I am re-writing a
course on evidences that I originally created over twenty-five years
ago. Knowledge of scripture has increased over the course of my life
time. Many of the cliché’s espoused by unbelievers in my youth have
today been disproved but folks are still repeating them. Hence, the
effort below...
I thought I would share one chapter of said course. Enjoy...
I thought I would share one chapter of said course. Enjoy...
-------------------
When we come to the subject of the actual transmission of the text, we find a fast disconnect between what is perceived, and what is real! Most folks on the street scoff at the idea that you actually could have the bible or the real words of Paul!
Some will readily admit the Holy Spirit inspired these men on earth. They then deny that we know what He said through them. This concept is pretty flaky on it’s face, simply because. . . If God could miraculously inspire men, He could also protect and preserve His work.
Let’s see if we can follow the chain of transmission and walk away comfortable that we know the words of Paul, Peter and more importantly. . . Jesus!
Read Deuteronomy 30:8-19.
1) Vs. 8-10 What promise is made if you follow the commandments of God?_________
2) Vs 11-14 What promise is made about those commandments? __________________
3) Vs. 19 Did God make a promise in Moses’ day to preserve this Word? ___________
Read Romans 10:8
4) What passage is Paul quoting? __________________________
5) Is the promise of preservation simply an Old Testament promise?
Read I Corinthians 2:10-16.
6) How does Paul say that the Bible was originally given to us? __________________
7) What “title” would Paul give the Bible if he were naming it? ___________________
Read Luke 16:17.
8) How strongly does Jesus make the promise _____________________
This is Matthew 24 from a Latin, vellum pocket bible. It was hand copied in 1200 AD. I own this page and use it in personal work. The point is, that even "common people" can afford to reach back 1,000 years!
9) Is the promise just for the preservation of a book?
Note: The distance between the time of Moses and Jesus is generally thought to be 1500 years + 200 years. The fact that
Jesus is making this statement is already a powerful testimony to it’s truth!
Why is a pursuit such as this worth the effort?
"You,
however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced
of, knowing from whom you have learned {them,} and that from childhood
you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom
that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
All
Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof,
for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God
may be adequate, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:14-17)
It
is important to note that while the newest texts of the bible were
written some 1900 years ago, in terms of preservation 1900 years is not
all that long. For example one can do a casual perusal on ebay and find
writings in various forms back to 500 BC on any given day (as pictured
to the right). These are within even the reach of “common people”
financially. Try it!
It might be worth remembering that most museums contain Egyptian, Syrian, Babylonian, Persian and Roman sections. The reason even small museums can do this is simply a case of quantity. The significant events to Christians are also significant to the world (for the most part). There really is a lot of documentation out there!
It might be worth remembering that most museums contain Egyptian, Syrian, Babylonian, Persian and Roman sections. The reason even small museums can do this is simply a case of quantity. The significant events to Christians are also significant to the world (for the most part). There really is a lot of documentation out there!
Let’s begin our Journey back in time…. From our Bibles to their Bibles
Pictured to the right was the oldest known copy of the 10 commandments, prior to the dead sea scrolls, Nash Papyrus, 2nd Century BC...
The
first English language Bible printed in the Americas was in 1782 by
Robert Aitken. In some respects it was un-remarkable. It was basically a
cheap pocket Bible with no illustrations inside. The particular appeal
of this Bible at the time, was the political statement made by its
existence. It is the only Bible ever authorized by the Continental
Congress, of the newly formed United States of America. The
revolutionary war had cut off the importation of books in general and
the Bible in particular.
One important stop on our journey back in time is the story of William Tyndale. He has been called the “Father of the English Bible.” The year was 1525 in Cologne. The Catholic church was doing all it can (including killing) to keep the Bible away from the people. Translating it into English was illegal. Illegal or not, the printing began in Cologne.
Because of the danger, Tyndale literally had to take the partially completed New Testaments and flee to Worms. Here he completed two editions of his pocket sized Testaments.
One important stop on our journey back in time is the story of William Tyndale. He has been called the “Father of the English Bible.” The year was 1525 in Cologne. The Catholic church was doing all it can (including killing) to keep the Bible away from the people. Translating it into English was illegal. Illegal or not, the printing began in Cologne.
Because of the danger, Tyndale literally had to take the partially completed New Testaments and flee to Worms. Here he completed two editions of his pocket sized Testaments.
These Testaments were then smuggled into England.
The smugglers literally folded them into bales of cloth, or hid them in
barrels.
