The Heavens

The Heavens

In the beginning created God the heavens and the earth; 

and the earth was without form and empty, 

and darkness on the face of the deep; 

and the Spirit of God was brooding on the face of the waters.

Then said God, 

Let be light and was light.

And saw God the light that good (it was) 

and separated God between the light and the darkness.

And called God the light Day. and the darkness He called Night;

and was the mixing and was the breaking forth time one.

flare

Fig2, a sun flare

The requirement for light to become visible from the reference of the earth's surface is for the atmosphere above the earth to go from opaque to at least a partially translucent condition and rotation of the planet is required for the periodic day and night cycle. If the atmosphere was only partially translucent so that little light would be admitted to the surface, the diffusion of the light would not allow the moon and stars to be visible, and the sun, if visible at all, only as a slightly brighter area in the sky.

For a detailed description of the reason for the substitution of "time" for day, "the mixing" for evening and "the breaking forth" for morning read "Days of Genesis" Use the browser "back" function to return to this page.

And said God, 

Let be an expanse in the midst of the waters,

and let it (be) dividing between waters (and) the waters.

And made God the expanse,

and He separated between the waters which (were) under the expanse,

and the waters which (were) above the expanse,

and it was so.

And called God the expanse Heavens;

and was the mixing and was the breaking forth time second.

earth

Fig 3, the earth with its clouds and oceans

As the earth's atmosphere is clearing and transmitting more light resulting in more heating of the surface, there would be changes in the nature of the atmosphere. There has been many theories proposed concerning the "waters above", but the fact is, this could just simply be the hydrological cycle forming that we presently have with large amounts of waters contained in clouds at various heights above the earth. A very unique atmosphere for our solar system, no other planet has a atmosphere that is in any way similar to the one on our earth. The forming of the atmosphere of a planet would seem to be controlled by the following conditions.

1. Distance from Sun (surface temperature of planet)

2. Mass and radius of planet = surface gravity = gas escape velocity

3. chemical reactions = different molecules are created and destroyed in various environments, higher temperatures mean faster reactions

4. geological activity = amount of out gassing, more activity = more out gassing = thicker atmosphere

5. living organisms = change the composition through their waste products

All of the above factors had to be delicately balanced by the Designer to achieve the marvelous ecosystem that we presently live in.

And said God, 

Let be collected the waters under the heavens to place one,

and let appear the dry land; and it was so.

And called God the dry land Earth,

and the collection of the waters He called Seas,

and saw God good (it was).

And said God,

Let sprout the earth tender sprouts (the) herb seeding seed,

(and) tree of fruit producing fruit after its kind,

which it (is) in it on the earth;

and it was so.

And bore the earth tender sprouts (the) herb seeding seed after its kind,

and tree producing fruit which its (is) in it after its kind;

and saw God that (it was) good.

And was the mixing and was the breaking forth time third.

As per factor 5 above, living organisms are an important part of the development cycle for the atmospheric part of the heavens.

Fig 4 , the atmosphere

And said God,

Let be luminaries in the expanse of the heavens to divide between the day

and the night and let them be for signs,

and for seasons and for days and years;

and let them be for luminaries in the expanse of the heavens,

to give light on the earth;

and it was so.

And brought forth God, two the luminaries great;

the luminary great for the rule of the day,

and the luminary small for the rule of the night,

and the stars.

And appointed them God in the heavens to give light on the earth,

and to rule over the day and over the night, 

and to separate between the light and the darkness;

and saw God that good (it was).

And was the mixing and was the breaking forth time the fourth.

moon stars

Fig 5, the moon

 -- Fig 6, stars and comet

For all the elements of the sky to be fully visible from the surface it is necessary for the atmosphere to complete its development and become in the main part transparent. Except for the frequent cloudy and stormy conditions, of course.

The concept of the "greater light to rule the day" and "the lesser light to rule the night" affirms the surface of the earth as the reference point for the creation record. This concept is appropriate only from or within a relatively limited distance from the surface of the earth. From the outer heavens (space) the lesser light becomes only another rather minor planetary object of our solar system which only reflects the light of the sun. From the majority of all other possible reference points in our small solar system the sun rules! From outside our solar system both become rather minor objects of this expansive universe.

Conclusion: By substituting fully acceptable translations for Strong's #6213 'asah", "brought forth" for "made", and Strong's #5414 "nathan", "appointed" for "set", we believe we have a translation that is more in line with the true meaning of the Hebrew Masoretic text. See the Appendix for details, and note that instead of having a very limited leeway for translation, the Hebrew words of interest have a very great range of acceptable English meanings.

( To view a revised translation of chapter 1 and a paraphrase take a look at -[1]- Use the browser "back" function to return to this page.)

Appendix A: Extracts from "The Interlinear Bible" and Strong's "Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary".

Revelation Chapter 1

bi

Introduction to Chapter 1

The book of Revelation is letter written to seven churches in Asia, revealed to the Apostle John by Jesus and signified by an angel.  John was probably in his eighties since this was taking place about A.D. 95, over sixty years after the crucifixion.  John, who was younger then, is now sixty years older.  John was sent to Patmos, to work the mines as punishment for his bold testimony of Jesus Christ.

While on this island, Jesus Christ appears to John and  dictates a letter for John to send to the Seven Churches in Asia.  Though the letter is to seven specific churches, the letter applies to all believers. Jesus instructs those with “spiritual ears” to listen,

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”

The word Revelation means, unveiling, the veil of the future is lifted from the eyes of believers and the plan of eternity set forth.  A blessing is promised to those hear, read and keep the words revealed.

Chapter 1 introduces us to the rest of the letter, establishing the background. John answers the questions, who is the author? what are the circumstances behind the letter?  How it was revealed? and Who revealed it?

The first chapter shows Christ in his glory appearing to his servant John. Christ comforts John, who is on Patmos for his testimony of Christ, he assures John, He is in control.  Jesus Christ reaffirms his nature and identity in this chapter, anticipating the apostasy to develop in the church as his nature and work in the future would be denied.

Prologue

Revelation 1

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants-things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,

2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.

3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

Revelation: The Greek word is ajpokavluyi Apokalupsis and means laying bear, making naked, disclosure of truth. The letter is from God the Father to Jesus Christ, signified by His angel, to John for the church. Jesus removes the veil, and allows His church to see the plan for eternity.

His servant:  The word servant comes from the Greek word, dou’lo Doulos meaning, a slave, bondman, man of servile condition. Those who trust Christ, become his servants.  We are representatives of Jesus Christ in this world, to announce his kingdom and establish his salvation in the earth.  A servant does the master’s will, not his own. We are called in service to administer the kingdom.

