Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
From viral TikTok claims to skeptical arguments popularized by comedians and progressive influencers, Christians are constantly told that the Bible was rewritten, corrupted, edited by kings and popes, and passed down like a giant game of telephone. But is any of that actually true?
In this conversation, I sit down with New Testament scholar Dr. Dan Wallace as he explains what textual criticism really is, how New Testament manuscripts were copied and preserved, what textual variants actually mean, and why the evidence for the reliability of the New Testament is far stronger than most people realize.
We discuss:
Whether the Bible was changed over time
The “telephone game” objection
Bart Ehrman and textual variants
How scholars determine the original wording of Scripture
Why manuscript differences don’t threaten core Christian doctrine
The history of canonization and transmission
Viral skeptical claims circulating online today
Why this conversation matters for Christians raising kids in a skeptical culture
If questions about the reliability of Scripture have ever unsettled you—or someone you love—this episode offers both historical depth and practical clarity.
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This video is sponsored by:
SEVEN WEEKS COFFEE
Taste the Coffee that is Saving Lives.
Go to sevenweekscoffee.com for more information.
Use my code: ALISA
FOUNDATION WORLDVIEW
Foundation Worldview creates curriculum series that will empower your child to think
Biblically in a deceptive world.
Go to foundationworldview.com for more information.
Use my code: ALISA
GOOD RANCHERS
American Meat Delivered
Go to go.goodranchers.com/alisa for more information.
Use my code: ALISA
ALLIANCE FAMILY SERVICES
Alliance Family Services is a Gospel-centered organization that relentlessly advocates for
preborn children, women, and families by providing exceptional reproductive healthcare,
Biblical discipleship, and social support.
Go to alliancefamilyservices.org for more information
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Booking: alisachilders.com/booking
To help in your study of the Bible: logos.com/alisa
To Purchase the new CD, “Beauty from the Ash”, go to alisachilders.com/music
There you can get the CD, backing tracks, string charts, rhythm charts and stems.
Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/alisachilders
To order “Another Gospel”: alisachilders.com/another-gospel
To order “Live Your Truth": alisachilders.com/live-your-truth-and-other-lies
To order “The Deconstruction of Christianity”: alisachilders.com/the-deconstruction-of-christianity
Potential Sponsors: alisachilders.com/sponsor-request-form
0:00 – Intro
5:27 – Why this topic matters: Alisa's faith crisis and questions about Bible reliability
6:13 – Introduction to Daniel Wallace and textual criticism
8:57 – What textual criticism actually is
13:18 – Daniel Wallace's personal faith crisis and why he pursued Greek/textual studies
23:19 – Foundation: canon, manuscript copying, and defining textual variants
24:47 – How textual criticism works and why manuscripts contain differences
31:48 – Do the variants actually matter? Meaningful vs. meaningful/viable variants
35:31 – Bart Ehrman, Misquoting Jesus, and whether doctrine is affected
43:55 – David Cross clip: “the Bible is a giant game of telephone”
47:03 – Why the “telephone game” analogy fails
51:00 – How New Testament copying actually spread and multiplied across regions
55:39 – Early manuscripts and why later copies aren't all we possess
59:46 – The transmission argument: why it differs from a single-chain telephone game
1:01:05 –Constantine/deity-of-Christ claims
From viral TikTok claims to skeptical arguments popularized by comedians and progressive influencers, Christians are constantly told that the Bible was rewritten, corrupted, edited by kings and popes, and passed down like a giant game of telephone. But is any of that actually true?
In this conversation, I sit down with New Testament scholar Dr. Dan Wallace as he explains what textual criticism really is, how New Testament manuscripts were copied and preserved, what textual variants actually mean, and why the evidence for the reliability of the New Testament is far stronger than most people realize.
We discuss:
Whether the Bible was changed over time
The “telephone game” objection
Bart Ehrman and textual variants
How scholars determine the original wording of Scripture
Why manuscript differences don’t threaten core Christian doctrine
The history of canonization and transmission
Viral skeptical claims circulating online today
Why this conversation matters for Christians raising kids in a skeptical culture
If questions about the reliability of Scripture have ever unsettled you—or someone you love—this episode offers both historical depth and practical clarity.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
This video is sponsored by:
SEVEN WEEKS COFFEE
Taste the Coffee that is Saving Lives.
Go to sevenweekscoffee.com for more information.
Use my code: ALISA
FOUNDATION WORLDVIEW
Foundation Worldview creates curriculum series that will empower your child to think
Biblically in a deceptive world.
Go to foundationworldview.com for more information.
Use my code: ALISA
GOOD RANCHERS
American Meat Delivered
Go to go.goodranchers.com/alisa for more information.
Use my code: ALISA
ALLIANCE FAMILY SERVICES
Alliance Family Services is a Gospel-centered organization that relentlessly advocates for
preborn children, women, and families by providing exceptional reproductive healthcare,
Biblical discipleship, and social support.
Go to alliancefamilyservices.org for more information
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Booking: alisachilders.com/booking
To help in your study of the Bible: logos.com/alisa
To Purchase the new CD, “Beauty from the Ash”, go to alisachilders.com/music
There you can get the CD, backing tracks, string charts, rhythm charts and stems.
Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/alisachilders
To order “Another Gospel”: alisachilders.com/another-gospel
To order “Live Your Truth": alisachilders.com/live-your-truth-and-other-lies
To order “The Deconstruction of Christianity”: alisachilders.com/the-deconstruction-of-christianity
Potential Sponsors: alisachilders.com/sponsor-request-form
0:00 – Intro
5:27 – Why this topic matters: Alisa's faith crisis and questions about Bible reliability
6:13 – Introduction to Daniel Wallace and textual criticism
8:57 – What textual criticism actually is
13:18 – Daniel Wallace's personal faith crisis and why he pursued Greek/textual studies
23:19 – Foundation: canon, manuscript copying, and defining textual variants
24:47 – How textual criticism works and why manuscripts contain differences
31:48 – Do the variants actually matter? Meaningful vs. meaningful/viable variants
35:31 – Bart Ehrman, Misquoting Jesus, and whether doctrine is affected
43:55 – David Cross clip: “the Bible is a giant game of telephone”
47:03 – Why the “telephone game” analogy fails
51:00 – How New Testament copying actually spread and multiplied across regions
55:39 – Early manuscripts and why later copies aren't all we possess
59:46 – The transmission argument: why it differs from a single-chain telephone game
1:01:05 –Constantine/deity-of-Christ claims
