BIBLE VERSIONS: Which Is The Real Word of God
By:
David B Loughran (Proof Read & Corrected by: Joe Wells)
Two of the greatest deceptions ever to confront the human race
came to the fore in the 19th century: deceptions so subtle and
dangerous that between them they have destroyed the faith of multiplied
billions of souls in and out of the Christian Church. The first was the
unproved theory of evolution: fascinating, plausible and seized upon by
the godless mind which chafes at the commandments of the Almighty God. The
second was the Revised Version of the Bible posing as the "Word
of God"; a version as corrupt as it was potent, for it spawned a host
of unholy offspring.
The first deception has, over the years, turned hundreds of
millions away from the Christian church; for it taught that the very first
chapter of the Bible was not really the truth, but legend. This pernicious
theory is still taught, as fact, in thousands of colleges and schools the world
over. Our article on Evolution exposes the theory for what it really is - a fallacy!
The second deception, the Revised Bible, it casts doubt on
the real Word of God and starves believers of the Bread of Life. Sad
to say it is also taught in thousands of churches, Bible schools and religious
colleges the world over. This article deals with the second deception - Counterfeit
Bibles! Read it with special care, several times over, because if you have
avoided the first deception, you are most certainly the target of the second.
Divine Inspiration
Millions of Christians believe, and rightly so, in the divine
and verbal inspiration of the Bible: that the Holy Ghost motivated
the minds of the prophets and apostles of old to pen every word of Scripture.
Our faith in divine inspiration is based on Bible texts such as:
· All scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16)
· 19:
We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take
heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place,
until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20: Knowing this
first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21: For
the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake
as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:19-21)
Providential Preservation
Millions also believe in the providential preservation of
the Bible: that God has also preserved His Word down through the
ages; and that His work of preservation is as important as His initial
work of inspiration. After all it would have been of limited value if
the original inspired Scriptures were lost to posterity a few decades after
being penned. Providential preservation, in other words, is as essential
a work as that of divine inspiration. Our faith in providential
preservation is based on Bible texts such as:
· The words of the LORD are
pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. (Psalm 12: 6-7)
· Psalm
119:89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is
settled in heaven…111: Thy testimonies have I taken as an
heritage for ever…152: Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old
that thou hast founded them for ever.
· I
know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever:
nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it,
that men should fear before him. (Ecclesiastes 3:14)
· Heaven
and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. (Matthew
24:35)
· Being
born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of
God, which liveth and abideth for ever… The
word of the Lord endureth for ever. (1Peter
1:23-25)
Concerning Providential Preservation the Westminster
Confession of Faith (17th century) says this on page 23:
“The Old Testament in Hebrew, and the New Testament in Greek,
being immediately inspired by God and by His singular care and providence
kept pure in all ages, are therefore authentical,
so as in all controversies of religion the Church is finally to appeal unto
them."
In the past most Christians accepted these facts, but of late
there are a growing number who have strong reservations about divine
preservation. They will allow that the original autographs, which
of course are no longer available, were inspired. But they have strong
reservations about divine preservation. They believe that much of
Scripture is in need of update, because some of the oldest manuscripts were not
available to the 17th century translators of the King James Bible
(KJB). That is why, they maintain, the Revised Version of 1881 and
its many descendants became necessary; and how that each new English
translation is an improvement on the one that went before. In other words, the
Bible is also evolving and each new version brings us one step nearer
the original.
This is an extremely disturbing development; for when we examine
modern translations, which like the Revised Version are all based on
corrupt manuscripts, we find they do not simply use modern language, which,
arguably, may have been in order; but they say things entirely different from
the early English and foreign language versions of the
Scriptures, which in past centuries God used to further His work. In this
article you are about to learn many startling facts about the modern English
translations of the Bible, that they all:
· Present
conflicting messages with the King James Bible (KJB) and even with each other.
· Omit
many words, verses and passages of Scripture.
