Opus 2025-395: Why No Originals?

I’m listening to a series of podcasts that is discussing the issue of Westcott and Hort and the way they are attacked by the King James Only Bible people.  They are now dealing with the idea of preservation and the question is why did God not preserve the original texts in exactly the same form all the way down to the present.

That is a good question.  Could God have done it?  Of course He could.  He chose not to.  I think one of the reasons why He chose not to was because human beings are very superstitious and they put spiritual value on things where it shouldn’t be.

If you saw the movie, The Robe, the thesis was that the robe of Jesus if touched by someone who was sick would heal them.  The original idea probably goes back to the woman who touched Jesus hem and was healed from a lifetime illness.  When you take something like that and make a spiritual power out of it, you were crossing the line into a pagan superstition.

Another example would be the Shroud of Turin.  I have looked into it a little bit.  I’ve known about it for years, since I was in college.  I don’t know if anything new has been discovered, but it was impressive the evidence they had even then.  This is another interesting topic which I hope never is proven scientifically or even to the satisfaction of the gullible.  If the Shroud of Turin is ever believed to be the actual burial shroud of Jesus, then it will become another bit of spiritual nonsense for the gullible to spend their money on and put their faith in.

Thus we have the original texts of the Bible have all been lost.  What has been preserved is not exactly the same in every manuscript.  If it were and if we had it today, then it would become a bit of idolatry.  People would worship that text more than the God himself.  We see that some degree in the extremes of King James Only movement.  These people believe that the text of the King James Bible is infallible, inerrant and word for word perfect from God.  They call it double inspiration.  I have actually read statements they have made which says if the King James Bible says one thing and the original text says something else then the King James is right.  This is worshiping a book, not a savior.

So I’m quite content with the variations of the manuscripts.  I’m content with the different translations.  I think it gives us more of a chance to understand what it is that God is trying to say to us.  Find a translation, make it your primary source and then compare it to others to see how they measure up.

homo unius libri