Can a Translation Be Inspired?
Bible rejecters will often tell people that a translation such as the King James translation cannot be inspired. The Bible, however, directly contradicts this idea. There are three translations in the Bible that were better than the original.
1. God translated Saul’s kingdom to David.
2 Samuel 3:10 "To translate the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba."
2. God translates Christians into the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:13 "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:"
3. God translated Enoch that he should not see death.
Hebrews 11:5 "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God."
So-called scholars say that the King James Bible cannot be inspired because it is only a translation and lost inspiration when it was translated into the English language. This is untrue because there are examples in the Bible itself that show a translation can be inspired. I will show three cases of inspired translations.
1. In Genesis chapters 42 to 45, we know that Joseph spoke Egyptian, the Egyptian interpreter spoke in Hebrew and Moses recorded the words in the Hebrew language into the book of Genesis.
2. In Acts 21:40, we see that every word was spoken in the Hebrew language in Acts 22:1-21. Although spoken in Hebrew, Luke recorded it all in Greek.
3. In Acts 26:14, the scripture tells us that Jesus spoke to Saul in the Hebrew and once again Luke recorded it all in Greek.
Since all three of these recordings were translated does that mean inspiration was lost? No. Since the King James Bible translators translated Hebrew and Greek into English does that mean inspiration was lost? Once again, the answer is no. The scholars of today want to be God by translating the Greek and Hebrew into what they want it to say and most of the time they are using corrupt manuscripts to do the translating. As Bible believers we should take God at his word and believe what he said in the King James Bible and reject the scholars’ opinions.
Another thing that needs to be brought to attention is how the so-called scholars are always worried about the Originals. I can show two cases in the Bible where we can see that the scholars put more emphasis on the Originals than God ever did.
Jeremiah 36 explains the process of the inspiration of the scriptures. If the reader pays close attention, he will see that the word "words" occurs 17 times in the chapter. Please take the time to read the whole chapter.
Jeremiah 36:4 "Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah: and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the LORD, which he had spoken unto him, upon a roll of a book."
Inspiration is connected with God's breath according to the below verse.
Job 32:8 "But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding."
Notice in Jeremiah 36:4 that the inspiration deals with the words that are SPOKEN.
2 Peter 1:21 "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."
In the below verse it says that all scripture is GIVEN BY INSPIRATION OF GOD. Inspiration comes by what is SPOKEN by mouth, not the pen. Jeremiah is not written by Jeremiah, but he spoke what was written, which was wrote by Baruch according to Jeremiah 36:4, 6, 17 and 18. The same could be said for Paul the Apostle and his epistles.
2 Timothy 3:16 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"
Also, while we are on 2 Timothy 3:16, understand that Timothy had copies of the scriptures. He did not have the "originals", yet Paul said that the copies that Timothy held in his hands were still "given by the inspiration of God". There is not one reference in the Bible that says the term "scripture" refers to the "originals". That is a myth made up by "Christian" college professors.
This next verse has nothing to do with the topic, but it is good for the Christian to notice. When these men heard the words, which was scripture they were afraid. As Christians, we should keep our hearts tender to the word of God. When we read scripture that rebukes or reproves us we should have the fear of God and take heed to what the scripture says about our sins and short comings.
Jeremiah 36:16 "Now it came to pass, when they had heard all the words, they were afraid both one and other, and said unto Baruch, We will surely tell the king of all these words."
Back to the study. In verse 23, we see the the "originals" are destroyed by Jehudi by cutting them and then burning them in the fire.
Jeremiah 36:23 "And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth."
What takes place after the "originals" are burned is called "double inspiration" by most Textus Receptus men that CLAIM they believe the King James Bible, but rather only believe what "the Greek" says.
Jeremiah 36:27 "Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, after that the king had burned the roll, and the words which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah, saying, 28 Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned."
God says to rewrite the words that were in the first roll. The words wrote in the second roll are still inspired, even though they are not the "originals". Now check out the next verse, which is the last verse in the chapter.
Jeremiah 36:32 "Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah; who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like words."
Not only is this roll "double inspired", the second roll doesn't match the first roll because in verse 32, we see that words were added to the roll. We are commanded not to add to God's word like the corrupt new versions do, but since God is the author, He can do what He wants with His word.
We know that the King James Bible is "given by the inspiration of God", even though it is a translated copy. The Greek New Testament quoted the Hebrew Old Testament, yet the translation was still "given by the inspiration of God". Therefore, we know that a translation can be inspired. Also, we know that copies like the ones Timothy held in his hands are "given by the inspiration of God". Today, when you hold a King James Bible, you are holding a copy of the "holy scriptures" in English "given by the inspiration of God". Do not ever let anyone "educate" you out of believing the King James Bible.
Another instance of the Originals being lost is in Deuteronomy 9:17, where Moses breaks the original Ten Commandments.
Deuteronomy 9:17 “And I took the two tables, and cast them out of my two hands, and brake them before your eyes.”
Later God gives Moses copies of the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy 10:2. Like the King James Bible, these copies were also inspired by God.
Deuteronomy 10:2 “And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark.”
In 2 Timothy 3:16, we are told that all scripture is given by inspiration of God. By reading the context we see that the scriptures are not referred to as the Originals, but instead copies of the Torah that Timothy would have read and studied. Thus, we know that copies are also inspired by God, such as the King James Bible. Not one time in scripture does God say that only the Originals are inspired. The corrupt Greek and Hebrew texts, along with the new versions, are not scripture, because they have been changed by men throughout the years.
2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”
