Question: Why does it matter which Greek and Hebrew source texts are used to translate the Bible? And which does AV7 use?
Answer: AV7 follows the Textus Receptus Greek text for the New Testament and the Masoretic Hebrew source text for the Old Testament. Consider for a moment, the history of how the Bible came into existence. Prior to the year 1881 A.D., most efforts surrounding development of the Bible were focused on endeavoring to collect and aggregate the most reliable original language texts possible, and striving to make the most accurate wordfor-word translation in the common languages that people used in their day-to-day lives. However, after 1881, Bible publishing became somewhat convoluted. Before 1881, there were only relatively minor differences in thousands of copies of original language source texts ... and few significant differences in translations. After 1881, a strange thing happened. Certain individuals found some old original language texts that had been put away in storage, unused for a thousand years. But since those texts were thought to be older than original language texts that had been preserved, copied, and recopied for a thousand years, the individuals who found those older texts speculated that simply because those old discarded texts were thought to be older, then surely they must be more authentic and better. The regrettable result of this speculation was that after 1881, two competing schools of thought developed: 1) There continued to those who believe that God has always providentially preserved the most trustworthy original language source texts throughout all of recorded history. 2) But now there was a "new" theory that God did not preserve the most trustworthy original language texts of His Word ... until some ancient texts that had been put away, unused, disregarded, and essentially discarded for a thousand years were found in the 1800s A.D. Consequently, in 1881, some of those who claimed that those recently found, supposedly older source texts were superior, then published a new and different Greek text and a new "revised" English translation based on those supposedly older source texts ... thereby seeking to cast doubt on the trustworthiness of the great Bible that most people had come to love and trust by questioning the veracity of the long prevailing original source language texts. This, therefore, was the beginning of what eventually became a near avalanche of new and different so-called modern translations. And the debate over which original language source texts are the most viable has become an endless continuing debate. Basically, this debate boils down to this one single consideration: Should we believe that Almighty God has, in fact, been capable of preserving the most trustworthy original language source texts of the Word of God and accompanying Scriptures throughout history? Or should we believe that Almighty God was not, in fact, able to do that, and that the most valid and trustworthy original language source texts were lost for many hundreds if not a thousand years until they were eventually discovered among discarded old manuscripts in the 1800s and brought to light to form a new and supposedly "improved" basis for the Bible. |