The letter is to the servants of Christ,  for this reason, unless someone is Christ’s servant, the letter makes no sense.

Shortly take place: The  Greek word, tavco Tachos meaning, quickness speed. The events revealed to John have immediate application.  In the 63-years since Christ death on the cross, the Church had grown from Jerusalem to encompass the whole Roman Empire.  There were literally hundreds of churches established throughout the Empire and beyond.

Signified: The Greek word  shmaivnw Semaino means, to give a sign, to signify, indicate.  The book of Revelation is filled with signs and symbols. For the most part, the explanations of these signs are within the context of the scripture or within the whole body of scripture.  For example in chapter one, Jesus, glorified, stands in the center seven lamp stands holding seven stars.  In verse 20, we find the meaning of the lamp stands and stars, the lamp stands represent seven churches and stars, seven angels.

Angel:  The identity of the angel  is subject to speculation.  Gabriel is the most likely candidate.  Gabriel first identified in Daniel 8, communicates the message from God’s throne to God servants. Gabriel is seen again in Daniel 9 and in Luke 1:19, 26 where the birth of John and the Messiah is announced.

The word of God:  In this letter, John is an eye-witness merely reporting what he sees.  The word   witness comes from the Greek word,  marturevw Martureo where the word “martyr” is derived.  John  personally testifies about what he has sees.

That he saw:  From Chapter one to the last chapter, 22, John stats 38 times that he personally “Saw” the events taking place.  John, as a servant to Christ is reporting what he has seen to the churches.

Blessed: Revelation is the only book of the Bible with the promise blessing to the reader.

What Does the Bible Say About Religious Extremism?

Mel Lawrenz
August 8, 2014
What Does the Bible Say About Religious Extremism?
Mel Lawrenz
Minister at large for Elmbrook Church, and director of The Brook Network.

“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it.” — Matthew 11:12

In recent months the world has been shocked to hear about religious extremists in northern Iraq slaughtering Christians or people of other religions unless they convert. Tens of thousands have fled, some to the mountains.

It’s not the first time extreme violence has been used in the name of religion. In Jesus’ day the Romans and King Herod used force in the name of the state or of religion. An underground Jewish group known as the Zealots carried out attacks against political targets. John the Baptist was imprisoned in an attempt to suppress the small movement resulting from his prophetic words.

When Jesus made the unusual comment: “the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it,” he was saying that the way of the kingdom of God, the way that God actually reigns in the world with the coming of Jesus, is powerful, but not a matter of coercion, manipulation, or violence. God’s reign is all about goodness, liberty, reverence, and respect. God’s role as king in our lives is fatherly protection and provision.

Many groups using violence in the name of God have come and gone. There have been cults and crusades, tyrants and terrorists, who have coerced people for what they claimed was a divine purpose.

Followers of Jesus must understand violence as a way of forcing people into religious compliance as a violation of everything God stands for. And, at a simpler level, followers of Jesus must recognize any tendency in their own hearts to use manipulation or coercion for the cause of Christ. It never works. It always damages people. It corrupts the message of Jesus.

By Mel Lawrenz, Director of The Brook Network and creator of The Influence Project.

Related posts:

Religious Interest Among Young Facebook Users is Big. But Why?
What Does the Bible Say About Violence?
Link Roundup: The Most Religious Countries, Canticles, and Reverend Fun on Watercraft Repair
What Does the Bible Say About Capital Punishment?

Poetry and Praise #7

O fathomless mercy, O infinite grace

In humble thanksgiving the road I re-

  trace

Thou never hast failed me, my Strength

  and my Stay;

To whom should I turn for the rest of

  the way?

Through danger, through darkness, by

  day and by night

Thou ever has guided and guided

  aright

I have trusted in Thee and peacefully

  lay

My hand in Thy hand for the rest of the

  way.

Thy cross all my refuge, Thy blood all

  my plea

None other I need, blessed Jesus, but

  Thee

I fear not the shadows at the close of

  life's day

For Thou wilt go with me the rest of

  the way.

   —Laura Kern Sawyier

\

The rest of the way he hath said, i will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. hebrews 13:5b o fathomless mercy, of infinite grace in humble thanksgiving the road i re- trace thou never hast failed me, my strength and my stay; to whom should i turn for the rest of the way? through danger, through darkness, by day and by night thou ever has guided and guided aright i have trusted in thee and peacefully lay my hand in thy hand for the rest of the way. thy cross all my refuge, thy blood all my plea none other i need, blessed jesus, but thee i fear not the shadows at the close of life's day for thou wilt go with me the rest of the way. —laura kern sawyier for this god is our god for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death. psalm 48:14 

My Jesus, I Love Thee

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.  1 Timothy 1:17

My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine--

For Thee all the follies of sin I resign;

My gracious Redeemer, my Saviour art Thou;

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me

And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree;

I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow:

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

I'll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,

And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;

And say when the death-dew lies cold on my brow.

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

In mansions of glory and endless delight,

I'll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;

I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow,

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

   —William R. Featherston

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.  Titus 2:13

Therefore, my beloved brethren,

be ye stedfast, unmoveable,

always abounding in the work of the Lord,

forasmuch as ye know that your labour

is not in vain in the Lord.  1 Corinthians 15:58

Poetry and Praise #6

He Satisfies

My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, saith the LORD.  Jeremiah 31:14b

 With lovingkindness to His own,

  With mercies full and free,

The blessed Saviour satisfies,

  He satisfieth me.

He satisfies the longing soul,

  His hungry sheep are fed,

To pastures green He leadeth them,

  By waters still they're led.

With marrow and with fatness, and

  With honey from the Rock,

The Shepherd ever satisfies,

  And careth for His flock.

My people shall be satisfied,

  Tis God who speaks the Word,

My goodness and My mercies will

  Be with them, saith the Lord.

For riches cannot satisfy,

  Nor gold nor silver can,

'Tis only Jesus satisfies,

  And fills the heart of man.

He satisfies continually,

  Each moment of the day,

His love can fill your longing soul,

  And care for you alway.

Oh yes! My Saviour satisfies,

  As nothing else can do;

The Chiefest of ten thousand, He

  Can satisfy you too.

The altogether lovely One,

  O won't you taste and see?

For Jesus ever satisfies,

  He satisfieth me.

   —Author unknown

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.  Psalm 34:8

Poetry and Praise #5

Christ is Coming

Christ is coming! let creation

Bid her groans and travail cease;

Let the glorious proclamation

Hope restore and faith increase;

Christ is coming! Christ is coming!

Come, Thou blessed Prince of Peace!

