Many have asked whether the Bible has been changed since it was written. For example, most modern translations include footnotes than mention variations in some manuscripts. Other times, critics claim the Bible is filled with errors because of an alleged difference in a particular copy of the Scriptures. Has the Bible been changed?

In short, the answer is no. Yes, copies of the Bible include some differences, including an occasional important variant, but the text of the Scriptures is essentially the same today as when it was first written. Dallas Seminary New Testament scholar Dr. Daniel Wallace is one of today’s top experts on the early manuscripts of the New Testament. When asked about changes in the Bible, he confidently states all the words of the Bible are in the text we have today or in the footnotes. There are no missing books of the Bible somewhere to be discovered in the future.

If the Bible has not been changed, then how do we handle the differences found in the footnotes of our Bible or in the early copies of its manuscripts? Several principles have been developed, but here are a few that we find are most helpful. First, consider the number of copies of the passage under consideration. For example, if there are ten copies of a book and nine of them are the same, this could point to the one variant being inaccurate and the other nine as accurate.

Second, however, we consider the quality of the copies. In contrast, even if nine of ten readings agree against one that does not, we must look at the context of the single variant. Was the unique reading based on a copy of the Bible that was closer in time to the original text? Does it have historical evidence from other sources to indicate it is to be given more attention? In determining an answer, we don’t just count manuscripts; we weigh them.

Third, we compare Scripture with Scripture. We may not be experts on early manuscripts and Bible languages, but we can compare difficult passages with other clear passages for context. If God’s Word is perfect, no two passages will directly contradict one another. For example, if one passage says God cannot lie, then we should not find another verse that says God did lie. There is a passage in which God changed his mind in response to prayer, but the context offers insight that shows the event was different from a contradiction in which God lies to his people.

Fourth, the large number of Bible Manuscripts from the early generations of the church help us better determine the earliest and original text. For example, if we only had three copies and one was different from the other two, it would be more difficult to tell which copies were original. However, the New Testament has over five thousand manuscripts to evaluate. In the small number of places with meaningful differences, there were numerous options to consider in determining the original reading.

While copies of Bible manuscripts may include some changes, the Bible has not been changed. We can confidently know the Word of God we hold today remains the same as it was given long ago.