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The Accuracy of the Scripures
Today’s Bible

Article V

Early beginnings of the English Bible

The development of England and the English language

The Latin Vulgate Bible, written in Latin had been the official Scriptures from the 4th century A.D.  It was the official Bible of the Roman Catholic Church.  Most of the European countries spoke Latin; however, the country of England followed a somewhat different course of development, even in its language.  When the Roman Legions began to retreat from Britain in 410 A.D., groups from three Germanic tribes began emmigrating to the isle of Great Britain, known today as the Anglo-Saxons - the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes.  The Angles and the Jutes originated from the Jutland peninsula (modern-day Denmark), and the Saxons from the area later called Lower Saxony or Niedersachsen (modern-day northwest Germany). All tribes spoke a closely related Germanic dialects.   The modern day name of "England" takes its name from the Angles, meaning it was then called "Angleland" or  the "Land of the Angles".  A new language of the Anglo-Saxons was developed, which today is referred to as "old English." 

By 700 A.D., the Anglo-Saxons had been converted to Roman Catholicism.   During that time, Caedmon, a monk and scholar made an Anglo-Saxon (old English) portion of Scripture of the New Testament book of John.  Around 735 A.D. Bede, another monk and scholar of that time wrote a common English translation of portions of Scripture for uneducated monks who could not read Latin.   As such, Bede became known as the “Father of English Learning.” 

With the invasion and destruction of the Vikings in 865 A.D., any progress of the English Bible halted until the 12th century.  

Uncials

In the translating of languages, the early English manuscripts were called “uncials” because they were written entirely in capital letters. There were no breaks between the words, no punctuation, no verse numbering, nor chapter divisions.

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Chapter and Verses

The chapter divisions of the Bible are probably attributed to Stephen Langton, arch bishop of Canterbury in 1228 A.D. They were at first subdivided into portions instead of paragraphs, marked in the margin by alphabetic letters of reference.

Verse divisions were done by Robert Stephens in his Greco-Latin New Testament in 1551 A.D.  Four years later, the whole Bible was divided into the present verses as we know them today. [i]

The English Bible

The first English Bible was translated from Latin to English in 1382 A.D. by a priest and Oxford scholar named John Wycliff. The Latin language was diminishing across Europe and English spoke the language of the Anglo-Saxons, meaning "old English."  Wycliff wanted the common people to be able have the Bible in their own language, so he translated the Scriptures into their vernacular language.  Because of his criticisms against the Roman Catholic Church, his translation was banned.  At that time, the Roman Catholic Church ruled over England.  Any findings of his translations were burned.  By 1408 A.D. England declared that it was illegal to translate or read the Bible in the common English without permission of a bishop. That did not, however, stop the move of God from others translating the Bible into English and getting them into the hands of the common people.

Bibles in other languages

The first printing press

The most single important event in the spreading of the Bible throughout history came with the invention of the Guttenberg press. The world’s first printing press with moveable metal type was invented in 1455 A.D. by a German man named Johann Gutenberg. The first Bible printed the Latin translation of the Septuagint, including the Apocryphal writings, which became known as the Gutenberg Bible, followed by German and English translations.  (See article IV of this series).

The Greek-Latin Parallel New Testament

In 1516 A.D. Erasmus, a priest and Greek scholar, published a more accurate Greek translation of the New Testament. It was a parallel version, having in one column in Latin and the other in Greek. His goal was to have everyone be able to read the Bible across Europe. The Latin column did not have the Latin Vulgate as had been the only scriptures for over 1000 years, but he went back to the original Greek manuscripts and copied a more accurate version of the Latin New Testament. The other column was a copy of the original Greek manuscript. [ii] This version was accepted by the Roman Catholic Church.

The German Bible

By 1522, Martin Luther, the first protestant reformer, translated the New Testament from Latin to German. He, however, went back to the original Hebrew and Greek as he translated the Scriptures from Latin to German.

