There are various tests on any ancient documents which are carried out in order to ascertain their accuracy.One of these criteria or tests, includes looking at how many copies of that document exist and how consistent they are etc.
In secular writing the most well attested document is Iliad by Homer (not Simpson), with over 600 copies, the closest of these being estimated at 500 years after the original. Scholars say that what we have now is 95% accurate to what Homer wrote.
The New Testament has over 5600 surviving manuscripts, with the closest of these being estimated at 100 years from original.
The same tests that prove the credibility of Homer, Plato etc say that what we have now in the New Testament is over 99% accurate to original.
To reject the credibility of the New Testament as an ancient document, or to question it's accuracy to the original, means we must reject or question all other ancient writings since it is the same process by which all these are proven, with the NT coming top.
Some other examples of ancient documents:
Plato - 7 manuscript - the earliest to original is 1200 years after.
Aristotle - 49 manuscripts - the earliest to original is 1400 years after.
Pliny - 7 manuscripts -the earliest to original is 750 years after.
These tests do not prove that the New Testament was inspired by God; that is a matter of faith. It does however make it the most well attested of ancient documents. It also gives us superior confidence that what we have today is 99.5% accurate to what was written.
