by Jacob Riggs
How We Get Our English Bible: Understanding About Different Versions
Robert E. Picirilli
Randall House, 2019
ISBN: 9781614841050
Near the end of my reading this book I told my wife, “Next to God’s Word, this may be the most important book for every Free Will Baptist to read.” I said that, and still believe it, for three reasons:
- (1) some Free Will Baptist’s who are KJV-only (in the National Association of Free Will Baptists, 10% believe that the KJV is the only version we should use for preaching, teaching, and personal study, and 25% feel that the KJV is the only version we should use for preaching and teaching, according to a recent survey) will find Picirilli’s well-thought out and well-proven arguments compelling in understanding how God’s Word comes about and will therefore grow in their love of God’s Word and of the God who so wonderfully has preserved it;
- (2) those who are not KJV-only but don’t have the knowledge to explain why they hold this belief will now have that knowledge; and
- (3) those who are not KJV-only and do know why they hold that position will now have an excellent example of how to engage in this conversation with truth, grace, and humility.
How We Get Our English Bible is an explanation of how we know the Bible is trustworthy and accurate. While written with Picirilli’s denomination in mind (NAFWB) and primarily addressed to a KJV-only individual, it is a helpful primer on the inspiration, spread, preservation, and translation of God’s Word.
Many English-speaking Christians wonder: “Why are there so many translations of the Bible?” The next question is usually, “Which translation is best?” The answers to these questions tend to open a theological can of worms. It takes skill, patience, and clarity of mind to pick up each worm calmly and to put it back in the can while allowing onlookers to observe. That is essentially what Picirilli does in this book. He clearly answers every question that arises about translations, original manuscripts, and even how to use different translations.
Summary
Picirilli begins by laying a foundation for his beliefs about God’s Word. He summarizes a classic understanding of what’s known as “plenary-verbal inspiration,” or the doctrine that God breathed out the words of Scripture. He twice states that the rest of the book doesn’t contradict what he states in chapter 1. He really does believe that all of Scripture are God’s very words.
Then Picirilli seeks to show, in two chapters, how God’s Word moved from original autographs to our modern English translations. He starts chapter 2 by noting a truth that has caused consternation to many: the fact the original Scriptural documents do not exist. There’s a gap between the original letter of Galatians (for example) and my copy of Galatians in my ESV. As Picirilli says, “We need to know how to fill in that gap” (10). In fact, copies and translations of the original manuscripts fill the gap. But we have so many copies that we can place great confidence in the reality that although we do “not have the original sheets . . . we have the original text” (11).
These two chapters (2–3) begin an effort to address some false assumptions that KJV-only folk have made about God’s Word: namely, that God inspired the copying in order to protect the “Authorized Version” from having any mistakes. Picirilli makes note of several issues that have naturally occurred through human error in the copying of the King James while still proving that we can trust God’s Word.
Translations of manuscripts are another bridge that can cause confusion about God’s Word. Specifically, people need to understand the nature of translating anything from one language to another. Picirilli clearly explains what this process involves. Then he traces the history of the translation of ancient manuscripts to what we have today. Pay attention to pages 34–38 as he shares implications. Those pages are gold.
One of the many fascinating truths brought out by Picirilli is found in chapters 4–6. This truth is that the Bible was originally written in a way that normal, every-day people understood and used. In fact, he even proves that the translators of the King James Version had the same goal in 1611 (see chapter 6) and provides numerous examples of words in the KJV that are now confusing at best. He concludes chapter 5 with this quotation: “One has no choice, then, but to admit that the King James translation of the Bible does not use our language as we use it” (69).
Many don’t understand the nature of translation. Some assume that only one English word refers to only one Greek word and vice versa. But in reality, “any word in one language . . . can be translated by several different words in another language” (86). Because of this, as Picirilli states, “no translation of any document in any language is an exact expression of it into another language” (86). When people realize this, they can feel like their faith in Scripture is crumbling. However, chapter 7 seeks to show that, in light of these realities, any translation that “accurately expresses what the original, inspired text intended to express” (92) is the Word of God.
When reading different translations, one will notice that some phrases are in one translation but not in another. Chapter 8 explains the reason for this: differences in manuscripts on which the translation was based. Not every translation uses the same source material. Several questions arise from this truth, which the author answers satisfyingly in this chapter by including biblical examples.
The book concludes with reasons why we can still demonstrate confidence that our Bibles really are God’s Word, even with the differences in translation and source manuscripts. Then Picirilli gives helpful suggestions regarding translations.
Strengths
For a book about Bible translations, English Bible is very accessible. That is not an easy feat, especially when explaining biblical criticism. Yet it is appropriate considering the author’s point about the original manuscripts being written in readable language.
Another strength of the book is its succinctness and clarity. At 10 chapters and 135 pages, it doesn’t take much time to read. But I still left thinking that he had said enough and had said it convincingly.
The last strength, and perhaps the most important one, is the manner in which Picirilli writes. The enemy has used the topic of translations to divide the body of Christ, and he has not exempted the Free Will Baptist denomination. Yet those who claim that the King James is the only inspired Word of God, while they sincere and often passionate, are in error and should understand those errors. This book shows that without unnecessary offense. It is like a scalpel under the hand of a careful surgeon, only cutting what needs to be cut with the good of his patient in mind.
I highly recommend How We Get Our English Bible and will be encouraging those I pastor to read it.
About the Author: Jacob Riggs is pastor at Central Oaks Community Church in Royal Oak, MI.
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