There are people who play a “Shell Game” with Christians or those trying to find out more about the Christian faith. They use Faulty Logic to divert their focus from Biblical Proof and eyewitness accounts that Christ is the Son of God and make a faulty point to confuse them. They might say things such as:

The Bible says Jesus Christ Is the Son of God, but the Bible has inconsistencies, which they call lies.

This is a False Analogy, because the inconsistencies in the Bible are generally related to wording and writing style which doesn't invalidate the truthfulness of the Bible or that Jesus Christ is the Son of God!. On top of that, these people try to make Christians feel foolish for ever believing the Bible or that Jesus Christ Is the Son of God. Don’t fall prey to their Shell Game!"

An Experiment as Proof of the Bible’s Reliability, Looking to see if Variations of Bible Texts Disproves Jesus was in the Temple at 12 Doing God, His Father’s Work or that Jesus Is the Son of God!


There are those who say that Jesus Christ can’t be the Son of God, because the Bible isn’t reliable, because there is no original copy of the Bible. There are always some who try to disprove that Jesus Is the Son of God, but it is my goal to research this further to see if their claim “holds water.” 

The claim that the original copy of the Bible doesn’t exist today is accurate, because the material it was written on deteriorated over all the years. While it was still in existence, there were those who made copies of the Bible. Many were the students of the Apostles and their students and scribes, as well. 

In this research experiment, I will primarily use internet resources for this research project. The Bible will quite often have verses that have both the words “he” and “him” within the same sentence. I will put within brackets who is speaking and who is being spoken to, if it isn’t clear by the context, as well as any footnotes. I will put my analysis, evaluation, comments and opinions within brackets and will try to let you know when I am doing so.

You can read this complete Biblical Research Project Experiment on either of the two blogs I felt led to create: Biblical Proof! at https://BiblicalProof.blogspot.com/ and Do Biblical Inconsistencies Really Matter? at https://Biblicalinconsistencies.blogspot.com/ 

[I thought the information in this online article was significant related to this research topic. In my opinion, it would be fun for you to come back to this website at another time, because they have some humorous Bible Translation errors like: Thou shalt commit adultery, instead of Thou shalt not commit adultery, etc. I didn’t include the whole article, because that wasn’t within the scope of this Biblical Research Project Experiment.] 

Humorous Bible Translation Errors…and What They Mean for Biblical Reliability - The article was written by Sean McDowell on Josh.org found at:

Jewish and Christian scribes took inordinate care in copying the Bible from one generation to the next. For a variety of reasons, we can have great confidence that our present Bibles have considerable fidelity to the original writings.[1] Hands down, the Bible is the most carefully preserved book from the ancient world.

And yet throughout the history of biblical transmission, there have been some intentional and unintentional changes in the text. Some people think this undermines its reliability, but that is not necessarily the case. While there were certain scribes with doctrinal agendas, the vast majority considered it their duty to copy the scriptures faithfully. And they did so. Typically, when variants are found across different manuscripts, textual scholars can reconstruct the correct reading with a high degree of probability.
According to professor Dan Wallace, one of the leading textual critics in the world, there has not been a single manuscript discovery that has produced an authentic reading of the New Testament that tells a totally different story of Jesus.[2]

The reason for this is the remarkably careful procedures practiced by the scribes. When scribes made a mistake in copying a Biblical book by hand, it would only produce one flawed copy. Later scribes would often catch these mistakes by comparing them against earlier copies to preserve the original reading. Even today, textual scholars can catch copying mistakes by comparing them with other ancient manuscripts.

[If this is true, I plan to devise a Biblical Research Project Experiment to simulate how the ancient Bible Scholars, students and  scribes could determine the accuracy and reliability of the Bible, even though there were variations in the copies.]

[The way I’m going to do my Biblical Research Project Experiment is to get on www.BibleGateway.org/ They  have 60  different versions of the Bible in English in their drop-down menu, so it’s going to be an excellent resource for this experiment.]

[I will  perform this experiment by looking up Luke 2:40-52 when Jesus was in the temple at the age of 12 doing God, His Father’s work,  in as many different versions of the Bible as I can within the time constraints of the normal podcast listener. I’m not sure that someone has the time to listen to 60 different versions of this same passage.  I will be prayerful about picking a wide variety of Bible versions of this same passage to compare, but not cherry-picking them to meet any end goal.]

