how-we-got-the-bible-2.pdf - WordPress.com

Sources: The Book God “Breathed” (Keith A. Mosher, Sr.), The Journey from Texts to Translations (Paul D. Wegner), A General Introduction to the Bible (Norman L. Geisler and William E. Nix), From God to Us (Norman L. Geisler and William E. Nix), The Eternal Kingdom (F. W. Mattox), Evidences for Christianity (Josh McDowell), Inspiration to Ink (Mike Wilson), A Handbook on Bible Translation (Terry M. Hightower, Ed.)

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I. IT ALL STARTS WITH INSPIRATION.

a. Is the Bible a HUMAN product, SUPERNATURAL product, or

BOTH?

i. The Bible was completed by REAL people living in a REAL world

THOUSANDS of years ago.

1. The authors of scripture came from a variety of backgrounds

including a FARMER (Amos), PRIESTS (Jeremiah and

Ezekiel), a STATESMAN (Daniel), FISHERMEN (Peter

and John), PROPHETS (Isaiah and Micah), a PHYSICIAN

(Luke), and a TAX COLLECTOR (Matthew).

2. The books were written in various countries: ISRAEL,

BABYLON, GREECE, ITALY, etc.

ii. There is some BENEFIT in comparing the Bible to other pieces of

ANCIENT literature (ex. ENUMA ELISH, EPIC OF

GILGAMESH, etc.).

iii. But, treating the Bible as only a HUMAN product denies what the

Bible says about ITSELF (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

1. You cannot ignore ancient NEAR EAST history,

GEOGRAPHY of the region, ancient pagan RELIGIONS

and CULTURE because the Bible does NOT ignore these

subjects.

2. The Bible, however, shows DIFFERENCES between GOD’S

people and ancient PAGAN peoples.

iv. Only the BIBLICAL religion has survived from that ancient period.

1. All of the OTHER religions from that area died out.


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2. The religions in existence today from that area are from the period

AFTER the Bible was completed (ex. ISLAM, 7th century

A.D.).

3. This shows the Bible must have come from a HIGHER source

than these others.

4. Human RELIGIONS and WRITINGS eventually fade away

yet the Bible CONTINUES.

5. Psalm 117:2; 119:89; Matthew 24:35; Hebrews 4:12; Isaiah 40:8; 1

Peter 1:23-25.

b. IMPORTANT terms as we begin.

i. The word, Bible, comes from BIBLOS, which is the outer coat of the

PAPYRUS reed of EGYPT around the ELEVENTH century

before Christ.

1. The plural of biblos is BIBLIA, which Christians began to apply

to sacred writings during the SECOND century after Christ.

2. Sheets of papyrus would be joined together to form SCROLLS.

3. These scrolls, however, could only get so large before becoming

awkward to use (ex. Isaiah scroll from Qumran—23 feet) so sheets

of papyrus began to be laid on top of one another and folded in the

middle forming a CODEX (book).

ii. The word, TESTAMENT, means AGREEMENT.

1. There is an OLD testament (Genesis-Malachi).

2. There is a NEW testament (Matthew-Revelation).

3. A better word for the word translated testament (Hebrew-berith,

Greek-diatheke) would be COVENANT.

a. Moses called the agreement with those who would follow

him a COVENANT (Deuteronomy 5:1-4).


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b. The OLD covenant is now fulfilled by the NEW

covenant (Hebrews 8:6-13).

iii. The Hebrew Bible was first divided into TWO parts (the LAW and the

PROPHETS) but was later divided into THREE parts:

1. TORAH (instruction) made up of FIVE books: GENESIS,

EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, and

DEUTERONOMY.

2. NEBHIM (prophets) made up of TWENTY books in our

English versions but EIGHT Hebrew scrolls.

a. The FORMER Prophets: JOSHUA, JUDGES,

SAMUEL, and KINGS.

b. The LATTER Prophets: ISAIAH, JEREMIAH,

EZEKIEL.

c. The TWELVE: HOSEA, JOEL, AMOS,

OBADIAH, JONAH, MICAH, NAHUM,

HABAKKUK, ZEPHANIAH, HAGGAI,

ZECHARIAH, MALACHI.

3. KETHUBHIM (writings) made up of ELEVEN scrolls:

PSALMS, JOB, PROVERBS (poetry), RUTH, SONG

OF SOLOMON, ECCLESIASTES, LAMENTATIONS,

ESTHER (the five scrolls), DANIEL, EZRA-

NEHEMIAH, and CHRONICLES (history).

4. Luke 24:44.

iv. Multiple Jewish writings were ADDED to the scriptures.

1. The MIDRASH (100 B.C.-A.D. 100): Jewish

COMMENTARY on the Old Testament.


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a. Would sometimes be found in the MARGIN of a text

and contained the THOUGHTS of the rabbi on that

verse.

b. Composed of the HALAKHAH (=the way) and the

HAGGADAH (=the how).

2. The TALMUD: Jewish TRADITIONS and

CEREMONY regulations.

a. The PALESTINIAN Talmud was later replaced by the

BABYLONIAN Talmud.

b. Composed of the MISHNAH (A.D. 200) which were

the TRADITIONS of the Jews and the GEMARA

(A.D. 425 [Palestinian] and A.D. 500 [Babylonian]) which

was the commentary on the Mishnah.

3. The TOSEFTA (A.D. 100-300) which contained more traditions

not given in the Mishnah.

4. What is the IMPORTANCE of these writings?

a. The TEXTUAL CRITIC can take all of these and see

what the ORIGINAL sentence said.

b. But, we do not use them today because they ADDED to

God’s Law which was forbidden (Deuteronomy 4:2).

v. Around 250 years before Christ (c. 250-150 B.C.) in

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt, the Hebrew Bible was translated for the first

time into the GREEK language—the SEPTUAGINT also called the

LXX (the SEVENTY) for the legend that SEVENTY scholars

produced it.

1. This arranged the Old Testament by subject matter and is the

BASIS for the modern arrangement of the Old Testament.


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2. JESUS knew about this VERSION for He is quoted as using it

(Luke 4:17-19; Isaiah 61:1-2).

3. Jesus’ use of a TRANSLATION shows that when one has the

original CORRECTLY translated, he HAS the Word of God,

the INSPIRED message.

4. The inspiration and authority of the Bible does NOT

automatically extend to EVERY copy and translation of the

Bible, only to the extent that the translation ACCURATELY

reproduces the autographs (originals) (ex. The NIV [New

International Version] translates flesh in the book of Romans to

sinful nature which is not an accurate translation and teaches

something not taught in scripture—inherited sin [Ezekiel 18:20]).

vi. The Old Testament books along with the New Testament are arranged

TOPICALLY.

1. The New Testament:

a. Matthew and Mark have their purpose in creating FAITH

in Jesus as the Christ.

b. Luke encourages REPENTANCE.

c. John defends Christ’s Deity which we must CONFESS to

be a Christian.

d. Acts emphasizes BAPTISM or CONVERSION.

e. Twenty-one books (Romans-Jude) teach how a Christian is

to remain FAITHFUL.

f. Revelation emphasizes the VICTORY for Christians.

g. The New Testament is arranged in the exact order as the

PLAN one must follow to be a Christian (Hebrews 5:8-9;

Revelation 2:10).

2. Christ is the THEME for BOTH Testaments:


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a. The law of Moses (Torah) lays a FOUNDATION for

the coming of Christ (Genesis 3:15; 49:10; Exodus 12;

Leviticus 16; Numbers 20; Deuteronomy 18; etc.).

b. The history books of the Old Testament show the

PREPARATION of Israel for the Messiah.

c. The poetic books show the ASPIRATION of man for

the Messiah (Job 19:25; Psalm 22, etc.).

d. The Old Testament prophets wrote of the

EXPECTATION of the Messiah (Isaiah 9:6-7; Jeremiah

31:31-33; etc.).

e. The gospel accounts (Matthew-John) contain the

MANIFESTATION of Messiah.

f. Acts is a history of the PROPAGATION of the church

and Christ’s message.

g. The 21 epistles are an INTERPRETATION of the life

of Christ and an APPLICATION to Christians.

h. Revelation shows the CONSUMMATION Christians

anticipate in Christ.

3. “The Old Testament is REVEALED in the New and the New

Testament is VEILED in the Old,” Augustine.

In the Old Testament Christ is: In the New Testament Christ is:

In SHADOW In SUBSTANCE

In PICTURES In PERSON

In TYPE In TRUTH

In RITUAL In REALITY

PROPHESIED PRESENT


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IMPLICITLY REVEALED EXPLICITLY REVEALED

vii. The message of the Bible is “GOD-BREATHED” (2 Timothy 3:16).

1. The Old Testament writers were “MOVED” to write (2 Peter

1:20-21).

a. The PERSONALITIES (Jeremiah 4:19-22) and LIFE

EXPERIENCES (Philippians 3::4-8) of the writers

combined with the work of the HOLY SPIRIT to create

scripture.

b. The process was like the effect of WIND in SAILS:

“The prophets raised their sails, so to speak (they were

obedient and receptive) and the Holy Spirit filled them and

carried their craft along in the direction He wished,”

Michael Green.

2. God used the WORDS the writer would already KNOW, but

the message would not be the writer’s but GOD’S.

3. God did not give the writers THOUGHTS and let them arrange

the message (1 Corinthians 2:13).

4. God INSPIRED, man WROTE.

5. The result of this process is the VERBAL (words),

PLENARY (ever word), INERRANT (errorless writings),

AUTHORITATIVE (the words ARE from God) Bible.

c. What is INSPIRATION?

i. God has SPOKEN to man in various ways (Hebrews 1:1-2).

ii. God speaking to man implies the existence of a Being who both LOVES

His created ones and intends to give them whatever they need to

ENTER His fellowship (1 John 1:1-4).


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iii. Why has God COMMUNICATED with man?

1. God spoke to man because God LOVES the world (John 3:16;

Romans 5:6-8; Matthew 5:45; 1 Timothy 4:10).

a. God created man because He desired beings to love Him

who could CHOOSE to love Him (Genesis 1:26-27).

b. Man REJECTED God (Genesis 3:1-15) but God’s love

provided for rejection (1 Peter 1:19-21).

c. The book of HOSEA pictures God’s love for man.

i. He was told to marry a woman whose mother was a

HARLOT (Hosea 1:1-2).

ii. His wife, GOMER, becomes a harlot herself and

leaves him (Hosea 2:1-5).

iii. She thinks she is on her own but Hosea has been

supplying her NEEDS (Hosea 2:6-8).

iv. This pictures God and ISRAEL who worshipped

idols but all the while God protected her (Hosea

2:9ff).

v. God loved her and pleaded for her RETURN;

His love went above Israel’s sins (Hosea 3:1; cf.

Romans 5:8).

2. God spoke to man because God recognized the DIGNITY of

man.

a. Psalm 8:5.

i. MAN was made a “little lower” than the angels:

Hebrew—MA-AV (little as to space, condition,

number, and time [geographically] and KAMER

((lower or diminished).


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ii. But was “crowned…with glory and honor”:

Hebrew—AHMAR [crowned] (ornament or

dignity), KABOD [glory] (respectable or

esteemed), HADAR [honor] (noble).

b. Man was created SINLESS but lost that state (cf.

Hebrews 2:9).

c. We were created in the IMAGE of God (Genesis 1:26-

27), it is recreated in CHRIST (Ephesians 4:24).

d. Christ lived as a SINLESS man to satisfy God’s

JUSTICE and can restore man to his previous state

(Hebrews 5:8-9).

e. All men might treat each other BETTER if they would

recognize this NOBILITY in each other.

i. John 13:34; Luke 6:31.

ii. If I say I RESPECT you but sent a drunk man to

represent myself to you, you would know I don’t

really respect you.

iii. How do I know God RESPECTS me? Look at the

CROSS.

3. God spoke to man because man needs to KNOW himself.

a. Jeremiah 10:23.

b. Man desires to know his ORIGIN, his PURPOSE, and

his DESTINY.

c. Without ANSWERS from GOD, what direction would

man have for life?

d. God does not want man to live without HOPE and

PURPOSE (Revelation 4:11; Isaiah 43:7; Psalm

119:105).


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4. God spoke to man because man needs to know God’s WILL.

a. I cannot know what you are THINKING unless you

TELL me.

i. God knew we could not know His WILL unless

He revealed it to us.

ii. The DEIST (one who believes God created

everything then left it to itself) denies this, the

ATHEIST says He does not exist, the

AGNOSTIC (one who says we cannot know

truth) says he does not know, but we are

THEISTS who believe God EXISTS and

COMMUNICATED His will to man.

b. Hebrews 10:10.

i. Without a knowledge of God’s will there could be

no entrance to HEAVEN for no one would be

SANCTIFIED (=set apart).

ii. John 8:31-32; 17:17.


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d. Old Testament claims of INSPIRATION.

i. God’s Word is supernaturally inspired which can be seen in its

INERRANCY, INFALLIBILITY, and

INDESTRUCTIBILITY (Matthew 24:35).

ii. What CLAIM for inspiration does the Bible make for itself?

iii. EACH book’s claim.

1. Genesis: God spoke directly to the HEAD of the family (Genesis

6:13 [NOAH]; 12:1 [ABRAHAM]; 26:2 [ISAAC]; 28:13

[JACOB]; 41:17 [JOSEPH]).

2. Exodus: God SPAKE all these words (Exodus 20:1; 32:16;

35:1).

3. Leviticus: God CALLED and SPAKE to Moses (Leviticus 1:1;

4:1; 5:14; 6:1, 8).

4. Numbers: FILLED with statements about God’s speaking

(Numbers 1:1; 20:12; etc.).

5. Deuteronomy: Do not ADD to or TAKE AWAY from the

words (Deuteronomy 4:2; 18:22; etc.).

6. Joshua: HEARD the Lord speak (Joshua 1:1; 3:7).

7. Judges: HEARD the Lord speak (Judges 1:2; 6:25).

8. Ruth: SHOWS God’s presence (Ruth 1:21; 4:13, etc.); also if

written by SAMUEL, we know he was inspired (1 Samuel 3:11).

9. 1 & 2 Samuel: SAMUEL was inspired (1 Samuel 3:11); DAVID

shows inspiration (2 Samuel 23:2 [author unknown of 2 Samuel]).

10. 1 & 2 Kings: The author (likely JEREMIAH or EZRA)

claims inspiration (1 Kings 9:2; 2 Kings 1:4).

11. 1 & 2 Chronicles: The author (likely EZRA) claims inspiration (1

Chronicles 11:3, 10; 2 Chronicles 36:21).


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12. Ezra & Nehemiah: Both record DEEDS and SAYINGS of God

in bringing the Israelites home from captivity (Ezra 1:1; Nehemiah

8).

13. Esther: No DIRECT claim but God’s PROVIDENCE is

clearly seen in protect the Israelites from the Persians.

14. Job: Claims DIRECT knowledge of God’s activities and records

a CONVERSATION with God (Job 1:6ff; 38:1ff).

15. Psalms: DAVID was inspired (2 Samuel 23:1-2).

16. Proverbs: SOLOMON was inspired (1 Kings 3:9ff).

17. Ecclesiastes: Claims KNOWLEDGE from God (Ecclesiastes

12:1, 12-13).

18. Song of Solomon: By IMPLICATION is said to be from God

(also Solomon being the author).

19. Isaiah-Malachi: FILLED with direct “thus saith the Lord”

statements.

iv. Explanations of books without DIRECT claims of inspiration.

1. Books with no direct claim, like Esther, are in a SECTION of the

Old Testament which claims inspiration.

a. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy have many

statements claiming inspiration (Exodus 32:16; Leviticus

1:1; Numbers 1:1; Deuteronomy 31:26) and make up the

Pentateuch with GENESIS which has no direct statement

of inspiration but is said to be a part of the Pentateuch

(Nehemiah 13:1; 2 Chronicles 35:12).

b. Many of the HISTORICAL books can be linked to the

“book of Moses” (cf. Joshua 1:8; Judges 3:4; 1 Samuel

12:6-9; 2 Chronicles 34:14; Ezra 6:18; Nehemiah 13:1;

Daniel 9:11-12).


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2. The reason the historical and poetic books lack a “thus saith the

Lord” is because these texts were written from MAN to GOD.

a. But, such books are still SCRIPTURE.

b. John 5:39.

i. Cf. Jeremiah 7:1-4.

ii. The Jews thought they would never be punished

because the TEMPLE was still there.

iii. Jesus told the Jews of His day NOT to think just

because they had the Old Testament scrolls they had

ETERNAL LIFE.

iv. They still believe this today: they will take out four

scrolls in the synagogue and all of the men will

touch them as they are walked by because that is

their connection to God.

1. This is the same as someone who has a

Bible on their coffee table because it makes

them feel closer to God yet they never open

it.

2. 1 Peter 4:11 (oracles=sayings of God; these

came by the prophets); 3:15.

3. If you believe this is the Word of God, you

should be willing to die for it.

3. The ANCIENT Jews accepted the books as from prophets or

men of God.

a. Jews would not consider a book’s being from GOD unless

they understood the writer was a PROPHET.

b. A prophet was a MAN OF GOD (1 Kings 12:22), a

SERVANT OF THE LORD (1 Kings 14:18), a

MESSENGER OF THE LORD (Isaiah 42:19), a


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SEER or BEHOLDER (Isaiah 30:9-10), a MAN OF

THE SPIRIT (Hosea 9:7; Micah 3:8), and a

WATCHMAN (Ezekiel 3:17).

c. A prophet was to TEACH the Word of God faithfully

(Amos 3:8).

d. The Hebrew word for prophet is NAVAH which meant

“to cause to BUBBLE up.”

e. The word which meant to “speak as a prophet” was passive

because the Hebrews beloved that a prophet was

MOVED by another (Jeremiah 1:9).

f. One form of the Hebrew word for prophet means to

“prophesy ABSOLUTELY” and was used to show the

prophet was infallible (Numbers 11:24-25).

g. A prophet was God’s MOUTHPIECE (Deuteronomy

18:18).

