SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY 1

CERTIFICATE IN CHRISTIAN SERVICE.

Module 2
BIBLIOLOGY

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TABLE OF CONTENTS. Page.

1. Introduction. 3

2. The inspiration of the Scripture. 4

2.1. The Mechanical view. 5

2.2. Dualistic view. 6

2.3. The personal or dynamic inspiration. 8

2.4. The inspiration of main thoughts. 9

2.5. The Organic View. 11

3. The Origen of the Bible. 12

4. The Divisions of the Bible. 27

5. Proof of the validity of the Scriptures. 28

5.1. The authenticity of the Bible. 28

5.2. The integrity of the Scriptures. 29

5.3. Archaeological evidence. 29

5.4. Scientific evidence. 31

6. References for additional study. 39

7. Assignments 41

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 1. Introduction.

Hos. 4:6 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge"

Bible study is necessary for every believer to enable him/her to:

a) Know God, His Laws and therefore His expectations of man.

b) So that the reader can give account to others about his faith (1 Pet. 3:15).

c) So that false doctrines can be refuted and those who proclaim it be

corrected.

d) Spiritually insight and broadened knowledge of the Scripture can only be

obtained by continuous study.

e) The reader must be familiar with the Scriptures and be able to apply it in
daily life.

Christians consider the Bible to be the revelation of God in text form. In our
modern times there are many so-called revelations such as: The book of Mormon,
scriptures of the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Qur’an, the Vedas of the Hindu, etc.
Christianity owns the Bible (Greek - Biblia, a collection of books) which we see as
the infallible Word of God. 2 Tim. 3:16 & 2 Pet. 1:21 declare: "All Scripture is given
by inspiration of God. . ." and was quoted by Christ as the Word of God though it
may be considered to be historical, the words of man or kings, prophets. It is
certainly inspired by God Himself although in many instances Biblical text reveals
the background and education of the writer.

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2. The inspiration of the Scripture.

When we say the Bible is inspired by God it means that His thoughts were written
down by people for our profit. The Ten Commandments were written by God
Himself on the tablets of stone, and were given to Moses (Ex. 32:15-16).

Additional information was added by man while inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet.
1:21) “For prophecy never had it’s origin in the will of man, but men spoke from
God as they were carried along by the Spirit (2 Tim 3:16 New International
Version) All Scripture are God inspired though certain sections were written
down under direct command of God. Ex. 17:14 reads: “Then the Lord said to
Moses; write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that
Joshua hears it . . .” Jer. 30:2 “. . .Write in a book all the words I have spoken to
you. . .” On some occasions the prophet had a vision and had to document what
he saw. Hab. 2: 2 “. . .Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets. . .”
Rev. 1:19-20 “Write therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take
place. . .”

Luke unveils his method of writing in Luk. 1:1-4: “Therefore since I myself have
carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me
to write an orderly account for you. . .”

The expression “God breathed” originated from the Greek text “Theopneustos”
(Theos: God, pneu: to breathe or blow) and refers to something that was breathed
by God, which indicates the working of the Spirit. The word “inspiration” comes
from the Latin “inspirata” which means “God inspires”. We may assume that not
everything revealed to the writers were written down (John 21:25). The writers
documented the information which God instructed them to write down or in other
cases the information which they considered important.

The Bible itself reveals the inspiration of God in some instances.

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Some information was revealed by God and was written down on His command

(Ex. 17:14, 34:27, Num. 33:2, Deut. 31:19, Isa. 8:1, 30:8, Jer. 30:1, 36:2, Dan. 12:4,

Hab. 2:2). The organic unity of the Bible is significant irrespective of the more
than 40 writers involved. Some of the prophets such as Ezekiel, Isaiah and
Jeremiah were familiar with one another. Others studied Scriptures written by a
predecessor like Daniel utilized the writings of Jeremiah (Dan. 2:2). The teachings
of Jesus and the writings of the New Testament writers contain many Old
Testament phrases. The Apostles claimed authority for their sayings and writings
(2 Thes. 2:18, 3:14, 1 Thes. 5:27).

Paul elaborates in 1 Cor. 2:13 when he writes: “This is what we speak, not in
words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing
spiritual truths in spiritual words” Note 1 Pet. 1:12, 2 Cor. 5:20, 13:3, 2 Pet. 3:15-16
in addition. Paul states in Eph. 2:20 “. . . built on the foundation of the apostles
and prophets, with Christ Himself as the chief cornerstone” This phenomenon
puts the both the Old and the New Testament on the same level of authority and
inspiration. We may distinguish between the following views on divine
inspiration:

2.1. The Mechanical view.

The Mechanical perspective view divine inspiration as the Scriptures been

dictated by God and documented by the Biblical writer. This view however
contradicts Scriptures such as Jer. 30:2, and Jer. 36:2, 28. There is no room left
for the style of the writer either. It also means that all the writings will have the
same writing style which is definitely not the case. In addition Luke describes in
Luke 1:1-4 how he went about in writing the Book of Luke. In 2 Pet. 3:15, 16 Peter
refers to the writings of Paul and his wisdom displayed therein. The four Gospels

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would have been identical, but God used each of the writers as co-authors to
write the Gospels out of their own perspective.

Mechanical inspiration, if true, then automatically means verbal inspiration. From

this perspective the Scripture is placed above all criticism by elimination of the
human factor. The writers become passive instruments in the hand of God. From
a critical view the mechanical perspective:

(a) All human input in the writing of the Scriptures is eliminated. Luke however
explains his method of writing (Luke 1:1-4 and Acts 1:1) which contradicts
the mechanical view. The writers of the books Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings and 1
and 2 Chronicles often refer to other sources.

(b) The style of the books differs. Each writer had his own style, and means of
expression. Scriptures derived from the Old Testament and mentioned in
the Gospels differ from the similar Scriptures in the Old Testament. In the
Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) similar events are presented
differently because of the identity of each author. Mechanical inspiration
does not allow these writing features.