Come, Thou blessed Prince of Peace!

Earth can now but tell the story

Of Thy bitter cross and pain;

She shall yet behold Thy glory

When Thou comest back to reign;

Christ is coming! Christ is coming!

Let each heart repeat the strain.

Let each heart repeat the strain.

With that "blessed hope" before us,

Let no harp remain unstrung;

Let the mighty advent chorus

Onward roll from tongue to tongue:

Christ is coming! Christ is soling!

Come, Lord Jesus, quickly come!

Come, Lord Jesus, quickly come!

Christian Poetry by John Ross Macduff

Public Domain

________________________________________________________________

Poetry and Praise #4

The Dear Old Bible

Give me the dear old Bible as my guide each day,
Be it my help and comfort on my pilgrim way,
Until the gates of glory I at last shall see,
The dear old Bible is good enough for me.

Refrain
Good enough for me, good enough for me,
The dear old Bible is good enough for me.
Good enough for me, good enough for me,
The dear old Bible is good enough for me.

Give me the dear old Bible as my teacher true,
Precious the words of promise, old, yet ever new;
On every page the love of God I plainly see,
The dear old Bible is good enough for me.

Give me the dear old Bible as a shining light,
That will illumine me and guide my steps aright,
Be it my sword to drive away the enemy,
The dear old Bible is good enough for me.

Give me the dear old Bible when my life shall end,
When in the vale of shadow it will comfort lend;
It shall endure for time and all eternity,
The dear old Bible is good enough for me.
               —Haldor Lillenas


How Precious Is the Book Divine

How precious is the Book Divine,
By inspiration giv'n;
Bright as a lamp its pages shine
To guide our souls to Heav'n.

Its light descending from above,
Our gloomy world to cheer,
Displays a Saviour's boundless love,
And brings His glories near.

Refrain
Oh precious Book of light and life
Thou source of truth and love,
In Thee we view God's matchless grace,
And all His goodness prove.

Oh precious Book whose light e'er shines
With bright and cheering ray,
To guide our souls until the dawn
Of the eternal day.

It shows to man his wand'ring ways,
And where his feet have trod;
And brings to view the matchless grace
Of a forgiving God.

O'er all the straight and narrow way
Its radiant beams are cast;
A light whose never weary ray
Grows brightest at the last.

It sweetly cheers our fainting hearts
In this dark vale of tears;
Life, light and joy it still imparts,
And quells our rising fears.

This lamp, through all the tedious night
Of life, shall guide our way,
Till we behold the clearer light
Of an eternal day.
     —John Fawcett

Compiled by Stephen Ross for WholesomeWords.org. See TheBibleStands.com for more poems and songs/hymns about the Bible.

O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name;
for thou hast done wonderful things... Isaiah 25:1

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, THE FATHER OF MERCIES, AND THE GOD OF ALL COMFORT;
WHO COMFORTETH US in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.  2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Poetry and Praise #3

Holy Bible, Book Divine

Holy Bible, book Divine,

Precious treasure, thou art mine;

Mine to tell me whence I came;

Mine to teach me what I am.

Mine to chide me when I rove,

Mine to shew a Saviour's love;

Mine art thou to guide my feet;

Mine to judge, condemn, acquit.

Mine to comfort in distress,

If the Holy Spirit bless;

Mine to shew by living faith,

Man can triumph over death.

Mine to tell of joys to come,

And the rebel sinner's doom;

Holy Bible, book Divine,

Precious treasure, thou art mine.

  —John Burton, Sr. (original lyrics)

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.  Psalm 119:11

Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it.  Psalm 119:140

My Mother's Bible

This book is all that's left me now,

   Tears will unbidden start—

With faltering lip and throbbing brow

   I press it to my heart.

For many generations past,

   Here is our family tree;

My mother's hand this Bible clasped;

   She, dying, gave it me.

Ah! well do I remember those

   Whose names these records bear,

Who 'round the hearthstone used to close

   After the evening prayer,

And speak of what these pages said,

   In tones my heart would thrill!

Though they are with the silent dead

  Here are they living still!

My father read this holy book

   To brothers, sisters, dear;

How calm was my poor mother's look,

   Who loved God's word to hear

Her angel face—I see it yet!

   What thronging memories come!

Again that little group is met

   Within the halls of home!

Thou truest friend man ever knew,

   Thy constancy I've tried;

Where all were false, I found thee true,

   My counselor and guide.

The mines of earth no treasure give

   That could this volume buy;

In teaching me the way to live,

   It taught me how to die.

         —George P. Morris

Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.  1 Peter 1:23

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  Romans 10:17

The Best of All

Blessed Bible, sacred treasure,

   Precious book, of all the best,

There is comfort never failing,

   And a calm abiding rest.

Read with reverence, and commit it,

   Verse by verse, and day by day;

'Tis the word that God has spoken,

   And it cannot pass away.

                 —Fanny Crosby

My Old Bible

Though the cover is worn,

And the pages are torn,

   And though places bear traces of tears,

Yet more precious than gold

Is this Book worn and old,

   That can shatter and scatter my fears.

This old Book is my guide,

'Tis a friend by my side,

   It will lighten and brighten my way;

And each promise I find

Soothes and gladdens the mind,

   As I read it and heed it each day.

To this Book I will cling,

Of its worth I will sing,

   Though great losses and crosses be mine;

For I cannot despair,

Though surrounded by care,

   While possessing this blessing Divine.

               —Anonymous

Poetry and Praise #2

My Bible and I
We've traveled together through life's rugged way
O'er land and o'er water, by night and by day:
To travel without it I never would try;
We keep close together, my Bible and I.

In sorrow I've proved it my comfort and joy,
When weak my strong tower which nought can
     destroy;
When death comes so near me 'tis thought I
     would die,
We still are together, my Bible and I.

If powers of evil against me would come,
And threaten to rob me of heaven and home,
God's Word then directs me to Him in the sky;
And nothing can part us, my Bible and I.

When evil temptations are brought to my view,
And I in my weakness know not what to do,
On Christ as my strength I am taught to rely;
And so we keep company, my Bible and I.

When life's path is ended; if Jesus should come
And take all his blood-purchased brethren home;
Or if, in long suffering, He waits till I die.
We'll never be parted, my Bible and I.

And when in the glory my Lord I behold,
With all His redeemed gathered safe in the fold,
My Bible and I close companions will be,
For God's Word abides for all eternity.
     —Author Unknown

And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.   2 Timothy 3:15-16
The Unchanging Word
Feelings come and feelings go,
And feelings are deceiving;
My warrant is the Word of God—
Naught else is worth believing.

