This thread subject starts after a few posts helping me get it on Wordpad from Word....thanks guys!...darn I lost all my highlights...geeze this took an HOUR...I thought the site was down! the first few post can help you post easier, then I hope sombody finds Subject Info. interesting!
Seriously, we all know that WT changes teachings often on subjects as New Light Flashes Forth, but how often do they teach two excactly opposed points? Are there any others? It sure rocked my world to discover the Bible is not really 100% trustworthy after being taught that for 40 years. I know for a fact that most witnesses and even elders have no clue about this information....oompa
I was taught:
1. Gods Word is 100% Accurate, Divinely Preserved (see last page GU brochure too)
***
sip.316StudyNumber6—TheChristianGreekTextoftheHolyScriptures***8 In the preceding study, we learned that Jehovah preserved his waters of truth in a reservoir of written documents—the inspired Hebrew Scriptures. However, what of the Scriptures written down by the apostles and other disciples of Jesus Christ? Have these been preserved for us with like care? An examination of the vast reservoir of manuscripts preserved in Greek, as well as in other languages, shows that they have. As already explained, this part of the Bible canon comprises 27 books. Consider the lines of textual transmission of these 27 books, which show how the original Greek text has been preserved down to this present day.
***
sipp.316-317StudyNumber6—TheChristianGreekTextoftheHolyScriptures ***However, from this original fountainhead, there have flowed to us copies of the originals, copies of copies, and families of copies, to form a vast reservoir of manuscripts of the Christian Greek Scriptures.
11 AReservoirofOver13,000Manuscripts. A tremendous fund of manuscript copies of all 27 canonical books is available today. Some of these cover extensive portions of Scripture; others are mere fragments. According to one calculation, there are over 5,000 manuscripts in the original Greek. In addition, there are over 8,000 manuscripts in various other languages—a total exceeding 13,000 manuscripts all together. Dating from the 2nd century C.E. to the 16th century C.E., they all help in determining the true, original text. The oldest of these many manuscripts is the papyrus fragment of the Gospel of John in the John Rylands Library in Manchester, England, known by the number P52, which is dated to the first half of the second century, possibly about 125 C.E.Thus, this copy was written only a quarter of a century or so after the original. When we consider that for ascertaining the text of most classical authors, only a handful of manuscripts are available, and these are seldom within centuries of the original writings, we can appreciate what a wealth of evidence there is to assist in arriving at an authoritative text of the Christian Greek Scriptures.
***
sip.319StudyNumber6—TheChristianGreekTextoftheHolyScriptures***28 EvaluationofTextualTransmission. What, then, is the net evaluation as to textual integrity and authenticity, after these many centuries of transmission? Not only are there thousands of manuscripts to compare but discoveries of older Bible manuscripts during the past few decades take the Greek text back as far as about the year 125 C.E., just a couple of decades short of the death of the apostle John about 100 C.E. These manuscript evidences provide strong assurance that we now have a dependable Greek text in refined form.
***
sip.319StudyNumber6—TheChristianGreekTextoftheHolyScriptures***The Christian Greek Scripture portion of the NewWorldTranslation, being based on this excellent Greek text, is thus able to give its readers the faithful "saying of Jehovah," as this has been so wonderfully preserved for us in the Greek reservoir of manuscripts.—1 Pet. 1:24, 25.
***
sip.320StudyNumber6—TheChristianGreekTextoftheHolyScriptures***What confidence we may have today that the Christian Greek Scriptures, as they are now available to us, do indeed contain "the pattern of healthful words" as written down by the inspired disciples of Jesus Christ
. May we keep holding to these precious words in faith and in love!—2 Tim. 1:13.***
sip.320StudyNumber6—TheChristianGreekTextoftheHolyScriptures***32 Both this and the preceding study have been devoted to a discussion of the manuscripts and text of the Holy Scriptures. Why has this been given such exhaustive treatment? The purpose has been to show conclusively that the texts of both the Hebrew and the GreekScriptures are essentially the same as the authentic, original text that Jehovah inspired faithful men of old to record. Those original writings were inspired. The copyists, though skilled, were not inspired. (Ps. 45:1; 2 Pet. 1:20, 21; 3:16) Hence, it has been necessary to sift through the vast reservoir of manuscript copies in order to identify clearly and unmistakably the pure waters of truth as they originally poured forth from the Great Fountainhead, Jehovah. All thanks go to Jehovah for the marvelous gift of his Word, the inspired Bible, and the refreshing Kingdom message that flows forth from its pages!
BUT
2. The Bible has been Alterd by Satan and his Buds...Removed Jehovah and added stuff:
***
w823/15p.24LoyallyAdvocatingtheWordofGod ***Failure
toStickLoyallytoGod’sWord17 Because some scribes failed to stick loyally to God’s Word, entire sections of spurious verses have crept into the "Received Text,"
***
Rbi8p.15641DTheDivineNameintheChristianGreekScriptures***Sometime during the second or third century C.E. the scribes removed the Tetragrammaton from both the Septuagint and the Christian Greek Scriptures and replaced it with Ky´ri·os, "Lord" or The·os´, "God."
