Fallibility of Scripture

[manichunter]

I have not really considered this topic in great deal until I started reading a few post of others lately. I discovered others were curious about this topic as well. Now I am curious myself. I am afraid of the answer if my suspicious are confirmed. I believe that the Scripture are inspired by God. God gave mankind His Spoken Word so that we might teach and follow His will as led by the Spirit. Consequently, mankind has been the steward of Scripture. What has mankind done with his stewardship?


Question- Are the other languages of translated Scripture other than the original language of the Scripture polluted.

What I mean by polluted is that the translations are influenced by the present cultures, biases, ideologies, and prejudices of the translators. Hence the context and transliteration are altered to various degrees depending on the person doing the translating. Since no translator has ever claimed to be inspired by God in their efforts to translate Scripture, the conclusion can be made that the creation of the translated Scripture was done by mankind with his own intellect, perceptions, and feelings. The process of translating was undertaken with the aid of speculation, previously held beliefs, and personal agendas. This creates the situations of today when various translations define the same word differently. A lot of times it has change the face value meaning of the passage of Scripture, context, and intent. This could mean that some truths might have been altered to the point of making believers accidently error and walk in ignorance. These possible missing gaps in our knowledge of the truth could greatly and dangerously alter the religion of Christianity.

This is not to say that the original text is not polluted to some degree. However, I am sure that the levels of pollutants are smaller than the translation created from them. The original Scripture were written with an intimate affection and connection to the cultures, ideologies, and mannerisms of their day when God first gave us His Scripture. Hence, the context, nuances, and meanings of the original Text should have a greater degree of trust associated with them.

I trust Scripture with all my heart, but I study from the original text as much as possible for clarity and corrections. Are we wrong for translating the Scripture? I do not believe that we are. However, great efforts should be made in future translations to define the Scripture within their ancient settings regarding context, nuances, and the meanings of the applicable in those days.

I believe a lot of people want to believe that their translation has power. I really do not know if they do. I personally use the King James Edition of the Bible because it is the Scripture I have been associated with since I was a child. I can more readily recall the location of specific Scripture as I study. I believe it is up to me to study to show myself as a good worker by understanding the past cultures, nuances of those times, and assigned norms. I usually try to transliterate the Scripture by tearing the present language down and allowing God to build it back up through the works of the Holy Spirit and original written Scripture.

I am not saying that the Scripture are a lie and we cannot trust them. The Scripture as given directly from God to mankind was perfect; however, some people have since tried to tailor the Scripture to match their culture. Some might believe that the Scripture are fine as they are and that nothing has been added to or corrupted the Scripture. Some might believe that the present translations of Scripture has been mistranslated, hence they take other measures to discover the truth.

What say you because I need to learn more regarding this subject?
Thanks, Manichunter...................

 

[Agricola]

Early on the morn of the day of the feast, Lady Agatha summoned her two sons James and Mark as well as her two daughters, Lucy and Kate to her bedchamber. " I have an urgent message from the master of the house, you are to take this bag of gold and proceed with great haste and urgency directly to the merchants that dwell on the Northern most bank of the river.

Upon your arrival you shall ask for finest linen to adorn the tables, pillows of the finest silk and as much of the finest wine that you can load onto the cart. Make haste and be swift, for there is not much time, you must arrive back before the olive tree casts its shadow over the house, for that is the time of our guests arrival and they must not go without the things that you are to purchase, for if they do not receive these things on their arrival , they will be greatly offended and our house will be shamed and our name will be cursed and mocked for many generations

Translation:
ON the morning of the party Agatha called her children, James, Mark, Lucy and Kate, "here is some money, Your father wants you to go to the shops on the North Bank and buy some table clothes, pillows and wine, make sure they are the best you can get, be quick about it because you have to get back here by noon in time for the guests to arrive. If you don't make it back in time, they will be offended as they will be wanting these things and we shall be made fools of and a laughing stock for years to come.



The first and second paragraphs above have been shortened to a single paragraph, the third, is completely different, but still tells us of the basic facts, how the mother has been told by the father to send their children out to buy some items and return them in time before the guests arrive.