2.2. Dualistic view.

According to this view the historical and chronological (insubstantial) section of

the Scriptures was written by man while the moral and ethical (substantial)
section was added by God. The problem though entails how to distinguish which
part is written by God and which part is written by man as the Scriptures are so
mingled.

Christ considered the Old Testament the Word of God and quoted Scriptures
from the Old Testament regarding history (Mark. 2:25), David (Mark. 12:36), Moses
(Matt. 8:4), Daniel (Matt. 24:15). He also referred to the Old Testament as the Law
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and Prophets (Matt 5:17). The Apostles acknowledged the entire Scripture to be
given by God (2 Pet. 1:21, 2 Tim. 3:16).

Critically assessed it means:

(1) This view was developed to appose the mechanical view and provide
explanation for apparent contradictions in the Scriptures.

(2) In order to allocate specified sections to God however, we need to still

apply mechanical principles because God needs men to write His words
down.

(3) Categorizing some Scriptures to be from God and others to be human is

impossible as every analyst will have his own norm and standard by which
he will perform the division.

(4) The facts are so perfectly blended and complement each other to such an
extent that separation is impossible.

(5) The fact that some writers documented what they “knew, saw, heard and
experienced” (1 John 1:1-2) contradicts the dualistic approach.

(6) Dualists who hold this view do not see the entire Scripture on the same
level of inspiration.

(7) The dualists tend to be become analysts who criticize the writers of the
Scriptures by evaluating them determining whether they were inspired by
God or not.

(8) The dualists claim inspiration for the salvation related Scriptures rejecting
other significant Biblical information. The Apostle Paul declares that the
entire Scripture is “given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness . . .” 2
Tim. 3:16. In addition the Apostle Peter confirms (2 Pet. 1:21) “For
prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God
as they were carried along by the Spirit”.
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 (9) The dualistic view neglects Biblical criticism.

2.3. The personal or dynamic inspiration.

The German philosopher/theologian Friederich Schleiermacher

(http://bible.org/article/liberalism) and others proposed the dynamic view of
Biblical inspiration. The inspiration phenomenon is transferred to the Bible
writers in the sense that the focus was no longer on the question if the Bible was
inspired or not, but on the lives of the writers. A supernatural unction of the Holy
Spirit in the lives of the writers would enable them to obtain special insight to
write down the Scriptures. Inspiration therefore is then a quality of the writer.

Friederich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher (1768 – 1834).

Critique against this view of inspiration is:

(1) To overemphasise human insight and opinion is categorizing the Bible in

the same category as other religious and secular writings. The Bible is then
deprived from its authority.

(2) All Christian books are inspired to a certain extent but can not be valued on
the same level as the Bible.

(3) Applying this perspective means that everything said by the writer
becomes canon. There should be room for correction. Even the Apostle
Peter had to be reprimanded at times (Gal. 2:11-16) for erroneous
behaviour. There must therefore be room for Divine inspiration.
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 (4) Divine inspiration has to be acknowledged as there are sections of the
Scriptures that were unknown to mankind such as the information of the
creation. Divine inspiration enabled Moses to provide this information
afterwards.

(5) The Dynamic Perspective rejects the supernatural and is therefore

unacceptable.

2.4. The inspiration of main thoughts.

According to this view a significant thought was provided by God to the writers
who expressed it in the words they wrote down. Thoughts and words can not be
separated because words are the expression of thoughts. Both ought to be
inspired to prevent the writing being a product of only human wisdom and
opinion.

Supporters of this view suggest that the writers of the Gospels had some idea of
the words and ministry of Christ and elaborated on that by documenting their
own opinions. Their writings therefore are their own reflections of the Gospel
truths.

The Helenistic influences on their religion, the Babylonian and Egyptian

mythology were carried over from generation to generation and are evident in
their writings. The writings reflect then in fact mythology with Christ and His
Words is the central truth presented within the mythology of the time. This is
defined as congregational theology. This perspective of inspiration clarifies
God’s spoken Words in the Old Testament as myths in the light of the modern
thoughts and science.

In order to make sense of the writings, according to this view, the myths have to
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be converted to the modern time reality. The meanings of these myths are to be
examined in order to relay the ancient information to modern time information.
Clarification will be presented anthropological and existential.

Critique includes:

(1) Content and the structure in which it is presented can not be separated.
The central or main truth must be accepted embedded in the structure in
which it is presented. The interpreter of the information is not to be
authorized to determine the central thought as it may differ from person to
person. This method would eradicate Divine inspiration.

(2) The premise of this perspective of inspiration is to adapt Scriptures to man

and fit God into scientific understanding.

(3) This view is influenced by the modern philosophy of existentialism

referring to the way of existence. The authority of Scripture is therefore
tailored for the convenient explanation of human wisdom.

(4) The process of converting the mythology of Scripture to modern reality

rejects the historical character of the Christian faith. The Scriptures
presents real historic events and utterances. If this is not accepted, other
information in the Scriptures might be unacceptable as well.

(5) We believe that the Scripture has to be explained to be applicable in

modern days, but it must happen within the framework of God’s attitude
towards man, which did not change since He created man for His pleasure
and delight.

(6) 1 Cor. 2:14 “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of
God, for they are foolishness unto them. . .” The Bible can not be
conformed to the thoughts of man or to accommodate science, but has to
be presented in a manner that is applicable to the human needs of today.

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 2.5. The Organic View.

The Organic view suggests that the entire Scripture was inspired by God, but was
written by different people, expressing in their writing their various personalities,
backgrounds, characters, cultures and time of writing. Although some Scriptures
read: “Thus saith the Lord.” it is still written in the author’s own words. Other
Scriptures are presented in the pattern of a report and contain historical facts, the
spoken words of people etc. In conclusion we realise therefore that the Bible
contains Divine and human elements.

