1. Why so many? Can we trust them?
Bible Translations
Why so many?
Can we trust them?

2. Factors of Bible Translation
Changing Language
Different Goals of Interpretation
Dissimilar Manuscripts

3. Language
New Testament: Koine Greek
Old Testament: Hebrew, Aramaic

4. Language
History of N.T. Bible Language

5. Language History of N.T. Bible Language KJV: 1 Thes 4:15
… we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep

6. Language History of N.T. Bible Language NIV: 1 Thes 4:15
… we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

7. Language The Revised Standard Version in 1952,
The Amplified Bible in 1965,
The New English Bible in 1970,
The New American Standard Bible in 1971,
The Living Bible in 1971,
Today’s English Version in 1976,
The New International Version in 1978,
New King James Version in 1982

8. Equivalence or Literal?
Do we translate it word for word (literally) or do we translate it thought for thought?”

9. Equivalence or Literal?
Do we translate it word for word (literally) or do we translate it thought for thought?”
ENGLISH “Peter has a chip on his shoulder”
AFRIKAANS LITERAL Pieter het ‘n skerf op sy skouer

10. Equivalence or Literal?
Do we translate it word for word (literally) or do we translate it thought for thought?”
ENGLISH “Peter has a chip on his shoulder”
AFRIKAANS EQUIVALENT Pieter het ‘n blok op sy skouer

11. Equivalence or Literal?
Genesis 2:17 –
Literally: “Dying you shall die”,
Meaning: “You will certainly die”
Genesis 4:1 –
Literally: “Adam knew his wife”,
Meaning: “Adam had sexual intercourse with her”

12. Literal V
King James V
English Std V
God’s Word V
7 For with difficulty one will die for a just one, (for perhaps one even dares to die for the sake of the good one),
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die--
7 Finding someone who would die for a godly person is rare. Maybe someone would have the courage to die for a good person.

14. Equivalence or Literal
Which version is right for me?

15. Sources! Majority or Antiquity?
We don’t have the original autographs. Only copies. (20,000)

16. Sources! Majority or Antiquity?
2 Main branches of GREEK manuscripts
BYZANTINE
Majority manuscript copies
Mostly after 9th Century
Only 6 pre-9th Century

17. Sources! Majority or Antiquity?
BYZANTINE
Why newer is not necessarily a bad thing
Reasons to favour the Byzantine text

18. ID
Name
Date
Content
A (02)
Codex Alexandrinus
5th
Gospels
C (04)
Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus
W (032)
Codex Washingtonianus
Matt 1-28; Luke 8:13–24:53
Q (026)
Codex Guelferbytanus B
Luke–John
061
Uncial 061
1 Tim 3:15-16; 4:1-3; 6:2-8
Ee (07)
Codex Basilensis
8th
Fe (09)
Codex Boreelianus
9th
Ge (011)
Codex Seidelianus I
He (013)
Codex Seidelianus II
L (020)
Codex Angelicus
Acts, CE, Pauline Epistles
V (031)
Codex Mosquensis II
Y (034)
Codex Macedoniensis
Θ (038)
Codex Koridethi
Gospels (except Mark)
S (028)
Codex Vaticanus 354
949
1241
Minuscule 1241
12th
only Acts
1424
Minuscule 1424
9th/10th
NT (except Mark)

19. Sources! Majority or Antiquity?
BYZANTINE
The “MAJORITY TEXT”

20. Sources! Majority or Antiquity?
BYZANTINE
ALEXANDRIAN
9 copies earlier than 9th Century
All Alexandrian copies across the board are 85% identical, most differences untranslatable
Tendencies of the Alexandrian copies
Reasons to favour Alexandrian copies

21. ID
Name
Date
Content
B46
Chester Beatty II
c. 200
Pauline Epistles
B66
Bodmer II
Gospels
B72
Bodmer VII/VIII
3rd/4th
1-2 Peter; Jude
B75
Bodmer XIV-XV
3rd
fragments of Luke — John ﬡ
Codex Sinaiticus NT B
Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209
Matt. — Hbr 9, 14 A
Codex Alexandrinus
c. 400
(except Gospels) C
Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus
5th Q
Codex Guelferbytanus B
fragments Luke — John T
Codex Borgianus I
Codex Freerianus
Pauline epistles Z
Codex Dublinensis
6th
fragments of Matt. L
Codex Regius
8th W
Codex Washingtonianus
Luke 1:1–8:12; J 5:12–21:25
057
Uncial 057
4/5th
Acts 3:5–6,10-12
0220
Uncial 0220
NT (except Rev.) 33
Minuscule 33
9th
Romans 81
Minuscule 81
1044
Acts, Paul
892
Minuscule 892

22. Sources! Majority or Antiquity?
BYZANTINE
ALEXANDRIAN
Other sources you may hear about:
TEXTUS RECEPTUS
LATIN VULGATE

23. Sources! Majority or Antiquity?
HOW DIFFERENT ARE THE MSS?
Agree 98% of the time
Remaining 2% has no bearing on faith or practice

24. Sources! Majority or Antiquity?
HOW DIFFERENT ARE THE MSS?
Agree 98% of the time
Remaining 2% has no bearing on faith or practice
See the differences between the KJV and the NIV…

25. Sources! Majority or Antiquity?
SO WHICH MANUSCRIPTS ARE MORE ACCURATE?

26. Sources! Majority or Antiquity?
SO CAN WE TRUST OUR BIBLES?
Certainly
Objectively:
Overwhelming witness of 20,000+ manuscripts
98% Correlation between them
The NT writers trusted the Greek translation of the OT – calling it “God’s word”, and “scripture”
Subjectively:
Witness within
Fruit it bears