Expert: Scott Talbot - 2/5/2004

Question
Hi! My question is due to the doubt I have been experiencing as a result of reading the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. In this book, it is suggested that the Roman Emperor Constantine, originally a pagon, manipulated the bible in order to put women in a less positive light. Furthermore, it was suggested that the "holy grail" was in reality Mary Magdalene, but that this truth was either manipulated or misrepresented due to the selectivity of the council putting together the bible. I would like to know whether or not you think the New Testament was compiled with a bias that changed the foundation of Catholicism. I am writing a research report on the subject but am also personally interested because of the faith crisis it has pulled me into. If you could please respond I would be very greatful. I understand this is a difficult subject with perhaps no clear answer, but if you know sources that would help I would really appreciate those as well. Thank you so much for your time! Have a great day!
Allyson

Answer
Hi, Allyson! Thanks for the question. I am happy to try to help.

I have no doubt whatsoever that the Bible we have today is reliable and accurate. One reason is the fact that there are numerous texts from many, many sources (specifically, copy after copy of ancient manuscripts) to which we can refer to check the accuracy of our current texts.

Secondly, we can trust God to preserve the accuracy of His Word. Think about it. If God cared enough to give us the Bible in the first place--to reveal Himself and His plan to us--then doesn't it make sense to think that He would preserve the Bible for all generations and all peoples to read and understand?

There are some who do not believe the Bible. Moreover, there are some (many) who are anti-God, and would love to destroy the Bible, or at least our reliance on it. Don't be quick to swallow the lies or intricate theories some have that would discredit the Bible.

What you shared with me--the idea that Constantine manipulated the Bible so that we today have an unreliable Bible--is one of the most far-fetched notions I have ever heard, and it has no basis in fact. True, the Roman Catholic Church has been known to contradict the Bible. But rather than re-writing the Bible itself, they have always held themselves up as a higher authority than the Bible. So, if there is any contradiction, they claim that the pope has the ulitimate say (not God). What they count on is that their church members do not spend too much time reading the Bible. (At one time, their members were forbidden from reading the Bible, as it was claimed they could not understand it on their own.)

The topic into which you are delving is often referred to as Textual Criticism. It is the science of verifying the accuracy and reliability of our current texts based on copies of ancient manuscripts. It's a deep, deep topic to jump into, but, if that's what you're hoping to do, you might want to research under the topic of Textual Criticism.

I wish you well. Oh, by the way, may I ask? Have you been born again (see Gospel of John chapter 3, verse 3)?

Feel free to write again!

Your friend,

Scott