The Bible and How We Got It

By Gabriel Oluwasegun

This book was written because a lot of distortions and fabricated fables had been said and written about the Writings of the Holy Bible all a bid to down play its authenticity as an inspired document.

The book is written to correct all erroneous insinuation and the heretical teachings of secular scholars, Authors and Islamic 'Gums' debunking the accuracy and the inerrant of the Christian scripture. It highlights the stages through which the original autographs of the various ancient manuscripts of the Holy Bible passed through during, its formation stages before it became a written scriptural document.
The book is recommended as a resources material for Biblical Scholars, Theologian, Seminarians, Historians and Ministers of God worldwide.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jun 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098316587

Book preview

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

ISBN: 9781098316587

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

PREFACE

SECTION  1

1.1 WHAT IS THE BIBLE?

1.2  ESSENTIAL  INFORMATION ABOUT THE BIBLE

1.3  HOW THE BIBLE WAS WRITTEN

1.4  THE BIBLE TODAY IS THE SAME AS WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN

1.5  BIBLICAL TRANSLATIONS

SECTION 2

2.1 MATERIALS USED FOR WRITING THE BIBLE IN THE ANCIENT TIME

2.2 THE ANCIENT SCRIBE AND HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WRITING OF THE BIBLE

2.3    HOW WE GOT OUR BIBLE

SECTION 3

3.1  THE BIBLE AS A WHOLE

3.2  THE MESSAGE OF THE BIBLE

3.3  PERSONAL CLAIMS

3.4  THE CLAIMS MADE BY THE BIBLE

3.5 WHEN WE SAY THE BIBLE IS INSPIRED WHAT DO WE MEAN?

3.6  CHRIST’S CLAIM FOR THE BIBLE

3.7 THE WRITERS’ CLAIMS FOR THE BIBLE

SECTION 4

HOW THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE WERE CHOSEN

4.1  The Use of Measuring Rod

4.2  The Witness of Truth

4.3  One Book with Many Writers

4.4  One True Author

4.5  THE TEST FOR THE  AUTHENTICITY OF THE SCRIPTURES

IT IS COMPLETE AND UNDAMAGED

STRONG CONFIDENCE

SECTION  5

5.1  THE OLD TESTAMENT

5.2 THE DIVISION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

5.3  SUMMARY OF THE CONTENTS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

5.4 THE WRITING OF THE OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURE

5.5 THE HEBREW OLD TESTAMENT

5.6  THE CHRONOLOGY  OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

5.7  JESUS CHRIST AND THE OLD TESTAMENT

5.8  DISCOVERING THE OLD TESTAMENT

5.9  THE PURPOSE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

5.10      THE MESSAGE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

5.11      THE OLD TESTAMENT LANGUAGE

5.12    THE IMPORTANCE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

5.13        THE COMPILATION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

5.14  THE ADVENT OF WRITING

5.15      THE IMPACT OF THE DEAD SEA SCROLL

SECTION 6

6.1    THE BACKGROUND OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

6.2  THE NEW TESTAMENT

6.3  CHAPTERS AND VERSES

6.4  THE MESSAGE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

6.5  THINGS NEW IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

6.6  JEWISH GROUPS IN JESUS’ DAYS

SECTION 7

LANGUAGE AND CANON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT BOOKS

7.1    LANGUAGE

7.2  CANON

7.3      The Origin of the New Testament

7.4      The Test of Canonicity

7.5        IMPORTANT DATES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

7.6      THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

SECTION 8

8.1 THE TEXT OF THE NEW TESTAMENT AND FORMS OF THE ANCIENT BOOKS

8.2  WITNESSES TO THE TEXT OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

8.3  IMPORTANT GREEK PAPYRI OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

8.4      UNCIAL GREEK MANUSCRIPTS

8.5  THE MINUSCULE MANUSCRIPT

8.6  GREEK LECTIONARIES

8.7  CHURCH FATHERS’ (PATRISTIC CITATIONS)

SECTION 9

9.1  THE NEW TESTAMENT OVERWHELMING EVIDENCES

9.2    TEXTUS RECEPTUS

9.3    PRE-CRITICAL PERIOD AND TEXTUS RECEPTUS

SECTION TEN

10.1    TEXTUAL CRITICISM

