“The implanted word is able to save your souls” (James 1:21) Part II
The New Testament developed through the gradual recognition and assembly of divinely inspired writings
From the Book of Acts, we see that the Christian faith, referring to followers of Christ, emerged during the New Testament period. At that time, believers already had the Scriptures, which consisted of the books of the Old Testament, but there was not yet a recognized collection of New Testament writings. Even after the gospel accounts and the letters written by the apostles, such as the Pauline epistles, were completed, these writings initially circulated separately and were not gathered into a single collection until hundreds of years later. In some cases, different groups of writings were collected at different times.
The early church followed the Jewish tradition of preserving and collecting writings that were believed to be inspired by God. In this way, the gospel books and the apostolic letters were copied, shared, and gradually recognized as authoritative. However, in the second century AD, various heretical writings began to circulate, prompting the church to see the need for a clearly defined, or “closed,” canon—a recognized set of books that Christians affirmed as inspired Scripture. It is important to note that canonization itself did not make these books inspired; rather, it was the church’s recognition of books that were already inspired by God.
One significant milestone in this process occurred at the Council of Rome in 382 AD, when the books of the New Testament were formally recognized. Even so, the process of canonization continued beyond this council. Later, during the Reformation, the movement eventually led to the recognition of the 66-book Bible that includes both the Old and New Testaments, commonly known as the Protestant Bible. As mentioned earlier, Catholic and Orthodox Bibles include additional books. This 66-book Protestant Bible is widely circulated and is the one used by our church.
Canonization under the guidance of God
We thank God that today we can so easily access the Bible, whether in printed form or through digital devices. We believe that the process which led to the completed collection of the Bible was guided by God Himself. For this reason, the books included in the Bible are the very writings that form the foundation of our faith today.
When we examine how the Bible was put together, we are often led to one of two conclusions. One view is that the Bible is merely a random collection of historical writings that were gathered for people to read, and that any connections between its books are coincidental or artificially constructed by the reader. The other view is that this entire process was guided by God. Although the Bible was written by many different people over hundreds of years, God inspired the selection of specific writings and directed their preservation, ordering, and assembly into the 66-book Bible we use today. The remarkable agreement and unity found across the biblical texts exist because the Bible ultimately has one author—God Himself.
This second conclusion is the one we hold today. We believe that God Himself is the true author of the Bible, and it is essential for us to have this faith as we read, study, and live according to His word.
Approaching Bible versions and translations with care
While we are blessed to have easy access to the Word of God today, we should exercise care and diligence regarding the various translations of the Bible. It is important to recognize that the "gold-standard" versions of the Bible were originally written in a combination of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Our modern English or Chinese Bibles are based upon these original texts, but they are not exactly the same as those primary sources.
To understand our modern Bibles, we must look at the languages of the original manuscripts:
The Old Testament: Written in a combination of Hebrew and Aramaic, depending on the specific book.
The New Testament: Written entirely in Greek.
For much of history, these texts were not available in common languages. It was only in 1534 that the Bible was translated into German, and the very popular English King James Version (KJV) did not appear until 1611.
It is vital for us to understand that many versions we use today, such as the English KJV and the Chinese CUV, rely on very similar sources. In the Old Testament, both the KJV and CUV are based on the Masoretic Text. This is a positive connection, as it is consistent with the Scriptures that the Lord Jesus and the early disciples read during the New Testament time. However, the New Testament for both the KJV and CUV is based on a Greek version known as the Textus Receptus, or the Received Text. When using these versions, we should be aware of two specific challenges:
Late Manuscripts: The Received Text was based on a small number of late Greek manuscripts—copies made many years after the original events occurred. Consequently, while the Received Text is mostly accurate, it includes certain words not found in the earliest and most reliable manuscripts, a fact that was only realized by scholars later on.
Historical Influence: The assembly of the Received Text was led by a scholar named Erasmus. As a Catholic, Erasmus was deeply concerned with the unity of the Catholic Church during the time he compiled the text. Some of his work reflects his personal desire to support specific Catholic doctrines.