4. The ENTIRE Old Testament is considered to be a “prophetic

utterance.”

a. Exodus 34:27; Jeremiah 36:28; Isaiah 8:1.

b. The prophets were not only told what to SPEAK but also

what to WRITE which is why one adding to or taking

away from the Word of God is a LIAR (Proverbs 30:6).

v. New Testament REFERENCES to Old Testament inspiration.

1. New Testament writers referred to the Old Testament books as

SACRED or HOLY (2 Timothy 3:15; Romans 1:2).

2. Paul claimed the Old Testament scriptures were INSPIRED of

God (2 Timothy 3:16) and could be used in determining the

FAITH and PRACTICE of Christians (2 Timothy 3:17); their


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LAW was not in force, but their PRECEPTS were eternal

(Romans 15:4).

3. Explicit references to the Old Testament:

a. Matthew 21:42; Psalm 118:22-23.

b. Matthew 22:29-32; Exodus 3:6.

c. Luke 24:27, 44.

d. John 2:22; 2 Peter 3:2.

e. John 5:39.

f. John 10:34-35.

g. John 19:36; Exodus 12:46; Numbers 19:12; Psalm 34:20.

h. Matthew 1:21-23; Isaiah 7:14.

i. Acts 8:26-39; 17:2, 11; 18:28; Romans 1:2; 15:4.

j. Matthew 5:17-18; 19:4-5; 12:39-41.

k. Romans 3:2.

l. Matthew 7:12.

vi. Old Testament books AUTHORIZED by the New Testament.

1. Nearly EVERY Old Testament book is referenced in the New

Testament as authoritative.

2. The expression most often used to introduce them is “it is

WRITTEN” (Mark 14:21; Luke 18:31; John 1:45; etc.).

3. Genesis (Romans 4:3).

4. Exodus (1 Corinthians 5:7).

5. Leviticus (Mark 7:10).

6. Numbers (1 Corinthians 10:1-14).

7. Deuteronomy (Matthew 4:1-10).

8. Joshua (Hebrews 4).

9. Judges/Ruth (Hebrews 11:32).

10. 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings (Matthew 12:3-4; Romans 11:4).

11. 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah (Matthew 1; John 6:31).

12. Esther (Mark 6:23; Revelation 11:10; John 5:1).


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13. Job (1 Corinthians 3:19; James 5:11).

14. Psalms (Matthew 21:42; Hebrews 1:1-14).

15. Proverbs (James 4:6; Luke 14:24).

16. Ecclesiastes (Galatians 6:7).

17. Song of Solomon (John 4:10).

18. Prophets (Matthew 3:1-2; Acts 28:25; Luke 4:18-19; Romans 10;

Hebrews 8; 10; John 7:38-39; Matthew 24:15, 21, 30; Romans

1:17; etc.).

vii. Every Old Testament text was considered as SCRIPTURE from God as

they claim for themselves and by the New Testament writers.

1. If they were, as some believe, only “GOOD” men and not

inspired then they lied about being directed by God which would

make them not good.

2. Most of the Bible writers DIED for their faith which is not

consistent with one who lies.

viii. Some suggest that Jesus and the apostles were not AFFIRMING the

inspiration of the Old Testament but rather ACCOMMODATING

themselves to the accepted Jewish beliefs of the day so their teaching

would be accepted.

1. Jesus, however, showed no tendency towards

ACCOMMODATION: He chased the MONEY

CHANGERS from the temple (John 2:15), denounced

BLIND guides (Matthew 23:16) and FALSE prophets

(Matthew 7:15), and rebuked LEADING teachers (John 3:10).

2. Jesus rebuked those who held TRADITIONS rather than the

Word of God (Matthew 15:1-6).

3. Jesus was not afraid to say, “You are WRONG” (Matthew

22:29), but also, “You are RIGHT” (Luke 10:28).


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4. Jesus’ teaching on the DIVINE authority of the Old Testament

is uncompromising that you cannot reject it without rejecting Him.

5. If one does not accept the authority of the Old Testament as

SCRIPTURE, he denounces the INTEGRITY of Jesus.

6. The Old Testament CLAIMED inspiration for itself, and the

New Testament CONFIRMS that claim.

e. New Testament claims of INSPIRATION.

i. Jesus confirmed the books from GENESIS to MALACHI to be from

God (Luke 24:44) and promised His teachings would be also (Matthew

24:35).

ii. Jesus did not WRITE down His teachings but promised His

AMBASSADORS (APOSTLES) would be guided by the HOLY

SPIRIT (John 16:13; 2 Corinthians 4:7).

1. There was a promise of GUIDANCE even while Jesus was still

on Earth (Matthew 10:7, 19-20; Luke 12:11-12) and also extended

to SEVENTY special disciples (Luke 10:9, 16).

2. Jesus promised guidance for the writers to PREACH and

WRITE the New Testament after Jesus went back to Heaven

(John 14:25-26).

a. Comforter=PARAKLETOS.

i. A NEW comforter.

ii. Our Advocate (Comforter) is CHRIST.

iii. The apostles would have a Comforter LIKE the

One that left but He would be One not able to be

SEEN nor GRASPED.

b. This promise was NOT to us (John 13:14-16).


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c. The Holy Spirit could not be RECEIVED

(GRASPED) like the first Comforter, Christ in His

physical body, for He is a Spirit (John 14:16-17).

d. You could not have two DEITIES on Earth at the same

time (John 16:7). It was EXPEDIENT for Christ to

LEAVE because a PHYSICAL body could not go

everywhere with them like a SPIRIT could.

e. The Spirit would come on behalf of the other two members

of the GODHEAD (John 15:26).

f. John 16:7-14.

i. Jesus was giving them their last

INSTRUCTIONS because He was going to be

TAKEN from them.

1. They were SCARED because who would

TEACH them?

2. Jesus would send a COMFORTER just

like Him but He would be a Spirit that’s

could not be taken by force like Christ was.

3. The Father, Son, and Spirit DWELL in us

today (2 john 9-11; 1 John 4:15; 1

Corinthians 6:19); the question is HOW? It

cannot be LITERAL for we have already

seen you cannot have TWO members of the

Godhead on Earth at the same time (cf.

Galatians 4:19; Ephesians 3:16-17; Romans

10:17; cf. Colossians 1:27; 2 Timothy 3:16;

Hebrews 4:12; John 6:63; cf. Revelation 4-5

[The Spirit and Christ are now in HEAVEN


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with the Father, not on the earth]). They

dwell in us through the WORD (Ephesians

5:18-20; Colossians 3:16-17).

3. The apostles CONFIRMED they had been given ALL truth by

God (1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:3; 1 John 4:6; Hebrews 1:1-2;

Acts 2:42).

iii. The apostles claimed to CONTINUE Christ’s teaching.

1. The apostles were commanded to “make disciples of ALL

nations…teaching them to observe all I have commanded you”

(Matthew 28:19-20).

2. Luke claims to give an ACCURATE account of what “Jesus

began to do and teach” in his gospel account and implies that

ACTS records what Jesus continued to do and teach through the

APOSTLES (Acts 1:1; Luke 1:3-4).

3. The CHURCH is characterized as following the APOSTLE’S

teaching (Acts 2:42).

4. The New Testament church is built the foundation of the

APOSTLES and [New Testament] PROPHETS with their

teaching being centered on CHRIST (Ephesians 2:20; cf.

Ephesians 3:5) for no other FOUNDATION can any man lay

(1 Corinthians 3:9-11).

5. The WRITINGS of the apostles are as authoritative as their

ORAL teachings (2 Thessalonians 2:15).

iv. Each book’s CLAIM of inspiration.

1. Matthew (Matthew 1:22; 2:15, 17).

2. Mark (Mark 1:1-2).

3. Luke (Luke 1:1-4; cf. 1 Timothy 5:18; Luke 10:7).

4. John (John 20:30-31; 21:24).


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5. Acts (1:1, 8; Acts 2 [cf. Joel 2];cf. 1 Timothy 5:18).

6. Romans (Romans 1:1-3; 16:25-26).

7. 1 Corinthians (1 Corinthians 2:10-13; 14:37).

8. 2 Corinthians (2 Corinthians 1:1-2; cf. chapters 10-13 [defense of

his apostleship]).

9. Galatians (Galatians 1:12).

10. Ephesians (Ephesians 3:3-4).

11. Philippians (Philippians 1:2; 3:17; 4:9).

12. Colossians (Colossians 1:1; 1:25).

13. 1 Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 2:13; 4:15; 5:27).

14. 2 Thessalonians (2 Thessalonians 3:14).

15. 1 Timothy (1 Timothy 4:11, 13).

16. 2 Timothy (2 Timothy 1:13 [for both epistles]; 3:16; 4:1-2).

17. Titus (Titus 2:15).

18. Philemon (Philemon 3, 8-9).

19. Hebrews (Hebrews 1:2; 2:3-4; 13:22).

20. James (James 1:1).

21. 1 Peter (1 Peter 1:1; 5:1, 12).

22. 2 Peter (2 Peter 1:1, 3; 3:2).

23. 1 John (1 John 1:1; 4:1-2; 2:19; 5:12-13).

24. 2 John (2 John 5, 7, 9-11).

25. 3 John (3 John 9, 12).

26. Jude (Jude 3).

27. Revelation (Revelation 1:1, 10-11; 22:18-19).

v. Further statements in the New Testament claiming INSPIRATION

from God.

1. Hebrews 1:1-2.

a. The writer claims New Testament writings are to be

COMPARED to the inspired Old Testament writings.


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b. The writer of Hebrews claims insight into God’s plan of

REDEMPTION and calls his message “so great

SALVATION” (Hebrews 2:1-4).

2. 2 Peter 3:1-2.

a. Peter said the writings of the APOSTLES were on the

same level as the writings of the PROPHETS.

b. Peter was CERTAIN that what he taught was from God

(2 Peter 1:16-21).

3. 1 Corinthians 2:1-5.

a. Paul wanted to PROVE the message he preached was

from God and not men.

b. Paul did not speak in the ancient, accepted rhetorical style

but rather his VOICE shook and his knees

TREMBLED which showed there was NO power in

Paul.

c. ALL the power was from the Holy Spirit through

INSPIRATION (1 Corinthians 2:6-13).

d. Paul knew there is only ONE power of God leading to

salvation (Romans 1:16-17), that before the New Testament

message was revealed it was HIDDEN or a

MYSTERY (1 Corinthians 2:7-8), that not one EYE,

EAR, nor MIND had a complete knowledge of the

gospel message until it was revealed by God (1 Corinthians

2:9), and knew how the PLAN had been given to him and

the other inspired writers which was through the Holy

Spirit Who KNEW the mind of God (1 Corinthians 2:13,

10).


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e. This passage is often used to show a DIRECT operation

of the Holy Spirit is needed for sinners to obey God.

i. This passage is not about SALVATION but

INSPIRATION.

ii. The inspired message when completed would be

easily UNDERSTOOD without external

assistance form the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 3:1-5).

iii. The Corinthians FAITH could stand in the power

of God or the message they heard (verse 5); the

message was then REVEALED (verse 10); the

message was taught in WORDS (verse 13); the

message came from inspired men who had “the

MIND of Christ” (verse 16); these then heard the

word, believed, and were baptized (Acts 18:8).

4. 1 Corinthians 14:37.

a. Paul says here that what he knew about the TRUTH was

more important than their spiritual gifts which they had

used incorrectly (1 Corinthians 12-13).

b. The inspired writers were given MIRACULOUS

abilities in order to CONFIRM and ESTABLISH the

church of Christ on Earth (Ephesians 1:13-14) and this

EARNEST or DOWN-PAYMENT proved they knew

Truth (Mark 16:15-20), but when the PERFECT method

of written revelation came it took away the need for the

MIRACULOUS (1 Corinthians 13:8-13).

5. 2 Peter 3:15-16.

a. Cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:27; Colossians 4:16; Ephesians 1:1;

2:6.


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b. Peter had discussed the events surrounding the SECOND

COMING of Christ (2 Peter 3:10-14) and then added that

Paul had written concerning these matters also (1

Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15).

c. Peter claims MANY will distort these second-coming

messages to their own DESTRUCTION (verse 16), but

it is the UNSTABLE and UNLEARNED who do

so; Peter does not say he could NOT understand these

matters for he had just written about them.

d. Peter compares Paul’s writings to the other

SCRIPTURES (verse 16).

e. Peter began his discussion on inspiration in 2 Peter 3:2

where he compares his writings and the writings of the

other APOSTLES to the writings of the Old Testament

PROPHETS with the conclusion that his writings are

also SCRIPTURE.

vi. Further EVIDENCE that the New Testament is inspired.

1. Some of the New Testament writers were aware of FALSE

writings among the early church (Luke 1:1-4).

2. Bible writers warned others about TAMPERING with the text

which implied the message was not their own but God’s

(Revelation 22:18-19; cf. Deuteronomy 4:2; Proverbs 30:6).

a. The book of Revelation was originally directed to the seven

churches of Asia and was to be read ALOUD (Revelation

1:3-4).

b. This warning at the end of Revelation is against

WILLFUL distortion of the inspired message.


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c. Paul warned that no MAN nor even an ANGEL had the

authority to change the God-given message (Galatians 1:6-

9).

3. Jude started to write an ORDINARY letter but was interrupted

by the HOLY SPIRIT and directed to write on another subject

(Jude 3).

a. Jude “gave all diligence” (Greek, spoudeen, a thorough

thought process) to write of the COMMON salvation

held by all Christians, but found it “needful” (Greek,

anagkeen, necessity imposed by something or someone) to

write ANOTHER message.

b. Because God inspires ALL scripture (2 Timothy 3:16),

Jude’s change of subjects was completed by the Holy

Spirit.

c. Why the CHANGE?

i. Luke 1:1-4 and Revelation 22:18-19 show that

some had written UNINSPIRED accounts in

the EARLY years of Christianity and near the end

of the FIRST century a warning was given about

ALTERING prophecy.

ii. Jude instructed Christians to contend

“EARNESTLY,” that is to fight with ALL

one’s might, to defend “THE faith” or body of

truth (the New Testament) that was ONCE (Greek,

hapax, once for all time) delivered to the saints.

iii. There would be no need for a CHARGE by the

Holy Spirit to change subjects unless the “body of

truth” is God’s Word.


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iv. Jude, and the other New Testament writers, knew

when they were writing their OWN thoughts and

when they were writing DIVINE messages.

v. We all carry the same OBLIGATION to defend

the COMMON faith (Philippians 1:7, 17).

4. New Testament inspiration was confirmed by the

MIRACULOUS.

a. Hebrews 2:2-4; Mark 16:19-20; 1 Corinthians 13:8-13;

John 20:30-31.

b. The miraculous did not MAKE the message God’s Word

but the words, which were already God’s, were

CONFIRMED by the miracles.

c. The ABSENCE of these signs today shows that the

message is COMPLETE and needs no additions which

means that God no longer wills to allow SIGNS.

d. Those that SEEK or COUNTERFEIT such signs

today are an “EVIL and ADULTEROUS generation”

(Matthew 12:39) for these signs were only given UNTIL

the faith was once delivered (Ephesians 4:8-15).

e. Those that believe in the miraculous today, like tongue

speaking, say it is a SHOW of true faith, but the Bible

teaches that the miraculous, like tongue speaking, was a

sign to the UNBELIEVING not BELIEVERS (1

Corinthians 14:22).

5. The New Testament writers knew they had a LAW that was

COMPLETE (James 1:25; Galatians 6:2; Romans 8:2; Romans

13:10; 1 Corinthians 9:21; Romans 3:27; James 2:12; 2 Peter 1:3).


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6. Paul connected the INSPIRED Old Testament scriptures to the

INSPIRED New Testament scriptures.

a. 1 Timothy 5:18; Deuteronomy 25:4; Luke 10:7.

b. Paul also required others to OBEY what he wrote (2

Thessalonians 3:14).

c. Paul’s writings, as scripture, were to be CIRCULATED

among Christians (Colossians 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:27).

7. New Testament writers instructed EVANGELISTS to preach

their apostolic teaching “with all AUTHORITY” (1 Timothy

4:11; 2 Timothy 4:2; Titus 2:15).

vii. A commonly brought up “PROBLEM” that not all of the New

Testament is inspired.

1. 1 Corinthians 7:10-12.

2. Paul seems to write that the Lord gave him NO command about a

situation of marriage so Paul instead forms his own OPINION

which some say is not authoritative.

3. Paul is writing in the same context that “he COMMANDS,”

which is the LORD’S command (verse 10).

4. Paul was already aware of the Lord’s TEACHING while on the

earth (verse 10).

5. But, as to another situation Paul must COMMAND because

Jesus had not spoken EXPLICITLY about such a case while on

the earth (verse 12).

6. Paul adds that he has “the spirit of GOD” (1 Corinthians 7:40) and

that his writings are the LORD’S commands (1 Corinthians

14:37).

7. Even if Paul wrote his “OPINION,” his opinion would also be

INSPIRED (cf. 1 Corinthians 7:25).


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8. There is no greater ADVICE than inspired ADVICE!

f. Supporting claims of inspiration in the EARLY church.

i. The EARLY church “fathers” (men who knew the apostles or knew

people who knew them thus receiving their teaching in this direct manner).

1. CLEMENT of Rome in his Epistle to the Corinthians (c. 95-97

A.D.), calls Matthew, Mark, and Luke scripture and uses the

phrases “God saith” and “it is written” to designate passages from

the New Testament.

2. IGNATIUS of Antioch (d. c. 110 A.D.) wrote seven epistles in

which he made many references to New Testament scriptures.

3. POLYCARP (c. 115-156 A.D.), a disciple of the apostle John,

made many quotations from New Testament books in his Epistle to

the Philippians and sometimes introduced them with expressions

like “the scriptures saith.”

4. PAPIAS (c. 125-150 A.D.) includes the New Testament in a

book entitled Exposition of the Oracles of the Lord.

5. The EPISTLE OF BARNABAS (c. 130-135 A.D.) [not

written by the Barnabas who traveled with Paul but someone

placing a well known name on their own work] answers the

Judaizers who said the Mosaic law was still in force and uses

scripture though it misuses those scriptures.

6. The DIDACHE (c. 130-150 A.D.), or Teaching of the Twelve,

records many loose quotations of the New Testament.

7. The SHEPHERD OF HERMAS (c. 140-150 A.D.) was

written in the apocalyptic style, like Revelation, and contains many

references to the New Testament.

