Oct 14, 2022
328 – How We Got Our Modern Bibles Part One
God bless you abundantly in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
This week’s podcast is “How We got our Modern Bible Part one.” I know that we all get excited when we meet people who have the same desire as we do for the things of God. That's why this Biblical study session is so exciting. I will introduce you to some people who felt the same way we do at different times in history but with the same heart for the things of God as we do.
May God Bless you Abundantly
Steve
Here are the notes that I used to do the podcast. It has all the Scriptures that I read written out, making it easy for you to follow along with the podcast.
God is perfect, His Son is perfect, and His Word must also be perfect. God cannot contradict Himself. (God has watched over and protected His Word throughout the ages.)
II Peter1:20 & 21”Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
God is Spirit. God could reveal Himself through the spirit that was upon or in holy men of God. Then, with their mind, they could use their vocabulary to write the Word of God. That is how we got the Word of God. Men of God wrote the Bible. They did the writing, but what they wrote was what God gave them to write. He gave it to them by revelation. There were many writers, but only one author, and that was God.
II Timothy 3: 16 & 17 tells us what is the complete function and purpose of the Bible.
2 Timothy 3:16 & 17 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
“The man of God (the one who speaks for God) may be perfect.” What he says about God will be right according to the Word of God and spoken accurately.
The Word of God puts man in contact with God for profit. We profit as we believe the Word.
Isaiah 30:8 ”Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:
God asks holy men of God to write His words down and then cause them to be read. God asked His word to be written a lot and over and over again.
Colossians 4:16 ”And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.”
God asked His word to be read a lot and over and over again.
Technology History
Full writing systems were invented in Egypt around 3200 BC. The first writing system developed in the Middle East used symbols to represent sounds rather than the things they were describing. There are still examples of this script today. The first paper, papyrus, was developed in Egypt around 2000 B.C. (Since Moses lived from 1530 B.C. to 1409 B.C., papyrus was available to Moses) This new technology was available to Moses, and he used it.
Parchment: It is thought that various forms of parchment were in use as early as 1500 B.C. (Since Moses lived from 1530 B.C. To 1409 B.C., parchment also was available to him.) Parchment was originally made from the flesh side of animal skins. The skins were cooked in lime, stretched on a frame, scraped smooth to the desired thickness, sprinkled with chalk, rubbed smooth, and dried. The finishing process smoothed, softened the leather, and improved the finished product's color. Parchment is still used for some diplomas and public documents. However, most of what is called parchment paper today are paper manufactured to look like the original parchment.
A scroll is a roll of papyrus, parchment, or paper containing writing. For most purposes, scrolls have long been superseded by the book format. However, they are still produced for some ceremonial or religious purposes, notably for the Jewish first five books of the Bible for use in synagogues.
Moses used the technology of the time. I have seen in my lifetime, reel to reel, then eight tracks, then cassettes, then CDs, and now MP3 and other types of files that can be put on thumb drives. Now you purchase access to streaming and others ways to get information out. I now use podcasts to get teachings to people all around the world. They have access to them wherever they get their favorite podcast. People worldwide can and are zooming in on this morning's fellowship. God will use whatever is available.
Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible. Biblical scholars say Moses lived from 1530 B.C. To 1409 B.C. Moses had the technology to write Scripture on both papyrus and parchment. Moses wrote Genesis and the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
God wrote the ten commandments on Mount Sinai on tablets of stone.
Timeline 1530 BC
God has always protected His Word throughout the centuries. God replaced the original stone tablets that Moses broke when he saw the golden calf. Even when God's people were taken captive and went to Babylon, look at what happened when they returned and found the scrolls.
Nehemiah 8:5 & 6, 8, 13: ”And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: 6And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground... 8So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading... 13And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, [a scribe is one that writes the Scriptures down] even to understand the words of the law.”
God protected His Word until they got back to find the Scriptures. They were glad to understand the Words of God.
Jeremiah 15:16: ”Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.”
“Thy words were found.” God has always been able to get his Word to those who want it and will believe It.
Timeline 630 – 560 B.C.
