2. Why Does Translation Matter? “In [the] beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.” John 1:1 (NWT)

3. WINTONBURY STATEMENT OF FAITH The Word of God: We believe that the whole Bible is the Word of God, verbally inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.

5. How We Got Our Bible 1.Inspiration – God breathing into human authors; original autographs 2.Transmission – Human authors copying older manuscripts 3.Translation – Transferring message of one language into another

6. GodHuman Author Original Autograph

7. GodHuman Author Original Autograph Copies Critical Text

8. GodHuman Author Original Autograph Copies Critical Text Translator (Cmte) English Translation Me

9. King James I 1611 Sought to satisfy factions Goal to make available to ordinary folk Severely attacked

11. “KJV Only” Common Beliefs No errors or problems of translation in KJV Any changes of words of the KJV constitutes changing God's word The KJV translators were divinely guided All other translations are inspired by Satan All translators and readers of new versions have ulterior motives

12. “KJV Only” Textus Receptus Erasmus’ Greek text published in mid- 1500s Based on 12 th century manuscripts Hundreds of scribal errors included – (but none doctrinally important) KJV revised several times between 1611 and 1769

14. Dead Sea Scrolls 1947 Bedouin Discoverers

15. Qumran Cave 4

17. Dead Sea Scrolls 1947 Professor Eleazar Sukenik, Hebrew University

18. Dead Sea Scrolls “My hands shook as I started to unwrap one of them. I read a few sentences. It was written in beautiful biblical Hebrew…I looked and looked, and I suddenly had the feeling that I was privileged by destiny to gaze upon a Hebrew scroll which had not been read for more than 2,000 years." Professor Eleazar Sukenik, Hebrew University

19. Dead Sea Scrolls: Why Important? Every book of the OT except Esther Date between 200 BC and 100 AD Previous oldest OT was Masoretic Text of 1008 AD Proves the reliability of the scribes

20. Reliability of Scribal Transmission “Estimates suggest that at least 97 percent, if not more, of the original NT can be reconstructed from the existing manuscripts beyond any measure of doubt. The percentage for the OT is lower, perhaps about 90 percent.” Klein, Blomberg, Hubbard, “Biblical Interpretation”

21. Textual Criticism “A technical discipline that compares the various copies of a biblical text in an effort to determine what was most likely the original text.” Duvall and Hays, “Grasping God’s Word”

22. Translation: Two Main Approaches FormalFunctional Try Word for WordTry Thought for Thought Stay close to structure/words Stay close to meaning Can be awkward – miss meaning Can be too interpretive

25. 1. Use Multiple Translations 1 Corinthians 7:36 KJV - But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, NASB - But if any man thinks that he is acting unbecomingly toward his virgin daughter, NIV - If anyone is worried that he might not be acting honorably toward the virgin he is engaged to…

26. 2. Use Valid Translations Avoid Doctrinally-Slanted Translations: New World Translation (Jehovah’s Witnesses)

27. 2. Use Valid Translations “In [the] beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.” John 1:1 (New World Translation) Jehovah’s Witnesses

28. 2. Use Valid Translations John 1:1

29. 2. Use Valid Translations Avoid Doctrinally-Slanted Translations: New World Translation (Jehovah’s Witnesses) Avoid Misleading Translations: Amplified Bible

30. 3. Don’t Miss the “Point” “I’m not quite sure what you meant about “silly adventure stories without any point.” If they are silly, then having a point won’t save them. But if they are good in themselves, and if by a “point” you mean some truth about the real world which one can take out of the story, I’m not sure that I agree…

31. 3. Don’t Miss the “Point” …At least, I think that looking for a “point” in that sense may prevent one sometimes from getting the real effect of the story in itself — like listening too hard for the words in singing which isn’t meant to be listened to that way (like an anthem in a chorus).” C.S. Lewis, “Letters to Children”

32. 3. Don’t Miss the “Point” “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” John 5:39-40