8. The EPISTLE TO DIOGNETUS (c. 150 A.D.) makes many

allusions to the New Testament.

ii. The LATER church “fathers” or APOLOGISTS.


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1. QUADRATUS (c. 125-129 A.D.) was one of the first to write

a defense of Christianity and though none of the copies of his

work, Apology of Quadratus, have survived, Eusebius quotes one

selection as follows, “But the works of our Saviour were always

present, for they were genuine; those who had been cured, those

who had risen from the dead, who were seen not only when they

were cured and raised, but on all occasions when they were

present; and not only while the Saviour was on earth, but also after

his departure, they were alive for some time, so that some of them

lived even to our day.”

2. ARISTIDES (c. 138-147 A.D.) referred to the four gospel

accounts, Acts, Romans, and 1 Peter in his apology.

3. JUSTIN MARTYR (c. 103-165 A.D.) regraded the gospel

accounts as “the voice of God” (Apology 1:65).

4. TATIAN (c. 125-200 A.D.), a disciple of Justin, quotes John 1:5

as “scripture” in chapter 13 of his Apology.

5. MELITO (c. 169-190 A.D.) defended Christianity as the final

revelation of God to man which had been fore-shadowed in the

Old Testament.

6. ATHENAGORAS (c. 177-180 A.D.) wrote a treatise, “On the

Resurrection of the Dead,” which set forth reasons for believing in

the resurrection and stated that the resurrection of the dead was not

only a reality but a necessity.

7. THEOPHILUS (c. 190 A.D.) quoted freely from both the Old

and New Testaments and said they were both “inspired by one

spirit of God.”

8. IRENAEUS (c. 130-200 A.D.) in his Against Heresies wrote,

“For the Lord of all gave the power of the Gospel to his apostles,

through whom we have come to know the truth…This Gospel they

preached. Afterwards, by the will of God, they handed it down to


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us in the Scriptures, to be ‘the pillar and ground’ of our faith” (5.

67).

9. CLEMENT of Alexandria (c. 150-215 A.D.) classed both

Testaments as equally divine in his Stromata in stating, “the

Scriptures…in the Law, in the Prophets, and besides by the blessed

Gospel…are valid from their omnipotent authority” (2. 408-409).

10. TERTULLIAN (c. 155-223 A.D.) stated the four gospel accounts,

“are reared on the certain basis of Apostolical authority, and so are

inspired in a far different sense from the writings of the spiritual

Christian” (Wescott, An Introduction to the Study of the Gospels).

11. HIPPOLYTUS (c. 170-236 A.D.), a disciple of Irenaeus, stated

in his de Antichristo about the New Testament writers, “These

blessed men…having been perfected by the Spirit of prophecy are

worthily honored by the Word Himself, were brought to an inner

harmony,…like instruments, and having the Word within them, as

it were, to strike the notes…by Him they were moved, and

announced that which God wished. For they did not speak of their

own power;…they spake that which was [revealed] to them alone

by God.”

12. ORIGEN (c. 185-254 A.D.), a teacher in Alexandria, Egypt, held

in his De Principiis that, “the Spirit inspired each one of the saints,

whether prophets or apostles; and there was not one Spirit in the

men of the old dispensation, and another in those who were

inspired at the advent of Christ” for in its entirety, “the Scriptures

were written by the Spirit” (16:6).

13. CYPRIAN (c. 200-258 A.D.) affirmed the inspiration of the

New Testament calling it “Divine Scripture.”

14. EUSEBIUS of Caesarea (c. 265-340 A.D.), noted as a church

historian, catalogued the inspired books of both testaments in his

Ecclesiastical History.


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15. ATHANASIUS of Alexandria (c. 295-373 A.D.) first used the

word canon, which we will discuss later, of the New Testament

books.

16. CYRIL of Jerusalem (c. 315-316 A.D.) spoke of “the divinely

inspired Scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments” after

listing the 22 books of the Hebrew Scriptures and 26 of the New

Testament [leaving out Revelation] and adds, “Learn also

diligently, and from the Church [Catholic Church], what are the

books of the Old Testament, and what are those of the New. And,

pray, read none of the apocryphal writings” (Of the Divine

Scriptures).

17. Lous Gaussen stated the following with regard to the defense of

the inspiration of the Bible in the early centuries, “With the single

exception of Theodore of Mopsuesia [c. 400],…it has been found

impossible to produce, in the long course of the eight first centuries

of Christianity, a single doctor who has disowned the plenary

inspiration of the Scriptures, unless it be in the bosom of the most

violent heresies that have tormented the Christian Church”

(Theopneustia: The Plenary Inspiration of the Holy Scriptures).


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II. THE CONCEPT OF CANON.

a. Canon (Old Testament—kaneh; New Testament—kanon) is not a well

UNDERSTOOD word.

i. James Sanders wrote in the Journey of Biblical Literature that, “Modern

translators are doing what ancient copyists feared the most—changing the

underlying message.”

ii. If Satan can do this, then there will be no TRUTH.

iii. When we think about canonicity, we need to think about

SACREDNESS.

1. Amos 7:7–the word “plumbline” is anak which means a RULE

or BOUNDARY.

2. An expression arose among the Jews about the SACRED scrolls

of scripture; hey were called “those that DEFILE the hands.”

a. They felt such AWE for the scriptures that they felt

DIRTY (cf. Isaiah 6:5).

b. This Jewish proverb could have arisen from the commands

of Moses concerning WASHING OF HANDS

(Leviticus 6:24-30; 16:23-24).

c. Holy things like the canonical books made the hands

ceremonially UNCLEAN.

d. Other “religious” books on the other hand did not make the

hands unclean and therefore were not part of the

CANON of scripture (ex. The writings of Homer, the

apocryphal books, etc.).

e. The Jews considered their “Bibles” as HOLY ground (cf.

Exodus 3:5).

3. The Jews considered the books of the canon to be

AUTHORITATIVE, from GOD, and HOLY.


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b. There are FIVE principles for determining canonicity:

i. Does the book CLAIM inspiration and does it have the IMPRINT of

the authority of God (2 Samuel 23:2)?

ii. Did a PROPHET write it, and APOSTLE (NT), or one who

KNEW and apostle (NT) (2 Peter 1:20-21; 3:2)?

iii. Is it ACCURATE historically, geographically, and scientifically (cf.

Titus 1:2)?

iv. Is it life TRANSFORMING or DYNAMIC in nature (Hebrews

4:12; 2 Timothy 3:17)?

v. Did the people who originally received it ACCEPT it as God’s Word (1

Thessalonians 2:13)?

c. Some INCORRECT views on determining canonicity:

i. The view that AGE determines canonicity.

1. Many old books were not accepted in the canon like the book of

JASHER (Joshua 10:13) and the book of the WARS OF

THE LORD (Numbers 21:14).

2. Books were received into the canon IMMEDIATELY, not

after they had aged (Deuteronomy 31:24-26; Daniel 9:2; 2 Peter

3:15-16).

ii. The view that HEBREW language determines canonicity.

1. Not all books WRITTEN in the Hebrew language were

accepted (ex. Joshua 10:13).

2. There are sections of books in the canon NOT written in Hebrew

but in Aramaic (Daniel 2:4b-7:28; Ezra 4:8-6:18; 7:12-26).

iii. The view that agreement with the TORAH determines canonicity.

1. The Torah did not determine the canonicity of everything after it;

rather, the same factor that determined the Torah’s canonicity

determined the canonicity of all scripture—INSPIRATION.


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2. Many other books which agreed with the Torah were not accepted

as INSPIRED (ex. Talmud and Midrash).

iv. The view that religious VALUE determines canonicity.

1. Much Jewish and Christian LITERATURE has religious value

but is not a part of the canon (ex. Apocryphal books,

commentaries, etc.).

2. “It is not religious value that DETERMINES canonicity but

canonicity that DETERMINES the religious value” (From

God to Us 66).

3. Put another way, “it is not the VALUE of a book which

determines its divine AUTHORITY; it is the divine

AUTHORITY which determines its VALUE” (From God to

Us 66).

d. There are THREE steps in developing canon:

i. Inspiration—God DETERMINES it (2 Samuel 23:2).

ii. Man RECOGNIZES it (1 Corinthians 14:37; 2 Peter 3:2).

iii. We COLLECT it (Colossians 4:16) and God PRESERVES it

(Matthew 24:35).

1. The CATHOLIC church says they gave us the Bible.

2. Luke 8:11–the biblical view of canon is that the message was

REVEALED by God and only DISCOVERED by God’s

people.

3. The message was PRESERVED by God and must be accepted

by men or they will be eternally condemned (John 12:48).

4. God “MAGNIFIED his word above his name” (Psalm 138:2);

if man determined the Word, he is placed ABOVE God.

5. “A book is not the Word of God because it is accepted by the

people of God. Rather, it was accepted by the people of God


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because it is the Word of God. That is, God gives the book its

divine authority, not the people of God. They merely recognize the

divine authority which God gives to it” (A General Introduction to

the Bible 210).

The Incorrect View The Correct View

The Church is the Determiner of Canon. The Church is the Discoverer of Canon.

The Church is the Mother of Canon. The Church is Child of Canon.

The Church is the Magistrate of Canon. The Church is Minister of Canon.

The Church is Regulator of Canon. The Church is Recognizer of Canon.

The Church is Judge of Canon. The Church is Witness of Canon.

The Church is Master of Canon. The Church is Servant of Canon.

e. The term: CANON.

i. The term, canon, has its historical roots (=etymology) in SEMITIC

(Arabic and Hebrew), GREEK, and SUMERIAN languages.

ii. The ancient Hebrew word, kaneh, meant REED.

1. Reeds grew in abundance along Near-Eastern water sources and

were used as MEASURING rods.

2. Therefore, the etymological progression from REED to

MEASURE occurred for kaneh.

iii. Paul, writing in Greek, used the word kanon FIVE times.

1. 2 Corinthians 10:13-16; Galatians 6:16; Philippians 3:16.

2. Paul was aware of a PATTERN or consistent canon (rule) for

Christians.

3. If one did not possess all of God’s Word, he would be hard-pressed

to follow the SAME rule.


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iv. The ENGLISH term, canon, has come to mean rule, concept, index, list,

boundary, and church law.

v. One speaking of a “canon of scripture” is discussing the LIMITS of and

ACCEPTED list of books known to have been inspired of God.

vi. Ezekiel 40:3.

1. God intended Ezekiel to see whether the new temple (the church of

Christ, Matthew 16:18) “MEASURED UP” to divine

standards.

2. The use of a MEASURING reed is the central idea in canon.

3. A study of canon, then, will aid the Bible student to know whether

the existing books of the Bible “MEASURE UP” to heaven’s

standard for the scripture that “cannot be broken” (John 10:35).

f. Canonicity requires AUTHORITY.

i. Matthew 23:35–Jesus OPENS and CLOSES the canon, from Genesis to

the Minor Prophets, no more no less.

1. Deuteronomy 10:4-5–These were SACRED writings written by

God so put them in the ARK.

2. Deuteronomy 31:24-26–Moses put his OWN writings in the ark,

so what is the difference between the two writings? NOTHING!

3. Joshua 1:7-8.

a. How would he do this? He had the SCROLLS.

b. What did God want Joshua to do? Know what Moses

WROTE.

4. 1 Samuel 10:25–Samuel KNEW what he was writing.

5. 1 Kings 2:3–Solomon knew of the ENTIRE existing canon of

his day.

6. 2 Kings 14:6.

a. JOASH knew about the canon.


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b. Who had commanded? The LORD.

c. Where were the scrolls? In the ARK.

7. 1 Chronicles 29:29 (David).

a. Where are these other BOOKS?

b. Nathan and Gad’s writings were just HISTORICAL.

8. 2 Chronicles 9:29 (Solomon).

a. Why do we NOT have these books?

b. They were RELIGIOUS but not in the canon.

9. 2 Chronicles 12:15 (Rehoboam)—WHERE is this book?

10. 2 Chronicles 13:22 (Abijah)—Now it is just a STORY.

11. 2 Chronicles 20:34 (Jehoshaphat)—We do not have the book of

JEHU but do have the book of the KINGS.

12. 2 Chronicles 32:32 (Hezekiah).

a. Isaiah 36-39–We KNOW this inspired writing.

b. We also know the inspired writing of the book of the

KINGS.

13. 2 Chronicles 35:27 (Josiah)—This has to be for ANY inspired

book then.

14. Jeremiah 36:32.

a. Not only were they aware of the books out there but the

inspired scrolls were COLLECTED as they were written.

b. The AUTOGRAPH was burned so he wrote another

one.

15. Daniel 9:2–Jeremiah’s scroll was still around in Daniel’s DAY.

16. Zechariah 1:4-6.

a. Who cried this? The FORMER prophets which would

include Jeremiah, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, and 1 & 2 Kings.

b. Where were these writings? In the ARK.


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c. The fathers and prophets were GONE so how would they

know?

i. From the WRITINGS.

ii. Romans 15:4–The writings were written for their

LEARNING too.

ii. Authority of the CANON.

1. The PROPHETS declared their messages to be from God

(Isaiah 1:1-2; Jeremiah 1:9; Ezekiel 1:3; Daniel 2:30; etc.).

2. The APOSTLES were the authorities of the early church (Acts

1:22-23; Ephesians 2:20; John 17:20-21; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20).

g. DEVELOPMENT of the canon.

i. The message was written on SCROLLS (Deuteronomy 31:26).

1. Even he Psalmist knew that the law was written on SCROLLS

(Psalm 40:7-8).

2. The scroll or ROLL was the standard form in which the scriptures

were preserved in Old Testament times (cf. Jeremiah 36:2; Ezekiel

2:9-3:2; Zechariah 5:1-2).

ii. What did a scroll LOOK like?

1. Ex. Dead Sea scrolls.

2. The Dead Sea scrolls were uncovered by an Arab boy, Mohammed

Adiv, in 1947.


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a. Some of the scrolls are PARCHMENT which is

carefully prepared leather sewn together and meticulously

scraped.

b. The Isaiah scroll consists of SEVENTEEN pieces of

leather sewn together to make a roll TWENTY-FOUR

feet long.

c. Scribes writing on parchment used a PENKNIFE to

mark both horizontal and vertical lines on the leather as

guides to ensure NEATNESS (cf. Jeremiah 36:23).

3. Moses and the early writers, however, likely used PAPYRUS.

a. This material was used as early as 3000 B.C. in Egypt and

2100 B.C. in Phoenicia.

b. A papyrus scroll was made by splitting the papyrus

REEDS lengthwise and placing them on top of one

another at right angles.

c. The natural GUM of the papyrus served as a glue for the

crossed strips of each section and for the number of

sections joined to make a scroll.

4. Hebrew scribes, like Moses, wrote only on the INSIDE of a

scroll using the horizontal stripes as guidelines (cf. Ezekiel 2:10).

a. One roll known as the Hamris papyris is 120 feet long.

b. Scrolls longer than 30 feet were difficult to make and

handle.


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5. Writing MATERIALS.

a. CLAY.

i. This was used in ancient Sumer (located in

Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates

Rivers, where Abraham was originally from) as

early as 3500 B.C.

ii. Clay is likely referred to in Jeremiah 17:13 and

Ezekiel 4:1.

iii. Clay would be inscribed while SOFT then

DRIED in the sun or in an oven to make a

permanent record.

b. STONE.

i. This was used in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and

Palestine, as is evidenced by the CODE of

Hammurabi, the ROSETTA Stone, and the

MOABITE Stone.

ii. The BIBLICAL writers also made use of stone as

a writing material (cf.Exodus 24:12; 31:18; 34:1,

28; Deuteronomy 27:2-3; Joshua 8:31-32).


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c. PAPYRUS.

i. This was used in ancient Gebal/Byblos (an ancient

Phoenician city) and Egypt around 3100 B.C.

ii. Papyrus sheets were GLUED together to form

SCROLLS.

d. VELLUM, PARCHMENT, LEATHER.

i. These are various qualities of writing material made

from ANIMAL SKINS.

1. Vellum—CALF or ANTELOPE.

2. Parchment—SHEEP or GOAT.

3. Leather—COW or BULL.

ii. Vellum and leather are not DIRECTLY

mentioned in scripture but we know they were used

from scrolls that have been found.

iii. It is likely the scroll of JEREMIAH was written

on leather for the king had to use a penknife to cut it

(Jeremiah 36:23).

iv. Parchments are directly mentioned by PAUL to

Timothy (2 Timothy 4:13).

e. OTHER writing materials.

i. METAL (Exodus

28:36; Job 19:24;

Matthew 22:19-21;

silver scrolls

[Numbers 6:22-27]).

ii. Writing BOARD

and WAX (Isaiah

30:8; Habakkuk 2:2; Luke 1:63).


41

iii. Precious STONES (Exodus 28:9-11; 39:8-14).

iv. POTSHERDS (cf. Job 2:8) also known as

OSTRACA (s. ostracon) have been found which

confirm biblical accounts (ex. Hebrew ostraca

during the reign of Ahab).

6. Writing INSTRUMENTS.

a. STYLUS—a three-sided instrument with a sloping edge

used to write upon clay and wax tablets, also called a “pen”

(Jeremiah 17:1).

b. CHISEL—used to make inscriptions in stone (Joshua

8:31-32; cf. Job 19:24).

c. PEN—used to write upon papyrus, vellum, parchment,

and leather (3 John 13).

d. PENKNIFE—used to sharpen a writer’s pen (cf.

Jeremiah 36:23).


42

e. INKHORN and INK—necessary compliments of the

pen serving as the container and fluid for writing on

papyrus, vellum, parchment, and leather.

i. The INK came from the SOOT of an olive oil

lamp and the point of the reed, sharpened and split

with a penknife, would be dipped in the LAMP

BLACK nearly for every letter.

ii. The durability of lamp-black papyrus is seen from

the Dead Sea scrolls and even earlier from the

Lachish letters which date to 1800 B.C.

7. The idea of a book or CODEX did not appear until the FIRST

century A.D.


43

8. LANGUAGES used in the Bible.

a. Why did God choose WRITTEN languages?

i. God could have continued to speak with men as He

did INITIALLY in biblical times (cf. Hebrews

1:1).