10.2  THE NATURE OF BIBLICAL CRITICISM

10.3  CAUSES OF ERRORS IN THE TRANSMISSION OF THE TEXT OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

SECTION 11

11.1          VERSIONS OF OUR ENGLISH BIBLE AND HOW WE GOT THEM

11.2    VERSIONS AND TRANSLATIONS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

THE KING JAMES VERSION

EARLIER VERSIONS

THE LATIN VERSION

THE GOTHIC VERSION

ARABIC VERSION

POSIAN VERSION

SLAVONIC VERSION

THE COPTIC VERSIONS

THE SYRIAC VERSION

THE ARMENIAN VERSION

THE GEORGIAN VERSION

THE ETHIOPIC VERSION

WYCLIFFE VERSION

TYNDALE VERSION

DOUAY VERSION

MODERN VERSIONS

11.3  INTER-RELATIONSHIP OF VERSIONS

11.4            WHICH IS THE BEST TRANSLATION?

SECTION 12

12.1  THE HISTORICAL RELIABILITY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT DOCUMENTS

12. 2  THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT DOCUMENTS

12.3 THE EXTANT MANUSCRIPTS EVIDENCE FOR THE NEW TESTAMENT DOCUMENTS

12.4  COMPARISON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT DOCUMENTS WITH ANCIENT SECULAR WRITINGS

12.5 THE DATINGS OF THE ORIGINAL NEW TESTAMENT DOCUMENT SOURCES

12.6      EVIDENCES FOR THE DATING OF THE NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES

12.7      IMPORTANT DATES FOR THE FORMATION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

12.8  THE BASIC TIMELINE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

SECTION 13

13.1          THE RELIABILITY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURE WRITERS

13.2  WHY THE GOSPEL WAS WRITTEN

13.3  HISTORIANS CONFIRM WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT JESUS

13.4 THE INTEGRITY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT EYEWITNESSES TO THE EVENTS

13.5 THE NATURE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURE’S EYE WITNESSES TO CHRIST

13.6  THE SANCTITY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURE’S EYE WITNESSES AND WRITERS

13.7 THE ACCURACY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURE’S EYE WITNESSES

13.8  SECULAR HISTORY’S CONFIRMATION OF THE  RELIABILITY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURE

SECTION 14

14.1  ARCHAEOLOGY AND SECULAR TESTIMONIES  TO THE ACCURACY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURE

Archaeology confirms the Bible’s historical accuracy

14.2  ARCHAEOLOGY CONFIRMED THE NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY

SECTION 15

15.1  THE AUTHORITY OF THE SCRIPTURE

15.2  THE RIGHT APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF THE AUTHORITY OF THE SCRIPTURES

Scripture must be viewed as a whole

A matter for faith.

A truth to be asserted

The whole Bible is the Word of God.

The New Testament is humanity’s most reliable ancient document.

15.3  THE NEW TESTAMENT’S VIEWS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

15.4  THE AUTHORITY OF THE APOSTLES

15.5  THE UNIQUENESS OF THE SCRIPTURE

15.6  THE SCRIPTURE’S OWN CLAIM

15.7  JESUS’S TEACHINGS ON THE SCRIPTURE

SECTION 16

16.1 THE HISTORY OF BIBLE PRODUCTION

16.2  THE HISTORY OF THE BIBLE SOCIETY

16.3  THE ORIGIN OF THE BIBLE SOCIETY

16.4  THE UNITED BIBLE SOCIETIES

16.5  THE BIBLE SOCIETY OF NIGERIA

BIBLIOGRAPHY

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my beloved  In-Law, friend and pastoral  proesssional colegue: Late  Pastor Isaac Oluwafemi Adediji (ISOLAD, December 13th 1950-26th January 2020), of blessed memory. Until his death, he was the Senior Pastor at Christ Apostolic Church, Oke Iyanu 2, Abeokuta Street, Ilaje Bus stop, Bariga, Lagos, Nigeria..

During his life time, Pastor Isaac Oluwafemi Adediji was a very hard working, generous philanthropist, easy going and easy to engage peaceable servant of God . He loved the Lord, he loved his amiable wife: Lady Evangelist Agnes Iyabo Adediji and his wonderful children:  Yetunde, OLuwatosin, Oluwaseun and Oluwabukola, grand children brothers and sisters.

He was a gem in the eyes of many, because in his not so short life,  he positively impacted the life of many Christians,  churches, community groups, religious associations, friends, trade associations, family members, Inlaws, etc.

