In this week’s session we are covering the topic of translations in our “Apologetics” for the New Testament. Skeptics of the New Testament will make claims that the translations, and the Bible in general, are like the “telephone game” where the message has been changed over time. But, that is simply not true. As we have seen in our series, the Bible’s transmission and canonicity was solid, and this holds true for the translations we have today as well. We can say with confidence, that the major translations and versions we have available today not only help the reader better understand Christian history and doctrine, but continue to present, without change, the same message that was spread by the first followers of Jesus!

Watch this week’s class presentation on this topic:

Overview Notes From the Presentation:

WHAT ABOUT ALL OF THOSE TRANSLATIONS?

We have previously discussed the transmission and canonicity of the New Testament from the time of Jesus up through the fourth century AD. The spread continued with translations into other languages in hopes of continuing the Great Commission of sharing the Gospel message to the world – as Jesus asked us to do…

The Latin Vulgate – the first major translation of the Bible into a new language

Latin replaced Greek as the universal language about the middle of the third century
Jerome, an Italian Hebrew scholar, translated both the Old and New Testaments from the original languages into Latin
The Latin Vulgate became so popular, and so identified with the Church of Rome, that it became blasphemous to have the Bible in any other language

Bible Warriors – people later gave their lives, some literally, to translate the Bible for everyone

John Wycliffe: 1384 (bones were ground to dust for making an English translation)
Martin Luther: 1522 (excommunicated and went into hiding due to death threats)
William Tyndale: 1530 (burned at the stake)
John Knox and Miles Coverdale: 1560 (exiled – both worked on the Geneva Bible)
King James: 1611 (commissioned some 54 translators – Version still used today)

Can We Trust the Translations today?

YES!

The Bible can be studied today by almost anyone of any language
We don’t have to depend on others to tell us what the Word of God says, we can read it for ourselves
Serious students of the Bible can consult the original languages for accurate meaning in their translation because the original languages are not lost languages!

Major translations and versions can be found in the following categories:

Translation type	Description	Common Versions
Word for Word	Literal, formal, or complete equivalence. Generally harder to read as it works closely as possible to the original languages. Best type to use for study purposes.	King James Version *(KJV)* and New King James Version *(NKJV), New American Standard Version/Bible (NASB), English Standard Version (ESV), New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)*
Thought for Thought	Dynamic equivalence. Much easier to read and understand. Focuses on the ideas or contemporary concepts while keeping the original meaning. Can be used for study purposes.	New International Version *(NIV), New Living Translation (NLT), Contemporary English Version (CEV), Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB), Today’s English Version (TEV)*
Paraphrases *Not recommended for study purposes.	Simplifies or expands the author’s word to make the Bible easier to understand. Often in story-like form. Not a translation in a literal sense.	The Message Bible The Living Bible Phillip’s Bible (Most children’s Bibles)

Recommended Resource:

The Museum of the Bible website

Museum of the Bible YouTube (video clips, virtual tours and more)

Note: Next we will look at the authentication of the Bible we have today…

Reflection: Memorization Practice

To practice your memorization skills, and to improve your Biblical knowledge, practice memorizing the following things…

Review the Ministry Statement’s four focus points for your Christian Walk (from the “Class Introduction” post). Reflect on how you think you are doing in each area, or how you might make improvements.
Recite, and practice memorizing in order to tell the story, the 15 points for the Bible’s Big Picture from our previous post.
Recite, and practice memorizing the 27 books of the New Testament, in order by their categories.

Bible Study

(Review answers will be posted during the week so you can have a “leader’s guide” for your own studies)

Always remember to pray before you study and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and lead you into the truth found in God’s Word – pray for protection from the evil one who will try to discourage, distract and deceive us when we commit to growing closer to the LORD.

NOTE: Questions are taken directly from the chapters, and answers should be found and cited from the Scripture text in order to be Biblically accurate (unless asked to summarize in your own words). Study Bibles, commentaries and your own thoughts can be used for “Discussion” or “Going Deeper” questions.

Read Acts chapter 12 then, to the best of your ability, answer the following questions:

James’ death; Peter’s arrest and deliverance

1. Read Chapter 12:1-19 with your table group

In the main part of this chapter, we find persecution continuing, and now the Apostles are threatened:

a. Who is James; what happened to him and when (v. 1-2)? Who is the other James mentioned in this chapter ( v.17)? Cross-reference by reading Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3; and Galatians 1:18-19.

b. What happened to Peter and why? How did Peter escape and where did he go?

c. What were the other believers doing at this time? How did they react when Peter came to the door?

d. Discuss: What is the importance of prayer in a believer’s life, and do you think there are right or wrongs ways to use it?

2. Read Chapter 12:19-25 with your table group

In the last part of this chapter, we read of the fate of Herod:

a. What happened to Herod, and why? Going Deeper: Research what Josephus (the Jewish historian) has to say about the details of what happened to this Herod. Contrast that with what verse 24 says was happening for the Word of God?

b. Going Deeper: Who was this Herod and how was he related to the other Herods we know about in Scripture?

c. At the end of this chapter, we find an introduction for the rest of the book Acts. Who are main characters we read about in verse 25 and what do we already know about them?

d. Discuss: Write down and share two or three things that you think are important to remember about chapter twelve.

Join us next week as we continue our “Case for the New Testament” and a study in Acts!

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You will not find this material in the public school curriculum even though it is based on solid evidence and grounded in research. It is ironic that following the evidence to where it leads stops at the door of our public schools as they will not let a “Divine footprint” in! Join us as we examine evidence for Christianity and learn how to become a thoughtful defender and ambassador of your faith.

Click into the resource page of this website to view many of the top Christian thinkers and apologists along with some of their work; connecting to these types of resources is essential in your Christian growth.

Please let me know what you think: Give feedback, ask questions or send concerns in the comment section of the blog.

Teri Dugan

TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com

1 Peter 3:15