By Dr. Maxwell Shimba, Shimba Theological Institute

Abstract

This expanded historical analysis examines whether the Injeel—the Gospel—could plausibly have been corrupted given its origins, transmission methods, and manuscript evidence. After establishing how the Scriptures were authored and disseminated, the paper scrutinizes extant manuscripts to assess the integrity of the Gospel text across time.

1. Divine Inspiration and Human Authorship

Before evaluating corruption, it's crucial to understand how the Bible was inspired and written:

Divine inspiration: God appointed specific individuals—prophets and apostles—over centuries to record His revelation (2 Tim 3:16). Human language, perspective, and cultural context were employed wisely by God to convey His precise message.
Preservation over time: The biblical message has been safeguarded through divine providence and the painstaking efforts of scribes and communities dedicated to accurate copying.

2. Defining the Injeel

Etymology: Injeel (الإنجيل) derives from the Greek euangélion, meaning "good news." Arab-Christians historically used this term for the New Testament, particularly the four canonical Gospels.
Nature: These texts record eyewitness testimony about Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, teachings, and the inauguration of the New Covenant.
Timeline: Written approximately between 50–95 AD by apostles and eyewitnesses of Jesus during the first century.
Geography: Authored and circulated across a wide geographical region—Palestine, Syria, Asia Minor, Greece, and Rome—reflecting early Christian spread.

3. Transmission and Diffusion

Manuscript proliferation: The Gospels were handwritten and shared extensively across Christian communities. As each community received copies, they reproduced and passed them on, resulting in widespread textual propagation by the 2nd century.
Decentralization: No single authority governed this dissemination; it depended instead on local communities and scribal traditions.

4. Manuscript Evidence: Volume, Dating, and Diversity

4.1 Quantity and Antiquity

Over 5,500 Greek New Testament manuscripts exist, plus approximately 15,000–20,000 versional (translated) manuscripts and over 1 million quotations in early Church writings (preciousseed.org, Bible.org).
Key early papyri—such as P52 (c. 125 AD) and P75 (c. 200 AD)—preserve Gospel fragments close to the original composition date (Ehrman Project).

4.2 Major Codices

The four principal uncial codices include:

Codex Vaticanus (B): c. 300–350 AD, containing most of the Greek OT and NT (Wikipedia).
Codex Sinaiticus (א): mid‑4th century; among the oldest complete copies of the NT (Wikipedia).
Codex Alexandrinus and Ephraemi Rescriptus similarly date from the 4th–5th centuries (Wikipedia).

Collectively, these early manuscripts demonstrate consistent transmission of Gospel texts.

5. Variant Analysis: Quantity and Significance

Around 400,000 textual variants exist across these manuscripts (Bible Hub, Zondervan Academic).
However, over 70% of variants are inconsequential (spelling, word order, etc.), and none undermine essential Christian doctrine (Zondervan Academic).

6. Historical Improbability of Corruption

For systematic corruption, conspirators would have needed to locate, confiscate, alter, and redistribute thousands of manuscripts spread across continents, all without detection or dissent.
Such a covert operation strains credulity, given early Christian persecution and lack of centralized control.

7. Would Eyewitnesses Fabricate?

Those who penned the Gospels were Simon Peter, John, Luke, Matthew, Mark, etc.—many of whom faced martyrdom for their teachings.
Islamic tradition denies Jesus’ resurrection, yet historical accounts show no body to disprove it—indicating authenticity in early Christian claims.

8. Conclusion

Historical evidence robustly supports the integrity of the Injeel:

Massive manuscript transmission preserved the text reliably.
Early and geographically diverse manuscripts ensure broad textual consistency.
Minimal variants have no impact on core theology.
No plausible agent, motive, or opportunity exists for large-scale corruption.

Therefore, historical data aligns with theological and logical conclusions drawn earlier. The Injeel we read today bears faithful witness to the first-century message of Jesus, uncorrupted and reliable.

Coming Next – Part 7: Final Conclusions & Interfaith Implications

In the concluding section, we will draw together theological, logical, and historical strands to form a comprehensive assessment of the Injeel’s preservation and reflect on its significance for Christian-Muslim dialogue.

Dr. Maxwell Shimba
Shimba Theological Institute
July 2025

Monday, July 21, 2025

IS THE INJEEL CORRUPTED? A HISTORICAL INVESTIGATION (Part 6 of 7)