(Everthing in the (...) is my words and everything else I have copied from various sites....Charity333)
(So if the word of God is infallible and the bible was written by man who is fallible How do we know which words are Gods and therefore infallible? Well, Jesus Promised us the Holy Spirit who is infallible...but how do we know to whom the Holy Spirit granted an infallible translation of scripture? So who is the one gifted with the infallible Holy Spirit to discern and interpret scripture? Yes we all possess the Holy Spirit and to each is given certain gifts but if we all assume our translation and interpretation is correct we end up with BABEL, CHAOS and A MULTITUDE of different interpretations. So to Whom did God grant the authority to Discern, Interpret and translate scripture? As a Catholic and this is were the debates will come in, I believe that authority was given to Peter when Jesus Granted him the keys of authority the keys to the kingdom and the power to bind and loosed. If This is true (just assume here) that this is true then The true translation lies with the beginning of the church.
The Septuagint (in Latin means 70, for the # of translators) during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-246BC) The Jewish Scholars began translation from Hebrew to Greek. Greek was the common language in the Mediterranean world. Jews in Palestine usually spoke Aramaic. Jesus himself as well as the NT writers quote the Septuagint OT over 300 times in the NT. The Septuagint contains 46 books whereas the Hebrew Canon established by Jewish Rabbis(not Christians) in 100AD only has 39 books. The Christian church was using the Alexandrian Canon(Septuagint). The christian Church continued to use the Septuagint and officially decided which books comprise the canon in the councils of Hippo 393 AD and Carthage 397 AD It approved the Alexandrian Canon as the canon for the OT It was not disputed for 16 centuries until the Protestant reformation. when Martin Luther proposed the Palestinian canon of 39 books in Hebrew as the OT canon. They claimed that there was no Hebrew translation for these 7 disputed books which were supposedly translated into Greek along with the rest of the books. But recent discoveries such as the Dead Sea Scrolls found in Qumran have found some of these Hebrew copies of the disputed books. Which would make the Septuagint the most authoritative list of books for the canon. I guess you have to decide if you would use the OT used by Jesus and the NT writers or the OT used by Jews who rejected Jesus and persecuted Christianity.
Martin Luther also wanted to reject James Esther and Revelation. but in the words of Martin Luther himself: "We are obliged to yield many things to the Papists(Catholics) that they possess the Word of God which we received from them, otherwise we should have known nothing at all about it."
So in my Catholic opinion, based on historical and biblical evidence, I Believe the Catholic Church is the Authoritative and protective guardian to the true list of inspired books. This authority was given to Peter when Jesus spoke to Him in Aramaic changing his name from Simon to Peter or Kephas which means rock. and granted the Keys to the Kingdom. To learn more about significance of the authority of the Keys read Isaiah 22 or go here to read more. ScottHahn ....Charity333)
(I have cut and pasted the following from this site: MathewCh16 ...Charity333)
Mt 16:19-20 I will give you (singular) the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Is 22:22 I will place the key of the House of David on his shoulder; when he opens, no one shall shut, when he shuts, no one shall open.
Clement (Alexandria, 150 - 215 AD), Who Is the Rich Man That Shall Be Saved?, Chapter 21 Therefore, on hearing those words, the blessed Peter, the chosen, the pre-eminent, the first of the disciples, for whom alone and Himself the Savior paid tribute, quickly seized and comprehended the saying. And what does he say? "Lo, we have left all and followed Thee."
Cyprian (Carthage, 200 - 258 AD), On the Unity of the Catholic Church, Chapter 4 Upon him (Peter), being one, He (Christ) built His Church and although after His resurrection He bestows equal power upon all the Apostles, and says: "As the Father has sent me, I also send you. Receive the Holy Spirit: if you forgive the sins of anyone, they will be forgiven him; if you retain the sins of anyone, they will be retained" (Jn 20:21), that He might display unity, He established by His authority the origin of the same unity as beginning from one. Mt 16:13-17 When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father."
Christ then gives Simon son of Jonah a new name and a commission. Mt 16:18 And so I say to you, you are "Rock", and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
Since the New Testament was written in the Greek language, it is right to begin the consideration of this critical passage in the language in which it was written:
Two observation must be made on the Greek and the Latin translations of Matthew 16:18. Note in the Greek that the name of Peter is Petros, and the word for rock is petra. In Latin the name of Peter is Petrus and the word for rock is petra. This follows from the demands of the respective languages. Nouns in these languages, unlike English, have gender: some are masculine (e.g., -os or -us ending to words); some are feminine (e.g., -a or -am ending to words). The word for a rock in both languages is, of its nature, feminine; Peter, being a male, could not take a feminine ending to his name. It would be like calling him "Rockette" instead of "Rocky." Quite a difference! Hence it is only the demands of language that the gender of the words is different.
