The Divinity of the Bible

D

Dark Virtue

New Member
I read a thread last night on christianity.com that just left me scratching my head.

There are Christians that believe the only bible you should read is the King James Version.

There are Christians that believe the KJV is a poor choice because of recently found manuscripts.

There are Christians that believe you should use 5 or 6 versions in order to get the whole picture.

My question is this, WAS the KJV divinely inspired? If so, how do you know?

What about the rest of the translations, were they all divinely inspired as well?

It seems to me, the only way to TRULY understand the texts is to get a PHD in Greek and Aramaic and even then it's still open to interpretation.

This is one of the many things that bothers me about Christianity. Why didn't God write the book himself? Or Christ? Why leave the writing, editing, and translation up to fallible human beings with political and religious agendas?
 
http://www.baptist-city.com/sermons/Logic_Proves.html

This is one of my all time favorite preachers. Although he would tell me that I need to search the Word for myself, if he were alive today, I still feel that I can take his words as truth. I think this excerpt from his book explains some of your questions.

I believe the questions that you have are well founded and the same that Christians ask today. There are preachers, teachers, and members here as well that do not have a strong stand on the KJV, or even a single version, perhaps, for that matter. Nevertheless, I do not discount their teachings; I Spiritually learn and grow in the LORD with their assistance. However, I stand firm on the KJV. There are many historical reasons and great men of God that I follow in this belief. In addition, coming to my own conclusions, I love the poetic nature of the King James Version, and I have personally found it alive in some amazing ways to fulfill my needs and heartfelt cries in some trying times. Not that I recommend just randomly opening the Book as a general rule for Spiritual guidance, but God has given me just what I have needed in such a manner in times so difficult I could hardly utter a prayer for myself. Also, while it may seem a simple thing to you, or totally inconclusive, inconceivable, or important to you, the King James Version is not copyrighted. For me, I think that would be EXACTLY how God would have it! It is the only version for which this is true.
 
It's the content that makes the Bible divine. Translations are just translations. Divinity lies not in philosophical doctrine, but in...well, divinity! You can't try to match the divine with the non-divine. It's like trying to explain to a plant what a human is.

Why leave it to falliable humans to write the Bible: Well, let's remember that God made and lived the story, and the humans just wrote it down on ink. Besides, even if God DID write it Himself, humans as imperfect beings would still misinterpret it anyway.
 
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Azzie said:
It's the content that makes the Bible divine. Translations are just translations. Divinity lies not in philosophical doctrine, but in...well, divinity! You can't try to match the divine with the non-divine. It's like trying to explain to a plant what a human is.
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But it's the content that is at the mercy of the translation. How can you glean correct content from faulty translations?

Why leave it to falliable humans to write the Bible: Well, let's remember that God made and lived the story, and the humans just wrote it down on ink. Besides, even if God DID write it Himself, humans as imperfect beings would still misinterpret it anyway.
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How did humans write this story down? Did God dictate the story to them?

OOH, I don't agree with your last statement. Once again, you limit the power of God. If GOD wrote it, it would be perfect, would it not? Imagine one book, written eons ago, pages untouched by time, able to be read by any person in their native language with NO POSSIBILITY of misinterpretation. Now THAT would something!
 
*SIGH* The first link I gave in post #2 IS a transcript!

If you want to read them, say the word! I will transcribe em'!
 
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No possiblity of misinterpretation if God really made it perfect?
Perhaps not. But even if everything were crystal clear, and if God gave us minds to think freely on our own, people can still choose to not believe it or believe it incorrectly.
Any evidence, even if it's solid and proving, can be doubted, criticized, distorted, and not believed. It's all a matter of choice, once again.

Now, if the original Bible were everything we'd imagine God's masterpiece to be...glowing, crystal clear in content, floating in the sky, thundering in each person's mind, zapping down those who don't believe it...EVEN THEN there would be people who won't believe and would remain skeptical, saying things like, "that's the doing of aliens! not God!"

