How Accurate Is The Bible?

Old Testament. At the time of Jesus’ life the only scriptures that existed were the Jewish scriptures - the Tanakh. Jesus quoted from them. He taught them. He believed them. Here is an example. Jesus is speaking,

You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me; (NASB) John 5:39

Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished. (NASB) Matt. 5:17-18

Notice that Jesus refers to the Law and the Prophets. These are two sections of the Jewish scriptures, the Tanakh. The Tanakh was divided into three sections: The Law, The Prophets and the Writings. Jesus clearly recognized them as authoritative. Near the end of the gospel of Luke, Jesus makes another significant statement about the scriptures. He endorsed the last section, The Writings, when He refers to the Psalms, the largest book in the Writings.

Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” (NASB) Luke 24:44

During His ministry, He also endorsed The Twelve or the minor prophets when He referred to Jonah being in the belly of a great sea monster and alluding to him being there three days and nights (Matt. 12:40-41), In short, Jesus recognized the Jewish scriptures from Genesis to Chronicles as real and authoritative.

The Dead Sea Scrolls have proven to modern critics that the Tanakh, as we know it today, has not changed since the time of Christ. In fact, the Dead Sea scrolls pre-date Christ by about by 100-150 years. So when He referred to The Law and The Prophets and The Writings, He referred to the Tanakh we have in A.D. 2001.