Bible Translations Why so many Can we trust

Bible Translations Why so many? Can we trust them?

Factors of Bible Translation Changing Language 2. Different Goals of Interpretation 3. Dissimilar Manuscripts 1.

Language n New Testament: Koine Greek n Old Testament: Hebrew, Aramaic

Language n History of N. T. Bible Language

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Equivalence or Literal n Which version is right for me?

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

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

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

ID Name Date Content A (02) Codex Alexandrinus 5 th Gospels C (04) Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus 5 th Gospels W (032) Codex Washingtonianus 5 th Matt 1 -28; Luke 8: 13– 24: 53 Q (026) Codex Guelferbytanus B 5 th Luke–John 061 Uncial 061 5 th 1 Tim 3: 15 -16; 4: 1 -3; 6: 2 -8 Ee (07) Codex Basilensis 8 th Gospels Fe (09) Codex Boreelianus 9 th Gospels Ge (011) Codex Seidelianus I 9 th Gospels He Codex Seidelianus II 9 th Gospels L (020) Codex Angelicus 9 th Acts, CE, Pauline Epistles V (031) Codex Mosquensis II 9 th Gospels Y (034) Codex Macedoniensis 9 th Gospels Θ (038) Codex Koridethi 9 th Gospels (except Mark) S (028) Codex Vaticanus 354 949 Gospels 1241 Minuscule 1241 12 th only Acts 1424 Minuscule 1424 9 th/10 t NT (except Mark) (01 3)

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

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

ID Name Date Content B 46 Chester Beatty II c. 200 Pauline Epistles B 66 Bodmer II c. 200 Gospels B 72 Bodmer VII/VIII 3 rd/4 th 1 -2 Peter; Jude B 75 Bodmer XIV-XV 3 rd fragments of Luke — John ﬡ Codex Sinaiticus 330 -360 NT B Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209 325 -350 Matt. — Hbr 9, 14 A Codex Alexandrinus c. 400 (except Gospels) C Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus 5 th (except Gospels) Q Codex Guelferbytanus B 5 th fragments Luke — John T Codex Borgianus 5 th fragments Luke — John I Codex Freerianus 5 th Pauline epistles Z Codex Dublinensis 6 th fragments of Matt. L Codex Regius 8 th Gospels W Codex Washingtonianus 5 th Luke 1: 1– 8: 12; J 5: 12– 21: 25 057 Uncial 057 4/5 th Acts 3: 5– 6, 10 -12 0220 Uncial 0220 6 th NT (except Rev. ) 33 Minuscule 33 9 th Romans 81 Minuscule 81 1044 Acts, Paul

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

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

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

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

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