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Hurricane Utah

Adult Religion Class


I believe the Bible as it read when
it came from the pen of the
original writers. Ignorant
translators, careless transcribers,
or designing and corrupt priests have
committed many errors.
Joseph Smith, October 1843
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Who wrote the New Testament?
Why these 27 books?
How was the text transmitted? What
kinds of errors and changes?
Why do Latter-day Saints still use the
King James Bible?
Are any other Bible translations good or
useful?
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Koine Greek.
Oral tradition.
First Gospel accounts
written 2040 years
after Jesus.
Gospels and letters read
aloud in the churches
(Colossians 4:1516).
Copied by amateurs.
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Papyrus 46, c. A.D. 200
2 Corinthians 11:3312:9
Books that are authoritative and
accepted.
Canon = (kanon) =
measuring rod (cf. standard works).
Non-canonical Gospels and letters.
Current canon (27 NT books) finalized
between A.D. 367 and 383.
Widely used/accepted; written by a
known apostle; no heretical teachings.
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Authorship certain:
Most of Pauls epistles.
Anonymous books:
The Gospels.
The Epistle to the Hebrews.
Epistles of John.
Pseudonymous books:
Some of Pauls epistles.
Epistles of Peter.
Is he the same guy?
The Epistle of James.
The Revelation of John.

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Papyrus 75, c. A.D. 200
Luke 11:113
John 17:15 (majority of mss.):
I do not ask that you
keep them from the world, but that you
keep them from the evil one.
John 17:5 (Codex Vaticanus):
I do not ask that you
keep them from the evil one.
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Revelation 1:5b (later mss.):
Unto him that loved us, and washed us
from our sins in his own blood.
Revelation 1:5b (earlier mss.):
Unto him that loved us, and freed us
from our sins by his blood.
An error in hearing?
released = (lusanti )
washed = (lousanti )
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Luke 11:24 (KJV):
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Our Father which art in
heaven, Hallowed be thy
name. Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done, as in
heaven, so in earth.
3
Give us day by day our daily
bread.
4
And forgive us our sins; for
we also forgive every one
that is indebted to us. And
lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
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Luke 11:24 (KJV):
2
Our Father which art in
heaven, Hallowed be thy
name. Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done, as in
heaven, so in earth.
3
Give us day by day our daily
bread.
4
And forgive us our sins; for
we also forgive every one
that is indebted to us. And
lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
Luke 11:24 (early mss.):
2
Father, Hallowed be thy
name. Thy kingdom come.
3
Give us day by day our daily
bread.
4
And forgive us our sins; for
we also forgive every one
that is indebted to us. And
lead us not into temptation.

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Luke 2:33 (earlier mss.):
And the childs father and mother were
amazed at what was being said about him.
Luke 2:33 (later mss.):
And Joseph and his mother were amazed at
what was being said about him.
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The differences among the
manuscripts [of the Gospels] have
become great, either through the
negligence of some copyists or through
the perverse audacity of others; they
either neglect to check over what they
have transcribed, or, in the process of checking,
they make additions or deletions as they
please. Origen, c. A.D. 246248
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About 5,800 Greek New
Testament manuscripts
known today.
Fragments, partial
copies, full volumes.
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Papyrus 52
Earliest known NT manuscript (c. A.D. 125)
3" H 2" W
Fragment of John 18:3133 (front)
& John 18:3738 (back)
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Codex Sinaiticus
Earliest known complete NT (c. A.D. 330360)
Written on parchment (binding not original)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Papyri Majuscules
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0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1,000
Papyri Majuscules Minuscules
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Scholars differ significantly in their
estimatessome say there are 200,000
variants known, some say 300,000, some
say 400,000 or more! We do not know for
sure because, despite impressive
developments in computer technology, no
one has yet been able to count them all. Perhapsit
is best simply to leave the matter in comparative
terms. There are more variations among our
manuscripts than there are words in the New
Testament. Bart Ehrman
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Syriac
(Mesopotamia).
Coptic (Egypt).
Latin (Rome).
Early Latin versions
(2nd4th centuries).
The Vulgate
(A.D. 382).

