Subtitle: Yes, this is both true and clickbait at the same time.

Excerpt: Yes, this is both true and clickbait at the same time.

Author: Jeff Hilles

A reader asked a simple question….

“Do you think God was also writing through all the many scribes who made copies of the books/Bible? And do you think God was directly involved in making sure all the translations into other languages were correct?”

My answer…

I believe that the original autographs were divinely inspired (written by God and penned by man). I believe there is evidence that the scribes made errors (even given their process for copying the originals… details here) and I certainly believe there are errors in the translations on many levels.

However, to your likely next point, I believe that what we hold today (from all the remnants from the Dead Sea Scrolls, etc) is 99% of the original autographs (details here). Not only is there human-based evidence of their accuracy, but there is also an omnipotent God in the mix making sure His words are to be taught down through the ages (details here).

Finally, as to translations, there are not only errors from the translators, some intentional (ex. the New World Bible of the Jehovah’s Witnesses’), and some not, but there are also different objectives for each translation, ranging from literal word-for-word translations (ex. New American Standard Bible) to paraphrased concept-for-concept Bible translations (ex. Good News Bible).

A list of translations and their underlying goals can be found here.

Conclusion

The Bible is an instruction manual for life on Earth and the key to eternal life in Heaven. It is the only dependable source for determining God’s will for our lives. Our feelings, the counsel of our Christian friends, and the doors that appear to open and close in our lives, all depend on a reconciliation with Scripture.

Clearly, the Bible is a complex document from an omniscient God trying to offer guidance to sin-cursed and limited races of people. There is much in His word that can be taken out of context, twisted, and, frankly, misunderstood. In these cases, it is not God who is at fault, but man not accurately viewing His love letter to us due to our limitations. However, the deeper we study and understand the core doctrines of a loving Father, the closer we will be to discerning His perfect will for our lives.

This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. – 1 Timothy 2:3-4