Does it really matter how the text is worded? To an extent no, but what if the first two paragraphs hold more meaning than simply telling a story? Bible passages contain a lot of detail and parallels that most people do not even realize exist, but when you start looking into meanings of symbolism and so on, then a whole amazing new Bible opens up before you.

IN my example above, the fig tree casting a shadow is actully a symbolic parallel and is important to the text, the arrival of the guests , being prepared for the guests arrival, when read in its original it is a parrellel and symbolic to lets say Christs return, it has a double meaning and very significant meaning which is totally lost when completely reworked.

No translation is perfect and many things are lost in translation, no matter how good it is, there are plenty of words in one language for which there are no direct translations for. Hebrew and Greek have plenty of words that mean one of several things depending on how it is used. I have come across a number of inappropriately translated words in the King James for example, but the NIV has a better translation and usage of words for that passage and vice - versa.

One such example is Jonah 3:4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

Now people pick up on this and use it to claim that it is alright to be a prophet and give prophecies that never come around. With Jonah you can use the technicality that its a conditional prophecy and so its not really a false prophecy.

HOwever you do not even need to argue this when you look at the original word for "Overthrown"

haw-vak'
A primitive root; to turn about or over; by implication to change, overturn, return, pervert: - X become, change, come, be converted, give, make [a bed], overthrow (-turn), perverse, retire, tumble, turn (again, aside, back, to the contrary, every way).

So when Jonah is using the original word, haw-vak, then this word covers all bases, to change, overthrow or turn around, etc.

without looking at this and reading a number of versions, one is still confused as to what the exact meaning is. So Yes, the only way you can get complete understanding and study in depth is to go back to the original language, this is where likes of Strong's come in, Esword is a good for this, as it comes with strongs numbering and saves a lot of page turning and cross referencing.

It is possible that some translators may have a hidden agenda to translate things around to support some kind of New Age or other false or dodgey doctrine or theological argument, however with plenty of other Bibles and many translations around, this is going to be difficult to do, as just about every Bible on the face of things says exactly the same thing, and any major change can easily be spotted.

I shall just mention NIV here as many people go on about missing verses, however in every NIV i have seen the "missing" verses are put as a footnote on bottom of page with explanation that some early texts have this missing

CONLUSION

No English translation from Greek or Hebrew is 100% perfect and never will be. Just about all translations are perfectly fine to read for main and basic messages etc. However if you want to get more deep into scripture and find all the parallels and other hidden meanings and symbolism, then you need more than one translation along with at least a strongs. It is even better if you can read Greek and Hebrew, as then you can actually read the early manuscripts directly!

 

[Catholic Crusader]

Yes, this is another argument against Sola Scriptura. Your Bible is not infallible. It has gone through translators, editors, printing houses - and is based on texts that are copies of the original texts, copied by who knows who. And even if it were infalolibe, YOU are not, so it wouldnt matter anyway.

That is why Christ established an infallible Church. As from the first, God speaks to his Church through the Bible and through sacred Tradition. To make sure we understand him, he guides the Church’s teaching authorityâ€â€the magisteriumâ€â€so it always interprets the Bible and Tradition accurately. This is the gift of infallibility. Like the three legs on a stool, the Bible, Tradition, and the magisterium are all necessary for the stability of the Church and to guarantee sound doctrine.

 

[cyberjosh]

Yes, this is another argument against Sola Scriptura. Your Bible is not infallible. It has gone through translators, editors, printing houses - and is based on texts that are copies of the original texts, copied by who knows who. And even if it were infalolibe, YOU are not, so it wouldnt matter anyway.

That is why Christ established an infallible Church. As from the first, God speaks to his Church through the Bible and through sacred Tradition. To make sure we understand him, he guides the Church’s teaching authorityâ€â€the magisteriumâ€â€so it always interprets the Bible and Tradition accurately. This is the gift of infallibility. Like the three legs on a stool, the Bible, Tradition, and the magisterium are all necessary for the stability of the Church and to guarantee sound doctrine.

