Modern Protestant Versions and the Latin Vulgate
The KJV and the Latin Vulgate
A big selling point - in certain circles - for Modern Version Advocates (MVAs) is that supposedly the KJV/(AV) translators only had a minimal amount of manuscripts and they (1611 KJV / AV Translators) relied on the Vulgate where they didn't have Greek.
- those who say such things are not accurate. (But if they really want to defend the Vatican and the Latin Vulgate, they can start by answering the questions about the Latin Vulgate here. It just goes to show that we need to know our own history and not depend on those who mislead us - to inform us.
The idea of KJV translators not knowing Greek is particularly interesting considering that several of the KJV Translators were in fact Oxford and Cambridge Professors of Ancient Greek.
The point about KJV Translators relying on the Latin Vulgate is absurd. If we did not know the source from where the KJV draws its material, in that case (and only then) – then it would be possible to state that the sources for the KJV are "unknown". But this is Not the case.
We know:
1. what the KJV says (obviously)
2. We know which Greek versions of the Bible in the days of the Reformation and KJV translation existed.
3. We know the Greek New Testament that was used as THE new testament in Greek at that time is the Greek Textus Receptus.
and
4. We know the Sources that the Textus Receptus draws on, for its own Greek Text
Conclusion:
Since we know what the ancient sources and manuscripts were, we can compare those BOTH with:
1. the Textus Receptus in Greek, and
2. the King James Version in English
And that means that we CAN know the sources that the Textus Receptus is based on, and we CAN know the sources that the KJV in English is based on
In the context of the discussion concerning the KJV, nothing of the KJV comes from Latin Vulgate. That is simply a losing argument that Textual Critics make about the KJV when then hope that you - will not know enough to refute them.
But the KJV has nothing in common with the Catholic Latin Vulgate.
[The one exception to this possibly is Erasmus who remained a Roman Catholic while working on his translations of the New Testament. But that proves only that the KJV used some of the work of Erasmus. The Text of Erasmus was independent of the Latin Vulgate.]
The Vulgate is written in LATIN. The Text that the KJV translators relied on primarily was GREEK. If the KJV translators would have used the Latin Vulgate, people would be able to point to the KJV and tell us which Verses are derived from the LATIN VULGATE.
The point is that this still would not happen, because the verses used in the KJV come from the Textus Receptus. The New Testament portion of the Textus Receptus – YES – DOES contain the verses found in the English KJV. And that simply confirms that the KJV is based on the Greek Textus Receptus. (If you want to verify this, then simply buy a copy of the Textus Receptus and look for yourself – we offer it for FREE if this helps).
We mention the last verses of Revelation because some KJV attackers like to say that the KJV "must" be based on the Latin Vulgate, because of supposed agreement between the Revelation text of the Latin Vulgate and the Revelation text of the King James Version.
But that is simply an allegation. The fact is that the Greek Textus Receptus has the same verses in the N.T. Book of Revelation, that are found in the King James Version. The Greek Textus Receptus has 22 Chapters in the Book of Revelation, and 21 Verses in that last 22nd Chapter. Similarly, the KJV also has 22 Chapters in the Book of Revelation and 21 Verses in that last Chapter [Chapter 22] of the book of Revelation.
(Even if the KJV did agree with the Vulgate about the verses of the Revelation, that would prove nothing. The Vulgate does happen to include - in it - John 3:16. but that does not mean that the Textus Receptus comes from the Latin Vulgate...simply because some of the verses in the Vulgate are Also in the Textus Receptus)
--
But none of these points mentions a significant but small detail about the Vulgate: The King James Version calls the last book of the Bible "The Revelation". But the Douay-Rheims and the Latin Vulgate both call the last book of the Bible "The Apocalypse" instead.
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P.S: What about those Critics who say that the Douay-Rheims came before the Textus Receptus ?
- That is just simply wrong. The Douay-Rheims is an English Bible done by Catholics that was finished in 1610. Before that, the Catholic Church did not have a Catholic Bible in English. They only came out with their Douay-Rheims version because they were trying to beat the King James Version (which was completed in 1611).
