OK, some group of idiots are discussing which version of the bible is thier favorite!?

Question

My question is, and please correct me if I'm wrong, you blind morons...

Isn't the untranslated, origional Hebrew text, suposedly writen with help from the hand of God, the only "version" there is. I mean, a translated or edited truth is no longer valid, correct?

Answer 1

plus, in my opinion, if 'man' or all people are born with original sin, then NO HUMAN could translate the 'word' of god without it being tainted.

Answer 2

You are correct about the Bible being the inspired word of God written by men. To assume you are right about any translation being invalid is wrong. If this were the case then only those who understand, read and write Hebrew, Greek, and the language of Christ "Aramaic" would have a chance to get saved. The Bible was written for all mankind to read and understand in order to come to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. My favorite translation is the original King James version. Does that mean that in my opinion I feel this is the only version you should read? Absolutely not, this is the version that speaks to me the best. This is also the first version that was translated from the original text so accurately. Is it 100% accurate? No, but is any translation? We have had this kings english version since 1611 and it has remained unchanged since then. Since then we have accumulated various other translations some of which are very far off and have even gone as far as ommitting various passages of scripture that have tremendous impact on the meaning of that particular passage. Such great attention to detail was taken in translating the KJV that it might have taken a scribe 15, 20 or maybe even 100 tries to get one page right. If he made a mistake he threw it away and started over. You should just look into it yourself if you are really interested in knowing. Try a search looking for Bible translations or something, I am sure many sites will pop up. Just remember this. As far as I know, any of the "Christian" translations you read you will get the one message you need to know "the only way to Heaven is through Jesus Christ, there is no other way". What else do you really need to know? The other stuff that people argue about is all about doctrine and theology, how should our church be run? Which denomination is right and which are wrong? What color carpet should we put in the sanctuary? Should I do good works? etc etc etc. I know this answer is lengthy but the question you asked is actually very complex even though it seems simple. I hope I have been able to help.

Answer 3

As I understand, all Bibles are collections of separate books which are included in the same text. The first 5 books of the Bible (Tanahk) clearly belong together and are supposedly written by Moshe (Moses). We do not have those, but I heard they were placed in the Ark of the Covenant. Who knows - if there really is anything supernatural involving that and that was done, they might be preserved there. Any other version of that and other books of the Jewish or Christian Bibles are bound to have at least a few mistakes and changes of words and meaning. Comparing different versions from different times of the Christian Old and New Testaments (OT & NT) show that there are very few for the OT and very many for the NT - the difference regarding reliability cannot even be stated to the point of exaggeration. Yet even in the Hebrew OT some changes were inevitable regarding context and meaning - or so I've been told.

So it seems that such a beast you mention does not exist in a strict sense...so now who is the moron?

There is a school of thought that the only texts from a "Christian" perspective which should be considered authoritative are the Hebrew OT and the Hebrew Matthew. The latter no longer exists, though several scholars have attempted to reconstruct it and a Frenchman named Du Tillet claimed to have wrested a version from the Vatican and transalted it during the 1500's.

Answer 4

The Bible remains valid when translated so long as the translators are accurate. Even the first century Christians had to rely on translations of the Old Testament if Hebrew was not their language. Greek was the widespread language in that region during that time, not Hebrew, which was the language which the old Testament was written in.
God desires that all men be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of the truth. Knowing this, we know he will ensure that people receive an accurate translation of the Bible in a language they can understand.

Answer 5

The Old testament was probably written in Hebrew or Aramaic. Much of the New Testament was written in Original Greek, or probably, some parts in Hebrew.

A good Bible I enjoy is the Oxford Annotated Bible (happens to be the RSV version) with references to various translations and cross-references to other verses.

It's very good.

Good question, and God bless,

<><

P.S. Consider the original writers of the texts, and the fact that they considered any "mistake" or straying from what had been given would condemn them to Hell for eternity, and other posters here would not be so quick to judge those who translated and/or transcribed the Holy Scriptures. The task was hardly addressed lightly.

Answer 6

Actually, I agree with you. If any one of these people were to learn hebrew and try to study the bible in the original Hebrew text, they would gain a much deeper understanding that gets very lost in the translation.

One quick example is how in some languages, there are certain phrases, that when translated into another language, completely miss the mark or loose some part of the intended meaning, and leave the person perplexed.

It's always best to study something in its original language.

Answer 7

I wouldnt call them blind, so much as blinded. A lot was lost when the Hebrew and Greek texts were first translated to English (per the edict by king James) because it was done by the orthodox catholic church, which made some editing so it would read more fluid for their own purposes.

Simple things, like the Greek word for 'god' was changed to read 'angels'. Alone it seems like nothing major, but when put into the context of the scripture, "for you all were created a little lower than the "angels" (instead of god).." it changes A LOT.

These things do cause a lot of problems, spark controversy, and insight argument.

Answer 8

The Old Testament was written in Hebrew. The New Testament was written in Aramaic, a form of Greek. Christians have nothing in their religion saying that translations aren't valid, but I agree that the original is the "best" version. Many Muslims, however, believe the translations of the Koran are not at all holy.

Answer 9

The overall message, taken very generally can be made clear. It is when you start to deeply analyze that the original translation becomes more authoritative. You're right, because lots of things can be lost in translation. People are ignorant of language barriers. Example: The Gospel of Luke was originally written in Greek, and the Greeks had four different words, all different in meaning, which are grouped in English into one word: love! One of the biggest themes in the Gospel!

The best Bible would be one aware of these barriers and heavily footnoted as a result.

Answer 10

The Hebrew Text is Old Covenants of Laws, The New Covenant replaces the Law. Read Hebrews in the New Testament. A translation is just that, do your own translating.

Answer 11

I go with the King James Version. It's not completely correct but it's better than some of the new age translations that can totally change the meaning.