The True Word Of God
The CIH has had this morning interrupted by a phone message asking about the different Greek texts used in the translation of our Bible. This prompted a brief search through the bookshelves, some initial reading and a search on the internet.
With some surprise, the CIH discovered that there seems to be a large number of people who hold the King James Bible as the only true Word of God. They cry out against modern English translations such as the NIV saying they are based on misleading Greek manuscripts that were discovered after the King James Bible was published and are therefore not to be trusted. It is a shame that these same people do not take into account the fact that these Greek manuscripts were actually written prior to those used by the King James Bible for translation.
The text that the CIH used at college and which is widely accepted as the closest to the original text is the 26th Edition of the Nestle-Aland text of the Greek New Testament. This includes footnotes to alert the reader to variations in other text sources.
Time to put textual criticism aside for one moment. The CIH is now wondering why Christians spend so much of their time arguing amongst one another when they should be out telling non-Christians about Jesus. There is no credit for winning an argument like this one that is based on historical facts that cannot be proved one way or the other. Instead, we should be looking at our Scriptures and seeing that there is so much in common and the miracle is that, over the hundreds of years we have been translating the scriptures, they still carry the message that God loves the world he made and that he sent Jesus to die for us and to make it possible for those that believe and trust in him to have a place put aside for them in heaven.
Don't let the devil distract us from our work and ministry. Instead, take the words from 1 Peter 5:8-9 very seriously: "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil is prowling round like a roraring lion, seeking for someone to devour. Resist him, strong in the faith."
Oh, and the 'True Word of God'? See John 1 "In the beginning was the Word".
With some surprise, the CIH discovered that there seems to be a large number of people who hold the King James Bible as the only true Word of God. They cry out against modern English translations such as the NIV saying they are based on misleading Greek manuscripts that were discovered after the King James Bible was published and are therefore not to be trusted. It is a shame that these same people do not take into account the fact that these Greek manuscripts were actually written prior to those used by the King James Bible for translation.
The text that the CIH used at college and which is widely accepted as the closest to the original text is the 26th Edition of the Nestle-Aland text of the Greek New Testament. This includes footnotes to alert the reader to variations in other text sources.
Time to put textual criticism aside for one moment. The CIH is now wondering why Christians spend so much of their time arguing amongst one another when they should be out telling non-Christians about Jesus. There is no credit for winning an argument like this one that is based on historical facts that cannot be proved one way or the other. Instead, we should be looking at our Scriptures and seeing that there is so much in common and the miracle is that, over the hundreds of years we have been translating the scriptures, they still carry the message that God loves the world he made and that he sent Jesus to die for us and to make it possible for those that believe and trust in him to have a place put aside for them in heaven.
Don't let the devil distract us from our work and ministry. Instead, take the words from 1 Peter 5:8-9 very seriously: "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil is prowling round like a roraring lion, seeking for someone to devour. Resist him, strong in the faith."
Oh, and the 'True Word of God'? See John 1 "In the beginning was the Word".
posted by Col. @ 11:38 AM
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