Accurate Bible?, controversy

I use the NIV for that very reason! Its wonderful, and I feel its reliable because it was translated from original texts.

Just last week, I checked out a Bible from my church library that has the Apocrypha in it; I'm curious to see what it has to say. Anybody read it and have any comments?

Siobhan Blues

SB, the Apocrpha is usually seen in the Catholic Bible. I have one as I was raised Catholic, as you know. However, it was never canonized as being reliable and accurate so it was never put in the "Protestant" Bibles.............any that I know of. Somebody here will be able to explain it to you better than me, I am sure.

There are over 80 books that were considered biblical before the conference in Nice.... don't remember the year off hand but it was way , way , back somewhere in the 1st 1200 years after the year 1.

A bunch of clerics got together and declared Jesu the son of god and decided what would be include in the then "New" bible.

The books included were meant to control what was believed and those left out were excluded because the control over the masses could not be with them in!

All of this goes back to the books being by "man" who "claim" that they are of god.

Well, this Apocrypha section is interesting... so far I've read Letter of Jeremiah, and it is a rather wordy letter about idols and why the captive Israelites ought to avoid them. Good advice, and I don't know why this was omitted from the Protestant Bible, other than the fact that he spends 73 verses stressing the same fact! Jere was sincere but he just needed a good editor

Now, Song of the Three is apparently an addition in the Greek version of Daniel, between chapter 3 verses 23 and 24...it elaborates the familiar story of Shadrach, Meshac, and Ebed-nego who King Nebuchadnezzar ordered tossed into the fiery furnace as punishment for not worshiping the 90' tall gold idol the King set up. This book is a hymn, praising God and His creation. Its nice! No controversy that I can see here; the Bible seems fine with or without it.

Oh, by the way - the translation I'm reading is called The New English Bible, and its quite an appropriate translation to be discussing on this forum... it is a translation made from the original texts, and was made at the request of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland by the Presbytery of Stirling and Dunblane! Cool.

SB

Very interesting SB. I have never read the Apocrypha myself. Maybe I should.

That is really cool about The New English Bible. I had never heard that before about it. I will have get one!

Rubbish! even a brief, but honest, study of how the Bible came to be would debunk that notion.

Rubbish! even a brief, but honest, study of how the Bible came to be would debunk that notion.

Actually, that's correct. There have been councils in the past that decided what books would go into the Bible and what wouldn't. A few books, such as the Book of Thomas, has never actually been proven to be written by the disciple Thomas. That, and it contradicts what the 4 books of the Gospel have said, so it was left out.

Other books were determined to have been written by people from that time, and were "Biblically accurate" (meaning they COULD HAVE been included), but they just didn't fit in with the overall theme of the Bible.

I wish I could remember names and dates, since that IS important to a discussion like this. However, I do remember studying some of this in one of my Philosophy of Religion classes when I was in college 18 years ago.


Erik Deckers

the only control that's going on is God's desire to "control" the sinful nature of man through ensuring that we have an accurate version of His Word to us. This God did through the guidance of His Holy Spirit. The harmony and accuracy of the 66 books in the Bible are testiment to that.

This is why I stay out of topics concerning religion, politics, abortion, gay rights, and P2P downloading...because no one is ever "right".

I'd rather back down from the fight than let pride get in the way.

I hear what you are saying Haldur. That is why I now stay away from the politics forum! Shouldn't have been in there in the first place! but I do enjoy reading other people's opinions of these topics.

Oh I totally agree, Rose...I didn't mean to sound harsh or anything and I know what you mean about the politics thing! People here at work get into it over that all the time, especially around the election.

I know everyone has an opinion, and usually they believe they are right... that leads to heated discussions that end in hurt feelings, not any enlightened understanding of anything.

But when I read a statement like "All of this goes back to the books being by "man" who "claim" that they are of god", it just saddens me so...
what a blessing is being missed by clinging to this belief.

But everyone is entitled to their opinion, and there's not much to be done I guess except offer one's own experience if its wanted. I don't think its often wanted tho...

SB

that saddens me too SB, these are times when I just have to step back and believe that the work of conviction can only be done in His time and by His Spirit.

I find it amazing that people can believe almost in anything without physical proof, but when it comes to believing in God or if the bible is handed down or inspired by God they find it hard to believe. There are somethings we accept on faith.

Mmmm-hmmm, yeah that's true...

Often it takes a tragedy or facing death itself to make the hard-hearted change their tune. It took a terminal illness to make my own grandfather turn to Jesus, and it was pitiful seeing him realize how he'd wasted a lifetime being selfish, godless & cruel to those who needed him most. The regret broke his heart, but at least he found God's forgiveness before it was too late.

SB