27 page booklet
The Bible was not originally written in English. How did our English translation of the Bible come about? Learn how our King James Version has many translational errors. Eminent Bible scholar Professor C. Tischendorf presents a list of spurious passages based on the ancient Siniatic manuscript.
Weight: 1 oz
Dimensions: 6.875 × 4.5 × 0.0625 in
The booklet Our Bible Translated provides a comprehensive overview of the origins, transmission, and translation of the Bible, with a special focus on its journey into the English language. It demonstrates how the hand of divine providence guided the preservation and accessibility of God’s Word through the ages, ensuring its availability for future generations.
The Bible was originally written in two primary languages:
Hebrew, which was used for most of the Old Testament.
Greek, particularly Koine Greek, the common dialect during the time of Christ, which was used for the New Testament.
The booklet notes that the New Testament writers often quoted from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, indicating that God's Word was already being shared across languages during Bible times.
The booklet emphasizes that translation is not only useful but essential. It affirms that if God desires all people to come to know Him, then His Word must be available in their own language. This is consistent with the biblical message that God is not a respecter of persons and wants all nations to understand His will (Romans 10:12–14).
Early Christians began translating the Bible into languages such as Latin, Syriac, and Coptic to reach diverse populations. Among these:
The Latin Vulgate, translated by Jerome around 400 A.D., became the standard Bible of the Roman Catholic Church for over a thousand years.
However, during the Middle Ages, access to the Bible was restricted, and Latin was no longer commonly understood by the general public. This led to spiritual ignorance and dependency on church authorities.
The booklet highlights the brave work of early English translators who challenged the church’s monopoly on Scripture:
John Wycliffe (1300s): Produced the first complete English Bible, hand-copied from the Latin Vulgate. His work laid the foundation for future translation efforts.
William Tyndale (1500s): Translated the Bible from the original Hebrew and Greek into English. For this, he was condemned as a heretic and executed. However, much of his wording lived on in later English Bibles.
Miles Coverdale and others built upon Tyndale’s work, producing printed English Bibles that contributed to the spread of Reformation ideas.
One of the most significant events in Bible translation was the commissioning of the King James Version (KJV) by King James I of England. Completed in 1611, this version:
Drew on earlier translations and Tyndale’s legacy.
Was created by a group of 47 scholars and aimed to unify English-speaking Christians.
Became the most influential English Bible, admired for its majestic style and faithful rendering of the original texts.
The booklet praises the KJV for its clarity, poetic beauty, and faithfulness, although it acknowledges that understanding archaic English can be a barrier for modern readers.
The booklet recognizes that while the King James Version remains valuable, newer translations aim to make the Bible accessible to contemporary readers. These include:
Revised Standard Version (RSV)
New International Version (NIV)
American Standard Version (ASV) and others
It stresses that the most important measure of a translation is its faithfulness to the original Hebrew and Greek, not just readability. Some modern versions may prioritize paraphrasing or theological bias, which can obscure the original message.
The booklet urges readers to value accuracy over popularity and to compare translations carefully when studying the Bible.
Organizations like the American Bible Society and British and Foreign Bible Society are commended for distributing millions of Bibles worldwide. Their work has made God’s Word available in over a thousand languages, fulfilling the prophecy that the gospel would be preached in all the world (Matthew 24:14).
The booklet concludes by asserting that the preservation and translation of the Bible throughout history show clear evidence of God’s guiding hand. Despite opposition, persecution, and challenges, God ensured that His message of hope, salvation, and truth would reach all people in their own tongues.
It encourages readers to be thankful for the Bible, study it diligently, and value its message as the foundation of faith and life.