[First of all, I decided to arbitrarily pick twenty different versions of the Bible available on the drop-down menu at BibleGateway.com/ I figured that if there were sixty English versions available in the drop-down menu, evaluating twenty of them was sampling 33 ⅓%  or one third of the English versions available on the drop-down menu.]

[I guess I could have figured out some type of random system to select  among the various  Bible versions. Instead, I arbitrarily selected the versions I did, because I wanted to pick versions of the Bible that were very different from each other, while including a few that were more commonly known to me. I did this by the title of the Bible without looking at the text, first, I figured that that gave me the most broad spectrum of writing styles to compare.]

[Then, after copying and pasting these for this Biblical Research Project Experiment, I will share my analysis to see if the text in these different versions is basically similar. If not, I will share that, as well. This is going to take some time, so I need to get started...]

Luke 2:40-52  New International Version: 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him. 41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over,   his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”[a] [ Or be about my Father’s business]
 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them. 51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. Footnotes: Luke 2:49 Or be about my Father’s business

Luke 2:40-52 21st Century King James Version: 40 And the Child grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him. 41 Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the Feast. 43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and His mother knew not of it. 44 But they, supposing Him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances. 45 And when they found Him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking Him. 46 And it came to pass that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. 48 And when they saw Him they were amazed, and His mother said unto Him, “Son, why hast Thou thus dealt with us? Behold, Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing.” 49 And He said unto them, “How is it that ye sought Me? Knew ye not that I must be about My Father’s business?” 50 And they understood not the saying which He spoke unto them. 51 And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them. But His mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Luke 2:40-52 American Standard Version: 40 And the child grew, and waxed strong, [a][Greek becoming full of wisdom] filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. 41 And his parents went every year to Jerusalem at the feast of the passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up after the custom of the feast; 43 and when they had fulfilled the days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and his parents knew it not; 44 but supposing him to be in the company, they went a day’s journey; and they sought for him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance: 45 and when they found him not, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking for him. 46 And it came to pass, after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the [b] [Or, doctors.] teachers, both hearing them, and asking them questions: 47 and all that heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 And when they saw him, they were astonished; and his mother said unto him, [c] [Greek Child] Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I sought thee sorrowing. 49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? knew ye not that I must be [d [Or, about my Father’s business. Greek in the things of my Father.] in my Father’s house? 50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. 51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth; and he was subject unto them: and his mother kept all these [e] [Or, things] sayings in her heart. 52 And Jesus advanced in wisdom and [f] [Or, age] stature, and in [g] [Or, grace] favor with God and men. Footnotes a.Luke 2:40 Greek becoming full of wisdom.b. Luke 2:46 Or, doctors. c. Luke 2:48 Greek Child. d. Luke 2:49 Or, about my Father’s business. Greek in the things of my Father. e.Luke 2:51 Or, things f. Luke 2:52 Or, age g. Luke 2:52 Or, grace

Luke 2:40-52  Complete Jewish Bible: 40 The child grew and became strong and filled with wisdom — God’s favor was upon him. 41 Every year Yeshua’s parents went to Yerushalayim for the festival of Pesach. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up for the festival, as custom required. 43 But after the festival was over, when his parents returned, Yeshua remained in Yerushalayim. They didn’t realize this; 44 supposing that he was somewhere in the caravan, they spent a whole day on the road before they began searching for him among their relatives and friends. 45 Failing to find him, they returned to Yerushalayim to look for him. 46 On the third day they found him — he was sitting in the Temple court among the rabbis, not only listening to them but questioning what they said; 47 and everyone who heard him was astonished at his insight and his responses. 48 When his parents saw him, they were shocked; and his mother said to him, “Son! Why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been terribly worried looking for you!” 49 He said to them, “Why did you have to look for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be concerning myself with my Father’s affairs?” 50 But they didn’t understand what he meant. 51 So he went with them to Natzeret and was obedient to them. But his mother stored up all these things in her heart. 52 And Yeshua grew both in wisdom and in stature, gaining favor both with other people and with God.