Though all my heart should feel condemned
For want of some sweet token,
There is One greater than my heart
Whose Word cannot be broken.

I'll trust in God's unchanging Word
Till soul and body sever,
For, though all things shall pass away,
HIS WORD SHALL STAND FOREVER!
     —Attributed to Martin Luther

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  Hebrews 4:12
The Word of God
The Word of God is like a light
that shines serenely thro' the night;
Its rays will light my weary way
To the realms of a fair, unending day.

Refrain
The Word of God is strong and sure,
Forevermore it shall endure,
When oceans cease to kiss the shore,
When suns shall set to rise no more;
'Mid crash of worlds it shall remain
Unshaken midst the starry rain,
Upon its firm foundation strong,
I will plant my feet thro' the ages long.

The Word of God is like a sword
That pierces hearts, thus saith the Lord;
And like a hammar, weighty, strong,
That can break up the rocks of sin and wrong.

The Word of God is like the bread
On which the hosts of old were fed;
From Heav'n it came to fill our need,
Hungry hearts it will satisfy indeed.

The Word of God is like a fire,
It kindles in our hearts desire
To see its Author face to face
And to know all the fullness of His grace.
     —Haldor Lillenas

The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.  Psalm 119:130
Reading Through the Bible
I supposed I knew my Bible,
Reading piece-meal, hit or miss;
Now a bit of "John" or "Matthew,"
Now a snatch of "Genesis."
Certain chapters of "Isaiah,"
Certain "Psalms,"—the twenty-third,
Twelfth of "Romans," first of "Proverbs."
Yes, I thought I knew the Word.
But I found a thorough reading
Was a different thing to do,
And the way was unfamiliar
When I read the Bible through.
Ye who treat the Crown of Writings
As you treat no other book—
Just a paragraph disjointed,
Just a crude, impatient look—
Try a worthier procedure,
Try a broad and steady view;
You will kneel in very rapture
When you read the Bible THROUGH.
     —Amos R. Well

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105
The Bible
Where childhood needs a standard
  Or youth a beacon light,
Where sorrow sighs for comfort
  Or weakness longs for might,
Bring forth the Holy Bible—
  The Bible! There it stands!
Resolving all life's problems
  And meeting its demands.

Though sophistry conceal it,
  The Bible! There it Stands!
Though Pharisees profane it,
  Its influence expands.
It fills the world with fragrance
   Whose sweetness never cloys;
It lifts our eyes to Heaven,
  It heightens human joys.

Despised and torn in pieces,
  By infidels decried,
With thunderbolts of hatred
  The haughty cynics pride—
All these have railed against it
  In this and other lands;
Yet dynasties have fallen,
  And still the Bible stands!

To Paradise a highway,
  The Bible! There it stands!
Its promises unfailing,
  Nor grievous its commands.
It points man to his Saviour,
  The Lover of his soul;
Salvation is its watchword,
  Eternity its goal!
     —James M. Gray

Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.  Psalm 119:160

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.  Proverbs 30:5

Poetry and Praise #1

• 

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.  Isaiah 40:8

The Bible Stands

The Bible stands like a rock undaunted
'Mid the raging storms of time;
Its pages burn with the truth eternal,
And they glow with a light sublime.

Refrain
The Bible stands though the hills may tumble,
It will firmly stand when the earth shall crumble;
I will plant my feet on its firm foundation,
For the Bible stands.

The Bible stands like a mountain towering
Far above the works of men;
Its truth by none ever was refuted,
And destroy it they never can.

The Bible stands, and it will forever
When the world has passed away;
By inspiration it has been given,
All its precepts I will obey.

The Bible stands every test we give it,
For its Author is divine;
By grace alone I expect to live it,
And to prove and to make it mine.
     —Haldor Lillenas

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  Hebrews 4:12

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.   Matthew 24:35


The Anvil of God's Word

Last eve I paused beside the blacksmith's door,
   And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;
Then looking in, I saw upon the floor,
   Old hammers worn with beating years of time.

"How many anvils have you had," said I,
   "To wear and batter all these hammers so?"
"Just one," said he, and then with twinkling eye,
   "The anvil wears the hammers out, you know."

"And so," I thought, "The Anvil of God's Word
   For ages skeptic blows have beat upon,
Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,
   The Anvil is unharmed, the hammers gone."
                        —John Clifford, D.D.

But the word of the Lord endureth for ever...  1 Peter 1:25

I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.   Psalms 138:2

English Bible History

English Bible History

The ebb and flow of freedom continued through the 1540's...and into the 1550's. After King Henry VIII, King Edward VI took the throne, and after his death, the reign of Queen “Bloody” Mary was the next obstacle to the printing of the Bible in English. She was possessed in her quest to return England to the Roman Church. In 1555, John "Thomas Matthew" Rogers and Thomas Cranmer were both burned at the stake. Mary went on to burn reformers at the stake by the hundreds for the "crime" of being a Protestant. This era was known as the Marian Exile, and the refugees fled from England with little hope of ever seeing their home or friends again.




John Foxe

In the 1550's, the Church at Geneva, Switzerland, was very sympathetic to the reformer refugees and was one of only a few safe havens for a desperate people. Many of them met in Geneva, led by Myles Coverdale and John Foxe (publisher of the famous Foxe's Book of Martyrs, which is to this day the only exhaustive reference work on the persecution and martyrdom of Early Christians and Protestants from the first century up to the mid-16th century), as well as Thomas Sampson and William Whittingham. There, with the protection of the great theologian John Calvin (author of the most famous theological book ever published, Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion)and John Knox, the great Reformer of the Scottish Church, the Church of Geneva determined to produce a Bible that would educate their families while they continued in exile.


John Calvin

The New Testament was completed in 1557, and the complete Bible was first published in 1560. It became known as the Geneva Bible. Due to a passage in Genesis describing the clothing that God fashioned for Adam and Eve upon expulsion from the Garden of Eden as "Breeches" (an antiquated form of "Britches"), some people referred to the Geneva Bible as the Breeches Bible.



John Knox

The Geneva Bible was the first Bible to add numbered verses to the chapters, so that referencing specific passages would be easier. Every chapter was also accompanied by extensive marginal notes and references so thorough and complete that the Geneva Bible is also considered the first English "Study Bible". William Shakespeare quotes hundreds of times in his plays from the Geneva translation of the Bible. The Geneva Bible became the Bible of choice for over 100 years of English speaking Christians. Between 1560 and 1644 at least 144 editions of this Bible were published. Examination of the 1611 King James Bible shows clearly that its translators were influenced much more by the Geneva Bible, than by any other source. The Geneva Bible itself retains over 90% of William Tyndale's original English translation. The Geneva in fact, remained more popular than the King James Version until decades after its original release in 1611! The Geneva holds the honor of being the first Bible taken to America, and the Bible of the Puritans and Pilgrims. It is truly the “Bible of the Protestant Reformation.” Strangely, the famous Geneva Bible has been out-of-print since 1644, so the only way to obtain one is to either purchase an original printing of the Geneva Bible, or a less costly facsimile reproduction of the original 1560 Geneva Bible.