Insight On The Scriptures also explains that the name Jehovah was removed by early so-called Christians, actually apostates-
*** it-2p.9Jehovah ***
In
theChristianGreekScriptures. In view of this evidence it seems most unusual to find that the extant manuscript copies of the original text of the Christian Greek Scriptures do not contain the divine name in its full form.*** it-2p.9Jehovah *** Why is the divine name in its full form not in any available ancient manuscript of the Christian Greek Scriptures? *** it-2p.9Jehovah***
When did this change in the Greek translations of the Hebrew Scriptures take place?
*** it-2p.9Jehovah***
It evidently took place in the centuries following the death of Jesus and his apostles.
*** it-2pp.9-10Jehovah***
The so-called Christians, then, who "replaced the Tetragrammaton by kyrios" in the Septuagint copies, were not the early disciples of Jesus. They were persons of later centuries, when the foretold apostasy was well developed and had corrupted the purity of Christian teachings. —2Th 2:3; 1Ti 4:1.
Here is a current publication most dubs have never seen...makes the Bible 100% accurate:
The Guidance of God - Our Way to Paradise
1999
*** gupp.29-31IstheTextoftheHolyScripturesTrustworthyGuidanceFromGod? ***Appendix
Is theTextoftheHolyScripturesTrustworthyGuidanceFromGod?MANY religions agree that God inspired the Holy Scriptures. Have you already seen these books? Have you read them? Some people hesitate to look into them because of the charge that these writings have been changed. However, is it not audacious to claim that God’s books have been corrupted, as if God were incapable of preserving them!
2 The Devil does not want God’s guidance to reach man. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that he and his cohorts would try to have the Holy Scriptures corrupted so that mankind might be misled and turned away from God. Over the centuries, various individuals have tried to add to certain verses. But did they succeed in corrupting God’s words? Would God allow them to do so? No! Throughout the Scriptures, he affirms that he would preserve his words. "The green grass has dried up, the blossom has withered; but as for the word of our God, it will last to time indefinite," says Isaiah 40:8. (See also 1 Peter 1:24, 25.) Likewise , the Qur’an says: “There is none that can alter the Words (and Decrees) of God.” (Al-An‘am [6]:34) Thus, all attempts to change God’s words have failed because it is inconceivable that God would permit any manipulation of his books.
3 We can also be certain that the text of the Holy Scriptures is authentic by taking a closer look at the old manuscripts that still exist. We will thereby note the accuracy with which the Scriptures have been copied. And you will also be interested to see that the Qur’an has m any things to say concerning the authenticity of the text.
What the Manuscripts Demonstrate
4 From the start, handwritten copies (manuscripts) were made of the original texts of all the Holy Scriptures. This was done under God’s direction so that his guidance would be known and followed by man. (Compare Deuteronomy 17:18.) The copyists were extremely meticulous in their work. For example, early Hebrew copyists even counted every letter in the Torah to prevent mistakes from creeping in when manuscripts were being copied. Each time they copied one, they would count the letters in their copy and compare it with that of the original to make sure that both were identical. It is reported that they counted 815,140 individual letters in the Hebrew Scriptures. In the first century C.E., Jesus and his followers quoted from the copies on hand without expressing any doubt at all concerning the accuracy of the text. (Luke 4:16-21; Acts 17:1-3) The precision of those who have copied the Scriptures over the centuries has contributed toward an accurate transmission of the text down to our day.
5 By studying the thousands of manuscripts extant in our time and comparing them with one another, we can see that the original text has been accurately passed down to us. Existing today are some 6,000 manuscripts of either all the Hebrew Scriptures or parts thereof. The Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered in 1947, have demonstrated that the centuries of copying and recopying have not distorted God’s message.
6 More than 13,000 manuscripts of the Greek Scriptures are said to be available today. A study of them shows that the original text of the Christian Greek Scriptures has also been preserved accurately. For example, the Institute for New Testament Textual Studies in Germany has made about 95 percent of its approximately 5,300 handwritten copies of the Christian Greek Scriptures available for scientific study, either on microfilm or in photographs. A comparison of them shows just how exact the transmission of the Bible text down to our day has been. The interval of time between the original writing of the Christian Greek Scriptures and the writing of the oldest extant papyrus manuscripts is very short, not more than 25 years.
What the Qur’an Says About the Holy Scriptures
7 The Qur’an calls the Torah and the Injil "the Book of Enlightenment." (Al ‘Imran [3]:184; Fatir [35]:25) Scores of Qur’anic verses state that these books are from God. ( Al-Baqarah [2]:89; Al-An‘am [6]:92) Concerning both the Torah and Injil, we read: "Wherein is guidance and a light." (Al-Ma’idah [5]:44, 46, MMP) Furthermore, Al-Ma’idah [5]:46 says about the Torah: “Therein is the (plain) command of God.” Many of the great interpreters (such as Al-Jalalayn, Al-Fakhr Al-Razi, Al-Tabari, and Al-Baydawi) acknowledge that according to the Qur’an, the Torah is called “the Book of God” (Al ‘Imran [3]:23) and "the Book which helps to make things clear." (Al-Saffat [37]:117) Nevertheless, some still believe that the present-day Torah and Injil have been corrupted and cannot be trusted. But if this were true, when did this falsification take place?
