How we got the – Mike Criswell How we got the Bible Inspiration, Canonization, Translation

A. Introduction:

The Bible continues to be the best selling “book” of all modern times. Yet ignorance of not only what it says but how it came into existence is evident in the religious world. The Bible is the mind of God and we need to know a little about its contents and its history.

B. Points to Ponder:

1. What is the Bible? 2. Who wrote the Bible? 3. How did the Canon Develop? 4. How did we get the Bible in English? 5. Versions and different Philosophies of Translation?

1. What is the Bible? a. The mind of God (2 Tim 3:16) b. A library of 66 books (39 OT, 27 NT)

2. Who Wrote the Bible? a. One Author, many scribes b. Its unity proves its divinity

3. How did the New Testament Canon Develop? a. Canon (Gk: kanon) – a measuring rod – a list of accepted writings b. Stages of Canonization i. Composition 1. Jesus’ teaching and the apostle’s teaching 2. Direction of the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:26, 15:26:16:13) ii. Community 1. Apostles wrote as congregation’s had needs (Jude 1:3) 2. Over time many letters came to be circulated iii. Compilation 1. The early church began to collect writings 2. The early church shared writings (Col 4:16) 3. Spiritual Gifts aided in assuring a letter’s truth iv. Canonization 1. A formal stamp of approval from a particular brotherhood 2. Canonization actually has no authority. 3. It simply acknowledges the authority and authenticity of a book which that book already possesses. The did not give us the canon. v. Criteria – Why the need for a Canon? 1. Apostasy (1 Tim 4:1) 2. Heretics (Acts 20:30) 3. Competing Writings 4. Persecution

1 How we got the Bible – Mike Criswell

The Bible in English

A. Languages of the Bible

a. Bible written in Hebrew, Greek b. Latin (translate by Jerome) 410 AD remains the standard until c. 1500. c. As other languages emerge there is a need for more than a Latin Bible.

B. Main Characters in the History of the English Bible

a. John Wycliffe – i. 1st to translate the Bible from Latin into English (c. 1382) ii. Morning Star of the Reformation iii. Bible banned from the common public in 1414 iv. Wycliffe dies a natural death but is hated by the Catholic Church.

b. Johannes Guttenberg i. Invents the printing press c. 1455 ii. Prints the “Guttenberg Bible” iii. Revolutionizes the distribution of all printed material.

c. Desiderius i. First to collect Greek manuscripts and compile a base Greek text (1516) ii. Puts together the Textus Receptus (TR) from whence comes the KJV

d. i. First to print the NT from Greek into English ii. Is burned at the stake in 1536

e. Myles Coverdale i. Completes Tyndale’s Work and prints first entire English Bible (1535) ii. Dedicated his work to Anne Boleyn, wife of King Henry VIII

C. Main English Versions from Wycliffe to the

a. Wycliffe Version – 1382 b. William Tyndale – 1525 c. Myles Coverdale – 1535 d. Matthew’s Bible – 1537 e. The – 1560 (Pilgrim’s Bible, Breeches Bible) f. Bishops Bible – 1568 g. King James Bible – 1611

2 How we got the Bible – Mike Criswell

Manuscript and Translation Issues

A. New Testament Manuscripts

a. Over 5000 manuscripts or parts of mss. exist from which to base a translation. b. No 2 manuscripts are exactly alike – spelling errors and other minor copying mistakes exist. Manuscripts are divided into Textual Families based on similiarity. c. Most only date as far back as the 9th to 15th century. A few date to the 4th c. d. The Majority Text: the many manuscripts that date back to the 9-15th century. e. The Minority Text: the few manuscripts that date back to the 4th century.

B. Two Perplexing and Controversial Questions Regarding Age and Liberty!

a. The Million Dollar Question i. Is it more accurate to base a translation off the many newer manuscripts (9-15th c) or the fewer older manuscripts (4-5th c)? ii. The KJV is based on only a handful of the newer manuscripts!!! b. The 100,000 Dollar Question i. How much liberty can a translator take with whatever base text he chooses to use? ii. Which is more important? Readability or Literalness?

C. Philosophy of Translation

a. Formal Equivalency – an attempt to translate a passage as literally as possible. b. Dynamic Equivalency – an attempt to tell the reader what a passage means!

Note: All translations are a combination of the above philosophies. Some are more formal than others but all contain an element of interpretation.

How Much Liberty in Translation?

Where Various Translations Fit

Thought for Thought Literal Amplified NIV KJV, ASV Bible Paraphrase Interlinear Living Bible Greek NT Dynamic Equivalent Formal Equivalency

All Translations combine DE and FE Translators Must Exercise Judgment

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