Is the Bible an ancient document that has been tampered with? Has it been edited many times over the centuries and now is filled with errors? How can we know what the Bible really said when the originals no longer exist? Bestselling books that promote these doubts, such as Bart Ehrman s Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why, are influencing today s news media, and these teachings are being treated as fact. Now is the time to address the topic of textual criticism in our churches and help Christians become better informed ready to "defend the faith." The Bible can be trusted, says author Dr. Timothy Paul Jones. The good news is that the Bible is reliable, even though it was hand copied and there are variations between texts. This book explains the variations and why they don t affect the trustworthiness of the Scriptures. Dr. Jones' interest in this topic began many years ago when he came across these arguments in seminary. At first his faith was badly shaken and he wondered if he still believed. But as he dug deeper, he found answers. Dr. Jones shows the errors in critics logic and facts and does it in an easy-to-understand style with charts, diagrams, and explanations. This full-color book gives answers to the following claims by critics: - The Gospels were written long after Jesus lived by people who weren't eyewitnesses. - The stories about Jesus' life and death were not handed down reliably and not recorded accurately. - The Bible is full of textual errors, as proven by the Dead Sea Scrolls - The New Testament wasn't finalized until hundreds of years after Jesus and his disciples, so there could have been many other "Gospels" accepted and later rejected -- in addition to the four Gospels found in the Bible today. - The originals of the Bible are lost, therefore we have no way of knowing what it actually said. The Bible was edited by people who had an agenda and changed many teachings. The chapter titles are How We Got the Bible; Dead Sea Scrolls; 100 Proofs for the Bible; Why Trust the Bible; 100 Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus; and the Gospels Lost & Found.
Timothy Paul Jones serves as professor of leadership and as associate vice president of Global Campus at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the flagship school of the Southern Baptist Convention and one of the largest seminaries in the world. Before coming to Southern Seminary, Dr. Jones led churches in Missouri and Oklahoma as a pastor and an associate pastor.
Dr. Jones has been widely recognized as a leading writer and researcher in the fields of apologetics, Christian education, and family ministry. Christian Retailing Magazine awarded Jones top honors in 2010 in the Christian education category for his book Christian History Made Easy. Charles Colson listed him as one of "four names you need to know" when responding to the new atheists. Jones has also received the Scholastic Recognition Award from the North American Professors of Christian Education for his research in faith development.
The son of a rural pastor, Dr. Jones earned his bachelor of arts degree in biblical studies at Manhattan Christian College. He holds the Master of Divinity degree from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City and the Doctor of Philosophy degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has taught biblical languages at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and at Oklahoma Baptist University, as well as lecturing on the reliability of the New Testament Gospels at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) at forums sponsored by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.
Despite his strong academic pedigree, Dr. Jones has shown a unique ability to communicate in an appealing, accessible style that has made him popular with the masses. He has authored or contributed to more than a dozen books, including Misquoting Truth, Trained in the Fear of God, and the CBA bestseller The Da Vinci Codebreaker. Widely sought as a commentator on theological topics, Dr. Jones has been interviewed on numerous radio and television programs, including WGN Morning News, Fox & Friends, Crosstalk America, and Bible Answer Man.
He is married to Rayann and they have two children, Hannah and Skylar.
