
Episode #299
The Bible Isn't Perfect?! The Bible Was Written, Copied & Preserved by Humans — Can We Trust It?
On this episode of Coffee with Hales, we talk about what happens when the Bible doesn’t look as perfect as we thought, including how Scripture was copied, translated, transmitted, and preserved by humans. We discuss textual variants, what textual criticism is, and why differences between manuscripts (like spelling, word order, or even larger passages) don’t erase the Bible’s overall message. We also look at why the Gospels sometimes tell the same events differently, how authors wrote for different audiences, and why we should read Scripture in its original context. The episode encourages asking hard questions instead of walking away from faith. 00:00 Fragile Faith Foundations 00:35 Welcome Back and Big Questions 02:09 God Partners With Humans 04:40 From Oral Tradition to Scrolls 06:57 Textual Variants Explained 11:34 Famous New Testament Variants 12:41 Why Gospels Differ 18:59 Hermeneutics and Audience Context 20:50 Encouragement for Doubters 22:06 Thanks and Farewell

