The Strand Study Bible

ACTS

ACTS

1794

highly esteemed that particular one might be. …all down through the centuries–when they spoke of the Bible as being “God-breathed, infallible, inerrant, and verbally inspired”–were not talking about a translation, they spoke of the original manuscripts . This is not in the slightest downgrading a reliable translation, it merely places the perfection where God invested it– on the originals ! 1

Christians must remember that an English version of a Greek text is just that –a version. It is not inspired; it is simply a translation of one language into another. Because English-speaking people are two languages (English, Latin) removed from the original Greek (NT) and three languages (English, Latin, Greek) removed from the original Hebrew (OT), there are going to be some minor problems in translation ( Mt 7:22 and Lk 3:36 ). For example: * Take Luke 10:22 in the King James Version. George Berry’s Interlinear Greek-English New Testament reads, .DL στUDMHL9 SUο9 τοX9 PDθKτD9 HLSHQ , And having turned to the disciples he said , Whereas Berry’s Interlinear Greek-EnglishNewTestament includes the entire opening clause “ .DL στUDMHL9 SUο9 τοX9 PDθKτD9 HLSHQ ” ( And having turned to the disciples he said ), the King James Version (KJV) completely omits it. * Take John 7:50. The original Greek reads, /HJHL 1LNοGKPο9 SUο9 DXτοX9 ο HOθZQ QXNτο9 SUο9 DXτοQ … Says Nicodemus to them (he who came by night to him , Whereas the Greek uses the pronoun DXτοQ ( him ) within the original text, the King James Version substitutes that pronoun “ him ” with the noun “Jesus”. The problem, however, is that it’s a pronoun ( DXτοQ ) in the original text, not a noun. The Greek word for Jesus ( ,KσοX ) is nowhere to be found within the original text. * Take John 1:13. The original Greek reads, οL οXN H[ DLPDτZQ … who not of bloods Whereas the Greek uses the plural noun DLPDτZQ ( bloods - human descent ) within the original text, the King James Version substitutes that word “ bloods ” with “blood”. The problem, however, is that DLPDτZQ is a plural noun in the original Greek, not a singular noun. * Take Romans 11:1,11 and I Corinthians 6:15. The original Greek reads, PK - JHQοLτο not-may it be (or, may it not be) Whereas the Greek uses the phrase PK - JHQοLτο ( may it not be ) within the original text, the King James Version substitutes those words “ May it not be ” with “God forbid.” The problem, however, is that the Greek word for God ( θHο9 ) is nowhere to be found within the original text. * Take John 8:24. The original Greek reads, Anyone that has been begotten out of God sin not practices Whereas the original Greek adds the word HN ( out ) within the original text (right after the verb JHJHQQKPHQο9 - has been begotten ; is born and before the prepositional phrase τοX θHοX - of God ), the King James Version omits it. I John 3:9 should have been translated: Whosoever has been born out of God … Just as we are born physically “out” of the womb and cannot be unborn from our family ever again, so once we are born again spiritually out ( HN ) of God we cannot be unborn from God’s family ever again. That is, we cannot lose our salvation. NOTE – While it is true that this author favors the King James Version (even with it’s few “flaws” due to the translators – I Jn 5:7 - 8 and Mk 16:9-20 ), it is also true that other versions (though translated from “less favorable” Greek texts, i.e., Alexandrian text) should be studied along with the KJV. Henry M. Morris in A Creationist’s Defense Of The King James Bible agrees. He notes: In many cases, the differences are minor, but it is true that far too many do involve significant watering down of even such basic doctrines as Biblical inerrancy, the perfect divine/human nature of Christ, and the Trinity. On the other hand, they certainly do not eliminate these doctrines, so it is still happily possible to discern these doctrines and to find the true gospel and way of salvation in almost any of the new texts or translations. 2 It is also true that in many cases, because these newer versions use “up-to-date” modern English verses the old King James English, the reader has a mildly better understanding of what he is reading ( Heb 10:39 ). 1 Sumner, Robert L. Bible Translations , (booklet) 1979. Print. 2 Morris, Henry M. A Creationist’s Defense Of The King James Bible , El Cajon, CA Institute of Creation Research, 1996. Print. HDQ - JDU PK - SLστHXσKτH οτL HJZ HLPL , DSοθDQHL9θH HQ τDL9 DPDUτLDL9 XPZQ for if not ye believe that I am , ye will die in the sins your Whereas the Greek uses the clause HJZ HLPL ( I am ) within the original text, the King James Version adds an italicized pronoun [he] to the end of the clause. The problem, however, is that the King James makes it sound as if Christ is the great “I am [he]” instead of the great “I AM” of Exodus 3:14. * Take I John 3:9. The original Greek reads, SD9 ‘ ο JHJHQQKPHQο9 HN τοX θHοX DPDUτLDQ οX SοLHL …