How many times has the Bible been rewritten and altered from the original?

Question

And if it has been altered (which I think it has) then that must mean Christians are following word of some man from histroy (whoever altered it last) and not gods word.

Answer 1

First off, you must forgive Don J, he clearly is blind in his faith, to so foolishly believe the Bible has never been altered.

Now, to the question at hand, the Bible or Tau Biblia (New Testatment) was first written approx 300 years after Christ, in Greek and Hebrew. The amalgamation of the Old Test. (Torah) and the New (Tau Biblia) occured at the council Nicene. This was the first editors meeting so to speak, headed by Constantine. At this council, some gospels were accepted while others, for purely political and sexist reasons, were not. The text at this point was translated to Latin (Roman).

The next major change occured during the Reformation, at which point, Protestants had again cut parts of the book out, in this case the Apocryphal books, of which there were seven. (They still exist in the Catholic Bible). At this time, the Bible was also translated into German, French and English. The English translation was further changed to reflect the political and sexual mores of the day by decree of one King James I, who ironically was Homosexual. The KJV of the Bible is a version, which by definition implies some modifications. Most Evangelicals do not see this as they do not accept that the Bible has ever been altered, which of course, as listed, it has. The basic meaning may not have changed, but many of the laws, admonitions, punishments, gender equality and sexual mores were changed dramatically over the millenia.

There have been several minor changes throughout the past 1700 years but these are the most noticeable.

To deny this is to be willfully ignorant and worse, dishonest.

Answer 2

I think the technical term is "Bunches" but some do write it based on translations of what they call "original Manuscripts" as possible. Doesn't translation alter something from the original? I can't read the original languages so I depend on the translations. Also, Isn't anything written subject to someone else's "opinion"
When you read the many translations (if you've personally read more than one) did you notice that they all have a central theme that is in agreement and the differences are so tiny that only someone who doesn't want to get anything from it makes a big deal out of it. When will people quit arguing the details and get the message?

Answer 3

Actually, the Bible was born out of political motive: the books of the New Testament were selected for their ability to support the authority of the Church and Emporer Constantine, not their contemporary acceptance as valid documents. For example, the Gospel of Thomas was actually written by Yeheshuah ben Yosef ("Jesus"), but was left out for ideological reasons.
The original text, the Peshitta, was written in Aramaic. It has been hand-copied for two thousand years and still exists today, but is hard to find in the West for political reasons.
In about the second century, the Peshitta was translated into a Hebrew Old Testament/Greek New Testament version called the "Biblia." Aramaic speakers asserted that the Greek was full of errors.
After the schism, the Roman Church issued the Latin version, called the Vulgate, based on available manuscripts (obviously, the Greek Church wasn't very helpful to them).
In the 17th century, King James I of England authorized an English-version Bible translated from the Vulgate with no references to any earlier manuscripts. Again, politics played a large hand in the translation.
Every subsequent English translation (except one of which I am aware that was taken directly from the Peshitta) is based on the KJV with further interpretation of the Biblos.

Answer 4

As a child there were only like four versions of the scriptures... now 30 years later... we have the NIV, Message, Purpose Driven, this person and that person's version... yes it has been altered over the last 30 years... NIV is missing over 300 passages... The Message is just a down right disgrace to be in the category of the term Bible. Any one who uses that as their Bible.. must not be able to comprehend what they read.

It has been translated from the 'original' version.. so man around the world will understand what is written.

Answer 5

Since it was written in parts by numerous authors, over hundreds of years, translated from several languages into many many more languages, arranged and re-arranged, and editted....I'm not sure where you would actually have something you could call an original to start with.

Answer 6

Many. And what defines original?

The original oral tradition that lay the foundation for the first 5 books? Moses's supposed first transcription of said books? THe old tetstament? The old+new testament? The gnostic texts?

There is no such thing as an original bible text anymore.

Answer 7

The bible has been "diddled" since the Scriptures where first written.

Looking at the Isaiah Scroll from the BIG FIND.
It is amazing so much is still preserved WITHOUT BLEMISH.

The TOTAL BIBLE , as we have it today, is by far, most Accurately translated from the Given Scriptures in the Original KJV.

Answer 8

The Bible has never been RE-written.
Translators take the original language and translate to ....whatever, French, Spanish, Hungarian, Urdu.
There is but the one translating event.
Do some reading on "The Dead Sea Scrolls" and the Massoretes.
You will see we have every reason to accept the modern day Bible is what god originally gave to man.

Answer 9

Doesn't matter what new goofy translation anyone comes up with. I study in the original manuscripts, and when something has been tampered with, or mistranslated, it stands out like a sore thumb.

Answer 10

I do not know but that is a very good question. I wish I knew.