The History of the Bible

1. The History of the Bible

2. A most Remarkable Book • Best seller - 6 billion copies sold • Worldwide distribution • Influence on Literature • Foundation for the English speaking world

3. The Aim of this Address • How it came to us - history • The obstacles it overcame • It’s friends…. • And it’s enemies !

4. The Aim of this Address • Individuals associated with the history • Men who protested against Catholicism • [Not a review of their beliefs]

5. The Aim of this Address • Hand of God in the survival of the Bible and the development of the English Bible • Why it is important to us!

6. Where did it all begin? “Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit”

7. Where did it all begin? • [1] OT – Hebrew • [2] NT – Greek

8. Where did it all begin? • Carefully preserved • Letters & dots carefully copied

9. Do we have those originals? • Many were destroyed • How can we be sure we have the original message?

10. [1] Hebrew Old Testament • Many Hebrew manuscripts of the complete OT • Hebrew manuscripts date back to 9th and 10th Centuries (AD):- • Aleppo Codex (AD850) • Leningrad Codex (AD1008)

11. Leningrad and Alleppo Codices

12. [1] Hebrew Old Testament • 1700 fragmentary ones • 350 Septuagint

13. [1] The Septuagint • Translated into Greek between BC200-300 (280BC?) • In Alexandria, Egypt • Ptolemy Philadelphus • Numerous in the world’s libraries

14. [1] Hebrew Old Testament • Accuracy attested by these independent copies • And by the (much older) Greek translations • (Dead Sea Scrolls found in 1947)

15. [2] Greek New Testament • Copies extant belonging to 2nd Century • Translations made into other languages • Latin & Syriac versions made AD150 • Egyptian about AD200

16. Old Manuscripts • 4000 Greek manuscripts of the N T • 8000 of the Latin Vulgate

17. In addition…………. • Writings of early Christians • Whole NT could nearly be reconstructed

18. Origin of the Latin Vulgate • In the Apostolic era, Greece had lost her world power • Rome was the dominant influence • Greek language was superseded by Latin • Beginning of 3rd Century saw Latin translations of the Old and New Testaments • But….divergences were appearing!

19. Origin of the Latin Vulgate • A revision was needed • Jerome (AD347-420?) undertook that work • 390 AD Latin Vulgate produced

20. The Bible comes to Britain ! • AD597 Augustine landed on coast of Kent • Converted the English to Christianity • Probably with the Latin vulgate

21. Anglo-Saxon • Need for Anglo-Saxon Versions • Appeared in 8th & 9th Centuries • They were fragmentary • Bede’s ‘Gospel according to St. John’ (AD735) • The Lindisfarne Gospels (10th Century)

22. The Normans - 1066 • Saxon Versions ceased to appear • Language of Britain changing • Gradual mixing of Saxon with Norman-French • 1150AD Old English yields to Middle English

23. The Problem • OT – only available in Hebrew in a Greek translation (The Septuagint), and in Latin (The Vulgate) • NT – only available in Greek and Latin

24. John Wycliffe (1330 – 1384) • Believed Scriptures to be the Word of God, and…. • A complete contrast to the sayings of the Pope & the Church

25. The Problem….. • Bibles were not available • Prohibition on reading! • Rome had an iron grip!

26. The Solution….. • Provide people with the means to read the Bible for themselves! • An English Translation!

27. “No man is so rude a scholar but that he might learn the words of the Gospel according to his simplicity”

28. The Task • No printing press ! • One hand written copy took 10 months ! • A monumental work !

29. Dedicated Associates • The Lollards • 1382 – first English Bible (from Latin vulgate) • Circulated widely ; eagerly read by common people • Unstoppable!

30. Opposition ! “This pestilent and wretched John Wylciffe endeavoured by every means to attack the very faith of Holy Church, devising…..to fill up the measure of his malice…..the expedient of a new translation of the Scriptures into the mother tongue” (Archbishop Arundel – 1411)

31. The Cost! • Many were put to death • Countless Bibles were burnt • Wycliffe brought to trial in Church courts

32. Wycliffe Died 1384 • 1408 – synod of clergy met at Oxford • Banned reading of the Bible…. • …as well as the writing, circulation or study of the Scriptures in English

33. Wycliffe’s memory lived on • Bibles read in secret (200 hand written copies exist) • 1424 – bones dug up and burnt! • Cast into the River Swift • “Morning star of the Reformation”

34. Significant Historical Developments • Fall of Constantinople • The Printing Press • The Renaissance • The Reformation • Henry VIII

35. [1] Fall of Constantinople • Moslems take Constantinople in 1453 • Exodus of Greek scholars to Western Europe • Brought Greek manuscripts of the Bible

36. [2] The Printing Press • 1440 – Johannes Guttenburg began to experiment with moveable metal type • 1455 – first ever printed book – “the Holy Bible” • Guttenburg Bible (Latin)

37. [3] The Renaissance • 14-17th Centuries • Characterised by a revival of learning • New interest in Hebrew and Greek

38. [3]Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536) • Dutch humanist • Professor of Greek at Cambridge (1511-1514) • Regarded himself as an independent thinker • Lifelong attack on what he regarded as the evils of the church

39. [3] Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536) • Had a great love for Greek, and had strong support to translate the Bible into an understandable language • “I wish that the Scriptures might be translated into all languages”

40. [3] Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536) • 1516 brought out the first printed Greek translation of the NT • From Greek manuscripts that were more accurate than the Latin Vulgate

41. [4] The Protestant Reformation • 31st October 1517 • Martin Luther (1483-1546) • Specifically disputed the RC claim that freedom from God’s punishment could be purchased with money

42. [4] The Protestant Reformation • Wrote an extensive list of R C doctrinal errors • Fixed to door of Church in Wittenberg • List became known as the 95 theses

43. [4] The Protestant Reformation • Translated the Bible from Latin into German • Printed & copied widely • (Tyndale later translated the Greek NT into German - 1522)

44. [5] Henry VIII (1491-1547) • Began reign 1509 • Break away from the Papacy to enable him to divorce Catherine of Aragon • 1536 – Dissolution of the Monasteries

45. William Tyndale (1490-1536) • Born in Gloucester • Educated in Oxford and Cambridge • Excellent linguist • Desire to translate Bible into English

46. “I defy the Pope and all his laws, if God spare my life, ere many years, I will cause a boy that driveth the plough shall know more of the Scriptures than thou dost”

47. Printed English Bibles ! • Bishop of London refused to help • He became an exile • Fled to Europe • Worked secretly translating the Bible

48. Printed English Bibles ! • 1526 – first complete English NT rolled off the press • Smuggled into Britain • Many burnt • Tunstall paid 4 times the value of a Bible - to burn them (Packington)

49. The Cost! • 1536 Burnt at stake • “Lord open the King of England’s eyes” • Many had a like fate!

50. Effect of Tyndale’s Labours • 1535 Coverdale Bible • 1537 Matthews Bible • 1539 Great Bible • 1560 Geneva Bible • 1568 Bishop’s Bible