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The issue is the Greek manuscripts that they choose to translate.

Discussion in 'Bible Versions & Translations' started by Alan Gross, Nov 3, 2022.

  1. Alan Gross

    Alan Gross Well-Known Member

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    Critical Text Versus Majority Text Translations

    I wish you knew ,"The Bible", was The Words of God.

    He Stiptulates the "Degree to which "TRANSLATIONS" may VERY from one another,
    when The Lord, or others, are RECORDED in The NEW TESTAMENT,
    as QUOTING The OLD TESTAMENT.

    see: https://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/emwl/otnt_dodd.pdf


    INSPIRATION Does not always run in the same 'Set of Tracks'.

    Isiah vs. "esaias" the prophet, for example.

    That gives The KJV The AUTHORITY, in that
    "errors outside those parameters 'Old Testament to New Testament",

    are insignificant and must be dismissed out of hand, and not as "errors".

    The Septuagint was used by Jesus, in His Days on Earth,
    as The AUTHORITATED WORD of GOD.

    Others, with "TEXTURAL ERRORS and OMMISSIONS, of DEITY", especially.

    As "our copies of The Septuagint", today,
    have real errors we see as purposed, by The Devil, himself.

    Errors are errors.

    AUTHORITATIVE is AUTHORITATIVE >


    from: https://faithalone.org/grace-in-foc...amination-of-seven-bible-translations-part-1/


    "Of the seven, only the KJV and the NKJV
    are translating what is often called the Majority Text (MT) of the NT.

    For example, in 1 John 4:19 the KJV and NKJV include the word Him after “we love,”
    but the other five translations do not.

    The options are:

    “We love Him because He first loved us”
    versus “We love because He first loved us.”


    The issue here is not the translation style.

    The issue is the Greek manuscripts that they choose to translate."

    The KJV and the NKJV translate the Textus Receptus (TR), which in most cases reflects the reading of the majority of outstanding Greek manuscripts. The other five translations translate what is called the Critical Text (CT). Though there are thousands of manuscripts for most books of the NT, the NIV, NASB, NET, HCSB, and ESV essentially translate three manuscripts (or only two if these three do not agree). In their view these three early manuscripts (Aleph, A, and B) were nearly perfect manuscripts and thus when they agree, that is the correct reading even if a thousand or more manuscripts contradict that reading.

    Here are a few examples of where this impacts Free Grace theology in some way:

    John 6:47. “He who believes in Me has everlasting life” (MT) versus “He who believes has everlasting life” (CT).

    2 John 8. “Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward” (MT) versus “ Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished , but that you may receive a full reward” (CT, though the NIV reads you in all three places).

    Rev 22:19. “If anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Tree of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (MT, CR) versus “If anyone takes away…God shall take away his part from the Book of Life…” (TR). [This is a major example of the TR varying from the MT.]

    John 7:53-8:11. The account of the woman caught in adultery is bracketed by the NIV, NASB, ESV, HCSB, and NET, indicating those versions all believe this testing of Jesus is not Scripture at all. The KJV and NKJV both consider this Scripture.

    Mark 16:9-20. The ending of Mark’s Gospel is not considered Scripture in the NIV, NASB, ESV, HCSB, and the NET Bible. The KJV and NKJV consider this Scripture.

    Can Faith Save Him? James 2:14
    Note how our seven translations handle this verse, and especially pay attention to the different ways they translate the last part of it, i.e., the question dealing with the connection between faith and salvation/deliverance. I have italicized key differences.

    KJV: “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?”

    NKJV: “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?”

    NASB: “What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can that faith save him?”

    NIV: “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?”

    NET: “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith save him?”

    HCSB: “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can his faith save him?”

    ESV “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?”

    The NIV, NASB, NET, and ESV qualify faith the second time it appears in the verse with words which question the validity of the faith: “such faith,” “that faith,” “this kind of faith,” or “that faith,” respectively. The KJV and NKJV do not supply the qualifiers. Though the HCSB has a qualifier (“his faith”), there is nothing in the qualifier that questions the faith.

    The Greek merely refers to “the faith” (hē pistis). The definite article is also used with pistis in the nominative case in vv 17, 20, 22, and 26. Yet in none of these other places do the NIV, NASB, NET, or ESV translate the expression as that faith, such faith, or this kind of faith. The translators are making an interpretive decision for the readers here. The KJV, NKJV, and the HCSB more accurately represent the Greek, with no pejorative description of the faith in question.

    In addition, the NIV and NET also seem to be interpreting for the reader when it translates ean… legē tis (literally “if someone says”) as “if a man claims” or “if someone claims.” Yet this destroys the verbal tie here with v 12. There the same verb, legō, is used and clearly it refers to speaking, not claiming. Note even the NIV and NET translations of v 12: “Speak and act as those who are going to [or will] be judged by the [or a] law that gives freedom.”