With the end of Queen Mary's bloody reign, the reformers could safely return to England. The Anglican Church, now under Queen Elizabeth I, reluctantly tolerated the printing and distribution of Geneva version Bibles in England. The marginal notes, which were vehemently against the institutional Church of the day, did not rest well with the rulers of the day. Another version, one with a less inflammatory tone was desired, and the copies of the Great Bible were getting to be decades old. In 1568, a revision of the Great Bible known as the Bishop's Bible was introduced. Despite 19 editions being printed between 1568 and 1606, this Bible, referred to as the “rough draft of the King James Version”, never gained much of a foothold of popularity among the people. The Geneva may have simply been too much to compete with.

By the 1580's, the Roman Catholic Church saw that it had lost the battle to suppress the will of God: that His Holy Word be available in the English language. In 1582, the Church of Rome surrendered their fight for "Latin only" and decided that if the Bible was to be available in English, they would at least have an official Roman Catholic English translation. And so, using the corrupt and inaccurate Latin Vulgate as the only source text, they went on to publish an English Bible with all the distortions and corruptions that Erasmus had revealed and warned of 75 years earlier. Because it was translated at the Roman Catholic College in the city of Rheims, it was known as the Rheims New Testament (also spelled Rhemes). The Douay Old Testament was translated by the Church of Rome in 1609 at the College in the city of Douay (also spelled Doway & Douai). The combined product is commonly referred to as the "Doway/Rheims" Version. In 1589, Dr. William Fulke of Cambridge published the "Fulke's Refutation", in which he printed in parallel columns the Bishops Version along side the Rheims Version, attempting to show the error and distortion of the Roman Church's corrupt compromise of an English version of the Bible.



King James I

With the death of Queen Elizabeth I, Prince James VI of Scotland became King James I of England. The Protestant clergy approached the new King in 1604 and announced their desire for a new translation to replace the Bishop's Bible first printed in 1568. They knew that the Geneva Version had won the hearts of the people because of its excellent scholarship, accuracy, and exhaustive commentary. However, they did not want the controversial marginal notes (proclaiming the Pope an Anti-Christ, etc.) Essentially, the leaders of the church desired a Bible for the people, with scriptural references only for word clarification or cross-references.

This "translation to end all translations" (for a while at least) was the result of the combined effort of about fifty scholars. They took into consideration: The Tyndale New Testament, The Coverdale Bible, The Matthews Bible, The Great Bible, The Geneva Bible, and even the Rheims New Testament. The great revision of the Bishop's Bible had begun. From 1605 to 1606 the scholars engaged in private research. From 1607 to 1609 the work was assembled. In 1610 the work went to press, and in 1611 the first of the huge (16 inch tall) pulpit folios known today as "The 1611 King James Bible" came off the printing press. A typographical discrepancy in Ruth 3:15 rendered a pronoun "He" instead of "She" in that verse in some printings. This caused some of the 1611 First Editions to be known by collectors as "He" Bibles, and others as "She" Bibles. Starting just one year after the huge 1611 pulpit-size King James Bibles were printed and chained to every church pulpit in England; printing then began on the earliest normal-size printings of the King James Bible. These were produced so individuals could have their own personal copy of the Bible.




John Bunyan

The Anglican Church’s King James Bible took decades to overcome the more popular Protestant Church’s Geneva Bible. One of the greatest ironies of history, is that many Protestant Christian churches today embrace the King James Bible exclusively as the “only” legitimate English language translation… yet it is not even a Protestant translation! It was printed to compete with the Protestant Geneva Bible, by authorities who throughout most of history were hostile to Protestants… and killed them. While many Protestants are quick to assign the full blame of persecution to the Roman Catholic Church, it should be noted that even after England broke from Roman Catholicism in the 1500’s, the Church of England (The Anglican Church) continued to persecute Protestants throughout the 1600’s. One famous example of this is John Bunyan, who while in prison for the crime of preaching the Gospel, wrote one of Christian history’s greatest books, Pilgrim’s Progress. Throughout the 1600’s, as the Puritans and the Pilgrims fled the religious persecution of England to cross the Atlantic and start a new free nation in America, they took with them their precious Geneva Bible, and rejected the King’s Bible. America was founded upon the Geneva Bible, not the King James Bible.

Protestants today are largely unaware of their own history, and unaware of the Geneva Bible (which is textually 95% the same as the King James Version, but 50 years older than the King James Version, and not influenced by the Roman Catholic Rheims New Testament that the King James translators admittedly took into consideration). Nevertheless, the King James Bible turned out to be an excellent and accurate translation, and it became the most printed book in the history of the world, and the only book with one billion copies in print. In fact, for over 250 years...until the appearance of the English Revised Version of 1881-1885...the King James Version reigned without much of a rival. One little-known fact, is that for the past 200 years, all King James Bibles published in America are actually the 1769 Baskerville spelling and wording revision of the 1611. The original “1611” preface is deceivingly included by the publishers, and no mention of the fact that it is really the 1769 version is to be found, because that might hurt sales. The only way to obtain a true, unaltered, 1611 version is to either purchase an original pre-1769 printing of the King James Bible, or a less costly facsimile reproduction of the original 1611 King James Bible.


John Eliot

Although the first Bible printed in America was done in the native Algonquin Indian Language by John Eliot in 1663; the first English language Bible to be printed in America by Robert Aitken in 1782 was a King James Version. Robert Aitken’s 1782 Bible was also the only Bible ever authorized by the United States Congress. He was commended by President George Washington for providing Americans with Bibles during the embargo of imported English goods due to the Revolutionary War. In 1808, Robert’s daughter, Jane Aitken, would become the first woman to ever print a Bible… and to do so in America, of course. In 1791, Isaac Collins vastly improved upon the quality and size of the typesetting of American Bibles and produced the first "Family Bible" printed in America... also a King James Version. Also in 1791, Isaiah Thomas published the first Illustrated Bible printed in America...in the King James Version. For more information on the earliest Bibles printed in America from the 1600’s through the early 1800’s, you may wish to review our more detailed discussion of The Bibles of Colonial America.