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Portion of a vellum leaf from
a Latin Vulgate manuscript,
Germany, 9th century.
Johannes Gutenberg
(c. 13981468)
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Desiderius Erasmus
(14661536).
Greek New Testament
published 1516.
Textus Receptus (TR)
= received text.
Basis for all printed
Bibles until 1881.
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Our latitude and longitude can
be determined in the original
Hebrew with far greater accuracy
than in the English version [of the
Bible]. There is a grand distinction
between the actual meaning of the
prophets and the present [English]
translation. Joseph Smith, 1843
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Authorized by the
Church of England.
Based on earlier
English Bibles.
Published A.D. 1611
(current version
revised in 1769).
Greatest English
literary achievement.
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Epistle Dedicatory from
a 1612/13 King James Bible
KJV 2 Corinthians 6:1113:
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O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our
heart is enlarged.
12
Ye are not straitened in us, but
ye are straitened in your own bowels.
13
Now for a
recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my
children,) be ye also enlarged.
NRSV 2 Corinthians 6:1113:
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We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; our
heart is wide open to you.
12
There is no restriction in
our affections, but only in yours.
13
In returnI speak
as to childrenopen wide your hearts also.
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In 1611
this word meant:
Closet Private room
(Matt. 6:6; Luke 12:3)
Conversation Conduct, behavior
(1 Tim. 4:12; Heb. 13:5; +13 more)
Conversation Citizenship
(Acts 23:1; Philip. 1:27; 3:20)
Careful Anxious
(Luke 10:41; Philip. 4:6; +6 more)
Lewdness Villainy, evil
(Acts 17:5; 18:14)
Prevent Precede, come first
(Matt. 17:25; 1 Thess. 4:15)
Let Hinder, restrain
(2 Thess. 2:7)
By and by Immediately
(Matt. 13:21; Mark 6:25;
Luke 17:7; 21:9)
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KJV Matthew 23:24:
Ye blind guides, which strain
at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
NRSV Matthew 23:24:
You blind guides! You strain
out a gnat but swallow a
camel!
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KJV is the Churchs official Bible.
It is not superior in translation,
readability, source documents.
Sufficient for devotional use, but not for
in-depth Bible study.
It shares a family relationship with
other LDS scriptures.
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[If the Bible] be translated incorrectly,
and there is a scholar on the earth who
professes to be a Christian, and he can
translate it any better than King Jamess
translators did it, he is under obligation
to do so. I think it is translated just as
correctly as the scholars could get it, although
it is not correct in a great many instances.
Brigham Young, 1871
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What is the JST?
How did Joseph make his translation?
Is the JST a restoration of an
original text, or something else?
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Restorations of lost material.
Events or doctrines not recorded
anciently, or not included in collection.
Corrections errors in originals.
Inspired commentary by Joseph Smith.
Make Bible more clear and
understandable for modern readers.
Harmonization and fixing
contradictions.
[Five hundred years ago] scriptural
ignorance abounded because people
lacked access to the Bible, especially
in a language they could understand.
Today the Bible and other scripture
are readily at hand, yet there is a growing
scriptural illiteracy because people will not
open the books.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson, April 2010
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We revere the Bible, in spite of its flaws.
NT contains the central message of the
gospel: Jesus lived, and died, and
lives again.
We are not scriptural inerrantists.
Our doctrine is based on revelation to
living prophets.

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Faith will not come from the study of
ancient texts as a purely academic
pursuit. It will not come from
archaeological digs and discoveries. It
will not come from scientific
experiments. It will not even come from
witnessing miracles. These things may serve to
confirm faith, or at times to challenge it, but
they do not create faith. Faith comes by the
witness of the Holy Spirit to our souls, Spirit to
spirit, as we hear or read the word of God. And
faith matures as we continue to feast upon the
word.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson, April 2010
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