Is there a “Perfect” Bible? (A Response to Brandan Robertson)
“No. There has never been a perfect Bible, and there’s not a perfect translation. Because
this question seems to presuppose that at some point the Bible was absolutely true and
perfect. But, the Bible wasn’t dictated by God. It wasn’t the divinely spoken words
of God. It’s a collection of writings by finite human beings doing their best to describe
God and life and meaning and spirituality and morality. The Bible is our ancestors in
the faith best attempts to understand their world and their life. And we look to it for
guidance and wisdom and direction. But, it’s not the end-all, be-all to our faith. And
every time the Bible is translated, new ideas get added in, new translations get added in,
and we get further from the authors’ original intent…like every ancient text. So, don’t
look for the perfect Bible; the Bible you have is fine. But it’s not the end-all,
be-all of your faith.”
Much of Reverend Robertson’s response in this clip hinges upon understanding the Bible
as, “perfect.” This choice of words though begs the question, “perfect for what,”
or, “perfect in which way?”
“There has never been a perfect Bible, and there’s not a perfect translation.”
Based upon this comment, I believe Brandan is mixing categories. To say there is no perfect
translation of the Bible is correct enough – anybody who has attempted fluent translation
from one language to another understands this. The semantic domain of a word in one language
(say, in this case, Greek or Hebrew) may include multiple translation values when rendered
in another language (say English). Thus, different attempts to translate the Biblical text into
modern English are not going to look exactly the same from version to version.
However, our ability to do this in the modern day is predicated upon us having access to
the ancient documents that contain the Bible in its original languages. For anyone who
is interested, you can purchase a Hebrew Old Testament or a Greek New Testament and read
the scriptures in their original languages yourself. These publications are compiled
based upon the documents that have been discovered and catalogued over the centuries, as well
as the various scriptural citations made by Christian authors in their letters, commentaries
and other works throughout Church history.
Further, the attempt to pursue a more accurate rendering of the Biblical text assumes the
standard of the original as it was revealed through the authors. Herein is where we see
Reverend Robertson make this assertion for different reasons – on the assumption that
the Bible is the sole product of imperfect human beings, without inspiration from God.
To assume such a thing, though, goes against the witness of the Biblical authors themselves.
Peter wrote in his second epistle…
“…understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation. For
no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as
they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20-21)
Paul also wrote in his second letter to Timothy…
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction,
for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every
good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
The summation of both of these passages is that Scripture’s source is God Himself,
not the private thoughts of the human authors. To be sure, there is a human element to the
revelation of the Bible and this element is important. It’s because God revealed Scripture
in particular times in history to particular people of the world that the Bible was first
written in specific, ancient languages rather than modern ones. It’s also for this reason
that it is important to properly understand cultural and linguistic contexts to interpret
the Bible correctly. Nonetheless, it is the Bible’s clear testimony that it was not
Peter, Paul or anyone else who was the source of the revelation – it was God and God only.
Paul captures this understanding in his use of the word θεόπνευστος in verse
16, commonly rendered as, “inspired,” but quite literally translates as, “God-breathed.”
It is for this reason that Christianity recognizes the sufficiency of the Bible to communicate
God’s revealed will for all people who have lived since the close of its revelation. Because
it is sourced in God, it does not need to be changed, updated or amended. It does need
to be understood properly and contextually, but as it is, it is wholly complete (or, “perfect”)
to communicate God’s plan and purpose.
“…every time the Bible is translated, new ideas get added in, new translations get
added in, and we get further from the authors’ original intent…like every ancient text.”
Our ability to recognize bad translations of the Bible or unbiblical ideas is based
upon our access to the documents of the original languages. Reverend Robertson’s assertion
here makes it sound as though the original documents are being added to with each new
translation – this is patently false. I agree that there are some very poor Bible
translations in circulation and that we don’t need nearly as many as we have, but those
issues have nothing to do with our access to the early documents. Again, you can go
purchase a Hebrew Old Testament or Greek New Testament yourself. Or, if you’re really
wanting to get to the sources, you can even look up scans of the original scrolls and
books online.
Reverend Robertson, I’m not going to assume your motives in this clip. Regardless, I beg
you to please repent for these errors of teaching. To claim the Christian faith as your own while
teaching things that are in direct contradiction to the Scriptures that define the faith is
irresponsible and dangerous (both for yourself as well as others). The Bible is the perfectly
sufficient revelation of God which gives all people, “the wisdom that leads to salvation
through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:15)
For further reading on this subject, I recommend, “Scripture Alone,” by James White. You
will find a link to this book in the description.