THE ORIGIN OF BIBLE CIRCULATION

AND TRANSLATION
METHODS OF TRANSLATING THE SCRIPTURES

• One of the reasons we see different

versions of the Bible is because of the
number of manuscripts available. There
are over 5,800 Greek NT manuscripts
known to date, along with over 10,000
Hebrew OT manuscripts and over 19,000
copies in Syriac, Coptic, Latin, and
Aramaic languages.
• The oldest papyrus fragment is in England
at the John Rylands Library of Manchester
University called, P52. The fragment dates
no later than AD 150 and as early as AD
100.
FAMILIES OF MANUSCRIPT

• Scholars have divided these ancient

manuscripts into two main families:
1. Byzantine text-type aka Majority Text.
This type of text looks at all the
manuscripts and determines the final
reading by what the majority of the
manuscripts say.
2. Alexandrian text-type AKA Neutral or
Egyptians. Rather than looking for a
collective majority, the Alexandrian text
type looks mainly at the date of the
manuscript and the region of the world
it came from.
TRANSLATION PHILOSOPHY

• Once the manuscript families are

determined for the translation of the Bible,
translators need to decide what translation
philosophy they will follow. There are 3
main philosophies:
1. Formal Equivalence- it focuses on
translating word-for-word and strives to
be as literal as possible. Bibles that fall
under the formal equivalence
philosophy would be the ESV, KJV, and
NASB.
TRANSLATION PHILOSOPHY

2. Functional Equivalence- It focuses on a

thought-for-thought (Dynamic
equivalence) translation. Its goal is to
make the text easy to read and easier to
understand. The Bibles that fall in this
camp are the NLT and NIV.
3. Optimal Equivalence- It is a balance of
word-for-word and though-for-thought
where needed for the reader to better
understand. The HCSB would be
considered an optimal equivalence
approach.
TRANSLATION PHILOSOPHY

• You will also find Bibles that are

paraphrased but this lack accuracy and
sometimes go beyond a thought-for-
thought approach. These Bibles are good
to better understand the story or text, but
for expository preaching it’s best to stick
with a word-for-word or thought-for-
thought Bible.
BIBLE TRANSLATION REGULATIONS

• With so many manuscripts (some differing

from one another) and different translation
philosophies, there are about 50 main
versions of the English Bible today. If we
count revisions with editions and revisions
it will lead to hundreds of Bibles.
• Another reason for multiple versions of the
English Bible is that over time the English
language has changed dramatically. Old
English sounds and reads differently than
modern English and certain passages, and
certain words have changed in meaning.
BIBLE TRANSLATION REGULATIONS

ie. The KJV’s I Cor.13 used the word charity

in the word “love.” Charity today means
something completely different then what
it meant back in the 17th century. Today we
use the word “love,” and when we speak
of charity, we are referring to the act of
being generous or part of an organization.
BIBLE TRANSLATIONS

• Amplified Bible (1965)

• Christian Standard Bible (2017)
• Holman Christian Standard Bible (2004)
• The King James Bible (1611)
• The Living Bible (1971)
• The Message (2002)
• New American Bible (1970)
• English Standard Version (2001)
• New Living Translation (1996)
BIBLE TRANSLATIONS

• New International Version (1978)

• New American Standard Bible (1971)
• New King James Version (1982)
 BIBLE FAMILY TREE
S T ORIGINAL NT
LO MANUSCRIPTS

S TANCESTOR OF T TRADITIONAL TEXT

LO ALEXANDRIAN LO
S
O ST ANCESTOR OF
TEXTUS RECEPTICUS L WESTERN FAMILY
FAMILY
PAPYRUS 75 PAPYRUS 66 GOTHIC VERSION PERSHITTA
200 AD 200 AD 400 AD SYRIAC
300 AD OLD LATIN
LATIN VULGATE VERSION
CODEX B CODEX ALEPH 400 AD
CODEX W CODEX A 200 AD
400 AD 400 AD 400-500 AD 400 AD
CODEX D
REVISED VERSION 1881 VAST MAJORITY 500-600 AD
OF EXTANT 1,900 NT
TEXTS MANUSCRIPTS

AMERICAN STANDARD CODEX D2 CODEX E2

600 AD 700 AD
VERSION 1901
KING JAMES
REVISED STANDARD VERSION 1611
VERSION 1946 DOUAY VERSION
1582
NEW ENGLISH BIBLE EVERY SINGLE BIBLE
1961 BEFORE 1940
 BIBLE TRANSLATIONS
A. ANCESTORS OF THE ALEXANDRIAN FAMILY

