In this engaging session four, Dean Meadows, Campus Minister at Blacksburg Church of Christ, tackles the question of whether the New Testament is a reliable historical document or merely a distorted “telephone game” passed down over 2,000 years. Drawing on comparisons with ancient texts, manuscript evidence, and scholarly insights—including agnostic Bart Ehrman’s admission that textual variants don’t affect core Christian beliefs.
Dean demonstrates the New Testament’s superior preservation, early dating, eyewitness testimony, embarrassing details (like the apostles’ failures), and archaeological corroboration. Supported by non-Christian sources and historical facts, he argues that the text is not only accurately transmitted but factually true, providing a strong foundation for faith amid modern skepticism. The talk concludes with Q&A, emphasizing practical apologetics and reasonable confidence over absolute certainty.
Talking Points
- Addressing the “Telephone Game” Myth: Meadows uses the analogy to question how the Bible avoided distortion over centuries, contrasting it with the New Testament’s public, repeatable teachings and manuscript evidence that allows reconstruction of originals.
- Manuscript Superiority: Compared to ancient works like Homer’s Iliad or Plato’s writings, the New Testament has far more copies (over 5,800), earlier dates (within 50 years of originals), and higher accuracy (99% transmission rate), enabling scholars to overlay and correct variants.
- Nature of Textual Variants: Most variants are minor spelling or grammatical errors, as admitted by skeptic Bart Ehrman, who notes they don’t impact essential Christian doctrines—proving reliability without equating to truth (e.g., Harry Potter could be copied perfectly but remain fiction).
- Early and Eyewitness Evidence: Gospels and letters predate the 70 AD temple destruction (unmentioned, implying pre-event composition); authors like Luke cite eyewitnesses, and Paul lists 500+ resurrection witnesses, many still alive for verification.
- Embarrassing Testimony as Proof of Authenticity: Details like Peter’s denial, disciples fleeing, women discovering the tomb first, and Jesus’ tough teachings (e.g., “eat my flesh”) wouldn’t be invented if fabricating a story, as they undermine credibility in a first-century context.
- Archaeology and External Corroboration: No dig has contradicted the Bible; finds like Pontius Pilate’s inscription and Dead Sea Scrolls affirm details. Non-Christian sources (e.g., Tacitus, Josephus) confirm Jesus’ existence, crucifixion, miracles, and early Christian worship.
- Cultural and Survey Insights: Modern polls show declining belief in the Bible as God’s literal word (only 27% among 18-25-year-olds), yet it’s the world’s bestseller—highlighting the need for apologetics to show it’s not just “sacred” but true and life-changing.
- Practical Faith Application: Reliability builds confidence in scriptures like John 3:16; Meadows stresses distinguishing accurate transmission from truth, encourages openness to evidence, and notes even critics like William Ramsay converted after trying to disprove Acts.
- Q&A Highlights: Discusses inspiration vs. historical reliability as entry points for skeptics, handling bracketed passages (e.g., John 8, Mark 16 ending) without doctrinal harm, and pursuing “beyond reasonable doubt” faith rather than 100% certainty, as in everyday life decisions.