how can i be sure that the bible we have now is genuine and complete?

Question

I haven't read the bible from cover to cover. In what chapter or book in the bible can i find the teenage life of Jesus Christ?

Answer 1

I cut this from a question I asked, it was posted by 'Lewis.Y'.

No, you cannot buy an original Bible with the exact words of God and his Disciples. I know because I have been following this question for forty years. Frequently, new and improved, or so-called more true to the Koine and Aramaic fragments are produced, and some even use Coptic texts to support their academic efforts.

The Tanakh, is the Jewish writing which corresponds to the Christian Old Testament, although order and numbering are different. The Tanakh was written partly in Biblical Hebrew, and partly in Aramaic. The Septuagint was created between the 3d and 1st century BCE, written in Koine Greek, partly to standardize text and usage. It had 24 books, but Christianity breaks them down into 39 and changes the order.

(Edit for clarification: The Tanakh had 24 books. The Septuagint had many more. There is some dispute whether the Septuagint had 70, 72 or 100 books)

Some books of the Septuagint have not been included in the Christian Bible, although some are included in Christian Bibles which include the Apocrypha. Apocrypha is not limited to the Catholic Church bibles, but is rarely included in most Protestant Bibles.

There was an old version called the Codex Sinaiticus, but it was written and bound into a Codex, which resembles a modern book, rather than a scroll or tablet.

St Jerome is credited with the Vulgate(common Latin) Bible around 400 CE, which added the 27 books of the New Testament.

Johan Gutenberg first printed a copy of the Latin Vulgate, after he invented the printing press. The first print run began in February 1455. Erasmus Desiderius had the first Greek Bible published by Froben press in 1516. Miles Coverdale had the first English text bible printed around 1537. The Tyndale Bible was printed in English shortly before 1535, when he was burnt at the stake for heresy. He was heavily influenced by Erasmus. His most famous error was to translate the tetragrammatron YHVH in what is now Jehovah, which was not the name of God, but a symbol referring to God. The Geneva Bible, published around 1560, is sometimes called the Breeches Bible, because due to sensitivities, he had Adam and Eve sew breeches(pants) rather than coverings of leaves(fig leaves are very itchy).. This was the Bible is usage at the time of Shakespeare, which raises a plethora of questions I cannot address here.

The King James Bible was commissioned by King James to be the standard Bible of the Anglican Church. Shakespeare, or at least some of his contemporaries were involved in the production of the editorial board. You will probably never find an original 1611 edition of the King James Bible. Two are rumored to exist. It has been revised several times since 1611, most recently 1763 or 1769, depending on the source. The later versions are the ones that usually have KJV 1611 on them somewhere, and rarely indicate they have been significantly edited since, except in the fine print.

Hundreds of translations and transliterations have been published since the 15th century, when Gutenberg "printed" the first Bible. I am not sure anyone knows.


Well the Septuagint was written a couple of centuries before Christ, but the Tanakh is much older.

The New Testament frequently refers directly and indirectly to the New Testament, most notably in the words, actions, and omissions of Jesus.

Well, consistent with an incomplete answer, I am an unaffiliated Christian, raised Southern Baptist, Ordained in the Universal Life Church and Abundant Life Ministeries(of which I have the autoresponder emails for proof) and another more mainstream church I do not wish to offend by my personal shortcomings.


Addendum: The Nag Hammadi texts, which include among others, the Gospel of Thomas, are not canon, and their provenance is not fully established. However, I will give credit to Gospel of Thomas, because it appears to be similar to the missing "Q" quelle, German for source, document. The dating methods for Nag Hammadia have not been established to predate the fragments and other sources the Bible consists of.


I kind of wish imacatholic2 would catch this question. That poster appears to be very knowledgeable, and I have a great deal of respect for his scholarship and presentation. I say his, because sometimes he uses a plus sign in his signature line, and that usually refers to a Bishop. He would also shed more light onto the Codex Sinaiticus, Vulgate, Douay-Reims, and I think it is called New Jerusalem Bible now, but I could be wrong. I also remember that 5 years ago The RCC announced they would be releasing a new edition, which led to much unfounded speculation that it would recognize some value to the DSS, and some even thought it might acknowledge Nag Hammadi texts, but I really wouldn't expect any recognition of NH at this time. However, the Nativity of Mary sheds light to non-Catholics to the true meaning of Immaculate Conception. The Nativity of Jesus will probably never be canon.

Source(s):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/bible...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/septuagint...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/gutenberg_b...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/coverdale_b...

Answer 2

There is NO accepted canonical (Church-approved) book which delineates the life of Christ from the Flight into Egypt until His arrival on the scene at the River Jordan as a mature male. Except for the incident at the Temple in His Bar Mitzvah year.

There are a few Gnostic writings which purport to fill in the gaps, but the Church way back then, studied them and decided they properly fell under the heading of wishful thinking. Mostly because there was absolutely NO EVIDENCE that they were written less than a century and a half AFTER Christ's death and resurrection. The Church Fathers accepted ONLY those writings which could be dated to within a generation of Jesus's life. That pretty much limited the Canon. It remains limited.

If you like anecdotal (entertaining, but not verifiable) tales about real people, the Gnostic writings can be fun reading, but for heaven's sake DO NOT accord them the same weight of authority as Scripture!

Answer 3

Well...the long and short of it is, you can't.

The books of the Bible were decided by a council, and more texts have been discovered even up into the 20th century (the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi texts; they're all easy to find online if you're curious, plus the just-discovered and still in translation Gospel of Judas). The Protestant Bible and the Catholic Bible differ (if I remember correctly, the Catholic Bible does have some more about Jesus's childhood).

So...you check it out, you learn, and decide what you think based on your reason and your faith. That's about the best anyone can offer.

Answer 4

You can't be sure. Even in today's times you will find that many of the books Catholics use (i.e., Macabbees) are absent from the Protestant bible. Even the Catholics left out books from their vote of which books made the canon, including: The Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of Mary, The Apocolpyse of Peter, etc.

As for the teen years of Christ, they're missing just as is the life of most man-god savior's. Typically, these guys are born of virgins, have missing childhood and teenage years and appear out of the blue about age thirty and die several years later...for the sins of the world of course. ;-)

Answer 5

Whether the Bible is genuine and complete or not, I don't think that that is what should interest us. What is important is our walk with Him.Concerning the teenage life of Jesus , that is too much asking but whatever the case you may not have it.Continue to read your Bible.

Answer 6

Some say it depends on which version of the bible you are reading.

Makes me wonder how there can be a version of the truth?

I suggest that you read a book called lost Christianities by Bart ermine. It explains how the bible was constructed.

Its an eye opener.

Love and blessings
don

Answer 7

Do a history on the KJV bible and you will know. Go to thewebpastor.com and click the book that says BIBLE STUDY and from there wait till page loads and scroll down and look for the history on it. If its not in that section its under the book of History.

Answer 8

That is not present as you well know. But just because we don't know what He ate on Dec 2, 10AD, doesn't mean the Bible is incomplete.

Here is a good article on the composition of the New Testament.
http://www.tektonics.org/lp/nttextcrit.html

Answer 9

its not, it has been rewritten that many times over the years.
Often a king or high priest will alter verses to what they believe.

Basically the bible is a book lof law or rules for people to read and learn from. If your in charge at the time, then why not alter them.

Answer 10

The bible has been edited changed translated and re-translated that it is impossible to know. A more use full and better reading is here; http://www.godisimaginary.com/video.htm