How Did We Get Our Bible Today?

QUESTION:
       How Did We Get Our Bible Today?

ANSWER:
       The Bible or Canon (a collection of separate books), that we hold in our hands today is a translation of the original Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew languages that the Bible was originally written in. Over the course of some 1,600 years, 40 men penned the words of the scriptures that we hold today.

      The words written were not dictated word for word, but we are told they were "God breathed" or "inspired" by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). These men wrote in their own styles, with their own experiences what they saw, or were told by God.

       The Bible comprised of 66 books, are all part of what God wants us to know about Himself, and is given to us to equip us for life (2 Timothy 3:17).

       The Bible we have today is not an exact replica of what was written by the prophets, apostles, or others used by God in the original manuscripts (autographs), but is a compilation of various texts and copies of manuscripts that have been recopied over and over again for decades.

       Many translations we have today are word for word literal translations of the texts that have been interpreted in the English language through these copies of copies. Some Bibles such as the Living Word or the New International Version are paraphrased Bibles and use the ideas of the thoughts behind the texts to be written rather than a word for word based translation.

      Texts such as Tyndale's Bible, Wycliffe's Bible, the Greek New Testament, the Latin Vulgate and Masoretic Texts help translated the original languages into our copies today so that what was said 2,000 years ago is still what God is saying today.