Luke 2:40-52   Disciples’ Literal New Testament: 40 And the Child was growing and becoming strong, while being filled with wisdom. And the grace of God was upon Him. 41 And His parents were going to Jerusalem yearly for the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when He became twelve years old— they going up in accordance with the custom of the Feast, and having completed the days— during their returning, the boy Jesus stayed-behind in Jerusalem. And His parents did not know it, 44 but having thought that He was in the   caravan [a] [Or, travel-group], they went a day’s journey. And they were searching-for Him among the relatives and the acquaintances. 45 And not having found Him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching-for Him. 46 And it came about after three days that they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening-to them and questioning them. 47 And all the ones listening-to Him were astonished at His understanding and His answers. 48 And having seen Him, they were astounded. And His mother said to Him, “Child, why did you do [b][Or, act toward us] us like this? Behold— Your father and I were looking-for You, while suffering-pain”. 49 And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking-for Me? Did you not know that I must be in [c][That is, engaged in the interests or business of My Father (answering the stated ‘Why’ question); or, located in the possessions or house of My Father (answering the implied ‘Where’ question)] the things of My [d] [Note the contrast with  ‘your father’ in v 48.] Father? 50 And they did not understand the thing which He spoke to them. 51 And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was being subject to them. And His mother was keeping all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus was advancing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and people. Footnotes a. Luke 2:44 Or, travel-group. b. Luke 2:48 Or, act toward us. c. Luke 2:49 That is, engaged in the interests or business of My Father (answering the stated ‘Why’ question); or, located in the possessions or house of My Father (answering the implied ‘Where’ question). d. Luke 2:49 Note the contrast with  ‘your father’ in v 48.

Luke 2:40-52  Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition: 40 And the child grew, and waxed strong, full of wisdom; and the grace of God was in him. 41 And his parents went every year to Jerusalem, at the solemn day of the pasch, 42 And when he was twelve years old, they going up into Jerusalem, according to the custom of the feast, 43 And having fulfilled the days, when they returned, the child Jesus remained in Jerusalem; and his parents knew it not. 44 And thinking that he was in the company, they came a day's journey, and sought him among their kinsfolks and acquaintance. 45 And not finding him, they returned into Jerusalem, seeking him. 46 And it came to pass, that, after three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing them, and asking them questions. 47 And all that heard him were astonished at his wisdom and his answers. 48 And seeing him, they wondered. And his mother said to him: Son, why hast thou done so to us? behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. 49 And he said to them: How is it that you sought me? did you not know, that I must be about my father's business? 50 And they understood not the word that he spoke unto them. 51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them. And his mother kept all these words in her heart. 52 And Jesus advanced in wisdom, and age, and grace with God and men.

Luke 2:40-52   Young's Literal Translation: 40 and the child grew and was strengthened in spirit, being filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. 41 And his parents were going yearly to Jerusalem, at the feast of the passover, 42 and when he became twelve years old, they having gone up to Jerusalem, according to the custom of the feast, 43 and having finished the days, in their returning the child Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, and Joseph and his mother did not know, 44 and, having supposed him to be in the company, they went a day's journey, and were seeking him among the kindred and among the acquaintances, 45 and not having found him, they turned back to Jerusalem seeking him. 46 And it came to pass, after three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both hearing them and questioning them, 47 and all those hearing him were astonished at his understanding and answers. 48 And, having seen him, they were amazed, and his mother said unto him, `Child, why didst thou thus to us? lo, thy father and I, sorrowing, were seeking thee.' 49 And he said unto them, `Why [is it] that ye were seeking me? did ye not know that in the things of my Father it behoveth me to be?' 50 and they did not understand the saying that he spake to them, 51 and he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and he was subject to them, and his mother was keeping all these sayings in her heart, 52 and Jesus was advancing in wisdom, and in stature, and in favour with God and men.