The contribution of the writer differed according to what was written. The Ten
Commandments, the Words of Christ, the Book of Revelation and the prophecies
of the Old Testament prophets can be defined as the words of God expressed in
the writings of humans. Historical facts were documented by humans to the best
of their ability inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Errors mentioned previously are then eliminated and the role of God as well as
that of man in the writing of the Scriptures finds acknowledgment. God’s will and
thoughts were written down in the words of man to make it understandable and
beneficial to the reader.

If the Bible was written today it might be a bit different in composition and style
but the same message would have been conveyed. The written Scriptures speak
to the man of all ages.

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3. The Origin of the Bible.

The word “Bible” is derived from the Greek word for the papyrus reed (Byblos).
This plant (reed) was used to produce "paper" for the manufacturing of scrolls
and books. The first Bible users called the Bible "the Books" (Dan. 9:2),”the
books of the Law" (1 Mac. 1:56),”the book of the Law"( 1 Mac. 1:57), and the "the
Holy books" (Mac. 12:9).

The New Testament refers to it as "the writings" in the King James Version and
"Scriptures" in the modern translations (Matt. 21:42, Mark. 14:49, Luke 24:32,
John 5:39 and Rom 15:4). "The Holy Scriptures" occur in Rom. 1:2, 2 Tim. 3:15
and “all scriptures" in 2 Tim. 3:15. The concept “Law” is used sometimes to refer
to the Old Testament (John 10:34, 1 Cor. 10:34, 1 Cor. 14:21). In Rom. 3:2 contains
the words “the oracles of God".

In Ezra’s time (457 B.C.) the books of the Old Testament were set in a collection
and canonised in 90 A.D. The books of the New Testament were canonized in the
year 393 A.D. resulting from the general use of the apocryphal books and the
false doctrines derived from it.

Constantine in 332 A.D. instructed Eusebius of Caesarea to establish a

compilation of the inspired books of the New Testament. The apocryphal books
of the Old Testament appeared mostly in the Hebrew or some in the Aramaic
language while the New Testament apocryphal books were written in Greek.

The Apocrypha.

There are also other extra-Biblical writings, called “Apocrypha”, some of which
were included in the Roman Catholic Bible. Most of these books are linked to the
name of Biblical characters to give it authority. The books 1 and 2 Maccabees
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contain historical value, and were written to reinforce certain dogmas. The gospel
according to Barnabas is a Muslim fabrication to incorporate the Islamic religion
in the Scripture, The gospel according to Thomas, and the books of Judith,
Tobias, were written to justify the Roman Catholic teachings concerning nuns,
celibacy, and prayers for the dead.

Apocrypha means “hidden”. This name belongs to a number of books that were
not incorporated in the Hebrew Canon of the Old Testament, though some of
were included in the Septuagint (LXXC), the Vulgate, the Lutheran translation, and
the "Staten Bible". In many cases the contents is contradictory to the Bible, and
phrases such as: "Thus saith the Lord . . ." do not appear in the text. Although
Christ did not quote from these books, references from these book did appear in
the book of Jude (Jude 1:14, 15). There are 60 New Testament Apocryphal books
and 20 Apocryphal books assigned to the Old Testament.

The Apocryphal books contained in the Old Testament were with held from the
public, although some of them were used in religious services. The Apocryphal
books of the New Testament, on the other hand, were commonly used. Some of
Mohammed's arguments contained in the Qu'ran are based on information
derived from these books.

The Canonising of Scriptures.

Biblical Canon, indicative of a list or set of books considered to be authoritative

as scripture by a particular religious community, generally in Judaism or
Christianity.

The term itself was first coined by Christians, but also found in Jewish sources.
The internal wording of the text may also be specified, for example the Masoretic
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Text is the canonical text for Judaism. “Canon” is also derived from the Hebrew
word "Qaneh" that refers to a measuring stick. Later the word became the
definition for the measure of faith and eventually it referred to a catalogue or list
of books. The canon concept can be found in Gal. 6:16 which states: "And as
many as walk according to this rule. . ." (Compare 1 Cor. 10:15). It was originally
used by the Church Fathers at the 59th meeting at Laodicea (393 A.D.) and by
Anathasius (365 A.D.) and later by Amphilochius Bishop of Ikonium in 395 A.D. to
refer to the Scriptures.

What the Jewish concept of the canon was at that stage is unclear but it must
have existed. The OT canon was only accepted in 90 AD. The reference by Christ
to "Scriptures" (Matt. 21:42, John 5:39), Apollos (Acts 18:24), Paul (Rom. 15:4 and
2 Tim 3:14-16), and bearing in mind that the early Christians used the OT
Scripture in worship is indicative of the concept of the canon. According to the
Talmud there were Scriptures that "defiled" the hands. This could refer Lev
16:23-24 where Aaron had to wash his clothes and bath himself after coming out
of the most Holy so that he does not cause other things to become "holy" by his
touch. In addition to this Haggai 2:11-13 reads: ". . . If one bear holy flesh in the
skirt of his garment, and his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or
any food, shall it be holy? . . ."

The Rabbi’s used the word "genezum" (referring to “that which is hidden”) for the
worn scrolls and those which were disputed. The worn scrolls were buried
afterwards. “Cepharim chitsonim” referred to the apocrypha and was considered
“outside books”. These books were not allowed to be used for religious practice
in the synagogues.

The information, on how a canon was developed and by whom can a collection of
books be declared as canon, unleash a lot of theories. There were two parties
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involved in die process of canonizing: the author and the faith-community who
used the writings. This process did not take place overnight but progressed over
several generations. Because the Old Testament was accepted as the true words
of God it qualified to be a canon. The exordium of the prophets in general was:
"The word of the Lord came to me. . ." (Ex. 4:15-16, 1 Kings 16:1, 2 Kings 7:1, Jer.
13:1, Ezek.1:3). Old Testament writers like Moses and Paul in the New Testament
made use of court writers to put their books in writing. The Ten Commandments
was written by God Himself on the stone tablets (Deut. 10:4-5), the Laws of Moses
(Ex. 17:14, Deut 31:24-26 as well as copies of Deut. 31:24-26, 17:18), Samuel (1
Sam. 10:25, Jer. 30:2, 36:32, Hab. 2:2). Ezra read from the law at the public
gathering (Neh. 8:3).