The idea of a fallible Bible but an infallible Church doesn't sit well with me.

"Let God be found true, yet every man a liar" (Romans 3:4).

P.S. I agree with Agricola's basic conclusion. Also the doctrine of Scriptural infallibility of course lies with the originals, which no one has, not even the RCC. But God has been good to us, and recovering the majority of the original readings are not beyond our grasp, especially since the Scriptures have been quoted over and over down through the centuries.

~Josh

 

[Catholic Crusader]

Yes, this is another argument against Sola Scriptura. Your Bible is not infallible. It has gone through translators, editors, printing houses - and is based on texts that are copies of the original texts, copied by who knows who. And even if it were infalolibe, YOU are not, so it wouldnt matter anyway.

That is why Christ established an infallible Church. As from the first, God speaks to his Church through the Bible and through sacred Tradition. To make sure we understand him, he guides the Church’s teaching authorityâ€â€the magisteriumâ€â€so it always interprets the Bible and Tradition accurately. This is the gift of infallibility. Like the three legs on a stool, the Bible, Tradition, and the magisterium are all necessary for the stability of the Church and to guarantee sound doctrine.

The idea of a fallible Bible but an infallible Church doesn't sit well with me.

"Let God be found true, yet every man a liar" (Romans 3:4).

I'm sure it doesnt. LOL. But, when you consider, 1) The Bible was written by men, and 2) The Church decided which books went into the NT, we see here two infallible acts by men, verses no infallible acts by the book. The score is 2/ZIP in my favor. :-D

 

[manichunter]

So right sir,


This is what I depend on now. The Holy Spirit is the one that inspires me now as I try to understand His Scripture. Hence when I am told to prepare messages today, it is the Spirit that teaches me what to study, prepare, and teach.............. Bottom line the translation the validity of the translation becomes almost irrelevant if the person studying the Scripture has an intimate and obedient walk in the Spirit because the reader can be as inspired as the original writer of Scripture. However, I do some translations are totally in error like the New World Translation that support doctrines taught by specific organizations.

It is funny how the enemy also uses the Scripture to deceive people. What he does is mess with the translation to effect and corrupt our carnal understanding. Hence he adds to or subtracts the original context to lead people astray. It gets us to question God's Scripture and fight about its meaning. It is bad enough that human lust is such that mankind already desires to believe its own lies in order to satisfy its goals and intentions. So our lust can add something to the Scripture as well. Thus between our lust and lack of trust, the inspired meaning and purpose of the Scripture can get lost as we make our efforts to translate Scripture. This happens now not only because man is fallible, but because mankind in our fallen nature wants to be as God. This is how the devil provides the avenues that we use to justify our sinful beliefs and thoughts. He knows what we want to do and believe; and then, he corrupts what God has said. Then we willfully walk in guile as we follow a lie most of the time due to a lack of knowledge of the truth. Only the Holy Spirit can reveal and correct these lies introduced by the enemy and show mankind the straight and narrow path inspired by God. So, bottom line is that we have to trust the one who inspired the Scripture and follow His personal guidance. The Spirit promised to lead us into all truth. Hence no person can find truth on their own.

Gen 3: 1-6 1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, `You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, `You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.' " 4 The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! 5 "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

Jas 1:14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

Matthew 4:1-11 1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." 4 But He answered and said, "It is written, `MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.' "

5 Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, `HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU'; and `ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.' " 7 Jesus said to him, "On the other hand, it is written, `YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.' "

8 Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me." 10 Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, `YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.' " 11 Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.

