Corruption of the Bible Text
Note:
Introductions of Chapter and verses; N. Test. Chapters': AD 1,227, (Bishop Langton). Verses: AD 1,555, (Stephanus).
Old Test. Chapters': AD 1,448, Rabbi Nathan.
Most Bible students know that, in its original conception, the Bible is from the Mind of Almighty God. The corruptions now apparent in all translations can be "normalized", by a process of examination against the manuscripts, many of which are held in the British Museum. The two major groupings are the "Major and Minor Greek" texts. Many Greek and Hebrew scholars have already undertaken that work, and one of the highly regarded is Dr. E. W. Bullinger, whose work produced the Companion Bible. He, as a Greek and Hebrew scholar, in cooperation with Dr. David Ginsburg who provided Old Testament notes, worked scrupulously with the extant manuscripts, producing a very scholarly and trustworthy comparison noted margin called the Companion Bible. He was a confidant and friend of Dr. David Ginsburg, the well-known Jewish Bible scholar, and was trusted by Dr. Ginsburg with his work, which he used in the Old Testament examinations. This magnificent work, is regarded highly around the world, due to its fidelity to scrupulous scholarship and objectivity, and still stands up to any academic examination or criticism.
The Authorised AD 1611 text is untouched in the Companion Bible, as it was translated from the "Major Greek" manuscripts, and has been confirmed by the Qumran Scrolls from Cave 4; and therefore has less additions and errors, where as the "Minor Greek" has at least 5000 alterations. A wide margin is used for all comments on errors, omissions, additions, and explanations, relative to manuscripts and other "authorities". One of these is the Pshitta, see: Ancient Aramaic Manuscripts, Pshitta O and A: Although there have been many more Ancient documents found since Dr. Bullinger’s death, especially in the 20th century, they have not disagreed with his work in anything but small detail, the Companion Bible's fidelity to God's message to mankind, remains intact. Dr. Bullinger's great emphasis was that the Word must be taken as written, and not "spiritualised"! For example; many, if not most "Churches" today teach that Israel is cast away for ever, and that "the new Israel is the Church"! See: Replacement Theology. This great error means that all reading of Scripture with this mind-set is perverted, and interpretations are wrong, with the consequence of much turmoil in the lives of Christians; as what they read or are taught regarding Israel they apply to themselves, including the tribulations and blessings stated for Israel.
He also undertook a complete revision of the Vulgate, and saw the major translation errors that the Roman Church had included via. Jerome, to give supremacy to them, and to attribute to Mary the defeat of Satan, instead of Christ (Gen. 3:15)! These are noted in the Companion Bible, as they arise.
Another major example of miss-construence / misunderstanding of Bible text, is that of Martin Luther, who in his interpretation of our Lord's words in Matt. 3:7, included all the people of Israel together with those of the Scribes and Pharisees! He went on to say:
He did not call them Abraham's children, but a "brood of vipers" [Matt. 3:7]. Oh, that was too insulting for the noble blood and race of Israel, and they declared, "He has a demon" [Matt 11:18]. Our Lord also calls them a "brood of vipers"; furthermore in [John 8:39 & 44] he states: "If you were Abraham's children ye would do what Abraham did.... You are of your father the devil". It was intolerable to them to hear that they were not Abraham's but the devil's children, nor can they bear to hear this today.
-Martin Luther (On the Jews and Their Lies).
In that error, the great Martin Luther followed the ‘Church Fathers’ and Constantine in particular fuelling the seedbed that feeds anti-Semitism; and together with Darwinism, was eventually adopted by Adolph Hitler for the purpose of mass extermination of the Jews and his vision of the Arion superiority.
The great service Martin Luther rendered to mankind in beginning the freeing of the populace from the bondage of the Roman Church on Salvation Truth, and their many other corruptions (Why the Teaching of the Roman Catholic Church is not of God Almighty:) including indulgencies, is undoubtedly overshadowed by his anti-Semitism; which is still fed by Satan’s agents in the world today, and will continue up to the second Advent of our Lord, Christ Jesus!
Luther's mind was unable to understand at that time that the Jews were partially blinded by their corrupted Old Testament Scriptures (see: Changes Made To The Old Testament ) by their Leaders over many Centuries! Also his anti-Semitic bias was strengthened by Constantine’s initial institutional bias against the Jews and his own struggle with the Truth of Salvation in Christ Jesus using most of his energies!
Centuries earlier at the formation of the Roman Church; the Jews were unable to see that the whole of their Scriptures (Old Testament) spoke of their Messiah; Jesus the Christ; beginning with Gen. 3:15 which had been removed by many 'sages'. Later in approx. AD70, their condition was made worse by their rejection of Messiah Christ Jesus, because of the ‘veil’ over their understanding, placed by God at their rejection of Jesus, and their subsequent ‘Dispersion’ (Lo-Ammi) state (2Cor. 3:14).
Our Lord's words were for the ears and minds of the corrupt Ruling elite, as had they accepted Him as Messiah, the people would have followed! Jesus called them a "brood of Vipers", not just snakes, but the most deadly "Vipers"! (See: Father of Lies, John 8:44).
Under the re-establishment of Israel by Ezra and Nehemiah after the Babylonian exile, purity of adherence to The Word was stated as paramount. To enforce the point Ezra insisted that the Word be read publicly for many hours in the streets of Jerusalem, even when it rained.