The comprehensive description of the establishment of the Old Testament canon

remains a mystery, but Jewish tradition wants to make Ezra and the Great council
of writers responsible for the compilation of the books. The authority of the OT
books speaks for itself and there is no need to declare any of them canon, but the
presence and availability of the apocrypha necessitated the compilation of the
inspired writings.

Scribes from the order of the priests were normally assigned to conduct the
compilation and perform accurate copies. In the case of the NT writings some of
the notes written in the margins by some Bible students were also included in the
texts because the writers also considered these to be inspired and of canonical
value. The writers of the apocrypha linked their writings to the names of some of
the disciples or apostles to give it credibility.

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The Old Testament was divided into three groups:

(1) Torah or the Pentateuch - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and

Deuteronomy (5 books).

(2) The Prophets

(a) The early prophets - Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings (4 books).

(b) Later Prophets –

i. The Major Prophets - Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel (3 books).

ii. The Minor Prophets - Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah,

Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai and Malachi
(12 books).

(3) Songs or Psalms

(a) Poetical Psalms, Proverbs and Job (3 books).

(b) Five scrolls Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and

Esther (5 books).

(c) Historical - Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah and Chronicles, 4 books.

The Masoretic text refers to an authoritative Hebrew text describing not only the
Jewish canon but also contains text of other Judaistic books. It is used for the
translation of the Old Testament as well as some versions of the Roman Catholic
Bibles since 1943. It consists of 24 books which are equivalent to the 39 books of
the Old Testament in the Protestant Bible.

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The Protestant canon was influenced by the Septuagint which is the Greek
translation of the Old Testament in 250-260 BC. Reading in the temple was done
from the Law, but in the time of Epiphanus IV it was done from the prophets as
reading of the law was forbidden.

The compilation of the NT canon commenced in the second century. The

Christians of the first century had only the Septuagint for study and reading,
because the writings of the NT started only in 45-95 A.D. It was circulated as
letters (Col. 4:16 and 1 Thess. 5:27).

The Nash Papyrus (2 B.C.) contains a section of the Masoretic text. The Ten Commandments.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masoretic_Text).

The Apostolic Fathers also wrote to the different Assemblies and referred to
these early letters and cited from these letters. Clement of Rome (95 A.D.),
Ignatius (115 A.D.), and Polycarp (a student of John) often referred in their letters

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to the Apostolic Letters. We also find the literature of the Didache or "The
Teaching of the twelve Apostles" (129 A.D.), the Gospel according to Barnabas
(130 A.D.), the Shepherd of Hermas (130 A.D.). Marcion had his own canon
because he only considered the ten letters of Paul and Luke as authoritative.

The years 170-220 A.D. were characterised by many debates on the canon of the
NT books because of heretics such as Marcion who had their own Canon. The
main persons in these debates were Clement of Alexandria (Egypt), Tertullian
(North Africa) and Irenaeus in Asia Minor.

At the end of the second century the canon of the Scriptures were almost
complete but books such as Hebrews, James, Revelation and 1 and 2 Peter were
still disputed. The process was completed in 200-400 A.D. Origenes accepted the
four Gospels, Acts of the Apostles and the letters of Paul, and provided valid
reasons for accepting Revelation, Jude and Hebrews. He was however still
sceptical about the letters of James, 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John. By 315 A.D. Eusebius,
the Bishop of Cesarea introduced the canon as Origenes suggested. The NT
canon as it is today was compiled by Anathasius and others by 365 A.D. The
Vulgate (a Latin translation by Jerome), introduced a canon similar to that of
Anathasius with some additional apocryphal books.

Many translations were done throughout the last three centuries.

a) Septuagint: Greek translation of the Old Testament 277 B.C. It was done by 70
translators, therefore the LXX. The Hebrew OT had to be translated into
Greek because of the Hellenising of the Middle East by Alexander the Great.
The Jews in Egypt were not familiar with the Jewish language.

b) The Targums: Many Aramaic and related languages were spoken due to the
Jews in exile. These languages were imported into Israel by the conquering

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 nations. The Targum of Onkelos, for example, was a literal translation of the
Pentateuch.

Other significant versions include: Jonathan ben Uzziel’s translation of the

prophets and Joseph Caucus’s Old Testament translation. All Rabbinic
Bibles include these Targums. Hebrew and Aramaic are closely related. Ezra,
Nehemiah and Daniel are in Aramaic and are no Targums available.
Determining the dates of the Targums is difficult. Neh. 8:8 indicates however
that the Old Testament was read and translated.

The Septuagint: A column containing some of the Codex Vaticanus text. This served as the base forthe Lamcelot
Charles Lee Brenton Greek Translation that was used to create the English Translation. (Source: Plate XII. ''The S.S.
Teacher's Edition: The Holy Bible.'' New York: Henry Frowde, Publisher to the University of Oxford, 1896).

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Marcion van Sinope (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcionism).

Origenes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Origen2.jpg)

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i.

Jerome (http://www.artunframed.com/)

c) Coptic: (Southern Egypt) 150 A.D. The Christians in Egypt and Ethiopia
developed a need for a translation to accommodate their dialect. This
translation is still in use today.

d) Syriac: (the Peshita) 150 A.D. It was done in the Aramaic dialect of Syria and
is a common or simple version. The Syrians were missionaries and went to
India, and China where they also translated the Peshita into the languages of
their converts.

e) Gothic: Bishop Uifilas in 360 A.D. translated the Bible into Gothic for the
Goths who lived in the region beyond the Rhine and Donau rivers. The group
later moved to Bulgaria.

f) Vulgate: Latin 300-400 A.D. Latin replaced Greek as the common spoken
language and the need developed to establish a Latin translation. By 250
A.D. a translation was introduced from the LXX. New Testament books were
also available. Damascus, the Bishop of Rome ordered his secretary Jerome
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 to perform a translation in Latin utilizing the original text. He started with the
NT and Psalms and by 405 A.D. completed the whole Bible. The Vulgate was
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still in the 20 Century the official Bible of the Roman Catholic Church.

g) Wycliffe: Many translations containing only certain sections of old English,

Bohemian, Slovak and Italian, and the dialects of Southern France
translations were in circulation in Europe and England. Wycliffe and
colleagues translated the Bible from the Vulgate into English.

