This week’s presentation covers more conversations about the Bible from our acronym MAPS-S. In part 2, we are specifically looking at evidences in the “M” for Manuscripts. Last week we investigated the literary and historical scholarship acclamations for the Bible, along with its reliable transmission over time. This week we are looking at the translation and canonization process to help us with the question of Biblical confidence and the historicity. Understanding how the we got the Bible, and its translations today, will give us confidence and grow our faith in knowing that the Bible is truly the Word of God.

Watch this week’s class presentation on this topic:

Overview Notes From the Presentation

Christian Apologetics: More Conversations

How do we know the Bible is the Word of God?

MAPS-S

The acronym MAPS-S give us a snapshot of the evidence for the inspiration, inerrancy and reliability of the Bible.

M = Manuscript evidence

A = Archeological evidence

P = Evidence from Prophecy fulfillment

S = Evidence based on Scientific authenticity

S = Evidence from Saved Lives over the centuries

Manuscript Evidence

Strong historical and literary support
Excellent transmission over time
Accurate translations
Thorough canonization process – no inspired books are left out
Contains multiple eyewitness accounts
Authentication by both Christian and non-Christian sources
The science of textual criticism eliminates errors in the copies

(We’re on numbers three and four this week)

Accurate Translations

Based on the accuracy in transmission, the translations can be taken from trusted manuscripts families with a 95-99.5% level of certainty
All major translations today have been taken directly from the original languages that are still with us today – (Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek)
Bible Warriors gave their lives to translating from the original languages into English (and other languages worldwide)

Bible Warriors

The dark ages imposed by the Church of Rome had led to Biblical illiteracy and a dependence on Church leaders to teach the people. However, the work of missionaries from Martin Luther on would bring a multitude of translations to the common person. This work continues today through Christian Churches worldwide. Missionaries are still risking their lives to get God’s Word to people around the world.

In many instances people gave their lives to translate the Bible for the common person apart from the Latin Vulgate. Here are just a few examples of men who helped increase Biblical literacy worldwide:

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 we have 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!

All of the major translations of the Bible today have come from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek—they are called Versions (they have not been copied from one language to another to another as skeptics might claim). The different versions are designed to help the reader understand what is being taught in their own language from the original language.

Translations and versions can be categorized as seen in the chart:

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	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. Not recommended for study purposes.	The Message Bible The Living Bible Phillip’s Bible (Most children’s Bibles)

All of the major versions can also be found in topical or study Bibles. Some are focused on particular groups or subjects. For example, there are student study Bibles, Bibles for men or women, and Bibles that have a specific focus like apologetics, archeology, culture, and life application.

Going Deeper

“How Was The Bible Translated? I’m Glad You Asked!” by Steve Ellis, Pastor and Executive Director of Question Ministries

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5QpHK78Szk

Thorough canonization process – no inspired books are left out

Old Testament:

All 39 books were already established as Scripture ( 400 BC) at the end of the time of the prophets
These same books appear in the Jewish (Tanakh) and Christian Bible still today
Jesus refers to the Scripture as the writings of Moses/Law, the Psalms and the prophets, and He would have been using the ”Septuagint” at that period of time

New Testament:

All 27 books were in use as soon as they were written in the first century AD, and were used in various forms by the early Church in the second and third centuries AD
By the late fourth century these books were confirmed and codified at the council of Laodicea in AD 350-363
Specific and detailed standards were used to canonize the Bible
A main point of emphasis is that there are over 2800 cross-references between the 66 books of the Christian Bible – they confirm each other!

No inspired books were left out of the Bible

There are no inspired books that were left out otherwise it would not be Christianity!
Classic Christianity is based on the teachings of the 66 books of the Christian Bible
Other books that skeptics have said were “left out” teach something completely different than what we get in our Bible!

What are some of those other books?

Apocryphal Literature

The Apocrypha: (means hidden or doubtful)

The Catholic Bible today contains some of these books in their deuterocanonical (secondary canon) section between the Old and New Testament.
These books do contain some valuable historical information useful in understanding the intertestamental period (c. 250-60 BC), but have never been considered inspired writings.
They were included in the Latin Vulgate (AD 382) in part to defend some of the teachings of the Catholic Church (such as purgatory).

