The truth of the authority of Scripture is one of the key pillars of our faith. But how certain can we be about the text of the Bible, given the thousands of years that separate us from the writers? Nick Lunn talks about how sure we can be of the reliability of the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts we have today.

1. Can We Rely on the Text of the Bible?

15. Masoretic Manuscript

25. Isaiah Scroll

29. Isaiah 53:4-5

30. Isaiah 53:4-5 Dead Sea Scrolls Surely he bore our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, [ and ] smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgress-ions, he was crushed for our iniquities; [ and ] the punish-ment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Masoretic Text Surely he bore our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgress- ions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

31. Isaiah 53:4-5 Dead Sea Scrolls Surely he bore our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, [ and ] smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgress-ions, he was crushed for our iniquities; [ and ] the punish-ment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Masoretic Text Surely he bore our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgress- ions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

35. New Testament

39. Early Papyrus (P 52 ) - AD 125

40. Codex Vaticanus – AD 340