    The issue in Jas 1:21–2:26 is that we are to be doers and not merely speakers. We find the same thing in 1 John 3:16-18. The issue in v 12 is saying versus doing, not claiming versus doing. Claiming has a pejorative tone. Why wasn’t v 12 translated that way then: “Claim and act as those who are going to be judged…”? The reason is obvious. That isn’t the point in v 12. The other five translations (KJV, NKJV, NASB, HCSB, ESV) correctly translated ean…legē tis.

    The Free Grace person using the NIV or NET is doubly handicapped on this verse. The NASB and ESV users are also handicapped, but not quite as much. The KJV, NKJV, and HCSB are friendly to the Free Grace position in this verse since their translation does not try to interpret the verse for the readers.
     
    #1 Alan Gross, Nov 3, 2022
    Last edited: Nov 3, 2022
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  2. Alan Gross

    Alan Gross Well-Known Member

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    These would be [false reasons] IMHO.

    Thanks a lot [snip]

    Regarding the KJV-Only Debate

    TheDaveYoung / July 10, 2022


    The King James Version is one of the big issues that regularly surfaces in my world. I talk about it with pastors and laymen alike and literally have friends who are all over the place in relation to where they stand! I have more than a few friends who are KJV-only, although I have to acknowledge that there are multiple degrees of meaning for that term. By that, I mean that some believe that the translators were just as inspired as were the holy men who wrote it in Hebrew and Greek way back at the very beginning. Others believe that it corrects the failures of the Hebrew and Greek copies and is therefore the final piece of God’s preservation work. Many simply believe that it is accurately translated and is so well done that it is irreplaceable. Not all of my friends are KJV-only. I have some friends who are KJV-preferred, but who have no issue with modern versions that are accurately translated. I even have some friends who have no idea that this is an issue (and sometimes I find myself loving them for it), and, of course, I have some friends who strongly believe in using modern versions.

    Here are five observations I have made regarding this matter:

    1. Those I know personally who use other versions love God just as much as those of us who use the KJV. They read their copy daily and meditate on the words they read. They preach and teach it to their congregations. They use it in family devotions. They win souls. We can hold differing views here and still love God.

    2. Those I know who use other versions have just as much confidence in Gods Word as I have. They believe it must be accurately translated and when it is, they believe it is the Inspired Word of God. In the KJV-only camp, we tend to talk as if it is not possible for a person to use a modern version with confidence. By experience, I have to disagree.

    3. Those I know who are ok with other versions believe as strongly in inspiration, preservation, and the importance of accuracy as I do. We would all agree that the Bible came to us by divine inspiration as God spoke to holy men who wrote the very words God led them to write under the leadership of His Holy Spirit. We both agree that God promised to preserve His word. From there, we then come to a variety of opinions as to how He accomplished the task. I have learned that we can disagree quite strongly regarding the “how” and yet still agree on the doctrines of inspiration and preservation, and on the importance of accuracy in translation work.

    4. Those I know who use other versions believe the fundamentals of the faith as strongly as I do.

    5. Those I know who use other versions, do so, not because they are rebels and infidels, but because they primarily want Gods Word to be readable and understandable to the common man. To be fair, that was certainly one of the reasons the KJV was translated in the first place, at least according to those who did the translation work. My observation is simply that many who use modern versions want a translation that is both accurate and understandable. I do give some leeway here because I am very aware that our KJV was translated with those same goals in mind.

    So, why share these observations? First, it is always right to accurately portray another’s views. Further, we are to “think no evil” about others (see 1 Corinthians 13). Then, it is always helpful to understand where someone else is “coming from” in regards to their particular beliefs. Finally, it is a good thing to recognize that while we can frequently have different views, we can still treat each other with love and respect.

    So go ahead and discuss these issues. Listen to those who see things differently and try to understand them. Debate and write if you are so inclined. Talk about how and why we see things differently. Then, invite them to your home, have fellowship together, and talk about our Savior Jesus Christ. And then maybe, just maybe, go soul winning together and tell someone how God’s Word has changed your life. You may find a great friend! You might even win a soul!

    I would love to hear what you think and why! Feel free to comment below.

    Thanks for reading.

    Your sincere friend,

    Dave Young
     
    #2 Alan Gross, Nov 3, 2022
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 9, 2022
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  3. 37818

    37818 Well-Known Member

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    The issue is not merely a text selection between known variants. Only one selection is the word or words God actually gave. The incorrect selection alters what God gave. So it is not simply MT or CT.
     
  4. Alan Gross

    Alan Gross Well-Known Member

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    No, that's what I was trying to say,
    with "INSPIRATION Does not always run in the same 'Set of Tracks'.

    I say, "Thou shalt not kill", LXX; "οὐ φονεύσεις", "You shall not murder" and Hebrew: לֹא תִּרְצָח ‎; lo tirṣaḥ) or You shall not kill (KJV),

    are ALL INSPIRED, as is a moral imperative included as one of the Ten Commandments in the Torah, to, "Don't Murder".
     
  5. 37818

    37818 Well-Known Member

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    You have a low view of God's word.
    You confuse the God give word with man's translation of it.
     
