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How can Jesus and the Bible both be the Word of God?



    
    

Clarify Share Report Asked December 21 2013 Mini Anonymous (via GotQuestions)

For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.

Mini Bernita Rainey

Because jesus was the word maded flesh and dwelled among us when he died on the cross the words spoken in the bible became known to man that was prophised in the begin of time.

December 21 2013 Report

Mini W P

According to John Jesus is literally the Word of God...

John 1
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made."

Therefore we can conclude that every 'inspired' Word of God comes via Jesus.

Your question is how can both the Bible and Jesus be the word? This is a VERY DEEP topic. One that deserves your time to research thoroughly.

So where do I start?

When you talk of the Bible there's a few variables you have to take into account:

1. the original manuscripts used for the translation
2. the methods used for the various Bible translations
3. the true intent of the translator(s)

MANUSCRIPTS

There are generally two main sets of manuscripts that translators will work from when translating (the Bible):

A.) Textus Receptus Manuscripts - a collection handful of older manuscripts that Erasmus compiled into one set. They borrowed from the Alexandrian Manuscripts where there were parts missing in the Textus Receptus. Used by Old King James translation.

B.) Alexandrian Manuscripts - a set of anscient manuscripts discovered in Egypt. Used by the Catholic translations.

(The Textus Receptus and the Alexandrian manuscripts agree within 95%. The 5% discrepancy is a considerable amount and gives opportunity for distorted doctrines).

C.) Dead Sea Scrolls - found recently in an Ethiopian cave, but are incomplete. The most ancient manuscripts ever found.

Many modern translations use both A.) and B.) manuscript sets. When there is a disagreement between the two sets, they have to decide which set is the more authoritative. This is where the controversy begins.

Old King James uses only the Textus Receptus manuscripts.

There are assertions by the Kind-James-Only crowd alleging that the Alexandrian manuscripts were corrupted sometime just after AD 100 by a certain individual.

Let's now take a brief look at translation methods...


TRANSLATION METHODS
There's various methods for translating ancient words and phrases.

Often the original meanings are ambiguous or even completely unknown.

Even when the meaning is fairly certain, it can be extremely difficult to convey that meaning into modern English that - although, has thousands and thousands of words - is a terrible language for conveying nuances of meaning.

The Old King James version used to have these uncertainties properly documented in the footnotes. However, over the centuries as people have begun to believe in the infallibility of the original manuscripts and translators, later revisions have deleted many of those footnotes (which is a loss for us modern readers).


INTENT OF THE TRANSLATORS
What is the intent from each translator (or team of translators)?

Do they have our best interests at heart? Or do they have some other hidden agenda?

Do they have 'pet' doctrines, like for example God's acceptance of Homosexuality, universalism, etc etc?

Believe me when I say that these motivating intentions all play into the final result of the Bible they translate. I can point to various blatant examples of this, which I don't have space to do here.

CONCLUSION
There's several factors that go into the final result you see when you read the Bibles available today. Some differences are so gross and contradictory, that you absolutely cannot conclude that every word and every phrase in every Bible is the Word of God.

So what are we left with?

Can we trust certain Bible translations?

My advice is to read several different Bible translations. But also compare them with interlinear, or literal translations like Young's Literal Translation, and the Concordant Literal Translation.

THEN... you have to humbly ask the Holy Spirit lead you into the truth of the real Word of God, who is Jesus.

Don't assume you have the right end of the stick.

Jesus said "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life".

He's the Word of God.

December 22 2013 Report

Open uri20141107 4425 yc4vbv JEAN KABUYA

Would read these script:
John 1:1-4 King James Version (KJV)

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Do you recall the heated confrontation between Jesus Christ and the pharisees, sadducees, common Jews at the Feast Of Tabernacles.
It starts from John chapter 7 to John 8:1-59.

John 8:30-59
King James Version (KJV)

30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.
41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
43 Why do ye not understand my speech? Even because ye cannot hear my word.
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?
49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.
50 And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.
51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.
52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.
53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? And the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?
54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:
55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?

58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

Here are the peak verses you may start with : John 6:27-71, John 7:14-15;
Please read this portion though the all Gospel of John could tell you the whole story of Jesus Deity.

December 22 2013 Report

Mini alan joachim

This seems to be over complicated. Jesus and God are one in the same. The bible is the word of God/Jesus.

August 31 2014 Report

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