There are two versions:

- 1380 -1384 a Literal Translation.

- A 1395 Translation into the English idiom. This was concluded only 11
years after his death. His assistants were Nicholas of Hereford who was
involved in translating a large section of the first version and John Purvey
who translated a large section of the second version.

h) German: A translation of Martin Luther in 1534 for the masses.

i) William Tyndale (1495-1536): Translated the Bible into English. By 1525 he

concluded the NT from Greek in printed form. He also translated sections the
OT. He was persecuted and burned on the stake as a so-called heretic. His
friend Miles Coverdale, completed in 1535 the printed version of the
"Coverdale Bible" which included the translations of Tyndale (of the
Pentateuch) and the New Testament from Greek as well as his own
translation from German and Latin. By 1537 he published two other versions.
Another colleague of them, John Rodgers alias Thomas Matthew introduced
the printed version of the Matthews Bible. This version was very similar to
the Coverdale Bible also including the unpublished Tyndale translation of
the section of Joshua to the second Book of Chronicles. King Henry broke
all ties with the Roman Catholic Church and instructed the translators to

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 develop an English translation of the Bible. Coverdale revised the Matthews
translation of the Bible and "The Great Bible" was printed and was made
available to all. It is actually still the Tyndale translation.

j) The Geneva Bible: English refugees who settled in Genève Switzerland

developed a new English Version of the Bible. The NT was concluded in 1557
and was the first Biblical translation divided into different verses. The entire
Bible was completed in 1560. This was the initial translation derived from the
original texts. It became a prominent Bible for use in Scottish Church. It was
however not accepted by the church leaders in England.

k) The Bishop’s Bible: The church leaders ordered the bishops and proponent
bishops of the church to develop a translation. This effort though was not as
successful as the Geneva Bible.

l) King James or Authorized Version 1611: Revised in 1881. In his efforts to

settle disputes in the Church of England, King James (1603) instructed the
translators to develop a new version of the Bible utilizing the original text. 47
scholars in groups of six were involved: 2 scholars assigned to the NT, 3
scholars assigned to the OT and 1 assigned to the apocrypha. They used the
1602 version of the Bishop’s Bible, other translations and the work from the
original text. The mission was accomplished in 1611 and the King James
Version was used by most of the English churches worldwide.

m) Other Catholic Translations:

The Douai Bible refers to an English translation from the Vulgate developed
by the Faculty of English of the University of Douai especially focused on the
English speaking Catholics. Gregory Mertin was the most important
translator. Critics considered it to be too “Latin”. The NT was introduced in
1582 and the OT in 1610. Richard Challoner revised the version during 1749
and 1772 and introduced a new translation. This Bible was the official
English version of the Roman Catholic Church till 1945.

n) Translations following the King James Version: The 1611 version was
23
 expressed in old-fashioned and outdated English and needed revision. To
accomplish this many efforts were made to translate the Bible of which the
NT of Henry Alford (1869) was the most significant attempt. The Church of
England ordered an official new translation in 1870. Translators from other
English churches assisted with the translation of this translation and the
Revised Version was completed in three volumes in 1881, 1885 and 1894.
American translators involved introduced the American Revised Version in
1901. The original King James Version though remained well-liked because
of its "better" English.

o) Private translations: During the 20th century there were many private
translations:

- Twenty Century New Testament lay translators took advantage of the

Westcott and Hort's Greek New Testament to develop a translation
focused on the youth. It was printed in 1901 and revised in 1904.

- Weymoth - In 1886 Weymoth printed his version of the NT. He later

introduced a more creditable translation in modern English.

- Moffat - The Scotchman James Moffat, completed “The New Testament: A

New Translation” in 1913. By 1924 he issued the “The Old Testament: A
New Translation”. This translation emphasised the meaning of the
Scripture.

- Godspeed - printed a version of the NT in ordinary American English. In

1927 he also introduced the OT and in 1938 the Apocrypha.

- Revised Standard Version: This translation was a revision of the King

James Version, Revised Version and American Standard Version were
completed in 1952. The Catholic version followed in 1966.

p) New Catholic Versions:

- Ronald Knox: Printed an English translation of the Vulgate in 1949.

- The Jerusalem Bible was printed in the French language in 1956 and in
24
 1966 Alexander Jones printed the English version.

- The New American Bible was a revision of the Douai Bible. The translators
also drew on the Vulgate while considering the original texts as well.
Eventually they made use of the original texts only.

- The New English Bible is a revision of the Revised Version in combination

with the original texts. The NT was completed in 1961 and the entire Bible
with the additional apocrypha in 1970.

q) Paraphrases and simplified versions:

- Charles B. Williams: His translation “The New Testament in the language

of the people” attempted to present Greek to a richer extent. Published in
1937. Eph. 4:25 reads: "You must . . . each of you practice the truth to his
neighbour." Revised Version reads: "Let every one speak the truth with
his neighbour."

- The Wuest Expanded Translation presented the New Testament richer

vocally. Where Eph. 5:25 for example reads: "Husbands love your wives"
he translated it as: "The husbands, be loving to your wives with a love
selfsacrificial in its nature."

- Amplified Bible appeared in 1958-1965. More explanation, margin notes

and additional words presents a more descriptive translation. Critics
argue that the preferred meaning of the text is not indicated. Eph. 5:33 in
the Amplified reads: " However, let each man of you [without exception]
love his wife as [being in a sense] his very own self; and let the wife see
that she respects and reverences her husband [that she notices him,
regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates, and esteems him; and
that she defers to him, praises him, and loves and admires him
exceedingly]." In addition the King James Versions reads: "Nevertheless,
let every one of you in particular so love his wife as himself and the wife
see that she reverence her husband." · NT in Basic English - Published in
1940 and the entire Bible in 1949. Only 850 basic English words and 150
25
 special Biblical words are used.

