How We Got The Bible

1
How We Got The Bible

• Its Transmission
• Thru the Ages

2
The King James

• Formally called The Authorized Version of 1611
• In 1604 King James I (VI of Scotland) called a
  meeting
• Most important outcome was the suggestion to
  produce a new and better English Bible
• 47 leading Greek Hebrew scholars of England
  were chosen
• None received significant monetary pay for their
  work
• Goal was to revise the 1602 Bishops Bible

3
The King James-2

• 47 scholars divided into 6 groups
• Assignments
• 3 for the OT
• 2 for the NT
• 1 for the Apocrypha
• Locations
• 2 at Westminster
• 2 at Oxford
• 2 at Cambridge

4
The King James-3

• Each groups work was reviewed by 12 others (2
  reps from each of the 6)
• Specific members were tasked with working on the
  most difficult spots
• No one person had their way
• Worked for almost 3 years and went to press in
  1611

5
King James I of England was also designated as
King James VI of Scotland
6
Instructions

• We do not know for sure how much influence King
  James had
• The committees worked under some guidelines
• King James at a minimum approved those guidelines

7
Instructions-2

• The Bishops Bible was to be the basis for their
  translation
• Names of Bible characters were to conform to
  names in common use
• Isaac was Izhak in Geneva Bible Isahac in
  Bishops Bible
• KJV failed to maintain consistency btwn OT NT
• Used Elijah in OT Elias in NT
• Twice in NT translated Joshua as Jesus

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Instructions-3

• Certain old ecclesiastical (of or pertaining to
  the church) words were specified to be used
  (church not congregation)
• Marginal notes were to only explain Hebrew and
  Greek words or note parallel passages
• Any English words added to clarify the Greek
  meaning were distinctively printed
• Retain existing chapter and verse divisions
• New headings were provided for the chapters

9
More KJV

• The KJV has been revised numerous times over the
  centuries
• Todays KJV looks little like the 1611 version
• Immediately became the Bible used in churches
• Was a few decades before it became the Bible of
  chose for home use
• Among English speaking people it was the Bible of
  choice for over 300 years

10
More KJV-2

• Over the years efforts were made to modernize the
  spelling and choice of words
• Clearly they did not keep up with the times
• Also clearly todays antiquated KJV language is a
  huge improvement over the original
• By the 1800s it was common for KJV Bibles to be
  printed without the Apocrypha

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Notable Misprints

• 1631 edition - the Wicked Bible
• Left the word not out of the 7th commandment,
  i.e. thou shalt commit adultery
• 1795 edition - the Murderers Bible
• Mark 277 was printed as let the children first
  be killed vice filled
• I Kings 2238 in one edition was printed as the
  dogs liked his blood vice licked

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KJV Hebrews Note the spelling and words
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KJV Title Page Of first edition
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KJV Another Title Page
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KJV Matthew 12
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KJV TOC of 1615 Edition
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KJV Summary

• It was a superb product for its time
• Greek Hebrew scholarship had advanced, so
  quality people were available
• It was the period of Elizabethian prose and
  poetry (Spencer and Shakespeare)
• The people were ready for a new translation
• The scholars had learned from the efforts of the
  past 100 years
• It was the work of a committee and not the
  product of one persons perspective

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English Bible Summary

• Wycliffe translated from the Latin Vulgate
• Tyndale translated from the Grk Heb
• Used Erasmus Greek text
• The 1st English Bible from the original languages
• 80 of Tyndales work was preserved in the KJV
• Quite an honorable testament to his scholarship
  and ability to write
• Efforts have continued until today
• We have English Bible versions coming out our
  ears now

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Later Efforts

• 19th Century
• RV, RSV, ASV
• Darby, Young
• 20th Century
• Moffatt, Goodspeed, The Message, Phillips
• TEV, EVD, Good News Bible
• Amplified Bible, Living Bible
• NEB, NASB, NIV, NKJV

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Summary

• You will find nay-sayers, but the accuracy of our
  Bible is soundly attested for
• MSS abound allowing for confidence in the text
• 5300 Greek MSS
• 19,000 MSS in other languages
• Over 24,000 MSS verify the text
• Oldest go back to early 2nd century
• Primary MSS are from 300-450 AD
• Early Church Fathers quote virtually 99 of the
  NT in their writings (1st to 5th centuries)

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Summary-2

• Apostolic authority and consistency of doctrine
  are the primary criteria to determine canonicity
• Works that are not included are clearly post
  Apostolic and/or heretical (contrary to the
  accepted 27)
• Early church had no need to identify a canon
• When the need arose (Roman persecution and
  Heretics) there was from the beginning almost
  universal agreement on most of the 27