I learned a few things in the study of this text that Spirit has inspired me to know. The some of the devils device that we told not to ignorant are made clearly evident. The enemy first operates on what he knows that we actually are in need of and gets us to satisfy this need independent of God. He appealed to the carnality and ego of Jesus, but He had none, however we do. We on the other hand have been known to play the little god once or twice in life. LOL

Then the enemy used the Scripture itself to create confusion. He used one passage of Scripture independent of the rest of Scripture. He took a line of Scripture away from the other lines that it is suppose to be on (line upon line, precept upon precept). So he isolated something that feeds our desires but does not agree with the entire content and purpose of the Scripture. Jesus is Scripture, so He knew the true meaning of Scripture in its entirety. He put the line the enemy gave Him with the line that would provide truth ultimately glorifying God and yield trust to Him. Hence no Scripture should be taken out of the context and agreement with the rest of Scripture. We have a lot of that sort of thing happening today, where believers create and build something on a Scripture. Then others come along to show from other Scripture that this could be a possible error. Hence we have to study to show ourselves approved before God. If we do not agree about Scripture, the problem is not with Scripture, the problem is with us.

Lastly, the enemy offers us material things and power. The bad thing about this is that the enemy sometimes makes good on his promises as well. But the net and end results are never godly. God wants the net and end result to be all about Him. This cannot happen if we are not careful about the steps we take, the gifts we accept, and the advice we take. There is so much I have learned, but it is not the season right now.


Holla back at your boy...........

 

[Catholic Crusader]

....The Holy Spirit is the one that inspires me now as I try to understand His Scripture. Hence when I am told to prepare messages today, it is the Spirit that teaches me what to study, prepare, and teach.............

Well, with all due respect, that is purely subjective on your part. There is no objective proof that God is speaking directly to you any more than there is that Allah is talking to some Muslim.

I always find it fascinating how people in your position can reject papal infallibility, yet turn around and be so sure that the Holy Spirit guides you when you put pen to paper. There is no WAY that God can guide the pope, but He does speak directly to you. Fascinating. At least I can find the pope in scripture: I don't see manichunter in there anywhere.

 

[manichunter]

what about the context of the Scriptural marriage system being so different from our modern day system. How is Christ married to Israel? Is it by that system or our system. If we use our view of marriage we miss how Jesus relates to us.

 

[manichunter]

....The Holy Spirit is the one that inspires me now as I try to understand His Scripture. Hence when I am told to prepare messages today, it is the Spirit that teaches me what to study, prepare, and teach.............

Well, with all due respect, that is purely subjective on your part. There is no objective proof that God is speaking directly to you any more than there is that Allah is talking to some Muslim.

I always find it fascinating how people in your position can reject papal infallibility, yet turn around and be so sure that the Holy Spirit guides you when you put pen to paper. There is no WAY that God can guide the pope, but He does speak directly to you. Fascinating. At least I can find the pope in scripture: I don't see manichunter in there anywhere.

So CC, the Holy Spirit does not speak to you? Well I cannot defend myself in this matter of whether the Holy Spirit speaks to me. What position are people like me in? I think I will entertain an arguement in this matter because I do not understand your vantage point dear sir. I have not studied Roman Catholism to any great detail.

 

[Catholic Crusader]

....The Holy Spirit is the one that inspires me now as I try to understand His Scripture. Hence when I am told to prepare messages today, it is the Spirit that teaches me what to study, prepare, and teach.............

Well, with all due respect, that is purely subjective on your part. There is no objective proof that God is speaking directly to you any more than there is that Allah is talking to some Muslim.

I always find it fascinating how people in your position can reject papal infallibility, yet turn around and be so sure that the Holy Spirit guides you when you put pen to paper. There is no WAY that God can guide the pope, but He does speak directly to you. Fascinating. At least I can find the pope in scripture: I don't see manichunter in there anywhere.

So CC, the Holy Spirit does not speak to you? Well I cannot defend myself in this matter of whether the Holy Spirit speaks to me. What position are people like me in? I think I will entertain an arguement in this matter because I do not understand your vantage point dear sir. I have not studied Roman Catholism to any great detail.

I am sure that God is with me. And I'm sure he guides me in ways I don't know. Im sure he gives me graces and the chance to discern right from wrong. But thats a far cry from saying that he teaches me directly. God does not work that way.. ...in my opinion.

