More Americans are now reading the Bible but fewer believe it’s 100% accurate: study

[FAITH-IN-HIM]

I believe all scripture is truth. What that truth is can only be revealed through God's Spirit.

The Spirit can but each person may read something different. What spirit guides them?

It is truth and inspired by God. Accuracy may vary depending on the reader's spirit or , maybe, translations.

Your argument goes like this: I read the Book of Job, and the Holy Spirit gives me the understanding that it is accurate; you read the same book, and the Holy Spirit guides you to believe it's inaccurate. Someone else reads the Book of Isaiah, and the Holy Spirit leads them to think Isaiah was never a prophet, while another person reads the book and feels guided by the Holy Spirit to believe what the prophet Isaiah wrote about the birth of Jesus is true. Is this how the Holy Spirit guides each of us?

 

[Yarddog]

Your argument goes like this: I read the Book of Job, and the Holy Spirit gives me the understanding that it is accurate; you read the same book, and the Holy Spirit guides you to believe it's inaccurate.

Nope. I've never said that scripture is inaccurate.

Someone else reads the Book of Isaiah, and the Holy Spirit leads them to think Isaiah was never a prophet, while another person reads the book and feels guided by the Holy Spirit to believe what the prophet Isaiah wrote about the birth of Jesus is true. Is this how the Holy Spirit guides each of us?

Nope but you demonstrate how one can read something and get totally inaccurate belief about what is written. What spirit did you read with?

 

[Ellesmere]

"Since Tyndale’s English translation in 1526, translators and publishers have created approximately 900 different English Bibles, making it hard to know which to choose.

In the end, no single version of the Bible will perfectly capture every thought or nuance communicated through the Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic writing in our available manuscripts."

- https://bibleproject.com/articles/does-a-most-accurate-bible-translation-exist/*
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More Americans are now reading the Bible but fewer believe it’s 100% accurate: ​

The premise for this thread and its title are somewhat misleading - there has been no need to go outside the Christian community itself to find those who would question the accuracy of the translation of events contained in the Bible!

Even within Christianity's 3 major divisions, there is no consensus that even extends to the number of books that merit inclusion in the Bible!#

Protestant Bible - 66 books as determined by Martin Luther
Catholic Bible - 73 books - compiled and translated by St Jerome and confirmed as the Church's canon by the Council of Rome (382 AD)
Eastern Orthodox - 76 books

The Apocrypha, the 7 additional books found in the Catholic and Orthodox Bibles., were removed by Martin Lither – Tobit, Judith, 1st and 2nd Maccabees, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (or Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach), and Baruch.

In addition to the removal of these 7 books (Apocrypha), Luther also removed
- Daniel 13
- Daniel 14
- John 7 verse 53 -8;11

Luther also moved four New Testament books—Hebrews, James, Jude, and Revelation to the back of his Bible translation as a means to reduce their influence, referring to these New Testament books "epistles of straw" or "Judaizing nonsense" because they contradicted his theology.

The fact that there are significant differences in the Bibles representing the major branches within Christianity also reinforces the contradictions that exist that apparently can't be reconciled!

Add to this the almost 900 Bibles translated since 1526 in English alone, further reflects the ongoing discontent within Christianity that the existing language in the Scriptures fail to convey the same message in the 21st C and/or whether they reflect the beliefs of the reader!

 

[PloverWing]

A small note: In the chart in the previous post, the first column should read "Protestant Bible", not "Christian's Bible". (Noting, of course, that some Protestants find value in the deuterocanonical books, but "Protestant" will do as a brief heading that fits in a chart.)

The larger point is correct: the various branches of Christianity have not been able to agree on exactly which books belong in the Old Testament portion of the canon.

The points alluded to in the last paragraphs -- reconciling apparent contradictions, whether the text is inerrant, and how to apply Scripture to our modern context -- are separate from the question of what belongs in the canon.

 

[RileyG]

Your argument goes like this: I read the Book of Job, and the Holy Spirit gives me the understanding that it is accurate; you read the same book, and the Holy Spirit guides you to believe it's inaccurate. Someone else reads the Book of Isaiah, and the Holy Spirit leads them to think Isaiah was never a prophet, while another person reads the book and feels guided by the Holy Spirit to believe what the prophet Isaiah wrote about the birth of Jesus is true. Is this how the Holy Spirit guides each of us?

Which is why there are literally thousands upon thousands of different Christian denominations in the world today. People have different interpretations and traditions. No two people think alike.

 

[RileyG]

A small note: In the chart in the previous post, the first column should read "Protestant Bible", not "Christian's Bible". (Noting, of course, that some Protestants find value in the deuterocanonical books, but "Protestant" will do as a brief heading that fits in a chart.)

The larger point is correct: the various branches of Christianity have not been able to agree on exactly which books belong in the Old Testament portion of the canon.

The points alluded to in the last paragraphs -- reconciling apparent contradictions, whether the text is inerrant, and how to apply Scripture to our modern context -- are separate from the question of what belongs in the canon.

Oh! Yes!

Agreed. Some Protestants, notably Anglicans/Episcopalians and some Lutherans, revere the deuterocanonical books even though they don't consider them inspired Scripture. It's interesting to note that in the Book of Common Prayer (Anglican/Episcopalian), readings from the deuterocanonical books are often included in their offices.

*Generally, Protestant Bible refers to the 66 books of their canon.

I'm just a theological nerd!

 

[FAITH-IN-HIM]

Which is why there are literally thousands upon thousands of different Christian denominations in the world today. People have different interpretations and traditions. No two people think alike.

The issue lies with our human interpretation, not with God or the scriptures. God's Word remains constant and accurate, but our understanding of it can be flawed.

The person I'm debating argues that some scripture may contain errors, suggesting, for example, that Job or certain Old Testament stories might not be real. I firmly disagree with this view.

 

[Yarddog]

The issue lies with our human interpretation, not with God or the scriptures. God's Word remains constant and accurate, but our understanding of it can be flawed.

The person I'm debating argues that some scripture may contain errors, suggesting, for example, that Job or certain Old Testament stories might not be real. I firmly disagree with this view.

Which account of Paul's conversion is correct?

And they that were with me beheld indeed the light, but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
Acts 22 : 9

And the men that journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing the voice, but beholding no man.
Acts 9 : 7

I don't know how to reconcile these verses nor has the Holy Spirit told me how to do it. I choose to not worry about.

 

[FAITH-IN-HIM]

Which account of Paul's conversion is correct?

And they that were with me beheld indeed the light, but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
Acts 22 : 9

And the men that journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing the voice, but beholding no man.
Acts 9 : 7

I don't know how to reconcile these verses nor has the Holy Spirit told me how to do it. I choose to not worry about.

Why would one compare these two events? In Acts 9, the event occurs on the road to Damascus during Paul's conversion to Christianity, while the account in Acts 22 takes place 23 years later in Jerusalem.