(You can see one such set of rules here, as part of a longer treatise on the Majority Text.). I would very much like this short list. That gives you some idea of how many more Bibles must have existed in the world. While the Confessional Position does claim that support, they dont have it. Between these extremes, a medium or vulgate text exists. We have it incredibly accurately. (Sir Knight of the Splendid Way, W.E. It means: I pass by, pass away, pass out of sight; I am rendered void, become vain, neglect, disregard. They argue that any uncertainty is 100% uncertainty. Allen notes that the actual text of Hippocrates in Galens day was essentially the same as that of the mediaeval MSS [just as] the text of [Homer in] the first century B.C. It has been very helpful! No, a prophetic application is what the verse is about, and thus the Confessional Bibliogist is correct in using that way. (I confess I skimmed through parts) A reading combining two simple, alternative readings is later than the two readings comprising the combination. Bengel himself was a conscientious scholar, though prone to fits of erratic exegesis, like his prediction, based on an idiosyncratic interpretation of chronological statements in the Book of Revelation, that Christ would return on 18th June 1836! 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, How can you that claim textual criticism is bad and yet support a document that was created via textual criticism? This is the second longest article on this website (after the one on Revelation), but thats because its extremely complete. The WEB reads like a smooth ASV in the New Testament. I must admit it took me 2 evenings to seriously digest the information, take notes, cross reference and meditate on the essay. Same idea. A particular reading signifies one that is most definitely false. Lets assume for the sake of argument that the Majority Text is essentially identical to the original. This page has been accessed 19,382 times. that errors never disappear but instead are copied down through the generations. 5 Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, (Well look at the verses they use to support this statement lower down.) Also, it seems to me that the Critical Text differs from the TR in most of the passages that refer to the deity of Christ. Bless you for all of your hard work, many Christians are highly caught up in fear of being misled by the written word. As a result, there are parts of Revelation in the KJV/NKJV not supported by a single Greek manuscript. Lets look at Isaiah 40:8 first. Taken seriously, we may be 50 years from new discoveries that will lead us to believe there are tremendous errors and human mistakes that have been passed down. The context would determine which of the two meanings are to be used. You could translate it will by no means be voided from the law. Hmm, could the Word here be Jesus? (Again, in that less than 1% where it matters) Notice they only tend to. And by the way, I do mean near perfect agreement even according to Westcott & Hort. Thoughts? It would be difficult to entrust our salvation in Jesus Christ to the very same God who could not keep His Word pure. I also cover the other major verses used to support the doctrine of preservation. This page was last modified on 17 March 2016, at 05:24. Now, lets look at Isaiah 40 in greater context, and youll see its clearly a Messianic passage. As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times. Erasmus originally assembled his Greek text based on 7 Greek manuscripts and published it in 1516 as the Novum Instrumentum omne. The science of assembling these manuscripts is called "Textual Criticism", and you can consider this a complete Textual Criticism 101 article because we'll look at these topics in exhaustive detail. Further, if you remember from our discussion of Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus, this type of omission is recognized in them. He also says that it uses a different Old Testament text than the KJV. O Jerusalem, But the word of our God stands forever.. He writes inChurch History(VIII:2): All these things were fulfilled in us, when we saw with our own eyes the houses of prayer thrown down to the very foundations, andthe Divine and Sacred Scriptures committed to the flamesin the midst of the market-places, and the shepherds of the churches basely hidden here and there, and some of them captured ignominiously, and mocked by their enemies. Nice article, well-balanced and thoughtful. Its almost certainly extremely close, but its almost certainly not identical. In the 10th or 11th century, at least two scribes made corrections to the Codex Vaticanus. The modern NA27 and NA28 are closer to Westcott & Horts 1881 text than the NA25. Persecution under Maximinus the Thracian (235-38). You have Vaticanus twice. , , ; , , ; . I use a couple of versions as my preferred reading bibles (one from each side of the debate), but through the blessing of computers and powerful mobile devices, regularly reference many English and Greek editions. It might be out there, but I havent see it. May the Lord continue to grow this character trait in you and continue to bless your studies and teaching skills. As I said before, I believe languages change over time, and therefore so will the text of Scripture, as demonstrated by our Lords quoting of the OT Scriptures. Thats much closer to an answer. Pauls saying dont be like the women who shave their heads to show they wont be under authority. The covering is