Some scriptures were written by hand onto scrolls. Ancient Jewish Scribes said each word out loud as they wrote. Some prophets engraved their teaching onto plates made of metal like brass or gold.
Read the title pages of the KJV of the Bible. It says it was TRANSLATED OUT OF THE ORIGINAL TOUNGUES. The Old Testament was translated from HEBREW. The NewTestament was translated from GREEK.
The rest of the words in the Title Page: AND WITH THE FORMER TRANSLATIONS DILIGENTLY COMPARED AND REVISED BY HIS MAJESTY’S SPECIAL COMMAND.
Once the Apostles all died, the Catholic church existed for those who believed in Christ. In A.D. 382 The Pope asked a priest named Eusebius Sofronius Heironmymos to translate the Bible into LATIN. This Latin Bible was called the Vulgate. This guy with the long name was called St. Jerome.
Monks began copying the Vulgate by hand. Two problems were seen: 1. Translation/language errors. 2. Some deliberate changes.
JOHN was a scholar and philosopher and teacher who critized the teaching of the Catholic’s church. The common language was English. He wanted to translate the Bible into English. He could speak Latin, but not Hebrew or Greek. What problems do you see with this?
One Wycliffe Bible would take 10 months to copy by hand. People could rent the Bible.
The Catholic church greatly opposed the Wycliffe Bible and if someone was found with it, they were burned at the stake with the Bible tied at the neck. Only 150 of those original Bibles remain in existence today.
John W. died in 1384 and in 1439 Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press. The First book completed was the Bible, for the Catholic church and from the Latin Vulgate.
1492, almost 200 years after John W. a man named William Tyndale was born. He became a scholar and knew many languages, English, Latin, Hebrew and Greek. He would read the Hebrew and Greek Bible and show how the Latin Vulgate had been translated incorrectly.
When authorities heard that there was an English Bible they held public burning’s. There are only 3 known of the 3 thousands English Bibles.
Tyndale was kidnapped, imprisoned and burned at the stake. Some of his last words were that the king of England would open his eyes.
After Tyndale death, the English Bible made a permanent influence on society. Protestant religions are now hundreds of different Christian Faiths and denominations with a wide variety of doctrines. They originated during the 1500’s with men like John Calvin and Martin Luther. They are known as “reformers” and this time period is known as the “reformation”. The Kings and Queens of England has a great impact on the Protestant Reformation. (Lots of Circles).
By the time King James took the throne there were several Bible versions: Geneva, Cloverdale, Bishops, and the Great Bible.
William Shakespeare used the Geneva Bible and this Bible came to America on the Mayflower! One translation was excepted by everyone so King James order a new translation made. He formed a committee of 47 scholars and gave them a list of approved Bibles they could use. The Majority of the translation remained Tyndale’s Translation.
Hence the need for a Revelation, a New Book: The Book of Mormon. Do you see the need for this Article of Faith?
Article of Faith #8: We believe the Bible to be the Word of God as far as it is translated correctly. We also believe the Book of Mormon to be the Word of God.
Look at the Bibles available at Barnes and Noble. Sad.