BISHOP TUCKER SCHOOL OF DIVINITY AND THEOLOGY
NAME:
BAINGANA OMEGA
REG NUMBER:
M24MO5/041
COURSE UNIT:
BIBLE INTERPRETATION
COURSE:
MASTER OF DIVINITY
YEAR:
ONE
SEMESTER:
ONE
DATE:
14 TH JUNE 2024
LECTURER:
PROF. PETER NYENDE
QUESTION. DISCUSS THE STAGES LEADING TO THE FORMATION OF THE
BIBLE?
Introduction
The Bible according to by Paul D. Wegner, is a collection of books considered authoritative by
the Christian church, used to determine its beliefs and doctrines. (Holman 2015) states that the
word “Bible” comes from the Latin and Greek words meaning “book,” and refers to the Old
Testament and New Testament and it has sixty-six books, which is; thirty-nine in the Old
Testament and twenty-seven in the New Testament books and they form the canon of a holy
scripture.
The process of recording these scriptures was lengthy but it was not without God’s Involvement.
Wegner, asserts that God intimately guided the writers, combining their personalities and life
experiences with the work of the Holy Spirit to create the scriptures. 2 Peter 1:20-21 also
emphasizes that "No prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For
prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as
they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 It is stated that, "All Scripture
is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness."
According to Peter Nyende (2024) this verse informs us of the origin of the scripture and their
relationship to God, He also emphasizes that the bible preserves and transmits God’s word, and its
fundamental messages are God’s salvation, God’s nature, God’s ways, and God’s family.
For many years, the Bible has been a respected and Holy book for millions around the world. But
how did it come to be? It didn't just appear one day, fully written and complete. Instead, it was
created over many centuries, with many writers, editors, and scribes contributing to its formation.
This essay will discuss the stages that led to the formation of the Bible.
God’s Word
According to Nyende (2024), the Bible originates from God's speaking, acting, and revealing (His
"dabar" or "logos)." It did not emerge from human imagination or creativity but from the breath of
God. Scripture emerges when God speaks to someone, His actions are witnessed, or He reveals
Himself or something to people and this divine communication occurred in specific historical
contexts. God’s speaking and action can be seen In Deuteronomy 5:4-5 where Moses reminds
the Israelites and says "Then the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire; you heard the sound
of words but saw no form only a voice. And He declared to you His covenant which He
commanded you to keep, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.
Stages in the Formation of the Bible
1. The Oral Word
Initially God’s words, actions and revelations were conveyed orally and according to Nyende
(2024), this Oral word is the first stage in the development and formation of the Bible. During this
stage, the messages of God were transmitted or conveyed orally by the Prophets and the Apostles
either as eyewitnesses of the Acts of God or His Son Jesus Christ. According to Schneiderwind,
W. M. (2005), this oral tradition was also important for cultural continuity in early Israel. People
sang songs of their ancestors and told stories of their ancestors, passing down their culture through
proverbs, folktales, and songs. This notion is supported by Deuteronomy 4:9 where Moses tells
the Israelites “to be on their guard, make certain that they do not forget, what they have seen with
their eyes, to tell their children and grandchildren” Therefore before the written word, there was
only the spoken word influenced by the oral culture of Early Israel and early church with stories
about their past and experiences shared by word of mouth.
2. The Written Word
At some point God’s messages were recorded and preserved in written form and according to
Nyende (2024) this “Written Word was the second stage where God’s messages were transmitted
in writing. He asserts that the oral word was written down and that it is at this point that we begin
to have the scriptures, that is; God’s word written, and this is what Paul was referring to when
writing to Timothy when he talked of all scripture.
Miller, S. M., & Huber, R. V. (2004) assert that as the Hebrew alphabet developed, oral stories
began to be set down in writing. The Old Testament took shape over more than 1,000 years,
involving many writers, editors, and scribes. Stories of creation and early Judaism were eventually
written down, with additional laws, prophecies, and poetry added. They also argue that in the New
Testament, Jesus of Nazareth's teachings and ministry were not recorded until after His death and
resurrection. As the early church emerged, Jesus' followers wrote letters and accounts of His
ministry. Some of these writings were read alongside Hebrew scriptures during Christian liturgies.
