HOW WE GOT THE

BIBLE
Lesson 9
 ANCIENT TRANSLATIONS
(VERSIONS) OF THE OLD
TESTAMENT
These include the Septuagint,
Aramaic Targums, Syriac, and
Latin
The most important is the
SEPTUAGINT!
1. The SAMARITAN
PENTATEUCH
NOT a translation, but a form of
the Hebrew text
It can be traced to about 400 B. C.
Most of the variants deal with
spelling and grammar
It adds material that emphasizes
Mount Gerizim
 The wording in Deuteronomy
27:4 was changed from Mount
Ebal to Mount Gerizim

“And when you have crossed

over the Jordan, you shall set up
these stones, concerning which I
command you today, on Mount
Ebal, and you shall plaster
them with plaster.”
 ALSO, THE SAMARITAN
PENTATEUCH REJECTED
MATERIAL IN THE OLD
TESTAMENT THAT ELEVATES
JERUSALEM AND ZION.
The Samaritans accept only the
PENTATEUCH!
2. The ARAMAIC TARGUMS
“Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah,
Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai,
Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah,
Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the
Levites, helped the people to
understand the Law, while the
people remained in their places.”
(Nehemiah 8:7)
 “TARGUMS” refer to “ORAL
PARAPHRASES” of Scripture
After the Babylonian Exile, the
language of the Jewish people
became ARAMAIC
In the synagogue, the “targums”
were always ORAL, but later
written
The Hebrew Text was READ
3. The SYRIAC PESHITTA
The Targums were written in
Western Aramaic, the language
of the Jews during Jesus’ time
Other translations were made in
Eastern Aramaic or Syriac
This Syriac was called “Peshitta”
or “SIMPLE” version
(Continued)
The SYRIAC OLD TESTAMENT
was translated quite early,
perhaps as early as the MIDDLE
OF THE FIRST CENTURY A. D.
Whether the translators were
JEWISH or CHRISTIAN is not
known
The SYRIAC is similar to what
later was the Massoretic Text
4. The LATIN VULGATE
The “OLD LATIN” translation
dates back to about 150 A. D.
Because it was based on the
Septuagint, it had problems
Jerome, at first, based his
translation on the Septuagint, but
later was convinced it must be
translated from Hebrew
From 390-405 A. D., he translated
the Old Testament into Latin
NOTE:
Jerome DID NOT include the
APOCRYPHAL BOOKS in the Old
Testament. He affirmed that,
because there were 22 letters in
the Hebrew alphabet, there must
also be 22 books. These are our
39 Old Testament books
5. The SEPTUAGINT
This is the translation of the Old
Testament from HEBREW into
GREEK
One of the most important Bible
translations
Aristeas said that Ptolemy II of
Egypt (285-247 B. C.) wanted the
Jewish law translated into Greek
(Continued)
 Six Jews from each of the 12
tribes were selected to translate
However, in round numbers, the
word “Septuagint” refers to 70.
The Roman numerals “LXX” are
used for the Septuagint
Most of the textual variations
between the Hebrew and Greek
are minor (Continued)
The SEPTUAGINT was the “Bible”
of the EARLY CHRISTIANS before
the New Testament was written
The Septuagint was the text used
most by the inspired writers of
the New Testament
It has been said that PAUL wrote
as a man with the Septuagint “in
his blood” (Continued)
 The SEPTUAGINT is of special
INTEREST to Christians for at
least THREE REASONS:
1. It was the “Bible” of the early
church
2. Its background is important in
understanding the New
Testament
3. Its language prepared the way
for evangelism by Christians
HOW WE GOT
THE BIBLE
Lesson 10
THE “CANON”
OF THE
SCRIPTURES
 INTRODUCTION
1. Many religious books were
written during the time of
the writing of the Old and New
Testaments
2. Which ones should be
considered as “Sacred
Scriptures?”
(Continued)
 3. Should we believe the “Da
Vinci Code” which tries to
introduce Gnostic writings?
4. The word “CANON” comes
from the Greek word “kanon”
and the Hebrew “qaneh.”
5. It means a “reed,” and then it
was used to refer to a
“measuring rod,” a rule or
standard (Continued)
NOTE:

See the Greek word “kanon” in

the Scripture

“only, whereunto we have

attained, by that same rule
(κανόνι), let us walk.” (ASV)
(Philippians 3:16)
6. The books of the Bible
possess their own
authority
“If anyone thinks that he is a
prophet, or spiritual, he
should acknowledge that the
things I am writing to you are
a command of the Lord.”

