Where does the Bible come from and what translation should we use? Most Christians know the Bible comes from God. To be more specific, the Bible is authored by God. God worked through the apostles and prophets and brought them His Word. He recorded His Word and the significant historical events relating to His promises and salvation.
The Old Testament was compiled over 300 years before Jesus was born. The New Testament was compiled later. The sixty-six books in the Bible form Biblical canon. Canon, in this sense, means a collection of sacred books that are generally accepted. There are some denominations, like the Roman Catholics, who have extra books in the Bible. These books are considered the Apocrypha (hidden books) or deuterocanonical books (second level canon) books in the Roman Catholic church. These books don’t meet the criteria needed to be considered Biblical Cannon. While the books in the Apocrypha can be considered useful for learning, they are not considered by all denominations to be part of the Bible.
What makes a book part of Biblical cannon? Some simple criteria: inspired by God, written by an apostle or prophet, contains divine mysteries in Hebrew or Greek, was recognized by the early church or faithful Jews in regards to the Old Testament, and used in the ancient, apostolic church. Some books in the apocrypha contain great historical context for the time period, but do not meet other criteria.
The original manuscripts (autographs) are what were divinely inspired. We have good reason to believe that our ancient manuscripts of the Bible were extremely close to what the original manuscripts say. Looking at the New Testament and number of faithful copies without error we have, we have good reason to believe the Old Testament was meticulously copied in the same way. Another note would be the translation of the original manuscripts are God’s Word, not the translation of those words into our languages today like English.
The question of translation, and what translation should be used is important. The Lutheran Witness has a wonderful article sharing thoughts on different Bible translations and what to think about when selecting which one to use. Obviously, nothing beats learning the Bible’s original languages like Greek and Hebrew, so that’s why pastors need to learn them! In any translation, it’s hard to both convey the exact meaning of words AND the intent of what is being said in the words. That’s why it can be hard choosing a translation.
Lee Strobel also has some good chapters in his books on if we can trust the authenticity of the Bible. Compared to other ancient works, we have hundreds of copies! But why even talk about all of this? The Bible is essential to our faith. It IS the Word of God. God tells us truths about himself and our world. If we can’t trust what God tells us, what is the point of our faith? Is there such thing as sin? Right and wrong? Do we need a Savior? Is Jesus the Savior? Is there really a heaven? Will God come back for us? Knowing who God is, is essential to our faith. How can we know who God is? He tells us where we can find him. In His Word and Sacraments. If you’re interested in learning more about Old Testament canon, Andrew Steinmann’s The Oracles of God: Old Testament Canon might be a good book to read. If you’re interested in learning more about God, pick up your Bible and read or join us at church to hear God’s Word and participate in the Sacraments!