The Apocrypha…

does not claim to be inspired by God
was not written by prophets of God (1 Mac. 9:27)
was not confirmed by supernatural acts of God (Heb. 2:3-4)
was not accepted by the people of God (Judaism) and they were never included in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh/Old Testament)
does not always tell the truth of God, for example: On praying for the dead (2 Mac. 12:46); or on working for salvation (Tobit 12:9)
was not accepted by Jesus the Son of God (Lk. 24:27)
was not accepted by the Apostles (who never quoted it)
was not accepted by the early Church and was never part of the Protestant New Testament
was rejected by the great Catholic translator Jerome
was not written during period of the prophets of God
contain some absurdities and inconsistencies with the accepted Biblical Canon

Examples of Apocryphal books

The Wisdom of Solomon (C. 30 B.C.)
Tobit (c. 200 B.C.)
Judith (c. 150 B.C.)
1 and 2 Maccabees (c. 110-70 B.C.)
Baruch (c. 150-50 B.C.)—Baruch 1-5
Bel and the Dragon (c. 100 B.C.)—Daniel 14
*Prayer of Manasseh (c. 200-100 B.C.)

*Not in Catholic Bible

Gnostic Literature

Gnosis (means knowledge)

Gnosticism fosters the conviction that matter is evil and that emancipation (being set free) comes through special knowledge.
Gnosticism came out of Greek philosophy and held a belief that one could gain “secret knowledge” of God through certain practices.
Gnostic literature includes ‘secret’ gospels, poems and myths attributing to Jesus’ sayings and beliefs which are very different from the New Testament Gospels.
There was an attempt to assimilate Gnosticism with early Christianity.
There are over 300 writings from Gnostic literature in antiquity.

Gnostic gospels

In addition to the same reasons for the Apocrypha, Christians reject these because…

Gnostic literature, and so called gospels, were written well into the second through forth centuries AD/CE by authors who were not primary eyewitnesses of the events, and who falsely took the names of many of the apostles and disciples (for example, the gospels of Thomas, Phillip and Mary).
The early Church leaders unanimously rejected them.
Gnostic writings have no basis in primary evidence, cross-references to other Scripture, or confirmation from the first and second century Churches.
***The dating of the book is the key for recognizing legitimate historical literature, and these are written way too late to be legitimate primary accounts.
Gnostic literature contains absurdities and inconsistencies with the early beliefs of the apostles and disciples of Jesus
Gnostic literature does not reflect a first century Palestinian Jesus but rather an esoteric or Hellenistic Jesus
The Gnostic gospels contain false doctrines and heresies (Gnosticism, Ascetisicm, Docetism, Modalism, etc.) that are inconsistent with the doctrinal essentials of classic Christianity
The Gnostic heretic Marcion, c. AD 140, was the first to promote these Gnostic writings in the Christian community because he was anti-Jewish and rejected all books written by Jews
The books of the Christian Bible today are the same ones used by the earliest disciples of Christ and therefore any other so called “missing” book would not be part of the classical Christian faith anyway

Examples of Gnostic books

Gospel of Thomas
Gospel of Peter
Gospel of Mary
Protoevangelium of James
Gospel of the Egyptians
Gospel of Philip
Gospel of the Ebionites

And some 300 more…

God’s Word teaches us that we can have confidence in what it says:

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.

-Isaiah 40:8

“Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure’

-Isaiah 46:9-10

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

-Hebrews 4:12

Reflection

If you only had one minute for each question, to the best of your ability, give a quick answer in your own words, (note – these are building from the presentation notes each week):

What are the four important areas for Christian growth?
What are the twelve points that will help you tell the Bible’s Big Picture?
What are the two most important questions you can ask when someone makes a claim about Christianity, or a belief that they hold to be true that is in conflict with the Christian Worldview?
What is the Moral Law argument for the existence of God? Give an example.
How is evil defined from a Christian Worldview? Give an example.
What are the three factors in identifying sources of evil?
What three characteristics does Satan possess that he wants to bring out in us?
What does it mean for a Christian to have a proper perspective of eternity?
What is a miracle, and how is it different from natural occurrences?
What does the acronym MAPS-S stand for, and how does it help us confirm the Bible’s reliability?

Bible Study

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.

Group Bible study:

Last week we finished our study in the book of Colossians. Over the next few weeks we are encouraging you to study a book of the Bible on your own. We will be starting a new series in a few weeks and at that time we will study the books of 1 and 2 Thessalonians. In the meantime, continue your daily devotional or begin a new one! Discuss in your small group, or read together!

Join us next week as we continue our study in Christian Apologetics with more conversations on the topic of the Bible!

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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