The Revd Professor John Barton explores the Bible’s long evolution, how much good translations matter, and what contemporary scholarship reveals about the Bible. He shares his thoughts on how contemporary Christians may place it at the heart of faith.

Clashing Voices, Not Harmony
The Bible thrives on tension, Barton argued. Contrast Mary Magdalene’s starring role in the Gospels’ resurrection stories with Paul’s silence about her in 1 Corinthians 15. “The Bible doesn’t speak with one voice—it’s a library, not a manifesto.” For Barton, this dissonance is a feature, not a bug: “If God wanted a flawless text, He’d have given us one.”

Judaism vs. Christianity: Two Scriptural DNA
Barton contrasted Jewish and Christian lenses: Jews see the Hebrew Bible as a story of communal survival and divine guidance, ending with exile and return. Christians reframe it as a prelude to Christ’s redemption. “They’re reading the same text but telling wildly different stories—both valid.”

Translations: Necessary Compromises
No translation is perfect, Barton stressed. Even Jesus’ words reach us through Aramaic → Greek → modern languages. “The Bible isn’t dropped from heaven—it’s translated by humans.”

Why It Matters
The Bible’s grit—its contradictions, ancient debates, and human fingerprints—is its strength. “It’s a toolkit for faith, not an instruction manual. Use it. Wrestle with it. Just don’t sanitize it.”

Revd Dr John Barton is the Emeritus Professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture at the University of Oxford. John is a practicing Christian and an ordained Anglican priest.