The Bible

"For the word of God is alive

and exerts power."

—Hebrews 4:12

**The Bible** is God's Word. He has guaranteed that its message will endure forever. The apostle Peter quoted Isaiah 40:8:

For “all flesh is like grass, and all its glory is like a blossom of the field; the grass withers, and the flower falls off, but the saying of YHVH is forever.” And this “saying” is the good news that was declared to you (1 Peter 1:24, 25).
Isaiah's inspired words, quoted by Peter, applies to the Bible’s message. We can particularly benefit from the Bible if it is available in our native language or in a language that we understand well. Those who love God’s Word have long recognized that fact, despite opposition to the distribution of the Bible. Although it has not always been easy, over the centuries sincere individuals have persevered in translating and distributing the Scriptures. Their desire was in harmony with God’s will that “all sorts of people should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth.”​—1 Tim. 2:3, 4.

## Composition

The Bible is made up of 66 smaller books. God used about 40 faithful men to write them. The first five books were written by Moses about 3,500 years ago. The last book was written by the apostle John over 1,900 years ago. God communicated with the Bible writers by means of his holy spirit (2 Samuel 23:2). They wrote down the thoughts of God, not their own thoughts. So God, in essence, is the Author of the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20, 21).

## Purpose

The Bible centers on the good news, that God has a loving purpose for mankind. The Scriptures explain how man’s privilege of living on a paradise earth was lost early in human history and how a paradise will finally be restored (Revelation 21:4, 5). God’s Word also contains laws, principles, and advice. The Bible records the history of God’s dealings with mankind—a history that reveals God’s personality. Thus, the Bible can help us to know God. It explains how we can become his friend (Psalm 19:7, 11; James 2:23; 4:8).

## Survival

God’s Word has endured (1) changes in language, (2) political developments that influenced the *lingua franca*, or common language, and (3) opposition to Bible translation.

### **Language changes**

Language changes over time. Words and expressions may come to mean something completely different. The same is true of Hebrew and Greek, the languages that most of the Bible was written in. Modern Hebrew and Greek are quite different from those languages back in Bible times. So virtually everyone who wants to understand God’s Word must read a translation of it​—even those who know and speak modern-day Hebrew or Greek. The Bible or portions of it have now been translated into nearly 3,000 languages fulfilling Revelation 14:6 that “every nation and tribe and language” will have the opportunity to benefit from God's Word.

### **Political developments**

Political developments influence the *lingua franca*, or common language, at any given time. Initially, the first 39 books of the Bible were written by Israelites, a Hebrew speaking semitic nation who are the ancestors of the Jews. They were the people initially “entrusted with the sacred pronouncements of God” (Rom. 3:1, 2). After the Jews were exiled to Babylon and eventually under Persian control, Aramaic became the everyday language of some of God’s people. The prophets Daniel, Jeremiah and the priest Ezra are known to have recorded portions of their Bible books in Aramaic (Ezra 4:8; 7:12; Jeremiah 10:11; and Daniel 2:4).

Alexander the Great later conquered much of the ancient world (Dan. 8:5-7, 20, 21), where common Greek (*Koine*) became the international language. As many Jews became Greek-speaking, it caused the understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures to become more difficult. By the third century BCE, a large portion of Jews no longer understood Hebrew. Even some conflicts between Hebrew and Greek-speaking Jews were reported as late as the *acts of the apostles* (Acts 6:1). By the middle of the third century BCE, the first five books of the Bible were translated from Hebrew into Greek. Translation of the rest of the Hebrew Scriptures was completed in the second century BCE. The resulting collection of Bible books came to be known as the Greek Septuagint. The Septuagint is the first known written translation of the entire Hebrew Scriptures. The Septuagint was viewed as God’s Word by Greek-speaking Jews and later by Christians.

Jesus’ early followers knew Hebrew. However, as Christianity spread, much communication among Christians was in Greek. In fact, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, which contain inspired records of what Jesus taught and did, were widely distributed in Greek. Thus, the language of many disciples was Greek rather than Hebrew. The letters of the apostle Paul and the other inspired books were also distributed in Greek. When writers of the Christian Greek Scriptures quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures, they usually did so from the Septuagint. These quotations, which at times vary somewhat from the exact Hebrew wording, are now part of the inspired Scriptures. Thus, the work of imperfect human translators became part of the inspired Word of God, a God who does not favor one culture or language over another (Acts 10:34).

### **Opposition to translation**

*Also:* Bible translations
Opposition to translating the Bible has been witnessed countless times as powerful forces have tried to keep the Bible from the common people. For example, in 14th-century England, the common people had virtually no access to the Bible. Most could not afford to own a Bible, as copies were handwritten and very expensive to produce. Moreover, the majority of people were illiterate. They may have heard passages read to them when they went to church. However, it is doubtful that they would have understood what they heard. The official Church Bible was the Latin Vulgate. In the Middle Ages, Latin was essentially a dead language among the common people.

From the founding of the Church Fathers at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 CE to the 14th century, the clergy had a millennium long monopoly on Bible writings and teachings until theologian John Wycliffe's translation. Wycliffe strongly believed that everyone should be able to benefit from God’s Word. In 1382, the English translation later known as the Wycliffe Bible was produced. It quickly gained popularity among followers of Wycliffe. Desiring to get God’s Word into the mind and heart of ordinary people, itinerant preachers, known as the Lollards, traveled on foot from village to village throughout England. Often the Lollards read portions of the Wycliffe Bible to those whom they met, and they left handwritten copies behind. Their efforts marked a real turning point, sparking a renewed interest in God’s Word among the people.

The clergy showed hatred for Wycliffe, his Bible, and his followers. The religious authorities persecuted the Lollards and hunted down and destroyed as many copies of the Wycliffe Bible as they could find. Even after his death, Wycliffe was declared a heretic. The clergy had Wycliffe’s bones exhumed and burned and the ashes thrown into the river Swift. Nonetheless, the Church was unable to halt the momentum of God’s Word among those who desired to read and understand it. In the centuries that followed, many in Europe and other parts of the world began to promote translation and distribution of the Bible for the benefit of the common people.

## References

1. ↑ WT (2017), *Word of our God endures forever*, par.2
2. ↑ *Good News*, p.6
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 *Good News*, p.7
4. ↑ WT (2017), *Endures*, par.3
5. ↑ WT (2017), *Endures*, par.4
6. ↑ WT (2015), *Jehovah, the God of Communication*, par.5
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 WT (2015), *Communication*, par.6
8. ↑ WT (2017), *Endures*, par.7
9. ↑ WT (2017), *Endures*, par.8
10. ↑ WT (2015), *Communication*, par.8
11. ↑ WT (2015), *Communication*, par.9
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 WT (2017), *Endures*, par.10
13. ↑ Commentary
14. ↑ WT (2017), *Endures*, par.11
15. ↑ WT (2017), *Endures*, par.12