Pastor Isaac Oluwafemi Adediji was regularly a financial burden bearer for family relations and churches during his life time. May his gentle soul continue to enjoy a lasting rest in the bosom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am grateful to my Heavenly Father and also, to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to all my mentors in life and Ministry. I am indebted to the United Missionary Church of West Africa Theological College, Ilorin, Nigeria, the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, and Ashland University of Ohio, U.S.A for affording me the opportunity of Theological Education in their respective Institutions. I am also grateful to Touro College Graduate School of Social Work for affording me the benefit of a Masters’ Degree in Social Work in their institution.

Realizing the impact of men in the accomplishment of God’s plan in the lives of fellow human beings, I register my profound gratitude and appreciation to all those whom God had used to make the publication of this book a reality. I am grateful to my darling wife; Mrs. Victoria Mopelola Oluwasegun, DPT,  and my other children: Titilope, Oluwaseun,  Oluwamayowa and Oluwarantimi, for their regular moral, spiritual, intercessory assistance and regular financial supports to me and my Ministry.

Indebtedness is also acknowledged to all the Pastors, Missionaries, Volunteers and Covenant Partners who had served or supported my missions and ministerial endeavors physically, spiritually, morally and financially.

Indebtedness could also be acknowledged to many others for the thoughts in this book. I acknowledged the use of certain materials in this book which I came in contact with in the place of studies that are not originally mine. Such materials were dully acknowledged and referenced in my bibliographical entries at the end of this book.

PREFACE

On Monday 3rd July 2000, I was to go to Ibadan to collect payment for some of my publications which was sold to Baptist Bookshop, Ibadan, Nigeria. I woke up at 2:00 a.m to look for the Cash Receipt that I needed to take along with me for journey.

Hitherto my room had been left upswept by my children who had made up their mind not to tidy the room again because of my usual complaints of misplaced documents any time they tided the room.

My wife who had always assisted in tidying my room had been away in U.S.A. for quite some time. I was buried in the files that littered my room searching for the misplaced cash receipt when I stumbled on a document which was a Term Paper Research Work given to me as a Class Assignment during my period students at United Missionary Church of West African (UMTCA) Theological College in Ilorin, Nigeria.

The title of the work was Version and Translated of the New Testament – A Critical Evaluation. It was a Term Paper assignment presented to my Lecturer in New Testament Textual Criticism Rev. Fehintola Akangbe, in December 1993. He was the then Provost of United Missionary Church of Africa Theological College in 1101in, Nigeria.

As I read through the Term Paper, I received a very power impression in my spirit to develop the Term Paper to an Information Manual for Church Leaders, because of the very valuable and rare information harnessed together in the project, and this culminated in my decision to update the project to become this book.

This book was written because a lot of distortions and fabricated fables had been said and written about the Writings of the Holy Bible all a bid to down play its authenticity as an inspired document.

The book was written to correct all erroneous insinuation and i heretical teachings of secular scholars, Authors and Islamic ‘Gurus’ debunking the accuracy and the inerrancy of the Christian scripture. It highlights the stages through which the original autographs of the 1 various ancient manuscripts of the Holy Bible passed through during, its formation stages before it became a written scriptural document. The book is recommended as a resources material for Biblical Scholars, Theologian, Seminarians, Historians and Ministers of God

SECTION  1

1.1 WHAT IS THE BIBLE?

The name ‘Bible’ comes from the Greek word bibilos which means ‘The book’.The Bible is comprised of 66 separate written books. It was written over a period of approximately 1400 to 1800 years by more than 40 authors from various walks of life. While many of the authors were identified, some remained unknown.

The Bible is divided into; the Old Testament, which comprised 39 book, and the New Testament, which comprised of 27 books. The Old Testament portion of the Bible;  is the Bible of the nation of Israel,  and it was divided into three segments: The Law or Torah, the Prophets or Nebilim, and the Writing or Kethubim.

Although the Old Testament was written in Hebrew and Aramaic, it was translated into Koine (common) Greek around 250-100BC This translation is referred to as the Septuagint or the LXX. It contains the same books as the Hebrew Old Testament, but the order and breakdown of the books was changed to the form now used in the Old Testament.

While the Old Testament was originally written in two Semitic languages; Hebrewa and Aramaic, the vast majority of it is in Hebrew language.