1 How trustworthy is the Bible? How did we get the Bible? Textual Criticism Bible versions and translations General overview of the Bible Using common sense to interpret the Scriptures A word about hermeneutics More about hermeneutics Interpreting sentences and words Figurative language More on figurative language The language of prophecy By David Webb Accurately Handling the Word of Truth By David Webb 2 The Trustworthiness of God's Divinely Inspired Word? Lesson One Is the Bible trustworthy? Has the Bible been altered or corrupted over the centuries to the point where it can no longer be considered the Word of God? Can we rule out the possibility that men may have conspired in secret to pervert the Scriptures by incorporating their own uninspired teachings into the Bible? How do we know if the Bible we have today is the same as the Scriptures written by inspired men more than two and three thousand years ago? Since we do not have the original manuscripts of either the Old or New Testaments, we must rely on copies of copies of those manuscripts. Can we really trust that there have been no significant changes or that no errors were made in the process of copying the Scriptures? The Scriptures are under attack in our day as much as any time in past history. Skeptics repeatedly claim the Bible as we know it could not have originated from only one source (God) since they assert the Scriptures are filled with numerous historical, textual and doctrinal contradictions. This has led many critics to regard the Bible as purely a product of human invention. A movement that first gained popularity in the late 1800's, known as Radical Criticism, asserts that none of the epistles of Paul are authentic, and promotes the idea that Jesus and the apostles were merely fictional characters. There have also been questions raised regarding the canon1 of the Scriptures. Some critics claim the selection of ancient writings that compose the modern-day Bible was heavily biased, and rejected writings that did not conform to the accepted standards of religious dogma – namely, those of the Roman Catholic Church. Adding to the confusion are Biblical theologians and scholars who believe some of the Bible is free from discrepancies and textual error. For example, Keith Ward, an ordained priest in the Church of England, and Fellow of the British Academy, wrote: There may be discrepancies and errors in the sacred writings, but those truths that God wished to see included in the Scripture, and which are important to our salvation, are placed there without error... the Bible is not 1 The word "canon" is derived from the Greek noun κανών "kanon" meaning "reed" or "cane," or also kaneh" and is often used as a" קנה rule" or "measure," which itself is derived from the Hebrew word" standard of measurement. Biblical canon or canon of scripture is a list or set of Biblical books considered to be authoritative as scripture by Jews (regarding the canon of the Torah) and Christians (regarding the canon of both Old and New Testaments). Accurately Handling the Word of Truth By David Webb 3 inerrant in detail, but God has ensured that no substantial errors, which mislead us about the nature of salvation, are to be found in Scripture.2 If God could ensure that truths concerning the nature of salvation were placed in the Scriptures without error, why could He have not done the same for all the other teachings of the Bible? Furthermore, if God "ensured that no substantial errors, which mislead us about the nature of salvation, are to be found in Scripture," what "substantial errors" do exist in the Bible, how can we identify them, and what do these erroneous passages teach? In short, how can we have any confidence in the Scriptures that they are free from historical, textual or doctrinal error? Religious cults, such as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS or "Mormons"), the Jehovah's Witnesses, and the Seventh Day Adventists (SDA) further complicate the question of the divine preservation, inspiration and infallibility of the Scriptures. The official position of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints regarding the trustworthiness of the Scriptures states: We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.3 Accordingly, Church members believe that during the centuries-long process in which fallible human beings compiled, translated and transcribed the Bible, various errors entered the text. However, this does not override the overwhelming predominance of truth within the Bible.4 However, the Mormons claim, without any reservation whatsoever, that the Book of Mormon is inerrant and inspired. Consider the following claim: "Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? Behold, I testify unto you that I do not know that these things whereof I have spoken are true. And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety? Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God... and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me."5 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints also put two other books on a par with Scripture: Doctrine and Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price. These so- called "revelations" advocate radically different teachings from the Bible concerning the church, human nature, the origin of God, and the person and work of Jesus Christ. 2 Keith Ward, What the Bible Really Teaches: A Challenge for Fundamentalists (2004) 3 History of the Church, Vol. 4, pp. 535—541, Articles of Faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Article 8 4 Newsroom, The Official Church Resource for News Media, Opinion Leaders, and the Public, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Press Release, January 25, 2008, Salt Lake City 5 Book of Mormon, Alma 5:45-46 Accurately Handling the Word of Truth By David Webb 4 The Jehovah's Witnesses, on the other hand, have their own translation of the Bible called the New World Translation6 (NWT) which claims to be the product of a multi- national "New World Bible Translation Committee" of "anointed" Jehovah's Witnesses. The "Watchtower Bible and Tract Society" of the Jehovah's Witnesses claims the new translation was simply an attempt to translate the Bible into modern English. However, the New World Translation deliberately mistranslates and twists the text in many places to support the doctrinal teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, in particular teachings that deny the deity of Jesus Christ. The late Dr. William Barclay, Professor of Divinity and Biblical Criticism, University of Glasgow concluded: "the deliberate distortion of truth by this sect [Jehovah's Witnesses] is seen in the New Testament translation. ... It is abundantly clear that a sect which can translate the New Testament like that is intellectually dishonest."7 The late Dr. Bruce M. Metzger, professor at Princeton Theological Seminary and Bible editor who served on the board of the American Bible Society, wrote: "the Jehovah's Witnesses have incorporated in their translation of the New Testament several quite erroneous renderings of the Greek."8 In 1994, the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church released The Clear Word Bible.9 However, due to intense criticism from within and from without the Seventh Day Adventist church, this publication is now simply called The Clear Word. Although The Clear Word is published by the Review and Herald Publishing Association, the 161-year-old book-and-magazine publishing arm of the Seventh-day Adventist church, Adventists now claim it is not a "Bible" but rather: "a paraphrase/commentary that, when used properly, can enrich one’s devotional study and can be recommended in that way."10 However, the Review and Herald Publishing Association currently promotes The Clear Word as a "devotional paraphrase" of the Bible available in bonded leather binding with gold leaf trimmed paper – for all appearances, a Bible. Critics of the Seventh-day Adventist Church have stated that The Clear Word distorts the meaning of the biblical text to support Adventist teachings. In more recent publications, the Adventists have finally admitted that The Clear Word is a blending 6 The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Brooklyn, NY, first published as a single volume of the entire Bible,1961 7 R. Rhodes, The Challenge of the Cults and New Religions, The Essential Guide to Their History, Their Doctrine, and Our Response, Zondervan, 2001, p. 94 8 Dr. Bruce M. Metzger, "Jehovah's Witnesses and Jesus Christ," Theology Today, (April 1953 p. 74); see, "The New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures," The Bible Translator, (July 1964) 9 The Clear Word Bible, first printed by the press at Southern Adventist University, now published as The Clear Word by The Review and Herald Publishing Association 10 The Ministerial Association of the General Conference, Comments on Clear Word Bible,” Record, Seventh Day Adventist Church, October 29, 1994, p. 10 Accurately Handling the Word of Truth By David Webb 5 of Biblical text with the teachings of Ellen G. White, the founder of the Seventh Day Adventist church, whose teachings are claimed to have originated from God. The Adventists now admit: "The Clear Word is an Adventist paraphrase incorporating insights from Ellen White."11 However, these so-called "insights" are not simply margin notes. They are written into the text where a reader who is unfamiliar with the authentic text of the Bible will have great difficulty discerning