(I Corinthians 14:37)
NOTE:

A Book should be
considered “CANONICAL”
because of its INHERENT
AUTHORITY
No church council, by
decree, can make a book
authoritative!
 THE “CANON” OF THE OLD
TESTAMENT
1. There is much evidence in
the New Testament about the
“canon” of the Old Testament
2. The Old Testament is called
the “Holy Scriptures” etc.
(Continued)
 NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
“The Scripture” (Romans 4:3)
“The Scriptures” (John 5:39)
“Holy Scriptures” (Romans 1:2)
“Sacred Writings” (II Timothy
3:15)
Many times, “It is written …”
“which he promised beforehand
through his prophets in the holy
Scriptures,”
(Romans 1:2)

“and how from childhood you

have been acquainted with the
sacred writings, which are able
to make you wise for salvation
through faith in Christ Jesus.”
(II Timothy 3:15)
JESUS GIVES US A CLEAR IDEA
OF THE EXTENT OF THE
“CANON” OF THE OLD
TESTAMENT
“Then he said to them, "These are
my words that I spoke to you
while I was still with you, that
everything written about me in the
Law of Moses and the Prophets
and the Psalms must be fulfilled."
(Luke 24:44)
NOTE:
No doubt, this refers to the 3
divisions of the Hebrew Scripture
The LAW
The PROPHETS
The WRITINGS
1. The LAW
Genesis-Deuteronomy
2. The PROPHETS
a. The FORMER PROPHETS
(Joshua, Judges, 1st and 2nd
Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings)
(Continued)
 b. The LATTER PROPHETS
(Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the
12 Minor Prophets)
3. The WRITINGS
(Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of
Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations,
Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel,
Ezra, Nehemiah, and 1st and 2nd
Chronicles)
 JESUS ALSO SPOKE OF THE
TIME FROM THE “BLOOD OF
ABEL” TO THE “BLOOD OF
ZECHARIAH”
1. Abel was the 1st martyr of the
Old Testament
2. “Zechariah” was the LAST
martyr of the Old Testament
HOW CAN THIS BE?
 FIRST, WE MUST READ THE
VERSE
“from the blood of Abel to the
blood of Zechariah, who
perished between the altar and the
sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be
required of this generation.”
(Luke 11:51)
 FROM ABEL
(Book of GENESIS)
UNTIL
The martyr, ZECHARIAH
(Book of II Chronicles)
 NEXT, NOTE II CHRONICLES
24:20, 21
“Then the Spirit of God clothed
Zechariah the son of Jehoiada…,
and said to them, "Thus says God,
'Why do you break the
commandments of the LORD….,”

“But they conspired against him,

and by command of the king they
stoned him….”
NOTE:

