The Journey from Texts to Translations: The Origin and Development of the Bible

In a much publicized debate between Bill Nye the Science guy and Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis, a common retort was made by the non-Christian position that the Bible had been translated hundreds of times over the last three millennia before it ever made it into American English. The implication was clear—the transmission and translation process of the Bible is much akin to the children’s’ game telephone. Is this true? Paul D. Wegner, professor of Old Testament at Phoenix Seminary, has written an excellent and thorough text on the history of the Bible. With a keen eye to history and a wealth of knowledge concerning the various manuscripts, Dr. Wegner highlights the flaccidity of the charge against the Bible.The book is divided into five parts: preliminary matters regarding the Bible, canonization of the Bible, transmission of the Bible, early translations of the Bible, and English translations of the Bible. Section one discusses various preliminary issues concerning the creation and nature of the Bible. What is the Bible? What is the relationship between the two covenants? How does the synoptic problem affect interpretation? These questions and more are answered in a systematic and holistic fashion. Part two shows the development of the canon within the inner-workings of the early church. By the time of Jesus, an established Old Testament canon existed and the new functioned soon after the death of the apostles. Heresy, persecution, missionary usage and other factors drove the early church into recognizing and codifying a New Testament canon.The third portion of the book spent considerable time discussing the transmission of the Bible. Where did the Greek and Hebrew texts come from and how reliable are they? What manuscripts do we have and what are their dates? What communities developed the text and for what purpose were they created? After offering a lengthy dialogue on each testament, the other shows the value of translations of the Bible in different languages. The author also offers broad principles relating to textual criticism. Part four is the shortest division within the book and seeks to educate the reader about other translations floating around the Roman world in the centuries following the time of the apostles. The author gives special care to informing one of the historical context behind the early printing of the Bible. Because of the Renaissance and the invention of the printing press, the need for a Bible in English was apparent and almost inevitable. Gutenberg’s first book printed was Jerome’s Latin Vulgate which began the process of disseminating the Bible throughout the West.The last section of the book is on English translations of the Bible. The author breaks this section up into smaller subunits based upon the time period: English Bibles prior to 1611, modern English Bibles up to 1950, and modern translations from 1950. In light of the cultural and literary significance of the authorized version of the Bible, the writer devotes a whole chapter to its history and revisions. A special appendix is tacked onto the chapter discussing the unfortunate “KJV Only” debate in the Church today. The work closes answering the question of “Why are there so many English translations?”Dr. Wegner remarks, “The purpose of the book is to provide a general survey of how the Bible we use came to be in its present form.” In my opinion, the author met his goal and much more. Within the span of only four hundred pages, the author indeed offered a lot of valuable information about the Bibles we cherish in our churches today. The value of the book is threefold: education, defense, and encouragement. Wegner’s book obviously educates the average Christian sitting in the pew on how we got our Bibles. Because pastors are mainly focused on teaching and preaching from the text and not necessarily discussing its integrity and textual history, this book offers the laymen a plethora of arrows in their intellectual quiver. The section alone of the various modern translations is worth the price of the book. There are good reasons why some preach from one translation as opposed to another. The book also serves an apologetic purpose. Snide and clever witticisms about the text from disbelieving dissenters can be rebuffed with the knowledge gleaned from Wegner’s book. The transmission of the Bible is a more sophisticated, tedious, and careful process than any analogy from the telephone game can provide. Lastly, the book bolsters our confidence in the Bible. The author shows that great trouble was taken in the transmission and translation process in such a way that the average reader can be sure that the text is accurate and worthy of their spiritual studiousness.I perceived at least three important strengths of the book. First, the text is comprehensive in its scope. Almost no stone was left unturned. While more could be said on each and every subject mentioned, I did not feel the author short-changed the reader in any area. One can walk away with at least sufficient knowledge on these issues. Second, the book was both readable yet scholarly. The author did not write using unclear and difficult concepts without taking the time to explain and define the words. Many books of this caliber tend to go over the heads of the readers. This work avoided such a trap while remaining scholarly. Dr. Wegner wrote in his preface that “The discussions in this book are directed primarily toward the undergraduate student or layperson…” and remained true to form throughout. Last, the book contained many charts, maps, figures and graphs that further elucidated and extended the work’s intended aim. It is one thing to read a lengthy chapter about a manuscript. It is another thing to see the various manuscripts discussed. One walks away with a greater appreciation for the text by getting to see the manuscripts and textual variants within them. This allowed the author to include more information without having to stop the flow of his argument.There are not many apparent weaknesses I could perceive from the book. I do however think the work could have been strengthened with some extra chapters or appendixes on what the major confessions and creeds say about Scripture and also a chapter on the importance of the Bible in the Global South. Though the book was not mainly a theological treatise seeking to discuss such issues as the inerrancy, sufficiency, and perspicuity of Scripture, something brief on those topics might lend the book broader appeal in evangelicalism. Also, the shape of global Christianity has radically changed within the last century and a nod at how the Bible is valued and utilized in non-Western locales would greatly strengthen the book. How is the Bible used in those contexts? Is it different from our own? All in all, an author cannot say everything so should not be faulted for leaving out such things as long as he or she is comprehensive. From my perspective, there was no bias that hindered the author’s work. At times, the author in fact appeared to be neutral and objective as he described various debates surrounding the text. For example, when discussing the KJV Only debate, he merely gave the arguments without his position. The arguments can speak for themselves.I personally look forward to utilizing the information gleaned from this book in the local Church. There exists widespread ignorance on how we got our bibles and the science of textual criticism. Many times, Christians do not even care to learn about these topics until pushed by unbelievers in these specific areas. Educating our youth and others who sit in the pew can only encourage the faithful in their mission to the world. Without an adequate defense of Scripture, the Church’s message many times can and will be dismissed out of hand by the person we are evangelizing. Furthermore, Dr. Wegner’s “For Further Reading” portions after each chapter are an invaluable tool for lay-level apologists and seekers wanting more knowledge. I would and plan to recommend this book for anyone genuinely interested in the history of God’s Word.

