How do we know the Bible has not been changed?

God assures us that His Word will endure.

For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

Jesus makes this promise about His own words:

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Psalm 12 is also frequently discussed in connection with preservation. It calls God’s words pure and then says:

The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

Some understand this as a promise to preserve God’s words. Others understand “them” as the oppressed people mentioned earlier in the psalm. Because that interpretation is disputed, our confidence in the enduring Word should rest on the clearer statements of Scripture as well.

The historical evidence

We can also examine the historical evidence. The Dead Sea Scrolls allow us to compare Old Testament texts from before Jesus’ birth with manuscripts copied centuries later. The Great Isaiah Scroll contains all 66 chapters and generally agrees with the traditional Hebrew text, while also containing differences that can be studied.

For the New Testament, thousands of Greek manuscripts survive, alongside ancient translations and quotations. Comparing these witnesses allows scholars to identify copying mistakes and other alterations and assess disputed readings. The evidence shows broad agreement across the manuscript tradition.

This does not mean every handwritten copy or translation is flawless. God’s promise that His Word endures and the existence of differences between copies are distinct matters. Christians can trust His faithfulness while examining those differences honestly and carefully.