"In the beginning was the Word ..."
John 1:1
Ever played the Telephone Game?
You line up a group of people and then whisper some message to the first person (only once, no repeats!) who then turns and whispers what they heard to the next person, and so on down the line. When it reaches the last person, they loudly proclaim the message they received, whereupon the first person states the message they sent, and everyone laughs at how the message got convoluted going down the line.
It's a silly little game, but it can make for a good teaching illustration on how it is important to listen carefully, or communicate clearly; one might use it at a staff team-building event, or in a classroom, or as a sermon illustration, or at a marriage seminar.
Atheists and others who argue against the veracity of the Bible love to use this as an example to illustrate how oral traditions are not trustworthy channels for passing down information from one generation to another. They suggest (validly) that family stories can get muddled from generation to generation, as details are left out, or inaccurately retold, or even incorrectly perceived.
Say, for instance, that you grew up as I did, a first-generation Canadian of Dutch descent. Both of my parents were children in Holland during the German occupation of that country in World War II. I heard many stories about relatives hiding Jews during the war, or being part of the Resistance, or the struggle to find sufficient food. My maternal grandfather was taken to the German labour camps; he survived and even successfully escaped from the camps, walking back home from Germany to Holland. My paternal grandfather managed to keep his little family safe and alive, despite one home being bombed and another having a plane crash on it. And in the tail end of the war, when the Allies were pushing the Germans back into Germany, they were evacuated from their home in Arnhem in the middle of the night by Canadian soldiers, because the fighting was about to get very heavy. They escaped with no loss of life, and learned very important lessons about the relative importance of "things".
As I recount these stories to my children, it is quite possible that some of the details will be wrong; not intentionally, but simply affected by my memory and perception. My children will then pass the stories on to their children, perhaps including a few more inaccuracies, until, in a few generations, the story is no longer the same one told to me as a child.
If we were to apply this same principle to the first generations described in the book of Genesis, we would understandably imagine that the Creation stories, for example, or the story of Noah, would be markedly different from the real accounts and therefore, not reliable. They would be relegated to mythology, the kinds of stories that become "enhanced" over time and retelling.
But let's go back to my families' stories of WWII. What if, as I recounted the stories to my children over dinner, my parents and grandparents were also sitting at that same dinner table? My grandparents could clarify the details of what happened, because they were there. My parents could correct the errors in my retelling of the stories, because they were there. And now the stories have been corrected, realigned, as it were, to rectify any errors and ensure their veracity. And as this pattern continues, as I become the grandparent at my grandchildren's dinner table, I can correct the inaccuracies as well, ensuring valid transmission of the stories.
This is precisely what happened with those early oral traditions. First, early families were very closely knit, not like our individualistic Western culture; several generations often lived together, or in close proximity, and stayed connected. Second, Genesis 5 gives us the first of many genealogies in the Bible. It also records that people had significantly greater lifespans. I mapped it out once for a class and discovered that Adam died when Lamech, Noah’s dad, was 46 years old. So eight generations could hear the accounts straight from Adam.
Later, Moses wrote the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. These and the rest of the Old Testament were hand-copied by scribes. To ensure accuracy in the recopying, the scribes kept numerical tallies on each page of the number of jots and tittles (dots and strokes which make up the Hebrew letters) on each page, the number of words on each page, what the center word should be, and so on. They strove to obey God’s command: “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take away from it ...” (Deut. 4:2) And we now have hundreds of times more copies and fragments of the word of God than of any other ancient document. Many of these manuscripts and fragments go back thousands of years, and show us that no significant changes have occurred to our copies of God’s Word, compared to those written even before Jesus was born.
The Bible is accurate historically. In every aspect where the Bible can be tested and verified (by archaeology, for example), it has been shown to be trustworthy. There have been, over the years, instances where it was thought that some lack of discovery seemed to prove the record in the Scriptures false, only to have it verified later. For example, until 1961, no record of Pontius Pilate existed, much less anything about him; this resulted once again in some claiming that the Bible was inaccurate, simply a legend or myth. Then a stone was discovered with an inscription, not only naming Pilate but verifying biblical details about him, and validating that particular Scriptural account.
