Pastor’s Bible Study
“Your Bible! The Study Begins” – Kerygma
How Has the Bible been Preserved?
October 26, 2011
Introduction –
Understanding the Need for Translation (stats taken from www.wycliffe.org)
- 6,800+
- 2,000+
- 340 million+
Language communicates information but it also communicates value.
Preservation of the Old Testament
Group Exercise
Section A –
Read Exodus 15:1-21 and discuss these questions:
- What event(s) in Israel’s history does this “song” recall?
- What does the passage tell us about how Israel kept alive the memory of
important historical events?
Section B –
Read Deuteronomy 11:18-21
- What are the “words” mentioned in the passage?
- What do the activities described in the passage suggest about how Israel
preserved its traditions?
Section C –
Read Jeremiah 36:20-32
- Summarize the story line of the passage.
- Discuss: What does this story tell us about the process by which the
prophetic books of the Old Testament were formed.
Written preservation of the Old Testament:
- The stone tablets kept in the “Ark of the Covenant”
- Book of the Law kept in the Tabernacle (Deut. 31:9-13)
- Daniel 9:2 – “the Scriptures” which includes the book of Jeremiah indicates
that certainly by this time some compilation of the Old Testament had been
gathered and was considered Holy.
- The Septuagint (LXX) – oldest translation of the Bible (completed by 132
B.C.) translating the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek. (this would have
been the Bible that most of the Greek speaking Christians and Jews of the
New Testament would have referred to.)
Jesus affirms the Hebrew Canon (Matthew 5:17-18)
New Testament Preservation
- @25,000 handwritten copies of the NT in various languages (5,700 in
Greek) from the 4th century or before.
Development of the English Bible (See Appendix D in the Resource Book)
Vulgate – Latin Bible translated by Jerome in 4th century
Translations of the Reformation –
Wycliffe – from Vulgate
Luther - German
Tyndale – from Hebrew/Greek (printing press)
Genevan (Calvin) – first with verses, small enough to carry (home Bible)
King James
Modern English Translations
Understanding Translation Goals
- Literal (formal equivalence)
- Vernacular (dynamic equivalence)
Great article for more detailed reference:
http://www.esvstudybible.org/sb/objects/article-reliability.html