The Transmission Process Of Bible Essay Assignment
The Transmission Process Of Bible Essay Assignment
Create a two-page apologetic argument to discuss the validity of ancient and modern biblical translations. Include the following in your paper:
The process of transmission. Briefly trace the path of the text from the original production (including the possibility of oral tradition) to modern translation.
The relationship between the “original documents†and ancient and modern translations. Given that the original documents are not recoverable, how can we be reasonably sure that the texts we are using are reliable? The Transmission Process Of Bible Essay Assignment
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The differences between modern translations. Why do modern translations differ? Discuss the way(s) in which a modern reader should use the translations. How might the differences between translations be beneficial? How are they detrimental?
You should also fill in the Assignment 3-1 Chart. You will be able to find the translations and other information in chapters 12, 14-20. Please compare Judges 16:13-14, Micah 6:6-8, Matthew 16:18, and 1 John 2:2 in four modern translations of your choice.
NOTE: You should read Wegner, Chapter 21 in connection with this assignment
Wegner, Paul D. The Journey from Texts to Translations: The Origin and Development of the Bible.
Contemporary Christians rely heavily on the Bible and its contents and it is appeasing to them to be assured that its contents and historical accounts are accurate. Over the centuries, however, scholars and skeptics have questions the degree of validity of the Bible particularly citing the accuracy of the ancient Biblical texts and the numerous translations that have been done by different groups (Wegner 206). With this in mind, this report is a detailed apologetic argument for the validity of the Bible. The issues addressed are the processes of transmission, the relationship between the ‘original documents’ and ancient and modern translations. Also covered are the evident differences between modern translations and passage excerpts have been picked and analyzed to demonstrate this The Transmission Process Of Bible Essay Assignment.
The Process of Transmission
On numerous occasions, the transmission process of Bible’s transmission has been called into question. The basis of this argument by the critics is that copies of the original documents, upon which the Bible was composed, were hand written with the authors gathering records and information from oral narrations from different people and groups at the time (Wegner 51). Following this, errors and variations abound. There has also been the issue that several of the original texts have been lost or misplaced making it impossible to verify the accuracy of the translations. While welcoming these positive criticisms from the critics, it is necessary to point out that the justification of the accuracy of Biblical texts is based on the fact that at the time of writing contents for the Bible, whether from the ‘original documents’ or translating to a different language, the process of textual criticism was always applied (Wegner 129)The Transmission Process Of Bible Essay Assignment. Textual criticism has been resourceful in helping trace the path of the text from the original documents to modern translations.
The Relationship between the ‘Original Documents’ and Ancient and Modern Translations:
While the claims by skeptics on the reliability of the Bible are justified, the major weakness in them is the overreliance on the argument that since the original texts upon which the modern Bible is based are either lost or destroyed. These same critics turn a blind eye to and refuse to recognize the value of textual criticism. To elaborate on this, the process of textual criticism allows scholars to reconstruct the original text with a high degree of accuracy (Wegner 83)The Transmission Process Of Bible Essay Assignment. Christians and the world over should, therefore, be assured that the process of textual criticism has heightened the degree of reliability by, especially, helping fill identified gaps during transmission and translation. Primarily, this process involves comparing different copies of the text and identifying commonalities and variations effectively enabling them verify the accuracy of the texts being used. Historical and religious researchers have determined that ancient and modern translations of the Bible are based on the same original documents, for the most part, thereby making them highly dependable. In truth, while variations exists between these translations, they are arguably insignificant to wholesomely render the entire Bible inaccurate.
The Differences between Modern Translations
Admittedly, there are evident differences among modern translations of the Bible as demonstrated in the four verses on Appendix I. To clarify this, the differences emerged as a result of using different source texts, translation techniques, and translation teams. Needless o say, these differences provide readers with different insights into the text, allowing for a more profound understanding of the text. What’s more, these differences in translation help readers identify potential variations in the text.
Works Cited
Wegner, Paul D. The journey from texts to translations: The origin and development of the Bible. Baker Academic, 2004. The Transmission Process Of Bible Essay Assignment
Appendix I
| Verse Reference | Translations | Brief Description of Differences |
| Judges 16:13-14 | New International Version (NIV) – “Delilah then said to Samson, “All this time you have been making a fool of me! You lied to me! Tell me how you can be tied.” He replied, “If you weave the seven braids of my head into the fabric on the loom and tighten it with the pin, I’ll become as weak as any other man.” So while he was sleeping, Delilah took the seven braids of his head, wove them into the fabric” | King James Version (KJV) uses “with the pin of the weaving-loom” instead of “with the pin”; New Living Translation (NLT) replaces “the pin” with “the loom shuttle”; English Standard Version (ESV) uses “and fasten it tight with the pin” instead of “tighten it with the pin” |
| Micah 6:6-8 | New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) – ““With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” The Transmission Process Of Bible Essay Assignment | New International Version (NIV) uses “with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?” instead of “with burnt offerings, with year-old calves?”; King James Version (KJV) uses “and the Lord require of thee?” instead of “and what does the Lord require of you but”; The Message (MSG) replaces “with burnt offerings” with “with an armload of offerings” and “with ten thousands of rivers of oil” with “an ocean of olive oil”; New Living Translation (NLT) uses “to show love and mercy,” instead of “to love kindness” |
| Matthew 16:18 | New King James Version (NKJV) – “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
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New International Version (NIV) uses “you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church” but doesn’t include the second half of the verse about the gates of Hades; King James Version (KJV) uses “and upon this rock I will build my church” instead of “and on this rock I will build My church”; The Message (MSG) uses “You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church”
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| 1 John 2:2 | English Standard Version (ESV) – “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”
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New King James Version (NKJV) uses “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” and capitalizes “He”; New Living Translation (NLT) uses “He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the world.”; The Message (MSG) uses “When he served as a sacrifice for our sins, he solved the sin problem for good—not only ours, but the whole world’s.” and replaces “propitiation” with “sacrifice”. The Transmission Process Of Bible Essay Assignment |