Jesus renamed Simon bar-Jonah for a purpose. The literalness of the play on words--a linguistic pun--is made clear. A pun is a pun because of the literalness of the play on words. This was precisely what Jesus was saying. "You are Rocky and on this rock I will build my church." His intent becomes clear when we examine the Aramaic in which language Jesus addressed Peter.
'aph 'ena' 'amar-na' lak da'(n)t-(h)uw ke'pha'
and I say - I to thee that-thou-art Kephas
we`'al hade' ke'pha' 'ebneyh le`i(d)tiy
and upon this rock I will build her namely my church
Note that the word for Peter, ke'pha', is the same word for rock. The words are equated: Peter is the rock.
The core of the meaning appears to rest in the two words for a "rock." If Matthew recorded that Christ used the same word both for (1) the proper name of Peter and (2) the foundation on which Christ says he will build the church, then an interpretation follows that the foundation of the church is Peter.
Because the Word of God as recorded in Matthew had to be intelligible in its literalness for all people including the more simple people of the early centuries of the Church, a more involved interpretation demanding extensive hermeneutics and linguistic acumen would be unwarranted. Ultimately, when there are differing interpretations, the principle question then becomes, "by what authority is the truth appealed."
The Roman Catholic Church has infallibly defined the interpretation of Matthew 16.
(Simon Bar Jonah.... Whats in a name? Is he the sign That Jesus speaks of in Mathew16:4 when he says no sign will be given except the sign of Jonah? Mathew 16:17 Jesus refers to Simon as Simon Bar Jonah...Is Jesus telling us this is the sign? I DO BELIEVE SO....Charity333)
Meanings of Bar
used to denote the means by which a door is bolted (Neh. 3:3); a
rock in the sea (Jonah 2:6); the shore of the sea (Job 38:10);
strong fortifications and powerful impediments, etc. (Isa. 45:2;
Amos 1:5); defences of a city (1 Kings 4:13). A bar for a door
was of iron (Isa. 45:2), brass (Ps. 107:16), or wood (Nah.
3:13).
(It also means son of ....Charity333)
Scott Hahn has an interesting take on this in his audio program "our fathers plan".
Just before Jesus made that statement, Jesus said "An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah."
So when Peter states that Jesus is the Son of God, then Jesus responds back to Peter that he is the son of Jonah, in other words a son of Jesus. The Sign we have received.
Also, when Christ said son of Bar-Jonah, He effectively changed Peter's lineage at the same time (like in the case of Ruth).
THE TYPOLOGY OF JONAH AND JESUS
The story of Jonah foreshadows redemptive work of Jesus Christ. JONAH
JESUS 1. His mission was to call the gentile Assyrians of Nineveh to repentance and acknowledgement of Yahweh as the source of their salvation [Jonah 1:1; 3:1-2].
1. His mission was to call all of mankind, including the gentile nations, to repentance and into Covenant with Yahweh [Matthew 28:18-20].2. Jonah was willing to sacrifice his life for the salvation of his shipmates [Jonah 1:12].
2. Jesus was willing to sacrifice His life for the salvation of the world [Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45; John 1:29; 1 Timothy 2:6].3. He was entombed in the belly of a great fish [Jonah 2:1].
3. After Jesus’ death He was placed in a tomb [Matthew 27:60; Mark 6:29; Luke 23:53].4. On the third day Jonah was “resurrected” from the belly of the fish [Jonah 2:11].
4. On the third day Jesus was resurrected from the tomb [Matthew 17:23; 20:19; 28:1-10; Mark 9:31; 10:34; 16:1-7; Luke 9:22; 18:33; 24:7; 24:46].5. After his “resurrection” from the belly of the fish, Jonah continued his mission to call the gentile Assyrians to repentance and salvation [Jonah 3:1-3].
5. After His resurrection from the tomb, Jesus continued His mission to found the universal Church and to commission the Apostles to spread the gospel to every nation on earth ;it is a mission that continues even after His Ascension [Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:12-20; Luke 24:13-53; Acts chapter 1].6. Jonah preached that Nineveh would be destroyed in 40 days if the people did not repent [Jonah 3:4].
6. After His resurrection, Jesus taught the New Covenant Church for 40 days before His Ascension [Acts 1:3].7. Jonah taught that failure to repent sin brings judgment but salvation is a gift of God [Jonah 1:1; 3:4-5, 9-10]
7. Jesus taught that failure to repent sin brings judgment but salvation is a gift of God [Matthew 5:21-22; John 5:22-29; 8:34-36; Luke 24:47; John 3:17; 5:34; 10:19; Acts 2:21].http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:3q9V8WnWVcoJ:forums.catholic.com/showthread.php%3Ft%3D127740+Simon+Bar+jonah&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=7&gl=us
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