The Truth will never be destroyed.  The Truth overcame death on the cross.  The Truth is who you are with every time you read the Bible...I prefer to say "pray" the Bible.  Each time we are with the Truth, amazing things will happen....what we are supposed to learn that day, that moment in time, the Truth reveals it to us personally.  Keep our eyes on the cross, the One crucified for us. 

After I left the forum last night, I went to my room for prayer and the Word as I do every night.  Two things were opened to me....one, is that I should "do" instead of talking about "doing" and that I can't really "do" if I spend so much time on here talking about it.  In other words, our Lord just beautifully made me aware that my time is better spent in prayer and with Him through the Word than here talking about it.

Also, layed on my heart was our Lord reminding me that what goes into the mouth is not unclean, but what comes out can be unclean.  Saying too much, talking to much, opens the door for sin to come from what is said.  Our Lord wants me as a prayer warrior more than one to talk.

May God's blessings be with you and your families, in all your comings and goings, and the peace of Christ with you always.  Thank you for everything.

Thank you, that was a very in depth description.  Over the last few ours, I looked up some information, too.  I see there was a "tribe" called "Angles".  The German dialect varied depending on where one was between 1066-1377, there were different tribes with different dialects.  Because there was no written language, Latin and Greek were the most commonly used by the literate....any educated person.  Of course, not just Priests otherwise Tyndale could not have translated.  The common people had no English written language.  After the 1500's getting a written English language was a priority.  There were many more Italians and Spanish speaking people in the 1300's than English speaking in several dialects.

Between 400 AD and 850 AD, the Latin language evolved into French, Italian, and Spanish.  The last recorded usage of Latin being preached to the common people was around the year 800, in Italy.  However, the written language of Latin continued.  Isaac Newton in the 1660's required an audience for his theories and wrote his Mathematics in Latin for publication. At this time, the written English was still obscure.

In 1749, the first of several revisions of the Bible from the "Old English" style into the newer English then in use. 

It was during the period of 1578 to 1593 that the Vulgate was translated into the new language called "English."  In 1582, Queen Elizabeth ordered searchers to confiscate every copy of the New Testament newly translated into English by the College of Rheims.  Priests were imprisoned for having it, and the sentence of "torture by rack" was given to those who circulated it. 

Other portable editions of the 8th through 16th century were parts or sections of the Bible, like the Penitentail psalms and the Pauper's Bible.

In a nutshell, there was no English language written down because it was a new language.  I did see, when I was researching this, a copy of the original Old English written down....no one today could read it today.  It doesn't appear to be as much of a plot by the Catholic Church to fool people as it was the people in the new area called England, didn't have a written language....the normal every day citizens like you and me, did not have the schooling to read any language. 

Selling indulgences was done but it wasn't written in the Bible.  It was a really wrong thing to do.   Those who stayed in the Catholic Church, got it cleaned up finally.  Others, left the church to reform. 

Barbaric and stupid and surely most people back then were all a bit far away from Christ.  Hate crimes were sick and wrong then and they still are today.  No one can ever hurt another emotionally or physically under the geise of religion and call themselves a man of God in the same breath.

The Catholic Church of Rome is accurately called the Catholic Church, Latin Rite.  The term Roman Catholic is only less than a 200 year old term tacked on.  However, the Chaldeans, Byzantines, the Eastern Orthodox are all "Catholic" following exactly the same doctrines.  St. Andrew, the apostle,  started the Byzantine Catholic Church because he was sent to Constantinople....now Istanbul. 

My feelings aren't hurt by anti-Catholic comments.  I don't say anything bad about anybody and would appreciate the same Christian courtesy.  After all, Jesus never said to love one another....except for "so and so."

Really, thank you for the time and effort you all put into answering my question.  May God's peace be with you all.

I have understood recently that FoxNews is very Christian friendly but when I looked for it, found that I would have to upgrade my satellite .... pay more...to receive it.  CNN would not be very good at reporting, you are so right.  That's why I will be watching EWTN for the pro-life weekend....their coverage will be going on for hours all 3 days of it.  

Three Psalms I read every day:  Psalm 51, Psalm 54, and Psalm 119 vs 1-32.  I especially like reading psalm 51 first thing in the morning and the last thing at night right before my evening prayers and reading of God's Word.

Out of the mouth of babes, my daughter just said, "Mom, look it up!"  She tells me that there is a Wikipedia (sp?) something on the internet that might have the answer if I plug in "history of the Bible."  I should try that!   

Ok, maybe I didn't make the question very clear.  Let me try again to ask .... the apostles wrote it down but in what language?  Then, how did it get from that language(s) to English?   There must have been alot of something going on in the formation of the typed versions between then and now.  Just wondering how it evolved to what we see in English.  Maybe that's not more clear, sorry, if the question is still muddy.

Yes, but I was wondering when was it written down in book form? 

Does anyone know when and how the written Word of God (New Testament) became written down?  What languages were used?  What in the world happened between 33 AD and, say, the first 1,000 years?  I mean, who gathered all the information together....when was it first printed in typewritten ink?  Thank you.

