Holy Bible and Syriac Orthodox Church (Part I)

Holy Bible and Syriac Orthodox Church (Part I)


Syriac Orthodox Church, one of the most ancient churches, considers Bible as the most authoritative source of doctrines. Our church has the utmost respect for the Bible.
While the Syriac Orthodox Church and other ancient churches treat the Holy Bible with great reverence, using it in all their prayers, ministry and sacraments, they also hold the apostolic traditions equally important. The Church has no doctrine that could not be proven by the Bible. The Bible is not to be degraded by independent interpretation by anyone according to their will and pleasure.
[In the Syriac Orthodox and Coptic Orthodox Churches every ministry is done, as taught and done by the apostles. The church was not created out of a vacuum. Each generation learned from the previous generation, from the time of the apostles to the present. The Syriac Orthodox Church still uses Aramaic (Syriac) as its official language, the language used by Jesus Christ and the apostles]. Syriac Orthodox Church Fathers labored in translating the Holy Scriptures into Syriac since the very dawn of Christianity. These Syriac translations of the Bible are the oldest and most ancient in any language. Further, the Syriac New Testament is quite unique for it presents the teachings of our Lord in an Aramaic dialect (Syriac) which is akin and would have been mutually comprehensible with the Palestinian dialect of Aramaic in which Christ taught (see an example given in Holy Bible and Syriac Orthodox Church Part II later). Since the translation of the Bible into Syriac started as early as the first century (even though the New Testament was not codified at that time into a Book), the Syriac version preserves the very ancient renditions of the original texts. In fact,
the Syriac Church Fathers produced a number of translations of the Bible and revisions of these translations from the original languages of the Bible.

Translations of Bible and Differences
Below is a list of some of the variations in different translations. The list is from some popular versions. This encouraged many new interpretations and caused heresy. See below how two translations differ. Of all the Protestant English translations, King James Version has the least errors.

CHAPTER AND GOOD NEWS BIBLE KING JAMES

VERSE (1927) VERSION
1 Acts 1:14 Brothers brethren
2 Acts 1:20 place of service bishopric
3 Acts 1:22 must join us must be ordained
4 Acts 2:42 learning from Apostles Apostle’s Doctrine
5 Acts 2:47 to their group to the church
6 Acts 2:47 fellowship meals breaking of bread
7 Acts 2:27 Servant Holy one
8 Acts 2:38 God’s Gift Gift of Holy Spirit
9 Acts 2:48 who were being saved such as should be saved
10 Acts 3:13 Servant Son
11 Acts 4:30 Servant Holy Child
12 Acts 6:6 Helpers Deacons
13 Acts 14:23 appointed Ordained
14 Acts 19:18 publicly admitted confessed
15 Acts 20:7 Saturday evening 1 St. day of the week ( Sunday)
16 Acts 20:7 Fellowship meal breaking bread
17 Acts 20:28 flock which the Holy Spirit has placed in your care. Be shepherds of church of God which he made his own through the death of his son Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood
18 Acts 22:14 Servant The just one
19 Acts 22:16 Get up and be baptized and have your sins washed away by praying to him Arise and be  baptized and wash away thy sins calling on the name of the Lord
20 Rom 15:16 Like a priest- Minister Of Jesus Christ         
21 Rom 16:21 My fellow Jews My Kinsmen - relatives
22 1 Cori 1:18 Who are being saved Who are saved
23 1 Cori 4:1 Servant Ministers
24 1 Cori 5:13 As the scripture says these words are not found
25 1 Cori 7:5 For Prayer For fasting and prayer
26 Acts 7:17 I teach I command
27 Acts 10:16 The cup we use in the The cup of blessing Lord’s and which we give thanks to God when we
drink from it we are sharing in the blood of Christ which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of the Christ?
28 Acts 11:2 Teachings ordinances I delivered
29 Acts 11:3 God is superior over Christ note: In Living N.T. - they use “ Christ is responsible to God” The Head of Christ is God
30 2 Cori 2:17 We are not like many others who handle God’s message as if it were cheap merchandise but because God has sent us, we speak as servants of Christ We are not…… which corrupt the word of God….. we speak in Christ
31 2 Cori 5:20 We are speaking for Christ… we pleaded on Christ’s behalf let God change you from enemies to his friends We are the ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray in Christ’s stead you e reconciled to God
32 Gala 4:19 Until Christ’s nature is formed in you. I wish that people who are upsetting you ..let them go and castrate themselves Until Christ is formed in you .. I wish they were even cut off which trouble you (St. Paul did not say to castrate)
33 Eph 1:7 by the death of Christ we are set free that is our sins are forgiven In whom we have redemption through his blood for the forgiveness of sins
34 Phili 1:1 Church leaders and helpers Bishops and Deacons
35 Phili 3:3 We do not put any trust in external ceremonies We have no confidence in the flesh
36 Colo 1:2 By his son’s death on the cross the blood of his cross
37 Colo 1:25 Servant of the Church Ministers of the Church
38 2 Tess 2:15 those truths The traditions which have been taught
39 1 Tim 3:1 A Church leader Bishop
40 1 Tim 4; 6 Good teaching Good Doctrine
41 1 Tim 4:11 Give them these instructions Command them
42 Tim 1:5 to appoint to ordain
43 Heb 2:12 meeting Church
44 Hew 13:7 former leaders The rule over you
45 James 5:16 Confess your sins Confess your faults
46 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins to God If we confess our sins
47 I John 2:20 But you had the Holy Spirit poured out on you by Christ You have an unction from Holy One
Note: Unction - an anointing ointment that which is used for anointing. more details later
48 1 John 5:7 Three witness the Spirit, the water and blood There are there that bear record in Heaven - the
Father , the Word, and the Holy Spirit
This proves the point that translators have made their own changes from the original version!
To answer why there was such a difference in translations, we have to analyze two points. 1) Who codified the Bible and when was it codified? 2) Who made the changes, when, and why?

