Updated American Standard Version
Giving Bible readers what God said not what translators think God meant
In both the Hebrew Old Testament Scriptures and the Greek New Testament, copyists have exercised great care in copying their manuscripts. However, we would be remiss if we did not say that some copyists were inexperienced or took certain liberties with the text that they were copying.
Christian apologetics is important because it provides evidence and rational arguments for the truth of the Christian faith. This can help to strengthen the faith of believers, and can also be used to persuade non-believers to consider the claims of Christianity. Additionally, apologetics can help to defend the faith against objections and criticisms. It can also help to foster deeper understanding and appreciation of the faith for both believers and non-believers alike.
When you open your Bible today, can you be confident that the words you are reading are, in fact, the very corresponding English words that were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul, James, and Jude nearly 2,000 years ago? Confident, you say? Just how confident are you? Are you confident because of what you know or what you hear?
For the conservative Evangelical Christian, one of their foundational doctrines is “The Bible alone, and the Bible in its entirety, is the Word of God written and is therefore inerrant in the autographs.”
The date and authenticity of the Acts of the Apostles is crucial to the historicity of early Christianity and, thus, to apologetics in general.
Daniel is defended as inspired sixth-century prophecy, historically grounded and confirmed by Jesus’ own testimony.
The Bible’s books were recognized because Jehovah inspired them through prophets, apostles, and authorized witnesses.
Scripture is final because Jehovah has spoken through His inspired Word, which judges doctrine, worship, conduct, and hope.
The Old Testament is trustworthy because Jehovah inspired, preserved, and fulfilled His Word through Christ.
There is a widespread belief among both professional scholars and laymen that the Bible now used by Christians is significantly altered from the historical documents upon which it was based. This, they say, is because of the Church’s agenda to make Jesus a divine figure. What is the truth?
