Archives for March 2005

Psalm 12:6-7 (KJV)
The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. [7] Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

I. The History of The Word

• The word “Bible” simply means books.

• The Bible was originally made up of books written in three languages; Hebrew, Aramic, and Koine Greek.

• The entire Bible was written over a 1500 year span.

• The Bible contains 66 books written by over 40 different authors.

• The Bible contains 1189 chapters and over 31,00 verses.

• Discuss the Translation Timeline (including the “Alexandrian & Byzantine”)

– First through Fourth Centuries = Dedicated & Hungry Followers (ALEX)
– Fourth Century and Following = Professional scribes (BYZ)

• John Wycliff’s hand-written manuscripts were the first complete Bibles in the English language (1380’s). Wycliff (or Wycliffe), an Oxford theologian translated out of the fourth century Latin Vulgate, as the Greek and Hebrew languages of the Old and New Testaments were inaccessible to him. Curiously, he was also the inventor of bifocal eyeglasses. Wycliff spent many of his years writing and teaching against the practices and dogmas of the Roman Church which he believed to be contrary to the Holy Scriptures. Though he died a nonviolent death, the Pope was so infuriated by his teachings that 44 years after Wycliff had died, he ordered the bones to be dug-up, crushed, and scattered in the river!

• Gutenburg invented the printing press in the 1450’s, and the first book to ever be printed was the Bible (in Latin). With the onset of the Reformation in the early 1500’s, the first printings of the Bible in the English language were produced illegally and at great personal risk of those involved.

• William Tyndale gave us the first Official English translation of the Bible in 1525 A.D.

For which he gave his life…

“At last, after much reasoning, when no reason would serve, although he deserved no death, he was condemned by virtue of the emperor’s decree, made in the assembly at Augsburg. Brought forth to the place of execution, he was tied to the stake, strangled by the hangman, and afterwards consumed with fire, at the town of Vilvorde, A.D. 1536; crying at the stake with a fervent zeal, and a loud voice, “Lord! open the king of England’s eyes.”

Such was the power of his doctrine, and the sincerity of his life, that during the time of his imprisonment (which endured a year and a half), he converted, it is said, his keeper, the keeper’s daughter, and others of his household.”
Foxes Book of Martyrs

• A Look at the Early Translations – John 3:16 (Slides)

• From then until now….

II. The Word of God Accord to the Bible

• What the Bible is…

-Read from “Word of God” List
– The Bible is God’s communication with us.
– The Bible is the guide book by which we are to live our lives.
– The Bible is our account of God’s work in lives of humanity.
– The Bible is our account of the ultimate sacrifice that was paid for our sins.
– The Bible is the story of Jesus, the one who gave himself for us, and whom we should be striving to be like.

• What the Bible is not…

– It is not a magic book
– It is not a quick fix book
– It is not always easy to accept

III. Learning to Trust the Word

• If the Bible is going to be our guide book. If we are going to read and understand the message that it has for us, then we have got to learn to trust it!

• How many translations are there today?

– 50+ modern English Translations
– 2,200 modern Language Translations
– 4,609 Language Translations to go (6,809 Distinct Languages)

• “Because there are over 14,000 manuscript copies of the New Testament we can absolutely be confident of its accuracy. With this large number of manuscripts, comparing manuscripts easily reveals any place where a scribe has made an error or where there is a variation. There are approximately 150,000 variations in the manuscripts we have today. However, these variations represent only 10,000 places in the New Testament (if the same word was misspelled in 3,000 manuscripts, that is counted as 3,000 variations.) Of these 10,000 places, all but 400 are questions of spelling in accord with accepted usage, grammatical construction, or order of words. Of the remaining variations, only 50 are of significance (such as two manuscripts leaving out Acts 2:37). But of these 50, not one alters even one article of faith which cannot be abundantly sustained by other undoubted passages.”

“There are some manuscripts that date as early as 130 AD, very close to the completion of the New Testament. These manuscripts are nearly identical to those dating 900 years later, thus verifying the accuracy of the scribes.”

“Besides this, Jesus promised that His words would not pass away. (Mat 24:35) .. ‘Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.’”

It all comes down to an issue of faith. Do I believe that God will “preserve [His Word] from this generation for ever”? The fact of the matter is that the Word of God must be translated into 6,809 languages before Jesus is going to come back. I don’t believe that Jesus will return until every man, woman, and child has hade the opportunity to respond to the Word of God.

“So which version of the Bible should I read?”

The one that speaks to you best!

My Testimony