How many are aware that many of the central beliefs of Christianity are the result of bad translations?

Question

A Messiah born to a Virgin? No one had ever suggested that the Hebrew books contained this idea, until those books were translated into Greek and suddenly it appeared like magic, since it was an idea not uncommon among Greek religions.

How can a Christian claim that a prophecy is contained in the Greek translation of the Bible, but not in the Hebrew (where it clearly does not exist)? Any good study Bible will mention this mistranslation in the notes and cross references.

And yet it is still treated as a central belief among all Christian faiths.

What explanation for this do Christians use?

Not only is the word mistranslated, but the child that the 'prophecy' (actually a simple blessing) is actually born just a few paragraphs later. It is only through the time honored trick of, "And now if you'll turn with me to...." that prevents people from seeing the words in context.

If your God had intended for the scriptures to be pasted together in a different order, wouldn't he have placed them in the correct sequence to begin with?

Answer 1

Though the questions' tone may be provoking but there is no need for anyone to be agitated about this. It is a fact that when you translate, errors both accidental and intentional creep in. Besides, there were not photocopies machines available, so the copies of any books, including all religious books were made by hands, where it was very natural that errors and biases will creep in. Copies (of all religious books) were made in different locations, which in the absence of fast communication medium, could not be checked against each other. Different versions of the same books were having or ommiting some sections to face the local situation. Being such, errors, biases and intentional dramatization has been a part of every religious book. There are a very good number of research material available on such kind of inaccuracies, e.g. "Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why (Hardcover)
by Bart D. Ehrman". This is not the only book, good number of other books are also available in local libraries covering most of the religious books.
I would like to add here that the religions which are open and not fanatic like Christianity, Budhism, Hinduism etc. will always attract scrutiny not only from the outside but more so from within. At the moment, Christianity is the most successful religion, therefore, it will attract more questions, there is not need to feel offense.

Answer 2

The old "Hebrew word isn't virgin" agruement.

If Isaiah 7 was the ONLY mention of the virgin birth in the ENTIRE Bible, you might have a valid agruement. But as there are several other mentions of it in scripture, even if you totalli removed that scripture, it is still in the rest of the Bible.

You are correct that when the Hebrew scriptures were translated into Greek, the Jewish scholars, working about 250 years before the time of Jesus used a word that reflects the "virgin" definition, rather than the just the "single woman" definition of the word "alma". Let us assume that either could be a valid translation of the word...

It is interesting that "virgin" is used not just in the Greek version of Isaiah, but ever other known "pre-Christian" translation of Isaiah. It is supported by the early Talmud, the Samartian scriptures, etc. There is not a single contemporary source which chooses "single woman" rather than the "virgin" definition for the word "alma". Odds are that they people living then who actually spoke and used the language would have a better understand of the word then would scholars looking back at the language 2500 uears later.

It refered to a woman who had not yet had a child. A woman who conceived out of wedlock was not referred to as an "alma" in Jewish society. There is not a single occurance of the word used that way anywhere in literature - Bible or elsewhere.

Answer 3

My friend, if the virgin birth of Jesus did not exist, when God walked with man as Christ Jesus why didn't Jesus tell Matthew, Mark, Luke and John the apostles who carried the virgin birth story that He was not born of a virgin.

Isaiah 7:14, Gen. 16:11, Judg. 13:5, Gen. 24:43, Exod. 2:8; Psalm 68:25, Prov. 30:19 Song 1:3; 6:8
All of the above verses show that it is the most precise term the prophet could have chosen (almah) to indicate that the young woman in view was indeed a virgin. In the Bible God not only speaks precisely, but He also portrays His Words in a story to prove His Word.

I don't know where you are coming from or why you wish to say this, but Christ Jesus was the Messiah and God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and Christ knew if He was virgin born. Luke the doctor wrote the better of the Christmas stories and he was a very thorough man and a well educated man of his day. As a Christian I follow Christ Jesus and His word is above the word of anyone.

If Christ was not virgin born and if Christ was married to Mary Magdalene as the God haters want us to believe, then Christ would have told us when He walked the earth and went to the Cross for us.

You follow your father the devil and you carry the spirit of antichrist.

Answer 4

You have to laugh at what some people have said on here, "god wouldn't let us read something untrue" i wonder if that only applies to the 'good book', or is the rest of the world blackout by god's sharpie of faith? the library must be a ***** for them, anyways yeah for the longest time the bible was an oral teaching, then people decided to write it down ,decades after the idea had been introduced. and it was written in several different languages, 'ut ohs' in translations are envitable. Do you know that the "Red Sea" in Jewish was the Reed Sea in greek first?
I suppose blind faith is better than ugly truth

Answer 5

If what you are doing is working just like it is written in your own Bible then keep on doing it. Did the Holy Spirit send you to tell the world that Jesus Christ was not born from a virgin? Hum.
Those whom the Lord will send will speak His Words (John 3:34; Jeremiah 23:22.
Alan Ballou www.thehealingbook.com

Answer 6

Christians appear widely blind to the myriad affects being delivered to endure on it. In each iteration it's been beneath assault, both brazenly or insidiously. But in this day and age there are a large quantity of opposed affects at paintings, but many Christians do not spot them! Peal is one. M. Scott Peck is an extra. So is the American Patriot Movement. And there is Neil T. Anderson, and so forth. Anyone in need of to hold their finger at the pulse of such affects will have to get the Christian Research Journal. It probes modern devout routine, and makes use of biblical discernment and imperative pondering to furnish explanations for Christian religion and ethics.

Answer 7

Last Ent Wife –

The Dead Sea scrolls? You throw in useless and irrelevant information as a pretense for knowledge and then wonder why people think conservative Christians are uneducated cretins? Gee, that sure is hard to understand.

Back to the question - Since the origins of the stories are the folktales and mythology of quasi-historic tribes of illiterate Semitic goat herders who lived thousands of years ago, they have always been adjusted, changed, and reinterpreted to suit changing cultural and historical conditions. It is not as if they ever represented an accurate or true explanation of the physical universe and reality-based world.

Answer 8

Yes this is true and well documented but as usual everyone will say it is not true because they are apparently too lazy, or scared to research it their selves and find out the truth.

What is that with Ex ENT Wife, the Dead Sea Scrolls were old testament and the Nag Hammadi were Gnostic New Testament which Christian refer to as heretical. Just another example of an uneducated fundie mouthing off and not the least bit interested in educating their self with the REAL TRUTH.

Answer 9

This pretense you have has a small amount of truth, but not on the central issues of Christianity, more like the periphrial issues not so important...All things translated from older languages don't transcribe and translate perfectly, but they are close. Christians don't hang their hat on translations but on beliefs. What is important is that be something true or false is that it is believed regardless of why or how...For example, UFO's can't be effectively proven but so many people believe it now that it must be addressed

Answer 10

Well some people have stronger faith then others, most people that do not believe in GOD have no reason to. Nothing good has ever happen for them, and when things get bad, they never ask for the higher help, and if they do nothing happens for them there either.

Maybe one day the lost will see and hear......Until then we prayer for them