How We Got The Holy Bible

Written by Stephen Kingery


Continued from page 1

The manuscripts fromrepparttar Dead Sea Scrolls, along withrepparttar 140691 Septuagint andrepparttar 140692 Targums allowed scholars to examinerepparttar 140693 Old Testament text. These examinations show that we have an Old Testament text free from error. This is due torepparttar 140694 obvious love thatrepparttar 140695 Jews had forrepparttar 140696 scriptures andrepparttar 140697 careful attention they gave to making transcripts ofrepparttar 140698 various texts.

The Old Testament text was written over a period of more than 1400 years. However,repparttar 140699 New Testament text was written approximately between 50 - 100 A.D., a span of about fifty years. At firstrepparttar 140700 written text ofrepparttar 140701 New Testament was inrepparttar 140702 form of letters (epistles) from some ofrepparttar 140703 Apostles and early church leaders torepparttar 140704 various churches given for instruction. As time passed, these letters were circulated around to other churches and were considered authoritative instruction. During this period of time those who new Christ and could witness to His work shared their experiences withrepparttar 140705 churches by word of mouth. Asrepparttar 140706 number of churches grew andrepparttar 140707 need for these churches to be instructed inrepparttar 140708 events of Christ's life grew, what we know asrepparttar 140709 four gospels came into being. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John put in writingrepparttar 140710 events ofrepparttar 140711 life and ministry of Jesus so that allrepparttar 140712 churches could learn from their witness.

The book of Acts,repparttar 140713 historical account ofrepparttar 140714 early church and how it grew, was a natural outgrowth of this process. And finally,repparttar 140715 book of Revelation was given to encouragerepparttar 140716 Christian to keeprepparttar 140717 faith tillrepparttar 140718 end and welcome a victorious Christ.

The Old Testament was written in Hebrew andrepparttar 140719 New Testament was written in Greek. We also haverepparttar 140720 Old Testament text paraphrased in Aramaic (Targums).

Even though we do not haverepparttar 140721 original manuscripts ofrepparttar 140722 Bible in existence today, much care has been taken to preserverepparttar 140723 Word of God by His people. We said earlier thatrepparttar 140724 painstaking transcription ofrepparttar 140725 Old Testament was evident inrepparttar 140726 comparison ofrepparttar 140727 existing Old Testament texts with those found inrepparttar 140728 Dead Sea Scrolls. We also know thatrepparttar 140729 New Testament text is accurate becauserepparttar 140730 early church fathers wrote extensively and quoted from scripture often. It has been said that perhaps allrepparttar 140731 New Testament could be reconstructed just usingrepparttar 140732 quotes fromrepparttar 140733 early church fathers in their many secular writings. Asrepparttar 140734 centuries have passed sincerepparttar 140735 church was established several translations ofrepparttar 140736 Bible have been made. Much care and scholarly attention has been given to these translations to insure textual accuracy.

The oldest translation ofrepparttar 140737 complete Bible text (Old and New Testaments) dates to about 150 A.D. It is known asrepparttar 140738 Old Latin version. Jerome revisedrepparttar 140739 Old Latin version around 382 and this revision became known asrepparttar 140740 Latin Vulgate.

John Wycliffe wasrepparttar 140741 first to translaterepparttar 140742 Bible into English. His translation was made fromrepparttar 140743 Latin version in 1382. The first person to publish an edition ofrepparttar 140744 Greek text was Erasmus in 1516. William Tyndale wasrepparttar 140745 first to publish an English translation based uponrepparttar 140746 Greek text. Tyndale's translation was made inrepparttar 140747 1530's.

The King James Version or Authorized Version was made in 1611. The English Revised version appeared in 1885. The more modern translations all came into existence inrepparttar 140748 1900's: American Standard Version - 1901, Revised Standard Version - 1932, andrepparttar 140749 New International Version - 1978.

The Word of God has withstoodrepparttar 140750 test of time. Moses set forth, by God's direction, to writerepparttar 140751 first Bible text almost 3500 years ago. Yet today we haverepparttar 140752 words Moses as well as all those who followed in one glorious book we affectionately callrepparttar 140753 Holy Bible. It is a book that is loved and revered by millions of people all overrepparttar 140754 world. It is a book that has been bombarded throughrepparttar 140755 ages by unbelievers in attempts to discredit it. But it is a book that has been preserved by God, for His people. As Timothy writes, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, thatrepparttar 140756 man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16,17)

All scriptures quoted are fromrepparttar 140757 New King James Version unless otherwise noted.



Stephen Kingery is an author, preacher, teacher and founder of The Home Bible Study Institute.

Visit our site at http://www.james1-22.org

Permission to use is granted if attributed to author and his website.


Holiness

Written by Stephen Kingery


Continued from page 1

"Therefore gird uprepparttar loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully uponrepparttar 140690 grace that is to be brought to you atrepparttar 140691 revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves torepparttar 140692 former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.'" (1 Peter 1:13-16) I really don't think we have a choice to be or not to be holy if we are to be a Christian. The very essence of being a Christian is to be holy. To say that we are one without beingrepparttar 140693 other is a contradiction of terms. As indeed God as said, "Be holy, for I am holy."

Not thatrepparttar 140694 above Scriptures are not sufficient to make our point, but considerrepparttar 140695 following: "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaimrepparttar 140696 praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are nowrepparttar 140697 people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy." (1 Peter 2:9,10) It is our calling to be holy!

What does holiness cause us to do? Or, in other words, if we are indeed holy, what are some ofrepparttar 140698 attitudes and actions which we and others can and will see in our daily Christian walk? There are many!

We will show respect to our parents and others whom we may call our elders. Truly,repparttar 140699 Elders of our congregations must have our respect asrepparttar 140700 overseers ofrepparttar 140701 body of Christ. We will show respect to those in authority over us:repparttar 140702 officers ofrepparttar 140703 law, agencies in government, our supervisors at work, our parents and so forth. Even when we do not necessarily agree withrepparttar 140704 decisions being made, we will respect those who are in authority.

We will show respect, reverence and a worshipful attitude toward God. We will be faithful torepparttar 140705 worship services, faithful in our tithes and offerings, faithful in prayer and Bible study. We will literally put God first in our lives.

We will rememberrepparttar 140706 needs of others, haverepparttar 140707 right attitude towardrepparttar 140708 property of others, haverepparttar 140709 right attitude towardrepparttar 140710 less fortunate, and forgive and love our neighbors.

In short, we will haverepparttar 140711 attributes of thoughtfulness, generosity, honesty, trustworthiness, compassion, justice, truthfulness, mercy, love, reverence and moral purity. The non-Christian may have some (or even all) of these qualities, but he is not holy. We are only holy if we are set apart forrepparttar 140712 service of and glory to God.

Godrepparttar 140713 Father chose us for holiness (Ephesians 1:4), Godrepparttar 140714 Son died that we might be holy (Titus 2:14) and Godrepparttar 140715 Holy Spirit was sent to make us holy (2 Thessalonians 2:13).

Let us not be self-righteous or self-holy (for it is not we ourselves that make us so, or are even able to make us so). But let us be righteous and holy withrepparttar 140716 help ofrepparttar 140717 Holy Spirit in our lives. Let us be set apart forrepparttar 140718 service of God andrepparttar 140719 kingdom.

All Scriptures quoted are fromrepparttar 140720 New King James Version unless otherwise noted.



Stephen Kingery is an author, preacher, teacher and founder of The Home Bible Study Institute.

Visit our site at http://www.james1-22.org

Permission to use is granted if attributed to author and his website.


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