Kurt Aland (1915-1994)

• Kurt Aland co-editor of both of the most
widely used critical Greek texts and who
is the leading textual scholar in the
European continent proposes that the
text of P75 and B.
• He present a revision of the local text of
Egypt which was enforced as the
dominant text in that particular
ecclesiastical province (The Bible in
modern scholarship, p.336 Cf. Novum
Testamentum IX, April 1967, p.91).
 BIBLE TRANSLATIONS

David Otis Fuller (1903-1988)

“Fundamentally there are only two

streams of Bible; the first stream which
carried the received the received text in
Hebrew and Greek, precious manuscripts
were preserved by such as the church at
Pella in Palestine where Christians fled when
Romans destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70.”
-David Otis Fuller
 BIBLE TRANSLATIONS

Les Garrett (1943-2017) “…by the Syrian church of Antioch which

produced eminent scholarship by the Italic
church in Northern Italy and also at the same
time by the Gallic church in Southern France
and the Celtic church by the Great Britain;
by the pre-Waldensian and the churches of
reformation. These manuscripts have in
agreement with them by far the vast
majorities of copies of the original texts. So
vast is these majority that even the enemies
of the received texts that even the 1920 of all
Greek manuscripts are of this class.
(Les Garrett, 1982, p.64)
 BIBLE TRANSLATIONS
B. ANCESTORS OF THE WESTERN FAMILY

• The second stream is the small one of a

very few manuscripts and they represents;
a. In Greek- The Vatican MS (Codex B)
which in library of Rome, the Sinaitic
(Codex Aleph)- which was found in the
region of Alexandria in Egypt (1844).
b. Vulgate Latin- by Jerome (383 AD)
c. In English- Jesuit Bible, Douay Version or
Catholic Bible (1582).
d. English in modern Bible translations
 BIBLE TRANSLATIONS
C. ORIGINAL /TRADITIONAL TEXT OR TEXTUS RECEPTICUS

David Otis Fuller (1903-1988)

“So, the present controversy between

the King James Version in English and
the modern versions is the same old
contest fought out between the early
church and the rival sects; later between
Waldenses and the Papists from the 4th
to the 13th centuries and later still
between the reformers and the Jesuits
in the 16th centuries.”
-David Otis Fuller
 BIBLE TRANSLATIONS

Les Garrett (1943-2017)

“We need to understand that many of the new
translation are taken from the “old”
manuscripts. People think that these are
more reliable. In actual fact, they are saying;
that the manuscripts found in the waste
basket in the cave in Mt. Sinai and
questionable manuscript from Alexandria in
Egypt are more reliable than the received
text.”(Les Garrett, 1982, p.15)
BIBLE TRANSLATIONS

• Being a textual critic, was supposed to

correct numerous portion of the sacred
manuscripts.
• Evidence to the contrary shows that he
changed them to agree with his own human
philosophy of mystical and allegorical
ideas. Thus, through deceptive scholarship
of this kind, certain manuscripts has been
corrupted (Garrett,1982).
 CHRONOLOGY OF OTHER BIBLES

Diocletian (284-305 AD)

• He began the last major persecution of

Christians in the Roman Empire, resulting in
the destruction of churches and copies of the
scripture, the torture and execution
of Christian who refused to sacrifice to the
Roman gods. Galerius, who succeeded
Diocletian as Augustus in 305, continued the
persecution until 311 AD.
• This prompted Christians to write copies of
the scriptures piece by piece on papers,
wood, walls of caves and catacombs.
 CHRONOLOGY OF OTHER BIBLES
Constantine the Great (272-337 AD)

• From the birth of Jesus to 400 BC, gnostic

gospel has been, and other writings were
written, and Paul made mentioned of this;
“for we are not as many which corrupt the
word of God” (II Cor.2:17).
• In 331 AD Constantine ordered that one
Bible be written, and Eusebius was
assigned to this task. However, Eusebius
reject the deity of Jesus and considered
Him as another created being. Eusebius
promotes (Arianism) and lied to anyone
else.
CHRONOLOGY OF OTHER BIBLES

