It is interesting, even compelling, that there is one translation of the Textus Receptus of the New Testament and the Masoretic text of the Old Testament into every major language in the world. On the other hand, there are well over 100 translations of the Alexandran Text in several languages. These latter translations differ with each other as well as with the Received Text that has been preserved intact throughout the centuries from the first century A.D. The myriad of modern translations from the Alexandrian text date back only to the Revised Version of 1881. The Alexandrian Text, consisting of the Vaticanus and Sinaiticus were lost from the 4th century until the 19th century, approximately 41 generations. The Vaticanus was found in the voluminous library of the Vatican in 1825. The Sinaiticus was found in a waste bin in a Catholic monastery on the Sinai Peninsula in 1846 by a German theologian. These seem to be strange places for God to preserve His Word, especially since they have numerous differences, omissions, and visible corrections and were hidden from and inaccessible by believers in Christ. (Psalm 12:6-7)
On the other hand, the authorized version from the Textus Receptus and Masoretic texts have been translated accurately into all major languages. For instance, Martin Luther translated this text into German. The ReignaValera was translated from the same texts into Spanish in 1602. These both match up with our King James Version of 1611. This text is consistent in exalting the Deity of Jesus Christ and upholding the Holy Trinity. The Alexandrian text is notorious for playing down, and often times denying, the Deity of Jesus Christ and the Holy Trinity.
In all this, we do have to recognize that when translating from one language to another, there are difficulties. For example, in Jude 3 we have the words earnestly contend. In the T.R. Greek, this is one word. This is because in English contend can mean anything from a mild disagreement to very strong dissension.
The Greek word is more like the latter.
Again the big question still remains, How many Bibles did God Write? Do we have a Bible we can hold in our hands and say, "Thus saith the Lord"? We English-speaking people have just that in our King James Version-1611.
Respectfully submitted,
Chaplain Daryl E. Sell
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