Myths About the Bible
Dispelling Common Misconceptions About the Bible
by Rob Armstrong
“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” - 2 Peter 1:16 (ESV)
The Problem With Myths
False Assumptions Repeated
A few years ago, I was having a conversation with a friend about the Bible. When I made reference to a particular passage, he responded by saying “Well there are so many different versions of the Bible, there’s really no way of knowing what it is really means”. I could see that my friend was not trying to be argumentative, but that he sincerely believed in the validity of what he was saying. But I wondered if he had ever really read or studied the Bible for himself or if he was just repeating something that he had heard from someone else.
The Bible is by far the best-selling book ever written. It is also probably the most despised and maligned book in history. Because many misconceptions about the Bible have been propagated and repeated over and over, many people assume that they must be true. Therefore, these misconceptions often remain unchallenged and uncorrected. As Dr. R.C. Sproul says, “Myths are passed off as truisms through much repetition”. Below we will examine two of the common myths and misconceptions that people have about the Bible. As we consider each myth, we will briefly examine its premise and conclusion. Note: It is important to keep in mind that most myths contain at least some truth (usually in their premise) which is what makes them believable in the first place.
Myth #1
Too Many Translations
"There are so many different versions of the Bible, there is no way of knowing what the Bible really means."
Premise: There are many different versions (i.e., translations) of the Bible.
Conclusion: There is no way of knowing what the Bible really means.
The premise of myth #1 is certainly true. Stop by your local bookstore or search the internet and you will discover that there are dozens of Bible translations in the English language alone. The problem with myth #1 is its conclusion, which implies that having a lot of translations of the Bible is somehow a deterrent or hindrance to understanding its message. The reality is, that the very opposite is true. I know from personal experience that when it comes to understanding the meaning of the Bible, generally the more English translations I have in front of me, the clearer the meaning of the original text becomes.
Several years ago, I conducted briefings and training classes in foreign countries on behalf of the U.S. State Department. Most of the officials attending these meetings did not speak English (my native language), nor did I speak theirs. As a result, professional translators were brought in. I soon discovered, that in many cases, these translators had more extensive personal vocabularies than I did, not only in their native language, but in English as well! As a result they could do a much better job saying what I wanted to say than I could, even if I had been able to speak both languages myself. Because of this, I quickly learned that it was a good idea to give the translators my teaching notes ahead of time. That way they could get a head start toward an understanding of what I wanted to pass on. In turn, they were able to communicate to the audience more accurately and effectively. On one occasion, when I was speaking in Romania, there were two translators assigned. I discovered that this was an even greater advantage, because the two translators worked together as a team assisting one another by confirming or clarifying each others statements, as well as mine. The result was a much greater comprehension on behalf of the audience.
The Bible was written primarily in Hebrew and Greek, so it was (and is) necessary to translate it into the native language of the readers. For most of you reading this article, that language is English. As I have suggested above, typically the more translations of the Bible you have available, the greater your potential for understanding the Bible's correct meaning. For this reason, I will offer my response to myth #1 as follows:
Myth #1 Corrected: "There are so many different versions (translations) of the Bible available today, that it is easier than ever to understand what the Bible really says and means!"
The Truth About Bible Translations
Reliability & Accuracy
One other factor to consider along this line, is that when a publisher decides to make a new translation of the Bible (for the purpose of making it easier to understand, etc.), the process is painstakingly carried out so that the translation is accurate and true to the original meaning of the text. Every effort is made to ensure that the new translation is in harmony with what the original authors intended to communicate. In order to avoid personal or theological bias, publishers typically put together teams of linguistics experts from various denominational backgrounds. These teams consist of a number of Hebrew and Greek scholars and language specialists who work together over a period of several months or years, using numerous reliable biblical manuscripts. The project is completed only when there is a consensus among the team members and the publisher that their final translation is grammatically and historically accurate. The benefit for all of us is that regardless of what translation we read, it will most likely accurately convey the author's original intended meaning. Not to mention the fact that we always have the option to compare a given passage in more than one translation in order to clarify the intended meaning.
Modern Translations
Accurate & Easier to Read
Although the majority of the translations of the Bible are accurate and reliable, generally speaking the more recent translations are easier to read and understand because of their use of modern language. Below are some of the more recent translations that I recommend.
The New Living Translation (NLT)
The English Standard Version (ESV)
The New International Version (NIV)
Note: The New American Standard Bible (NASB) is considered one of the most accurate word-for-word translations ever made, but it tends to be more difficult to read than the three translations above. For these reasons, the NASB is highly recommended as a second translation to be used along side of your primary (or preferred) translation or to be consulted for clarification, etc.
Continue to Myth #2
If you have any questions or comments about this article, please feel free to contact us
Dispelling Common Misconceptions About the Bible
by Rob Armstrong
“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” - 2 Peter 1:16 (ESV)
The Problem With Myths
False Assumptions Repeated
A few years ago, I was having a conversation with a friend about the Bible. When I made reference to a particular passage, he responded by saying “Well there are so many different versions of the Bible, there’s really no way of knowing what it is really means”. I could see that my friend was not trying to be argumentative, but that he sincerely believed in the validity of what he was saying. But I wondered if he had ever really read or studied the Bible for himself or if he was just repeating something that he had heard from someone else.
The Bible is by far the best-selling book ever written. It is also probably the most despised and maligned book in history. Because many misconceptions about the Bible have been propagated and repeated over and over, many people assume that they must be true. Therefore, these misconceptions often remain unchallenged and uncorrected. As Dr. R.C. Sproul says, “Myths are passed off as truisms through much repetition”. Below we will examine two of the common myths and misconceptions that people have about the Bible. As we consider each myth, we will briefly examine its premise and conclusion. Note: It is important to keep in mind that most myths contain at least some truth (usually in their premise) which is what makes them believable in the first place.
Myth #1
Too Many Translations
"There are so many different versions of the Bible, there is no way of knowing what the Bible really means."
Premise: There are many different versions (i.e., translations) of the Bible.
Conclusion: There is no way of knowing what the Bible really means.
The premise of myth #1 is certainly true. Stop by your local bookstore or search the internet and you will discover that there are dozens of Bible translations in the English language alone. The problem with myth #1 is its conclusion, which implies that having a lot of translations of the Bible is somehow a deterrent or hindrance to understanding its message. The reality is, that the very opposite is true. I know from personal experience that when it comes to understanding the meaning of the Bible, generally the more English translations I have in front of me, the clearer the meaning of the original text becomes.
Several years ago, I conducted briefings and training classes in foreign countries on behalf of the U.S. State Department. Most of the officials attending these meetings did not speak English (my native language), nor did I speak theirs. As a result, professional translators were brought in. I soon discovered, that in many cases, these translators had more extensive personal vocabularies than I did, not only in their native language, but in English as well! As a result they could do a much better job saying what I wanted to say than I could, even if I had been able to speak both languages myself. Because of this, I quickly learned that it was a good idea to give the translators my teaching notes ahead of time. That way they could get a head start toward an understanding of what I wanted to pass on. In turn, they were able to communicate to the audience more accurately and effectively. On one occasion, when I was speaking in Romania, there were two translators assigned. I discovered that this was an even greater advantage, because the two translators worked together as a team assisting one another by confirming or clarifying each others statements, as well as mine. The result was a much greater comprehension on behalf of the audience.
The Bible was written primarily in Hebrew and Greek, so it was (and is) necessary to translate it into the native language of the readers. For most of you reading this article, that language is English. As I have suggested above, typically the more translations of the Bible you have available, the greater your potential for understanding the Bible's correct meaning. For this reason, I will offer my response to myth #1 as follows:
Myth #1 Corrected: "There are so many different versions (translations) of the Bible available today, that it is easier than ever to understand what the Bible really says and means!"
The Truth About Bible Translations
Reliability & Accuracy
One other factor to consider along this line, is that when a publisher decides to make a new translation of the Bible (for the purpose of making it easier to understand, etc.), the process is painstakingly carried out so that the translation is accurate and true to the original meaning of the text. Every effort is made to ensure that the new translation is in harmony with what the original authors intended to communicate. In order to avoid personal or theological bias, publishers typically put together teams of linguistics experts from various denominational backgrounds. These teams consist of a number of Hebrew and Greek scholars and language specialists who work together over a period of several months or years, using numerous reliable biblical manuscripts. The project is completed only when there is a consensus among the team members and the publisher that their final translation is grammatically and historically accurate. The benefit for all of us is that regardless of what translation we read, it will most likely accurately convey the author's original intended meaning. Not to mention the fact that we always have the option to compare a given passage in more than one translation in order to clarify the intended meaning.
Modern Translations
Accurate & Easier to Read
Although the majority of the translations of the Bible are accurate and reliable, generally speaking the more recent translations are easier to read and understand because of their use of modern language. Below are some of the more recent translations that I recommend.
The New Living Translation (NLT)
The English Standard Version (ESV)
The New International Version (NIV)
Note: The New American Standard Bible (NASB) is considered one of the most accurate word-for-word translations ever made, but it tends to be more difficult to read than the three translations above. For these reasons, the NASB is highly recommended as a second translation to be used along side of your primary (or preferred) translation or to be consulted for clarification, etc.
Continue to Myth #2
If you have any questions or comments about this article, please feel free to contact us