CHRONICLES WAS PLACED AT

THE END OF THE HEBREW
BIBLE!
Thus, Jesus was saying,
“FROM GENESIS TO
CHRONICLES,” the Old Testament
as we know it (Our 39 books)
WHEN JESUS SPOKE OF “ABEL”
TO “ZECHARIAH,” HE WAS
INCLUDING THE SAME BOOKS
AS WE HAVE IN OUR OLD
TESTAMENT TODAY
____________
We just have them in a different
order!
The HISTORIAN, JOSEPHUS, in
his writing “Against Apion,”
about 95 A. D., stated that there
were 22 books in the Hebrew
Bible
These 22 books are exactly the
same as our 39 books! Some are
combined in Josephus’ list!
In the 3rd century, ORIGEN listed
the same 22 books in the
Hebrew Bible
In the 4th century, JEROME also
accepted only these 22 (our 39)
NOTE: Jerome translated the
Latin Vulgate, the basis for the
Catholic Bible! He did NOT
accept the APOCRYPHA! (See
Lesson 11)
 THE “CANON” OF THE NEW
TESTAMENT
NOTE: Peter considered Paul’s
writings as “Scripture”
“And count the patience of our
Lord as salvation, just as our
beloved brother Paul also wrote
to you according to the wisdom
given him….,”
(II Peter 3:15) (Continued)
“as he does in all his letters
when he speaks in them of these
matters. There are some things in
them that are hard to understand,
which the ignorant and unstable
twist to their own destruction, as
they do the other Scriptures.”

(II Peter 3:16)

THE “MURATORIAN FRAGMENT”
It was NO LATER than the
MIDDLE of the 2nd century when
the letters of the apostles were
read widely in the churches
The “Muratorian Fragment” is
dated in the latter part of the 2nd
century
L. A. Muratori found it in the 18th
century
BOOKS IN THE “MURATORIAN”
LIST
LUKE is mentioned as the “3rd
gospel”
Then, JOHN, and ACTS
13 letters of PAUL
Two letters of JOHN
REVELATION
BOOKS NOT MENTIONED IN THE
“MURATORIAN FRAGMENT”
Hebrews
James
I and II Peter
Perhaps, 3rd John
Part of the list is LOST!
 THIS “MURATORIAN
FRAGMENT” DOES ACCEPT TWO
OTHER BOOKS
“Wisdom of Solomon”
“Apocalypse of Peter”
ORIGEN, ABOUT 225 A. D.
Undoubtedly, accepted:
Four Gospels, Acts,
13 Letters of Paul,
I Peter, I John,
Jude,
Revelation
ORIGEN QUOTED A NUMBER OF
TIMES FROM HEBREWS
HOWEVER,
He stated that some people DID
NOT accept Hebrews, James, II
Peter, II and III John
BUT, NOTE:
ORIGEN, IN HIS “HOMILIES ON
JOSHUA” PRESERVED IN A
LATIN TRANSLATION,
MENTIONS THE 27
BOOKS WHICH WE HAVE IN
OUR NEW TESTAMENT
 THEREFORE, THE NEW
TESTAMENT OF THE 3RD
CENTURY IS LIKE OUR
NEW
TESTAMENT TODAY
IN THE FOURTH CENTURY,
EUSEBIUS MENTIONED:
Books accepted BY ALL
Four gospels, Acts,
14 Letters of Paul,
I John, I Peter,
Revelation
EUSEBIUS STATED THAT THE
BOOKS QUESTIONED, BUT
“RECOGNIZED BY THE
MAJORITY” WERE:
James, Jude,
II Peter,
II and III John
 IN 367 A. D., ATHANASIUS OF
ALEXANDRIA LISTED THE 27
BOOKS OF THE NEW
TESTAMENT
He said, “….Let no one add
anything to them or take anything
away from them”
NOTE:
1. The early church was NOT
“naïve,” to accept any book.
They questioned!
2. Books were not questioned
because they taught error, but
because they were not well
known by many congregations
NOTE AGAIN:
IT IS IMPORTANT TO OBSERVE
THAT NO CHURCH “COUNCIL”
MADE THE NEW TESTAMENT
“CANON”
 “THE BIBLE OWES ITS
AUTHORITY TO NO INDIVIDUAL
OR GROUP”
“The church does not control the
canon, but the canon controls the
church”
--- Neil Lightfoot
 “AS A CHILD IDENTIFIES ITS
MOTHER, THE LATER CHURCH
IDENTIFIED THE BOOKS WHICH
IT REGARDED AS HAVING
UNIQUE AUTHORITY”
--- Neil Lightfoot