03-30-08 Bible study entitled' Why is the Bible hard to understand

[Aspros_Tigris]

<The_Nickless_Stranger> Tonight's Bible study is entitled "Why is the Bible hard to understand"

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<The_Nickless_Stranger> I: the Bible is not a word for word translation.

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<The_Nickless_Stranger> the Bible is not a word for word translation.

<The_Nickless_Stranger> there are some words in the original Hebrew and Greek texts

<The_Nickless_Stranger> for which there is no equivent word in the English language.

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<The_Nickless_Stranger> A: The translators used words that they thought people

<The_Nickless_Stranger> would understand

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<The_Nickless_Stranger> (Proverbs 1:7) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

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<The_Nickless_Stranger> The word fear in this verse in the original Hebrew is Yir-aw' which meant to show reverence to.

<The_Nickless_Stranger> when the Bible was translated into English in 15 century England.

<The_Nickless_Stranger> a common phase (we would refer to it as a slang term today) was fear the king.

<The_Nickless_Stranger> which meant when you went before the king to bow and show him respect.

<The_Nickless_Stranger> and the fool or court jester was the only one who didn't bow before the king

<The_Nickless_Stranger> and since people knew this the translators used the word "fear"

<The_Nickless_Stranger> because people would understand the connection.

<The_Nickless_Stranger> However as time passed the phase "fear the king" stopped being used

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<The_Nickless_Stranger> B: The translators used the defination of the word.

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<The_Nickless_Stranger> (1 Timothy 2:12) But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

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<The_Nickless_Stranger> In this verse the words " to usurp authority over the men" in the original text was just a single word.

<The_Nickless_Stranger> "authenteo" which meant "to usurp authority over"

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<The_Nickless_Stranger> II The translators added words to the text

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<The_Nickless_Stranger> The original text wasn't divided into chapters and verses

<The_Nickless_Stranger> when chapters and verses were added the translators added words

<The_Nickless_Stranger> to make the text understandable.

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<The_Nickless_Stranger> (Hebrews 8:13) In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

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<The_Nickless_Stranger> In this verse the words "covenant' and "is" did not appear in the original Greek

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<The_Nickless_Stranger> (Matthew 1:6) And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;

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<The_Nickless_Stranger> In this verse the words "that had been the wife" did not appear in the original text.

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<The_Nickless_Stranger> III: some words in the original texts were translated into different words in the English translations.

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<The_Nickless_Stranger> (English Translation)

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<The_Nickless_Stranger> (John 3:8) The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

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<The_Nickless_Stranger> (Original Greek)

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<The_Nickless_Stranger> To pneuma hopou thelo pneo kai to phone

<The_Nickless_Stranger> autos akouo alla ou eido pothen erchomai

<The_Nickless_Stranger> kai pou hupago houto eimi pas to gennao ek

<The_Nickless_Stranger> to pneuma

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<The_Nickless_Stranger> Now the first two (2) words are "To pneuma" (The wind) and the last two (2) words are

<The_Nickless_Stranger> "to pneuma" (the Spirit)

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<The_Nickless_Stranger> the word "pneuma" was translated as "wind" in the first part of the verse and as "Spirit" at the end of the verse