People hungered for the word, but the church ordered these testaments gathered up and burned. Only two known copies of the first edition exist!
Working in Antwerp, Tyndale continued to improve his translation of the New Testament and began work on the Old. Such was not to be, however. In 1535 he was betrayed to the Pope’s operatives and kidnapped. He was held in Vilvorde Castle for about 15 months then tried for heresy and sentenced to burning at the stake!
It is ironic that roughly ten years earlier they have burned his bibles, now they set out to burn him!
On October 6, 1536 he was first tied to the stake and strangled, his dead body was burned. His last words were, “Lord, open the eyes of the king of England!”
That prayer was literally being fulfilled as he spoke it, Henry the VIII was making his break with Rome. The resulting royal decree was for an English bible to be placed in every church! The emerging English bible was an extension of and improvement upon Tyndale’s.
Our next stop in our journey is to visit the Masoretes. They are a group of scribes working primarily from Tiberius on the shores of Galilee. Their beginnings are pre-Christian but they are best known for standardizing the Hebrew language.
Their squaring of Hebrew symbols and pointings etc. were developed because of the fear that the pronunciation of Hebrew would be forgotten as it ceased to be spoken.
Let’s digress a moment and note using an English example of what the Masoretic work was and why it's important.
To the right is a scan of my copy of the KJV of John 3:16, printed in 1613...
People hungered for the word, but the church ordered these testaments gathered up and burned. Only two known copies of the first edition exist!
Working in Antwerp, Tyndale continued to improve his translation of the New Testament and began work on the Old. Such was not to be, however. In 1535 he was betrayed to the Pope’s operatives and kidnapped. He was held in Vilvorde Castle for about 15 months then tried for heresy and sentenced to burning at the stake!
It is ironic that roughly ten years earlier they have burned his bibles, now they set out to burn him!
On October 6, 1536 he was first tied to the stake and strangled, his dead body was burned. His last words were, “Lord, open the eyes of the king of England!”
That prayer was literally being fulfilled as he spoke it, Henry the VIII was making his break with Rome. The resulting royal decree was for an English bible to be placed in every church! The emerging English bible was an extension of and improvement upon Tyndale’s.
Our next stop in our journey is to visit the Masoretes. They are a group of scribes working primarily from Tiberius on the shores of Galilee. Their beginnings are pre-Christian but they are best known for standardizing the Hebrew language.
Their squaring of Hebrew symbols and pointings etc. were developed because of the fear that the pronunciation of Hebrew would be forgotten as it ceased to be spoken.
Let’s digress a moment and note using an English example of what the Masoretic work was and why it's important.
To the right is a scan of my copy of the KJV of John 3:16, printed in 1613...
The
KJV was first printed in 1611 but had so many mistakes in it that they
reset the type and started over in 1613. Notice what has actually
happened to English in just 400 years. Look at the word son (sonne) in
verse 13,16,and 18. Notice also the “f” looking characters that are
where an “s” should be in today’s English. There are many changes in
any living language, both in words and in writing. It is obvious that English has changed a great deal. This helps us understand why translations appear and reappear every so many years. Updating to our current language is an ongoing process.
This was the specific work of the Masoretes. They did to/for Hebrew what you can see needed done to preserve the text as it should be.
The most famous of these would be Ben Asher and Ben Naphtali from the 900’s AD. Asher oversaw the writing of the Aleppo codex (codex meaning a book as opposed to a scroll).
The Aleppo codex
was once the oldest known codex containing the entire Hebrew bible.
It was originally copied by the scribe Shlomo Ben-buya’a. It was then
verified and vocalized by Aaron Ben-Asher inPalestine sometime in the
early tenth century. Sometime in the eleventh century
the Palestine lost it and it went to Egypt. In the fourteenth century
it was transferred to the Jewish community inAleppo Syria. It was
treasured for roughly 600 years.
In 1947 the anti Semitic riots broke out and the synagogue was torched. This destroyed a good portion of it. Only 295 out of 487 pages survived. In 1958 it transferred to Israel for safe keeping and is now in “The Book,” A museum dedicated to bible texts.
We go through this detail on this one text to demonstrate that there was such dedication to biblical texts before printing that incredible detail is often known about the transmission of them.
Today the Leningrad Codex is the oldest complete Hebrew Bible in existence. It was written in 1010 ad apparently inCairo. From there it went to Damascus. Today it is at the Saltykov-shchedrin (the Russian National Library ) in St Petersburg.
