All Scripture Has a Journey: A Handbook of God's Preservation of the Bible

By K Keith Megilligan

The Bible is the most familiar book on the planet. But how did the Bible become the Bible? What is the basis of its composition? What’s this I hear about “inspired”? Who is its author? Why are there two Testaments? What is a Testament? Is it true that it was originally written in two or three languages? How did we get the English version of the Bible? So many questions about one book!

In All Scripture has a Journey, author Keith Megilligan presents the results of his lifelong query of how the Bible came to be. He addresses a host of question about its composition, history, “heroes” who helped along the way and the price that was paid to bring it to us.

This handbook summarizes the English Bible’s journey from origin to publication. Whether the Bible is a dog-eared and well-worn leather bound book or the latest e-pub edition on your devices, that Bible has a journey. God, the Holy Spirit, superintended its origin and preservation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9798385000975

K Keith Megilligan

K Keith Megilligan has over 50 years pastoral and teaching experience. He has taught on biblical themes throughout the United States, fifteen international countries and over twenty-five times in Israel. He has served on several non-profit boards and been published in a variety of Christian magazines and journals. K Keith Megilligan holds the following: BA, John Brown University M Div, Th M, Grace Seminary D Min, Westminster Seminary (Escondido)

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Copyright © 2023 K Keith Megilligan.

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and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

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Cover Design: Sharla Megilligan

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard

Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good

News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may

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Commons license. The ESV may not be translated into any other language.

ISBN: 979-8-3850-0098-2 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-3850-0099-9 (hc)

ISBN: 979-8-3850-0097-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023911174

WestBow Press rev. date: 07/07/2023

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

—Psalm 119:105

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

—Jesus, John 17:17

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CONTENTS

Preface

The Bible

Acknowledgments

1     The First Step in Our Journey: How to View This Book

2     The Theology of the Book

3     Storytelling and the Bible

4     The LXX (The Septuagint)

5     Two-Hundred-Year Gap

6     Origen and Origin

7     E and J: Eusebius and Jerome

8     And So We Came to Rome: An Interlude

9     Books and Scrolls, Part 1

10   Books and Scrolls, Part 2: A Review of Sorts

11   Canons, Not Cannons

12   A Thousand Years of Captivity

13   Heroes of the Thousand-Year Gap

14   Meanwhile, Back at the Iberian Peninsula …

15   The Italian Renaissance and Its Biblical Link

16   Venice: The City of Books

17   The Western Italian Impact on the Renaissance

18   A Review of ad fontes in the Reformation

19   A Few Noteworthy Reformers of the Sixteenth-Century European Reformation

20   Crossing the Channel: Bringing the Bible into English

21   Back to England and the English Bible

22   The End of Our Journey?

Appendix A   Valla/Erasmus

Appendix B   Aleppo Codex

Appendix C   The Reuchlin Affair

Appendix D   Ongoing Work of Textual Criticism

Appendix E   Printing and Printers Relevant to the Reformation

Appendix F   Polyglot: Greek, Meaning Several Languages

Appendix G   NT By Constantin Tischendorf

Appendix H   A Suggested Timeline of the English Bible

Appendix I   Lists of Canonical Books

Appendix J   Personal Reflections on the Doctrine of the Inspiration of Scripture

Appendix K   Courtesy of Defenders of the Gospel

Glossary

Bibliography

PREFACE

THE BIBLE

The Bible is probably the most familiar book on the planet. Its annual sales are estimated to exceed those of any other book, perpetually. Whether it is a dust collector on one of your tables or dog-eared from continual reading, it is familiar to families around the globe.

But how did the Bible become the Bible? What is the basis of its composition? Why are there two testaments? And what does a testament mean? How is it that the Bible has lasted as long as it has? Who’s responsible for putting it together; are there many authors/writers or one? Why was it written in two or three languages? How did English-speaking cultures get their translation? For that matter, considering all the existing translations of the Bible for people groups around the world, is there a way to know its original source? What’s this I hear about it being inspired? So many questions about one book.

I was raised in a family where there was always talk about the Bible. Or more particularly, we read it and let it talk for itself. From childhood, my sister and I were taught to memorize many of its verses. (Another question: What’s a verse?) Let’s just say the Bible was very familiar literature in our household. We had many copies (even a few different English versions). By the time we were teenagers, each member of our household had his or her own copy.

But even within our friendly environs of Bible reading, by the time I reached college, the variety of English translations (or versions) of the Bible was increasing rapidly. The choice of which English translation you used became the grounds for either nods of approval or the first volleys of cannon fire of unnerving debate. Which translation is the best?

Then, as my academic life took me to seminary, I discovered yet another translation that was unofficially endorsed by the faculty and certainly used as the major English translation during my time there. It was a paradigm shift of translation for me and of great concern to my parents. I learned to tread lightly.