The English Bible

William Tyndale – the Father of the English Bible

In 1525 A.D. an English priest and Oxford scholar named William Tyndale, translated the New Testament from Greek to English. Since he could not get the approval to publish it within his country, he went to Germany to have the Bible printed on the new Gutenberg printing press. He then smuggled the Bibles back into England in sacks of corn and flour. Because the printing press allowed for wide distribution, Tyndale was able to circulate His translation to a lot of people. He was discovered and burned at the stake in 1536 for heresy. His final words were “Lord, open the eyes of the King of England.” Approximately one year later that prayer was answered, and English written Bibles were allowed throughout England. Tyndale is called the "Father of the English Bible" because his translations form the basis of the King James Version of the Bible. Much of the style and vocabulary we know as "biblical English" is traceable to his work.

The tetragrammaton of YHWH

YHWH is the English rendering of the Hebrew consonants for God. No vowels were used, and these four consonants were read outloud in the Jewish synagogues of Judaism as “Adonai,” and centuries later as “Jehovah.” The name of “LORD” was spelled with the four Hebrew consonants “YHWH,” which became known as the “tetragrammatron,” which carried the Greek meaning of “four letters.” Vowels were later added to YHWY to render the word Yahweh.

Tetragrammatron
The English rendering of YHWY is the ancient Israelite name for God.  In Greek, tetragrammatron means "four letters."

Latin Christian translators in the 16th century, using the consonants of YHWH and the vowels of ‘Adonai’ created the rendering of “Iohoua.” Shortly thereafter, William Tyndale, of England, rendered the name of God in the Tetragrammaton as “ Iehouah” in the English Bible. As with many other words from that time period in England and other European countries, “I” was used for “J” and “U” was used for “V.”

Iehouah = Jehovah

Other translations later came out of the Septuagint, which included the Apocryphal, however, they then became a translations of translations. When that happens, inaccuracies occur.

English Bibles approved in England

In 1535 A.D. the Coverdale Bible was translated by Miles Coverdale of England. He dedicated it to Anne Boleyn, one of King Henry VIII’s wives. This Bible was the first complete Bible to be printed in English.  In 1537 A.D. the Matthew’s Bible was translated by John Rogers under the pen name of Thomas Matthew. This was the first Bible published by the king’s permission. By 1539 A.D. the Great Bible came into existence. Ordered by Thomas Cranmer, archbishop under King Henry VIII, the Great Bible was placed in every church in England. It was read aloud daily except during services and sermons. It was so big, and for fear of theft, it was chained to the church pillars.

Following King Henry VIII’s death, his son Edward briefly came to the throne. He was a sickly boy and died within months of sitting on the throne. Mary, Queen of Tudor, was Henry’s eldest daughter through another marriage came to the throne; however, she was a strong Catholic, so she banned any Protestant translations of the English Bible. Thomas Cranmer, archbishop under Henry was burned at the stake. Along with that, 300 men, women, and children were also burned. Queen Mary became known as Bloody Mary.

In 1560 A.D. the Geneva Bible came into existence. Exiles from England had fled to Geneva, Switzerland and printed the Geneva Bible, which is a complete revision of the Great Bible with Old Testament translations from Hebrew. The Geneva Bible contained theological notes from Protestant scholars John Calva, Beza, Knox, and Whittingham. It was the first Bible to use Roman type instead of blackletter. This was the Bible of William Shakespeare and the one carried to America by the pilgrims in 1620 A.D.

Queen Mary died and her step sister took the throne. Queen Elizabeth reinstated the spread of the English Bible. In 1568 A.D. Queen Elizabeth order a new translation called the Bishops Bible. It was translated by several bishops of the Church of England in response to the Geneva Bible. In 1582-1609 the Rheims-Douai Version became the official English translation of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Rheims-Douai version became the official English translation of the Roman Catholic Church

The King James Version of the Bible

King James VI of Scotland was the step sister of the former Queen Mary. After her death, King James also became the king of England, known as King James I of England. He commissioned 54 scholars to undertake a new Bible translation. It needed to be a translation without theological notes. It took six years of six teams of scholars using the Bishops Bible and Tyndale’s Bible, as well as available Greek and Hebrew manuscripts to complete the King James Bible.