· Cast
doubt on the accuracy of the KJB and several fundamental doctrines
taught in it, such as the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, his divinity, his
miracles, his bodily ascension to heaven and his second coming.
· Disagree
on major doctrinal points with other early European versions of the
Bible which triggered the great Protestant Reformation and for which tens of
thousands of true believers died during the dark ages.
· Are
warmly welcomed by the Roman Catholic Church which has long considered
the King James Bible its number one enemy.
These discoveries are disturbing to say the least and should cause
true believers around the world to ask: Is all this true? Are these
allegations justified? And if so, what spirit is behind the deception
and confusion caused by the modern translations? Visit any Bible
study group where believers are using a variety of modern "Bibles"
and comments such as these are common:
· 'My Bible puts it this
way.'
· 'My
Bible doesn't even have that verse.'
· 'Listen
to this Note about ancient and more reliable manuscripts.'
· 'My
Bible says something totally different.'
· 'My
Bible says the very opposite.'
The question is: Which English Bible is the real Word of God?
Anyone can see that they cannot all be the Word of God if they are
saying different things. After all, God doesn't contradict Himself and is
certainly not the author of confusion. (1Corinthians 14:33) Scores of conflicting
translations, all claiming to be God’s Word, cannot possibly be the work of the
Holy Spirit of God. Besides, would Almighty God flood
the English-speaking world with well over 100 conflicting translations of the
whole Bible and over 300 translations of the New Testament? Something is wrong somewhere and it's
time to find out.
1. THE ORIGINAL AUTOGRAPHS
As most believers know, the Bible is often referred to as 'the
Holy Scriptures.' It is made up of two parts, the Old and the New
Testaments. The Old Testament is a collection of 39 books which were originally
penned mostly in the Hebrew language. The New Testament is a collection of 27
books, written originally in Greek; though some portions were probably written
in Hebrew or Aramaic, a north Semitic language. The original autographs
(masters) were the hand-written scrolls penned by the inspired prophets and
apostles. They were written on vellum (the skins of clean animals,
such as calf, goat or antelope) or papyrus. Vellum is more
durable and costly than papyrus; but an entire antelope skin would only furnish
two or three pages of a manuscript. Because of this fact the vast majority of
manuscripts were written on papyrus. Papyrus is a reed-like water plant with
thick fibrous stems from which a kind of paper was made in ancient times. The
average papyrus scroll was about ten inches in width and about thirty feet in
length. After years of constant use, being rolled and unrolled, the original
autographs (master scrolls) especially those of papyrus, became worn and
began to fall apart.
2. COPIES OF THE MASTERS
Before the original masters completely disintegrated they
were carefully copied. The Almighty, who had initially inspired their
production, then moved His faithful followers, first the Aaronic Priests and
later the Masorites, to make copies of the originals. Thus began the
work of providential preservation. After all, it would have been
short-sighted of God to infallibly inspire the Scriptures only to have
them discarded after a few decades. Jehovah must needs, as promised, preserve
His Word in accurate copies for the following statements to be true:
Divine Preservation
· The words of the LORD are
pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou
shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. (Psalm 12: 6-7)
· Heaven
and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. (Matthew
24:35)
· The
word of the Lord endureth for ever (1Peter 1:25)
A Divine Warning
The God of Israel anticipated Satan's intended attack on the
Scriptures: and how the enemy of souls would seek to frustrate the divine work
of preservation by causing unbelieving scribes to add to,
delete and distort the sacred writings. That is why this solemn, yea
frightening, warning appears at the end of the Bible. It not only addresses copyists
and translators who intentionally corrupt Jehovah's Word, but
also those who knowingly promote their corrupted publications.
Revelation
22:18-19 18 For I testify
unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man
shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are
written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take
away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part
out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things
which are written in this book.
I repeat: to preserve His word, JEHOVAH the LORD God
of Abraham, Isaac and Israel must needs ensure that accurate copies of
the inspired masters be made; else His promise that 'the Word of the Lord
abideth forever' was meaningless - if not false. Consequently the
Almighty caused faithful believers to copy His Word. This is how He
organized that work.