1. Through the AUDIBLE voice of God.

a. Genesis 3:8ff; 6:13; 12:1; etc.

b. This way was good for ONE man

on a SPECIFIC occasion.

c. God did speak to the nations through

the PATRIARCHS but many of

those nations left God.

2. Through ANGELS.

a. Genesis 22; Matthew 1; Revelation.

b. This was a SPECIAL revelation

that was not PERMANENT in

the short memories of humans.

3. Through VISIONS and DREAMS.

a. Genesis 41; Daniel 7.

b. Though these could be

POWERFUL, they were more

PERSONAL and could wear off

and be forgotten.

4. Through the URIM and THUMMIM.

a. Exodus 28:30; 1 Samuel 28:6.

b. Little is known about these but

apparently their scope was


44

LIMITED to simple responses (cf.

Numbers 27:18-21).

5. Through LOTS.

a. Proverbs 16:33; Acts 1:26.

b. Like the Urim and Thummim, the

scope of lots was LIMITED to

simple responses.

6. Through CREATION.

a. Psalm 19:1-6; Romans 1:20.

b. Though God has clearly revealed

Himself in His creation, this manner

of communication has been

CORRUPTED by man (Romans

1:21-25 [ex. Evolution today]).

7. Through direct MIRACLES.

a. Judges 6:36-40; 1 Kings 17:17-24;

etc.

b. Though this communication was

powerful and CONFIRMED a

messenger was from God (1 Kings

17:24), this form was good for a

SPECIFIC purpose and would be

forgotten over time (ex. Children of

Israel in the wilderness).

ii. God instead chose to use a WRITTEN record of

all of these types of communication.

1. It would be PRECISE.

a. Writing requires precision to be

EXPRESSED.


45

b. Ex. You learn better when you

WRITE something down.

c. Because of precision of words in

writing, what God wanted

communicated to man is

SPECIFIC meaning we can all

INTERPRET the Bible the same

way.

2. It would be easily SPREAD.

a. It is much easier to make COPIES

of a written record than a spoken

one.

b. A written record provides a much

more ACCURATE reproduction

than an oral tradition.

i. One can see how easily a

message is CORRUPTED

when spread only by oral

means in the simple

“telephone game.”

ii. Cf. John 21:20-23.

c. Written documents could be

PASSED among the brethren

(Colossians 4:16) especially when

inventions such as the moveable type

in the 15th century and the internet in

the 20th century became available.

3. It would be PRESERVED.


46

a. Memories or oral traditions can be

easily FORGOTTEN or

CHANGED.

b. Ex. Without a written record our

LAWS would be open to the

person’s “remembrance” of that law.

c. Preservation in a written record

ensures the lessons and blessings are

AVAILABLE to us.

b. The languages God chose to use for the Old and New

Testaments had a PURPOSE in the revealing of His will

(cf. Ephesians 1:11; Galatians 4:4).

c. The LANGUAGES used in the Bible.

i. MINOR languages.

1. ARAMAIC.

a. This language was the

NORTHERN division of

language of the SEMITIC

(descendants of Shem, Noah’s son)

group.

b. This language appears in all three

sections of the Old Testament either

in WRITING (language of the

court) or PLACE names (Genesis

31:47; Ezra 4:7-6:1; 7:12-26; Daniel

2:4-7:28).

c. This was the language SPOKEN

by Jesus and His disciples (Mark

5:41; Matthew 27:46).


47

2. LATIN.

a. This language is used only in the

NEW Testament.

i. The term, Latin, is used only

TWICE (Luke 23:38; John

19:20).

ii. Latin is used in PROPER

names in the New Testament

(Aquila, Cornelius, Agrippa,

Felix, etc.), in

COMMERCIAL terms

(ex. Penny/denarion

[Matthew 22:19]), and in

OFFICIAL terms (ex.

Centurion [Matthew 8:5];

legion [Mark 5:15];

Praetorium [Mark 15:16]).

b. Because PALESTINE was a part

of Rome, we would expect the New

Testament to include this language.

ii. MAJOR languages.

1. HEBREW.

a. This language makes up the bulk of

the OLD Testament.

b. The Old Testament is mainly a

BIOGRAPHY of God’s people

and God’s DEALINGS with

them.


48

c. Because of this, God chose to use the

Hebrew language for TWO main

reasons.

d. It is a PICTORIAL language.

i. The Hebrew language uses

VIVID metaphors that

dramatize the story (ex.

Amos 1-2) which create

PICTURES of the events

narrated making them easier

to MEMORIZE.

ii. As a pictorial language,

Hebrew creates a vivid

picture of the acts of God

among a people who became

EXAMPLES for future

generations (cf. 1 Corinthians

10:11).

e. It is a PERSONAL language.

i. This language speaks to the

HEART and

EMOTIONS rather than

just the mind or reason.

ii. The Hebrew language

appeals to the REALITIES

of life rather than the

theoretical or philosophical

(ex. Joseph, Job, David,

Solomon, etc.).


49

2. GREEK.

a. The New Testament was written in

KOINE (=common) Greek.

b. The New Testament is the

INTERPRETATION and

REVELATION of Christ.

c. Because of this, God chose to use the

Greek language for TWO main

reasons.

d. It is an INTELLECTUAL

language.

i. Whereas Hebrew was more a

language of the HEART,

Greek was a language of the

MIND.

ii. It was a language that could

take a revelation from God

and put it into simple

COMMUNICABLE

form.

iii. Greek was much more useful

in expressing the

LOGICAL truth of the New

Testament (ex. Galatians).

iv. Greek possessed more

PRECISION than the

Hebrew language allowing

theological truths generally

expressed in the Old


50

Testament to be precisely

expressed in the New (Ex.

Romans/Hebrews).

e. It is a UNIVERSAL language.

i. The message of the gospel

was to be spread to ALL

nations (Matthew 28:18-20;

Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47;

John 20:21-23; Acts 1:8).

ii. God would then choose the

language most WIDELY

used throughout the world

which would be Greek.

h. Books that are DISPUTED or REJECTED.

i. The OLD Testament.

1. The Bible was COLLECTED as it was written (Deuteronomy

31).

2. 34 of the 39 Old Testament books have NEVER been

questioned as to their canonicity.

a. These are called HOMOLOGOUMENA (=one-word

messages) or the books agree upon by all in all times.

b. The five books not always found in agreement among the

Jews are called ANTILOGOUMENA, but were

originally accepted and only later disputed.

i. SONG OF SOLOMON.

1. This was spoken against because of its

SENSUALITY.

2. The rabbinical school of Shammai (50 B.C.-

A.D. 30) QUESTIONED the text but the


51

book had not been doubted since it was

defended by Rabbi Akiba at the council of

Jamnia (A.D. 90).

3. This book is God’s great treasure on

MARRIED love.

ii. ECCLESIASTES.

1. This book has been disputed because of

suggested AGNOSTICISM (truth about

God is unknown or unknowable).

2. This comes from a misunderstanding of the

book’s purpose—Solomon is discussing

matters “under the sun” and actually comes

to a SPIRITUAL conclusion

(Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

iii. ESTHER.

1. This book has been disputed simply because

it does not mention GOD’S NAME.

2. Some suggest God is not mentioned because

the Jews were in Persian CAPTIVITY

but God’s name is mentioned in other books

of the same period (ex. Ezra).

3. The leading attacker on its canonicity was

MARTIN LUTHER who attacked all

books that did not fit his “faith only”

theology.

4. The book begins with the word “AND”

which connects it to the other books of the

Bible.


52

5. This is known as the COLOPHON

PRINCIPLE which is the connection of

one Bible book to another by a footnote or

statement (Ex. Deuteronomy 34 and Joshua

1:1; Judges and Ruth 1:1; 2 Chronicles

36:22-23 and Ezra 1:1-3).

iv. EZEKIEL.

1. This book was also called into question by

Shammai.because he insisted Ezekiel’s

teachings were “ANTI-MOSAICAL.”

2. Shammai claimed Ezekiel was introducing a

difference between Levite and priest

contrary to Moses’ teaching (Ezekiel 40ff)

but really was foreshadowing the

CHURCH OF CHRIST as different

from the ancient priesthood.

3. Ezekiel was rebuking Israel for allowing the

uncircumcised to serve as priests and

prophesying of a NEW priesthood to come

(Ezekiel 44; 1 Peter 2:5, 9).

v. PROVERBS.

1. This book is disputed because of an alleged

CONTRADICTION in Proverbs 26:4

and 26:5.

2. This shows a misunderstanding of what a

PROVERB is rather than a mistake in the

Bible.


53

a. A proverb is not a statement that

covers EVERY situation (ex.

Proverbs 22:6).

b. These proverbs teach that there are

times when a “fool” SHOULD be

answered, but at other times he

SHOULD NOT.

c. This happens in ENGLISH

proverbs also: for example, one

should “look before he leaps” but

another says “he who hesitates is

lost.”

d. Which is RIGHT? Both are

because they cover DIFFERENT

situations.

3. There are fourteen or fifteen other books “spoken against” but

these, however, SHOULD BE.

a. These fourteen or fifteen books are known as the

APOCRYPHA and are usually placed in Catholic

Bibles between the testaments indicating the time period

they were written.

b. Apocrypha means DARK or HIDDEN.

i. The term Apocrypha is capitalized as it refers to the

INTERTESTAMENTAL books (those

written between the Old and New Testaments).

ii. The term apocrypha that is not capitalized,

however, refers to the writings produced AFTER

the New Testament was completed.


54

iii. The early church fathers referred to all non-

canonical books by the term apocrypha but since the

PROTESTANT Reformation, the word with a

capital letter refers to the Old Testament

productions.

c. The world that produced the Apocrypha was a combination

of GREEK, ROMAN, and JEWISH culture.

i. Grecian literature was changing from the

HEROIC to the individual and their philosophy to

include REAL-WORLD problems.

ii. The anti-Greek Jews, especially the

MACABEES, were seeking independence from

the Seleucid (Greek) and later Roman empires.

iii. Greek philosophy still affected the multitudes

including the JEWS and this culture led to the

writing of the Apocryphal books which are also

mostly APOCALYPTIC in nature.

iv. The moral, historical, and literary ERRORS in

these books when compared with actual Bible texts

easily shows the differences between a true text of

God and one only written by men.

d. A quick OVERVIEW of the Apocrypha:

i. 1 ESDRAS.

1. This book is a HISTORY, though not

entirely correct, of the restoration of the

Jews to Palestine after Babylonian exile.

2. The author drew from 1 Chronicles, Ezra,

and Nehemiah; but added much

LEGENDARY material.


55

3. There are a lot of discrepancies between this

book and the Bible in an account of three

young Jewish boys in the court of

DARIUS which cannot be found in the

Bible.

4. The purpose of this book was to emphasize

the contribution of Josiah, Zerubabbel, and

Ezra to the reform of post-exilic Israelite

WORSHIP.

ii. 2 ESDRAS.

1. This book is composed in a Jewish manner

and is APOCALYPTIC (a “code”

language used by ancient writers, especially

the Hebrew, during times of oppression).

2. The “seer” of the book is supposedly

instructed by an ANGEL, Uriel, on the

great mysteries of morality.

3. The author denounces the wickedness of

Rome and his context deals with God’s

power and justice, and wisdom and the

problem of EVIL in the world; his attempts

to solve the problems, however, fail.

iii. TOBIT.

1. This book is a short romantic NOVEL and

is legalistic in tone emphasizing the Law of

Moses.

2. It is unscriptural, however, in insisting that

almsgiving ATONES for sin.


56

3. The story of the book follows a pious Jew

named Tobit living in Nineveh in the eight

century B.C. Tobit becomes poor and blind

and God hears Tobit’s prayers of grief along

with the prayers of a demon possessed girl

named Sarah who lives in Media. God sends

the angel Raphael to save Tobit and Sarah

while Tobit sent his son to collect money

owed him in Media. Raphael teaches Tobit

magic formulas which will cure his

blindness and release Sarah from her demon

lover, Asmodeus. Tobit completes his

mission and marries Sarah.

iv. JUDITH.

1. Like Tobit, this book is also a

ROMANCE novel.

2. It was supposedly written during the reign of

Nebuchadnezzar in the sixth century B.C.

but was actually written in the second

century before Christ and has little

HISTORICAL value and is filled with

situational MORALITY.

3. The story tells of Judith who uses her beauty

to gain a place in the tent of the attacking

Babylonian general and when he becomes

drunken she BEHEADS him and helps

stop the invading army.

4. This text shows Jewish narrative and has

inspired numerous plays, paintings, and


57

sculptures all teaching the immoral idea that

the END justifies the MEANS.

v. THE REST OF ESTHER.

1. This is a GREEK composition (showing

its lack of canonicity) consisting of visions,

letters, and prayers written about 100 B.C.

2. The writer of this book was attempting to fix

the “problem” of the lack of GOD’S name

in the book of Esther.

3. These additions were originally scattered

throughout the book of Esther but were

removed by JEROME in the fourth

century A.D. when he produced the Vulgate

and placed them all at the end of Esther.

4. The problem with these additions is they

CONTRADICT Esther.

vi. THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON.

1. This book is an ETHICAL writing which

condemns sin and lifts righteousness.

2. It was written about 30 B.C., and was

intended to help prevent GREEK Jews

from being influenced by their pagan

surroundings.

3. The LATENESS of the writing and the

attempts of the author to

IMPERSONATE Solomon speak

against its inspiration.

vii. ECCLESIASTICUS.


58

1. This is a long, ethical writing on morality

and PRACTICAL goodness.

2. This book was written about 180 B.C. and is

patterned after WISDOM literature of the

Old Testament.

3. This is the only book of the Apocrypha

where the author’s NAME (ben Sirah) is

known.

4. The author was a Jewish scribe and is a

compilation of ben Sirah’s years of lecturing

on ETHICS and religion.

5. The title means “the CHURCH book”

which was given by Catholicism to insist on

its inspiration.

viii. BARUCH.

1. This book was a tried imitation of the

writings of JEREMIAH but was most

likely written after A.D. 70.

2. The author writes as describing

Nebuchadnezzar’s destruction of Jerusalem

but shows his real purpose by telling the

Jews to submit to the “emperor”and never to

REVOLT again.

3. The Jews never revolted against Babylon but

did against ROME.

ix. THE EPISTLE OF JEREMIAH.

1. This was added to the apocryphal book of

Baruch as a warning to the “Babylonian”

captives against IDOLATRY.


59

2. The letter was most likely addressed,

however, to Greek-speaking Jews in

Alexandria, EGYPT.

3. This letter is full of ILLOGICAL

connections between the various statements

against idolatry.

x. THE SONG OF THE THREE HOLY

CHILDREN.

1. This is supposed to be a record of what the

three boys SANG when thrown into the

fiery furnace (Daniel 3:23).

2. This psalm borrows heavily from Psalm

148.

3. Even the ANIMALS are told to “sing”

praises to God in this book.

xi. THE HISTORY OF SUSANNA.

1. This is another religious romance novel

which is supposed to show how the prophet

DANIEL saved Susanna from two

immoral men.

2. When the men tried to seduce her, she cried

out but the TWO men said they found her

under a tree in the arms of a young man.

Since Susanna was married and there were

at least TWO witnesses she was brought to

trial and convicted to die for immorality. At

this point, Daniel steps in and asks the two

men under which tree they found her and


60

when they give conflicting answers, they are

put to death and Susanna is saved.

xii. BEL AND THE DRAGON.

1. This is another novel about DANIEL who

slays the dragon and Bel, an idol, the two

objects of Babylonian worship.

2. This was added to Daniel at about the same

time as The History of Susanna and was

called Daniel 14.

3. In this text, Daniel uncovers the trick of the

priests of Bel whose statue “ATE” large

amounts of food each night to prove himself

a living god and Daniel’s refusal to worship

the dragon and “SLEW” it with a mixture

of fat, pitch, and hair.

4. The text also includes a fictional account of

how Daniel escaped the LION’S DEN

after the Babylonians put him there after

slaying their god by being fed by

HABAKKUK and being freed on the

seventh day.

xiii. THE PRAYER OF MANASSEH.

1. This supposedly is the reported

REPENTANCE of that wicked king and

was added to 2 Chronicles 33:18-19 and was

composed in the second century before

Christ.

2. This prayer is not FOUND in the Bible so

a scribe decided to make up the difference.


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3. This prayer is an example of beautiful

Jewish POETRY.

xiv. FIRST MACCABEES.

1. This book is generally useful and reliable as

a HISTORICAL novel and is the most

important source to the study of the

intertestament period.

2. This book follows the struggles for

INDEPENDENCE by the Maccabean

families of Judas, Jonathan, and Simon.

3. The author was likely a Palestinian Jew

living in Jerusalem and covers the conquest

of Alexander the Great, the division of his

empire, the origin of the Ptolemaic and

Seleucid empires, the events of Judah’s

history from Antiochus IV (175 B.C.) to the

reign of John Hyrcanus I, and the semi-

successful struggle of the Maccabean-led

Jews for independence.

xv. SECOND MACCABEES.

1. This book covers the period from 175 B.C.

to 160 B.C., but does not deal in historical

events but rather fanciful

SUPERNATURAL events.

2. This book is not a sequel to I Maccabees but

is a PARALLEL that expands (in an

untrustworthy manner) the legendary tales

of Judas Maccabee.


62

e. Protestants have NEVER accepted the Apocrypha as

canonical and Catholics reject 1 and 2 Esdras and the

Prayer of Manasseh from the canon.

f. Some DOCTRINES taught in the Apocrypha are anti-

biblical:

i. SUICIDE is said to be honorable (2 Maccabees

14:41-43; cf. Acts 17:25).

ii. Incense and fish hearts placed on hot coals are said

to drive away the DEVIL (Tobit 6:5-8; cf. James

4:7).

iii. One anointed with fish gall will be HEALED

(Tobit 5:15-19; cf. James 5:16).

iv. One cam be saved from sin by ALMSGIVING

(Tobit 12:15-19; cf. Ephesians 2:8-9).

v. It is more honorable to be SINGLE (Judith 8:5-6;

cf. Hebrews 13:4).

vi. MURDER is honorable if it advances the cause

of the righteous (Judith 9:2; cf. Galatians 5:21).

vii. Souls in HELL can get out (Wisdom of Solomon

3:1-4; cf. Luke 16:25-26).

viii. One can pray for the DEAD (2 Maccabees 12:43-

46; cf. 2 Corinthians 5:10).

ix. One can social DRINK (Tobit 4:15; cf. Proverbs

20:1).

x. Saints will INTERCEDE for men (2 Maccabees

15:1-16; cf. 1 John 2:1).

xi. Immoral behavior is accepted by God, if one has

GOOD INTENTIONS (Judith 9:9-14; cf.