• In 1481 the Vatican manuscript was

discovered in Vatican library. This
manuscript repeatedly cast aside the deity
of Christ. It reflects the teaching of Arianism
of Origen and is thought by some to be one
of the surviving manuscript done by
Eusebius at the command of Constantine.
The date of its writing coincides with
“ecumenical” Bible of Constantine.
• 1844 Sinaitic manuscript was discovered in
Mt Sinai in the monastery of St. Catherine,
and this document agrees closely with the
Vatican manuscripts.
CHRONOLOGY OF OTHER BIBLES

• Tischendorf (1815-1874) and Tregelles

(1813-1875) these versions teaches that
the deity of Christ was minimized, and is
Arian in nature. This manuscripts were
probably 2 of the 50 that were written for
Constantine.
• By 1881, the Westcott (1825-1901) and
Hort (1828-1892) introduced the Greek
text, this text depart from Textus
Recepticus and follows the Vatican and
Sinaitic Corruption. This is the JW New
World Translation.
 CHRONOLOGY OF OTHER BIBLES
William Tyndale (1536-1494)

• Tyndale, used the Received Text and said

to the Pope; “If God spared my life before
many years, I would cause a boy that
drives a plough to know more of the
scripture than thou does.”
• The argument is not KJV vs other
translation. Any Bible in any language
that existed before the 1900 is the
Received Text.
JESUIT CATHECISM

Q. “What if the scripture command one thing

and the Pope made contrary to it?

A. “The Holy Scripture must be thrown

aside.”

Q. “What is the Pope?”

A. “He is the vicar of Christ, king of Kings,

Lord of Lords and there is but one
judgement- The seat belonging to God and
the Pope.
 JESUIT CATHECISM

Dean Burgon (1813-1888) “In the balance of the 7 test of truth the
speculation of Westcott and Hort school
which have bewitched million…
I am utterly disinclined to believed that at
the end of 1800 years 995 copies out of
every thousands supposed to be
untrustworthy and that the one or five that
remain of whose content were till yesterday
were as good as unknown will be found to
have retained the secret of what the Holy
Spirit originally inspired.”
-Dean Burgon
 BIBLE VERSION
A. SEPTUAGINT

• This is the direct translation of OT Hebrew

into Greek version aka “the version of the
seventy” was prepared by the Jews of
Alexandria about 280 BC. It was in general
use in the the time of Christ.
 BIBLE VERSION
B. VULGATE LATIN

• This is the Latin translation by Jerome of

Bethlehem. He completed the NT about
385 AD and the OT somewhat later.
COUNCIL OF TRENT (1545-1563)
VOTE ON THE VULGATE BIBLE

• The Council’s vote is all about the Vulgate

Latin Bible as the only authentic translation.
Pope Sixtus V declared the Vulgate
infallible.
• But Pope Clement III in 1592 ordered a
better edition and 2000 changes were made.
 BIBLE VERSION
C. DOUAY VERSION

• The authorized version of the Roman

Catholic church, published 1609 AD.
 ERRORS OF THE VULGATE

DOUAY VERSION BIBLICAL TEXTS

“All scriptures inspired of God is “All scriptures is God breathed.”

profitable.” -II Timothy 3:16
-II Timothy 3:16
“Jacob adored the top of his rod.” “Jacob worshipped as he leaned
-Hebrew 11:21 on his staff.”
-Hebrews 11:21
“Blessed are they that wash their “Blessed are they that keep his
robes” commandments.”
-Revelation 22:14 -Revelation 22:14
 BIBLE VERSION
D. WYCLIFF’S VERSION

• This is the first English Bible. It was

based on the Latin Vulgate.
 BIBLE VERSION
E. THE KING JAMES VERSION

King James VI (1566-1625)

• This translation is also known as the

“Authorized Version,” generally accepted
by the Protestants. The main content of
the Textus Recepticus (the received texts/
manuscripts) was used in this said copy.
• He authorized a committee of 47 scholars
and clergymen over the course of many
year.
 BIBLE VERSION
F. THE REVISED VERSIONS

• These are two recent revisions of the

scriptures; the Revised English version
and the Revised American version. On
1870, the work was undertaken by nearly
one hundred men the best who could be
chosen for the purpose.
• In 1885, the Revised English Version was
published, and the committee having that
work in charge was disbanded. The
American committee continued the study,
in 1901, the American Standard Revised
Bible was published.
 BIBLE VERSION
G. THE REVISED STANDARD VERSIONS