Of greater significance than its accuracy, I believe, is the ability of the Bible to speak into each aspect of our lives with relevance and authority. In every aspect where I’ve trusted its wisdom, it has proved faithful and true. And in every aspect where I’ve ignored its instruction, I have suffered the same ramifications of my decision that Scripture warns against. The Scriptures are internally consistent and coherent. One can choose to ignore the instruction found in it, but one cannot avoid the consequences of that decision.
For example, the Bible teaches that we are not born as clean, blank slates; we are born already sinful. It's in our very make-up. As I raise my children, I notice that I don't have to teach them to lie; that comes naturally. I have to teach them to tell the truth. I don't have to teach them to be selfish; that comes naturally. I have to teach them to be kind, and share, and think of others. Just read Lord of the Flies by William Golding and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about. A naturalistic worldview has a hard time explaining this; nurture doesn't cut it.
The Bible teaches that our sin results in death; not just physical death, but spiritual death, separation from God. Our consciences condemn us, and we try to quiet the inner voice by finding fulfillment elsewhere: in drugs or alcohol, in sex and relationships, in fame and success, even in religion. None of these things can truly fill the void; no matter how good those things can be, there's still something missing. Solomon, the richest, wisest, most powerful king, who had everything, including 700 wives, said of all his projects, experiments and accomplishments "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity and striving after wind!" (Ecclesiastes) I have experienced it myself; when I tried to satisfy myself with other things, even good things -- work, success, relationships, religion -- they left me empty. I needed to find my satisfaction in God; it's how He has designed each one of us.
The Bible teaches that, because of that sin in me, I am already guilty before God, and condemned, before I've even done anything. We may not be as bad as we possibly could be, but we're all as bad off as we possibly could be! Now, our myths always create a human hero who rises above, who is bigger than life, to save the day. The Bible is unique; it teaches us that we can't save ourselves, but God, the One who created us, who we rebelled against, loves us still because He IS love. Only a perfect human could pay the price to satisfy His perfect justice and no human is, or ever was, perfect. So He sent His Son to become a human, live a perfect life, and then die in our place, so that God's justice and righteousness could be satisfied. And when we acknowledge our inability to make ourselves right, and accept His free gift of forgiveness and righteousness, on account of what Jesus accomplished, we find inner peace, lasting peace. Romans 8:1 says, "There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus." And I know that peace; I've experienced the difference, because I acted on what the Bible said I needed to do.
Scripture explains, clearly and logically, the human condition, and answers the big questions like "Why, and how, am I here?", "What is my purpose? What is it all about?" and "What happens after life is over?" You may not like the answers to those questions, but it provides answers to these big questions, and the unified package is coherent. I have a peace, and a purpose, and a passion, not because of my circumstances but in the midst of them, because of my relationship with Jesus. He is what makes all the difference.
We should not be surprised at the attacks on God’s Word; it was the devil’s first recorded challenge in Genesis 3: “Did God really say ...?” And he hasn’t changed his tactics. But you and I can rest assured that the Bible we have today is accurate and true, because it is God’s Word and He is faithful and true.
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”
Isaiah 40:8
As always, I welcome your comments. I can be reached at mikeysingsbass@gmail.com.
This is precisely what happened with those early oral traditions. First, early families were very closely knit, not like our individualistic Western culture; several generations often lived together, or in close proximity, and stayed connected. Second, Genesis 5 gives us the first of many genealogies in the Bible. It also records that people had significantly greater lifespans. I mapped it out once for a class and discovered that Adam died when Lamech, Noah’s dad, was 46 years old. So eight generations could hear the accounts straight from Adam.