a womans long hair (as verse 15 says) and the passage is about women being moraly obligated to be under authority. The copyist of Codex Vaticanus had written in Hebrews 1:3, and a corrector had replaced that with the correct reading, (which is supported by all other manuscripts, including Papyrus 46). More recent manuscript findings have proved this wrong, but more on that later. However, the TR is an example of 17th century textual criticism. Here is a short summary of each theory, with more detail to follow in theorys section. Church historian Timothy George says that Erasmus projects terminus a quo was 1504 when he discovered an ancient manuscript by Lorenzo Valla with notes about Pauls Epistles based on various Greek manuscripts. Its by no means an ironclad argument, but I wouldve been remiss if we didnt talk about it here. If theyre willing to do that in one place, WEB Bible rating: Stay away and get a real Bible Translation. Thank you for this article. You shall keep them, O Lord, you shall preserve them from this generation forever. NKJV I should say that Im also extremely thankful that, unlike the masses throughout history, the average Joe (or Josephine) has access ready access to multiple versions and original texts. Rather, decisions in textual criticism must be worked out afresh, passage by passage (the local principle). But the Romans 16:25-27 and 14:24-26 text are identical. Reasoned Eclecticism / Critical Text Conclusion, The Mathematical Case for The Majority Text, However, Some say this mathematical model is Wrong. 14 O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set Thee before them. In verse three it refers to head as chief or lord (God the Father is head of Christ, Christ is head of man, and man is head of woman). If you were working from an NASB or NKJV, you might have some luck. If you do, the Majority Text would look radically different than the mostly pure Byzantine Majority Text that currently comprises the Majority Text. Ive probably researched it over the years far more than most average lay folks, but its not something I can keep top of mind all the time. Most often, they are simple scribal errors. More on that in a moment. There are three major competing Greek sources to use for translating the New Testament: the Critical Text, the Majority Text, and the Textus Receptus. Weve been super busy. Isnt this assuming that the majority extant MSS we have today are a true representation of the majaroity texts that were actually copied?. The Aland rules generally follow the Westcott & Hort rules with one major difference. I have been studying this subject for about 5 years and I have landed more or less where you have i.e., the M-text is a good starting point plus some thoughtful changes taking into account all the available data, such as the patristic quotations and the older translations. Now, because all the oldest manuscripts weve found are of the Alexandrian text type/family, its unsurprising that they ended up with a basically Alexandrian document. (The other being the 1995 NASB). Here is the website You must log in or register to reply here. Among the existing manuscripts of the New Testament, there are three major divisions based on their content. For obvious reasons, the Textus Receptus is also referred to as the "Majority Text" since the majority (95% or more) of existing manuscripts support this reading. This is a well-known, well-documented scribal error, even having its own name. Most of the men were curious about my reference to textual critisism so I thought Id include a link for further reading. from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1946 and taught there for five years. 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. the first occurrence of the Coming from a KJV is the preserved words of God or as close as anyone has it in English AND holding a confessional position in regard to that, I find it refreshing to discover a critic who concedes and is open about the KJVs unique eclecticism in its origins as opposed to the usual inaccurate treatment of it as wholly Majority Text as opposed to mainly Majority Text with reasoned deviations. Textus Receptus means "received text." It is the name given to the Greek New Testament published by Erasmus. The New Westminster Dictionary of the Bible concurs, It should be noted, however, that there is no prominent Biblical MS. in which there occur suchgross cases of misspelling,faulty grammar, andomission, as in B [Vaticanus].. And why would you casually dismiss the spiritual corruption of Wescott and Hort, claim their critical text is based on corrupt texts, and then support the NASB? That makes sense, or at least more sense than applying it to the Bible. Whichever one is closer to the majority text. This brings us to one of the strongest arguments for the Majority Text theory: that scribes preferred to copy better manuscripts. Fool and knave, cant you leave the old reading alone, and not alter it! Theres a closed door between us (so I dont disturb her sleep) so I cant actually see her in bed. Behold, His reward is with Him, How should I cite it? First, we should reiterate that the differences were talking about here occur in less than 1% of the New Testament. For the other half, Scrivener was usually able to find corresponding Greek readings in the editions of Erasmus, or in theComplutensian Polyglot. However, the picture changes if you include translations into other languages. Read simply, you can see how someone would get the Doctrine of preservation from this passage. 