In 1611 A.D., under the direction of King James of England, the King James Bible was translated from the Masoretic Text, which by this time was only a few hundred years old and the most reliable Hebrew and Greek copies of the originals. Most translators translated YHWH as “LORD” or “Adonai,” however, it was at this time that the name of “Jehovah” was transliterated and produced to describe God’s divine nature, attributes and deeds. [iii] For instance, when the translators referred to God as their healer, they referred to Him as Jehovah Raphe. As provider, God was called Jehovah Jirah.

  • El Shaddai:  God Almighty - signifying God as a source of blessing, is the name with which God appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
  • Jehovah-Jireh: The LORD Will Provide - commemorating the provision of the ram in place of Isaac for Abraham's sacrifice. This name is a testimony to God's deliverance.
  • Jehovah-Nissi: The LORD Is My Banner - in honor of God's defeat of the Amalekites. The name of God was considered a banner under which Israel could rally for victory. The Lord's name was the battle cry.
  • Jehovah-Shalom: The LORD Is Peace - the name Gideon gave the altar which he built in Ophra signifying that God brings well being not death to His people.
  • Jehovah-Shammah: The LORD Is There - referring to the restored city (God’s dwelling place) in which the prophet Ezekiel saw in his vision.
  • Jehovah-Sabaoth: The LORD of hosts - used in the days of David and the prophets, witnessing to God the Savior who is surrounded by His hosts of heavenly power . This can also be rendered, "The Lord Almighty." It represents God's power over the nations and was closely tied to Shiloh, to the ark of the covenant, and to prophecy. The title designates God as King and ruler of Israel, its armies, its Temple, and of all the universe.
  • Jehovah Raphi: The God that heals
  • Jehovah Tsidkenu: The Lord Our Righteousness - This was the name Jeremiah gave to God, the Righteous King, who would rule over Israel after the return from captivity. He would establish a new kingdom of justice.
  • Jehovah Rohi: The Lord is my Shepherd - God is the One who provide loving care for His people.
  • Jehovah Mekaddesh: The Lord Sanctifies. Holiness is the central revelation of God's character. God calls for a people who are set apart.

The King James Bible was completed in 1611 A.D. At least 80% of the New Testament was unaltered from William Tyndale's translation. This Bible became known as the "Authorized Version of the Bible."

Although the Apocryphal writings were included in the original King James Bible, it was excluded when the Protestant Reformation grew strong in England. It was revised in 1769 A.D. All Protestant Bibles never included the Apocryphal writings. They simply use the Old Testament books that were a part of the Hebrew Canon.

The Protestant Reformation excluded the Apocryphal writings.  It simply followed the books of the Hebrew Canon and the official New Testament Canon.

The King James Bible has been the most popular Bible for over 300 years.

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls

In 1947 A.D. the scrolls hidden by the Essene scribes of the 1st century were discovered. To show the accuracy of the Scriptures, every book of the Old Testament, except the Book of Esther, was discovered in the Quamron caves. The exactness of words and meanings of the authorized Bibles we have today showed up profoundly closely aligned from the Dead Sea Scrolls that were written some 1900 years ago. We can trust that God will preserve His Word.

Modern translations

Many translations have been done since the writing of the King James Version. There have been more translations of the Bible that have been written in the last 100 years than in all of history. Many of them claim to be authorized. The key in knowing what is an authorized version, is that in the translating, the translators went back to the original Hebrew and Greek. The following chart lists only some of the Bibles that have come out in the past 100 years.

The key to knowing what is an authorized version of the Bible is that in the translating, the translators went back to the original Hebrew and Greek.

