Is the Bible reliable—or has it been copied, edited, and altered beyond recognition?

In this episode of Apollos Answers, we tackle one of the most common and serious objections to Christianity: Can the Bible be trusted as a historical document?

Rather than starting with theology, we go full investigation mode—digging into manuscript evidence, archaeology, and non-biblical historical sources to see how the Bible stacks up against other ancient works we rely on every day. From the sheer number of New Testament manuscripts, to the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947, to hostile Roman and Jewish sources that reference Jesus, the evidence is far more robust than most people realize.

We also take skepticism seriously. Not strawmen—steel-manned objections. Were copying errors inevitable? Could legends have crept in? Did early Christians edit the text to fit their beliefs? We examine the strongest versions of these challenges and ask whether they actually hold up under historical scrutiny.

This episode isn’t about blind faith. It’s about asking hard questions, following the evidence wherever it leads, and understanding why Christians claim the Bible has been faithfully preserved.

Whether you’re a skeptic, a believer, or somewhere in between, this episode will give you a clearer picture of what historians actually know—and what questions still remain.

Chapters

00:00 The Bible's Historical Significance

01:00 Apollos Answers Intro

01:25 The Common Objection to Biblical Authenticity

01:44 Exploring Historical Evidence and Scholarship

02:03 Understanding Historical Texts

02:23 The Method of Textual Criticism

02:50 The Abundance of New Testament Manuscripts

03:42 Comparative Analysis of Ancient Texts

04:11 The Significance of Manuscript Transmission

04:35 Understanding Textual Criticism

05:32 The Impact of Variants on Doctrine

05:48 The Legend Argument

06:46 The Journey of the Old Testament

07:01 The Discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls

07:30 The Impact of Preservation on Belief

08:06 The Intersection of Archaeology and Theology

08:26 The Bible's Historical Validity

08:46 Historical Evidence of Jesus' Existence

09:38 The Impact of Hostile Testimony

09:42 The Early Christians and Accuracy

10:03 Persecution and Preservation of Beliefs

10:27 The Reliability of the Bible

Resources available at the Apollos Answers website