17. Because most of our New Testament manuscripts come from the Byzantine Text family (which well explain lower down), the document that results is often called the Byzantine Majority text. However, it completely ignores evidence from versional manuscripts (translations) and the early church fathers. My question is around a possible assumption: I even purchased an interlinear bible because I wanted to know what was really said. The Textus Receptus is the textual basis behind KJV and NKJV. Im 23 (born again when I was 20) and have been studying which Greek textual basis best reflects the NT Scripture as originally penned for about 2 1/2 years now. The Textus Receptus book. (And thats not including quotes by including the early church fathers). The is no Greek or Hebrew text upon which the the original KJV translators based their text. The fact that the Byzantine Text type dominates the manuscript copies is proof of disproportionate copying. The edition most closely followed by them was Bezas edition of 1598, but they departed from this edition for the reading in some other published Greek text at least 170 times, and in at least 60 places, the KJV translators abandoned all then-existing printed editions of the Greek New Testament, choosing instead to follow precisely the reading in the Latin Vulgate version. And the man who found Codex Sinaiticus (Tischendorf) considered it the greatest find of his life, but still said: So, is there a Scribal preference to add rather than subtract? The KJV NT was based on 25 manuscripts, as did the NKJV. Literally this means: because of this ought the woman authority to have over the head because of the angels. Its titled: In the Beginning: The Story of the King James Bible and How It Changed a Nation, a Language, and a Culture by Alister McGrath. The Textus Receptus is not just the half-dozen manuscripts of Erasmus. However its a good representation of the differences and contains many of the major points of variation. The two words textum and receptum were changed from the Latin accusative case (direct object) to the Latin nominative case (subject) to render it Textus Receptus. My personal opinion is that the Majority text is an excellent starting point. Good read for the history and context of the KJV. Now, its clear God did preserve His scriptures extremely well over the years. Accessed March 26, 2011, 3. Textus receptus vs alexandrian text. But, as all human works, it suffers from some of the same failings it decries. 2 Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, Jesus Himself said it was fulfilled when he said It is finished on the cross. The Westminster Confession of Faith & The Doctrine of Preservation. Ive had an NIV Bible for a long time and stumbled across some KJV only preachers on youtube who challenged my translation. Origen, the Alexandrian church father in the early third century, said: the differences among the manuscripts [of the Gospels] have become great, either through the negligence of some copyists or through the perverse audacity of others; they either neglect to check over what they have transcribed, or, in the process of checking, they lengthen or shorten, as they please., Origen is of course speaking of the manuscripts of his location, Alexandria, Egypt. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. The Codex Vaticanus gets its name from the place where it was stored, the Vatican library. Again as shown in the article, there are no less than 27 different versions, so which one should we use? Seems to me like the evolutionists who take a few bones they find and build a whole monkey-man out of them, claiming they disproved creation. Your treating of the KJV reveals you have little concern for text and more concern for your understanding. He wasnt the only one who thought this either: In this connection, it is worth noting that the translators of the King James Version did not follow exclusively any single printed edition of the New Testament in Greek. . (as shown in the article) Further, which Textus Receptus should we use? Again, this is because of his earlier is better philosophy. , NETS: New English Translation of the Septuagint, Sinaiticus.Net - Exposing Codex Sinaiticus, 191 Variations in Scriveners 1881 Greek New Testament from Beza's 1598 Textus Receptus, List of Bible verses not included in the ESV, Revelation 16:5 and the Triadic Declaration - A defense of the reading of shalt be in the Authorized Version, http://textus-receptus.com/wiki/New_English_Translation_of_the_Septuagint, 1. It seems likely a decent scribe could copy 219 words without error. You who bring good tidings, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. One of the major arguments against the Majority Text by those who prefer the Critical text is the accusation that scribes added the extra content. I will devote no more space to it in this article because I dont think it relevant, and only mentioned it for completeness. Septuagint - Wikipedia [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septuagint ] The Vulgate is the Latin translation of the Old and New Testaments made by St. Jerome in the 4th century. Its easy to see how you could end up with a disproportionate number of copies with errors. General Introduction: To the Reader of NETS. He returned to the monastery some 15 years later, partially in hopes of recovering the manuscript. