Bibliology and Bible Translations

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God.

We believe that the Bible is the final authority for all matters of faith and practice.

We believe that the Bible is inerrant and infallible.

We believe God has supernaturally preserved His word to every generation.

Everything we know about our faith is built upon our faith in the Bible as the Word of God.

Revelation: God revealing previously unknown truths to mankind.

Inspiration: God exerting supernatural influence on the writers of Scripture, enabling them to transmit His revelation of Himself to be recorded in writing. Theopneustas: God-breathed.

Illumination: God shining a light on previously revealed truth in a way that is meaningful to the reader.

We believe in the verbal inspiration of the Bible.

God supernaturally guided the biblical authors to write the exact things He wanted expressed.

Every word in the Bible is there because God wanted it there, with no exceptions.

The words themselves, not just the thoughts or ideas, were inspired by God in the original writings of the Bible.

We believe in the plenary inspiration of the Bible.

Every part of the Bible is divinely inspired, from genealogies to historical narratives to prophecies to letters.

There are no parts of the Bible that are uninspired or less authoritative than others.

We believe that revelation ceased at the closing of Scripture and no new revelation is needed.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.2 Timothy 3:16-17

“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

Jude 3

For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.Revelation 22:18-19

Canon

*A Greek word meaning ‘a straight rod’ and then ‘a measure’, used in the ancient world in a variety of ways when referring to guides, models, regulations and grammar, but first used in relation to the Bible by Eusebius and then from the fourth century, by both Jews and Christians, to define the books recognized as ‘biblical.

The earliest Christian lists of the OT and NT date from the 2nd century AD.

Old Testament Canon

Jesus clarified Old Testament canon by quoting it, affirming historical narratives and by identifying it as “the law and the prophets.”

New Testament Canon

Apostolic Authority: Written by an apostle or one closely associated with an apostle.

Apostolic Time Period: Written before 70AD.

Orthodoxy and Continuity: Must agree with the other teachings of Scripture

Acceptance by Early Christians: These writings were accepted as Scripture by the church.

Edification: Written for the teaching and building up of the faith and the church.

Rejected from Canon

The Apocrypha: Comes from the Greek root of the word “apocrypha” (apokryphos), which means “hidden” or “secret” . The term originally referred to religious writings that were considered too sacred or profound to be disclosed publicly and were kept hidden or secret. No groups of Christians have ever accepted the Apocrypha as canon.

The canon was identified by the believers in the early church, not a particular council or meeting.

Bible Translations

The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew, a small amount of Aramaic, while the New Testament was written in Greek.

Autographs

The term “autographs” refers to the original documents written by the authors of the biblical texts. These were the first versions of the texts, penned by figures such as Moses, the prophets, the apostles, and other biblical writers. Unfortunately, none of these original autographs have survived to the present day.

Manuscripts

Manuscripts are hand-written copies of these original autographs. Over centuries, scribes meticulously copied these texts to preserve and disseminate them. Given the manual nature of this process, variations and errors inevitably crept into the manuscripts. These variations are the focus of textual criticism, which aims to reconstruct the most accurate form of the original text by comparing the differences among the numerous surviving manuscripts.

There are over 5,000 known Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, over half of which are continuous text copies, the rest being portions of the New Testament.

Texts

Manuscripts are compared, contrasted and collated to developed into a master text from which translation work can be accomplished.

The Old Testament text became increasingly standardized as scribes produced numerous copies over centuries, leading to a high degree of consistency among later manuscripts.

The Received Text

One of the first high-quality Greek New Testament texts, the Textus Receptus, originated with Erasmus’ Greek New Testament in 1516 and was refined by subsequent scholars.

Westcott-Hort Text

This text played a crucial role in the development of modern New Testament textual criticism, though scholarship has continued to evolve since its publication. They did not hold to a belief in the verbal inspiration or inerrancy of Scripture. Westcott is quoted as rejecting “the idea of the infallibility of the Bible.”

Nestle-Aland Text

First published in 1898 by Eberhard Nestle, it has gone through multiple revisions.

Seeks to use older manuscripts to create a more reliable text. Follows the line of thinking that “older is better.”