3. THE MASORITES
The Masorites were Jewish scholars who, like their B.C.
predecessors the Aaronic Priests, had the sacred task of copying the Old
Testament Hebrew Scriptures. In his book Story of Our English Bible, W
Scott wrote over a hundred years ago concerning the reliability of the copies
made by these faithful priests and scribes.
He Writes:
"It is well known that among the Jews it was the profession
of the Masorites, or doctors of tradition, to transcribe the scriptures. We
know to what extent these indefatigable scholars carried their respect for the
letter; and when we read the rules under which their labors were carried on, we
understand the use that the providence of God (who had 'confided his oracles to
the Jews') made of their superstition.
They reckoned the number of verses, words, and letters in each
book. They tell us, for instance, that the letter A occurs forty-two
thousand three hundred and seventy-seven times in the Bible; the letter B
thirty-eight thousand two hundred and eighteen times; and so on to the end.
They were scrupulous of changing the position even of a letter, though
evidently misplaced, but limited themselves to noting in the margin, supposing
some mystery was involved. They tell us which is the middle
letter of the Pentateuch, as well as of each of the books of which it is
composed.
They never allowed themselves to correct their manuscript; and
if any mistake escaped them, they rejected the papyrus or the skin which they had
blemished, and recommenced upon a fresh one; for they were equally interdicted
from even correcting one of their own errors, and from retaining for their
sacred volume a single parchment or skin in which an error had been made...
"These facts, we repeat it, together with the astonishing preservation
of the Hebrew text (1200 years more ancient than that of the Septuagint),
plainly tell us how the intervention of the mighty hand of God was needed in
the destinies of the sacred book."
In his book God Wrote Only One Bible, Jasper James Ray
confirms this fact about the faithfulness displayed by these ancient scribes in
copying the Scriptures.
He Writes:
"In making copies of the original manuscripts, the Jewish
scribes exercised the greatest possible care. When they wrote the name of God
in any form they were to reverently wipe their pen, and wash their whole body
before writing "Jehovah " lest that holy name
should be tainted even in writing. The new copy was examined and carefully
checked with the original almost immediately, and it is said that if only
one incorrect letter was discovered the whole copy was rejected.
Each new copy had to be made from an approved manuscript,
written with a special kind of ink, upon skins made from a 'clean' animal. The
writer had to pronounce aloud each word before writing it. In no case was the
written word to be written from memory."
4. MANUSCRIPTS
A 'manuscript' is a hand-written document, not one that is typed
or printed. The word 'manuscript' is often abbreviated as MS or
ms (singular) and MSS or mss (plural). Currently there are 5,795 extant
(existing) manuscripts of the Scriptures or parts of it (Number includes 86,489
Patristic Texts (Apostolic
Fathers), 127 Papyrus, 320 Uncials, 2,903 Minuscule’s and 2,445
Lectionaries). This number does not including the Dead Sea Scrolls which
clearly demonstrates that the King James Bible has been accurately translated
and preserved down through the ages. These manuscripts fall into two
categories:
· Masters: These
were the original autographs. There are currently no original autographs or
masters in existence. They have all long since been replaced by copies.
· Copies:
These are hand-written copies of the masters or hand-written
copies of earlier copies. These hand-written copies of the whole or parts of
Scripture are still in existence.
Manuscripts produced by the early Christians fall into three
categories:
1. Copies of masters or copies of earlier copies.
2. Versions :
These are translations of Scripture made directly from the original languages.
For example from Hebrew or Greek into Syriac, Latin, German, English or French.
A translation from Latin into English, or from English into Chinese,
cannot strictly be called a 'version.' It is simply a translation of a
translation: whereas a 'version' must be a translation from the
original. Bear this important fact in mind.
