Canonize:
1:To Glorify or Exault: 2: accepted as true, fundimental, or in comformity

Masoretic Text:
The collection of God inspired Hebrew text that Jews considered to be true.

Syntax: Sentence structure or orderly arrangement.








Koine:
Link here for explanation










Dead Sea Scrolls.
Link here.




Apocryphal
Not authentic or
canonical; false or spurious

JUDITH:.scholars believe it was written in Palestine during the Greek period. The period of writing for the Book of Judith was between the end of the 2nd century and towards the start of the 1st century BC..

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Apostolic:
During the time of the Apostles

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 History and Language

Todays Bible is a translation of the canonized Hebrew, or Masoretic Texts, and Greek Holy scriptures. The Hebrew Holy scriptures form the Old Testament section of the Bible while the Greek texts and letters to the extant early Christian churches form the New Testament. The Hebrew section points forward to the New Testament and the coming of Christ. The Greek writings refer constantly to the Old Testament to explain Christ and clarify some of those rules. Therefore the two halves are not independent of the other. The process of translation accounts for the different "versions". The most commonly known versions are the King James (circa 1611 BC), Douay (c. 1750 BC) and the Greek Septuagint (3rd & 2nd Century BC). Also, there is the Latin Vulgate (c. 400 AD). The Hebrew scriptures themselves date from 1513 BC (Genesis) to 443 BC (Malachi, Nehemiah). The Greek scriptures date from 41 AD (Matthew) to 98 AD (John and Johns 1,2,3). There are 46 versions in distribution today, including the ones mentioned.

The difference in Bible versions arises mainly from the words each translator decides to use in translating from the Bible's original parent language. Hebrew is a very versatile language, and its words can have many shades of meaning. Similarly, the Greek language also allows for diversity in meaning. In English for instance, the meaning of a word can depend on the surrounding associated words, a word or phrase taken out of context yeilds an entirely new meaning. Also, syntax plays a large part on the intended meaning of the sentence. However, in Greek, for example, the word meaning in English - "return", may have up to 4 or more different variations! The inspired writers of the Bible used this multiplicity in their writing. Translating one language to another is an art, not a science. Hence, it is this difficulty that Bible translators face in their attempts to translate the scriptures accurately. Hebrew and Greek words present a wide range of contextual possibilities. The modern languages use words in a generally one dimensional way. Overall, no single attempt at translating the holy writings can claim to be the best or most authentic.

To complicate matters further, Koine or common Greek had no indefinite article, or "a". This poses a problem, as described in this example. "There was a man with a black dog.", turns to "There was man with black dog". This happens when the indefinite article is absent. Clearly, the inclusion of an indefinite article is only sensible, in languages such as English. Therefore, no two versions of the Bible are the same. To standardize the Bible is difficult, since the original and translator's languages often are not in agreement. Generally, the interpreters hope for the best rendering of the scriptures from the original to the new language. Also, languages are constantly changing in terms of the meaning of words. This problem is particularly notable in the King James version. The King James uses "old" English phrases and words. However, there is The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures; a modern day Bible that takes all the problems of translation seriously into account. Up-to-date reference work in the light of the Dead Sea scrolls, more detailed and accurate understanding of Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic languages, gives this modern rendering a very solid claim to accuracy.

In the light of new research and scriptural study, within some versions of the Bible there are in existence stray additions claiming to be holy writings. These are the Apocryphal works. One example of this is the Book of Judith. This book is present in certain Bibles. In Christianity, the Apocryphal, or what is also sometimes called the hidden or deuterocanonical books, are a collection of ancient Jewish writings that were translated into the Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate. The word Apocrypha which is used to describe these writings, was actually coined by the 5th-century scholar named Jerome. These books were not a part of the Masoretic Text , and thus the designation by Jerome as being "hidden or secret" books: I.e, hidden or unseen by their absence or non common use by the people. Some writers refer to these books as deuterocanonical, meaning "of the second (or later) canon", as distinguished from protocanonical or first canon. They simply do not fit into the overall theme of the Bible, and are often incorrect in dating and reference to other Biblical individuals and events. Some "leading" scholars question the whole Bible itself in light of these Apocryphal books. The Apocryphal works only serve to add scepticism about the Bible to one's understanding.