Luke 2:40-52   The Voice: 40 There Jesus grew up, maturing in physical strength and increasing in wisdom, and the grace of God rested on Him. 41 Every year during Jesus’ childhood, His parents traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. 42 When Jesus was 12, He made the journey with them. 43 They spent several days there, participating in the whole celebration. When His parents left for home, Jesus stayed in Jerusalem, but Joseph and Mary were not aware. 44 They assumed Jesus was elsewhere in the caravan that was traveling together. After they had already traveled a full day’s journey toward home, they began searching for Him among their friends and relatives. 45 When no one had seen the boy, Mary and Joseph rushed back to Jerusalem and searched for Him. 46 After three days of separation, they finally found Him—sitting among a group of religious teachers in the temple—asking them questions, listening to their answers. 47 Everyone was surprised and impressed that a 12-year-old boy could have such deep understanding and could answer questions with such wisdom. 48 His parents, of course, had a different reaction. Mary: Son, why have You treated us this way? Listen, Your father and I have been sick with worry for the last three days, wondering where You were, looking everywhere for You. Jesus: 49 Why did you need to look for Me? Didn’t you know that I must be working for My Father? Little is recorded about Jesus’ life between His birth and the age of 30. But this one episode tells so much. First, Jesus’ family life is a lot like anyone’s—full of mishaps and misunderstandings. Second, as Jesus enters young adulthood, He begins manifesting an extraordinary sense of identity. (Remember, a 12-year-old isn’t “just a kid” in Israel—he is becoming a man.) He isn’t just “Mary’s boy” or “Joseph’s stepson.” He has a direct relationship with God as His Father, and He knows His life will follow a path of working for God. 50 Neither Mary nor Joseph really understood what He meant by this. 51 Jesus went back to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. His mother continued to store these memories like treasures in her heart. 52 And Jesus kept on growing—in wisdom, in physical stature, in favor with God, and in favor with others.

Luke 2:40-52   Tree of Life Version: 40 The Child kept growing and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon Him. 41 Now His parents were going every year to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. [a] 42 When He became twelve years old, they were going up according to festival custom. 43 As they headed home after completing the days, the boy Yeshua remained in Jerusalem, but His parents didn’t know. 44 Supposing He was in the caravan, they went a day’s journey, then began looking for Him among relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for Him. 46 After three days they found Him in the Temple, sitting in the center of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all those hearing Him were astonished at His understanding and His answers. 48 When His parents saw Yeshua, they were overwhelmed. And His mother said to Him, “Child, why did you do this to us? Look! Your father and I were searching for You frantically!” 49 He said to them, “Why were you searching for Me? Didn’t you know that I must be about the things of My Father?” 50 But they did not grasp the message He was telling them. 51 Then He went down with them to Natzeret and was obedient to them. But His mother treasured all these words in her heart. 52 And Yeshua kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Footnotes a.Luke 2:42 cf. Exod. 23:15; Lev. 23:4-8; Deut. 16:1-8.

Luke 2:40-52  Revised Standard Version: 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. 41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom; 43 and when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44 but supposing him to be in the company they went a day’s journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances; 45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions; 47 and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.” 49 And he said to them, “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them. 51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature,[a] [Or, years] and in favor with God and man. Footnotes: a. Luke 2:52 Or years

Lukas 2:40-52 Orthodox Jewish Bible: 40 And the yeled continued growing and was given chozek (strength), being filled with chochmah (wisdom), and the Chen vChesed Hashem was upon him. 41 And his horim (parents) used to make aliyah leregel (pilgrimage) to Yerushalayim shanah bshanah (year by year) for Chag HaPesach (the Feast of Pesach). [SHEMOT 23:15; DEVARIM 16:1-8] 42 And when he became a bocher of twelve years of age, they made aliyah leregel (pilgrimage), as usual, according to the mitzvah and minhag of the Chag. 43 And as they were returning, having fulfilled the prescribed number of yamim (days), the bocher Yehoshua stayed behind in Yerushalayim. And his horim (parents) did not have daas (knowledge) of this, 44 But supposed him to be in the caravan, and went a day’s journey. And they began looking for him among the krovim (relatives) and acquaintances. 45 And, not having found him, they returned to Yerushalayim, looking for him. 46 And it came about, that after shlosha yamim (three days) they found him in the courts of the Beis HaMikdash, sitting in the midst of the rabbis, both listening to them and asking them she’elot (kashes, questions). 47 And all the ones listening to him where amazed at his binah and at his teshuvot (answers). 48 And when his horim (parents) saw him, they were astounded, and his Em (mother) said to him, Beni, why did you do thus to us? Hinei, your abba and I were anxiously looking for you. 49 And he said to them, Why is it that you were looking for me? Did you not have daas that I must be in the Beis Avi [i.e., dealing with His affairs]? 50 And they did not have binah of the dvar which he spoke to them. 51 And he went down with them, and they came to Natzeret; and he continued in mishmaat (obedience) to his horim (parents). And his Em (mother) was treasuring all these things in her lev (heart). 52 And Yehoshua kept increasing in chochmah VGADEL VATOV GAM IM HASHEM VGAM IM ANASHIM (and stature and favor with Hashem and men, SHMUEL ALEF 2:26).