Revelation 21:27).


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ii. The NEW Testament.

1. There are SEVEN books that are disputed in the New Testament.

a. HEBREWS.

i. This book is mostly disputed because we do not

know the AUTHOR.

1. The Eastern church (Greek Orthodox)

readily accepted the text as written by

PAUL.

2. The Roman church disputed the text because

they insisted on apostolic authorship rather

than apostolic AUTHORITY (ex. Mark

and Luke were not written by apostles).

ii. Another reason the book is disputed is because of

its misuse by Montanists (similar to charismatic

denominations like Pentecostalism today) led some

to think it was ERROR-filled.

iii. The book of Hebrews is not only canonical but is

the ONLY New Testament source for how Jesus

fulfilled the types pictured in JUDAISM.

b. JAMES.

i. This book was omitted by some second-century

Bible students, especially the GNOSTICS.

1. Gnostics believed flesh was EVIL therefore

human WORKS could have no part in

salvation.

2. James was omitted not because it was non-

canonical but because he insisted that a

person must have FAITH and WORKS

(James 2:24).


64

ii. Another that doubted the book of James was

MARTIN LUTHER because it contradicted

his belief in faith only and his belief that it

contradicted the book of Romans (cf. Romans 5:1).

1. The harmony in these two books is in the

use of the word, FAITH.

2. Paul when using the words law and faith (or

grace and works together) is ALWAYS

discussing the gospel system of faith as

opposed to the law of Moses (cf. Galatians

3:23).

3. James, on the other hand, is ALWAYS

discussing PERSONAL faith and works

(cf. James 2:20).

4. Paul insists that THE FAITH taught

OBEDIENCE (Romans 1:5) and James

insists that PERSONAL faith demands

WORKS showing perfect harmony in their

teachings.

c. 2 PETER.

i. Like the book of Hebrews, this book is doubted

because of arguments over its AUTHORSHIP

(=genuineness).

ii. This book is the one questioned the MOST as to its

right to be in the canon.

iii. Some believe the book was written to CURE the

early Christians’ misunderstandings about the

second coming of Christ and the supposed

DELAY of His arrival, but since New Testament


65

writers never taught an immediate coming, these

assertions are false.

iv. The arguments come from a supposed dissimilarity

in the style of WRITING used.

1. The cause of this is not a different author but

a different SUBJECT.

2. Careful Bible students find more

SIMILARITY than dissimilarity in the

writing style.

3. The earliest known copy of 2 Peter is the

Bodmer manuscript and is a THIRD

century Egyptian version showing the text

was used and respected by those ancient

Christians.

d. 2 and 3 JOHN.

i. These again are questioned because of

AUTHORSHIP.

1. The author simply refers to himself as the

ELDER (2 John 1; 3 John 1).

2. Peter also called himself an elder which is

no argument against his being

INSPIRED (1 Peter 5:1).

ii. Because the letters were PRIVATE they took

some time to circulate long enough to became

universally accepted but they are listed in the very

early Muratorian fragment (c. 150).

iii. The STYLE of these letters is unquestionably that

of John when compared to 1 John and the gospel

according to John.


66

e. JUDE.

i. This book was disputed by some early disciples

over the question of AUTHENTICITY

(=contents).

ii. Jude, under INSPIRATION, quoted from the

Old Testament pseudepigraphal book, Enoch (Jude

14-15) and some also claim from the Assumption of

Moses (Jude 9).

iii. Jude does not, however, commend the WHOLE

book of Enoch but only the truthful part Jude used.

1. Paul also quoted pagan poets, but not ALL

they said (Acts 17:28; 1 Corinthians 15:32;

Titus 1:12).

2. Jude’s influence is also seen in an early

church council production known as the

DIDACHE (=teaching of the Twelve)

written sometime in the first century and is

contained in Irenaus’ work from A.D. 170.

f. REVELATION.

i. This book is also disputed because of its

CONTENTS.

ii. This has been caused by Millennialists (those who

believe in a future 1,000 year reign of Christ on the

earth) who MISREAD and MISTAUGHT

the text.

iii. This book, however, was one of the FIRST books

recognized in the existing writings of the early

church fathers as seen in its being addressed to the

seven churches in Asia Minor (Revelation 2-3).


67

2. There are many FALSE books (Pseudepigrapha) which do not

belong in the canon of scripture (cf. John 21:25; 2 Thessalonians

2:2; 1 Timothy 4:1).

a. There are more than 50 Pseudepigraphal GOSPELS

(written in the second century or later).

i. The Gospel of THOMAS: contains stories of the

infancy and childhood of Jesus which are against

the nature of Christ.

ii. The Gospel of the EBIONITES: a Jewish sect of

Christians who denied the deity of Christ saying he

was adopted by God at His baptism.

iii. The Gospel of PETER: teaches Pilate was

guiltless for the death of Christ, Jesus felt no pain

when crucified, Jesus’ brothers and sisters were

from a first marriage of Joseph, and an embellished

resurrection account.

iv. Protevangelium of JAMES: contains a very early

form of devotion (worship) of Mary.

v. The Gospel of the HEBREWS: mistakenly

believed at first to be the original Hebrew version of

the gospel of Matthew but refers to the Holy Spirit

as our “mother” and gives a story of the Shroud of

Christ.

vi. The Gospel of the EGYPTIANS: reflects early

ascetic (=harming of the body) practices and calls

life an “ill” and the creation of the body “evil.”

vii. The Gospel of the NAZARAEANS: also

called “the Jewish Gospel,” it says Jesus did not

spend three days and three nights in the grave, that


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the veil of the temple was not rent, and that many

thousands of Jews were converted at the cross when

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them.”

viii. The Gospel of PHILIP: discusses the ascent of

the soul through seven successive spheres of hostile

“powers.”

ix. The Book of THOMAS the Athlete: contains an

alleged conversation between Thomas and Jesus

between the resurrection and ascension but

condemns the flesh, womanhood, and sexuality.

x. The Gospel According to MATHIAS: some

quotations preserved containing Gnostic influence.

xi. The Gospel of JUDAS: contains the story of the

“mystery of the betrayal” explaining how Judas by

his treachery made possible the salvation of all

mankind.

xii. Epistle of an APOSTLE: says that Christ entered

Mary’s womb in the disguise of the angel Gabriel,

took on the form of angels in each of the heavenly

“spheres” to reach the earth without being

recognized, the redeemed will rise in actual flesh,

and Christ has proclaimed a message of salvation in

the underworld.

xiii. The Apocryphon of JOHN: a post-resurrection

dialogue between a disciple and the “Revealor” but

also refers to the Holy Spirit as the “Mother.”

xiv. The Gospel of TRUTH: discusses the common

Gnostic idea of salvation by knowledge.


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b. There are also numerous Apocryphal accounts of the

ACTS of the Apostles (ex. The Acts of John, Later Acts of

Other Apostles, The Apocalypse of Paul, etc.).

c. Some of these Apocryphal books, however, are

ACCEPTED by some.

i. Epistle of Pseudo-BARNABAS ((c. 70-79):

similar to Hebrews in style but more mystical, its

antiquity is established but it’s genuineness is more

than questionable.

ii. Epistle to the CORINTHIANS (c. 96): a non-

inspired book but contains quotes from 1

Corinthians and Hebrews as scripture giving

validity to these books.

iii. Ancient HOMILY (c. 120-140): placed

commonly after Revelation but has no evidence of

ever being considered fully canonical.

iv. Shepherd of HERMAS (c. 115-140): similar to

Ecclesiasticus of the Old Testament Apocrypha—

ethical and spiritual but not canonical.

v. Didache (Teaching of the TWELVE) (c. 100-

120): important for historical reasons concerning

second century views of essential truths of

Christianity but is not inspired.

vi. Apocalypse of PETER (c. 150): has been very

popular for its picturesque descriptions of heaven

and grotesque descriptions of hell and helped

develop Medieval theology and influenced writings

such as Dante’s Inferno.


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vii. The Acts of PAUL and Thecla (170): contains the

conversion and testimony of Thecla based on Acts

14:1-7 but contains many mythical elements and

little truth.

viii. Epistle to the LAODICEANS (c. 300s): a

forgery based on Colossians 4:16 and is a string of

phrases by Paul with no clear connection or

purpose.

ix. The Gospel According to the HEBREWS (c. 65-

100): some called it “the true Matthew” but it bears

little relation to the book of Matthew.

x. Epistle of POLYCARP to the Philippians (c.

108): Polycarp was a disciple of John but never

claimed inspiration for himself and has very little

originality borrowing most of its matter and style

from the New Testament especially Philippians but

is valuable in authenticating most of the New

Testament canon.

xi. The Seven Epistles of IGNATIUS (c. 100):

teaches a bishop-centered government for the

church and has been defended by some bishops of

the Catholic church but most do not defend its

canonicity.

d. VALUE of the New Testament Pseudepigrapha:

i. They contain correct traditions of the people which

supply HISTORICAL facts about the early

church.

ii. They show the HERESIES plaguing the early

church.


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iii. They show the POPULAR desire for information

not found in canonical books (ex. The childhood of

Jesus).

iv. They show that PIOUS frauds have always tried to

glorify Christianity through incorrect means.

v. They show the desire of many to find SUPPORT

for doctrinal interests or teachings under the

disguise of apostolic authority.

vi. They show incorrect attempts to fill supposed

LACKINGS in canonical writings.

vii. They show the tendency of CURIOSITY to

create embellishments on Christian truth (ex. Mary

Mary worship).

e. VALUE of the New Testament Apocrypha:

i. They provide DOCUMENTATION of the

canonical books of the New Testament.

ii. They reveal the beliefs of those in the church after

the time of the APOSTLES.

iii. They form the BRIDGE between the apostolic

writings of the New Testament and the literature of

the church “Fathers” in third and fourth centuries.

iv. They give hints to the rise of later

UNSCRIPTURAL teachings.

v. They contain much HISTORICAL value about

the early church.


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III. THE BIBLE FROM MANUSCRIPT TO US: TEXTUAL CRITICISM.

a. WHAT is textual criticism?

i. The GOAL of a textual critic is examining the evidence and trying to find

the original text.

ii. Textual criticism is a SCIENCE and seeks to determine the authentic

text of the Bible from the ancient texts.

iii. TYPES of biblical criticism:

1. TEXTUAL (or lower) criticism: concerned with the discovery

and recovery of the original text of a written document (this is the

correct form of criticism).

2. HISTORICAL (or destructive) criticism: study techniques of

dating early writings, verifying historical events in the materials,

and the writing of the history of a document, but most do not

believe the Bible came from the mind of God.

3. HIGHER criticism (or source or literary criticism): seeks to

discover the materials the supposed non-inspired Bible writers

used to write their books and letters.

4. FORM criticism (a form of higher criticism): study of literary

forms of the Bible (e.g. essays, history, poetry, etc.) but follows the

concept that the Old Testament was written by at least four

different authors or groups of authors and eventually edited

(=documentary hypothesis).

5. FORM-HISTORY criticism (a form of higher criticism): this is

form criticism applied to the New Testament and comes from the

concept that the New Testament “evolved” over time like the Old

Testament did and the stories of Jesus were made up over time as

situations in the early church demanded.


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6. TRADITION criticism (a form of form criticism): the form

critic believes all Bible stories were passed on by word of mouth

and so traditions developed in all of the stories.

7. REDACTION criticism (a form of higher [destructive]

criticism: seeks to discover how the Bible redactors (editors) used

the sources available to them to “assemble” the Bible.

iv. An example of form criticism (an incorrect way of textual criticism) can

be found in a modern version used by many, the New International

Version, which states in Luke 1:3, “Therefore, since I myself have

carefully INVESTIGATED everything from the beginning…” which

shows its denial of Luke’s inspiration.

b. We can be sure of our Bibles because of PRESERVATION.

i. Rules for copying the Old Testament scrolls:

1. Only parchments made from CLEAN (ceremonially) animals

could be used and the pieces had to be joined together by thread

from clean animals.

2. Each written column of the scroll was to have no fewer than 48

and no more than 60 lines whose breadth then must consist of 30

letters.

3. The page was first to be LINED (with a penknife) from which

the letters were suspended; during the period of Ezra one letter per

square was written (like a checker board).

4. The ink was BLACK and prepared according to a strict recipe.

5. There was to be the space of a HAIR between each consonant,

the space of a small consonant between each word, a space of nine

consonants must separate paragraphs, and three lines must separate

each book; each book had to end at exactly the right space or it was

to be done over.

6. No word or letter could be written from MEMORY.


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ii. Preservation of New Testament AUTOGRAPHS:

1. There are nearly 6,000 manuscripts and fragments of the New

Testament available from the second century onward.

2. Why did God not simply preserve the ORIGINALS?

a. Man has a tendency to worship religious RELICS (2

Kings 18:4).

b. By not preserving the originals only no one can now

TAMPER with them as they would have to make

changes in thousands of existing copies.

c. It also serves as a warning to Bible scholars not to esteem

the trivial over the ESSENTIAL message of the

scriptures.

3. The importance of so many manuscripts is that the textual critic

can compare the various manuscripts and determine what is the

true and ORIGINAL reading.

4. When the ACCURACY of the New Testament is compared

with other ancient texts that have undergone textual criticism, one

can see the integrity of the New Testament even more clearly.

a. Homer’s Iliad: 643 copies, 15,600 lines, but 764 LINES

are still questioned so is corrupt in 5% of its text.

b. New Testament: 6,000 manuscripts and fragments, 20,000

lines, but only 40 WORDS are still questioned leaving

less than 0.5% still needing mending.

c. Who questions the Iliad? Yet many try to argue that the

New Testament has many ERRORS.

c. Old Testament manuscript CREDIBILITY.

i. Two DEFINITIONS need to be kept in mind:


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1. An AUTOGRAPH is a writing produced under the direction of

an Old Testament prophet or a New Testament apostle (2 Peter

3:2; Jeremiah 36:27; Romans 16:22).

2. CREDIBILITY is the term textual critics use when describing a

manuscripts right to be believed.

ii. Old Testament MANUSCRIPTS.

1. During the Talmudic scribal period (300 B.C.-A.D. 500)

OFFICIAL copies of the scrolls for synagogue use were made.

2. By 169 B.C. the Syrians (Seleucids) were able to DESTROY

most existing Hebrew manuscripts.

3. Because of this, until the Dead Sea Scrolls were found (1945) only

LATER Hebrew manuscripts were known:

a. The CAIRO CODEX (A.D. 895): copied by Moses ben

Asher in Tiberius, Palestine, is in a museum in Cairo,

Egypt, and contains the former (historical) prophets and the

latter (major and minor) prophets.

b. The LENINGRAD CODEX of the Prophets (A.D.

1016): copied by a Babylonian scribe-scholar (=Masorete),

is kept in St. Petersburg, Russia, and contains only Isaiah,

Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the twelve minor prophets.

c. The ALEPPO (Syria) CODEX (A.D. 930): this is an

incomplete parchment of the entire Old Testament saved

from a fire in Aleppo, Syria in 1948, copied by Aber ben

Asher, and is the basis for the New Jerusalem Bible (used

by the Catholics for their Old Testament).

d. UNNAMED scroll fragment (A.D. 950): kept in the

British Museum, originated somewhere in the Orient, and

contains Genesis 39:20 through Deuteronomy 1:33.


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e. The LENINGRAD CODEX (A.D. 1008): this is the

most important Hebrew Bible, is kept in St. Petersburg, and

is a copy of one corrected by Aaron ben Moses before A.D.

1000.

f. The REUCHLIN CODEX of the Prophets (A.D. 1105)

along with several Old Testament fragments make up other

important Hebrew materials.

iii. The MASORETIC TEXT.

1. Hebrew Bibles that contain vowel-points and accents to aid in

PRONUNCIATION are Masoretic.

2. These are all DESCENDANTS of one that existed in the first

century after Christ and Old Testament trustworthiness is based on

its scribal accuracy.

3. These texts contained NUMBERS and NOTES in the margins

to aid future scribes in their work or to explain a reason for

amending a text.

4. The KING JAMES (1611) and the 1901 AMERICAN

STANDARD Bibles relied heavily on the Masoretic text for

the Old Testament.

iv. The DEAD SEA SCROLLS.

1. An Arab shepherd (Muhammad adh-Dhib) found these scrolls by

accident in 1947 but it was not until 1949 that archeologists were

able to authenticate the find.

2. Many CAVES have now been found in the Qumran area (desert).

3. The 600 plus texts of the Dead Sea scrolls include ALL of the Old

Testament except for Esther and the Song of Solomon.

4. The scribes copied the materials between 2 B.C. And A.D. 3 and

hid their work deep in the caves of the mountains around A.D.

66 for fear of the Romans.


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a. The dry, desert weather PRESERVED the scrolls which

were placed in covered clay jars.

b. The copied scrolls are from earlier ones dating to 100

B.C.

5. There are ten COMPLETE Dead Sea scrolls and from the Old

Testament materials textual critics can now prove that the Hebrew

Bible has remained unchanged for the last 2,200 years.

d. New Testament manuscript credibility: UNCIALS.

i. Uncials are LARGE-letter manuscripts written on parchment and vellum

containing both the Old and New Testaments in Greek.

ii. There are many uncials (~274) but here are few of the most

IMPORTANT:

1. The CODEX VATICANUS (or “B”) (A.D. 300-325): kept in

the Vatican Library in Rome and starts at Genesis 46:28, has

missing Psalms 106-138, and Hebrews 9:14 through Revelation;

the scribe did not include Mark 16:9-20 in this Bible but did leave

a space for it suggesting he knew the passage existed.

