Old Latin Translation otherwise known as the ‘Old Italia’
In the gospel of John, Jesus is called The Word. Over and over again in the writings now called the Bible these writings are referred to as the Word of God as well. A thorough study of the Old and New Testaments leads to one conclusion: the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation is all about one being, Jesus Christ. He is the subject of the Bible.
Jesus’ disciples were convinced that the scriptures were worth passing on to the next generation. They took this job very seriously. The New Testament was translated from Greek into Latin by at least A.D. 120. Latin was the written language of the Roman Empire and began to dominate all writing. Even so, a partial list of writers who used Greek in the second century includes Clement, Justin Martyr, and even the Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
Old Latin translation begins to replace the Greek texts in what is now France and Italy. “These Old Latin translations going back in their earliest forms to nearly the middle of the 2nd century (150 A.D.) are very early witnesses to the Greek text from which they were made. They are the more valuable inasmuch as they are manifestly very literal translations.”
Here is where it gets really interesting are you ready?
Jack Moorman wrote, “Research into the text and history of the Waldensian Bible has shown that it is a literal descendant of the Old Italia. In other words, the Italia has come down to us in Waldensian form, and firmly supports the Traditional Text.”
“It [the Waldensian Bible] was a translation of the true text into the rather rude Low Latin of the second century . . . the Bible of the Waldensians was used to carry the true text throughout Europe.” The Waldensian Bible is believed to be the source text for the German Tepl Bible, which was in turn used by Martin Luther when he produced his own Lutheran New Testament”.
All of this textual evidence has survived a 1,000 year witch hunt in which any version of the Bible that was not the Latin Vulgate was burned. The existence of these manuscripts alone are evidence of the existence of groups of people who called themselves Christians in all centuries but never had any association with the Official Government Church.
The second century could have been a time of insecurity for the churches of Jesus Christ. The potential for a lack of leadership was great. The transition from direct apostolic guidance to dependence upon the Holy Spirit and the Word of God endangered future generations of straying from their mission. Had the Apostles labored in vain? Would the work of Jesus Christ continue as He had envisioned it? As promised by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:8-10, that which was temporary ceased. Now that which was perfect had come…the complete New Testament. The Word had come.
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