how true is the bible?how did we know that evrything written on it is true?

Question

whats the difference between the normal bible and the niv translation?

Answer 1

The ancient books of the bible were written mostly by one Jewish man. He was a Hebrew and he wrote this book during the time of Romans. The rest of the books of the bible were all added recently at the time of King James era in the 1500s around then then they edited all he did not like and left out a bigger parts of the Hebrew books that were not added to bible. SO we dont know the half of the story. The History channel had an episode featuring this as fact now recently last year.

Answer 2

It has proved to be remarkably accurate archaeologically and historically (in the past in cases where it disagreed with the archaeological record -like regarding the existence of some cities- then it was later proved that the Bible was correct, not what was 'common knowledge' at the time). It has also proved to be remarkably accurate in the first chapter of Genesis. (The word commonly translated as 'day' is not the word that Hebrew uses to mean '24-hour day', rather 'yom' translates more like 'distinct period of indeterminable time.' So if you allow that billions of years could pass instead of just 24 hours then the Genesis 1 account of creation is pretty much what the Big Bang would look like if you were standing where the Earth would be and watched it unfold around you. For more on this check out the book 'Creator and the Cosmos')

I assume by 'normal' bible you mean the KJV? The KJV was written for King James and was influenced to some degree by the politics of this age. It was translated from the Latin translations of the original Greek and Hebrew. For the NIV they went back to the source materials in Greek and Hebrew and did a completely new translation into English (it's probably more precise that the KJV).

Hope this helps

Answer 3

NIV stands for New International Version. Whenever you see the word "Version", you can understand immediately that it means change. The "normal" bible is usually the King James Version. Also changed. King James ordered the translation in the 1600's. Interestingly, that's also about the time when "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" entered the bible. King James was a big believer in witch burning.

The separate books that comprise the bible were agreed upon by committee. Some of those books did not make it in their complete form, and other boooks were dropped summarily because they did not conform to the current thinking of the time. Over time, the translations, interpretations, and insertions and deletions have reduced the so-called "Holy" bible to lose almost all integrity. You cannot know that everything is true in the bible. It is rife with contradictions that are subject to interpretation. Why do you think so many different groups of people are called Christians, when their teachings are opposed to each other. They all read the same bible, yet they cannot agree on the truth.

One would expect the "Holy Word" of God to be superlative in every respect. It should be accurate, concise, and consistent. Is God so disorganized and ambiguous that He cannot hand down perfect knowledge, so that we must decide for ourselves what His truth is? Also, the teacher, saviour, and representative of God, Jesus Christ taught for approximately 3 years. If you take the new testament books, and extract ONLY the words of Jesus Christ, you will have a handful of pages. He taught for 3 years, and you can read ALL that he taught in a matter of minutes. Even His words are not consistent from one gospel to another. The accounts given of His teachings were written long after He was gone, by people who compiled hearsay, and had never met Him.

If you read the new testament, you will find that immediately after His departure, his disciples began changing His teachings. Christians can say that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, but they don't quote Jesus. They quote John, or Paul, or Peter. In His teachings, never did Jesus instruct people to change His teachings, or that the words of the disciples were those of God, yet those who believe the bible say that, since those people were "inspired" by God, their words are as Holy as God's. Rubbish.

Answer 4

To answer your last question first; I'm not certain what you conseder a normal Bible but the New International Version is simply one of many translations of the scriptures. Comparing different translations can help you to get a fuller understanding of the Bible. The overall message of the Bible does not change from one version to another.
To answer your second question: You must read and study the Bible with an open mind. One of the most powerful evidences that the Bible is inspired is its unerring ability to foretell the future. “Who is there among [the nations] that can tell this?” it asks. Only almighty God can without fail ‘tell from the beginning the finale.’ (Isaiah 43:9; 46:10) And he does so repeatedly in the Bible.
Look the Bible’s historical accuracy, the Bible’s internal harmony, its honesty and candor, and its scientific accuracy.
Look at its effect on people’s lives. Those who live by the Bible are not burdened but, in fact, very much benefited.
Look at how applying Bible principles makes people happy,
Finally, there is the need to have the right attitude. as I mentioned above, you need to have an open mind, but more importantly an open heart. A heart desirous of learning all one can about God and his ways and to please him.

I admit this is a huge undertaking. But it can be a joyful one. You can have help navigating all of these areas of study. I've provided a link for you if you'd like that.

Answer 5

There are several schools of thought as it relates to Bible translation. One is to get the more literal wording, the other is to convey the thoughts behind the ideas of the words.

The King James and the New American Standard Bibles are more literal in their wording, whereas the New International Version conveys more of a thought for thought message.

Another difference it the source texts used. The King James uses Textus Receptus (Received Text/Antiochan Text) and the various modern translations (generally) use the Greek New Testament edited by Wescott & Hort, (aka the Alexandrian Text).

The Alexandrian is older, but the Antiochan has text in it that the Alexandrian doesn't.

There are about 40 lines of disputed text between the two, and none of these change any biblical doctrine.