Ever since the Bible was codified, the ancient church (At that time there was only one church with three Patriarchs in full communion to each other) owned it;because the ancient church codified it in the Council of Carthage in AD 397. And thus the ancient Church was its custodian. This is why St. Augustine said, “Since the Church owns the Bible, I believe it. Its interpretation also belonged to the church.”

During those days the Church stood as a mighty pillar of the true faith, the body of Christ and as one against which the gates of Hell could not prevail. Later reformist groups began to make changes to the Holy Bible. Thus people like Luther, Calvin, Single, Matthew etc. brought different versions and different interpretations of the Bible into the English and other languages.
Even Luther who started the reformation, became uneasy about this trend [painfully heartbroken to see God’s words modified, twisted and changed] and wrote “Now there are so many sections as there are heads. Some do not need Baptism, some reject Sacraments, some others teach that there is a third world life for a person between this world and the end of the world. Some says Christ is not God. One person says it in one way and another person another way. It has come to this situation that if one sees a dream or one feels so, he decides that it was a revelation to him by the Holy Spirit and declares himself as a prophet.” (Rebuilding the Lost Faith - Pg. 386 Griser, Luther IV).

The Bibles by Wycliffe (AD1382), Tyndale (1535) came out and many copies of the early editions were burned by order of Cuthbert Tunstall, the Bishop of London who was offended by Tyndale’s translations of various ecclesiastical terms, such as Congregations for Church and Senior for priest or Elder.

Then came the Coverdale Bible, (1535) and Matthew’s Bible (1537) versions.
This was the first Bible that was printed with the Royal permission.
Some of the other translations are:

• Travaners Bible (1539)
• The Great Bible (1539)
• Wittim Graham (1557) - This bible was the first one, which formatted the Bible into separate sentences.
• Ganeva Bible (1569) - became popular among the Puritan Party.
• Bishops Bible (1568)
• Raim’s New Testament (1582)
• Authorized Version (1611)
• Revised Version (1881, 1885). This had the most significant changes, compared to the prior ones. “Mistranslation again have been corrected where ever necessary ”[Helps to study of the Bible]

It is obvious that from the 16th century, many translations came and each translator made considerable changes during the process. Those responsible for the Authorized Version Translation submitted a request to
King James which was “We shall be maligned by self conceited Brethren, who run their own ways and give liking unto nothing, but what is framed by themselves and hammered on their anvil.” This proves that so many translators did their works as they pleased.

Even the early Protestant scholars were of the opinion that the early translations were full of mistakes. Dixon says, unless one is a fanatic Protestant, one will agree to the fact that early translations were full of serious errors. Ward in his book
“Errata” proves that these errors were not accidental, but purposely introduced. Bishop Eikot in his book says that the translated versions have many additions which were not found in the original Bible. Blunt, another Biblical scholar, in his book says that “The personality of the translators were such that, it was easy for them to get the respect of the public.” (Keys to the knowledge and use of the Bible)

Robert Gell, who was a member of the revising committee and who was a chaplain to Arch Bishop Abbot tells - as many times the truth has taken a back seat to the interest of many sections and voted out (truth), as required by different sections of people. So, there are differences between translations and most of the
translations did not do justice to the original. This lesson is to be continued as Holy Bible and Syriac Orthodox Church Part II.

To learn more about why there was differences in translation and what impact did it had on the faith of the church and why is it so important to learn the translational mistakes, please read the Holy Bible and Syriac Orthodox Church Part II.

Questions to test your knowledge

1. How Syriac Orthodox Church does consider Bible?

2. What does the Syriac Orthodox Church considers as important as Bible?

3. How does the ministry in Syriac Orthodox and Coptic Orthodox Church done?

4. What is the official language of the Syriac Orthodox Church?

5. When and where the Bible codified?

6. Who codified the Bible and who was the custodian of the Bible?

7. Among the all translations of Bibles available which translation is the oldest and

most ancient?

8. Why Syriac Translation is unique?

9. Why the Bibles by Tyndale (1535) were burned by Bishop of London?

10. Name at least 10 different translations of Bible?

11. Give one proof that different Bible was translated and framed by the translators

in their please or in their own interpretation?

12. What is the difference in translation in King James Version and Good News

Bible version in Acts 20:7?

13. What is the difference in translation in King James Version and Good News

Bible version in Acts 1:14?

14. What is the difference in translation in King James Version and Good News

Bible version in Acts 1:22?

15. What is the difference in translation in King James Version and Good News

Bible version in Phili 1:1?

16. What is the difference in translation in King James Version and Good News

Bible version in Tim 1:5?

17. What is the difference in translation in King James Version and Good News

Bible version in 1 Cori 1:18?

18. What are the differences in translation (give two) in King James Version and

Good News Bible version in Acts 2:47?

19. What is the difference in translation in King James Version and Good News

Bible version in Acts 19:18?

20. What is the difference in translation in King James Version and Good News

Bible version in 1 Cori 7:5?

21. What is the difference in translation in King James Version and Good News

Bible version in Acts 7:17?

22. What is the difference in translation in King James Version and Good News

Bible version in Acts 11:2?

Please copy and paste the questions to word or e mail text box and answer under each

question. Please limit the answer to each question to a maximum of 50 words.