The website description seems to present this book as a neutral and unbiased scholarly study but it is not. The author's agenda and reinforcement of his beliefs are an unmistakeably clear thread that runs through this work. While many might welcome this as a reinforcement of existing personal beliefs, as a neutral scholarly research study with a neutral bias, it is not.However, there are different reasons for anyone to read and enjoy this book and that is wonderful. It is very well written and researched by an authority in the field.

I bought this for my dad who, at 70 y/o, is exploring the post-KJV translations. When it arrived, I spent more than an hour reading section 5 on the English translations and loved it. I do wish it were a bit more up-to-date to include information on the HCSB and the recent changes to the NIV following the change in publishers, but it was copyrighted in 1999 before those translations were released. It covers up to the NLT and The Message. Perhaps the paperback version has been updated.I have not spent much time on the beginning of this book (I don't want to give dad an overly used gift) and I don't know what "doctrinal polemics" are, but I suspect that's a bit more than my dad would be looking for. I will say that we (Dad and I) agree with the doctrine to which Moody Bible Institute (the school at which the author teaches) adheres.I'm glad I found a copy that fit my budget to go along with the parallel Bible I bought Dad. I would definitely recommend this to a friend. Just remember it's age (shouldn't affect the main portion of the book) and if you're sensitive to viewpoints other than your own, be aware of the author's background.

I'll gift it

Had been searching for just such a book. Not difficult reading for college level. Very good section on the Apocrypha, with lists and charts. I LOVE lists! Even lists the reasons why the various apocryphal writings were not accepted as canon by most. An excellent reference for budding students studying manuscripts and source documents.Rachel Coryprophecyviewpoint.com

This is a fantastic, simple, yet in depth evaluation of the Bible. The Charts and pictures make concepts applicable in many cases. I will be referencing this book again in the future I'm sure!

Great Study Aid. A little bit tough to understand somewhat, but yet it takes meditation. Good stuff !!

I rceived this The Journey from Texts to Translations: The Origin and Development of the...Very Very Very very Good

Ever wondered why we have so many bible translations and the differences​ between these translations? This book provides much needed information on the backgrounds of each of the major translations

very interesting