Some are authorized (listed in red), while others are copied from other versions, or simply paraphrased:

  • 1885 A.D. The English Revision Version - A British revision of the King James Version
  • 1901 A.D. The American Standard Version - Revision of the King James Version in American English. Tight version.
  • 1926 A.D. Moffatt Bible - A very popular modern-language version
  • 1931 A.D. Smith-Goodspeed Bible - An American Translation
  • 1952 A.D. The Revised Standard Version (Old Testament) - A revision of the American Standard Version. The New Testament was revised in 1971 A.D.
  • 1958 A.D. J.B. Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English - A paraphrase originally made for youth. A free version.
  • 1966 A.D. The Jerusalem Bible - Translated by Catholic scholars in Jerusalem from the Hebrew and Greek languages. Many religious traditions use the Jerusalem Bible. Contains the Apocryphal.
  • 1970 A.D. New American Bible - Official version of the Catholic Church. Revision of the New Testament in 1986. Contains the Apocryphal.
  • 1971 A.D. The Living Bible - Kenneth Taylor wrote and edited this version originally for his grandchildren. It became a very popular free paraphrase*. Has a Baptist slant.
  • 1972 A.D. New American Standard Bible - Revision of the American Standard Version. Very literal* – close to the original Greek and Hebrew. Excellent translation.
  • 1976 A.D. The Good News Bible (Today’s English version) - A very poor paraphrase version. Many discrepancies.
  • 1977 A.D. New International Version (NIV) - Interdenominational enterprise by evangelical scholars - widely acclaimed liberal translation. Some paraphrasing* and misrepresentations of the original text. Many footnotes. Free translation.*
  • 1982 A.D. New King James Version - Modernization of the KJV, keeping to the original text but modernizing cultural words. Excellent translation.
  • 1985 A.D. The New Jerusalem Bible - A revision of the Jerusalem Bible. Contains the Apocryphal.
  • 1989 A.D. New Revised Standard Version - Gender neutral revision of the Revised Standard version. Lutheran slant.
  • 1991 A.D. Contemporary English Version - Natural uncomplicated English. Paraphrase.
  • 1996 A.. New Living Translation - Revision of the Living Bible to make it more of a translation instead of a paraphrase. It can be considered loose literal translation with some paraphrasing.

The confusion that many Christians face today is in the deciding of what version or translation they should be reading or studying from. For that, an understanding of translations, versions, or paraphrases should be examined.

Translation, version or paraphrase

What is the difference between a translation and version? To simplify the matter, translation means the translating from the early Greek and Hebrew manuscripts to another language. A version means translating from the original language to within the same language as was translated earlier. Throughout the centuries, the words translations and version have enmeshed with each other as many translations and versions have come into print. Those words have come to mean the same thing over the past few decades.

A paraphrase is a modern interpretation of the translator. It is usually not translated from the original Hebrew or Greek text. Paraphrases make for easy devotional reading or reading. For study, or accurate interpretation; however, you should never rely on a paraphrase version of the Bible. The translator is interpreting the text to the presupposition of his or her experiences and beliefs. Often the denomination of the translator sways the meaning of the text. Paraphrases are generally taken from another version other than the ancient Greek or Hebrew manuscripts. Most paraphrases have footnotes to give greater interpretation. They are easy to read and interesting for devotional reading, but cannot be relied upon for accuracy. Paraphrases are simply the opinion of the writer, editor or publisher.

Literal, loose, or free versions or translations

Literal or free versions or translations come with adapting the wording to a culture or time in history. They are culturally sensitive to the times of the translation. A literal translation can range from tight and then move to loose translation. The tighter the translation, the closer the meaning is to early Greek and Hebrew manuscripts, carrying the same syntax, idioms, and mannerisms of the writers’ culture. The looser the text, the more modernizing the words or idioms have become for use of understanding to the reader. Efforts, however, in a loose translation have been made to keep to the original meaning of the text. There are many variances between tight and loose literal translations out on the market today.

A free translation is simply a paraphrase of the translators and cannot be trusted for accuracy.

What kind of Bible is for me?

