How does the translation process impact the inspiration, inerrancy, and infallibility of the Bible?

Answer

This question addresses three crucial matters: inspiration, preservation, and translation.

The doctrine of the inspiration of the Bible asserts that scripture is “God-breathed”; meaning, God personally oversaw the writing process, guiding the human authors to ensure His complete message was recorded for us. The Bible is undeniably God’s Word. Throughout the writing process, each author’s personality and writing style were allowed to be expressed; however, God directed the writers in such a way that the 66 books they produced were without error and precisely what God intended for us to have. Refer to 2 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Peter 1:21.

When we mention “inspiration,” we are specifically referring to the process by which the original documents were composed. Subsequently, the doctrine of the preservation of the Bible comes into play. If God took such great care to provide us with His Word, surely He would also ensure the preservation of that Word without alteration. History shows us that this is precisely what God did.

The Old Testament Hebrew scriptures were meticulously copied by Jewish scribes. Various groups such as the Sopherim, the Zugoth, the Tannaim, and the Masoretes held deep reverence for the texts they were transcribing. Their reverence was accompanied by strict regulations governing their work: the type of parchment used, the column size, the ink type, and the word spacing were all specified. Writing from memory was strictly prohibited, and the lines, words, and even individual letters were meticulously counted to double-check accuracy. As a result, the words penned by Isaiah are still accessible today. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls undeniably confirms the accuracy of the Hebrew text.

The same applies to the New Testament Greek text. Numerous Greek texts, some dating back to around A.D. 117, are in existence. The minor discrepancies among the texts—none ofWhich affects an article of faith—are easily reconciled. Scholars have concluded that the New Testament we have at present is virtually unchanged from the original writings. Textual scholar Sir Frederic Kenyon said about the Bible, “It is practically certain that the true reading of every doubtful passage is preserved. . . . This can be said of no other ancient book in the world.”

This brings us to the translation of the Bible. Translation is an interpretative process, to some extent. When translating from one language to another, choices must be made. Should it be the more exact word, even if the meaning of that word is unclear to the modern reader? Or should it be a corresponding thought, at the expense of a more literal reading?

As an example, in Colossians 3:12, Paul says we are to put on “bowels of mercies” (KJV). The Greek word for “bowels,” which is literally “intestines,” comes from a root word meaning “spleen.” The KJV translators chose a literal translation of the word. The translators of the NASB chose “heart of compassion”—the “heart” being what today’s reader thinks of as the seat of emotions. The Amplified Bible has it as “tenderhearted pity and mercy.” The NIV simply puts “compassion.”

So, the KJV is the most literal in the above example, but the other translations certainly do justice to the verse. The core meaning of the command is to have compassionate feelings.

Most translations of the Bible are done by committee. This helps to guarantee that no individual prejudice or theology will affect the decisions of word choice, etc. Of course, the committee itself may have a particular agenda or bias (such as those producing the current “gender-neutral” mistranslations). But there is still plenty of good scholarship being done, and many good translations are available.

Having a good, honest translation of the Bible is important. A good translating team will have done its homework and will let the Bible speak for itself.

As a general rule, the more literal translation is preferred.Translations, such as the KJV, NKJV, ASB, and NASB, involve less “interpretative” work. The “freer” translations, like the NIV, NLT, and CEV, necessarily engage in more “interpretation” of the text but are generally more readable. Then there are the paraphrases, such as The Message and The Living Bible, which are not actual translations but rather one person’s retelling of the Bible.

Considering all of this, are translations of the Bible inspired and inerrant? The answer is no, they are not. God does not promise inspiration for translations of His Word. While many of the translations currently available are of excellent quality, they are not inspired by God and are not flawless. Does this mean we cannot rely on a translation? Again, the answer is no. By carefully studying Scripture with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can correctly understand, interpret, and apply Scripture. Thanks to the faithful work of dedicated Christian translators (and, of course, the oversight of the Holy Spirit), the translations accessible today are excellent and reliable. The absence of inerrancy in a translation should prompt us to engage in even more thorough study and move away from blindly adhering to any specific translation.