Luke 2:40-52  New Life Version: 40 The Child grew and became strong in spirit. He was filled with wisdom and the loving-favor of God was on Him. 41 His parents went to Jerusalem every year for the special religious gathering to remember how the Jews left Egypt. 42 When He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem as they had done before. 43 When the days of the special supper were over, they started back to their town. But the boy Jesus was still in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it. 44 They thought Jesus was with the others of the group. They walked for one day. Then they looked for Him among their family and friends. 45 When they could not find Jesus, they turned back to Jerusalem to look for Him. 46 Three days later they found Him in the house of God. He was sitting among the teachers. He was hearing what they said and asking questions. 47 All those who heard Him were surprised and wondered about His understanding and at what He said. 48 When His parents saw Him, they were surprised. His mother said to Him, “My Son, why have You done this to us? See! Your father and I have had much sorrow looking for You.” 49 He said to them, “Why were you looking for Me? Do you not know that I must be in My Father’s house?” 50 They did not understand the things He said to them. 51 He went with them to Nazareth and obeyed them. But His mother kept all these words in her heart. 52 Jesus grew strong in mind and body. He grew in favor with God and men.

Luke 2:40-52   The Message: 39-40 When they finished everything required by God in the Law, they returned to Galilee and their own town, Nazareth. There the child grew strong in body and wise in spirit. And the grace of God was on him. 41-45 Every year Jesus’ parents traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up as they always did for the Feast. When it was over and they left for home, the child Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents didn’t know it. Thinking he was somewhere in the company of pilgrims, they journeyed for a whole day and then began looking for him among relatives and neighbors. When they didn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem looking for him. 46-48 The next day they found him in the Temple seated among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions. The teachers were all quite taken with him, impressed with the sharpness of his answers. But his parents were not impressed; they were upset and hurt. His mother said, “Young man, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been half out of our minds looking for you.” 49-50 He said, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be here, dealing with the things of my Father?” But they had no idea what he was talking about. 51-52 So he went back to Nazareth with them, and lived obediently with them. His mother held these things dearly, deep within herself. And Jesus matured, growing up in both body and spirit, blessed by both God and people.

Luke 2:40-52   Living Bible: 40 There the child became a strong, robust lad, and was known for wisdom beyond his years; and God poured out his blessings on him. 41-42 When Jesus was twelve years old, he accompanied his parents to Jerusalem for the annual Passover Festival, which they attended each year. 43 After the celebration was over they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him the first day, 44 for they assumed he was with friends among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started to look for him among their relatives and friends; 45 and when they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. 46-47 Three days later they finally discovered him. He was in the Temple, sitting among the teachers of Law, discussing deep questions with them and amazing everyone with his understanding and answers. 48 His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son!” his mother said to him. “Why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.” 49 “But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you realize that I would be here at the Temple, in my Father’s House?” 50 But they didn’t understand what he meant. 51 Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them; and his mother stored away all these things in her heart. 52 So Jesus grew both tall and wise, and was loved by God and man.

Luke 2:40-52  Jubilee Bible 2000: 40 And the child grew and was comforted of the Spirit, filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him. 41 ¶ And his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. 43 And having completed the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. 44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances. 45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. 46 And it came to pass that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions. 47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. 48 And when they saw him, they were amazed; and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. 49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? Knew ye not that it behooves me to be about my Father’s business? 50 And they understood not the word which he spoke unto them. 51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject unto them, but his mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in age and in grace with God and men.

Luke 2:40-52   J.B. Phillips New Testament: 39-40 When they had completed all the requirements of the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew up and became strong and full of wisdom. And God’s blessing was upon him. 41-48 Every year at the Passover festival Jesus’ parents used to go to Jerusalem. When he was twelve years old they went up to the city as usual for the festival. When it was over they started back home, but the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, without his parents’ knowledge. They went a day’s journey assuming that he was somewhere in their company, and then they began to look for him among their relations and acquaintances. They failed to find him, however, and turned back to the city, looking for him as they went. Three days later, they found him—in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. All those who heard him were astonished at his powers of comprehension and at the answers that he gave. When Joseph and Mary saw him, they could hardly believe their eyes, and his mother said to him, “Why have you treated us like this, my son? Here have your father and I been very worried, looking for you everywhere!” 49 And Jesus replied, “But why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50-52 But they did not understand his reply. Then he went home with them to Nazareth and was obedient to them. And his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And as Jesus continued to grow in body and mind, he grew also in the love of God and of those who knew him.