2. The CODEX SINAITICUS (or “aleph”) (A.D. 340):

discovered by Constantine Tichendorf in St. Catherine’s monastery

near what is thought to be Mt. Sinai where the pages were being

used for cook fires; it contains part of the Greek Old Testament

and all of the New Testament books; sold to the British and now

resides in the British Museum.

3. The ALEXANDRIAN CODEX (or “A”) (A.D. 450):

originated in Alexandria, Egypt, contains the Septuagint Old

Testament with parts of Genesis, 1 Kings, Psalms, Matthew, John,

and 2 Corinthians, is now in the British Museum, and was the first

uncial used by Bible scholars.


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4. The EPHRAIM (or “C”) (A.D. 300-400s): this is a rescriptus

(uncial written on a scraped-off vellum), in the 12th century it was

erased again and parts of the Syrian Ephraim put in; parts of all the

New Testament were left except 2 Thessalonians and 2 John.

5. The BEZA CODEX (or “D”) (A.D. 500s): named for its

discoverer Theodore Beza, is held in the University of Cambridge

Library in England, omits parts of Matthew through John, 3 John

11-15, and Acts, and is the oldest known two language uncial

written in Greek (left side) and Latin (right side).

6. The CLAROMONTANUS CODEX (or D2) (A.D. 550):

found in Clermont, France, supplements the Beza Codex, is also

written in Greek and Latin, and is kept in the natural library in

Paris, France.

7. The WASHINGTONIENSIS CODEX (or “W”) (A.D. 300-

400s): kept in the National Library in Washington D.C., contains

portions of the Old and New Testaments, and contains an

apocryphal addition after Mark 16:14.

8. The KOUDETHI GOSPELO (or “theta”) (A.D. 750-800): is

in a Russian library in Tifles, Georgia and contains only a part of

the New Testament, but shows how widely known the Greek New

Testaments were.

e. New Testament manuscript credibility: MINISCULES (cursives).

i. Cursives are all LATER productions than uncials stretching from the

third to tenth centuries A.D.

ii. There are about 3,000 minuscule manuscripts and 46 contain the entire

New Testament.

iii. Miniscules contain elaborate, artistic DECORATION on the covers

and throughout.


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1. Codex 33 is one of the most well known miniscules and is known

as the “QUEEN of the Cursives.”

2. There are three STYLES of miniscules (Alexandrian, Byzantine,

and Caesarean) based on the scribal corrections made in the text.

iv. Some consider miniscules to be of less VALUE than the uncials because

they are later productions and therefore further removed from the

autograph.

1. This is not always TRUE, however, for a later miniscules may be

a copy of an early Greek text and therefore have more value than

an earlier uncial.

2. The number of years from the original is not a critical problem

because VARIATIONS come from scribal accuracy and

consistency and not time.

f. RESTORING the text.

i. There are differences found among manuscripts known as

VARIANTS.

1. Today, there are nearly 200,000 plus variants recognized.

2. The big misconception about variants is that they are ERRORS

but that is not the case.

a. Remember, in only about 0.5% of the text we do not have

the EXACT words.

b. The reason the number is so high is that if a single word is

misspelled in 3,000 different manuscripts then textual

critics count that one word as 3,000 variants.

3. When you eliminate MECHANICAL variants, true differences

in manuscripts are rare.

a. WHAT are considered mechanical variants?


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i. Errors of the EYE: a scribe might divide a word

incorrectly (especially in uncials as the letters ran

together across the scroll), omit a letter, repeat

letters, reverse letters, or confuse spellings (Ex.

Genesis 46:27; Acts 7:14).

ii. Errors of the EARS: when a manuscript was

copied by a secretary hearing an oral dictation, he

might forget the last word he heard and omit or

change it.

iii. Errors of MEMORY: a scribe might forget and

substitute a synonym for a word.

iv. Errors of JUDGMENT: notes in the margin

might accidentally be placed in the text, a scribe

may have had trouble reading the last scribe’s notes,

and some things have been added because of

particular theologies.

b. There are only TWO rules for analysis of variants or

genuine readings:

i. If there is NOT attestation for the variant before

the Middle Ages, the variant is not considered to be

genuine; however, agreement among later

manuscripts all originating from an earlier, common

source is said to be a genuine variant.

ii. If ALL the manuscripts do not compare, for a

given reading to be considered as a serious

candidate for the original, the majority of the

witnesses must agree; the fewer the witnesses, the

less likely it is that a reading is genuine.

ii. USE of textual criticism.


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1. An EXAMPLE: The American Standard Version (1901) and

most later versions omit 1 John 5:7 which is contained in the 1611

King James Version; no Ancient Greek manuscript has the

reading; Erasmus included the verse in his 1522 edition when a

miniscule copied by a Catholic monk was discovered; this single

manuscript addition found its way into the King James but to

accept the verse as genuine breaks the rule of the majority of

witnesses as necessary for attestation.

2. The first task of a textual critic is to DISCOVER and

CATALOGUE the manuscripts.

3. After a manuscript is discovered and catalogued by letter or

number, it is COLLATED (=compared to a well-known printed

text and the variants are noted).

a. If the process is accurate, the variant readings will inform

the critic as to what FAMILY the manuscript belongs.

b. The new method of collation begun in the twentieth century

is ECLECTIC (=use of any and all manuscripts

available).

i. Most MODERN version (excluding the New

King James) are based on an eclectic Greek text.

ii. Modern translators follow TWO rules:

1. They choose the reading that they

SUBJECTIVELY think best fits the

context.

2. They choose the reading they BELIEVE

explains the origin of the variant readings.

iii. The eclectic approach to translation, being

subjective, allows for a choosing of

WHATEVER Greek source is wanted.


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iv. Each translator now relies on his own

FEELINGS as to what the original said.

g. The Bible in ENGLISH.

i. When WILLIAM TYNDALE was discussing a theological point

with a Catholic priest who argued that men would be better off without

God’s law than without the Pope’s law, Tyndale replied that if God spared

his life, before long he would “make the boy who drives the plow know

more Bible than the cleric did.”

1. The history of the English Bible is an effort to fulfill Tyndale’s

objective, to make the Bible AVAILABLE and PLAIN to the

common man (Mark 12:37).

2. If not for translation, only those who read the ORIGINAL

language could read the Bible.

ii. A BACKGROUND of the English language.

1. English is the daughter of two families of languages: INDO-

EUROPEAN (Indo-Iranian, Greek, Italic, etc.; the Bile was

transmitted to Europe by this family of languages) and

JAPHETIC (Germanic and Gaelic [French]).

2. English began as a dialect of “LOW GERMAN” and has

become a world language.

3. When the “ANGLES” invaded Briton (c. A.D. 547) and

established a kingdom in northern England the “Anglo-Saxon”

language had its beginning.

4. The “Angle-landers” drove the Brits into Cornwall, Wells, and

France and “ANGLE-LAND” was born.

5. England was known as “Angle-land” as early as A.D. 314.

6. The language then spoken by the natives is now known as old

Saxon or “OLD ENGLISH” (A.D. 450-1100).


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7. When the Normans invaded Angle-land (1066) Scandinavian

influences entered the old English and by A.D. 1100-1500 a new

languages now called “MIDDLE ENGLISH” was spoken.

8. MODERN English is dated from the time of the invention of

the moveable type printing press by John Gutenberg (c. 1454).

9. A great “VOWEL shift” occurred in the language, for some

unknown reason, and the modern tongue of English was born.

iii. ANGLO-SAXON Bibles.

1. The earliest known “Bible” in the Anglo-Saxon language dates

from A.D. 680 which is more a paraphrase by Caedmon.

a. Caedmon supposedly dreamed that an angel told him to

sing and when he asked what to sing the angel told him to

sing about God’s CREATION.

b. When Caedmon began to sing “phrases he had never heard

before,” they were actually PARAPHRASES from the

Bible and writings of these songs became known as the

“people’s Bible” because they were memorized by many

people.

2. The second Anglo-Saxon work is associated with ALDHELM

(640-709) and was the first, straight-forward translation of several

parts of the Bible.

3. The first Anglo-Saxon translations of the four gospel accounts

were done by EGBERT (c. 700) under the orders from the

Archbishop of York, Charlemagne.

4. The greatest English scholar of his time was the Venerable

BEDE (674-735) whose historical, theological, and scholastic

efforts were the greatest of his day.

5. King ALFRED the Great (849-901) translated Bede’s

Ecclesiastical History from Latin to Anglo-Saxon along with the


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Ten Commandments, parts of Exodus, and Acts 15:23-29 and also

instituted “Danelaw” which required Christian baptism and loyalty

to the king.

6. Around 950 an Anglo-Saxon named ALDRED produced an

interlinear “gloss” (he took the manuscript and wrote Anglo-Saxon

between the lines of the Latin Bible) word for word from a

seventh-century Latin text and is now known as the “Lindesfarne

Gospels.”

7. The last of the truly Anglo-Saxon works was made around the year

1000 by AELFRIC, the Abbot of Eynsham in Wessex, who

translated the first seven books of the Old Testament from Latin to

Anglo-Saxon.

8. These early attempts to translate portions of the Bible faced three

major OBSTACLES:

a. Traditionally, people had been taught, and many felt that

LATIN was the only proper medium to express religion.

i. It was called GOD’S language, the language

spoken in HEAVEN, etc.

ii. Ex. When Aelfric faced OPPOSITION for

translating his work from Latin to Anglo-Saxon

because Latin was the “language of God” he said,

“Happy is he, who can read the scriptures and

translate the words into action.”

b. The clergy of the day were uneasy about offering the

scriptures to the “LAITY” (=term for the common

people) for unorthodox teachings might result.

c. English was felt to be UNSUITABLE for religious

expression.

i. It was considered “SLANG.”


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ii. Compare the feelings today against using American

SLANG in translations.

9. Tyndale (discussed in the next section) had to fight against these

FEELINGS to make his translation and argued, “The Greek

tongue agreeth more with the English than with the Latin. And the

properties of the Hebrew tongue agreeth a thousand times more

with the English than with the Latin. The manner of speaking is

both one; so that in a thousand places thou needst not but to

translate it into English word for word; when thou must seek a

compass in the Latin.”

iv. MIDDLE ENGLISH partial versions.

1. The Saxon rule of Briton ended in 1066 with William’s (the

“Northman”) conquering of Harold of Hastings, and from that

time, norther Angle-landers dominated and their Norse language

influenced the Anglo-Saxon language forming the new

“MIDDLE English.”

2. Some PARTIAL and a couple of COMPLETE versions were

developed in this new language:

a. In about 1200, ORM (or Ormin) an Augustinian monk

completed a poetical paraphrase of the gospel accounts and

Acts.

i. He also had a COMMENTARY on Acts

entitled “Ormulum” and the works are preserved in

one manuscript, likely an autograph.

ii. Orm says he did the translating so that “the young

Christian fold may depend upon the GOSPEL

only” (cf. Acts 20:24-27).


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b. WILLIAM of Shoreham (1320) produced the first prose

(=ordinary language used in speaking or writing)

translation of a part of the Bible.

c. A Psalter (translation of the book of Psalms) was translated

by the “Hermit of Hampole,” RICHARD ROLLE

around 1320-1340.

d. One of the best known texts from the Middle English

period is JOHN WYCLIFFE’S complete Bible (1329-

1384).

i. It is questioned how much of the work is Wycliffe’s

and how much was his associate’s, NICHOLAS

of Hereford and JOHN PURVEY.

1. Nicholas completed a translation of the Old

Testament from Latin in 1382.

2. John Purvey REVISED the entire work

after Wycliffe’s death.

ii. Wycliffe was opposed to the PAPACY and so

angered the Pope that after Wycliffe had died and

been buried, the Pope ordered the body to be

exhumed, burned, and the ashes thrown in the river

Swift.

e. JOHN PURVEY (1354-1482) revised the Wycliffe

Bible and replaced many of the transliterated words (letter

for letter transfer from one language to another) with the

Middle English idiom.

i. Papal influence was much weakened when people

began to READ Purvey’s revision.

ii. The Catholic church forced ILLITERACY on the

people but when Wycliffe’s Bible came out, they


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saw how different it was from Catholicism’s Latin

writings and wanted to learn to read and did so in

secret until the Renaissance.

f. WILLIAM TYNDALE (1492-1536) was born at the

start of the Renaissance and his version lays claim to being

the first printed edition of a part of the Bible, but not the

first completed English Bible to come off of a printing

press.

i. The first complete Bible printed was a Mazarin

(Latin) Bible published in 1456.

ii. With Greek being studied in many universities, the

first Greek-Middle English Lexicon was published

in 1492.

iii. The first printed Hebrew Bible is from 1488,

Hebrew grammar from 1503, and Hebrew Lexicon

from 1506.

iv. Because of all of this ACTIVITY, Tyndale was

motivated to make a Middle English revision from

the Hebrew and Greek Bibles.

v. Tyndale, because of Catholic persecution, had to

leave England and finish his work in EUROPE.

1. His New Testament was completed in

Cologne (1526), the Pentateuch in Marburg

(1530), and Jonah in Antwerp (1531).

2. In 1534 after Tyndale had finished Genesis,

he was KIDNAPPED and taken to

England where he was able to finish

Proverbs, the Prophets, and most of the Old

Testament before he was burned at the stake.


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3. He cried out as he died, “Lord open the king

of England’s eyes,” and King James would

be the answer to that prayer because the

“AUTHORIZED KING JAMES

VERSION” is basically a fifth revision of

Tyndale’s Bible.

g. The credit fo the first complete printed Bible in Middle

English goes to the work of MILES COVERDALE

(1488-1569).

i. Coverdale had been an ASSISTANT of Tyndale

and a proof-reader for him in Antwerp, Belgium

(1534).

ii. Coverdale’s Bible is basically Tyndale’s Version

but he did introduce chapter SUMMARIES and

separated the APOCRYPHA from the Old

Testament’s inspired writings.

h. JOHN ROGERS (pseudonym—Thomas Matthew) was

the first martyr under Queen Mary’s persecution and also

assisted Tyndale.

i. Rogers COMBINED the Tyndale and Coverdale

versions as sources and also borrowed from the

known French versions of his day forming what is

known as a revision.

ii. Because Coverdale had not used the ORIGINAL

languages his text was open to attack by Catholics;

and since Rogers put MARGINAL notes in his

Bible and offended conservatives because he

“added” to God’s Word, both Bibles were never

popular.


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i. A revision of the “Matthew’s Bible” was done by

RICHARD TAVERNER (1505-1575) who was a

Greek scholar and his work is the first English Bible to

render more nearly correctly the Greek article (a, an, the)

for there is no “a” nor “an” in Greek and there are rules to

the translation of “the” when it appears.

j. A revision of Coverdale’s Bible was done in 1539 called

The GREAT Bible and was the greatest influence on

subsequent English versions.

i. It was much more popular than the Matthew’s Bible

but was never easy to carry around because it

received its name because of its SIZE (16 1/2“ x

11”).

ii. This Bible was issued to CALM conservatives

who had been aroused to oppose any notes of

outside materials which might be added to printed

Bibles.

iii. The SECOND edition had a preface by Thomas

Cranmer, the first Protestant Archbishop of

Canterbury, and became known as “Cranmer’s

Bible.”

iv. Cranmer’s Bible became the official text of the

Church of England after the death of Henry VIII

and its reprint in 1553 became the text for the Book

of Common Prayer and Administration of

Sacraments of the Anglican churches.

k. Mary Tudor’s persecution of English Protestants lead to

many martyrs and refugees, many of whom fled to

GENEVA, Switzerland.


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i. JOHN KNOX, the leading Presbyterian of his

day, published a Bible for the refugees in 1557.

ii. This New Testament was Tyndale’s Bible revised

by Dean William Whittingham of DURHAM

University.

iii. The Geneva bible introduced the ITALICIZED

words into the text which let the reader know that

those particular words were added by the translators

(the King James Version adopted this method).

iv. The complete Geneva Bible came out in 1560 and

was still very popular in 1611 and was even carried

on the MAYFLOWER because the Puritans did

not want that “modern version” King James.

v. Because the Geneva Bible was the first to be

produced by a translating COMMITTEE was the

reason for its popularity and endurance (though it

was extremely Calvinistic).

vi. The SCRIPTURE quotations in the preface to

the original King James Version are form the

Geneva Bible and this Bible influenced the

language of SHAKESPEARE’S plays.

l. The last of the known Middle English Bibles prior to the

King James is known as the BISHOP’S Bible (1568).

i. This was a revision of the Great Bible and came

about because of Anglicans were ANNOYED

by the popularity of the Geneva Bible and argued

for a Bible to be used in church.

ii. Most of the translators were bishops and designed

this Bible to be a “SAFE” version for public


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reading; for example using “baptism” instead of

“immersion” which the King James translators

followed.

iii. It was a BETTER translation than the Great Bible

and much less CALVINISTIC than the Geneva

Bible.

v. Rheims-Duoay and the CATHOLIC Bibles.

1. After the death of the Catholic queen Mary Tudor, whose

persecution of Protestants led to the translations to English in

Briton, Elizabeth I ended the persecution of Protestants and instead

began a persecution of CATHOLICS some of who fled to

Northern Spain in Flanders and began a new process of translation.

