Ronnie,
What is at the heart of your confusion? That there might not be any current "perfect" Scriptures or that the originals weren't perfect?
I don't have a problem with the multiple versions of the Bible out there. I know that there are some versions that are out and out corruptions of the original texts. Then there are just some various textual differences that come when we translate archaic languages into modern English.
However, the Bibles that we can hold in our hands, unless they are clearly corruptions of the original texts are reliable enough to be called "God's inspired and inerrant word".
How to tell the clear corruptions from reliable translations?
Most of the truly reliable texts are so close in their translations that the differences are the "gnat" variety.
I have an illustration I like to use: Once there was a man who wandered through a wilderness. He was dying of starvation and thirst. Close to death, he came across the castle of a mighty king. When the king saw the man, he ordered that the man be brought in, be washed, and be given food and drink. After the man was washed, he was brought to the dining hall of the king where a great feast was laid out on the table before him. Just as the man was starting to eat though, he noticed that there was a gnat sitting on one of the grapes. There was also another one hiding behind a leaf of lettuce. A third was on a glass which held pure, ice-cold water. That was all.
The man shouted, "I can't eat this....it's filled with gnats!" So, he ran out of the king's dining hall, back into the wilderness......and died.
To me, the fact that the KJV mentions unicorns is a gnat. So, the translators back then used unicorn for what is now translated as wild ox...to me, no big deal. To me, that's a gnat on the feast, nothing that should prevent a dying man from receiving salvation.
But, here is an example that is not of the "gnat" variety:
Here are the comparative translations of a key text in Scripture,
Hebrews 1:8:
New International Version (©1984)
But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.
New Living Translation (©2007)
But to the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You rule with a scepter of justice.
English Standard Version (©2001)
But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
New American Standard Bible (©1995)
But of the Son He says, "YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM.
International Standard Version (©2008)
But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the scepter of your kingdom is a righteous scepter.
GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
But God said about his Son, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter in your kingdom is a scepter for justice.
King James Bible
But unto the Son
he saith, Thy throne, O God,
is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness
is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
American King James Version
But to the Son he said, Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom.
American Standard Version
but of the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; And the sceptre of uprightness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
Bible in Basic English
But of the Son he says, Your seat of power, O God, is for ever and ever; and the rod of your kingdom is a rod of righteousness.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But to the Son: Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of justice is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
Darby Bible Translation
but as to the Son, Thy throne, O God, is to the age of the age, and a sceptre of uprightness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
English Revised Version
but of the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; And the sceptre of uprightness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
Webster's Bible Translation
But to the Son, he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom.
Weymouth New Testament
But of His Son, He says, "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and for ever, and the sceptre of Thy Kingdom is a sceptre of absolute justice.
World English Bible
But of the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your Kingdom.
Young's Literal Translation
and unto the Son: 'Thy throne, O God, is to the age of the age; a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy reign;
Now, look at how the
New World Translation words this same text:
But with reference to the Son: “God is your throne forever and ever, and [the] scepter of your kingdom is the scepter of uprightness.
The NWT translators are Jehovah's Witnesses and therefore do not accept Jesus as God so they clearly altered the text to reflect their bias.
This is no "gnat", this is an obvious attempt to change what the original texts stated clearly.
Keep in mind that there is a difference between "translations" and "paraphrases". Sometime paraphrases are nice for reading purposes...and they do contain the power of the Holy Spirit. The Living Bible is a paraphrase, but I came to be a Christian by reading the Gospel of John in the Living Bible. The Message is also a paraphrase and to me, and awful one. However, a paraphrase should never be used as one's only source and they aren't that useful for study.
The "true" Bible is, of course, what the original writers wrote. However, I do believe that the Holy Spirit has kept for us His inerrant, infallible word that He will use to teach us, correct us and bring us to salvation. That there are, after 2000 years and many translations and copies a few "typos" here and there is no big deal. I'm not about to turn my back on the Holy Spirit and reject Him simply for a few "gnats" on the feast.
totopic