Well, from the many books I've read the last 4 years on early christianity, and the formation of the bible itself, it is pretty apparent that MUCH of the translations we have from the ancient Greek is loosely done.

Just one example: eveyone thinks that Joseph (husband of Mary) was a carpenter. In fact, the Greek word used was "tekton" which meant "builder of buildings." Now, in Europe and many other parts of the world, that would quite likely mean a carpenter, but in the lands of Palestine and Judea, nearly all buildings were made of stone and clay, making Joseph a mason.

For more examples, read some of Bart D. Ehrman's books (and no, this guy is not coming form an antagonistic viewpoint on Christianity).