2. The RHEIMS-DUOAY Bible.

a. In 1568, at the town of Douala in then Spanish Flanders,

exiled Catholics began an English COLLEGE whose

purpose was to train priests.

i. The founder of the school was WILLIAM

ALLEN who had served as a “canon” (=spiritual

advisor) to Queen Mary of Tudor in Briton.

ii. The school moved to RHEIMS in France in 1578

where Richard Bristow (who had become a

Cardinal) became the new president who was a

graduate of Duoay (1569).

iii. The school moved back to Duoay in 1593 likely due

to TENSIONS between Catholics and Reformers

during the war between England and Spain.

b. When William Allen went to Rome, he sent a letter to the

school in 1578 claiming that Catholic priests were having

trouble using English in the Mass, but the “heretics”


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(=Protestants) were able to use these English Bibles and

were making many CONVERTS among the Catholics.

i. He felt the priests needed him and other scholars to

give them a version in their own TONGUE and

asked the Pope for permission to make a Catholic-

English translation.

ii. The Rheims-Duoay was completed in 1582 by

GREGORY MARTIN who had a degree from

Oxford (a Protestant University) but had renounced

Protestantism.

iii. Gregory Martin’s assistant was WILLIAM

REYNOLDS who had also renounced

Protestantism.

iv. The Bible contains notes that ATTACK

Protestants that were added by the two presidents of

the college already discussed, William Allen and

Richard Bristow.

c. This Bible is a POOR English rendition based on the

translators’ belief that Latin was “God’s language” which

was based on a “dream” of Jerome in which God

apparently had spoken to him in Latin about producing the

Vulgate.

i. This Bible was designed to ATTACK

Protestantism.

ii. It includes seven of the Apocrypha interspersed

throughout the Old Testament as if they were

INSPIRED books.

iii. The notes included are BIASED based on

Catholic doctrinal positions (ex. They changed


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Joseph did not know Mary until after Jesus to

Joseph did not know her [Matthew 1:25] and

changed Jesus’ brothers and sisters to cousins

[Matthew 13:55-56]).

d. The Bible was republished in 1600 from Duoay by Thomas

Worthington who had earned a Doctor of Divinity degree

from the JESUIT University in Treer, France in 1588 and

was the third president of the Rheims-Duoay School.

i. The Jesuits were an ORDER of Catholicism

started by Ignatius Loyola of Spain (who began

such ideas as papal infallibility in 1850).

ii. The Jesuits were a MILITANT group which

attacked any they saw as heretics toCatholicism.

1. They believe that you can do anything in the

DEFENSE of Catholicism (ex. It is an

official idea that lying in defense of

Catholicism is not a sin [called “mental

reservation”]).

2. Catholic seminaries still teach that the

Catholic church SAVED the world from

the Protestants.

iii. The Jesuits at Duoay and Rheims are

RESPONSIBLE for this Catholic Bible which

helps explain why it is bent on attacking

Protestants.

iv. The Jesuit-led Council of TRENT decided,

among other things, to condemn:

1. The Bible as INSUFFICIENT for

salvation for it was impious to place the


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Bible on the same level as apostolic

(Catholic) tradition.

2. Those who denied the canonicity of the

APOCRYPHA are heretics.

3. All English translations; because all

scripture must be studied in the

ORIGINAL languages (another attempt

to keep the Bible from all but the clergy).

4. All who studied the Bible without the

direction of a PRIEST (they use 2 Peter

1:20-21 for this).

e. REVISED Editions.

i. The revised edition of the Rheims-Duoay is called

the CHALLONER version (1749-1750) written

by Richard Challoner, a Catholic bishop, to try and

keep up with the popularity of the King James

Version.

ii. There were two earlier revisions of the Duoay New

Testament, one in 1718 and one in 1738.

3. The CONFRATERNITY.

a. This was the first official Catholic Bible in AMERICA.

b. This was not the FIRST Catholic Bible in America as

Challoner’s revision was the first to be published in

America.

c. This Bible REMOVED archaic expressions and many

polemic (attack) footnotes and used American

SPELLING.

d. This Bible was carried around by World War II Catholic

soldiers and bears the IMPRIMATUR (=official


95

license by the Roman Catholic church to print a religious

book) as an official Catholic Bible in America.

4. The RONALD KNOX Version.

a. This is the official Catholic Bible in GREAT

BRITAIN.

b. Knox used the Sixtine-Clement Latin version of the

Vulgate (1592) to make his translation instead of the

BETTER texts used by the Confraternity Council and

also did not use the originals.

vi. The KING JAMES Version.

1. The LANGUAGE of the King James Version.

a. English in 1611 was general, SIMPLE, and words had

generic meanings.

b. This English then was WELL-SUITED to be the

receptor language for the Hebrew and common Greek

donor languages.

c. Since 1611, vast ADDITIONS in vocabulary have been

made to the English so that several words may now be

necessary to convey the same meaning of one word in the

1611.

d. It is much more DIFFICULT today to translate into

English from the broad, generic, simple vocabularies of the

ancient Hebrew and Greek languages than it was in 1611.

e. The King James translators did work under the

MISTAKEN idea that the Greek was not common

everyday language.

i. They believed it was a “HOLY SPIRIT”

language.


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ii. This did not, however, create a large OBSTACLE

as the language was still broad, generic, and simply

as was English in 1611.

2. The year of the King James Version: 1611.

a. In January of 1604, James I of England called together

numerous ecclesiastics to the HAMPTON COURT

CONFERENCE in response to the Millenary Petition

from the Puritans listed a number of grievances.

i. James did not care for Puritans but called the

conference because he thought he could become a

popular PEACEMAKER in his realm.

ii. The Puritan leader, JOHN REYNOLDS, was

calling for an authorized English version of the

Bible that would be acceptable to all Christian

parties.

iii. The REASONS for a new version also included a

desire for correction of the abuses of the Anglican

clergy and also as an answer to the Rheims-Duoay

Bible which attacked Protestants.

b. James APPROVED of a new version believing he could

be a HERO in his realm, REPLACE the Bishop’s Bible

(so he could undermine the authority of the bishops) and

the Geneva Bible (whose notes he detested being a

conservative), and that he was appointed by GOD.

c. 6 committees were assigned consisting of 54 scholars.

i. Two groups met at CAMBRIDGE to revise 1

Chronicles through Ecclesiastes and the Apocrypha.


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ii. Two groups met at OXFORD to revise Isaiah

through Malachi, the Gospel accounts, Acts, and

Revelation.

iii. Two groups met at WESTMINSTER to revise

Genesis through 2 Kings and Romans through Jude.

iv. Each group was given specific instructions on

which text to use if there were DIFFERENCES

from the Bishop’s Bible; sometimes Tyndale’s,

Matthew’s, or Coverdale’s would be followed.

3. The SCHOLARSHIP of the King James Version.

a. Some have QUESTIONED the scholarly abilities of the

King James translators but Melanchthon’s Latin grammar

was universally used until 1734, Beza and Cartwright are

scholars that are still researched and quoted today, and one

translator had such skill in 50 languages “that had he been

present at the confusion of tongues at Babel, he might have

served as Interpreter General.”

b. Some have also questioned the SOURCES the King

James translators used.

i. They used only 16 manuscripts because many

uncials and cursives were not known (ex. Dead Sea

Scrolls 1947).

ii. The ones they used, however, are the SAME as

the others we have today and if you believe in

biblical preservation they should be.

iii. The King James translators had EXCELLENT

materials and risked their LIVES to produce the

version.

4. REVISIONS of the King James Version.


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a. The King James Version was never officially

AUTHORIZED by state or church; it was “appointed

to be read in the Churches,” but no formal pronouncement

of this ever came from James I or the Anglican bishops.

b. Three EDITIONS appeared in the first year of its

publication:

i. The “WICKED” Bible omitted not from “thou

shalt not commit adultery.”

ii. The “VINEGAR” Bible had a chapter heading in

Luke 20 with vinegar instead of vineyard.

iii. The “MURDERERS” Bible mistakenly

replaced filled with killed in “let the children first

be filled.”

iv. Revisions up to now have attempted to correct

spellings and archaic wording and we are now in

about the 9th revision.

5. Some things to KNOW about the King James Version.

a. MISTRANSLATED words:

i. Matthew 12:40: the KJV has “WHALE” but the

original means “great fish” or “sea monster.”

ii. Holy GHOST is used in many places, but Holy

Spirit is the meaning (cf. Acts 2:4); ghost meant

gets in 1611.

iii. Hebrews 6:6: the KJV inserts “IF” but it is not in

the Greek text.

b. Archaic WORDS and their meanings:

i. Anathema—CURSED (1 Corinthians 16:22).

ii. Anon—IMMEDIATELY (Matthew 13:20).


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iii. Assay—to ATTEMPT (Acts 9:26).

iv. Bishopric—OFFICE (Acts 1:20).

v. Comely—BECOMING (1 Corinthians 7:35).

vi. Conversation—MANNER OF LIFE

(Philippians 1:27).

vii. Corban—a GIFT to God (Mark 7:11).

viii. Easter—PASSOVER (Acts 12:4).

ix. Jewry—JUDEA (Luke 23:5).

x. Keep under—DISCIPLINE (1 Corinthians

9:27).

xi. Lade—LOAD (Luke 11:46).

xii. Maranatha—O LORD, COME (1 Corinthians

16:22).

xiii. Prevent—to GO BEFORE (1 Thessalonians

4:15).

xiv. Quaternions—SQUADS (4 persons) (Acts 12:4).

xv. Rabboni—TEACHER (John 20:16).

xvi. Raca—WORTHLESS, EMPTY (Matthew

5:22).

xvii. Scrip—BAG, WALLET (Matthew 10:10).

xviii. Shamefacedness—MODESTY (1 Timothy 2:9).

xix. Swaddling clothes—clothes used for INFANTS

(Luke 2:7).

xx. Talitha cumi—LITTLE GIRL (Mark 5:41).

xxi. Untoward—CROOKED, PERVERSE (Acts

2:40).

xxii. Vain jangling—IDLE TALK (1 Timothy 1:6).


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xxiii. Wist—KNEW NOT, DID NOT KNOW

(Mark 9:6).

xxiv. Wit—KNOW (2 Corinthians 8:1).

xxv. Wot—TO KNOW (Acts 3:17).

c. Archaic PHRASES and their meanings:

i. I trow not (Luke 17:9)—to think, I THINK

NOT.

ii. He purgeth it, that it may bring more fruit (John

15:2)—he PRUNES, that it may bear more fruit.

iii. I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby

justified (1 Corinthians 4:4)—I know nothing

AGAINST myself, yet, I am not justified by this.

iv. Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in

your own bowels (2 Corinthians 6:12)—you are not

RESTRICTED by us, but you are

RESTRICTED by your own affections.

v. Not to boast in another man’s line of things made

ready to our hand (2 Corinthians 10:16)—not to

boast in another man’s SPHERE OF

ACCOMPLISHMENT, or not to glory in

another’s province in regard of things ready to our

hand.

vi. And from thence we fetched a compass (Acts

28:13)—and from thence we made a CIRCUIT,

or from there we CIRCLED around.

vii. Children or nephews (1 Timothy 5:4)—children or

GRANDCHILDREN.


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viii. We took up our carriages (Acts 21:15)—we took up

our BAGGAGE, or we PACKED.

ix. But was let hitherto (Romans 1:13)—and was

HINDERED hitherto, or but was

HINDERED until now.

x. Jesus prevented him (Matthew 17:25)—Jesus spake

FIRST to him, or Jesus ANTICIPATED him.

xi. For some with conscience of the idol unto this hour

eat it as a thing offered unto an idol (1 Corinthians

8:7)—Question: Does an idol have a

CONSCIENCE? But some being used until now

to the idol, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol.

xii. For thy speech bewrayeth thee (Matthew 26:73)—

for your speech BETRAYS you, or for thy speech

maketh thee known.

d. THREE additional things to keep in mind:

i. There is a MISTRANSLATION at Acts 3:19.

1. It should be “repent and TURN” not

“repent and be converted.”

2. Salvation is not PASSIVE on man’s part,

we must act.

3. Repentance is the DECISION to turn, the

turning is OBEYING in baptism.

ii. There is an incomplete translation at 1 Corinthians

16:2 which in the Greek reads, kata macan

sabbatou or “on the first day of EVERY week.”


102

iii. The KJV translators placed “ETH” on the end of

present tense verbs to indicate CONTINUOUS

action.

vii. The AMERICAN STANDARD Version.

1. The American Standard Version is an outgrowth of American

participation in the revision project that produced the REVISED

VERSION (1881-1885) and is an American edition of that

version.

2. A translation committee sought a minimal revision to bring the

English Bible into harmony with the original texts but made 5,788

changes to the underlying Greek text because they used uncials

that were then known but unknown to the King James translators.

a. The English revisers were given specific instructions for

translating so that as LITERAL a work could be

produced as possible.

b. In the end, the KJV’s archaic elements were amended in

36,191 places.

c. During the summer of 1870, the English invited American

participation on the project but the Americans would stop

working with them and make the American Standard when

the English copyright ran out in 1901.

3. The OBJECT of the translators.

a. The goal of the English and American translators was to

make what they considered a good Bible (the KJV)

BETTER, more ACCURATE, and more consistent in

terms of biblical scholarship of THAT DAY.

b. During the 10 ½ years the British revision required (1870-

1881) the British and American companies NEVER met

together to discus their results.


103

i. The work would be MAILED back and forth and

this continued with the first two revisions.

ii. The third revision did not have this happen but for

an American suggestion about some word to be

used or a change to be made, 2/3 of the English

committee had to agree, which they never did.

iii. There were just 19 on the American committee at

that time and received no COMPENSATION

for their work over the next 29 years (1872-1901)

but by 1901 the committee was up to 101 who

would create the American Standard Version.

c. The English translators used the WESTCOTT-HORTT

theory for their Greek texts which was the idea that only

the oldest texts were best and should be the only ones used.

4. A PROBLEM.

a. The English committee reduced the list of American

suggestions and headed the New Testament appendix with

“List of Readings and Renderings Preferred by the

American Committee Recorded at Their Desire” which

implied that in the British edition was ALL that the

Americans wanted changed though this was not the case.

b. This led the American committee to desire a HOME-

LAND edition.

c. The American committee made no formal, public

PROTEST to the British so as not to affect the sales of

the English revision of 1881 and also had to agree because

of copyright legalities to wait 14 years before publishing

the rival edition.


104

d. The American Standard Version did not appear, however,

until 20 years later.

i. THOMAS NELSON and Sons received the

copyrights in 1897 and on June 24 that same year

work began on the Final American Version.

ii. The finalized version went on sale August 26,

1901.

5. DIFFERENCES of the ERV and ASV with the KJV.

a. The ERV and ASV translators preferred using WHO and

WHOM instead of WHICH when referring to persons.

b. The WOT and WIST of the KJV are now KNOW and

KNEW.

c. The ERV and ASV use JEHOVAH instead of Lord.

d. The ERV and ASV translators use LOVE instead of

CHARITY in translating the Greek term agape.

e. The ASV translators removed more ARCHAISMS than

the ERV translators.

f. The ERV and ASV do a better job in translating TEMPT

in the KJV as TRIAL, especially when the context is

concerning wrong doing.

g. Because the ERV and ASV translators used the Wescott-

Horst text, ACTS 8:37 found in the KJV is missing in the

ASV along with 16 verses in the KJV thought to be

spurious which are put in the margin (ex. 1 John 5:7; John

5:4; etc.).

6. Some things to KNOW about the American Standard Version:

a. The ASV has some SUPERIOR changes to the KJV.


105

i. In Acts 17:22 the ASV has “very RELIGIOUS”

rather than “too superstitious.”

ii. In Acts 26:28 the reading in the ASV is “with but

LITTLE PERSUASION thou wouldest fain

make me a Christian” which shows the meaning of

the original (Did you think you could persuade me

with that little bit of information?) over the KJV

“almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”

iii. The ASV uses “JUSTICE” rather than

“judgment” in Matthew 23:23 which is the better

reading.

iv. The ASV also removed the “STREET

LANGUAGE” in 2 Kings 18:27 and Isaiah

36:12.

b. The ASV has a footnote concerning Mark 16:9-20 because

the two oldest Greek uncials OMITTED it though the

passage is in the majority of the Greek texts and is

authentic.

c. The ASV REMOVES the eunuch’s confession in Acts

8:37 and puts it in a footnote because of the two earliest

uncials and their use of the Wescott-Hort method.

d. The ASV leaves out THE before faith n Galatians 2:16

indicating “faith-only” as sufficient for salvation though the

Greek text demands it being there.

e. The ASV has PASSOVER instead of Easter in Acts

12:4.

f. The ASV changes “ALL scripture” in 2 Timothy 3:16 to

“EVERY scripture” which might imply that not every

verse or word is inspired.


106

g. PREVENT (KJV) is corrected to PRECEDE in the

ASV (1 Thessalonians 4:15).

h. The ASV changes “peculiar people” to “a people for God’s

OWN POSSESSION” (Titus 2:14).

i. Names of MONEY, WEIGHTS, and MEASURES

in the ASV are unfamiliar to American readers today and

require a Bible dictionary to interpret.

j. Several ARCHAIC terms not known today remain in the

ASV:

i. Quaternions (Acts 12:4)—SQUAD (of 4).

ii. Concision (Philippians 3:2)—CUT-OFF or

MUTILATE.

iii. Shambles (1 Corinthians 10:25)—MEAT

MARKET.

iv. Draught (Matthew 15:17)—SINK or DRAIN.

v. Shamefastness (1 Timothy 2:9)—MODESTY.

vi. Raca (Matthew 5:22)—USELESS.

vii. Mammon (Matthew 6:24)—MONEY,

RICHES.

viii. Maranatha (1 Corinthians 16:22)—LORD

COME.

ix. Must needs (Luke 14:18)—MUST GO or

MUST COME.

x. Would fain (Luke 15:16)—WOULD

GLADLY, WANT TO.

xi. Behoove (Luke 24:46)—OUGHT.

xii. Lest haply (Matthew 4:6)—UNLESS.


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xiii. Anathema (1 Corinthians 16:22)—ACCURSED.

viii. Modern VERSIONS.

1. REVISED STANDARD VERSION.

a. The New Testament for this version was published in 1946

and the Old Testament in 1952.

b. The committee consisted of 32 translators backed by the

National Council of the Churches of Christ (a far-left

leaning denominational group).

c. The translators state in the preface that they were not

attempting a new translation but a REVISION of the

American Standard Version but the publishers advertised it

as a “new translation.”

d. The RSV does not use any method (ex. Italics or marginal

notes) to inform non-Greek reading students of which

words were ADDED.

e. The RSV preface claims that thee, thou, thy, and thine are

used for deity but in referring to CHRIST the translators

used you and your.

f. The term almah is translated YOUNG WOMAN in

Isaiah 7:14 but parthenos as VIRGIN in Matthew 1:23.

i. This is done to assert that Mary had

QUESTIONABLE virginity.

ii. The RSV removes FIRSTBORN from Matthew

1:25 implying that Joseph was the actual father of

Jesus.

g. The RSV of 1946 removed MARK 16:9-20 and put it

as a footnote but later editions replaced the passage and

added a marginal note concerning the difficulties in the two

oldest uncial manuscripts.