However, over the following years to when Our Lord was born, the Scribes and Pharisees produced their own "holy writings", which are often referred to as the "Wisdom writings", see (Jewish Scriptures:). The Rulers of Israel demanded / demand that these are adhered to, and that they take precedence over the God given text! It is this great error that our Lord railed against, when He addressed the Jews during His Earthly Ministry!
John the Baptist, Jesus and the Apostle Paul berated the Jewish Hierarchy of the day for adhering to the Pharisaic teachings, instead of the Originals given to Moses, known as "Biblical Judaism". It is recorded and well known by the Jews, that the Pharisees in particular were "very flexible" in their interpretations of Torah, and this is confirmed by the Qumran Scrolls, produced by the Essens. The conflict between the two Groups over the veracity of observance of the "original Tanach", was brought to a head, by the First Advent of Jesus, and it is speculated by Dr. Ginsburg that by AD 40, "the Essens had probably become followers of Jesus"!
“That, we hear very little of them (the Essenes) after A.D. 40; and there can hardly be any doubt that the Essenes as a body must have embraced Christianity” Dr. Christian David Ginsburg, The Essenes, AD 1864.
This interesting observation is emphasised, as the Essens would have experienced the death and Resurrection of Jesus, in AD 33 approx.
Of the main 'schools', or Groups of the day, the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the Essens; the Pharisees became dominant, and at the time of the destruction of the Temple in AD 70, only the "Judaism of the Pharisees", known as "Rabbinic Judaism" prevailed! This grew, and by AD 300, all the Pharisaic Interpretations had been written in what is called the "Mishnah". This is the basis of "Modern (Orthodox) Judaism".
This is why the Truths of the Messiah of Almighty God, as depicted and prophesied in the "Biblical Judaism" of the Old Testament (OT), are not accepted by the Pharisaic (Orthodox) Jews who adhere to the current "Rabbinical Judaism" derived from the Pharisees of Jesus' day!
The lesson is great, we must be careful to understand what we are reading, but to also be aware that there are "Vipers" in present day leaders and teachers! Those Jews that followed wrong teachers and teachings, are in the condemnation expressed by John, Jesus and Paul. So also those that follow wrong leaders and teachers today in Christendom.
Dr. Bullinger himself, during his lifetime, was an extremely humble and Godly man, and produced this Bible to help people to understand the Truth, which was, and is, hard to discern from the different teachings of the different "Churches", especially bearing in mind the above, and the current "Liberal" emphasis in worldwide Churches. This Companion Bible is still in print, in the USA, the Antipodes and now in China. A very important point to know is that although much corruption has taken place in Bible translation, for various reasons, some deliberate such as Jerome’s Vulgate, for the Roman Church, and the AD 1611 KJV, for the Church of England, and some "accidental"; what most people do not know, and many will not accept, is that The Spirit of God Almighty keeps a watch over all matters affecting His Word. This fact has/is attested to by Bible and language Scholars, and the remarkable accuracy that has been maintained in the copies of manuscripts has been quoted as almost 99%! The same God who preserves His Word down the Ages, and who oversees and clarifies it as the culmination of His prophecies draws closer, in the many translations of the last 500 years, also brings the Truth to all who sincerely seek it! The website at the foot of the page deals partially with this subject, see also Bible Dispensations.
What is not generally known, is that Ancient Rome, under its various Caesars, adopted the religions of the Nations they conquered, to placate the populous in their new condition of "conquered Nation". Many of the pagan gods that were "adopted", became "saints" in the new universal Roman religion! This was a very successful policy, and was later merged into the "Christian" Empire under Constantine / Helena. This is one of the origins of "mother and child" worship, as the Roman pagans rebelled, when Isis and her child Horus were to be excluded! Constantine relented, and the result is Mary worship today, and attributing to her, what should be attributed to Christ alone! At the same time that Constantine and his mother formed "The holy Roman Empire", all debate on the various disputes and views that were current in Christian circles, was stifled, on pain of death! The healthy debate did not continue until Martin Luther's brave stand! This is one of the reasons why the Roman Church does not encourage Roman Catholics to read the Bible unsupervised, they only allow the "official" view to be expressed! It is also the reason for many of the other official teachings, many of which originate in Ancient Babylon! After the formation of Constantine's Roman Church, and the instigation of "Popery", there followed the various "Councils", and "Bulls", which give the rules for belief in the Roman Church, which Catholics today must follow! These corruptions had tainted the True message for approx.1200 years, and until the bravery of Martin Luther and others, held sway!
The Roman Church example of deliberate error for purposes of men, instead of fidelity to Almighty God's purpose expressed in His Word, is still underway in many different Churches, cults, groups, and denominations. Many "Churches" seem on the surface to be authentic, and even preach "Christ crucified", but mix the Salvation message with a concoction of other teaching which do not conform to properly understood Scripture. Most of these mentioned require a form of control of their adherents, and / or a form of work or service over and above the Saving Grace of our Lord! The True message of Salvation sets people free, renews their minds, and gives purpose. The insidious corruption and misuse of Scripture for wrong purpose, where consciously undertaken, has the condemnation of Christ, in the words recorded in Matt. 7:22-23!
This discussed in more detail in; www.revelationsmessage.co.uk
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