTERS
Intro (0:00-1:16)
Do you have any new learnings or discoveries since the Making of the Bible series? (1:16-7:45)
Does the Bible being written by humans, but inspired by God, change its reliability? (7:45-17:07)
What is the relationship between the written word of the Bible and Jesus as the Word at creation? (17:07-31:00)
How do you reconcile humans editing the Bible during its development with Scriptures that command not to add to or take away from God's Word? (31:00-42:18)
What should we do with other writings that closely followed the New Testament? (42:18-1:00:46)
You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.
Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.
SHOW MUSIC
BibleProject theme song by TENTS
SHOW CREDITS
Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who edited today’s episode and also provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.
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