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  6. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    Technically, none of these translations are translated from "manuscripts," but from "texts." Translators may diverge from a Greek text due to manuscript evidence, but even then they will not be translating from the manuscript, but from the evidence in the apparatus of the Greek text.
     
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  7. Alan Gross

    Alan Gross Well-Known Member

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    I believe The Bible is inspired.

    I believe the KJV is the Bible, aside from any extreme KJVO theories.

    Yes, I believe the proper, Authoritative translations,
    by comparison, are Inspired.

    Not those with known omissions of Deity, based on known spurious copies. .
     
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  8. Piper

    Piper Active Member
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    This man knows what he is talking about.
     
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  9. Logos1560

    Logos1560 Well-Known Member
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    Believing that the KJV is "the Bible" in any different sense than other English Bible translations are would be a form of extreme KJV-only theory.

    The KJV is the word of God translated into English in the same sense (univocally) that the pre-1611 English Bibles are the word of God translated into English and in the same sense (univocally) that post-1611 English Bibles such as the NKJV are the word of God translated into English.

    The KJV is an [not the] English Bible translation in the same sense (univocally) that the pre-1611 English Bibles were English Bible translations and in the same sense that post-1611 English Bibles such as the NKJV are English Bible translations.

    The KJV was the third English translation authorized by the state Church of England, but that does not make it inspired nor make it directly authorized by God. The 1539 Great Bible was the first, and the 1568 Bishops' Bible was the second.
    The 1560 Geneva Bible was an approved and authorized English Bible translation in Scotland.
     
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  10. Alan Gross

    Alan Gross Well-Known Member

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    Why wouldn't I consider all the ones you mentioned, as Inspired?

    They were used, approved, and authorized by GOD's PEOPLE.
     
  11. Deacon

    Deacon Well-Known Member
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    …we do not deny, nay, we affirm and avow, that the very meanest translation of the Bible in English, set forth by men of our profession, (for we have seen none of their's of the whole Bible as yet) containeth the word of God, nay, is the word of God: as the King's speech which he uttered in Parliament, being translated into French, Dutch, Italian, and Latin, is still the King's speech, though it be not interpreted by every translator with the like grace, nor peradventure so fitly for phrase, nor so expressly for sense, everywhere. For it is confessed, that things are to take their denomination of the greater part; and a natural man could say, Verum ubi multa nitent in carmine, non ego paucis offendar maculis, etc. A man may be counted a virtuous man, though he have made many slips in his life, (else there were none virtuous, for in many things we offend all,) also a comely man and lovely, though he have some warts upon his hand; yea, not only freckles upon his face, but also scars. No cause therefore why the word translated should be denied to be the word, or forbidden to be current, notwithstanding that some imperfections and blemishes may be noted in the setting forth of it. For what ever was perfect under the sun, where Apostles or apostolick men, that is, men endued with an extraordinary measure of God's Spirit, and privileged with the privilege of infallibility, had not their hand? The Romanists therefore in refusing to hear, and daring to burn the word translated, did no less than despite the Spirit of grace, from whom originally it proceeded, and whose sense and meaning, as well as man's weakness would enable, it did express.
    KJV Preface


    "If therefore the verses are not always so smooth and elegant as some may desire or expect; let them consider that God’s Altar needs not our polishing: Ex. 20. for we have respected a plain translation than to smooth our verses with the sweetness of any paraphrase, and so have attended Conscience rather then Elegance, fidelity rather then poetry, in translating the Hebrew words into English language, and David’s poetry into English meter…" [1640 Bay Psalm Preface, page 13]

     
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  12. Logos1560

    Logos1560 Well-Known Member
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    Those English Bible translations (the Great Bible, the Geneva Bible, the Bishops' Bible, and the KJV) have some significant textual differences and have many differences in translation so how can they all be inspired?
     
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  13. Klein Reveche

    Klein Reveche New Member

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    I prefer the TR/MT than CT, I believe that God preserved His word and passed through generations, not hidden and missing for hundreds of years. This is why I don't like the scholar's preference to older and few than newer and the majority especially in omission of verses. If God didn't want a verse to be in His Word, it would have not appeared there. There is a reason why the so called 'Gospel of Thomas' just recently appeared more than 50 years ago.

    I like the NKJV due to its TR base and it has footnotes where it differs. I still use CT-based Bibles but not in my study or Devo time.
     
  14. Conan

    Conan Well-Known Member

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    So what do you do when the TR and CT agree against the Majority Text? What do you prefer then?
     
  15. Piper

    Piper Active Member
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    No doctrines are affected. NONE!
     
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  16. 37818

    37818 Well-Known Member

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    The two issues are what God breathed to give what He actually said, and how it is translated.

    The reader's are not inerrant.
    No translations are inerrant.
    God's word is inerrant and immutable.
     
  17. 37818

    37818 Well-Known Member

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    Not true.
    Maybe not in any matters of salvation.
    Teachings that are being taught are affected.
    John 1:18, saying Son or God is a difference in teaching. And there are more. Only one of a teaching is what God had breathed. [As if it is not important!]
     
    #17 37818, Dec 16, 2022
    Last edited: Dec 16, 2022
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