Very well said, Trav. I don't think the Bible was ever intended to be historical. Some of it is, I'm sure, but that isn't what makes it scripture. What makes it scripture is that the Holy Spirit speaks through it. The Bible on its own is lifeless. We can't forget who we worship.

Unfortunately, I don't think most Christians read the Bible often enough for it to be a crutch. But that doesn't keep many from picking their favorite (often out of context) scriptures to throw in your face. While there are many Christians who are searching actively for truth and Jesus, there are many who are only trying to justify their own personal theology.

The scriptures are the word of God, but they can only be understood with the help of the Holy Spirit, since He will bring us to all truth as fast as we prepare ourselves to receive it. But since the Bible by itself is interpreted in many different ways, and since a loving God said that the truth would be established by two or three witnesses, I believe that He has provided us with access to scripture that He has given to other people and is not part of the Bible as an additional witness. Many lines may be drawn through a point, but only one line can be drawn between two points.

I had a choir director that attended a meeting each week with me.  It was in my first Presbyterian church, and he had always been a Catholic, until about 10 years ago.  We'd get into our Bible study, before we'd discuss the ill, and others in need.  One week he'd had enough of our going over scripture endlessly, and he tossed his Bible onto the middle of the table and said "This is getting ridiculous."  "You can read and argue this until you die, but it's all about Jesus and what he did for us."  At the time I thought he was simplistic, but the older I get, the more I realize that there are so many interpretations out there, maybe we ought to set aside our study a little bit and give our lives to Christ.

@crevis05@xanga - We do not have the "original Greek manuscripts", only copies of the copies.  You are referring to the copies that make up the sources that are used in your version, like the NIV.  However, 92% of the 5,664 Greek manuscripts that we have are contained in the Textus Receptus (TR), and those texts do not all have the word "Isaiah". 

You're making very flawed assumptions based on very flawed understanding and I encourage you not to do that. 

For example, a blanket statement like ""The Word of God as used in scripture is never referring to itself" is extremely erroneous.  A very elementary survey of the NT would reveal that the phrase "Word of God" is used in Romans 10:17-18 in reference to the spoken and/or written words that make up "scripture". 

I encourage you to study this further.  I've studied these issues and they are rarely as "easily defined" as may skeptics would have you believe.

@crevis05@xanga - The verse in Romans is not actually "Word of Christ".  It is Word of God.  If you look at Eerdmans Bible Dictionary or a variety of solid resources you'll see that it is listed alternatively as Word of God.  The reason NASB translates it as Word of Christ is, as it has in the footnote as well, because the meaning in the text is the "Word which concerns Christ", and, as Jesus Himself said, that even includes all the Law and Prophets. 

Regarding KJV, how much of this have you actually looked at yourself?  Or are you just googling this information favorable information for yourself?  I know what you're saying about Erasmus, but that is far from an extensive explanation of how the KJV was completed.  Look into the history of the KJV a bit more and you'll find a more exhaustive approach was taken then what you're representing.  But I'm not going to sit here and explain what would take you years to study completely.

Anyway, if you're determined to believe as you want, go ahead, but I'm just saying that your blanket statements made are well refuted by many scholars, even among non-religious scholars.  And you're simply stating it as if there is no other side to the story, which is a deceptive way of stating this.