In this chapter, I have raised more questions than might be possible for me to fully answer. Yes, I will touch on most of them, but that’s not my current goal. I raised these questions to paint some broad strokes on a canvas that will be multicolored if not multitextured.

During my time in seminary, I not only studied the Bible, I also became familiar with its historical and even geographical contexts. I have long since graduated from seminary. However, my interest in the Bible’s history and historical context of theology has increased. In fact, I have read more books on that subject since I graduated than I did in seminary. This last statement only begs more questions.

The aforementioned statements are not intended to be, Look at what I’ve done. Rather, I have become humbled by how much I didn’t and don’t know concerning the backgrond of the Bible.

As part of my reading, I became more engrossed in not only the Bible’s historical context but in its historical theology. That is, what did biblical and church leaders understand about what they read? What is theology, and how does it differ from just studying the Bible as a book? How did different views of theology develop? How or did they change from century to century? Whose theology is better than the others? Okay, that is an almost impossible question to answer to everyone’s satisfaction.

And just where, exactly, was the Bible in all this theological quandary? The Bible is the foundation of theological opinion. It is therefore critical to understand what copy/translation of the Bible was available to scholars, pastors, and teachers of the Word. Further, was the copy of the Bible a good rendering of the original manuscripts, that is, Hebrew, Greek, and even Aramaic? Further, was it available to all to read and profit? What journey did the Bible take alongside the development of Jewish history and of the church? That’s the quest I have in mind.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

After over fifty years of gospel ministry, the input of and the tributes to those who have helped bring me to this moment and project are legion. The one common denominator that most of them have manifested is a hunger for the Word of God. There was the congregation of Baptist-Christian Church in rural Indiana, our first ministry. They loved us and molded us as pastor and wife and family. They were the first to respond to our ministry of God’s Word. There was the congregation of Grace Bible Church in eastern Indiana, who walked with me through many sermons and much growth and mutual love. Our family grew up there. We couldn’t have asked for more godly people and a better community in which to grow a family. There were the students, first of Calvary Bible College (now University) in Kansas City. They taught me how to teach the Word. As a rookie professor, I needed their feedback and end-of-semester reviews. I learned as much or more about teaching the Bible during that time than perhaps any other in my life. There were the annual student bodies of a Bible institute in New Jersey who, because of the intimate setting, made teaching the Bible simultaneous with learning to love each other. I learned to see the Bible through both Semitic eyes and loving students for four years. Both have been embedded in my heart. Two congregations in southeastern Pennsylvania helped me to learn about maturity in midlife. Each congregation, Grace Chapel and Calvary Bible Church, helped me to arrive at my pastoral finish line with more grace than I knew possible.

Then there are individuals who loved me, rebuked me, and helped to mold me in my Christian walk. The cast is more than I can remember. Really. But I will mention a few. My dear pastoral and personal friend, Terry, whose life and, iron sharpening iron, meant more to me than words can convey. I look forward very much to seeing him in glory one day! My seminary buddy, who showed me the difference between preaching and writing, Rick, you likewise are loved and missed! See you in glory as well. Two youth pastors opened my eyes to more vistas of ministry than I thought possible. Jim and Jeff, thank you both. There was my dear friend Rennie, mentor, resident theologian, and a true example of a godly life. Another one to see in glory! There is a man of genuine scholarly stature in our Christian world, whose life and prolific publication rate astound me. Will, you have been a great encouragement to me in my latter years. Thank you for your critique and input on this work! Then, in the appendix of my personal ministry years, there have been several who have helped shape the development of this work. Thanks to each of you, family and friends.

Finally, and most important, my aforementioned family. Toni has ministered to me faithfully as a godly wife and loving mother to our kids for over fifty years. I love you! My two children, just because you have walked with the Lord before my eyes and sought to teach your children to do the same, you have blessed me, Brian and Sharla.

And to the Triune Godhead, who has redeemed me and brought me into closer fellowship with them and other like-minded children of God, I eternally owe everything! Thank you for giving me the love for your Word and the love of your Son!

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THE FIRST STEP IN OUR JOURNEY: HOW TO VIEW THIS BOOK

H istory, especially theological history, is about people. That is, as people (men usually) reviewed and studied the Bible and made their theological opinions, they wrote of them or taught them. Probably both.

The impact of these men and their writings became the basis of discourse. While this discourse was not always pleasant, it helped sharpen the lines of doctrine. Theological opinions came from such circumstances. But the point to be made here is how God would raise men to be the spearheads for such discourse.

From both a biblical and even a theological point of view, men like Origen (second/third century AD) became the fountainheads. Following him were men like Eusebius (third/fourth century AD) and Jerome (fourth/fifth century AD). These men were very concerned with the biblical text; that is, the language in which it was written. Though more will be written about them later, it is with these men, and those before them, that the biblical quest begins.

