Has the Bible Been Mistranslated and Misunderstood? (Part III)

In part 2 of our series, we reviewed a list of tools Bible students can use to study the original languages of Scripture. These tools enable non-experts (like us) to unlock the Greek and Hebrew of the Bible to understand what the original inspired words mean and how they are used. Then we examined "spurious" texts - writings that are not part of holy writ but are additions that came into manuscripts over time. Next, we looked at several poorly-translated texts and how these can be identified. Lastly, we reviewed the role of interpretation in translations we can agree on. On this episode, our trek of discovery continues with a further review of Bible mistranslations that camouflage important details of the Bible’s true teaching. Once again, our single goal here is to understand the will and mind of our Holy God by harmonizing every text in Scripture. Did Jesus Really Say That? Have you ever wondered if all the words attributed to Jesus were his actual words? Just asking this question can cause anxiety. After all, if the words of Jesus are not authentic then our faith, by definition, would be called into question. The bad news is that we not only have some words with questionable authenticity, we have some events as well.  The good news – the very good news - is that these are few and far between. And they don’t seriously damage Jesus’ main message. To have a true understanding of the Bible, we need to look into these things and follow the path of verifiable evidence. One of the most unusual issues with Bible mistranslations had to do with the Apostle Paul. In one of his writings he quoted the Old Testament, which was a very common thing for him to do. The unusual part was that he misquoted the verses. How could this have happened? Because he misquoted his source, do we still consider that particular teaching of his as inspired by God?  Check out our November 23, 2020 podcast, “Has the Bible Been Mistranslated and Misunderstood? (Part III).” We delve into the fascinating issues with Jesus’ and the Apostle Paul, and other questions rarely-asked questions. Bible Numerology Does the Bible as God’s inspired Word have a way to tell us if it is complete? Is there some internal formula that lets us know all the books it contains are all of what God intended us to have? Bible Numerology, the study of numerical relationships in Scripture, has some fascinating answers for us. While this may be an area skeptics become vocal on, think about this. God is the Creator of our universe and its systems. We as tiny human beings have “discovered” that the universe is run in accordance with mathematical principles. If God’s universe works in accordance with numbers, then is it such a stretch to see that His Word, which reveals His plan to us, is numerical as well? Join us in our discovery of the Bible’s amazing and authentic teachings!  Continue on with your studies in Part IV...