The Preservation of the Word

Can we trust the reports of the Bible?

When it comes to who Jesus is, the Qur'an and the Injil contradict each other in important points. Therefore, it is often claimed that the Injil has been corrupted and is no longer available in its original form today.

This claim is problematic for a Muslim because:

1. The Qur'an confirms the Injil as the Word of God.
2. God's words are unchangeable.

Regardless, we must investigate whether the Bible we know today is the same as the one originally written.

The Old Testament

The Tanakh was treated with the utmost reverence by the Jews and kept in the Temple or in the synagogues. Copies were made using special copying and counting systems to avoid errors as much as possible. Moreover, like the entire Bible, the Tanakh is a book of fulfilled prophecies and has often proven to be divinely inspired word.
This is evident in the Book of Daniel, written in the 6th century BC. Here, over 200 fulfilled prophecies about world history can be found until the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD. Since 300 AD, the Book of Daniel has been called a forgery, on the grounds that genuine prophecy simply couldn't exist.

This argument was taken up by critics over the centuries until in the years 1947 and following, countless copies of the Bible were found in Qumran - including eight fragments of the Book of Daniel, the oldest of which was dated to around 125 BC. The found manuscripts are again copies and go back to older sources.

The discoveries in Qumran also silenced criticism of the Book of Isaiah; especially in Chapter 53, where the suffering Servant of God is prophesied in an impressive way. The prophecy paints such a clear picture of Jesus' suffering that the simplest explanation for critics was that it must be a forgery from early Christian times. The Great Isaiah Scroll, designated "1QJes ^{a," found in Qumran, includes the almost complete text of the Book of Isaiah (including Chapter 53). The copy was dated to around 200 BC.}

No other work of antiquity can match the New Testament/Injil in terms of textual evidence. Simply because of the number of existing manuscripts, one can conclude the accuracy of the scriptures. Variants (i.e., spelling mistakes, additional or missing passages, divergent teachings, etc.) that appear in certain manuscripts are compared with all other manuscripts - thus, errors in the manuscripts can be corrected.

The New Testament has not only survived in more manuscripts than any other ancient work but also in a more original form than any other major book.

We can conclude that the Injil we possess today is virtually identical to the original. Equally important, however, is that the Injil we possess today is precisely the scriptures that were distributed in the world at the time of Muhammad.

What about the other Gospels?

There are also other Gospels, for example: Barnabas Gospel, Gospel of the Cross, Gospels of Thomas, Peter, Judas, etc.

These are false Gospels. Already in the time of the apostles, attempts were made to spread new teachings in the communities under false names and the associated authority of the apostles. This may have been one reason why Paul wrote his letters to the communities himself in the greeting. Under the influence of Gnostic and mystical teachings, some authors in the second or third century AD also wrote other "Gospels" and tried to abuse Jesus for their purposes.

However, false writings could already be recognized by the early church through the application of certain criteria (1. Apostolic authority, 2. Agreement with the church's creed, 3. General recognition and use) During the canonization of the Bible in the 4th century, it was ultimately confirmed what had already been the scripture and doctrine of Christianity before, and what was already not recognized was rejected.

Even in later times, such false Gospels were still spread. One of these is the Gospel of Barnabas. Here are a few aspects to examine to find out if there might be an authentic account:

- How old are the oldest existing text documents? Is there reporting in other texts about it? 
- Are there historical or geographical errors? Is there, for example, a report of a travel by boat to a place that lies in the middle of the mainland? 
- Are texts quoted or teachings applied that were developed much later?

In the case of the Gospel of Barnabas, one can quickly conclude that it is a late document written as a measure against Christian teaching.

To illustrate the comparison: the four accepted Gospels come from the 1st century AD, written only years or decades after the life of Jesus. The oldest completely preserved New Testament, existing today, dates from the 4th century AD. So, it is over 1000 years older than the oldest preserved documents of the Gospel of Barnabas.

May I read a translation of the Bible?

Of course, you may! The Bible is God's inspired word, meaning the Lord has commissioned people and inspired them with his spirit to write what they should. However, people wrote the texts themselves, in their language and with their style of writing.

Of course, it would be better if you understood Hebrew and Ancient Greek and could therefore read the texts in the original language. But the content is also clear in a translation. The Good News, offering reconciliation with God to every human being, is a message for the whole world. Everyone should hear it, and everyone can understand it. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with a translation of the Bible.

In English alone, there are many different translations of the Bible. If you are looking for a translation that is easier to understand, you can start with the "New International Version (NIV)“ for example. If you are looking for a more accurate translation, the "English Standard Version (ESV)" or "New American Standard Bible (NASB)" are probably a better choice.