• Authorized by the National Council of

Luther Wiegle (1880-1976)
churches (NCC) representing 40
protestant organizations is the work of 32
of the most eminent bible scholars of
America under the chairmanship of Dr.
Luther Weigel of Yale University.
• This is not a translation but a revision of
the King James Version and the Revised
and American Revised Version of the
Bible. Using many documents supporting
the Bible that was discovered since 1611
and the OT in 1952.
THE APOCRYPHAL WRITINGS

• While the voice of prophecy was not

heard in Judea during the long period of
400 years which mark the closing of the
old dispensation, the old literary instinct
of the Jews asserted itself and many
writing were produced 14 books were
added in the Bible.
• Apocrypha Gk. “hidden or secret things”
because the authorship is unknown, the
date of the writing was a matter of doubt
though it was generally placed between
200 to 100 BC.
THE APOCRYPHAL WRITINGS

• It is generally agreed that they were not

included when the Septuagint was made,
indeed it was added in 300 to 400 AD.

“Although there are in NT about 263

direct quotation and 370 allusions passage
in the OT yet amongst these there is not a
single reference either by Christ, or His
apostles, to the Apocryphal writings.”
-The Bible Year pp.120-121
THE APOCRYPHAL WRITINGS

• The protestant rejected the apocryphal

writing due to following reasons;
a. The Hebrew Canon does not contain
them.
b. Jesus and his apostles never quoted
from them, neither from Jerome in
Vulgate.
c. Writes themselves claim no inspiration
but rather confessed a lack of
prophetic gift (I Maccabees 4:46; 9:27;
14:41)
THE APOCRYPHAL WRITINGS

d. The apocryphal teaches doctrines that

not in harmony with scriptures (Isa.8:20;
Gal.1:18) such as purgatory and
reincarnation (Wisdom 8:19-20), prayer
for the dead (II Maccabees 12:43-46).
e. These set of book utterly lack the
progressive plan and mutual
interconnection of the OT and the NT
scriptures. Historical errors,
inaccuracies and evidently fictitious
stories and speech occurs.
COUNCIL OF TRENT 1546 4th SESSION
VOTE ON THE APOCRYPHAL WRITTINGS

“Whoever shall not receive as sacred

and canonical all these books and every part
of them as they are commonly read in the
Catholic church and are contained in old
Vulgate Latin edition or shall knowingly
and deliberately despised the aforesaid
tradition let him be accursed.”
 COMPARATIVE EVIDENCE
CASTING OUT OF DEMONS

APOCRYPHAL WRITINGS BIBLICAL TEXTS

“Open the fish and take the heart, “And signs shall follow those who
the liver and the gall. If a devil or believe these things in my name
any evil spirit trouble any, we must they shall cast out demons.”
make a smoke thereof before the -Mark 16:17
man of the woman and the party
shall no more be vexed. As for the
“And being distressed and turning
gall it is was good to anoint a man
to the demonic spirit, Paul said, in
that hath weakness in his eyes
the name of Jesus, come out of
and he shall be healed.”
her and it came out in that hour.”
-Tobias 6:4-8
-Acts 16:18
 COMPARATIVE EVIDENCE
SALVATION BY DONATIONS

APOCRYPHAL WRITINGS BIBLICAL TEXTS

“Knowing that you were not

“For alms shall deliver from death redeemed with corruptible things,
and purge away all sin.” like silver or gold, from your
-Tobias 12:9 aimless conduct received by
tradition from your fathers, but
with the precious blood of Christ.”
-I Peter 1:18-19
 COMPARATIVE EVIDENCE
PRAYER TO THE DEAD

APOCRYPHAL WRITINGS BIBLICAL TEXTS

“For if he had not hoped that

they that were slain shall have “But if we walk in the
risen again, it had been light, as he is in the light.
superfluous and vain to pray for We have fellowship one with
the dead… whereupon he had another and the blood of
made reconciliation for the dead Jesus His son cleanse us
that they might be delivered from all sin.”
from sin.” -John 1:7
-II Maccabees 12:43-46
THE CARE FOR THE SACRED WRITINGS

“As prevention against further errors

the scribe counted the number of verses…
and even letters in the various books and
then made notes of the middle verse, the
middle word, and the middle letter of each
book… If a scribe, after he had finished his
works, could not make his count tally with
these notations, there was error in his copy
of the manuscript, which must either be
corrected or his copy discarded.”
-Ancestry of our English Bible p.30