My vantage point? We all have different gift of the Spirit and different roles to play. But as Paul says, we are not all teachers. I believe that teaching is the role of those Christ appointed (and their successors, who can trace a direct line back to the apostles by the laying on of hands). If it werent, then there would have been no need for Paul to write all those letters of correction & rebuke to different communities: He could have just told them that the Holy Spirit would teach them, and left it at that.

But it doesnt work that way. Christ chose MEN to teach, not a book. He established a Church with leaders, not study guides to hand out. Anyway, thats my opinion, and I do believe the scriptures support it.

 

[francisdesales]

So CC, the Holy Spirit does not speak to you? Well I cannot defend myself in this matter of whether the Holy Spirit speaks to me. What position are people like me in? I think I will entertain an arguement in this matter because I do not understand your vantage point dear sir. I have not studied Roman Catholism to any great detail.

I am curious. Where does the Bible tell us that the Holy Spirit SPEAKS to us???

Just wondering. I believe He guides us, but "speak" to us?

Regards

 

[manichunter]

So CC, the Holy Spirit does not speak to you? Well I cannot defend myself in this matter of whether the Holy Spirit speaks to me. What position are people like me in? I think I will entertain an arguement in this matter because I do not understand your vantage point dear sir. I have not studied Roman Catholism to any great detail.

I am curious. Where does the Bible tell us that the Holy Spirit SPEAKS to us???

Just wondering. I believe He guides us, but "speak" to us?

Regards

Ac 8:29 -
Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot."

Ac 10:19 -
While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are looking for you.

Ac 13:2 -
While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
Ac 21:11 -
And coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, "This is what the Holy Spirit says: `In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.' "

Yes the Holy Spirt Speaks, the question is do we listen

 

[Catholic Crusader]

Well, I see how the Spirit "guides" people's actions - which I mayself said in my previous post. But to say the Holy Spirit directly teaches you correct doctrine is, at best, wrong, and at worst, dangerous.

 

[manichunter]

Well, I see how the Spirit "guides" people's actions - which I mayself said in my previous post. But to say the Holy Spirit directly teaches you correct doctrine is, at best, wrong, and at worst, dangerous.

Why is that so, CC..............

 

[mutzrein]

Well, I see how the Spirit "guides" people's actions - which I mayself said in my previous post. But to say the Holy Spirit directly teaches you correct doctrine is, at best, wrong, and at worst, dangerous.

Why is that so, CC..............

Yes indeed, why is that so?

John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

 

[Catholic Crusader]

Well, I see how the Spirit "guides" people's actions - which I mayself said in my previous post. But to say the Holy Spirit directly teaches you correct doctrine is, at best, wrong, and at worst, dangerous.

Why is that so, CC..............

Well, I hate to sound like a broken record, but look around you.. ...hundreds of denominations, all claiming to teach the truth, all claiming to be "Bible Based", all saying as you do, that the Holy Spirit guides them, and all teaching conflicting doctrine!

Its the same argument Ive had in this forum time and time again: The empirical evidence is that what you are saying does not work! Every man doing what is right in his own eyes, to borrow an Old Testament phrase, has led to disunity and even fighting among Christians.

That is why Jesus chose apostles as teachers. That is why He established a teaching Church.

Could you imagine if the Founding Fathers of the USA printed up mini pocket Constitutions and handed them out and just told everyone to govern themselves? It would have been anarchy! Without the Supreme Court to say "this is what it says", it would just be up for grabs. Total chaos.

That is Christianity today. Everyone interpreting the Bible for themselves, claiming the Holy Spirit as their guide, and teaching a mass of conflicting doctrines. The Holy Spirit is not the author of confusion. The only way to have unity of doctrine is to be humble and submit to the teaching authority of the successors those Christ appointed as shepherds, protected by the Holy Spirit just as Christ promised.

John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

YES! And in context, this promise was made TO THE APOSTLES, NOT TO EVERYONE: They are the teachers: They needed that promise of truth.

We all have different gifts of the Spirit. THIS gift was meant for the teachers, NOT EVERYONE. You would have everyone have the same gift, and that is NOT BIBLICAL. We are not all the foot, or the hand, or the leg. We must show humility. "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you" (Hebrews 13:17).