As I write, buses are being reserved for San Francisco (90 buses just in California so far!) and countless other buses will be headed to Washington, D.C. for the largest pro-life rally to this day for the 3-day event starting January 20th.  Will we see more than a 2 second clip on our local or world news channels?  No.  If you are interested in seeing the entire weekend LIVE,  please tune into EWTN television station on your satellite or cable TV next Saturday.   They will be showing interviews with pro-life leaders, legislators, and crowd activities....prayers on the steps of the Senate, etc.  No other television station will show this important event as thoroughly and live for 3 days.   God bless you all.

REBa, how right you are.  Amen!!

Abortion is legal killing.  Plain and simple.  There is abosultely no justification anywhere in the Bible for legal killing being ok.  All one has to do is imagine standing in front of Jesus and asking if it is ok.  Oh, can you imagine what our Lord would say?  By the way...I have a direct phone number to our Senators where you can voice your opinion....in a Christian way,, of course!

I don't do Catholic vs Protestant either.  I was Methodist long before I became Catholic and love all my Christian brothers and sisters equally.  But, when one person mentioned Lent, it appeared to me that immediate responses started with "you don't have to do that" which does sound like leading someone away from the Catholic ways of doing things.  Of course we are all one in Christ.  That being said and believed by me, I would not try to steer someone away from something sounding "Catholic."  Doing that, does make it a Catholic vs Protestant answer to the man's initial question.  It only becomes a problem when a Catholic gives a view?

The Catholic Church is not a denomination in reality....only in general conversation is it acceptable to refer to it that way.   The fact that it is not a denomination does not diminish in any way the wonderful brotherhood in Christ that we all share through our Baptism.  I know it's not commonly done by most, but it behooves us to read about the early fathers of the Church....the church as it was from Jesus' assension through the first 300 years.  Then the next section of the second 300 years, etc.  Christianity was illegal for quite some time and it is fascinating to learn what happened.  For the first 300 years, one who was chosen to lead the Christians...pastorally speaking...was to know that a brutal death was in store.....we call martyrs.  It took alot of commitment to take on a leadership position.  The reason it is not a denomination, however, is because the Church was named "Catholic" before the end of the first 100 years after Jesus' assension.  The first great schism took place 1,000 years later when the Eastern Catholics broke from the Western Catholics (Constantinople from Rome).  However, to this day, both are in complete agreement in liturgy and in sacraments.  And both are Catholic Churches.  In fact, there are several Catholic Churches all in agreement with liturgy and sacraments and have the same Pope, such as the Chaldeans and the Byzantines.  To say "Roman Catholic" is a misnomer.  We are accurately....Catholic of the Latin Rite.  Roman is a term used just within the last 100 years or so in conversation but the Catholic Church documents say "Latin Rite." 
When Calvin and Luther broke away, they did not get rid of all of the teachings.  They wanted to get away from the Bishop's misuse of their power.....and rightfully so!!  Some stayed with the Church and fixed it from within.  Those were the days when there was no separation from Church and State.  Bishops lived in the castles.  Henry the 8th, wanting a divorce, could not get Thomas More (Bishop) to agree to go against the Church so he killed him.  Thomas More is a martyr to die for his faith.  Any and every Christian who dies upholding Christianity is a martyr.  It's just that the Catholic Church recognizes these people with the honor of the title "martyr."  As I said, it is very interesting to read about the early fathers.....by that I mean those men who kept Christianity alive during the first 300 years after Jesus' assension.....NO small task for these great men (and women!!)  God bless you, my brothers and sisters in Christ.

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Well, hey, good to know that you are being led to read the Word of God.  Do not worry about trying to interpret Acts at this point.  There is one Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ written by 4 different disciples.  One is not more right than the other.  Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John.  Start with Mathew and proceed through the New Testament.  Please read a Bible that you can understand.  Do not worry about which Bible because Christians do not disagree with the way it is worded.  Christians just like to disagree about how it is interpreted.  The point is to get the point.  Do not be concerned with which people you know is more holy or right.  Keep your eyes on the Christ crucified, pray to ask Him to lead your path, listen in silence to the voice in your heart, and read.  When the Lord wants you to worry about which "denomination", the Lord with let you know.  God be with you on your journey.

Hey, David,
The important thing here seems to be that if you have a feeling that won't go away...in your heart of hearts...that you should be observing Lent, then by all means, pray about it.  Ask the Lord to make your path clear.  Then listen to the small, still voice of your heart which is where you find the answer to your prayer.   If you do feel you should observe Lent, then learn what you can about what Lent is all about.  Fasting is not required if health reasons would permit it.  And, it doesn't have to be a serious health problem...it can be just feeling light headed if you don't eat.  Fasting isn't every day and I have never found it to be difficult if done correctly.  In truth, observing Lent is spending Ash Wednesday through Easter Sunday emersed in our Lord's life in those days, what he taught, in the sacrifices He made for you...for us all.  God knows your heart better than you do and will meet you exactly where you are.  He will guide you.  May I add, you will not hear answers with the TV and radio on.  Only in silence can you truly hear in your heart.  Always give Him praise and thanksgiving for all everyday things we too often ignore.  And, by the way, Catholic is not considered a denomination.  The important thing for you is to pray and listen.  God bless you on your journey with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.