“Theoretically the original readings can be hidden in a single manuscript. thus standing alone against the rest of tradition. The possibility must be left open that in some cases the true reading may have been preserved in only a few witnesses.” -Kurt Aland

Compared to the Textus Receptus, the critical texts have numerous differences, with estimates ranging from about 5,600 to 9,970 Greek words being affected. This causes some verses to have different wording, meaning or sometimes missing completely.

Acts 8:37-38 (KJV) 37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

Acts 8:36-38 (ESV) 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

In the ESV, NIV and other readings, verse 37 is missing, so while salvation is required for one to be baptized, that isn’t found in some Bible versions.

1 John 5:7 (KJV) For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

1 John 5:7-8 (ESV) 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.

Textual Criticism: the scholarly discipline that examines and compares different manuscripts and versions of a text to determine its most likely original form or wording. The term “critical” in this context doesn’t mean finding fault, but rather refers to the careful, analytical, and scholarly approach used to establish the text.

If the original wording is lost and gone forever, what are we using?

Bible Versions using the Received Text: KJV, NKJV and MEV

Bible Versions using a Critical Text: Everything else…

Bible translations are only as good as their source material.

John Wycliffe began his Bible translation into the English language from the Latin Vulgate.

While helpful, it was a translation of a translation, which left much to be desired in terms of accuracy.

Types of Bible Translations

Formal Equivalency: a translation approach that aims to preserve the form and structure of the original text as closely as possible in the target language, prioritizing word-for-word correspondence over natural expression in the receptor language. This approach is more faithful to the actual text itself.

Dynamic Equivalency: a translation approach that prioritizes conveying the meaning and intent of the original text in a way that is natural and easily understood by readers in the target language, even if it requires departing from a strict word-for-word rendering, leading to a thought-for-thought translation. This approach sacrifices textual accuracy for the sake of readability.

KJV-Only Position

The King James Version of the Bible is the only acceptable translation to be used for English-speaking people. All others versions are from a corrupt text that has been influenced by Satan. If it isn’t the King James, it isn’t the Bible.

Peter Ruckman

Ruckman claimed that the King James Version is not only a superior translation but also an “advanced revelation” that corrects errors in the original Greek and Hebrew manuscripts.

Ruckman taught that the KJV was not only a superior translation but also divinely inspired in a way similar to the original autographs. He argued that the Holy Spirit guided the translators of the KJV in 1611, resulting in a text that was inspired anew, a concept he referred to as “double inspiration.”

KJV-Preferred Position

The King James Version of the Bible is one of the best translations for English-speaking people. We must standardize on a Bible version for teaching, preaching and discipleship, so we choose the King James. Whatever Bible translation you will read and obey, do it.

Non-Translations of the Bible

New World Translation: alters key biblical texts to fit the doctrinal views of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Examples include the rendering of “Lord” as “Jehovah” in the New Testament, even in places where the underlying Greek text does not use the divine name. Critics have pointed out inconsistencies in the translation, where the same Greek or Hebrew word is translated differently in various contexts to support specific doctrinal points.

The Passion Translation: Produced by a single translator (Brian Simmons) rather than a committee of scholars, which removes important checks and balances in the translation process. Simmons claimed that Jesus personally appeared to him in 2009 and commissioned him to translate the Bible into what became The Passion Translation. It claims to be a translation suitable for serious study, despite having errors in the English text and often inserts words and thoughts not present in the original texts. Simmons described being taken to a “library room of Heaven” where Jesus allegedly allowed him to take two books, but denied him a third book called “John 22.” It’s seen as part of a problematic trend of producing niche translations catering to specific theological preferences rather than striving for accuracy.

The Message: The Message (MSG) is a contemporary paraphrase of the Bible by Eugene H. Peterson. The Message is a paraphrase rather than a direct translation. This means it aims to convey the thought and feel of the original text in contemporary language but often departs significantly from the literal wording. This simplification can sometimes lead to a dilution of the depth and richness of the original text, potentially missing important theological nuances.

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.Romans 8:15-17

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.Romans 8:15-17

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.John 1:14

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.John 1:14

The Bible is true and trustworthy.

Don’t allow Satan to cause you to doubt the Word of God.

Bible translations come in bad, good, better and best. Desire the best.

Whatever version of the Bible you choose, read it, obey it, build your life upon it.