There is no such thing as The Bible

Hi, Brian. One wonders at the foundations of bible-believing folk once we start to delve into the purity of scripture. Apart from the varieties stated ,we have the multiple versions of the 'Old Testament'compiled by Origen. Not content with comparing six existing versions in the Hexapla, I believe it is understood that Origen produced another compilation with seven and eight columns. While the Hexapla may have carried Greek and Hebrew versions for different audiences, one would imagine that there was a fair degree of difference between all of these to warrant inclusion.
Then, of course, we have the celebrated tale of Rabbi Akiva at Jamnia (circa 100A.D.), fighting for the inclusion of the Song of Songs in a volume already subject to considerable amendation.
To muddy the waters further, we find translators of the Qumran (should that be Succaca)Scrolls finding their texts 'sometimes following the Septuagint, sometimes the Masoretic Text, sometimes following neither' (Eisenmann?--my library is in storage a thousand miles away).
Even the debate between John Burgon and Westcott/Hort over the Western/Neutral/Alexandrian Texts only serves to add to the confusion when we find that those stalwarts of the RV school-Sinaiticus and Vaticanus don`t agree with each other.
To sum up, I suppose we can say purity is in the mind of the beholder :-P

Josh McDowell? snuffle gag mumpf.At least you never mentioned Jim Bakker.

'If the KJV was good enough for Jesus, it`s good enough for me.'Anon Fundy."If English was good enough for Jesus Christ, it's good enough for us." - former Texas Governor Miriam Ferguson, on barring foreign language teaching

Hi, Akldema, and welcome. Stick around on EvC and you might find the reverse. And which, precisely, is the Authorised Version?Given that the only mention of 'inspiration'of Scriptures is a relatively minor epistle that just made the cut, don`t you think it a tad presumptious to claim that for the whole Bible? Especially when it goes on to say 'helpful'or 'profitable', not sacrosanct.

And when 'darkness descended upon the earh', who was the sparkie who did the wiring? :-P

Minor nit-pick. Eusebius (c.300) wrote that Papias said that. We don`t have Papias` work apart from some rather dodgy fragments.
Fragment 10:'Mary, mother of James the Less and Joseph-----was the sister of Mary, the mother of the Lord.' Two Marys in the one family?Fragments of Papias

Same goes for post-Flood references in Gen :2
13: Ethiopia
14:Assyria/Asshur
14:Euphrates
Either these areas/cultures survived the Flood, or Moses (or whoever) is relating the creation tale to contemporaries using current terms.
Which either means the Garden of Eden was created post-Flood, or Genesis isn`t chronological.
Which means----- I think I`m getting a headache