Noah Webster

While Noah Webster, just a few years after producing his famous Dictionary of the English Language, would produce his own modern translation of the English Bible in 1833; the public remained too loyal to the King James Version for Webster’s version to have much impact. It was not really until the 1880’s that England’s own planned replacement for their King James Bible, the English Revised Version(E.R.V.) would become the first English language Bible to gain popular acceptance as a post-King James Version modern-English Bible. The widespread popularity of this modern-English translation brought with it another curious characteristic: the absence of the 14 Apocryphal books.

Up until the 1880’s every Protestant Bible (not just Catholic Bibles) had 80 books, not 66! The inter-testamental books written hundreds of years before Christ called “The Apocrypha” were part of virtually every printing of the Tyndale-Matthews Bible, the Great Bible, the Bishops Bible, the Protestant Geneva Bible, and the King James Bible until their removal in the 1880’s! The original 1611 King James contained the Apocrypha, and King James threatened anyone who dared to print the Bible without the Apocrypha with heavy fines and a year in jail. Only for the last 120 years has the Protestant Church rejected these books, and removed them from their Bibles. This has left most modern-day Christians believing the popular myth that there is something “Roman Catholic” about the Apocrypha. There is, however, no truth in that myth, and no widely-accepted reason for the removal of the Apocrypha in the 1880’s has ever been officially issued by a mainline Protestant denomination.

The Americans responded to England’s E.R.V. Bible by publishing the nearly-identical American Standard Version (A.S.V.) in 1901. It was also widely-accepted and embraced by churches throughout America for many decades as the leading modern-English version of the Bible. In the 1971, it was again revised and called New American Standard Version Bible (often referred to as the N.A.S.V. or N.A.S.B. or N.A.S.). This New American Standard Bible is considered by nearly all evangelical Christian scholars and translators today, to be the most accurate, word-for-word translation of the original Greek and Hebrew scriptures into the modern English language that has ever been produced. It remains the most popular version among theologians, professors, scholars, and seminary students today. Some, however, have taken issue with it because it is so direct and literal a translation (focused on accuracy), that it does not flow as easily in conversational English.

For this reason, in 1973, the New International Version (N.I.V.) was produced, which was offered as a “dynamic equivalent” translation into modern English. The N.I.V. was designed not for “word-for-word” accuracy, but rather, for “phrase-for-phrase” accuracy, and ease of reading even at a Junior High-School reading level. It was meant to appeal to a broader (and in some instances less-educated) cross-section of the general public. Critics of the N.I.V. often jokingly refer to it as the “Nearly Inspired Version”, but that has not stopped it from becoming the best-selling modern-English translation of the Bible ever published.

In 1982, Thomas Nelson Publishers produced what they called the “New King James Version”. Their original intent was to keep the basic wording of the King James to appeal to King James Version loyalists, while only changing the most obscure words and the Elizabethan “thee, thy, thou” pronouns. This was an interesting marketing ploy, however, upon discovering that this was not enough of a change for them to be able to legally copyright the result, they had to make more significant revisions, which defeated their purpose in the first place. It was never taken seriously by scholars, but it has enjoyed some degree of public acceptance, simply because of its clever “New King James Version” marketing name.

In 2002, a major attempt was made to bridge the gap between the simple readability of the N.I.V., and the extremely precise accuracy of the N.A.S.B. This translation is called the English Standard Version (E.S.V.) and is rapidly gaining popularity for its readability and accuracy. The 21st Century will certainly continue to bring new translations of God’s Word in the modern English language.

As Christians, we must be very careful to make intelligent and informed decisions about what translations of the Bible we choose to read. On the liberal extreme, we have people who would give us heretical new translations that attempt to change God’s Word to make it politically correct. One example of this, which has made headlines recently is the Today’s New International Version (T.N.I.V.) which seeks to remove all gender-specific references in the Bible whenever possible! Not all new translations are good… and some are very bad.

But equally dangerous, is the other extreme… of blindly rejecting ANY English translation that was produced in the four centuries that have come after the 1611 King James. We must remember that the main purpose of the Protestant Reformation was to get the Bible out of the chains of being trapped in an ancient language that few could understand, and into the modern, spoken, conversational language of the present day. William Tyndale fought and died for the right to print the Bible in the common, spoken, modern English tongue of his day… as he boldly told one official who criticized his efforts, “If God spare my life, I will see to it that the boy who drives the plowshare knows more of the scripture than you, Sir!”

Will we now go backwards, and seek to imprison God’s Word once again exclusively in ancient translations? Clearly it is not God’s will that we over-react to SOME of the bad modern translations, by rejecting ALL new translations and “throwing the baby out with the bathwater”. The Word of God is unchanging from generation to generation, but language is a dynamic and ever-changing form of communication. We therefore have a responsibility before God as Christians to make sure that each generation has a modern translation that they can easily understand, yet that does not sacrifice accuracy in any way. Let’s be ever mindful that we are not called to worship the Bible. That is called idolatry. We are called to worship the God who gave us the Bible, and who preserved it through the centuries of people who sought to destroy it.

We are also called to preserve the ancient, original English translations of the Bible… and that is what we do here at WWW.GREATSITE.COM

Consider the following textual comparison of the earliest English translations of John 3:16, as shown in the English Hexapla Parallel New Testament:

1st Ed. King James (1611): "For God so loued the world, that he gaue his only begotten Sonne: that whosoeuer beleeueth in him, should not perish, but haue euerlasting life."
Rheims (1582): "For so God loued the vvorld, that he gaue his only-begotten sonne: that euery one that beleeueth in him, perish not, but may haue life euerlasting"
Geneva (1560): "For God so loueth the world, that he hath geuen his only begotten Sonne: that none that beleue in him, should peryshe, but haue euerlasting lyfe."
Great Bible (1539): "For God so loued the worlde, that he gaue his only begotten sonne, that whosoeuer beleueth in him, shulde not perisshe, but haue euerlasting lyfe."
Tyndale (1534): "For God so loveth the worlde, that he hath geven his only sonne, that none that beleve in him, shuld perisshe: but shuld have everlastinge lyfe."
Wycliff (1380): "for god loued so the world; that he gaf his oon bigetun sone, that eche man that bileueth in him perisch not: but haue euerlastynge liif,"
Anglo-Saxon Proto-English Manuscripts (995 AD): “God lufode middan-eard swa, dat he seade his an-cennedan sunu, dat nan ne forweorde de on hine gely ac habbe dat ece lif."