It is important to note that while the oldest complete OT is from 1010 AD that isn’t all that surprising. How long with regular use does a book last before a page tears or falls out?
From here we go to a literal mountain of pieces. A couple hundred years ago, it was easy to criticize the Bible’s transmission. Over the last 100 years so much work has been done to reclaim the past that such criticism cannot honorably be made.
Discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls...In 1947 the anti Semitic riots broke out and the synagogue was torched. This destroyed a good portion of it. Only 295 out of 487 pages survived. In 1958 it transferred to Israel for safe keeping and is now in “The Book,” A museum dedicated to bible texts.
We go through this detail on this one text to demonstrate that there was such dedication to biblical texts before printing that incredible detail is often known about the transmission of them.
Today the Leningrad Codex is the oldest complete Hebrew Bible in existence. It was written in 1010 ad apparently inCairo. From there it went to Damascus. Today it is at the Saltykov-shchedrin (the Russian National Library ) in St Petersburg.
It is important to note that while the oldest complete OT is from 1010 AD that isn’t all that surprising. How long with regular use does a book last before a page tears or falls out?
From here we go to a literal mountain of pieces. A couple hundred years ago, it was easy to criticize the Bible’s transmission. Over the last 100 years so much work has been done to reclaim the past that such criticism cannot honorably be made.
Our
next major stop in our trek back through time is to note the discovery
of the Dead Sea scrolls in 1947. A Bedouin shepherd boy named “the
wolf” was searching for a stray goat. He found the an incredible cache
of lost books. Originally he found 7 scrolls.
Within a short time the scientists found the Qumran community. It was inhabited from roughly 300 BC down to 68 AD. Thus far 900 scrolls have been found. Over 200 of them are biblical, 670 non biblical. It takes quite a while to unroll leather that has been rolled for 2000 years. Therefore, for a brief period, many in the scholarly community were speaking of revolutionizing Christianity. The kicker is that it changed virtually nothing! The texts in one sweep went back another 1000 years by way of a time capsule. What was discovered from this snapshot was that God really had preserved His word. The texts closely matched what people already had.
Within a short time the scientists found the Qumran community. It was inhabited from roughly 300 BC down to 68 AD. Thus far 900 scrolls have been found. Over 200 of them are biblical, 670 non biblical. It takes quite a while to unroll leather that has been rolled for 2000 years. Therefore, for a brief period, many in the scholarly community were speaking of revolutionizing Christianity. The kicker is that it changed virtually nothing! The texts in one sweep went back another 1000 years by way of a time capsule. What was discovered from this snapshot was that God really had preserved His word. The texts closely matched what people already had.
Read Hebrews 13:6-9.
Should it have been a surprise when no real change to scripture resulted in the discovery of new texts? ____________
What one word description would be used to describe Christianity from this brief overview? ______________________
Read Matthew 5:17-20.
What promise is made by Jesus? __________________________
Men have tried to squelch the word. According to Jesus, will they be successful? _________________
Should a Christian be worried about what comes from the ground? _______________
This
particular study takes parts of the Bible and groups them according to
the topics under discussion at the time. This is a practical
description of most Bible discussions. Sometimes these groupings were
called lectionaries, other would call the testimonia. By whatever name
you choose, you get an insight into the overall attitude of the author
by what he chooses to group in said studies.
One grouping of particular interest is “The Testimonia”
(4q175) found in Cave 4, pictured to the right. Its author chose to
group together five old testament quotes into four groups. These
include Deuteronomy 5:28-29, 18:18-19, Numbers 24:15-17, Deuteronomy
33:8-11, and Joshua 6:26. This document displays a preoccupation
with Qumran’s belief that it was time for the Messiah to come. They
were right! I must wonder how many of them actually caught up with the fact that He came!
By far, the most incredible find was a copy of Isaiah. Today it is affectionately known as the “Great Isaiah Scroll." Isaiah is a favorite of both the Jews and Christians alike. To have found this large a document in this good of shape at this age was virtually unbelievable. The providence of God is in mind the best explanation. Consider how quickly a pair of leather gloves become useless, then ask yourself about the likelihood of actual leather documents surviving without care for more than 2000 years. Pretty incredible isn’t it? But it happened.
Let’s
focus back in on the New Testament now. Some folks believe it was
several hundred years before the canon of the New Testament was
established. Actually, it occurred rather quickly.
