Has the Bible Been Mistranslated and Misunderstood? (Part II)

In Part I of our series, we examined the evidence that the Bible is an historically-validated document. Ancient manuscripts like the Dead Sea Scrolls demonstrate that what we have today in Scripture is amazingly faithful to the original. We ended that conversation by reviewing modern translations and the question of what are considered the most accurate transitions into English. Today our trek of discovery continues with a review of biblical texts with significant rendering differences from one translation to the next. This can be a hard study and may provoke both emotional and intellectual disagreements. Our single goal here is to understand the will and mind of our Holy God. What about the languages? A glaring question arises as we breach the understanding of ancient languages used to assemble our Holy Bible. How can we possibly do this without being students of ancient Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek? What assurance can we have that what we are researching will bring us truth? The answer here is two-fold. First, we have the existing works of hundreds of scholars over hundreds of years who were and are experts in these languages. Their work was done in different times and with different approaches. When there is a general consensus on hard questions reached in these circumstances it becomes very meaningful. Second, we are blessed to live at a time when we have some amazing study helps available at our very fingertips. Concordances, Interlinear Bibles, Dictionaries and Commentaries all contribute to our ability to find truth. If this sounds overwhelming, let us help you with that. Check out our November 16, 2020 podcast “Has the Bible Been Mistranslated and Misunderstood? (Part II)”. We break down how these study helps work while keying into the ancient language expertise so readily available. This puts us in a position to examine Scriptures - not as experts but as well-informed students looking for truth. What we find is remarkable! Some Scriptures we have always read without any second thought are incorrectly rendered in the Common Version. For instance, we found evidence that parts of 1 John 5:7-8 were added after the fact. In the King James Version, these verses read as follows: “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.” A big question is what parts do NOT belong in the Bible.  A bigger question is why! How do we know for sure something was inappropriately added to the Holy Text? Obviously, this is a conversation that needs to be engaged in with great care. Our respect for the Holy Word of God demands our diligence as we consider these things. We invite you to join us for Part II of this series as we consider several texts that have been altered. This is a journey you may never forget!  Continue on with your studies in Part III...