So once writing had become integral to religious culture, the concept of scripture naturally
followed. According to Wegner, P. D. (2006), writing materials in ancient times included papyrus,
stone, wax-coated wood, pottery, ostraca, leather, parchment, and codex.
3. The Compiled Word
According to Nyende (2024) the written word was subsequently compiled into whole books and
a canon of one book (the Bible) by the community of faith. Miller, S. M., & Huber, R. V. (2004
also asserts that over time, the written scriptures were revised and combined, gradually forming
the Old Testament as we know it today and for the New testament certain works were also grouped
together and regarded as the New Testament having been subjected to a process called
canonization.
Canonization involved determining which books to include in the New Testament or the Old
Testament, and Miller, S. M., & Huber, R. V. (2004) suggest three main criteria for the New
Testament: The book had to be written by an apostle or an apostle's close associate, align with
traditional Christian teachings, and be widely used in the church and recognized as authoritative.
And for the Old Testament: The text had to be divinely inspired, Authorship was a key factor in
evaluating books, the content of the individual books was examined for internal consistency and
the documents the Hebrew religious community actually used also influenced canon selection. The
Council of Nicaea and the Council of Trent played a crucial role in establishing the canon of
Scripture.
4. The Copied Word
According to Nyende (2024) God’s messages were repeatedly copied by members of the
community of faith in Manuscripts. This process endured for many years, however according to
Miller, S. M., & Huber, R. V. (2004) this copying by hand was not only a demanding process but
was also prone to introducing new mistakes. It continued until 1440, when Johannes Gutenberg
invented the printing press, allowing books to be printed in bulk, ending the era of hand-copying,
and significantly improving the accuracy and distribution of the Bible. So, by the end of the
manuscript age, the Word of God had been copied multiple times into Bibles, mainly in Hebrew,
Greek, and Aramaic languages."
5. The Translated Word
According to Nyende (2024), Finally, the copied word was translated into various languages and
this process is still ongoing, with efforts to translate the Bible into modern languages worldwide.
Miller, S. M., & Huber, R. V. (2004) argue that in the Early church, Christians who had the Bible
in their own language, resisted persecution and heresy better. The first translations include Syriac,
Coptic, Armenian, Arabic, Old Latin, and Greek versions. Translation like any other stage faced
resistance. Miller, S. M., & Huber, R. V. (2004) present a story of an Englishman named William
Tyndale who was on October 6, 1536, in the town of Vilvoorde executed for his efforts to translate
the Bible into English. It is said that then catholic Church saw his translation as a challenge to its
monopoly on biblical knowledge and feared that it would spread heretical ideas among the laity.
Fortunately, by the time of his death, William Tyndale had already translated the Bible, leading
to a departure from the Latin Vulgate which opened a way for other English versions such as
Coverdale's Bible, Geneva Bible, King James Version, Revised Standard Version, New
International Version, New American Standard Bible, and English Standard Version. Translation
has helped the Bible spread all around the world and It's still happening today. For example,
Uganda, which has more than seventy languages, all of them have their own version of the Bible.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Bible preserves and transmits the word of God, with the fundamental message
of salvation, nature, ways, and family. The process of its formation was a lengthy one, involving
many stages: the oral word, the written word, the compiled word, the copied word, and the
translated word. Today, the Bible continues to be translated into many languages, making it
possible for people around the world to read and understand God's message. With the advancement
of technology, this process has become even easier and more accurate.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Nyende, Peter. Biblical interpretation." BTSDT UCU Mukono, 2024.
2. Miller, S. M., & Huber, R. V. (2004). The Bible: A History: The Making and Impact
of the Bible. Good Books.
3. Schneiderwind, W. M. (2005). How the Bible Became a Book: The Textualization of
Ancient Israel. Cambridge University Press.
4. Wegner, P. D. (2006). The Journey from Texts to Translations: The Origin and
Development of the Bible. Baker Academic.
5. The Holy Bible, New International Version. (2011). Biblica, Inc. (Original work
published 1973).
6. Holman Dictionary. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Tennessee: B&H Publishing
Group, 2015