How We Got

The Bible
Part 2
Lost in Translation
Transmission
Issues
Scott Shoemaker sent his son Isaac to
the store for a carton of milk, a box of
light bulbs, some charcoal for the grill,
and a bag of apples. He gave him $30
dollars, and sent him on his way. Half
way there he saw a big cardboard box
full of puppies, there was man selling
them for exactly $30 a puppy. Isaac
really wanted one, so instead of going to
the store he bought a dog instead.
Determining the Original Text

• Majority Text
• Critical Text
FrankenBibles
 A Short History of the Bible
• Latin Vulgate – Official Version for 1000 yrs
• Renaissance / scholarship
– Luther Bible – 1545
– Erasmus – Textus Receptus (c. same time)
• King James - 1611
– Wyclyffe c.1348
– Based on Textus Receptus
Bible Pirates
of the
Reformation
Determining the Original Text
Textus Receptus Critical Text
Asserts that the most accurate
reading is the reading which is
found in the largest number of
manuscripts.
 Text Families

Source

Copy A Copy B Copy C

Copy A1 Copy B1 Copy B1 Copy B1 Copy B1

Determining the Original Text
Textus Receptus Critical Text
Asserts that the most Asserts that the most
accurate reading is the accurate reading is the
reading which is found in reading found in the
the largest number of oldest and most reliable
manuscripts. manuscripts.
Are there Mistakes in the
Bible?

• Unintentional Mistakes

• Intentional Mistakes
 Unintentional Mistakes
• Faulty eyesight – careless inspection of
the original
 Faulty eyesight – careless
inspection of the original

Omission of words between repeated phrases.

"Whoever denies the Son, the same has not [the Father; he that
acknowledges the Son also has] the Father.“
 Unintentional Mistakes
• Faulty eyesight – careless inspection of
the original
• From similar pronunciation or incorrect
spelling.
 From similar pronunciation or
incorrect spelling
Rev. 1:5 lousanti ("washed") and lusanti ("freed").

• unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own
blood. Rev. 1:5 KJV
• to Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood.
Rev. 1:5 NASB
 Unintentional Mistakes

• Faulty eyesight – careless inspection of

the original
• From similar pronunciation or incorrect
spelling.
• From errors of memory or anticipation.
 From errors of memory or
anticipation
Transposition of letters. Mark 14:65 elabon
("receive") and ebalon ("strike").

• And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet
him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him
with the palms of their hands. - Mark 14:65 KJV

• And some began to spit at Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat
Him with their fists, and to say to Him, "Prophesy!" And the officers
received Him with slaps in the face. - Mark 14:65 NASB
 Unintentional Mistakes
• Faulty eyesight – careless inspection of
the original
• From similar pronunciation or incorrect
spelling.
• From errors of memory or anticipation.
• From incorporating marginal notes
wrongly taken as corrections.
 From incorporating marginal notes
wrongly taken as corrections

• And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it
might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my
garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. -
Mat. 27:35 KJV

• And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments
among themselves, casting lots; - Mat. 27:35 NASB
 Unintentional Mistakes
• Faulty eyesight – careless inspection of
the original
• From similar pronunciation or incorrect
spelling.
• From errors of memory or anticipation.
• From incorporating marginal notes
wrongly taken as corrections.
• From wrongly taking marginal notes as
corrective additions.
 From wrongly taking marginal notes as
corrective additions
Treating substitutionary corrections as additions
(conflation).
Rom. 6:12 "[in] its lusts" added after "obey it" rather than substituted for "it.“

• Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye

should obey it in the lusts thereof. - Rom. 6:12 KJV

• Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that

you should obey its lusts, - Rom. 6:12 NASB
 Intentional Mistakes
• To try and make the meaning clearer.
 To try and make the
meaning clearer
Additions, omissions, and substitutions designed to
simplify or correct the grammar. Mark 7:2 "they found
fault" added to complete the sentence.

• And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that
is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault. - Mark 7:2 KJV

• and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread
with impure hands, that is, unwashed. - Mark 7:2 NASB
 Intentional Mistakes
• To try and make the meaning clearer.
• To Harmonize Related Passages.
 To Harmonize Related
Passages

• Mat. 19:17 "Why do you ask me

concerning what is good?"
• "Why do you call me good?" from Mark
10:18. --a very frequent kind of alteration.
 Intentional Mistakes

• To try and make the meaning clearer.

• To Harmonize Related Passages.
• To remove difficulties that would be hard
to explain.
 To remove difficulties that would
be difficult to explain

• Mark 1:2 "in Isaiah the prophet" changed

to "in the prophets.“

• Actually this quote is a composite of

Isa. 40:3 and Mal. 3:1
 Intentional Mistakes

• To try and make the meaning clearer.

• To Harmonize Related Passages.
• To remove difficulties that would be hard
to explain.
• To emphasize or safeguard important
teachings.
 To emphasize or safeguard
important teachings
Luke 2:33 "Joseph" substituted for "his
father”.

• And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were
spoken of him. - Luke 2:33 KJV

• And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were
being said about Him. - Luke 2:33 NASB
 Intentional Mistakes
• To try and make the meaning clearer.
• To Harmonize Related Passages.
• To remove difficulties that would be
difficult to explain.
• To emphasize or safeguard important
teachings.
• To reflect or promote monastic customs.
To Reflect or Promote Monastic
Customs
Mark 9:29 "and fasting" added after
"prayer" (similarly in Acts 10:30, 1
Cor. 7:5).

• 29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by

nothing, but by prayer and fasting. - Mark 9:29 KJV

• 29 And He said to them, "This kind cannot come out by

anything but prayer.“ - Mark 9:29 NASB
Translation Issues
Communication Theory
Communication Theory
• Sender – the one
encoding the
Sender message.
Communication Theory
• Receiver – The one
decoding the
Receiver message.
 Communication Theory
• In order to communicate the sender and
the receiver must have some degree of
common experience.
 Communication Theory

Sender/Receiver Sender / Receiver

Communication Theory

Sender Receiver
Do Words Have Meaning?
GODISNOWHERE
GOD IS NOW HERE
GOD IS NOWHERE
Do Words Have Meaning?

Suffer
Do Words Have Meaning?
And they brought young children to him,
that he should touch them: and his
disciples rebuked those that brought them.
But when Jesus saw it, he was much
displeased, and said unto them, “Suffer
the little children to come unto me, and
forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom
of God”.
KJV. Mark 10:13-14
Do Words Have Meaning?

Terrific
Do Words Have Meaning?

Aweful
Do Words Have Meaning?

Artificial
 Do Words Have Meaning?
• The meaning of words can change over
time.
Do Words Have Meaning?

What is Light?
Do Words Have Meaning?

• God is Light
• A Feather is Light
 Do Words Have Meaning?

• The meaning of words can change over

time.
• Words can have more than one meaning.
Only one person left.
Oversight
 Do Words Have Meaning?

• The meaning of words can change over

time.
• Words can have more than one meaning.
• Words can even mean the opposite
things.
 Bridging the Gap
Two Theories of Translation

Formal Equivalence Dynamic Equivalence

Attempts to translate the text Attempts to discern and render

literally – word for word. the thought of the original.
 The Breakdown

Formal Equivalence Dynamic Equivalence

KJV NLT
NASB NIV *
RSV NRSV *
How We Got
The Bible
Part 2
Lost in Translation