3. Church Fathers: Our
third group is the Apostolic Fathers or early church fathers. These are the men who led the Christians in
the first few centuries after the New Testament was completed. We have record
of their early sermons, books and commentaries. They will be able to provide us
with much information on disputed passages. Many of them may have seen the
original autographs.
As regards the format of ancient manuscripts, they are
often described as:
· Uncial or Majuscules:
written in capital letters with no spaces: e.g. NOMANHATHSEENGD.
· Cursives
or Miniscules: written in small
letters and later with spaces: e.g. No-man-hath-seen-gd.
5. THE CHURCH FATHERS
Ante-Nicene
Fathers & Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers By: Philip Schaff, (1819-1893)
Description:
(THE
CHURCH FATHERS… brings together the writings of the early Church fathers prior
to the fourth century Nicene Creed. These volumes are noteworthy for their inclusion
of entire texts, and not simply fragments or excerpts from these
great writings. The translations are fairly literal, providing
both readers and scholars with a good approximation of the
originals. This particular volume contains works by St. Clement,
Mathetes, St. Polycarp, St. Ignatius, Barnabas, St. Papias, St. Justin Martyr,
and St. Irenaeus. These writings were heavily influential on the early Church,
and for good reason, as they are inspirational and encouraging. These volumes
also come with many useful notes, providing the reader with new levels of
understanding.)
Before the art of printing was known (before AD 1450) the church
fathers of the early Christian era wrote - by hand - their letters,
sermon notes, commentaries and books. Their manuscripts contain many quotations
from the original autographs or the earliest copies. Some fathers
had actually seen the New Testament autographs or very early copies; and had
personally hand-copied large portions of Scripture. The writings of these early
elders help verify the original text and form a valuable source of information
as to what the first apostles wrote. Scripture tells us that Satan began his
attack on the New Testament Scriptures very early, even before the first
apostles died. Listen to Paul's testimony concerning this matter about
corrupting of the Word of God; and of some who even wrote letters as
though they were composed by the apostle himself.
Paul writes:
2 Corinthians
2:17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity,
but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
2 Thessalonians
2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor
by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
During the latter part of his life the apostle John strongly
defended the Word of God. Being an eye-witness of the events involving
the ministry of Jesus Christ,
John was well qualified to refute written or spoken error and to put the record
straight. The enemies of truth had this reliable eye-witness banished to the
island of Patmos. Note the reason why.
John
writes:
Revelation
1:9 I John, who also am your brother,
and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ,
was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the
testimony of Jesus Christ.
There were many church fathers who hand-copied the whole or
portions of Scripture. Let me mention a few who greatly influenced the church,
particularly in Europe.
In his book Story of Our English Bible W Scott writes: "Crysostom,
the most eloquent of the fathers, spoke of them (the Scriptures) as
The Divine Books, Polycarp, who lived at a still
earlier date, having been personally instructed by the Apostle John, spoke of
the Bible as The Sacred Scriptures, as also the Oracles of the Lord. Clement
of Rome, whom Paul styles his 'fellow-labourer'
(Phil.1V.3), termed the Scriptures The True Sayings of the Holy Spirit. Irenaeus,
of the second century, makes about 1200 citations or references from the New
Testament; Tertullian, also of the second century refers
to or quotes from the New Testament about 2500 times; Clement of
Alexandria, another of the second century Fathers, cites from or refers to the
New Testament 800 times; and Polycarp, already referred
to, in a brief epistle addressed to the Philippians, quotes from the New
Testament about 50 times."
Lucian of Antioch
Lucian (AD 250-312) was born in Antioch in Syria where the early
believers in Jesus were first called Christians. (Acts 11:26)
Lucian founded a college at Antioch which
strove to counteract the dangerous ecclesiastical alliance between Rome and
Alexandria. How bitter the situation became and how it finally split West and
East will be clarified by the following
fact:
The original founders of the ecclesiastical college at Alexandria
strove to exalt tradition. Justin Martyr, as early as 150, had stood for this.