Despite these human limitations and the presence of minor inaccuracies in Erasmus's work, we believe that God’s truth was still preserved. The essential doctrines of the Lord remained intact within the Bible for seekers of truth. Nevertheless, we must remain extra careful when reading certain New Testament passages in the KJV, NKJV, or CUV. This is especially true for texts relating to the concept of the Trinity, where translation choices may have been influenced by later denominational traditions. By being mindful of these translation histories, we can more effectively seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit to lead us into all Truth.
Example: The Comma Johanneum
A well-known example of a phrase added to the Received Text is a section in 1 John 5:7-8 called the Comma Johanneum. In versions like the NKJV, the text reads:
“For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.”
When we read this passage as written above, it suggests there are three distinct individuals in heaven, but this is not true. The Critical Text (NU-Text)—which is based on older, more authentic Greek manuscripts—omits the words from "in heaven" through "on earth". In fact, only four or five very late manuscripts contain these words in Greek.
The implication is that this section was likely added later and was not supposed to be there. Such additions can lead to a wrong understanding of the Doctrine of One True God. This verse is not actually about the Trinity; the three that bear witness are the Spirit, the water, and the blood.
More trustworthy versions, such as the ESV and NASB, follow the Critical Text and provide a clearer rendering:
“For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree”.
It is also encouraging to note that although the CUV translators used the Received Text as their source, they chose correctly not to include the Comma Johanneum in the Chinese translation.
Example: Additions made by English and Chinese translators
In other instances, we see that translations like the English NKJV and the Chinese CUV sometimes add their own words that were not present in the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. A significant example of this occurs in John 8:24.
In the NKJV, the verse reads:
"Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."
Similarly, the CUV translates this as:
"所以我对你们说，你们要死在罪中。你们若不信我是基督，必要死在罪中。"
In both of these versions, the translators suggest that Jesus is telling the people they will die in their sins if they do not believe He is "He" or “the Christ" (the Savior). However, what Jesus is actually saying in the original text is much more profound.
Looking closely at the NKJV, the word "He" is italicized. In Bible translation, italics often indicate that a word was added by the translators and was not in the original Greek text. When we remove those additions, Jesus simply says: "...if you do not believe that I AM..."
Who is the "I AM"? This is the name of the God and Father who spoke to Moses from the burning bush in Exodus 3:14. By using this specific phrasing, Jesus is identifying Himself as the Father.
This truth—that Jesus is the Father who spoke to Moses—runs counter to the Trinitarian beliefs held by many traditional churches, which teach that Jesus and the Father are distinct individuals who are not each other. This is another example of how the theological influence of the Catholic or Protestant churches may have caused certain words to be inserted incorrectly into our common translations.
It is important to remember that there is no "perfect" version of the Bible. However, by diligently comparing different versions and staying grounded in the basic beliefs of our church, we can identify the specific areas of the New Testament that require more detailed examination.
While the vast majority of the New Testament in versions based on the Received Text is reliable, these specific areas remind us of the need for spiritual discernment.
Conclusions
Ultimately, our knowledge of the Bible’s history and its various translations should lead us to one practical goal: making Bible reading a central part of our daily lives. Knowing that these words are inspired by God to lead us back to His kingdom, we must approach them with reverence and consistency.
If we determine to read the Bible daily, we will find that we benefit in many profound ways:
A Mirror for the Soul: As we read, the Bible acts like a sharp, two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). It pierces through our outward appearance to reveal our hidden sins and the true condition of our hearts, giving us the chance to repent and align ourselves with God’s will.
A Foundation for Spiritual Growth: The words of the Bible are like seeds planted in our hearts. They give us the opportunity to grow spiritually and "bear fruit" in our character and service (Matthew 13:23).
To experience this growth, we must do more than just read the words in the Bible. We need to ensure that we truly hear and understand God’s Word. When we combine diligent reading with a heart that is guided by the Holy Spirit, the Word becomes a living guide in our lives, leading us to the Kingdom of Heaven.
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