The Ethics Of Editing The Bible: Sin Or Not?

The Bible is a sacred text that has been subject to thousands of years of scrutiny and debate. While the Bible has been translated and re-copied numerous times, a comparison of ancient manuscripts reveals that the Bible has remained largely unchanged. However, some significant differences have been discovered, indicating deliberate attempts to alter the Bible's message. For instance, certain older translations of 1 John 5:7 include additional text that does not appear in reliable manuscripts. The act of altering Scripture is deemed a sin according to Revelation 22:18–19.

Revelation 22:18–19 states altering Scripture is a sin

The Bible is a sacred book for Christians, and as such, some may question whether making changes to its verses is a sin. While the Bible does not explicitly state that writing or highlighting its verses is a sin, it does provide guidance on the matter in Revelation 22:18–19.

Revelation 22:18–19 states: "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll."

This passage suggests that altering Scripture is indeed a sin. Specifically, it warns against adding to or removing words from the prophecy contained within the scroll. The consequences of doing so are severe, as God is said to inflict plagues on those who add to the text and deny those who take away words a share in the tree of life and the Holy City.

The interpretation of this passage suggests that the integrity of the Biblical text is of utmost importance and that any changes made to it, whether additions or subtractions, are considered sinful. This idea is further reinforced by the belief that the entire text of the Bible was inspired by the Holy Spirit, and as such, every word is equally valuable and truthful.

In conclusion, while Revelation 22:18–19 does not explicitly use the word "sin," the severe consequences outlined suggest that altering Scripture is indeed considered a sinful act. Christians are expected to respect and preserve the integrity of the Biblical text as it is believed to be divinely inspired.

Highlighting and underlining are not altering

Highlighting and underlining Bible verses is not a sin. While the Bible does not directly address the act of writing or highlighting verses, it is acceptable to do so in your personal Bible. Annotating your Bible can help you understand God's word and memorise verses, without altering the meaning of the text.

The Bible is a sacred text that Christians are expected to read and understand. Highlighting and underlining key passages can aid in this endeavour, and God wants us to understand His word. As long as you are not altering or eliminating Scripture, which is deemed a sin in Revelation 22:18–19, you are not doing anything wrong.

Additionally, the entire text of the Bible is considered inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1.21), so marking passages with different colours to emphasise them during devotion is not a sin. Studying the Bible and striving to understand its teachings are more important than the way you choose to highlight verses.

However, it is important to respect other people's Bibles. Writing or highlighting in a Bible borrowed from another person or a library is not acceptable. It is essential to respect others' preferences and refrain from marking their copy of the Bible.

Annotating your own Bible is acceptable

As Christians are expected to read the Bible to understand God's words, annotating your Bible can be seen as a way to strengthen your relationship with God. Highlighting or underlining key passages can help you recall and understand the Bible's teachings, and develop a personal connection with God.

Additionally, annotating your Bible is acceptable because it is your property, and any notes or marks you make are private to you and God. However, it is important to respect other people's Bibles and refrain from writing or marking in them without their consent.

Ultimately, the most important thing is to strengthen your relationship with the Lord, and if annotating your Bible helps you to achieve that, it is acceptable to do so.

Mistakes in copying ancient manuscripts

The Bible has been translated and transcribed hundreds of thousands of times, and the sheer number of surviving manuscripts means that there are many differences between them. Most of these differences are insignificant and appear to be accidental scribal errors. However, some of these differences are more important and carry more weight in trying to establish what the authors of the Bible originally wrote.

Scribes were human, and just like anyone else, they made mistakes. Some scribes were not very competent or educated, some were not careful or attentive, and some were tired and worn out. The earliest copies we have are the worst when it comes to these accidental mistakes. By the 12th, 13th, or 14th century, most scribes were highly trained, diligent, and accurate. Unfortunately, our earliest manuscripts were produced by the early scribes who were not as scrupulous or skilled, and these are the ones we are most interested in as they are closest to the original texts.

The way ancient books were written, in a style called scriptio continua (continuous writing), also made it difficult for scribes. Ancient writing did not use punctuation, paragraphs, sentences, or even separate words. This style of writing could obviously lead to problems of interpretation and all sorts of accidental mistakes: misspelled words, accidental omission of a letter or word, accidental repetition of a word, and so on.

Most of the time, when reading a manuscript, it is possible to detect the mistake without much effort and even to figure out why it was made. For example, sometimes a scribe would be copying a passage where two sentences ended with the same words. The scribe would copy down the ending of the first line and then, when their eye went back to the page, their eyes would alight on the second line ending the same way. The scribe would then copy the next line, leaving out the second line. This kind of scribal error, because of "eye skip," is called "parablepsis." When lines end the same way, it is called "homoeoteleuton," and so this kind of accidental scribal mistake is called "parablepsis occasioned by homoeoteleuton."

It is important to note that the errors decrease the further back we go in time toward the original texts. As we get closer to the originals, the number of copyists' errors in the manuscripts decreases. This means that most of the errors can be cleared up by closely examining the manuscript evidence. This gives us trust in the text as it stands today.

Deliberate attempts to alter the Bible's message

The Bible has survived numerous attempts to change its message over the centuries. For instance, in 1 John 5:7, certain older translations include the phrase "in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." However, this phrase was not present in the original text and was added later, as confirmed by reliable manuscripts. As a result, modern translations have excluded this phrase.

Another example of deliberate alteration involves the replacement of God's personal name with titles such as "Lord" or "God" in numerous Bible translations, despite His name appearing thousands of times in ancient manuscripts.

These attempts to change the Bible's message have been detected and addressed through the discovery and comparison of ancient manuscripts. Bible scholars such as William H. Green, F. F. Bruce, and Sir Frederic Kenyon have attested to the accuracy and reliable transmission of the Bible across generations.

It is important to note that while minor copying mistakes may occur, the overall message and accuracy of the Bible have been preserved. As Christians, it is our duty to protect and care for the Bible as a sacred text, respecting its original message and intent.

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