Jeremiah 36:1-10a, 13-18, 21b-32 (The book of the prophet) ”And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that this word came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day. 3 It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin. 4Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah: and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the LORD, which he had spoken unto him, upon a roll of a book. 5And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, I am shut up; I cannot go into the house of the LORD: 6Therefore go thou, and read in the roll, which thou hast written from my mouth, the words of the LORD in the ears of the people in the LORD'S house upon the fasting day: and also thou shalt read them in the ears of all Judah that come out of their cities. 7It may be they will present their supplication before the LORD, and will return every one from his evil way: for great is the anger and the fury that the LORD hath pronounced against this people. 8And Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading in the book the words of the LORD in the LORD'S house. 9And it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, in the ninth month, that they proclaimed a fast before the LORD to all the people in Jerusalem, and to all the people that came from the cities of Judah unto Jerusalem. 10Then read Baruch in the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the LORD,... 13Then Michaiah declared unto them all the words that he had heard, when Baruch read the book in the ears of the people. 14Therefore all the princes sent...unto Baruch, saying, Take in thine hand the roll wherein thou hast read in the ears of the people, and come. So Baruch the son of Neriah took the roll in his hand, and came unto them. 15 And they said unto him, Sit down now, and read it in our ears. So Baruch read it in their ears. 16Now it came to pass, when they had heard all the words, they were afraid both one and other, and said unto Baruch, We will surely tell the king of all these words. 17And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How didst thou write all these words at his mouth? 18Then Baruch answered them, He pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book....21bAnd Jehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes which stood beside the king. 22Now the king sat in the winter house in the ninth month: and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him. 23And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. 24Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words. 27Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, after that the king had burned the roll, and the words which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah, saying, 28Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned. 29And thou shalt say to Jehoiakim king of Judah, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast burned this roll, saying, Why hast thou written therein, saying, The king of Babylon shall certainly come and destroy this land, and shall cause to cease from thence man and beast? 30Therefore thus saith the LORD of Jehoiakim king of Judah; He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David: and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost. 31And I will punish him and his seed and his servants for their iniquity; and I will bring upon them, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and upon the men of Judah, all the evil that I have pronounced against them; but they hearkened not. 32Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah; who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like words.”
No original manuscripts are in existence today, only copies.
There were no chapter divisions in the original manuscripts.
There were no verse divisions in the original manuscripts.
Chapters were first put into the Bible in 1250 AD.
Verses first appeared in the Geneva Bible in 1560.
Then, in 1611 the translation known as the King James Bible was printed.
No Bibles originated in the English language.
The Old Testament has been translated from the Hebrew language.
Most versions of the Gospels, Acts, church epistles, and the rest of the New Testament writings have been translated from Greek.
II Timothy 4:11-13: ”Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. 12 And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus. 13 The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.”
This mention of the writings of Paul in the Bible occurs near the end of Paul’s life. The amazing revelation was given to the Church from God in the form of The Church Epistles.
A Timeline
In 64 AD, persecution under Nero began in Rome.
The Church Epistles were written from 51 to 62 AD.
I and II Timothy were written between 64 and 65 AD.
The Gospels were written between 70 and 110AD, Mark being the first one and John the last, probably somewhere between 90 and 110 AD.
From 70 AD to 110 are some of the darkest times in history.
A very little written record of that period of Christianity remains, as all Christian writings and buildings were ordered to be burned.
Some believers went into the mountains during this time to live in dens and caves. They spend a great deal of time copying down scripture.
In 313 AD, Constantine comes onto the scene.
Pomp and ceremony started at this time to keep in step with the Roman Empire.
In 380 AD, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Pomp and ceremony continued even more at this time, and more power was given to the church. The only ones who had access to the Scripture were high-ranking officials within the Church.
The Scriptures were still in Greek, Hebrew, Latin, and some Aramaic, but Latin became the official Language of the Roman Church. The officials of the Church were the only ones who could read it, and they told others what it said. The Pope became the head authority of the Church, then tradition, then, last in priority, the Scriptures.
The End of my notes for part one.
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