As to how do we know the Bible is true; it is because the books in the New Testament, especially, were written within a generation of the events. Those who were with Jesus when He was on the earth were still living. Anyone who wanted to, could speak with one of these eyewitnesses to the events. Paul said that there were around 500 at the time he wrote I Corinthians. (See 15:6)

Next it is because we have over 24,000 manuscripts from 5 regions and languages that all say pretty much the same thing (note the minor variances between the Alexandrian and Antiochan Texts). The multiplicity of these texts, coupled with their nearness to the events, make them the best kept texts from antiquity. No other ancient text comes close, and here's why:

No one really disputes Julius Caesar's The Gallic Wars (10 manuscripts remain, with the earliest one dating to 1,000 years after the original autograph). No one really disputes Pliny the Younger's Natural History (7 manuscripts; 750 years elapsed). Or Thucydides' History (8 manuscripts; 1,300 years elapsed). No one disputes Herodotus' History (8 manuscripts; 1,350 years elapsed). No one really disputes Plato (7 manuscripts; 1,300 years elapsed). No one really disputes Tacitus' Annals (20 manuscripts; 1,000 years elapsed.) Homer's Iliad, the most renowned book of ancient Greece, is the second best-preserved literary work of all antiquity, with 643 copies of manuscript support discovered to date. In those copies, there are 764 disputed lines of text, as compared to the 40 lines in all the New Testament manuscripts.

I hope that helps!

Answer 6

The Bibl is a collection of poems, stories, and histories. In its own way it is completely true, although there are variances in translation and transcription that cannot be helped, and have no great meaning.
Its accuracy can be checked through archaeology, and through internal consistency between the various authors who could not communicate between each other. Also, looking at prophecies which have been fulfilled during modern times shows that whoever wrote it had access beyond this spacetime continuum.
The NIV is one of many translations. I've heard both good and bad about it.

Answer 7

What do you think is a "normal" Bible? I realize some people think Jesus used the King James. That aside, if we compare the King James to the NIV we would find the differences to be use of modern english in the translation and the removal of some scribal additions that we know are not original. For example, the KJV has a convention of translating the greek for "God's only son" as "God's only begotten son." the word begotten appears nowhere in the ancient manuscripts, but was added to emphasize that Jesus was not God's adopted son ( a once common heresy), but that God had literally fathered Jesus, even if only by some spirit induced process as opposed to assuming the form of a man or beast and engaging in coitus with a human female, which is the way Zeus fathered Hercules and Odin fathered Thor in competing mythologies.

Answer 8

You can trust the Bible. There are many sources outside the Bible that confirm what we read in scripture (although the Bible is more than sufficient on it's own).

1. Geography
2. Texts
3. Toponymy
4. Archaeology

Geography- If you study the geography of Israel you would see how it affected the settlement patterns, routes of travel commerce, econmy, politics and thus the history of that time. The geography of the Biblical Israel confirms what we read in the Bible.

Texts- There are extra-biblical texts (texts outside the Bible) that also confirm what is written in scripture. Egyptian sources are primarily from the 2nd millenium BCE. There are 4 types.
1) Expedition journal and topographical lists- example is Thutmose III.
2) Literary papyri-example, Journey of Sinuhe
3) Execration texts- 2 sets (ursing)
4) Coorespondance archives- El Amarna letters
Other Extra Biblical texts include Mesopotamian sources, from Syria the Ebla texts, from Transjordan the Mesha Stele, from Israel the Tel Dan inscription.
Also look at authors like the famous historian Josephus, Tacitus, Pliny the younger, Julius Africanus, and the Talmud.

Toponymy- the study of place names. If you study the cities and other names in the Bible you will see that they have the Principles of Location which prove they really did exist. Those are:
1) Near a water source.
2) Defensible.
3) Continuity of the name through the centuries.
4) It fits with the geography described in the text.
5) Check data from archaelogical surveys.
No one would settle in a place that did not have these Principles of Location.

Archaeology- If we dig in Israel and find ancient sites that are consistent with where the Bible said we would find them, that shows the Bible's history and geography are accurate. One prominate archaeologist carefully examined Luke's references to 32 countries, 54 cities, and 9 islands, finding not a single mistake. These are only some sites that have been excavated: The Pool of Bethesda in John 5:1-15, the Pool of Siloam from John 9:7, Jacob's well from John 4:12, even Pontius Pilate's identity has been confirmed by archaeology! John McRay PH. D. was asked if he had ever encountered an archaeological finding that blatantly contravene a New Testament reference he responded, "Archaeology has not produced anything that is unequivocally a contradiction to the Bible. On the contrary, there have been many opinions of skeptical scholars that have become codified into 'fact' over the years but that archaeology has shown to be wrong."

The only difference between the KJV and the NIV is the language that is used. The NIV is more contemporary and easier to read. It's written on a 7th grade reading level I believe. The message is still the same as it always has been! :-)

Answer 9

It's called faith, you either believe it or you don't. It is 100% true. It is inspired by God and written by men of God. The events were witnessed first hand and passed down, just like the history books. How do you believe the history books and what happened really happened? It is actual events, that were witnessed and written down.

The NIV translation just makes it a little easier to understand. It's the same meaning, just easier terms. There are many translations to help us understand better.

Answer 10

The Bible it's true, it's GOD'S word that came to us after a lot of time, to guide us somehow HE knew we all need it. If you can read the Bible in Greek or Aramaic it's something really awesome...GOD LOVES US and wants us to know that.
There are differences between almost all the translations but the LOVE MESSAGE IS THE SAME.
So, I thank God He let us read HIS WORD!