6. Ancient Versions
Bear in mind that a version is a translation made directly
from the original Hebrew or Greek: i.e. from Hebrew or Greek into Syriac, Latin
or English; whereas a translation of a version into yet another language is
simply called a translation. Bible versions were made in several
languages within a few years of the New Testament's creation. This was a rarity
in the ancient world for any book.
Josh McDowell
writes on pages 16-17 of his book Answers to Tough Questions.
"...Translation of a document into another language was rare
in the ancient world, so this is an added plus for the New Testament. The
number of copies of the versions is in excess of 18,000, with possibly
as many as 25,000+. This is further evidence that helps us establish the
New Testament text. Even if we did not possess the 5,500+ Greek
manuscripts or the 18,000+ copies of the versions, the text of the New
Testament could still be reproduced within 250 years from its composition. How?
By the writing of the early Christians. In commentaries, letters, etc.,
these ancient writers quote biblical text, thus giving us another witness to
the text of the New Testament.
John Burgon has catalogued more than 86,000
(86,489) citations of the New Testament in the writings of the early church
fathers who lived before A.D.325. Thus we observe that there is so much more
evidence for the reliability of the New Testament text than any other
comparable writings in the ancient
world."
In his book Final Authority William P Grady quotes John
Burgon on pages 33-34 concerning the reliability of a version over any single
manuscript.
"I suppose it
may be laid down that an ancient Version outweighs any single Codex,
ancient or modern, which can be named: the reason being, that it is scarcely
credible that a Version - the Peshitto , for example, an Egyptian or the
Gothic - can have been executed from a single exemplar (copy).
A second reason for the value of ancient versions is in their
ability to exhibit a text which antedates the oldest Greek manuscripts. Readings
which are challenged in the Authorized Version for their non-existence in the
'two most ancient authorities' (Codex Sinaiticus or A; and Codex Vaticanus, or
B, fourth century) are frequently discovered in the Syrian and Latin
translations of the second century."
In the course of time many versions (translations from the original
language) of Scripture were made. Let us now consider a few.
The Peshitta Version (AD
150)
The Peshitta was the first Syrian translation from the
original languages. Even to this day there are around 350 copies of the
Peshitta (or Peshitto) version in existence. In his book Which Bible? David
O Fuller writes this of the Peshitto:
"It was at Antioch, capital of Syria, that the believers were
first called Christians. And as time rolled on, the Syrian-speaking Christians
could be numbered by the thousands. It is generally admitted that the Bible was
translated from the original languages into Syrian about 150 AD. This
version is known as the Peshitto (the correct or simple). This Bible
even today generally follows the Received Text. One authority tells us this -
'The Peshitto in our days is found in use amongst the Nestorians,
who have always kept it, by the Monophysites on the plains of Syria, the
Christians of St.Thomas in Malabar, and by the Maronites on the mountain
terraces of Lebanon.' "
The Old Latin Vulgate (AD157)
The word 'vulgate' is Latin for vulgar or common.
The Old Latin Vulgate is a version. It was used by early believers in Europe
when Latin was in popular use. It was sometimes referred to as the Itala version.
The
Old Latin Vulgate must
not be confused with Jerome's Vulgate, which was produced over 220 years later
in AD 380. Jerome's Vulgate (also written in Latin for the Roman Church) was
rejected by the early Christians for almost a millennium. The Waldenses,
Gauls, Celts, Albegenses and other groups throughout Europe used the Old
Latin Vulgate and rejected Jerome's Vulgate. In his book An
Understandable History of the Bible Rev. Samuel Gipp Th.D confirms this
fact. He writes:
"The Old Latin Vulgate was
used by the Christians in the churches of the Waldenses, Gauls, Celts,
Albegenses and other fundamental groups throughout Europe. This Latin version
became so used and beloved by orthodox Christians and was in such common use by
the common people that it assumed the term 'Vulgate' as a name. Vulgate
comes from 'vulgar' which is the Latin word for 'common' It was so esteemed
for its faithfulness to the deity of Christ and its accurate reproductions of
the originals, that these early Christians let Jerome's Roman Catholic
translation 'sit on the shelf.' Jerome's translation was not used by the
true Biblical Christians for almost a millennium after it was translated from
corrupted manuscripts by Jerome in 380 A.D. Even then it only came into
usage due to the death of Latin as a common language, and the violent, wicked
persecutions waged against true believers by Pope Gregory IX during his reign
from 1227 to 1242 A.D."