The problem of course is, why would God keep hidden or apocryphal, the very words which were presumably to instruct the Old Testament Jewish congregation? The obvious answer is, He wouldn't! There is no evidence that Jesus ever used these books, nor the disciples, nor that the Jewish leadership and congregation ever did. On the contrary, there is ample evidence that they didn't. We see they quoted liberally from the very same Old Testament books which we commonly use today, and which the Jewish people to this very day use, and never quote from the Apocrypha as canon. Likewise, the New Testament writers quote from almost all of the Old Testament, but do not ever quote from the Apocrypha as Holy Canon. These are not insignificant facts, as Jewish Historians and scholars almost uniformly deny Canonical status to these books, and the early Church also rejected them as being God inspired. Nevertheless, these books over the years slowly came to be regarded by the church as part of Holy Canon anyway, and were finally officially labled as such. But the Historical Hebrew Religion, and the Historical Christian Religion growing from it, understood that these writings were non-canonical.

Having said this, and not wanting to turn this into a discussion of why the Apocrypha is not inspired text. we will move on to the next topic. If you would like to read more on the subject of the Apocrypha please read The apocryphal Books by Tony Warren

While the Bible itself has passed through a gauntlet of various obstacles unchanged, the beliefs of the people who read it have changed. The most destructive element of all has been religion itself. Concerning the Greek scriptures, the form of Christianity that eventually took root after the apostolic era, followers tended to blend secular philosophies and various non-Biblical doctrines into its teachings. This was in order to promote the expansion of the religion. Making it easier to recruit others by showing them that the new doctrine was similar. Furthermore, the ideas of Greek philosopher Socrates (5th century BC), strongly influenced the Greek culture. Socrates and his student Plato, were strong advocates of the Immortal Soul, which is a non-Biblical doctrine. A century before, Pythagoras also believed in the Immortal Soul. Overall, since the language of the New Testament is Greek, it is certain that such ideas of the Immortal Soul have crept into successive translation and explaination of the holy scriptures. "Christianity" has been Hellenized, made to conform to Greek philosophy and thinking.

Contamination also occurred in subsequent translations of the Hebrew scriptures. Alexander the Great, in the 4th century BC, recruited Jews into his army. The subjugation of Palestine by the Roman empire, afterwards, brought more contaminants into the belief. For certain, classical Greek philosophy infiltrated the interpretations of the Holy writings. Even beliefs which one would regard as primarily belonging to the Far Eastern religions, have become part of modern Christianity. In modern times, reincarnation plays an important role in religion. The most damaging of all the contaminants, is the belief in the Immortal Soul. We will discuss this misconception in the lessons to follow.

What can we say about these and other contaminates to the Word of God. Well, even the Apostles warned that the time would come when the true Gospel would be corrupted and men would turn aside to fables:

Read:  
2nd Timothy Chapter 4 verses 3 - 4.
Acts Chapter 20, verses 29 - 30
2nd Peter Chapter 2, verses 1 - 3

In the book of I John Chapter 5 we find two entire verses added to the text. These are the seventh and eighth verses. We know this because these verses do not exist in any text written before the 5th century AD. But by a careful examination of the of the Bible we can see that these are not in harmony with the rest of the text. We will discuss this further in subsequent lessons on the Nature of God and the Nature of Christ. But suffice it to say that the Bible is nothing if not in complete harmony with itself and the plan and purpose of God.

Now, knowing this, how can we rely on others to interpret the Word of God for us. As stated before, The Bible is the only modern source we have to study God's Word. It is the inspired Word of God. For we are told "All Scripture is given by inpiration of God, and it is profitable for Doctrine, for reproof, for correction and for instruction in rightousness" II Timothy 3:16. We are also told by God's word that "From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" II Timothy 3:15. The text does not say that we should rely on others to teach us. It specifically says "Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope" Romans 15:4. And "Which things we also speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Spirit teacheth."

In summary, we believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God working through prophets and apostles who lived a long time ago. They lived at different times, and each wrote his part independently of the others, but one spirit moved them all, and enabled them to make known to man the mind of God in history, precept and prophecy, so that the Bible though composed of many parts, is the one Word of God.