All posts filed under: Theology + Bible

The Bible Has Been Translated Too Many Times, Can I Trust It?

Published by emiddleton

One of the most common critiques I hear about the Bible is that it can’t be trusted because it’s been translated too many times. But is this claim actually true? I think when considering this question we have to define transcription (ie translation) vs. transmission. Transcription is the Bible being put in written form (translation).  Transmission is the passing of the Bible from person to person, generation to generation. When creating varying versions of the Bible, Biblical scholars take the original Greek & Hebrew texts and transcribe them into the English language, using modern vernacular. Scholars didn’t transcribe the orignial Hebrew & Greek texts into the King James Version, then use the KJV to transcribe the NKJV, then use the NKJV to transcribe the NASB, then use the NASB to transcribe the ESV…and so on (you get the picture…) That is a myth and a misunderstanding of how we came to have the many translations of the Bible that we do now. Each translation of the Bible has come from the original texts and transcribed …

How Do We Know If We Are Really Walking With God?

Published by emiddleton

There is a lot of debate and discussion in the Christian world on salvation, whether or not your salvation is secure in Christ or if you can actually lose your salvation. I am in the Reformed camp, so I believe that once you receive salvation you can rest in the assurance of God, knowing that you will never be snatched from His hand. But, the question we have to ask ourselves is are we truly saved? Have we really given our hearts over to Christ? Have we been made into a new creation, or have we deceived ourselves with mere words and a false conversion? The Bible offers some insight on ways we can check our hearts to see if we really are walking with God. 1 John 1:5-10 reads, This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice truth. But if …

But First, Does God Even Exist?

Published by emiddleton

Before we can ask any question about God and the Bible we have to first deal with the fundamental question, does God really exist? If God doesn’t exist then there really isn’t a point in talking about this any further or asking any more questions about anything. And if everything is by chance then what’s the point? I mean literally, what’s the point of everything…life…our existence…our death. If we’re here in the world just to die and disappear into nothingness why has anything been created at all? First, I have to acknowledge that in speaking about spirituality there will be a level of faith involved. Even if I was arguing God’s existence (or lack thereof) from the point of view of an atheist, I would have to exercise faith in the fact that there is nothing, no God, or divine being…and I’d have to have complete faith in the fact that I’d better not be wrong! I have to point this out to acknowledge that there will be things that I can not fully explain, …