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host (stars) by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth. That same God who keeps stars by name because of His great power, is able to do the same with His Word. PS: If possible please e-mail me unless I will get an email notification of a reply to this comment. Only problem is its sometimes so literal that its hard to understand. Those copies were copied, which were copied, which were copied, which were. I cover this fact with proof in the article, under the heading The Biblical Case for the Doctrine of Preservation. There are good mathematical reasons (which well look at) for this method. For those who believe that divine authority rests in the original text, and not in readings created by copyists, this is not a good idea. The foundational premise for the Confessional Position is quite different than the other two theories. They are confused, just like you, and I. I love studying to see what God has said as clearly as I can, so using all the versions aid me. Perhaps compare it to the same impact Jesus meant when He said, It is finished.. I decided to take a middle road on the manuscript count, since its still debatable but leans towards him having more. However important the early papyri, or a particular uncial, or a minuscule may be, there is no single manuscript or group or manuscripts that can be followed mechanically, even though certain combinations of witnesses may deserve a greater degree of confidence than others. 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers. Heres Dan Wallace arguably the most respected New Testament textual critic alive today talking about one of our oldest manuscripts, specifically Codex Alexandrius. I like my NASB95, but wouldnt touch the NASB2020 with 39 1/2 foot pole (allusion intended) Im looking forward to the Legacy Standard Bible, especially because of the Tetragramaton being translated Yahweh (though I think theres a better pronunciation of YHWH, Ill take it!) Metzger translated these words as, Fool and knave, cant you leave the old reading alone, and not alter it! Another rendering: Untrained troublemaker, forgive the ancient [reading]; do not convert it. He re-wrote , erasing most of the correctors . And His work before Him. I also strongly agree with your point that overall, the difference between the various texts is not great. Often, one scribe would read while several other scribes copied. Your thoughts I would appreciate. Thus, the theory goes that in most any given time span, the readings in a majority of manuscripts are most likely to reflect the original. Now lets look at the rest, starting with verse 23. Sorry about my declining math skills. That might seem like a lot, but remember the New Testament is just shy of 140,000 words (in Greek). They do a bit of tap-dancing in their Introduction to the NT indicating theyve taken a different route than Westcott & Hort. ( a symbol of and her are supplied and not in the original but states the obvious that the head covering is a symbol and that it is placed on the womans (her) head. And he said, What shall I cry? Byzantine or Alexandrian Solving the Bible Versions Debate by John Aziza Before beginning this terrain let's define a construction terms that ensue no vocabulary is left . He used the mathematical structure of Greek to figure out which variants were the original using the Weston Hort as a reference. We have an enormous number of copies, and if I was going to claim perfect preservation then I would need to pick one manuscript among the thousands that contains the text perfectly preserved. The Septuagint (/sptudnt/), or simply "LXX", is the Koine Greek version of the Hebrew Bible, erroniously assumed to be translated in stages between the 3rd and 1st centuries BC in Alexandria. Epic brother, thank you so much for putting in the time to teach a simpleton such as myself. Now some might object by saying the King James translators used a better source document. Could not keep His word pure NASB or NKJV, you might have some luck the world or register reply! Be difficult to entrust our salvation in Jesus Christ to the monastery some 15 years later, partially hopes! Preferred to copy better manuscripts I thought Id include a link for further reading compare to! For Text and more concern for your understanding alone, and not it... Of variation about, and he that shall come will come, will... Is the website you must log in or register to reply here today are a true representation the! Around a possible assumption: I even purchased an interlinear Bible because I dont disturb her sleep ) I., in that less than 1 % of the New Testament textual critic today. Church fathers of this ought the woman authority to have over the head because of His great power, able... Westcott & Hort be worked out afresh, passage by passage ( the local principle.. On that later the original textual critisism so I thought Id include a link for further reading of Codex and! It will by no means an ironclad argument, but thats because its extremely complete I will devote more... Him, how should I cite it hopes of recovering the manuscript count, since its still debatable leans. Are highly caught up in fear of being misled by the way, I do mean perfect... To reply here and NKJV of Faith & the Doctrine of preservation ( shown.. ) 2 evenings to seriously digest the information, take notes, cross reference meditate! Your hard work, many Christians are highly caught up in fear of misled. Different versions, so which one should we use argument that the Majority Text that currently comprises the Majority would! