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April 13, 2005 - Taken from A Our English Bible@ - Carl Sadler

Lesson #14 -- Outlined and Adapted by Pastor Ronnie Wolfe

Two reports are required for this lesson:
Click on the report name on left of this screen
You may write the report in the message box on that page.

1.  Do a brief report on the Geneva Bible
From Internet or Books

2.  Do a brief report on the Wycliffe Bible
From Internet or Books

1. THE NEED FOR A BIBLE IN OUR LANGUAGE
   1. To Be Understandable -- 1 Corinthians 14:19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that [by my voice] I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an [unknown] tongue.
   2. To Be Knowledgeable B Acts 17:10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
   3. The Bible was inspired and preserved by God in order that it might be a tool for us. How can it be an effective tool unless we can read it in our own language.
   4. The Bible is for the entire world. Therefore, it must be read in all languages of the world.
   5. Having the Bible in our own language gives freedom to us for its use.
   6. Those who say they do not understand the Bible should realize that the problem is not with the Bible but with themselves.
   7. Many things are hard to be understood in the Bible, but most of the Bible is simple and plain.
   8. Through the word of God we know God= s will; therefore, we become responsible toward God through reading it. But even if you cannot read the Bible, you are still responsible before God for its laws and precepts. Remember the speed limit!
   9. The Bible is the only supreme and infallible standard to regulate and judge the conduct of human beings.

2. THE RIGHTEOUSNESS IN THE BIBLE
   1. Wherever the Bible has been read, studied and obeyed, whether in its incomplete of complete form, righteousness has followed.
   2. Whenever the Bible has not been read, studied and obeyed, unrighteousness rules and sin abounds. See Romans 1:21-32.

1. THE LITERATURE OF THE BIBLE
   1. The literature of the Bible has been acclaimed to be the best literature ever written.
   2. This is a good argument for keeping Bible reading in the public schools.
   3. AThe Bible far excels other literature. Its moral purity, grandeur of design, the loftiness of its matter and the sublimity of thought far excels the myths, fables, legends idolatries, and philosophies and crude speculations found in the writings of the ancient heathen or the modern classics.@ (Carl Sadler, Our English Bible, Page 48).
   4. The Languages of the Bible
      1. The Old Testament B Hebrew
         1. Hebrew is a beautifully poetic language. It is difficult to detect the difference between the prose and poetry. The Hebrew= s lyrical and didactic construction makes it easier to remember than other styles.
         2. Hebrew is uniform. Little change was made in the Hebrew language from about 1500 years before Christ and its last writings about 400 BC.
         3. Hebrew is concrete. Hebrew is concrete as opposed to abstract. As a result, they use material language for that which is not material. They use the physical eye to express watchfulness and care (Psalm 33:18). They use the heart for thoughtfulness (Psalm 10:6). They use the sword to express action (Psalm 78:62). They use the expression A broken teeth@ for defeated malice (Psalm 3:7). Hebrew also uses personifications, or expressions of human qualities to speak of objects that are not human (Isaiah 59:1; Gen. 6:6).
         4. Hebrew makes little difference between animate and inanimate things. There is no neuter gender. Notice A the little hills rejoice@ (Psalm 65:12), also Isaiah 55:12.
         5. Hebrew has a simplicity of style that allowed God to reveal Himself to his people gradually throughout the Old Testament until Jesus Christ came, who was A full of grace and truth@ and was the true revelation of God to man.
         6. This simplicity made translation easier to retain the beauty of the original language. Translation into English was natural, say the translators. The English Bible is a classic and should be studied along with Shakespeare and other classic literature. Wherever the Bible has been translated into other languages, it becomes a classic.
      2. The Old Testament B Aramaic
         1. After the Jews returned from the Babylonian captivity, Aramaic was the language of the average Jew. It was used by the Jews in the days of our Lord. The Koine (Common) Greek language was used by most of the world in Jesus= day, but many Jews refused to be brought into subjection to the Greek and Roman culture.
         2. The Hebrew and Aramaic languages were used to write the entire Old Testament.
      1. The New Testament B Greek
         1. Greek was the conversational vernacular (language of the common man) in the Roman world.
         2. Jesus Christ spoke in Aramaic. He also used the Koine Greek language.
         3. Because both languages were used, this idea helps us to understand some of the variations in the narratives of the first four books of the New Testament.
         4. The epistles
            1. A literary style of writing is that of A epistle@ or letter writing. At least twenty-one of the New Testament books are letters (or epistles).
            2. Letters express a close relationship between the writer and the reader. Even in groups, a letter seems to be more personal than just a thesis.
            3. New Testament letters deal with specific truth, not abstract truth.
            4. The A closer@ fellowship shown in letter writing is suitable for the Lord= s new spiritual economy in the New Testament: that of the local church.
            5. Letters of the New Testament are written mainly to believers, showing them how to live a more righteous and rewarding life.
            6. Letters instruct believers in their (1) personal living before God, (2) ethical living before men, and (3) their doctrinal beliefs in God. We need the same instruction today.
            7. Here is what we are to do with the Bible: 2 Timothy 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

1. THE TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE FROM THEN UNTIL NOW
   1. The Copies
      1. First, copies were made rather than translations of the Bible, which was a very slow process.
      2. The older MSS (manuscripts) of the Scripture were the UNCIALS. There were no punctuation marks and no spaces between words. There were no chapter or verse divisions.
      3. The later MSS were called CURSIVES because of the running hand style of writing.
      4. Some of the extant manuscripts date back to 300 AD. None of the original MSS exist.
   1. The Versions
      1. These are ancient translations of the Bible.
      2. The Bible has been translated into Greek, Syric, Egyptian, Ethiopic, Latin, etc.
   1. English Versions
      1. English translations of the scripture were done in part as early as the 8^th (700's) AD.
      2. English translations were hindered by the invasion by the Danish and Normans. Also the Roman Catholic Church from Normandy was put in control of religion, and they had no desire to see the common person have the scriptures available to him.
      3. John Wycliffe:
         1. The first attempt at an English translation after these trying years was made by a man named John Wycliffe in the 14^th century (1300's). He did a complete version of the Bible in England.
         2. In 1229 AD the Roman Catholic Church made the reading of the Bible by the A laity@ unlawful.
         3. Wycliffe fought against the established church for years. In 1378 AD his teachings were condemned by the Roman Church, he was ex-communicated by the church, allowed to return home, and then he completed his translation into English.
         4. He died in 1384 AD, and 40 years later by the decree of the Council of Constance, his bones were dug up and burned, and his ashes were scattered in the river.
      1. The Printing Press
         1. In 1450 the printing press was invented by Johanne Guttenburg, and in 1454 A moveable type@ was invented or at least discovered by English-speaking people.
         2. This opened the way for the printing of the Bible rather than simply copying it.
      1. Erasmus= Greek Text
         1. Erasmus produced a Greek New Testament in 1516 which revealed the Latin Vulgate was a second-hand and corrupt document.
         2. This text was corrected several times and reprinted.
      1. William Tyndale
         1. Tyndale was in an argument at Cambridge University concerning the power of the Pope.
         2. He states, A I defy the Pope, and all his laws; and if God spares me, I will one day make the boy that drives the plough in England know more of the Scriptures than the Pope does.@
         3. In 1524 Tyndale left England, went to Worms, and completed the translation of the Bible into English from Erasmus= text.
         4. The bishops of England tried to stop his work. One approached the merchant who had Tyndale=s Bibles with the intent of purchasing all of the Bibles so they could not be distributed. The merchant was a friend of Tyndale, took the money for most but not all the Bibles, and gave the proceeds to William Tyndale to produce more Bibles.
         5. Tyndale was betrayed, imprisoned and burned at the stake in 1536 AD, crying A Lord, open the King of England= s eyes.@
      1. Coverdale B This Bible was finished in 1535 AD
      2. Matthews Bible B Printed in 1537 AD
      3. Taverner= s Bible B Available in 1539 AD.
      4. The Great Bible B Ready in 1539 AD B A The Chain Bible@ chained to every pulpit in England, mainly so that it would not be stolen. It was very expensive to produce.
      5. The Geneva Bible B Prepared in 1560 AD. It was Shakespeare= s Bible. It came to America by way of one of the Pilgrims.
      6. The Bishop= s Bible B Translated in 1568 AD.
      7. The Douay Version Catholic Bible B Translated into English because of the popularity of the other English Bibles. It was translated from the Latin Vulgate.
      8. King James Bible B Translation began in 1604, finished in 1611.
      9. American Standard Version B Translated from inferior manuscripts (1881), then named New American Standard Version (1901).
      10. Revised Standard Version B Completed in 1946. Done by National Council of Churches in United States. This translation was by way of Dynamic Equivalence method.
      11. Today= s English Version (Good News For Modern Man), translated by American Bible Society.
      12. New International Version B Produced by the International Bible Society beginning in 1965 and copyrighted in 1973.

      Don't forget to do the two reports required for this lesson.

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