English Bible History

William Tyndale


William Tyndale was the Captain of the Army of Reformers, and was their spiritual leader. Tyndale holds the distinction of being the first man to ever print the New Testament in the English language. Tyndale was a true scholar and a genius, so fluent in eight languages that it was said one would think any one of them to be his native tongue. He is frequently referred to as the “Architect of the English Language”, (even more so than William Shakespeare) as so many of the phrases Tyndale coined are still in our language today.



Martin Luther

Martin Luther had a small head-start on Tyndale, as Luther declared his intolerance for the Roman Church’s corruption on Halloween in 1517, by nailing his 95 Theses of Contention to the Wittenberg Church door. Luther, who would be exiled in the months following the Diet of Worms Council in 1521 that was designed to martyr him, would translate the New Testament into German for the first time from the 1516 Greek-Latin New Testament of Erasmus, and publish it in September of 1522. Luther also published a German Pentateuch in 1523, and another edition of the German New Testament in 1529. In the 1530’s he would go on to publish the entire Bible in German.

William Tyndale wanted to use the same 1516 Erasmus text as a source to translate and print the New Testament in English for the first time in history. Tyndale showed up on Luther's doorstep in Germany in 1525, and by year's end had translated the New Testament into English. Tyndale had been forced to flee England, because of the wide-spread rumor that his English New Testament project was underway, causing inquisitors and bounty hunters to be constantly on Tyndale's trail to arrest him and prevent his project. God foiled their plans, and in 1525-1526 the Tyndale New Testament became the first printed edition of the scripture in the English language. Subsequent printings of the Tyndale New Testament in the 1530's were often elaborately illustrated.

They were burned as soon as the Bishop could confiscate them, but copies trickled through and actually ended up in the bedroom of King Henry VIII. The more the King and Bishop resisted its distribution, the more fascinated the public at large became. The church declared it contained thousands of errors as they torched hundreds of New Testaments confiscated by the clergy, while in fact, they burned them because they could find no errors at all. One risked death by burning if caught in mere possession of Tyndale's forbidden books.

Having God's Word available to the public in the language of the common man, English, would have meant disaster to the church. No longer would they control access to the scriptures. If people were able to read the Bible in their own tongue, the church's income and power would crumble. They could not possibly continue to get away with selling indulgences (the forgiveness of sins) or selling the release of loved ones from a church-manufactured "Purgatory". People would begin to challenge the church's authority if the church were exposed as frauds and thieves. The contradictions between what God's Word said, and what the priests taught, would open the public's eyes and the truth would set them free from the grip of fear that the institutional church held. Salvation through faith, not works or donations, would be understood. The need for priests would vanish through the priesthood of all believers. The veneration of church-canonized Saints and Mary would be called into question. The availability of the scriptures in English was the biggest threat imaginable to the wicked church. Neither side would give up without a fight.

Today, there are only two known copies left of Tyndale’s 1525-26 First Edition. Any copies printed prior to 1570 are extremely valuable. Tyndale's flight was an inspiration to freedom-loving Englishmen who drew courage from the 11 years that he was hunted. Books and Bibles flowed into England in bales of cotton and sacks of flour. Ironically, Tyndale’s biggest customer was the King’s men, who would buy up every copy available to burn them… and Tyndale used their money to print even more! In the end, Tyndale was caught: betrayed by an Englishman that he had befriended. Tyndale was incarcerated for 500 days before he was strangled and burned at the stake in 1536. Tyndale’s last words were, "Oh Lord, open the King of England’s eyes". This prayer would be answered just three years later in 1539, when King Henry VIII finally allowed, and even funded, the printing of an English Bible known as the “Great Bible”. But before that could happen…


Myles Coverdale

Myles Coverdale and John “Thomas Matthew” Rogers had remained loyal disciples the last six years of Tyndale's life, and they carried the English Bible project forward and even accelerated it. Coverdale finished translating the Old Testament, and in 1535 he printed the first complete Bible in the English language, making use of Luther's German text and the Latin as sources. Thus, the first complete English Bible was printed on October 4, 1535, and is known as the Coverdale Bible.


John Rogers

John Rogers went on to print the second complete English Bible in 1537. It was, however, the first English Bible translated from the original Biblical languages of Hebrew & Greek. He printed it under the pseudonym "Thomas Matthew", (an assumed name that had actually been used by Tyndale at one time) as a considerable part of this Bible was the translation of Tyndale, whose writings had been condemned by the English authorities. It is a composite made up of Tyndale's Pentateuch and New Testament (1534-1535 edition) and Coverdale's Bible and some of Roger's own translation of the text. It remains known most commonly as the Matthew-Tyndale Bible. It went through a nearly identical second-edition printing in 1549.


Thomas Cranmer

In 1539, Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury, hired Myles Coverdale at the bequest of King Henry VIII to publish the "Great Bible". It became the first English Bible authorized for public use, as it was distributed to every church, chained to the pulpit, and a reader was even provided so that the illiterate could hear the Word of God in plain English. It would seem that William Tyndale's last wish had been granted...just three years after his martyrdom. Cranmer's Bible, published by Coverdale, was known as the Great Bible due to its great size: a large pulpit folio measuring over 14 inches tall. Seven editions of this version were printed between April of 1539 and December of 1541.


King Henry VIII

It was not that King Henry VIII had a change of conscience regarding publishing the Bible in English. His motives were more sinister… but the Lord sometimes uses the evil intentions of men to bring about His glory. King Henry VIII had in fact, requested that the Pope permit him to divorce his wife and marry his mistress. The Pope refused. King Henry responded by marrying his mistress anyway, (later having two of his many wives executed), and thumbing his nose at the Pope by renouncing Roman Catholicism, taking England out from under Rome’s religious control, and declaring himself as the reigning head of State to also be the new head of the Church. This new branch of the Christian Church, neither Roman Catholic nor truly Protestant, became known as the Anglican Church or the Church of England. King Henry acted essentially as its “Pope”. His first act was to further defy the wishes of Rome by funding the printing of the scriptures in English… the first legal English Bible… just for spite.

Book of Isaiah

The Deity of Jesus Christ

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.  In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

The Supremacy of the Son of God

15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.

Isaiah 16

New International Version (NIV)

16 Send lambs as tribute
to the ruler of the land,
from Sela, across the desert,
to the mount of Daughter Zion.
2 Like fluttering birds
pushed from the nest,
so are the women of Moab
at the fords of the Arnon.

3 “Make up your mind,” Moab says.
“Render a decision.
Make your shadow like night—
at high noon.
Hide the fugitives,
do not betray the refugees.
4 Let the Moabite fugitives stay with you;
be their shelter from the destroyer.”

