The books of the Bible were originally written as solid texts with no divisions such as chapters and verses. In the early 13th century, French professor Stephen Langton (who later became archbishop of Canterbury) decided to break down the Scriptures into chapters to make Bible studying easier. About 300 years later, Robert Estienne (Stephanus) published in Paris a Greek edition of the New Testament with more division, this time into verses. These divisions make remembering and finding texts much easier. This Wikipedia article provides additional historical background.
As they are man-made, they can also occasionally contribute to errors in interpretation. Add to that punctuation, which did not exist in the original texts, and the result is sometimes a doctrinally biased rendition that can distort the meaning. For example, in many translations, Luke 23:43 reads, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” The comma placed before the word “today” would imply Jesus was saying the thief would be with him in paradise that very day. And yet we know this is impossible, since Jesus did not go directly to paradise upon dying, but spent three days in the grave, from which he was resurrected. It would then make more sense to place the comma after the word “today,” which some translators (Rotherham, Lamsa) agree is correct: “Truly I say to you today, you will be with me in paradise.”
Additional Resource:
Christian Questions Podcast
Episode #1151: “Has the Bible Been Mistranslated and Misunderstood? (Part I)”
Discovering and authenticating how the Bible came to be
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes
Episode #988: “Did Jesus and the Thief Go from the Cross to Paradise?”
Finding the true meaning of Jesus’ words to a thief about paradise
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes
For children, parents and Bible class teachers:
Animated video: “How is the Bible organized? (How to find a Bible verse)”
