The Dead Sea Scrolls (2)

The Dead Sea Scrolls, as they are gradually pieced together and deciphered, are providing ancient witness to the amazing preservation of the biblical text.  Skeptics seem bent upon saying they never have enough proof to believe.  Some religions, whose beliefs are contrary to the Scriptures, of necessity must argue that the text of our present Bibles has been corrupted over time so that it cannot be trusted.  In discussing the Dead Sea Scrolls and the integrity of the Scriptures, Charles Pfeifer affirms that this library of materials is “in all essential details” the “same as the Bible which we have regarded as authoritative.”  If great discrepancies had been found between these scrolls from nineteen centuries ago and our modern day Bible, the claims of “corruption” might deserve an ear.  In reality, the corruption ploy is used by religious groups who propagate anti-biblical teachings.

Through the centuries, the Old Testament Scriptures were meticulously copied by Jewish scribes.  In an effort to keep human errors to a minimum, elaborate methods of checking were employed.  “They counted the number of times each letter was used in a book.  They noted verses which contained all the letters of the alphabet, or a certain number of them, etc.  They calculated the middle verse, the middle word, and the middle letter of each book.” (Lightfoot)

The accurate preservation of the biblical text is necessarily tied to man’s accountability to God.  Jesus said, “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my sayings, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I spake, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48). How can God in fairness hold us accountable for either accepting or rejecting the words of His Son, if we no longer have His Son’s words?

Works Cited

The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible, Charles F. Pfeifer, Weathervane Books, New York: 1969.

How We God the Bible, Neil R. Lightfoot, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids: 1963.