Luke 2:40-52   GOD’S WORD Translation:  40 The child grew and became strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor [a] [Or “grace] was with him. 41 Every year Jesus’ parents would go to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. 42 When he was 12 years old, they went as usual. 43 When the festival was over, they left for home. The boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents didn’t know it. 44 They thought that he was with the others who were traveling with them. After traveling for a day, they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they didn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 Three days later, they found him in the temple courtyard. He was sitting among the teachers, listening to them, and asking them questions. 47 His understanding and his answers stunned everyone who heard him. 48 When his parents saw him, they were shocked. His mother asked him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been worried sick looking for you!” 49 Jesus said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you realize that I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they didn’t understand what he meant. 51 Then he returned with them to Nazareth and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 Jesus grew in wisdom and maturity. He gained favor from God and people. Footnotes: a. Luke 2:40 Or “grace.”

Luke 2:40-52   English Standard Version Anglicised: 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favour of God was upon him. 41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. 43 And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44 but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 And when his parents [a] [Greek they] saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” 49 And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” [b] [Or about my Father's business] 50 And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. 51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature [c] [Or years] and in favour with God and man. Footnotes: a. Luke 2:48 Greek they b. Luke 2:49 Or about my Father's business c. Luke 2:52 Or years

Luke 2:40-52  Good News Translation: 40 The child grew and became strong; he was full of wisdom, and God's blessings were upon him. 41 Every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. 42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they went to the festival as usual. 43 When the festival was over, they started back home, but the boy Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. His parents did not know this; 44 they thought that he was with the group, so they traveled a whole day and then started looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 They did not find him, so they went back to Jerusalem looking for him. 46 On the third day they found him in the Temple, sitting with the Jewish teachers, listening to them and asking questions. 47 All who heard him were amazed at his intelligent answers. 48 His parents were astonished when they saw him, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been terribly worried trying to find you.” 49 He answered them, “Why did you have to look for me? Didn't you know that I had to be in my Father's house?” 50 But they did not understand his answer. 51 So Jesus went back with them to Nazareth, where he was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 Jesus grew both in body and in wisdom, gaining favor with God and people.

Luke 2:40-52   1599 Geneva Bible: 40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in Spirit, [a] [As Christ grew up in age, so the virtue of his Godhead showed itself more and more] and was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was with him. 41 ¶ [b] [The Scribes and Pharisees are stirred up to hear the wisdom of Christ in his time, by an extraordinary deed.] Now his parents went to Jerusalem, every year, at the feast of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, and they were come up to Jerusalem, after the custom of the feast, 43 And had finished the days thereof, as they returned, the child Jesus remained in Jerusalem, and Joseph knew not, nor his mother, 44 But they supposing that he had been in the company, went a day’s journey, and sought him among their kinsfolk, and acquaintances. 45 And when they found him not, they turned back to Jerusalem, and sought him. 46 And it came to pass three days after, that they found him in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions: 47 And all that heard him, were astonied at his understanding and answers. 48 [c] [All duties which we owe to men as they were not to be neglected, so are they according to our vocation, not to be preferred before the glory of God.] So when they saw him, they were amazed, and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee with very heavy hearts. 49 Then said he unto them, How is it that ye sought me? knew ye not that I must go about my Father’s business? 50 But they understood not the word that he spake to them. 51 [d] [Christ very man is made like unto us in all things, except sin.]
Then he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them: and his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.52 And Jesus increased in wisdom, and stature, and in favor with God and men. Footnotes: a. Luke 2:40 As Christ grew up in age, so the virtue of his Godhead showed itself more and more. b. Luke 2:41 The Scribes and Pharisees are stirred up to hear the wisdom of Christ in his time, by an extraordinary deed. c. Luke 2:48 All duties which we owe to men as they were not to be neglected, so are they according to our vocation, not to be preferred before the glory of God. d.Luke 2:51 Christ very man is made like unto us in all things, except sin.