108

h. The RSV removes an implied reference to CHRIST in

Genesis 12:3 as the seed of Abraham Who would bless all

nations (Galatians 3:18-19) by rewording the end of the

verse to read, “in thee shall all the families of the earth

bless themselves.”

i. It is clear that the translators of the RSV did not believe in

the DEITY of Christ.

i. They removed BEGOTTEN (John 3:16) which is

a virgin-birth reference.

ii. They changed Luke 2:33 to imply again that Joseph

was Jesus’ FATHER.

iii. They changed Luke 2:43 from “Joseph and his

mother” to “his PARENTS.”

iv. Jesus was not Joseph’s son but the son of GOD

(Luke 1:35).

2. NEW ENGLISH BIBLE.

a. The director of its translating committee was C. H. Dodd

who had a very MODERNISTIC view of scripture.

i. Dodd thought the Old Testament writers had

IMAGINATIONS and thoughts of a “high

order.”

ii. He believed the Old Testament books were not

WRITTEN by the men whose names are on them

and that “Moses left us no writings.”

iii. Dodd also compared the New Testament to Platonic

PHILOSOPHY.

1. Plato said KNOW yourself but Jesus said

DENY yourself.


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2. Jesus turned Greek philosophy UPSIDE

DOWN.

iv. Dodd also believed the New Testament writers were

influenced by STOICISM (=a Greek philosophy

which denies the Trinity, believes in a distant

relationship with God, help comes from within,

etc.).

b. The NEB was promoted as a COUNTERPART to the

Revised Standard Version by the Presbytery of Stirling and

Dunbane and the General Assembly of the Church of

Scotland in 1946.

i. The Presbytery argued that the language of the King

James was already ARCHAIC when it was made

and now even more-so and less generally

understood.

ii. This same argument happens TODAY but notice

some of the language used in the NEB:

1. Lying in wait (KJV)—

MACHINATION (NEB).

2. Willing to do pleasure (KJV)—

ANXIOUS TO INGRATIATE

(NEB).

3. Mightily convinced (KJV)—

INDEFATIGABLE IN

REFUTING (NEB).

4. Destroy (KJV)—EXTIRPATE (NEB).

5. Grieve (KJV)—EXASPERATE (NEB).


110

6. Father killers or mother killers (KJV)—

PATRICIDES and MATRICIDES

(NEB).

7. Commanding to abstain (KJV)—

INCULCATING ABSTINENCE

(NEB).

8. He is proud knowing nothing (KJV)—

POMPOUS IGNORAMUS (NEB).

9. Unruly evil (KJV)—INTRACTABLE

EVIL (NEB).

c. The NEB has many of the same problems as the RSV in

denying the DEITY of Jesus (ex. A footnote at Matthew

1:16 makes Joseph the father of Jesus).

d. There are OMISSIONS in the NEB which have no basis

in the manuscripts (ex. Matthew 21:9).

e. Some passages are REWRITTEN,

PARAPHRASED, or simply

MISTRANSLATED.

f. There is CRUDE language used in the NEB with

LEWD language especially found in Matthew 1:25;

21:31-32; and Romans 1:26-27.

3. TODAY’S ENGLISH VERSION (Good News Bible).

a. The translator of this version was ROBERT

BRATCHER.

i. Gideon Rodriquez, a graduate of the Memphis

School of Preaching, worked with Pratcher to

produce a version for the Tagolog speaking people

of the PHILIPPINES.


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ii. Rodriquez noticed many PROBLEMS with

Bratcher in attempts to stay with the original

meanings.

iii. Bratcher wrote that “Jesus Christ could not enjoy

omniscience. This is an attribute of God…Jesus did

not claim he and the Father to be one-which would

be ABSURD” (cf. John 10:30).

b. The Good News Bible changes the word BLOOD (heema

[cf. hematology]) to other expressions in an attempt to

remove the blood-sacrifice or atonement achieved by

Christ.

i. In fifteen other verses the term blood is changed to

DEATH and to SACRIFICE in 1 Peter 1:19.

ii. Using the term death removes Christ’s

REDEEMING work on the cross and makes His

death the same as all others (cf. Matthew 26:68).

c. The 1968 revision of this Bible changed VIRGIN to

GIRL (Isaiah 7:14) trying to remove the miraculous

conception of Jesus.

i. This is emphasized in John 1:1 where this Bible

reads that the Word was the “SAME as God” not

the “Word was God.”

ii. The attack on Jesus’ Deity is clearly seen in

Romans 9:5 where the Bible reads that Jesus is

“God blessed forever” but the TEV reads, “And

Christ as a HUMAN BEING belongs to their

race. May God, who rules over all, be praised

forever, Amen.”

4. LIVING BIBLE PARAPHRASED.


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a. This Bible was published in 1967 by Tyndale House and is

a PARAPHRASE by Kenneth Taylor.

b. This work is more a COMMENTARY than a Bible

because in the preface the revision committee admitted

that, “a previous rendering, though valid (in the standards,

KJV and ASV) should conform to a more standard

interpretation.”

c. Though there was a revision “COMMITTEE” it was

Taylor who did all of the paraphrasing.

d. The desire for a “more standard interpretation” shows he

was not concerned with ACCURACY but rather his own

doctrine.

i. This is extremely dangerous because translation is

the accurate rendering of what the Greek says while

paraphrase/interpretation is an attempt to give the

MEANING of what the Greek says in another

language.

ii. One reason for the continued popularity of the KJV

is that it is primarily an ACCURATE translation

of the original Greek.

e. The LBP has changed the meanings of HUNDREDS of

verses.

i. ORIGINAL SIN is taught in Psalm 51:5 where

it reads, “But I was born a sinner” and in Ephesians

2:3 where it reads, “We started out being bad, being

born with evil natures.”

ii. PREMILLENNIALISM is inserted wherever

possible.


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1. Taylor rewrote 2 Timothy 4:1 to read, “And

so I solemnly charge you before God and

before Jesus Christ; who will some day

judge the living and dead when he appears

to SET UP his kingdom.”

2. Taylor got so carried away that he not only

rewrote Isaiah 2:1-4 but also ADDED the

line that “in those days the world will be

ruled from Jerusalem!”

iii. Taylor believed in “FAITH ALONE” and

inserted the phrase wherever he could (ex. Romans

4:12 reads that Abraham found favor with God by

“faith alone”).

1. Taylor perverted so many verses that it is

hard to identify at all the PLAN OF

SALVATION.

2. One can see his own

CONTRADICTION of his doctrine in 1

Peter 3:21 as it reads, “That by the way is

what baptism pictures for us: In baptism we

show that we have been saved from death

and doom by the resurrection of Christ; not

because our bodies are washed clean by the

water but because in baptism we are turning

to God and asking him to cleanse our hearts

from sin.”

iv. Taylor also believed in the DIRECT

OPERATION of the Holy Spirit causing him to

change passages like Romans 8:16 to, “For his Holy


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Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts, and tells us

that we really are God’s children.”

5. NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION.

a. This Bible was published by Zondervan in 1991 and in the

preface explains that, “the New Revised Version of the

Bible is an authorized revision of the Revised Standard

Version published in 1952.”

b. The preface also explains why many MALE-

ORIENTED terms such as he, him, his, male, men, and

brethren were eliminated (the feminist movement had

pressured for such language and the NRSV is the anti-male

Bible as the result).

c. The NRSV was promoted by a division called

“CHRISTIAN EDUCATION” which was a work of

the National Council of the Churches of Christ (the same

radical, left-wing liberals that created the RSV) showing

their political agendas were of much greater import than

translation accuracy.

d. The NRSV contains all of the anti-DEITY problems of

the RSV.

e. This Bible mistranslated porneia (the sexual act,

fornication) to “UNCHASTITY” which allows one to

divorce and remarry if one’s mate dress, speaks, etc.

unchastely.

f. The NRSV shows its feminist tendencies in places like 1

Timothy 3:11 where a marginal note allows for female

DEACONS.


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g. This Bible also allows SOCIAL DRINKING by

changing “not given to wine” (1 Timothy 3:3) to “avoid

drunkenness.”

i. The phrase “not given to wine” used in the KJV

carries the true meaning—ABSTINENCE from

alcohol.

ii. If you can drink socially, can you commit

ADULTERY socially?

iii. If I have 10 chickens and you steal one what are

you? A chicken THIEF. If you take one drink

then you are one drink DRUNK.

iv. A drink of alcohol kills one MILLION brain

cells; God would never endorse such reckless

destruction of the body He gave us (cf. Acts 17:28).

6. NEW AMERICAN STANDARD VERSION.

a. This Bible began in 1963 when the Lockman Foundation

started a new translation project designed to give

“consideration…to the latest available manuscripts.”

i. It is actually a REVISION of the Lockman

Foundation’s Amplified Bible.

ii. The translators for this Bible followed

NESTLE’S Greek Testament (23rd edition) rather

than the Greek text used by the American Standard

(1901).

b. This Bible does use brackets in the text to “indicate words

PROBABLY not in the original.”

c. The NASB, through footnotes, denied MESSIANIC

prophecy in the Old Testament including Genesis 3:15;

49:10; Numbers 24:7; and Deuteronomy 18:15.


116

d. The NASB explains that “you” is capitalized when

referring to Deity but pronouns referring to CHRIST are

not capitalized.

e. The NASB mistranslates porneia (the ACT of fornication)

as unchastity in Matthew 5:32 and as immorality in

Matthew 19:9 which would permit easy divorce if

followed.

f. The NASB mistranslates Romans 12:1 to “which is your

spiritual service of worship” which indicates that all

SERVICE to God is worship (cf. Genesis 22:3-5).

g. The NASB does have some BETTER readings than the

KJV:

i. BRIDLES (James 3:3).

ii. PREDESTINED (Ephesians 1:5; Romans

8:29).

iii. SEA MONSTER (Matthew 12:40).

iv. EVERY WEEK (1 Corinthians 16:2).

h. There is a CONTRADICTION in the NASB between

Matthew 5:17 and Ephesians 2:15.

i. Though it is called the “NEW” American Standard, it is

not related to the American Standard of 1901 and lacks its

accuracy.

7. NEW KING JAMES VERSION.

a. The translators of this Bible had as their PURPOSE not

to make a new translation, but rather to “make a good one

better.”

i. They believed their work was a

CONTINUATION of the efforts made to

produce the original KJV.


117

ii. The translators seemed to have REVERENCED

the Bible as the Word of God and used a Greek text

similar to the Textus Receptus used by the KJV

translators.

iii. It was first published in 1982 and the Slimline

Edition had a “What Must I Do To Be Saved”

section but the acts of conversion are

INCOMPLETE.

iv. The translators did attempt to UPDATE many of

the archaic words of the KJV but words like

mammon, Hosanna, Rabboni, etc. were kept.

b. The NKJV did correct “hell” to “hades” (ex. Mark 9:42-

48), “Easter” to “Passover” (Acts 12:4), “debate” to “strife”

and “contention” (Romans 1:29; 2 Corinthians 12:20) and

removed the term “UNKNOWN” (in italics in the KJV

at 1 Corinthians 14:2) which is used by charismatics for

speaking gibberish and claiming it to be the gift of tongues.

c. The first edition of the NKJV had Jesus’ bones

BROKEN at 1 Corinthians 11:24 but later editions fixed

this mistake.

d. The NKJV does corrupt Galatians 2:16, 20; Ephesians

3:12; and Philippians 3:9 by reading “faith in Christ”

instead of “THE faith in Christ” thus implying faith only.

e. The NKJV dilutes the “Golden Rule” of Matthew 7:12 by

reading “WOULD do to you” rather than “SHOULD

do to you;” there is a big difference in treating someone the

way I want him to treat me (“gold plated rule”) and treating

him right as he should me regardless of any motive that

wants him to treat me correctly.


118

f. The NKJV removed ETH from the end of verbs which

eliminates the ability to determine the continuous action of

a verb.

g. The NKJV does use oblique (=slanted) typeface in the New

Testament to identify a QUOTE from the Old Testament.

h. A large problem with the NKJV is its use of SEXUAL

IMMORALITY as the translation of porneia (Matthew

5:32; 19:9; etc.).

i. Again, porneia is an ACT.

ii. If the NKJV was the only source of God’s

instructions to people today, one could divorce and

remarry for a spouse simply THINKING a

wrong thought.

iii. Porneia is a STRONGER idea than lusting, the

act must be COMMITTED.

i. The NKJV is better than most when it comes to modern

version but as a STANDARD it too is lacking but is

useful as a comparative STUDY Bible.

8. NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION.

a. This Bible claims to be “an

INTERDENOMINATIONAL effort, by scores of

scholars, to translate God’s word AFRESH.”

b. The history of this Bible goes back to the 1950’s but work

did not begin until 1968 with the New Testament being

published in 1973.

c. The preface of the NIV states that the translators, “have

striven for MORE than a word for word translation” and


119

so have “frequent MODIFICATIONS in sentence

structure.”

d. The NIV is full of doctrinal ERROR:

i. It removes the “SEED OF WOMAN” (which

is a biological impossibility therefore a virgin-birth

prophecy) from Genesis 3:15 when the Hebrew

word demands it.

ii. It has the same contradiction as the NASB between

Matthew 5:17 and Ephesians 2:15 in having both as

ABOLISH.

1. It also creates a CONTRADICTION

with Hebrews 9:15 and 2 Corinthians 3:7-

11.

2. Jesus did not ABOLISH the Law of

Moses, He FULFILLED it.

iii. The NIV translates flesh as SINFUL

NATURE in Romans 8 and Galatians 5 (cf.

Ezekiel 18:20) and furthers the idea in Psalm 51:4

reading “a sinner from BIRTH.”

iv. The NIV at Ephesians 5:19 reads “sing and make

MUSIC” which permits the use of instrumental

music in worship.

v. The NIV translators were INCONSISTENT

when translating ha-daz having it as hades in

Matthew 16:18, depths at Matthew 11:23, hell at

Luke 16:23, but grave at Acts 2:27.

vi. The NIV allows for easy divorce and remarriage by

rendering porneia as MARITAL

UNFAITHFULNESS at Matthew 5:32 and


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19:9 and as SEXUAL IMMORALITY at 1

Corinthians 5:1; Acts 15:20, 29; 1. Corinthians

6:13, 18; and Jude 7.

vii. The NIV at Ephesians 1:13; has one “who

HEARS” already saved and the one who

“believes” having the personal Holy Spirit which

contradicts Acts 2:38.

e. Some have tried to PROMOTE the NIV among the

churches of Christ by saying that a member of the

translating committee was a member of the church of

Christ.

i. A group calling itself the “church of Christ” is listed

in the preface but it is a

DENOMINATIONAL group not affiliated

with the New Testament church.

ii. The NIV is the most DANGEROUS of all the

new Bibles not only because it is filled with error,

but because brethren have accepted and promoted it.

iii. A new version is a good thing if, and only if, it is

translated from the original without ADDITION

which the NIV did not do and ADMITS this in its

preface.

9. ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION.

a. This Bible appeared in 2001 with the goal to “capture the

precise wording of the original text and personal style of

each Bible writer.”

b. The ESV started with the 1971 Revised Standard Version

but also used the 1952 RSV and used the Wescott-Horst

theories concerning the manuscripts (oldest is best).


121

c. The translating philosophy of the scholars was striving for

as LITERAL (as far as possible) translation but the

translators added in their preface that they “have sought to

capture the echoes and overtones of meaning that are so

abundantly present in the original text” which basically

means they did what they wanted when they got there.

i. “Echoes” are faint RENDITIONS and

“overtones” are ADDITIONS to the text

creating subjectivity.

ii. One example of this bias is seen in the ESV’s

rendering of ANY MAN as ANYONE and

SONS only as sons when sons had a LEGAL

meaning.

1. The Greek is gender SPECIFIC and is not

hard to translate male or female terms

correctly.

2. Any man is a DIFFERENT idea from

anyone.

d. The ESV does retain VIRGIN at Isaiah 7:14, replaced

archaic terms with MODERN usage, corrected “tempt”

with “TESTED” (cf. Genesis 22:1) and “bowels” with

“AFFLICTIONS.”

e. The ESV does not indicate added words with ITALICS

and some of the footnotes are neither HELPFUL nor

ACCURATE.

i. Ex. At Daniel 3:16 the ESV reads, “If this be so, our

God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the


122

burning furnace” but the footnote reads, “IF our

God whom we serve is able.”

ii. The statement of the footnote brings into question

the POWER of God.

iii. The footnote at Matthew 16:18 promotes PETER

as the rock on which the church is built (cf. 1

Corinthians 3:11) and the text leaves out “body

broken for you” at 1 Corinthians 11:24 when the

Greek text HAS it.

f. The website of Good News Publishers Board of Directors

indicates that the translators believed in a DIRECT

operation of the Holy Spirit, that BAPTISM is non-

essential to salvation, and that the LORD’S SUPPER is

non-essential.

i. These leanings show why the translators changed

SHALL to WILL and vice-verse throughout the

translation.

ii. This is used to show actions that are unchangeable

because God PREDESTINED them which is a

tenet of Calvinism and not true Bible doctrine.

g. Ephesians 4:8; 2 Peter 2:9; 1 John 3:5; 1 Peter 3:21;

Romans 10:9-10; 6:4-5; and 2 Corinthians 3:16 are

PERVERTED in the ESV and these are doctrinal errors

that will send one to HELL.

h. The ESV misses the point of 1 Corinthians 13:10 by

translating telios as the PERFECT but merous as the

PARTIAL.

i. The contrast is not between partial

REVELATION and complete


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REVELATION as the early church had all the

truth (2 Peter 1:3) before it was written (2

Corinthians 4:7).

ii. The contrast is between the “in part” which is the

use of spiritual gifts until “that which is perfect is

come” which is the completed BIBLE that could

be preserved and passed on to future generations.

10. All versions and translations have PROBLEMS.

a. One that cannot read Hebrew and Greek should check the

Bible he uses with the American Standard Version an King

James Version both of which are STANDARDS and

not filled with bias and doctrinal error.

b. We all must keep STUDYING and remember that one

can TRUST the ASV and KJV for sure.

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