There are, of course, many more personalities and their writings and research that will be introduced and traced throughout this work. Most individuals will come from the Western side of Christianity. Once Constantine and the Council of Nicaea did their things (fourth century AD; 325), the foundation was laid for the history of the church to move to the West. It also became more Latin/Romish in its literature and influence. This becomes very important as we trace the development of the Bible later.

It might be beneficial to introduce the linguistic elements at this point. The Bible is known most popularly as a book divided into two parts: Old Testament and New Testament. What is less known is why that is so. The Old Testament follows—mainly—the history and spiritual development of the Jewish people. Correspondingly, their language is used as the source material of their scripture (that is, Hebrew).¹ There is also a little Aramaic thrown in, but not much.

The New Testament, on the other hand, while having its roots in Jewish culture and influence, was recorded almost exclusively in Greek. This came about as the result of the Hellenistic, or Greek, influence in the early period of the church’s development. Later, as the church moved in a Constantinian (fourth century AD) or Western direction, the Latin language became the main translation and source of the Bible.

But before the Latin influence, Hellenism (roughly 300 BC to AD 300) influenced the Jews and the Hebrew translation of scripture. The result was the production of the Septuagint (LXX), a Greek translation of the scriptures or the Hebrew old covenant. The LXX has a history and importance all its own. Much more will be discussed later about this translation of scripture.

A BIT OF SUMMARY

The Bible is rich in history. History, in turn, is significant in its impact on the development of the Bible, as Larry Hurtado has written. You will discover that I reference many authors in this book. I do this to demonstrate two things: First, we all stand on the shoulders of those who precede us; very little is original thinking or writing. Second, as I have written this work, I’ve discovered that I have brought together a compendium of others’ writings on the subject of the providential care of the Bible. As such, I will try to carefully give other authors their credit. For example, you can see below the explanation of how I document these authors.

The key foundational languages of the Bible are, as stated previously, Hebrew, some Aramaic, Greek, and then Latin. All these languages were well in play as the written components of the Bible long before we had our English translation. As the story develops, key personalities and their influences become important in our understanding of how we got to the Bible we use today.

Correspondingly, and this is where it gets interesting, we encounter a few literary and historical weeds. Walking through history has that effect. The weeds are some of the fascinating details that we encounter. As the weeds appear, I will note them and give some documentation for them. (Still with me?)

That documentation will be simple. I will place an author (or possibly the book title) within parentheses to indicate the source I reference. For example, Ernest Wurthwein, The Text of the Old Testament, would be presented as (Wurthwein, Text) or (The Text of …).

My main concern is simple: I want to avoid plagiarizing (writing as if the material presented were my own rather than another’s) important pieces of information. Additionally, I want to keep the source referenced as simple as possible.

Footnotes will be rare. Those with a scholarly bent will squirm a little at this form of documentation, but that’s OK. Likewise, I want to pay tribute to the weeds of history, as I refer to them. These personalities and the circumstances of their lives deserve credit for their hard research and work. These weeds should be understood as both people and historical events—providentially designed events. Sometimes, it’s necessary to tread through some weeds. They help provide context for God’s providential care for the preservation of His Word. Please be patient as we do this.

I will frequently refer to links throughout this work. The links are providential dots on the time line of church history (see my suggested time line in appendix H) by which the Holy Spirit demonstrates His preservation of the Bible. In addition to appendix H, I provide a sectional time line at the beginning of each appropriate chapter to show what’s covered in that chapter.

But the term link should be clarified a bit. Most of the time, when we use the word link, we think of something like a chain-link fence or the oblong/circular links in a chain. And that image is appropriate. But in this case, it may be a bit strong. It would be better for you to have a softer view.

A SOFTER VIEW OF LINKS

By softer view, I mean viewing the links as interwoven pieces of a net. As the net is constructed, the interwoven pieces not only make up the whole net, they spread out the net’s configuration. That enables the net to cover more territory. I trust this will become clearer as you read this book. The pattern of providential care and development of preserving the Bible is more netlike than chain-like. At least that is the way I see it. Again, hopefully, this image will become more evident as you read.

The primary reason for this netlike configuration is this: The Holy Spirit primarily preserved His book over the physical geography of Israel, Asia Minor, and Western Europe. There are some geographical exceptions, but Western Europe becomes the main region of our interest. Through all this, both the preservation of the text and the linkage of its preservation expanded in a gentle fashion.

Consider, for example, that over 1,500 years or so, both the Hebrew text of the old covenant and the Greek text of the new covenant were preserved region by region and people group by people group. As the written texts spread westward, the Hebrew text moved mainly through the western portion of Europe. The Greek text spread west but also via the eastern portion of Europe, or perhaps more accurately, the western portion of Asia Minor. As you can tell, this net is spread wide. Providentially, that was the Holy Spirit’s way. So widespread, softer links are the movement we’ll follow.

Now the quest begins. I use the word quest intentionally. This quest is personal. I have