[I’d like to give you an example of something that played into the analysis of these Bible passages in the twenty different versions of the Bible I selected from the BibleGateway.com/  When I was reading over all Luke 2:40-52 from all the versions of the Bible selected, I noticed that there is no way that I could compare every word variant. Here’s an example:]

[Each Bible version recorded that after a day’s journey, Mary and Joseph sought Jesus among their…
7 Bible versions said … among their relatives and friends
7 Bible versions said … among their kinsfolk and acquaintances
1 Bible version said … among their kindred and acquaintances
2 Bible versions said … among their relatives and acquaintances
1 Bible version said … among their family and friends
1 Bible version said … among their relations and friends
1 Bible version said … among their relatives and neighbors]

[If you look at all of this data, you will realize that all twenty versions were saying the same basic thing, so analyzing every word variant isn’t productive to the analysis of this Biblical Research Project Experiment. Instead, I grouped it in the following way:]

[I realized that there were twelve major aspects of the text in Luke 2:40-52, although paraphrased. They are:

1. The Child/Jesus grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom and grace and God was upon Him.
2. His parents went to Jerusalem every year according to the Feast of the Passover.
3. When He/Jesus was twelve, his parents took Him up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast.
4. When his parents returned, He/ the boy/Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem and His parents didn’t know and thought He was within the group/company.
5. After a day’s journey, His parents looked for Jesus and couldn’t find Him and returned to Jerusalem.
6. After three days, his parents found him in the church/temple/synagogue in the midst of teachers/doctors listening to them and asking questions.
7. All who heard Him were astonished at Jesus’ understanding and answers.
8. Jesus’ parents were amazed when they saw Him, and Mary asked Jesus how He could have done this to them, because they were worried. 
9. Jesus responds by asking, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business/house?”
10. His parents didn’t understand what He said to them or the significance of it.
11. Jesus went with them back to Nazareth and was subject/obedient to them and His mother kept all these things in her heart.
12. Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and favor with God and men. 
……………………………………………………………………………
The Data I Collected on These Twelve Aspects of the 20 Versions of the Bible 
[1. The Child/Jesus grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom and grace and God was upon Him. Although I put tally marks for every version of the Bible I read related to this aspect, they all basically said the same thing.
2. His parents went to Jerusalem every year according to the Feast of the Passover. Although I put tally marks for every version of the Bible I read related to this aspect, they all basically said the same thing.
3. When He/Jesus was twelve, his parents took Him up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. Although I put tally marks for every version of the Bible I read related to this aspect, they all basically said the same thing.
4. When his parents returned, He/ the boy/Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem and His parents didn’t know and thought He was within the group/company. Although I put tally marks for every version of the Bible I read related to this aspect, they all basically said the same thing.
5. After a day’s journey, His parents looked for Jesus and couldn’t find Him and returned to Jerusalem. Although I put tally marks for every version of the Bible I read related to this aspect, they all basically said the same thing.
6. After three days, his parents found him in the church/temple/synagogue in the midst of teachers/doctors listening to them and asking questions. Although I put tally marks for every version of the Bible I read related to this aspect, they all basically said the same thing.
7. All who heard Him were astonished at Jesus’ understanding and answers. Although I put tally marks for every version of the Bible I read related to this aspect, they all basically said the same thing.
8. Jesus’ parents were amazed when they saw Him, and Mary asked Jesus how He could have done this to them, because they were worried. Although I put tally marks for every version of the Bible I read related to this aspect, they all basically said the same thing.
9. Jesus responds by asking, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business/house?” Although I put tally marks for every version of the Bible I read related to this aspect, they all basically said the same thing.
10. His parents didn’t understand what He said to them or the significance of it. Although I put tally marks for every version of the Bible I read related to this aspect, they all basically said the same thing.
11. Jesus went with them back to Nazareth and was subject/obedient to them and His mother kept all these things in her heart. Although I put tally marks for every version of the Bible I read related to this aspect, they all basically said the same thing.
12. Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and favor with God and men. Although I put tally marks for every version of the Bible I read related to this aspect, they all basically said the same thing.]