8 From a Qur’anic viewpoint , no corruption could possibly have occurred before the writing of the Qur’an because many Qur’anic vers es call for faith in the Torah and the Injil. (For example, see Al-Baqarah [2]:136; Al ‘Imran [3]:84; Al-Nisa’ [4]:136.) The Qur’an also recommends seeking out those versed in the Torah and the Injil, saying: "If ye realise this not, ask of those who possess the Message." (Al-Nahl [16]:43; Al-Anbiya’ [21]:7) Would it do so if these texts had been corrupted? Furthermore, many Qur’anic verses call out to “People of the Book” (the Torah and the Injil ) to turn back to their books. (For instance, see Al-Ma’idah [5]:50, 71.) Surely, an invitation would not be given to turn back to corrupted books!
9 Likewise, no corruption could possibly have occurred after the writing of the Qur’an, since a comparison of our modern-day Holy Scriptures with manuscripts of the Torah and the Injil written four or five centuries before the writing of the Qur’an shows that there have been no changes, or corruption. These manuscripts are available in public libraries and museums.
10 Nevertheless, some individuals still object, saying th at there are certain Qur’anic verses that speak of such corruption (Arabic, tahrif ). But what do Muslim scholars say about this? Commentaries explain corruption in two ways: (1) Falsification of the text (altering any written character) and (2) twisting (distorting) the meaning of the text. Muslim commentators are not unanimous that the corruption referred to is that of altering the written text.
11 In "The Book of Monotheism," which is part of his Sahih, Imam Al-Bukhari explains the meaning of the word "ta hrif” as follows: “Tahrif means alteration. However, no one can alter any written character in a book of God. Tahrif was done to the text in the sense of twisting its meaning [misinterpreting it]." In his commentary on Al-Nisa’ [4]:46, Imam Al-Fakhr Al-Razi says: “The meaning of corruption (tahrif ) is the introduction of vain doubt and wrong explanations and changing the word from its true meaning to a baseless sense by means of verbal tricks, as heretics do presently with the verses which contravene their own sect. This is the view that is more true." In his commentary on Al-Ma’idah [5]:13, he says: "This corruption (tahrif ) could be [1] false interpretation, and it could be [2] altering the written text. However, we have already shown that the first explanation is most probable, because it is impossible to alter the written text of a book that was handed down in unbroken and widespread succession." Examples of twisting the meaning of God’s books can be seen in the interpretations that many religions give in support of their false beliefs.
12 The Holy Scriptures are indeed sound! Anyone who believes in the Qur’an must agree that the text of the Holy Scriptures has not been corrupted. There can be no doubt that they are God’s Word, for the Holy Scriptures have not been changed since the time that the Qur’an said that the Torah and the Injil are "guidance and a light" and that "there is none that can alter the Words (and Decrees) of God."—Al-An‘am [6]:34.
[Study Questions]
1. Why do some hesitate to look into the Holy Scriptures?
2. (a) How do we know that attempts to corrupt God’s words have not succeeded? (See box below.) (b) What assurances do we have that no corruption has occurred?
3. What helps to assure us that the text of the Holy Scriptures is authentic?
4. (a) To what extent did copyists of the Holy Scriptures strive for accuracy? (b) Did Jesus and his followers express any doubts concerning the accuracy of the copies they used?
5. How can we prove that the text of the Scriptures in use today is sound?
6. Why can we say that the Christian Greek Scriptures have not been corrupted?
7. What does the Qur’an say about the Torah and the Injil?
8, 9. (a) Could corruption of the Holy Scriptures possibly have occurred before the writing of the Qur’an? (b) Could such corruption have occurred after the writing of the Qur’an?
10. What two meanings have been given to "corruption," and what do Muslim commentators say in this regard?
11. Which meaning of the word "corruption" has been accepted by some learned ones?
12. Respecting the Holy Scriptures, of what can we be sure?
[Box onpage 29] Have JudaismandChristendomCorruptedtheTorahandthe“Injil”?
PEOPLE usually try to change what disturbs them. However, God did not allow opposers to corrupt his holy books. Consider: If it were true that Jews had succeeded in corrupting the words in God’s books, why did they not alter the texts that denounce their disobedience and rebellion against God? And why did they leave intact the passages that reveal that God would deal with other nations and that he would put an end to the covenant he had made with them as his special people? (Isaiah 1:2-20; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Daniel 9:24-27) Moreover, why did the Jews not change the text of the scores of prophecies concerning Christ in order to justify their refusal of him? (See paragraph 15 on page 18.) Likewise, if Christendom has succeeded in corrupting the Holy Scriptures, why have they not been able to distort the texts that refute their beliefs? (See the box on page 5.) Indeed, we can be confident that God has preserved the purity of the message of his books so that all mankind can have his guidance today.