- Williams Charles Kingsley published an English version of the NT for non-

English speaking people making use of only 1700 English words.

- Phillips J.B. - an Anglican priest published an English version which was

focused on the youth. Paul's letters were translated in 1947 and in 1958
the entire NT was introduced.

- The Living Bible entails a paraphrase with "The Living Letters" in 1962
and the entire Bible in 1971.

- The Good News Bible was published in 1966 (NT) and 1976 (Bible) in
“today’s English”

r) Several other translations were printed:

- The New American Standard Bible (1971) was a revision of the American
Standard Version of 1901 and the Modern Greek texts of the Bible.

- The New International Version is a new translation published by the New

York International Bible Society in 1972 (NT) and 1978 (Bible) based on
the KJV with the Modern Hebrew and Greek texts.

- New King James Version: Thomas Nielson publishers revised the KJV
into modern English in 1982.

s) There are many other translations done in the different languages of the
world and groups such as The Jehovah's witnesses, Yahweh community and
others have their own translations.

- The Jews have a modern version of the Masoretic text as well as “The
Authentic New Testament”.

- In the Afrikaans language, translations were introduced is the 1933, 1953,

1982, Lewende Bybel, Die Boodskap, Multi vertaling Bybel and the Nuwe
Lewende Vertaling.

26
4. The Divisions of the Bible.

Old Testament (39 books).

a) Pentateuch or first five books of Moses also called "the Law"

b) Historical books: Joshua to Esther.

c) Poetic books: Job to Song of Songs.

d) The Greater Prophets: Isaiah to Ezekiel.

e) The Minor Prophets: Hosea to Malachi.

New Testament 27 (books).

a) The four Gospels: (3 Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel according to

John)

b) Historical: Acts of the Apostles.

c) The Pauline epistles (written by the Apostle Paul): Romans to

Hebrews. (We

i. are not sure of the authorship of Hebrews). The writer used

the LXX where

ii. Paul used the Hebrew text of the OT and also refers to the
Tabernacle but

iii. never to the Temple in Jerusalem. Scholars do feel

however, that the writer

iv. must have been acquainted with Paul’s writings.

d) General epistles: James to Jude.

e) Prophetic: The Book of Revelation.

The division of the Scriptures into distinguished chapters was conducted by the

27
Englishman Langton (1228 AD). The versifying (putting the information into
verses) was performed in 1551 by Robert Stephanus.

5. Proof of the validity of the Scriptures.

5.1. The Authenticity of the Bible.

"Thus said the Lord", "The word of the Lord that came to. . .” etc are expressions
that is used more than 2600 times in the Bible. Jesus and His disciples
considered the O.T. as given by God and quoted freely from the Scriptures (Luke
24:27, 45, 46, Matt. 5:18, 2 Tim. 3:16, Heb 1:1, 2 Pet 1:21).

The NT is the fulfilment of OT prophecies and symbols. The footnote added to

Zeph. 2:7 in the Amplified Bible describes this significant phenomenon: "This is
one of the more than twenty five details of Bible prophecy concerning the land of
Palestine that have been literally fulfilled. Probability computers estimate that if a
prophecy concerning a person, place or event has twenty five details, there is one
chance in more than thirty three millions of its accidental fulfilment.

And such prophecy must be:

1) Possibility of human collusion

2) Beyond the ability of human calculation

3) Proof against human coincidence

4) Above all possibility of human comprehension. What inconceivable

omniscience was behind the writing of the Bible! Twenty-five details also
concerning the betrayal, trial, death and burial of our Lord were fulfilled,
fulfilled within twenty-four hours!" See Micah 5:1, Matt 2:1, Zach 11:12 and
Matt 26:15.
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5.2. The integrity of the Scriptures.

a) The Bible consists of 66 books, written by more than 40 writers over

a period of 1400 years. Maintaining the continuous unity is
phenomenal.

b) Although the Bible was an illegal document for long periods in many
countries of the world and been subjected to many attempts of
extermination, it is still in circulation and it is still highly favoured
and in demand.

c) Biblical truths remain new and applicable to our modern lifestyles.

d) Christianity is the evidence of the change the Bible accomplished

during the ages.

e) The Prophecies of the Bible are still being fulfilled today.

f) No religious revelation used by any religion can be compared with

the Bible.

The Biblical truths are practical applicable to the life of anyone who has a need
for salvation. The promises are not philosophies or vague possibilities, but divine
encounters stored in the unseen realm ready to be revealed to those who put
their faith in the God of the Bible.

5.3. Archaeological evidence.

Just over a century ago archaeologists started excavations at old historical

places and what they discovered proved beyond doubt what was written in the
Scriptures.

The discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls confirmed the research on the authenticity
of Biblical history. Archaeological findings at the ancient sites of Ur, Babel,
29
Nineveh, Shushan and other ancient cities and regions verified Biblical facts
regarding the creation, important places, certain kings etc.

E. Leslie Carlson elaborates on some of these archaeological discoveries in the

archaeological appendix of the Jimmy Swaggart Reference Bible. Some of these
discoveries include:

a. The Moab Stone which contained engraved historical information similar

to the history as described in the second book of Kings Chapters 1 and 3.
The stone was discovered by a German gentleman by the name of F.A.
Klein.

b. Remains of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were discovered in 1924 at

the lower parts of the Dead Sea.

c. The ruins of the city of Gibeon were found by the archaeologist James. B.
Pritchard in 1956-63. King Herod’s palace fortress located south of
Engedi on the western banks of the Dead Sea near Yigael Yadin was
discovered in 1963-64. This palace happened to be very luxurious having
200 rooms and the bathrooms were fitted with hot air devices.

d. The ancient city of Nineveh was discovered in 1849-51 at Konyunjik and

was located on the west bank of the Tigris River opposite Mosul in Iraq by
Austin H. Layard.

e. Sir Leonard Woolley and T. E. Lawrence came across the ruins of the
ancient city of Carchemish in 1911-14. It was the capital of one of the
Hittite kingdoms (1750 – 722 BC) and was located west of Urfa in
Southern Turkey at the border of Syria.

f. The Bodmer II Papyri was found in Upper Egypt some time before 1956 and
edited by Victor Martin. This manuscript of the Gospel of John was
almost complete, dated from 200 A.D. It was published by the Bodmer
Library of Switzerland in 1956.