[As you can tell, they all basically said the same thing, except for the few things I’ve noted after these comments. I actually thought that I would have variations about the age that Jesus was when He went to the temple to do God, His Father’s work, but every source I examined said He was twelve. I was surprised by this consistency across Bible versions.]

[The Complete Jewish Bible called Jesus/Jeshua, Jerusalem/Yerushalayim, Passover/Pesach, and Nazareth/Natzeret. I found that when I looked back at the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible that I personally use or at any of the other versions of the Bible I have used in this research experiment to figure out what those terms meant. It seemed somewhat similar to what the ancient students and scribes must have gone through comparing the previous copies of the Bible, since the original was no longer in existence. When I compared these against other versions of the Bible, it became very clear what each variation mentioned, meant by the way it was used in the sentence and/or compared with the rest of the text. All the following were similar except for the ones I will address later.]

The Disciple’s Literal New Testament had instead of “they went up”, it said, “they going up,” but I could figure it by the context and comparison of variations of Bibles.

The Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition called Passover/pasch, but I could figure it by the context and comparison of variations of Bibles.

The Young’s Literal Translation called you/ye, your/thy, have you do this to us?/why didst thou thus to us?, and I must be about my Father’s business as/ Did ye not know that in the things of my Father it behoveth me to be? Although this took a little longer, I could figure it by the context and comparison of variations of Bibles.

The Tree of Life Version had instead of Jesus/Yeshua, Nazareth/Natzeret, but I could figure it by the context and comparison of variations of Bibles.
The Orthodox Jewish Bible had instead of Luke/Lukas, child/yeld, Jesus/Yehoshua, Jerusalem/Yerushalayim, Passover/ Ha Pesach, my son/ beni, we together/Hine, wisdom, understanding and knowledge/bine, father/Abba, to know/daas, Nazareth/Natzeret, and the Grace of God/*Chen vChesed Hashem.

[I had to look this up, because the sentence said: when he became a bocher of twelve years of age. Actually, I would have figured from the context of the sentence that it was: when He/Jesus was a boy of twelve years of age. Because I was sharing this with you as a Biblical Research Project Experiment, I wanted to make sure I gave you the accurate meaning for bocher. I looked it up on Jewish English Lexicon on https://jel.jewish-languages.org/words/1370, it said that bocher/boucher was a young unmarried man.]
[I also looked this up because they had mitzvah and minhag of the Chag instead of: according to the custom of the feast [Passover].  Again, I could basically tell by the placement of the words and the context, but wanted to make sure I was giving you the correct definitions for these words.]

[As you can tell, all these differences are minor, at best, and no way disprove that Jesus was in the Temple at twelve doing God, His Father’s work or that Jesus Is the Son of God!] 

[This analysis of these twenty different versions of the Bible has been sort of exhilarating, in that it gives me a deeper appreciation of what the ancient Bible Scholars, students and scribes must have done to insure the accuracy of the copies they were writing. Of course, just like me, they paraphrased things and inadvertently have misspellings or spell things according to the particular area they live in. But, when they went back and looked at these copies compared with the others, the Ancient Scholars were able to verify what they were saying and clarify any human inaccuracies, finding out the Bible we have today is accurate with a high degree of probability!]
What to Say When Someone Says “The Bible Has Errors”

So, when someone asserts that the Bible has errors, we can reply by saying:
Yes, our Bible translations do have errors—let me tell you about them. But as you can see, less than 1% of them are meaningful and those errors don’t affect the major teachings of the Christian faith. In fact, there are a thousand times more manuscripts of the Bible than the most documented Greco-Roman historian by Suetonius. So, if we’re going to be skeptical about ancient books, we should be a thousand times more skeptical of the Greco-Roman histories. The Bible is, in fact, incredibly reliable.
Contrary to popular assertion, that as time rolls on we get further and further away from the original with each new discovery, we actually get closer and closer to the original text. As Wallace puts it, we have “an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the biblical documents.” Therefore, we can be confident that what we read in our modern translations of the the ancient texts is approximately 99% accurate. It is very reliable.

[It’s important that we don’t let others undermine our faith in Jesus, by saying that the Bible isn’t reliable. After our Biblical Research Project Experiment, we got a small look into how many different versions of the Bible can say basically the same thing!]

Remember John 3:16-21 says: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. “But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

Follow Jesus, our Light that provides our Salvation! 

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