The oppressor will come to an end,
and destruction will cease;
the aggressor will vanish from the land.
5 In love a throne will be established;
in faithfulness a man will sit on it—
one from the house[a] of David—
one who in judging seeks justice
and speeds the cause of righteousness.

6 We have heard of Moab’s pride—
how great is her arrogance!—
of her conceit, her pride and her insolence;
but her boasts are empty.
7 Therefore the Moabites wail,
they wail together for Moab.
Lament and grieve
for the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth.
8 The fields of Heshbon wither,
the vines of Sibmah also.
The rulers of the nations
have trampled down the choicest vines,
which once reached Jazer
and spread toward the desert.
Their shoots spread out
and went as far as the sea.[b]
9 So I weep, as Jazer weeps,
for the vines of Sibmah.
Heshbon and Elealeh,
I drench you with tears!
The shouts of joy over your ripened fruit
and over your harvests have been stilled.
10 Joy and gladness are taken away from the orchards;
no one sings or shouts in the vineyards;
no one treads out wine at the presses,
for I have put an end to the shouting.
11 My heart laments for Moab like a harp,
my inmost being for Kir Hareseth.
12 When Moab appears at her high place,
she only wears herself out;
when she goes to her shrine to pray,
it is to no avail.

13 This is the word the Lord has already spoken concerning Moab. 14 But now the Lord says: “Within three years, as a servant bound by contract would count them, Moab’s splendor and all her many people will be despised, and her survivors will be very few and feeble.”

Footnotes:

Isaiah 16:5 Hebrew tent

English Bible History

English Bible History




The fascinating story of how we got the Bible in its present form actually starts thousands of years ago, as briefly outlined in our Timeline of Bible Translation History. As a background study, we recommend that you first review our discussion of the Pre-Reformation History of the Bible from 1,400 B.C. to 1,400 A.D., which covers the transmission of the scripture through the original languages of Hebrew and Greek, and the 1,000 years of the Dark & Middle Ages when the Word was trapped in only Latin. Our starting point in this discussion of Bible history, however, is the advent of the scripture in the English language with the “Morning Star of the Reformation”, John Wycliffe.



John Wycliffe



The first hand-written English language Bible manuscripts were produced in the 1380's AD by John Wycliffe, an Oxford professor, scholar, and theologian. Wycliffe, (also spelled “Wycliff” & “Wyclif”), was well-known throughout Europe for his opposition to the teaching of the organized Church, which he believed to be contrary to the Bible. With the help of his followers, called the Lollards, and his assistant Purvey, and many other faithful scribes, Wycliffe produced dozens of English language manuscript copies of the scriptures. They were translated out of the Latin Vulgate, which was the only source text available to Wycliffe. The Pope was so infuriated by his teachings and his translation of the Bible into English, that 44 years after Wycliffe had died, he ordered the bones to be dug-up, crushed, and scattered in the river!



John Hus

One of Wycliffe’s followers, John Hus, actively promoted Wycliffe’s ideas: that people should be permitted to read the Bible in their own language, and they should oppose the tyranny of the Roman church that threatened anyone possessing a non-Latin Bible with execution. Hus was burned at the stake in 1415, with Wycliffe’s manuscript Bibles used as kindling for the fire. The last words of John Hus were that, “in 100 years, God will raise up a man whose calls for reform cannot be suppressed.” Almost exactly 100 years later, in 1517, Martin Luther nailed his famous 95 Theses of Contention (a list of 95 issues of heretical theology and crimes of the Roman Catholic Church) into the church door at Wittenberg. The prophecy of Hus had come true! Martin Luther went on to be the first person to translate and publish the Bible in the commonly-spoken dialect of the German people; a translation more appealing than previous German Biblical translations. Foxe’s Book of Martyrs records that in that same year, 1517, seven people were burned at the stake by the Roman Catholic Church for the crime of teaching their children to say the Lord’s Prayer in English rather than Latin.



Johann Gutenberg

Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press in the 1450's, and the first book to ever be printed was a Latin language Bible, printed in Mainz, Germany. Gutenberg’s Bibles were surprisingly beautiful, as each leaf Gutenberg printed was later colorfully hand-illuminated. Born as “Johann Gensfleisch” (John Gooseflesh), he preferred to be known as “Johann Gutenberg” (John Beautiful Mountain). Ironically, though he had created what many believe to be the most important invention in history, Gutenberg was a victim of unscrupulous business associates who took control of his business and left him in poverty. Nevertheless, the invention of the movable-type printing press meant that Bibles and books could finally be effectively produced in large quantities in a short period of time. This was essential to the success of the Reformation.


Thomas Linacre

In the 1490’s another Oxford professor, and the personal physician to King Henry the 7th and 8th, Thomas Linacre, decided to learn Greek. After reading the Gospels in Greek, and comparing it to the Latin Vulgate, he wrote in his diary, “Either this (the original Greek) is not the Gospel… or we are not Christians.” The Latin had become so corrupt that it no longer even preserved the message of the Gospel… yet the Church still threatened to kill anyone who read the scripture in any language other than Latin… though Latin was not an original language of the scriptures.



John Colet

In 1496, John Colet, another Oxford professor and the son of the Mayor of London, started reading the New Testament in Greek and translating it into English for his students at Oxford, and later for the public at Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London. The people were so hungry to hear the Word of God in a language they could understand, that within six months there were 20,000 people packed in the church and at least that many outside trying to get in! (Sadly, while the enormous and beautiful Saint Paul’s Cathedral remains the main church in London today, as of 2003, typical Sunday morning worship attendance is only around 200 people… and most of them are tourists). Fortunately for Colet, he was a powerful man with friends in high places, so he amazingly managed to avoid execution.


Erasmus


In considering the experiences of Linacre and Colet, the great scholar Erasmus was so moved to correct the corrupt Latin Vulgate, that in 1516, with the help of printer John Froben, he published a Greek-Latin Parallel New Testament. The Latin part was not the corrupt Vulgate, but his own fresh rendering of the text from the more accurate and reliable Greek, which he had managed to collate from a half-dozen partial old Greek New Testament manuscripts he had acquired. This milestone was the first non-Latin Vulgate text of the scripture to be produced in a millennium… and the first ever to come off a printing press. The 1516 Greek-Latin New Testament of Erasmus further focused attention on just how corrupt and inaccurate the Latin Vulgate had become, and how important it was to go back and use the original Greek (New Testament) and original Hebrew (Old Testament) languages to maintain accuracy… and to translate them faithfully into the languages of the common people, whether that be English, German, or any other tongue. No sympathy for this “illegal activity” was to be found from Rome… even as the words of Pope Leo X's declaration that "the fable of Christ was quite profitable to him" continued through the years to infuriate the people of God.