It is often claimed that the Bible has been corrupted by small errors generated by many generations of monks and scribes in their effort to transcribe the Word of God. Because there are so many early copies of the Bible, this error theory doesn’t hold water.
No other document comes close to the Bible regarding the number of copies. The closest is Iliad by Homer, with only 643 surviving manuscripts. The modern Bible is based on nearly 20,000 manuscripts, with some dating back to within 20 years of the New Testament authors.
When the Dead Sea scrolls were compared to today’s translation, no significant errors were found in the text. The only lasting error is people’s failure to adhere to the Word of God.
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).