Paris Bible
Wow! The first pocket sized Bible was the Paris Pocket Bible printed in 1230. This is all the more amazing when we know it was two hundred years before Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press. This means every page of the Paris Pocket Bible had to be hand printed from an engraved (carved) wood block. It was rare and expensive in a time where few could read Latin. Today we have free smart phone apps that allow us to read the Bible whenever and wherever we want in our own language. There is now no excuse for us to keep God’s Word close to our heart at all times. The internet is a technological marvel and two-edged sword. Use it to spread The Good News to a lost world that needs to read it!
Eliot Bible
Eliot was a Puritan who lived in Massachusetts in the 1660’s. He was a gifted linguist and translator. So he put the Puritan’s Geneva Bible into Algonquian language and printed the first Bibles in America! Amazing that the first Bible printed in America, a century before the Aitken Bible, was for Indians! He learned to speak their language and then created a written language form so he could print the Bible into their spoken language. Just like those early Indians, today’s Deaf in America do not have a written language. Yet. There is an ongoing project called ASL Writing working hard to develop written ASL. They have a dictionary! I wonder what it would take to put the ERV into written ASL? Would written ASL be better for Deaf than to use the Greek alphabet with English vocabulary and sentence structure? Only God knows.
Bibles In Common Languages
Luther by writing his “95 Theses”, protested the Pope’s sale of penance, or indulgences. This reminds me of when Jesus overturned the tables of moneychangers in the Temple. Likewise, we need to stand up, by faith, against worldly practices in the Church. Luther also was known for translating the Church’s Latin Bible into the common German language of his day. He wanted God’s Word to be written in the common language of the people. Latin was not the common language for anyone in the 1500’s, even as today the KJV is not the common language for English speaking, hearing people. God never meant for His Word to be hard to read and understand! Like Luther, we need to stand against those who make learning the Good News more difficult. But Deaf believers have a special challenge to their faith. Why? Deaf do not have their own written language! I am not sure a video ASL Bible will work as well. Pray for Deaf to have their own written language, and for a Bible written in their own language.
Tyndale Bible
Tyndale translated the very first English Bible in Europe and smuggled them into England where only Latin Bibles were authorized. He was deemed as Heretic and died for it at age 42. Years later, King James authorized the KJV as the only English Bible for England, and outlawed all other translations. Ironically, eighty percent of the KJV Bible came from the Tyndale Bible. Whenever a group of religious elites “authorize” a single translation and make others illegal, true believers can only hope and pray for God’s Word to be made freely available in the common spoken language of the day.
KJV Bible
The KJV Bible played a role in helping King James unite Scotland and England into one faith. It was 80% based on Tyndale’s Bible. It was written in the language of the day. In our time we have our own English translations, but the Deaf do not have one to call their own. Pray for it to happen. I do not believe God wants to make it hard for His people to read and understand His Holy Word. When we share the Good News we talk in today’s language. We need to use a modern, easy to read, English translation, but for Deaf we need an ASL translation! Pray it happens! Deaf Missions recently completed their video ASL Bible. But what would be better is an ASL Bible written in ASL. There is a Deaf group working to develop a written ASL language. It is called “ASLwrite”. Pray!
Future Bibles
It is interesting to learn that there is a microfilm copy of the KJV Bible on the Moon! We do not know when Jesus will return, but someday, soon, humanity will be living on the Moon and Mars. Christians will take with them copies of the Bible. I do not know if they will be physical copies because it will be expensive to transport books due to weight. So, Bible copies on the Moon and Mars will probably be in digital files (or whatever they are called at that time). Maybe a Mobile Bible app? Whatever it becomes I am sure it will be an amazing application of modern technology in Outer Space that would be for God’s Word! From to the ends of the World to the ends of the Universe! With the “coming” of AI, there is already talk of using AI to create new translations of God’s Word!
It’s All Greek To Me
The Septaginit is the Greek OT translation from Hebrew done at the time of the Greek Empire under Alexander. The famous, ancient Library at Alexandria included a copy and was the reason why it was done. It was to preserve the Jewish OT for all time. I was studying Ephesian 1:17 and learned that Paul would sometimes use what was called “Aramaic Targums”. In his day, most Jews did not know Hebrew, only Aramaic. So, when Rabbi’s would read from Hebrew OT text, they had oral Aramaic translators who would, like ASL interpreters, translate for their Aramaic speaking audience. These oral Aramaic translations later were put down to scrolls and became known as “Targums”.
So Paul was very familiar with Targums and most likely used them, as well as the Hebrew OT, whenever he quoted from the Bible while he wrote his letters, in Greek, to the Greek churches. This shows how important it is to always have God’s Word in today’s language of the people, deaf or hearing.
Why Read The Bible?
I was reminded of Jesus fulfilling the Law. OT and NT together form our Bible. Both are the trustworthy Word of God. Believers need to study, understand and believe both OT and NT. In fulfilling OT Law, Jesus changed some things like removing the need for animal sacrifice. But, He did not change the Ten Commandments. He did not take away tithing a tenth. A careful study of OT and NT gives us the complete picture to understanding what we need to sustain and grow in faith and good works.
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