Bible Translations

1. Bible Translations Why so many? Can we trust them?

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

3. Language • New Testament: Koine Greek • Old Testament: Hebrew, Aramaic

4. Language • History of N.T. Bible Language

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

6. Language • History of N.T. Bible Language • NIV: 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.

7. Language • 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

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

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

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

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

14. Equivalence or Literal • Which version is right for me?

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

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

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

19. Sources! Majority or Antiquity? • BYZANTINE • The “MAJORITY TEXT”

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

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

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

24. Sources! Majority or Antiquity? • 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…

25. Sources! Majority or Antiquity? • SO WHICH MANUSCRIPTS ARE MORE ACCURATE?

26. Sources! Majority or Antiquity? • 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