There is no one right Bible for anyone. A paraphrase is good for devotional reading and understanding the stories of Scripture. For study, on the other hand, one will find the greatest accuracy from a tight literal translation of the Bible, such as King James or New American Standard versions. If you want an authorized version that is easy to understand, a loose version, such as New International Version would be good. It uses the idioms of today, uses personal pronouns of today, yet, as a general rule, it still hold the same meaning as the original authors intended some 2000 – 3500 years ago when they, inspired by the Holy Spirit put the words or syllables in print. It is wise to have several different versions or translation of the Bible at your disposal.

Various ways in which God spoke

It was God’s desire to reach everyone with His Word. In order for God to reach the greatest amount of people, He spoke through each writer’s personality, from their perspective, through their history and cultural eyes, and their political situation as they wrote. It was the writer’s pen, yet it was still God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, speaking through them. It was God’s intention to reach each one of us in a way that we could understand.

Here are ways that God speaks to us in His Word:

  • Laws of various kinds
  • Genealogies
  • Various kinds of poetry
  • Proverbs
  • Storyelling narrative
  • Prophetic oracles
  • Biographical sketches
  • Chronicles
  • Dramas
  • Riddles
  • Parables
  • Letters

Each of us has different personalities, coming from different backgrounds, having different experiences that make up who we are. Not everyone can relate to a set of laws or prophetic oracle. Some people enjoy storytelling narratives or letters, while others may relate to genealogies or biographical sketches. God wanted all people to understand the truths of His Word in a way that they could relate to, so he had many different authors who spoke to us in a way that we can relate to. 

The reliability of the Word of God

Millions of people have read the Bible. It is, and has been, the best seller of all times. Its record of people and events are the most provable writings of any other writings ever written. Science has unfolded its evidence for decades. By the most educated scholars in the world, the Bible is the most authenticated book every written.

There are 66 books in the Bible written by over 40 different men with over 40 different personalities over a span of 1500 years. Each scroll (book) was written on its own, yet every one fits together as one. It was written by kings, prophets, priests, physicians, fisherman, shepherds, tax collectors, and a butler. With the exception of one, every scroll (book) was written by a Jew. Each writer was either a prophet of God or an eye witness of Jesus Christ who were all inspired by the power of Holy Spirit.

An astonishing 668 prophecies have been fulfilled and none have ever been proven false (three are unconfirmed). God used prophecy as His primary test of divine authorship, and an honest study of biblical prophecy will compellingly show the supernatural origin of the Scriptures. There is no other holy book that even comes close to the Holy Scriptures in the amount of evidence supporting its credibility, authenticity and divine authorship. [iv]

The trustworthiness of the Bible

The trustworthiness of the Bible’s historical statements has been corroborated again and again through archaeological discoveries. Even though the Scriptures have been copied many times over down through the centuries, there have been discovered, as documented support, over 4000 copies of the writings of Scriptures that have been found on various pieces of clay, leather, and paprus. Some copies have been complete writings from an individual writer, and some fragmented pieces from various writers. All of the copies of each individual writer say the same thing and all writings support the other. All writings compliment one another to give the same message. Experts claim that to be authentic, one must find five copies of the same thing - we have over 4000. The Bible is the most authenticated book every written. It is the Word of God!

The Holy Scriptures declares itself to be the divinely inspired Word of God

The Bible declares itself to be the divinely inspired Word of God. It is given to believers for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness, and given so that the people of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Tim 3:16 -17 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 complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Doctrine:   Doctrine is the basic belief of our faith – it is what you believe bout your Christianity.

Reproof:  The Word of God tells us those things which not to do.

Correction:  The Word of God corrects us and tells us those things of which we are to do.

Instruction in Righteousness:  The Word of God teaches us how to live godly lives – it give instruction in righteousness.

Equipped: The Word of God is given so that the people of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped to love God, love other, and reach out to others for them to come to the Lord.

End Notes

[i] http://www.bible-researcher.com/chapter-verse.html
[ii] http://www.greatsite.com/timeline-english-bible-history/erasmus.html
[iii] http://www.wcg.org/lit/bible/law/namegod.htm
[iv] http://www.allabouttruth.org/Origin-Of-The-Bible.htm

Last modified: Sunday, 16 March 2008, 07:01 AM