The Textus Receptus is the Greek New Testament that was printed by Stephens ( Stephanus ) in 1550 / 51.
In other words, the Textus Receptus - even in its modern form of 1550/51 - was around for Decades before the Douay-Rheims version.
And - as stated before - the Textus Receptus agrees with 99% of the Greek Manuscripts that came before it, and the Douay-Rheims version Disagrees with 99% of the manuscripts of the Bible written in Ancient Greek.
Remember Douay-Rheims is translated from Corrupted Latin texts.
Textus Receptus is translated from the OLDER and more accurate Ancient Koine Greek Texts of the New Testament
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Next time – if someone says that the KJV is derived from the Latin Vulgate, simply say:
"Really, Show Me !!!"
If they do, then yes – please report this back to us HERE . But this has Never happened Yet !
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What really bothers Evangelical Modern Version Advocates: Some who do not seek truth do not like to be reminded of the corrupted sources of many of the Modern Versions of the Bible. One of the best sources that exposes this is the book the Revision Revised by Oxford Professor John William Burgon (because it exposes the work of Westcott and Hort and gives many footnotes and sources). We could be accused of trying to Profit from this great source of evidence that Modern Version Advocates hope you will never actually take the time to read, but we offer The Revision Revised as a PDF Ebook for FREE.
Questions for Thinkers (and Historians) about the LATIN VULGATE
True History of the Latin Vulgate Version of the Bible
Go to the Beginning of this Section on Bible Versions
Questions & Answers to ask Pastors
Section for Newbies - New Christians
Free New Testament PDF in SPANISH
BUSH & RICE to PRESS FORWARD WITH PALESTINIAN STATE in JUDEA, SAMARIA & GALILEE
Uncovering the Secrets of the Septuagint
Free Latin New Testament - Really
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The Real Question is what are you going to do with the information that was presented in this article.
Is the Information True ?
Is the Information Accurate ?
Is the Information documented ?
Do I - before God - have a responsibility if I am a Christian to accept and act on the information in this article ?
Am I comfortable in the knowledge, that some leaders under the guise of clarifying the text of the Bible, are actually changing that text, and changing MY understanding of what God wants to share with me through His Holy Word, the Old Testament and the New Testament ?
Do I understand that these "small" changes number from the hundreds to the THOUSANDS depending on which Modern Versions I use, and that these changes serve to cut away the clarity and the specific understanding found in the Greek New Testament, that these new modern versions are preventing me from understanding ?
Do I understand that most of these new Modern Versions were not developed because there was a genuine need, but because the teams of Bible Translators were Hired by PUBLISHING companies who are eager to make a profit on the Word of God, which remains the Number ONE bestseller every week of every year, and that these Publishers decided to cash in ?
Do I understand that the problem was that if these Bible Adjusters and Correctors did NOT make the changes that they chose to, that they would not be able to claim copyright protection, and therefore they would not be able to make a financial Profit from their new versions ?
Do I understand that there are Spiritual Forces that want to prevent me from having GREATER spiritual understanding about God, but that God himself is always in MORE of a hurry than I am, for Me to get to know HIM ?
Do I realize what my personal state of preparation will be, within me, when Islam becomes the Dominant Religion in the United States, as it is already in Europe, and how I will personally be required to defend my Faith, by argument and persuasion, using knowledge of the Bible and of History and of Christianity, and that God will rightly hold me accountable because I am claiming to be His Child and a personal follower of Jesus Christ ?
In view of these facts, should I try to set aside more time for the study of the Word of God, and more time for the study of History and the true history of the Christian Church, and to learn about how other Christians in the past, actually learned to have and to gain GREAT spiritual strength ?
If no one reaches out to help prepare me for the coming challenges, whose job is it STILL for me to be prepared to answer these challenges and questions ?
FREE Ebooks for your encouragement, consideration and learning (PDF) Page can be found here: http://www.exorthodoxforchrist.com/free_ebooks_instant_downloads_pdf.htm
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