do you think that the bible is not in its original form anymore?

Question

, how would we know that is the right message, since many had changed it, and now its out of context

Answer 1

I believe the Holy Spirit guided those who wrote it and translated it.

As humans evolve physically, mentally, and spiritually I believe it is the Holy Spirit who leaves clues about God's divine plan. Yes, times have changed from over 5,000 years ago ... times have changed from over 2,000 years ago ... and times have changed from 200 years ago.

Examine the way a person learns arithmetic. First they start by identifying numbers. Then they learn to add, subtract, multiply, and divide. Then they can learn algebra, trigonometry, and calculus. However, a person who never learned multiplication will have trouble with calculus. So too I think the Holy Spirit is the guide to help each individual achieve the learning steps.

The Bible doesn't say "It is wrong to cut a man's arm off with a chain saw" ... but those who are wise and receive graces from the Holy Spirit aka --- those in touch with their conscience can attest that cutting a man's arm off with a chain saw is wrong.

Answer 2

Absolutely. It is impossible to literally translate any language to another. If I were to translate a Spanish document to English, there is no possible way it could be literally translated. If the document were literally translated, it wouldn't make since. Therefore I would have to find the closest English meaning or word to the Spanish text. So according to my logic, it would be impossible to literally translate the Bible from its original text because the language in which it is written is now obselete. We can't even translate a document literally from 2 languages which we understand and use today, so how could we literally translate the entire Bible and not expect much of the message to be lost in translation. Even the smallest details to this day have been proven to have been translated incorrectly. I was just watching a show about the Exodus on the History Channel last night that stated that the Red Sea was mistranslated and the sea in which Moses parted was actually a 'Reid Sea', or a lake. If little mis-interpretations such as these have occured, imagine the others we haven't caught.

Furthermore, the Bible's original form was word of mouth. Have you ever played a game of telephone? 100 people could witness the same event and every single person would have a different story as to what happened. I've always been told their are 3 sides to a story: The first party, the second party, and then the truth.

Answer 3

No. How can we be sure the Bible has not been changed? Consider please the evidence regarding this:

“In the number of ancient MSS. [manuscripts] attesting a writing, and in the number of years that had elapsed between the original and the attesting MSS., the Bible enjoys a decided advantage over classical writings [those of Homer, Plato, and others]. . . . Altogether classical MSS. are but a handful compared with Biblical. No ancient book is so well attested as the Bible.”—The Bible From the Beginning (New York, 1929), P. Marion Simms, pp. 74, 76.

A report published in 1971 shows that there are possibly 6,000 handwritten copies containing all or part of the Hebrew Scriptures; the oldest dates back to the third century B.C.E. Of the Christian Greek Scriptures, there are some 5,000 in Greek, the oldest dating back to the beginning of the second century C.E. There are also many copies of early translations into other languages.

In the introduction to his seven volumes on The Chester Beatty Biblical Papyri, Sir Frederic Kenyon wrote: “The first and most important conclusion derived from the examination of them [the papyri] is the satisfactory one that they confirm the essential soundness of the existing texts. No striking or fundamental variation is shown either in the Old or the New Testament. There are no important omissions or additions of passages, and no variations which affect vital facts or doctrines. The variations of text affect minor matters, such as the order of words or the precise words used . . . But their essential importance is their confirmation, by evidence of an earlier date than was hitherto available, of the integrity of our existing texts.”—(London, 1933), p. 15.

In conclusion, it is true that some translations of the Bible adhere more closely to what is in the original languages than others do. Modern paraphrase Bibles have taken liberties that at times alter the original meaning. Some translators have allowed personal beliefs to color their renderings. But these weaknesses can be identified by comparison of a variety of translations.

Answer 4

Of course it's not "original"!

Did you ever read the spine of your Bible? Notice that it has letters on it. Mine say NIT and KJV.... New International Text and King James Version. There are at least two different translations I can prove.

There are dozens of different translations alive and well today. And the Bible was not written as one complete book. That's why we have the BOOK of Genesis, the BOOK of Exodus, etc...
And who really knows what books were left out, or omitted because they didn't "fit"? Look up the Book of Mary some time. A good read even if you don't believe it.

In my personal opinion, the Bible is more of a guidebook, with great stories and examples. Not a book to be taken as the literal way to lead your life. It has a lot of great information, but it also has some very dated rules.

And there simply is no such thing as the "original" form.

Answer 5

No i don't think that it is. It has changed so much. I have a bible from 1812 and if you compare it to today's bibles the scriptures do not say the same thing anymore. I have found things in the older version which i have never heard before. So just imagine how it has changed from when it was put together. I think the translations are changed depending on the person who translates it and their understanding of the translation. So translation might be right but the message not.

Answer 6

We would have to know what the original form was to start with and how it came about. Why did they include some books and leave others out? What was the political/economic/social/religious motivation at the time. We have 4 gospels for instance because one guy about 187ad or so decided since there are 4 winds there should be 4 gospels! In fact there were around 30 gospels at that time. So I am not sure how you would define 'original'.

Answer 7

The Bible has changed many times over the years. However, I feel that the general message is still the same. There are people who take it's teachings out of context in both directions (fundies AND those Christians who ignore many of its teachings).

Answer 8

The oldest manuscripts including the Dead Sea Scrolls show the Bible is accurate.It is the same as it was when originally written.A copiest error here and there,but nothing that changes the message.

Answer 9

The fact that it is no longer in its original form is mandate enough that it not God's word. Read Koran, the Final revelation. It has remained intact from the time it came till now. And it will remain intact till the end of the world. Try to read it, there's no harm trying right?

Answer 10

God promised to preserve his word as seen in Psalm 12:6-7

"The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever."

We are also told by Jesus Christ in Mark 13:31:

"Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away."

Although some of the "modern" translation have changed the Bible and some of its words and meanings, there are still extremely reliable versions of the Bible available. One of the more accecpted and accurate versions remains the 1611 Authorized King James version.