David Fuller confirms this fact:
"It is clearly evident that the Latin Bible of early British
Christianity was not the Latin Bible (Vulgate) of the Papacy."
The Italic Bible (AD157)
"Italy, France and Great Britain were once provinces of the
old Roman Empire. Latin was then the language of the common people. So the
first translations of the Bible in these countries were made from the Greek
Vulgate into Latin. One of the first of these Latin Bibles was for the Waldenses
in northern Italy, translated not later than 157 AD and was known as the Italic
Version. The renowned scholar Beza states that the Italic Church dates from
120 AD. Allix, an outstanding scholar, testifies
that enemies had corrupted many manuscripts, while the Italic Church handed
them down in their apostolic purity."
The Waldensian (AD
120 & onwards)
"The Waldenses were among the first of the peoples of
Europe to obtain a translation of the Holy Scriptures. Hundreds of years before
the Reformation, they possessed a Bible in manuscript in their native tongue.
They had the truth unadulterated, and this rendered them the special objects of
hatred and persecution …Here for a thousand years, witnesses for the truth
maintained the ancient faith…In a most wonderful manner it (the Word of
Truth) was preserved uncorrupted through all the ages of darkness."
The Gallic Bible (Southern
France) (AD177)
The Gothic Bible (AD
330-350)
The Old Syriac Bible (AD
400)
The Armenian Bible (AD
400) There are 1244 copies of this version still in existence.
The Palestinian Syriac (AD
450)
The French Bible of
Oliveton (AD 1535)
The Czech Bible (AD
1602)
The Italian Bible of
Diodati (AD 1606)
The Greek Orthodox Bible: Used
from Apostolic times to the present day by the Greek Orthodox Church.
All the above mentioned Bibles and the vast majority (about 99%)
of the 5200 extant New Testament MSS are in agreement with the text now
known as Textus Receptus; the Text which underlies the Authorised King James
Bible.
English Bibles
John Wycliffe's Translation (1380-82).
This was the first manuscript (hand-written) Bible in the English language.
Strictly speaking, it was not a version, but a translation into English
from the Old Latin Vulgate. Wycliffe, often described as the 'Morning
Star of the Reformation,' was an able Latin scholar. Alas! so hated was
he for making Scripture available to the common man that some 44 years after
his death his bones were dug up and burned, and his ashes cast into the river
Swift.
William Tyndale's New Testament (1526)
was the first printed Testament in the English language. Unlike Wycliffe's
translation, Tyndale's New Testament was translated directly from the Greek Majority
Text, from which came the Received Text - Textus Receptus. More
about this Text later. Tyndale's work, in other words, was a 'version.'
The first printings of Tyndale's version were burned at St Paul's Cross
(London). At that time it was a grievous offence, punishable by fine,
imprisonment or death to even possess a copy of Tyndale's New Testament. It was
said of William Tyndale that he was:
"A man so skilled in the seven languages, Hebrew, Greek,
Latin, Italian, Spanish, English and French, that which ever
he spake, you would suppose it his native tongue."
He it was who said to the ignorant clerics of his day that he
would 'cause the boy who driveth the plough to know more of the
Scriptures than them.'
"Before Tyndale's day the English versions of the
Bible had been translations of a translation, being derived from the Vulgate or
older Latin versions. Tyndale, for the first time, went back to the original
Hebrew and Greek. And not only did he go back to the original languages seeking
for the truth, but he embodied that truth when found in so noble a translation
that it has ever since been deemed wise by scholars and revisers to make but a
few changes in it; consequently every succeeding version is in reality little
more than a revision of Tyndale's. It has been truly said that 'the peculiar
genius which breathes through the English Bible, the mingled tenderness and
majesty, the Saxon simplicity, the grandeur - unequalled, unapproached in the
attempted improvements of modern scholars - all are here, and bear the impress
of the mind of one man, and that man is William Tyndale."