Later, Moses wrote the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. These and the rest of the Old Testament were hand-copied by scribes. To ensure accuracy in the recopying, the scribes kept numerical tallies on each page of the number of jots and tittles (dots and strokes which make up the Hebrew letters) on each page, the number of words on each page, what the center word should be, and so on. They strove to obey God’s command: “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take away from it ...” (Deut. 4:2) And we now have hundreds of times more copies and fragments of the word of God than of any other ancient document. Many of these manuscripts and fragments go back thousands of years, and show us that no significant changes have occurred to our copies of God’s Word, compared to those written even before Jesus was born.
The Bible is accurate historically. In every aspect where the Bible can be tested and verified (by archaeology, for example), it has been shown to be trustworthy. There have been, over the years, instances where it was thought that some lack of discovery seemed to prove the record in the Scriptures false, only to have it verified later. For example, until 1961, no record of Pontius Pilate existed, much less anything about him; this resulted once again in some claiming that the Bible was inaccurate, simply a legend or myth. Then a stone was discovered with an inscription, not only naming Pilate but verifying biblical details about him, and validating that particular Scriptural account.
Of greater significance than its accuracy, I believe, is the ability of the Bible to speak into each aspect of our lives with relevance and authority. In every aspect where I’ve trusted its wisdom, it has proved faithful and true. And in every aspect where I’ve ignored its instruction, I have suffered the same ramifications of my decision that Scripture warns against. The Scriptures are internally consistent and coherent. One can choose to ignore the instruction found in it, but one cannot avoid the consequences of that decision.
For example, the Bible teaches that we are not born as clean, blank slates; we are born already sinful. It's in our very make-up. As I raise my children, I notice that I don't have to teach them to lie; that comes naturally. I have to teach them to tell the truth. I don't have to teach them to be selfish; that comes naturally. I have to teach them to be kind, and share, and think of others. Just read Lord of the Flies by William Golding and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about. A naturalistic worldview has a hard time explaining this; nurture doesn't cut it.
The Bible teaches that our sin results in death; not just physical death, but spiritual death, separation from God. Our consciences condemn us, and we try to quiet the inner voice by finding fulfillment elsewhere: in drugs or alcohol, in sex and relationships, in fame and success, even in religion. None of these things can truly fill the void; no matter how good those things can be, there's still something missing. Solomon, the richest, wisest, most powerful king, who had everything, including 700 wives, said of all his projects, experiments and accomplishments "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity and striving after wind!" (Ecclesiastes) I have experienced it myself; when I tried to satisfy myself with other things, even good things -- work, success, relationships, religion -- they left me empty. I needed to find my satisfaction in God; it's how He has designed each one of us.
The Bible teaches that, because of that sin in me, I am already guilty before God, and condemned, before I've even done anything. We may not be as bad as we possibly could be, but we're all as bad off as we possibly could be! Now, our myths always create a human hero who rises above, who is bigger than life, to save the day. The Bible is unique; it teaches us that we can't save ourselves, but God, the One who created us, who we rebelled against, loves us still because He IS love. Only a perfect human could pay the price to satisfy His perfect justice and no human is, or ever was, perfect. So He sent His Son to become a human, live a perfect life, and then die in our place, so that God's justice and righteousness could be satisfied. And when we acknowledge our inability to make ourselves right, and accept His free gift of forgiveness and righteousness, on account of what Jesus accomplished, we find inner peace, lasting peace. Romans 8:1 says, "There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus." And I know that peace; I've experienced the difference, because I acted on what the Bible said I needed to do.
Scripture explains, clearly and logically, the human condition, and answers the big questions like "Why, and how, am I here?", "What is my purpose? What is it all about?" and "What happens after life is over?" You may not like the answers to those questions, but it provides answers to these big questions, and the unified package is coherent. I have a peace, and a purpose, and a passion, not because of my circumstances but in the midst of them, because of my relationship with Jesus. He is what makes all the difference.
We should not be surprised at the attacks on God’s Word; it was the devil’s first recorded challenge in Genesis 3: “Did God really say ...?” And he hasn’t changed his tactics. But you and I can rest assured that the Bible we have today is accurate and true, because it is God’s Word and He is faithful and true.
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”
Isaiah 40:8
As always, I welcome your comments. I can be reached at mikeysingsbass@gmail.com.
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