30
 g. In 1884-86 the discovery of the Palace of Xerxes by Dieulafory at Shusan
(Suza) in Iran (Persia) confirmed information from the book of Esther.

h. This archaeological proof of Biblical facts is only a portion of a large body

of archaeological evidence confirming the authenticity of the Bible as
God’s Word.

5.4. Scientific evidence.

The Eternal Productions Website

(http://www.eternalproductions.org/101science.html) provides 101 scientific facts
which confirm the soundness of the Scriptures. Matthew Maury (1806-1873) was
known as the father of oceanography. While his daughter was reading to him
about the “paths of the sea” in Psalm 8:8 he decided to literally explore this
Scripture. He eventually became the inventor of the hot and cold continental sea
currents http://www.bible.ca/b-science-evidences.htm.).

The Bible explains the scientific aspects of the creation. Job 26:7 "He stretcheth
out the north over the empty space, and hangeth the earth upon nothing". Isaiah
40:22 "It is He who sitteth upon the circle of the earth,. . .". Prov.8:27 . . .when He
set a compass upon the face of the earth. . ." etc. These phenomena are
documented in the Bible ages ago. New planets and animals are discovered each
year.

Ps. 104:1-31. Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great;
thou art clothed with honor and majesty. Who coverest thyself with light as with a
garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: Who layeth the beams of
his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh
upon the wings of the wind: Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a
flaming fire: Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed

31
forever. Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood
above the mountains. At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they
hasted away. They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the
place which thou hast founded for them. Thou hast set a bound that they may not
pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth. He sendeth the springs into
the valleys, which run among the hills. They give drink to every beast of the field:
the wild asses quench their thirst. By them shall the fowls of the heaven have
their habitation, which sing among the branches. He watereth the hills from his
chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works. He causeth the grass
to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth
food out of the earth; And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make
his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart. The trees of the
LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted; Where the
birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house. The high hills
are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies. He appointed the
moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down. Thou makest darkness, and
it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth. The young lions roar
after their prey, and seek their meat from God. The sun ariseth, they gather
themselves together, and lay them down in their dens. Man goeth forth unto his
work and to his labor until the evening. O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in
wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. So is this great
and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great
beasts. There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play
therein. These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due
season. That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are
filled with good. Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their
breath, they die, and return to their dust. Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are
created: and thou renewest the face of the earth. The glory of the LORD shall
endure forever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works.

32
Evolution.

According to Gen.1:12, 21 God created plants and animals according to different

kinds and species enabling them to produce according to their kinds and
species. We realise that cross breeding should take place in order to multiply and
procreate. It is non-Biblical however to assume that breeding can occur between
different kinds and species.

When we investigate the matter regarding evolution vs. creation of God it is of

great importance to consider the following points:
(http://www.hazelden.org.uk/pt02/art_pt061_thoughts_on_evolution.htm).

1. The science we know is very different from the science being practised by
scientists. We tend to think that accepted scientific facts are based upon
reliable research. The science proposed by scientists is in fact a “myth” of
science when we evaluate the study of evolution. Scientists use this myth
to create a worldview in the thoughts of mankind.

2. Scientists find it hard to explain the past. They focus on “if it was like that”
or “if you do this”. This refers to the law of probability. To make the results
credible however, the experiment must have a high level of reliability.
Reliability in research refers to the ability to perform the same experiment
more than once obtaining the same results every time. The problem with
the past is the inability to perform it again or to replay the history.

3. The Biblical fact of the world evolving from “nothing” (Heb. 11:3) happens
to be another crises for the scientists. We believe God created the universe
based on the Word of God assured by the Holy Spirit. There are however
no physical evidence to put on the table. The evolutionists don’t have any
confirmation of these facts as they are not familiar with the unction of the
Holy Spirit (John. 14:17). Rational speaking both approaches can’t prove
anything. The evolutionists attempt to prove their hypothesis by basing it
on the law of probability. If these factors were present this would be the
33
 results. If these factors were not present though, the argument falls apart.
We know that the evidence presented in the past to proof the so-called
“BIG BANG” which gave way to the evolution process were proved to be
erroneous. Arthur Woodward (1912) managed to deceive the world with the
“evidence” of the missing link between man and ape. The jaw bone and a
piece of skull which he estimated to be over 500,000 years old belonged to
the so-called Piltdown Man. In 1953, when a new fluoride dating process
was applied to the bones, scientists were shocked to realise that the jaw
bone was less than 50 years old. They also noticed that the bones and
teeth had been treated with salts and filed to give it an older and more
primitive appearance. The Piltdown Man was a deception.
(http://www.bible.ca/b-science-evidences.htm). Faith in what we believe
happens tend to be the solution for both of the parties (Creationists and
evolutionists).

4. Evidence predictive of the age of fossils tends to be incorrect and

confusing sometimes as nature elements influence the appearance to a
great extent. The tests conducted on fossils are also based on the principle
of probability.

5. The different segments of bone often presented by evolutionists as

evidence are not found in one geographical area and even if it is, there is
no proof to link these bone to one animal.

6. The age of plants and rock are determined by the kinds of petrified
organisms present in it’s make-up. According to the evolution theory lower
class, simple organisms would be found in older fossils while better
developed and more complex organisms would obvious be evident in the
later fossilized rocks and plants. The dilemmas the evolutionists are
confronted with involve the coexistence of simple, lower class organisms
and more complex organisms in the same location.