Can't you see the disunity this concept of yours has wrought? If I could get down on my knees in this forum and BEG people to see this, I would

 

[francisdesales]

So CC, the Holy Spirit does not speak to you? Well I cannot defend myself in this matter of whether the Holy Spirit speaks to me. What position are people like me in? I think I will entertain an arguement in this matter because I do not understand your vantage point dear sir. I have not studied Roman Catholism to any great detail.

I am curious. Where does the Bible tell us that the Holy Spirit SPEAKS to us???

Just wondering. I believe He guides us, but "speak" to us?

Regards

Ac 8:29 -
Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot."

Ac 10:19 -
While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are looking for you.

Ac 13:2 -
While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
Ac 21:11 -
And coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, "This is what the Holy Spirit says: `In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.' "

Yes the Holy Spirt Speaks, the question is do we listen

Manihunter,

Thanks for your reply.

However, I do not equate the above verses with being able to "KNOW" what the Scriptures tell us everyday yokums because of the Spirit "speaking" to us. In the above cases, these are unique situations that speak of God's saving plan in the early Church. For example, the Spirit directing who would lead the missionary group to the Gentiles, or that Paul is going to be recalled to Jerusalem. I don't see any evidence of the Spirit "speaking" to Christians to "tell them" what the Bible means by particular verses, which is what many non-Catholics try to do with the above verses. That is what the "Church" is for, as per Jesus' instructions in Matthew 18:16-17.

Regards

 

[Bick]

I don't know why it is, but so many "Christians", as well as agnostics, are convinced that because God used men to compile the Scriptures there must logically be gross errors in copying, or that monks or others, rewrote parts of the Scriptures to fit their ideas.

There are some excellent books available, such as, THE ORIGIN OF THE BIBLE, edited by Phillip Wesley Comfort; contributors include: F.F. Bruce, Carl F.H. Henry, J.I. Packer and R.K. Harrison.

Another book but much smaller, is "ANSWERS TO TOUGH QUESTIONS skeptics ask about the Christian faith", by Josh McDowell and Don Stewart.

As for evidence of the authenticity of the Scriptures, there is plenty.
"There are three different types of evidence that are used in evaluating the New Testament text. These are the Greek manuscripts, the various versions in which the New Testament is translated, and the writings of the church fathers." page 22.

The New Testament was originally composed in the Greek language. Before the invention of printing in the fifteenth century all books were copied by hand, and these are called manuscripts. There are approximately 5.500 copies in existence that contain all or part of the New Testament.
Although we do not possess the originals, copies exist from a very early date.

This number of partial or almost complete copies is huge compared to any other ancient work. Two major manuscripts, Codex Vaticanus (A.D. 325) and Codex Sinaiticus (A.D. 350), a complete copy, date within 250 years of time of composition. This may seem like a long time span, but it is minimal compared to most ancient works.

With out going to more details, for you who are earnestly seeking the truth, go to Wickipedia, and ask for "How we got the Bible."

Truthfully, there are many slight differences in the Greek copies depending on where they were compiled. In the first three centuries, Christians spread out in many countries around the Meditteranean: some in Alexandria, Egypt, some in Constantinople, etc.

The important thing to know is, that even though there were some differences in the texts, the fundamentals of the Christian faith was basic in all of them.

 

[turnorburn]

Gods word is infallible, always has been, some people have set themselves up as God saying their word is infallible, there are others that say this guys ministry is infallible. Christ is coming soon,
so you had best make up you minds, because once he comes the door will be closed for all eternity.
You "Will" miss "Heaven" and as he says fare thee well its time you went to hell, outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, there you will stand naked before him. Watch this video, and see what it is like to be a madman

In His Service,
turnorburn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKA_X1zxOQc

 

[Catholic Crusader]

Gods word is infallible, always has been....

I never said God's Word is fallible. I say the actual Bible you hold in your hands is fallible, because it has gone through intepretors, translators, publishers, etc.. There are errors in the Bible you hold in your hands every day. Thats just the simple truth.