2. Bible Authority
Bible Origins

3. Bible Authority – Bible Origins
Some questions:
What is the Bible?
Where did the Bible come from?
How did we get the Bible?
Was and is the Bible accurately translated?
Which translation is best?
Isn’t King James the only “real” Bible? 3

4. Bible Authority – Bible Origins
The Bible come from God!
It is His word
His communication to man
Written by man, inspired by God
2 Timothy 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 perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works (KJV) 4

5. Bible Authority – Bible Origins
Written by man, inspired by God
2 Peter 1:20-21
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (KJV)
Written for man, defined by God
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (KJV) 5

6. Bible Authority – Bible Origins6

7. Bible Authority – Bible Origins
Bible stats
66 books spanning 1600 years
1500 BC to 100 AD
40 kings, prophets, leaders, disciples
Old Testament
39 books, 1500 BC to 400 BC
Written primarily in Hebrew w/ some Aramaic
New Testament
27 books, 45 AD to 100 AD
Written in Greek 7

8. Bible Authority – Bible Origins
Original Bible
Original manuscripts written on stone, clay tablets, cured leather until 400 BC 8

9. Bible Authority – Bible Origins
First copies
New Testament text written on papyrus
Copies of the original writings were put onto scrolls of leather and papyrus around 1 AD 9

10. Bible Authority – Bible Origins
Canonization
Process of applied criteria validating the source, purpose, and divine inspiration
Council consisted of rabbis, early church leaders 300 – 400 AD
Copying
Hand copied prior to 1455 by scribes
Extremely accurate methods and regimented processes
1455 Gutenberg press printed its 1st book in Germany – the Latin Bible (Vulgate) 10

11. Bible Authority – Bible Origins
First Translations
The very first translations were Coptic (Egyptian) and Syriac from AD 11

12. Bible Authority – Bible Origins
Original Latin
Translated to Latin
Jerome AD (Vulgate) – the standard for nearly 1000 yrs 12

13. Bible Authority – Bible Origins
First English Bibles
Finally translated into more common languages from 1380 to 1611 (Wycliffe – King James). 13

14. Bible Authority – Bible Origins
Origins of Modern Translations
Early copies are found pre-dating the ancient copies from which the Vulgate was translated in 1629 to 1947
Codex Alexandrinus (425 AD) discovered in 1629
Codex Sinaiticus (350 AD) discovered in early 1700’s near Sinai
Codex Vaticanus (325 AD) discovered in 1889
Dead Sea Scrolls (300 BC) discovered in 1947 14

15. Bible Authority – Bible Origins
Origins of Modern Translations
1382 John Wycliffe translates the Vulgate into English – the 1st English Bible
1522 Martin Luther translates the Bible into German
1525 William Tyndale translates the original Greek & Hebrew into English which becomes the basis for the KJV 15

16. Bible Authority – Bible Origins
Origins of Modern Translations
1539 The Great Bible or “Chained Bible” is placed in every church
1611 King James Version translated by 54 scholars using the Tyndale, Geneva, and original Greek & Hebrew (Textus Receptus or “majority text” established by Erasmus) 16

17. Bible Authority – Bible Origins
Origins of Modern Translations
1881 Revised version is made using the Codex Alexandrinus and KJV
1901 American Standard is modernized from the KJV after the release of the Codex Vaticanus and the Codex Alexandrinus
Based on the Dead Sea Scrolls, some additional newly discovered documents and the Codex version (“minority texts”), we have numerous modern translations and paraphrases 17

18. Bible Authority – Bible Origins18

19. Bible Authority – Bible Origins
Translations
Word-for-word – formal word definition between languages
Thought-for-thought – original intent maintained but not exact wording
Paraphrase
Thought is summarized or reworded based on author’s interpretation 19

20. Bible Authority – Bible Origins20

21. Bible Authority – Bible Origins
Why are there so many translations?
Language and words change
Understanding of ancient languages improves
Different purposes
KJV – to clarify differences for Protestants from earlier translations
NLT – easy to read modern version
AMP – add meaning to key words
NIV – modern translation to satisfy many denominations
Message – paraphrase the original language into modern common English 21

22. Bible Authority – Bible Origins
Which is best?
Trouble with some translations
Original Greek basis
Byzantine
Alexandrian
Nestle-Aland (mix) for which most modern translations are based
Determination of “reliability”
Influence of other teachings
Use and purpose 22

23. Bible Authority – Bible Origins
A small comparison
Matt 18:11
Eph 3:9
Mark 2:17
Acts 8:37
Rev 11:17
KJV
NLT
Amp
Message
NASB
CEV
NCV
11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
11 For the Son of man came to save [from the penalty of eternal death] that which was lost.
11 [”For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.]
11 The Son of Man came to save lost people.] 23

24. Bible Authority – Bible Origins
Denver’s recommendation
Memorize, study, rely on KJV, NKJV, or NASB
KJV is not perfect though
Get a thought-for-thought to help you study and for readability (NIV, NCV, CEV)
Just for reading (NLT, Message) 24

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