7. It is also still a mystery why the dinosaur species became extinct

34
 overnight. According to the evolution theory the reptiles we know today are
descendants of the dinosaur family.

The Biblical Perspective.

The commentary of Dake in the Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible discusses the
distinction between cosmic and organic evolution. According to evolutionists
Cosmic evolution refers to the development of planets, stars and space elements
over a long period from basic components such as atoms and molecules.

Organic evolution, on the other hand, is the development of plant and animals
from lower class organisms to the complex beings and vegetation we know
today. The evolution has to admit that some form of life originated the process.
They are however not able to explain the origin of this proto form of life. The
purpose of evolution is to prove the non-existence of God the Creator. The theory
is therefore anti-supernatural.

Misleading notions and hidden motives of evolution.

Evolution describes a concept by which all living organisms, as we know them

today, are derived from a process through slow development over billions of
years from low class forms of life to the present complex forms of life. There are
however many fallacies and hidden motives involved in the definition of
evolution.

· The followers of the evolution theory reject the input of Spirit-led Christian
scientists and apply the recommendations of heathen and pagan people
who have no knowledge of the Creator and Author of the universe.

· The creation and maintenance of the Creation by God the Creator is

rejected (Gen. 1, John 1, Col. 115-18 etc.).

· Evolution is a degrading of the fact that man is created in the image of God
(Gen. 1:26-28, Gen. 2:7).
35
 · The concept does harm to the image of God in which image we are created.

· It also degrades the image of Christ -the Second Adam (1 Kor. 15:45).

· The Fall of Man through sin and the restoration through Christ, the process
of regeneration as well as life in the Spiritual dimension is denied by the
concept of evolution.

· The Redemptive work of Jesus Christ, His Virgin Birth, His Ministry, His
Death, His Resurrection, His Second Coming, as well as the Work of the
Holy Spirit, Salvation en every aspect of the Godhead are nullified by the
evolution concept.

· The existence of the heavenly realm with it’s creations as well as the
supernatural are not validated by evolutionists.

The Bible declares 10 times in the first Chapter of Genesis the creation of
everything by God Who empowers it to procrastinate and produce after it’s kind.
1656 years afterwards the same principle was still intact (Gen. 7:14).

Until today no significant evidence has ever been produced through any research
to confirm the evolution theory or to provide the “missing link” to make man a
descendant of apes. (See Magazine article p. 37 from Juig Magazine, p. 10,
July/August)

Andrew Wommack (Andrew Wommack Ministries of Europe) clarifies the

impossibility of evolution on the Christian Channel God Channel. He explains that
it would be easier; if an explosion would occur in a Boeing Factory where al the
spares and parts are stored on shelves and in storerooms, if the power of an
explosion would scatter these parts and spares in such a manner that every piece
lands in it’s perfect position and the screws are fastened due to the power of the
explosion producing after the explosion an aeroplane ready for take off; than for
36
the evolution theory to be sensible.

The Word of God is wonderful and equips us with all we need to survive in this
world and in eternity (2 Pet. 1:3&4, Matt. 6:33). It’s like food for the hungry, and
water for the thirsty. It is a lamp to my feet and a lamp to my path (Ps. 119:105).
It’s a two-edged sword that penetrates (Heb. 4:12), It’s like fire, like a hammer that
breaks the rock into pieces (Jer. 23:29). The spoken words of God sustain us
more than bread (Matt. 4:4). The original word in the Hebrew text for “word”
happens to be the same one that describes “thing”. The Bible is a record of God’s
spoken words. Our faith in God, based on these words, changes the words into
things (Deut. 8:3, Matt. 4:4, John 6:63).

37
38
6. References for additional study.

1. www.awme.net. (Andrew Wommac Ministries of Europe. God Channel,

DSTV).

2. Amplified Bible. Lockman Foundation. Zondervan.

3. Butler. Trent. C. Holman Bible Dictionary: Holman Bible Publishers.

Nashville. Tennessee. ISBN 1-55819-053-8.

4. Gish, Duane T. (1979, 1986). Evolution, the fossils say no! San Diego, Calif:
Creation-Life Publishers. ISBN 0-89051-057-1.

5. Gish, Duane T. (1985). Evolution: the challenge of the fossil record. San
Diego, Calif: Creation-Life Publishers. ISBN 0-89051-112-8.

6. Gispen. W.H., Oosterhoff. B.J., Ridderbos. H.N., Van Unnik. W.C., Visser P.
Bybelse Ensiklopedie. Verenigde Protestantse Uitgewers. ISBN
0-86997-029-1.

7. Scoffield Reference Bible.

8. www.allaboutthejourney.org/history-of-the-bible.htm.

9. www.ngkerksomerstrand.co.za/blog/didage/bybelskool/samuel/die-ontstaa
n-vandie-bybel/

10. www.ngkerksomerstrand.co.za/blog/didage/bybelskool/samuel/interessant
efeite-oor-die-bybel/

11. King James Version English Bible: Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible.

12. King James Version English Bible: Jimmy Swaggart Reference edition.

13. Whitcomb. John C. and Morris Henry. M. The Genesis Flood.

12.Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing. ISBN 0875523382.

14. www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcionism).

15. www.eternal-productions.org/101science.html.

16. www.bible.ca/b-science-evidences.htm.
39
17. www.hazelden.org.uk/pt02/art_pt061_thoughts_on_evolution.htm.

18. wwwbible.org/article/liberalism).

19. www.biblenotes.net/questions.html.

40
7. Assignment

1. Discuss in your own words the various views regarding the inspiration of
Scripture as well as their flaws (20)

2. Discuss in your own words how the Bible came into existence (20)

3. How is the Bible divided up(5)

4. On what grounds can we proof the authenticity of the Bible (20)

5. Discuss in your own words the misleading notions and hidden motives of
evolution. (20)

Total (85)

41