But alas! Tyndale was to suffer the wrath of blind ecclesiastical
authority. He was burned at the stake!
"The martyr was first confined in the castle of Filford,
about 20 miles from Antwerp. He was taken from prison on Friday, October 6th
1536, fastened to the stake, strangled, and his body burned to ashes. The
fervent prayer of the martyr Tyndale, when bound to the stake, 'Lord, open
the King of England's eyes,' was about to be answered shortly."
David Fuller writes of Tyndale:
"In the Reformation period the Church of Rome sought to maintain
its dominant position by burning not only the copies of the bible, but also
those who recognized the supreme authority of God's word. Tyndale was
burned at the stake at Vilvorde outside Brussels in Belgium on August 6,
(October according to some historians) 1536. His great offence was that he had
translated the scriptures into English and was making copies available against
the wishes of the Roman catholic hierarchy.”
Miles Coverdale's Bible (1535).
This was the first complete Bible in the English language. Coverdale was not
the scholar Tyndale was, for his translation relied heavily on Tyndale and
Luther's German Bible. It was printed just one year before his friend Tyndale
was martyred.
Matthew's Bible (1500-1555).
This was the first Bible issued with the king's license. It was mostly taken
from Tyndale's and Coverdale's work which had gone before. It was printed in
Hamburg by the king's printer John Rogers and was dedicated to Henry VIII by
Rogers under the name Thomas Matthew, hence its name.
The Great Bible (1539).
This Bible was printed in large folio (15x9 inches) hence its name. It was
printed in Paris and was mostly a revision of Tyndale's and Matthew's work
which went before.
The Geneva Version (1560).
During the reign of the Catholic Queen Mary many Protestant believers from
Britain fled to the Continent. The Scot John Knox was one. The Geneva
Bible is a true 'version' having been translated from the original
Hebrew and Greek throughout.
"A number of these intellectual pilgrims rendezvoused in
Geneva (known as the Holy City of the Alps) to form the first committee to
attempt a translation of the Bible. Such men as Theodore Beza, John Knox,
William Whittingham and Miles Coverdale laboured six years to produce the
celebrated Geneva Bible in 1560. Although this Bible was the first to
feature numbered verses and italics, its main achievement was the Hebrew to
English rendering of Ezra through Malachi, thus representing the first
English Bible translated entirely out of the original languages."
"The
Geneva Bible was
the first complete translation into English from the originals throughout. It
was addressed to 'the brethren of England, Scotland, and Ireland,'…
There were two Bibles at this time in general use in England. The Geneva Bible
was the more popular of the two, and was generally read in the household and in
private study of the Word by the people. The Cranmer or Bishops' Bible was
the one, however, which obtained most favor amongst the clergy and was read in
the churches.”
The Bishops' Bible (1568).
"Archbishop Parker was the master mind in the preparation
of this new edition of the Holy Scriptures, assisted by about 15
scholarly men. He distributed the 'Cranmer Bible' into parts, assigning portions to various learned bishops,
the whole being subject to his own personal supervision. The large number of
the revisers being from the Episcopal bench gave the name and character to this
bible. It was printed in large size, and beautifully executed. It was adorned
with numerous cuts; its notes were brief, and, like the 'Geneva
Bible,' was divided into verses. It was used in the Churches for
about 40 years. Various revised additions of the Bishops' Bible were
published. Soon after the appearance of the Authorised Version of 1611, the
Bishops' Bible - the last edition of which was published about five years
before its noble successor - fell into general disuse…"
The King James Version (1611) This is the Real
Word of God for our generation.
The Almighty has used it to further His work for coming on 400 years.
To be continued………