The Muratorian fragment
is perhaps the oldest list of Bible books. It is also known as the
Muratorian cannon. It was copied in approximately ad 170. The oldest
copy comes from the seventh century, but it internally refers to a
bishop of Rome that died in Ad 157. It is solid evidence that lists of
bible books were compiled early on.
The John Rhyland's fragment
is the oldest undisputed piece of the New Testament. It contains John
18:31-33 on one side, and John 18:37-38 on the other. It is dated from
125 to 160 AD. It is thought that John wrote the book of revelation in
96 AD. Obviously this copy of John is incredibly close to the autograph
copy.
The other possibility for the oldest survivor of the New Testaments is the 4q175 fragment,
pictured to the right. It is hotly disputed as a piece of Mark
6:52-53. This was found in cave 7 of Qumran. If in fact this turned
out to be what is claimed, you would have a Christian document found in
the hands of a Jewish community by 68 AD. This is so incredible that
the dispute rages. Unfortunately as you can see on the right, not quite
enough of it survived to confirm it beyond dispute. Mathematically
the odds of these letters being as seen, but not being Mark are pretty
remote, but it is possible that it is something other than Mark.
A project you’ll enjoy…
Let
me recommend to you a project that will demonstrate just how
effectively the Bible has been transmitted to you by the God of heaven.
Get your own Bible and look up Isaiah 53 and read from it comparing
your Bible with the translation found below. Isaiah wrote the passage
in approximately 700 BC (2700 years ago). The scroll is from
approximately 100BC (600 years later but still over 2000 years ago). Now
see for yourself how much your Bible hasn’t changed. You’ll some
distinctions in the translator’s efforts at accuracy bringing it all
into English… but just see for yourself. This is directly translated
from a leather scroll copied by a human being over 2000 years ago. It
is the same text as the one you have in your possession!
Translation of Qumran Scroll Isaiah 53 begins with line 5 of Column 44...
(Note the line #’s on the scroll don’t match the verse #’s)
5.
(Chapter 53:1) Who has believed our report and the arm of YHWH to whom
has it been revealed (2) And he shall come up like a suckling before him
6. and as a root from dry ground there is no form to him and no beauty
[+to him+] and in his being seen and there is no appearance
7. that we should desire him. (3) He is despised and rejected of men, a
man of sorrows and knowing grief
8. and as though hiding faces from him he was despised and we did not
esteem him. (4) Surely our griefs he
9. is bearing and our sorrows he carried them and we esteemed him beaten
and struck by God
10. and afflicted. (5) and he is wounded for our transgressions, and
crushed for our iniquities, the correction
11. of our peace was upon him and by his wounds he has healed us. (6)
All of us like sheep have wandered each man to his own way
12. we have turned and YHWH has caused to light on him the iniquity of
all of us (7) He was oppressed and he was afflicted and he did not
13. open his mouth, as a lamb to the slaughter he is brought and as a
ewe before her shearers is made dumb he did not open
14. his mouth. (8) From prison and from judgement he was taken and his
generation who shall discuss it because he was cut off from the land of
15. the living. Because from the transgressions of his people a wound
was to him (PP)
16. (9) And they gave wicked ones to be his grave and
[a scribbled word probably accusative sign "eth"] rich ones in his
death
17. although he worked no violence neither deceit in his mouth (10) And
YHWH was pleased to crush him and He has caused him grief. (PP)
18. If
you will appoint his soul a sin offering he will see his seed and he
will lengthen his days and the pleasure of YHWH
19. in his hand will advance. (11) Of the toil of his soul he shall see
{+light+} and he shall be satisfied and by his knowledge shall he make
righteous
20. even my righteous servant for many and their iniquities he will
bear. (12) Therefore I will apportion to him among the great ones
21. and with the mighty ones he shall divide the spoil because he laid
bare to death his soul and with the transgressors
22. he was numbered, and he, the sins of many, he bore, and for their
transgressions he entreated.
There is really only one thing left to say…
The Bible is the Word of God!
The Bible is the Word of God!
Hi I am glad you stopped by our blog. These articles are from an emailing that we did several years ago. Today most of our work is on facebook
You can follow my personal page on Facebook by clicking on this link ...
You can follow the postings on the congregation's page by clicking on this link....
If you wish to worship with us....
Las Vegas church of Christ
709 Dora Celeste
Las Vegas, NM 87701
Our meeting times are
10am Sunday morning for Bible study.
11am Sunday morning for the worship service.
6pm Wednesday evening for Midweek Bible study.
If you wish to contact me...
yakipreacher@gmail.com
Be well
Jerry Blount