If God decided to brainwash everyone and MAKE them believe or understand fully, then they wouldn't search for Him; they're already mind-controlled by Him. Making something undeniable is no better than just making humans believe in the first place.

Just because God is infinite in power doesn't mean He has to USE all His power all the time.

The content is about Jesus. That's what makes it divine.
 
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Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. John 17:17

Over, and over, and over, and over, and over the Bible speaks about the Word, and things that God has said. Psalm 119 is a wonderful study on The Bible about The Bible. We have the Word, it remains strong and true dispite all the attempts to change, distort, and "correct" it. My God is powerful enough to give us, throughout all generations, His Word. Alas, as Azzie is saying, we will always want to argue it away. I think of some religions that want to walk on fire, beat themselves, think that they must be martyrs, ect. all for the sake of salvation. Jesus made it simple for us in His loving sacrifice shedding the final blood needed for the redemption of man. The plan of Salvation along with anything that we need in our lives is all spelled out simply in His Beautiful Masterfully written Word.
 
I just thought I would jump in here and mention something that I have been reading on this very subject. It is called "The Facts on the King James Only Debate". It is only a $5 book, but it is really good. I will let that book speak for itself.
 
Azzie, possibly you're right, however we'll never know will we? Because he decided to make it a contracdictory messy mishmash of books that were written by a variety of scholars and then edited, abridged and messed about with for 2000 years.
 
Priceless3110 said:
I just thought I would jump in here and mention something that I have been reading on this very subject. It is called "The Facts on the King James Only Debate". It is only a $5 book, but it is really good. I will let that book speak for itself.
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Well I'm cheap, can you summarize it? :)
 
Azzie said:
No possiblity of misinterpretation if God really made it perfect?
Perhaps not.
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What is there to perhaps about?

But even if everything were crystal clear, and if God gave us minds to think freely on our own, people can still choose to not believe it or believe it incorrectly.
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Why would someone choose to believe something incorrectly, especially if you can choose whether or not to believe in it? That just doesn't make sense.

Any evidence, even if it's solid and proving, can be doubted, criticized, distorted, and not believed. It's all a matter of choice, once again.
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You are comparing apples and oranges. I've never been to Paris, but there is enough evidence available for me to believe it exists. I've never seen God and there is NO evidence to prove that he exists.

Now, if the original Bible were everything we'd imagine God's masterpiece to be...glowing, crystal clear in content, floating in the sky, thundering in each person's mind, zapping down those who don't believe it...EVEN THEN there would be people who won't believe and would remain skeptical, saying things like, "that's the doing of aliens! not God!"
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Once again, you are limiting the power of God. I think an omnimax being could create a convincing book if he wanted to. Whether or not someone decides to follow God is very different from someone having enough evidence to believe in a god.

If God decided to brainwash everyone and MAKE them believe or understand fully, then they wouldn't search for Him; they're already mind-controlled by Him. Making something undeniable is no better than just making humans believe in the first place.
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Eh? Why are you equating belief with brainwashing? I believed Clinton existed, but I definately didn't vote for him. My belief in him didn't brainwash me in anyway.

Just because God is infinite in power doesn't mean He has to USE all His power all the time.
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Granted, but I'm not asking him to, nor have I brought that up in this thread.

The content is about Jesus. That's what makes it divine.
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That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

If I write a book about Jesus, does that make it divine?
 
To begin with the mish mash to which Eon refers to. It's the glass half full/half empty syndrome. I think it is amazing the people and methods God has used to get His Word to us. Not to mention the things that have happened from the days of Paul to get the Word to the Gentiles. Don't you find it amazing that the Word has forever stood? There are thousands, millions, nay billons of books that are no longer in print, as well as that many men who have tried to stop the publishing of God's Word and have promised to do so.

Furthermore, the Book is alive in a way that only Christians can understand.

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 Book is literally alive!!! As we strive to draw closer to Him and learn of Him through the Bible, we understand that more and more. It perfectly meets our needs and answers our questions for today. It explains the heart of a God who loves us more than we can every truly comprehend.
 
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