The Superior Express -

Presenting Biblical answers to tough questions

Q: I went to a different church and the preacher’s Bible was different from mine? Why are some Bibles different from others? Which version is actually the Word of God?

A: The full theological answer to the question, “What is the word of God?” would be this: the word of God consists of those writings which were set down by holy men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21), being perfect and without error in their original manuscripts (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

This seems straightforward enough, however there are a couple of challenges presented to those who would like to read God’s word today. The first is that the original manuscripts were written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. The second is that we do not have the original texts; we have thousands of copies of the originals. While, in general, these copies are remarkably well preserved and agree with each other to an unheard-of degree, they still have varying degrees of consistency and accuracy. However, many biblical scholars working over many decades have used the various copies to determine the text of the original with around 99 percent certainty, which is unbelievably good work for a piece of historical literature more than 2000 years old!

These twin challenges (translating three ancient languages into modern English, and sorting through thousands and thousands of copies to determine the precise wording of the originals) accounts for most of the variations between our modern English versions. I have a great deal of respect for the hard work many faithful men and women are putting into giving us accurate and readable translations of the Word of God. We even have the benefit of reading a passage in multiple versions, which can help us get the full sense of the original message.

If you have a question that you would like a Biblical answer to you can send it via email to [email protected] or by mail to Formoso Church; P.O. Box 66; Formoso, Kan. 66942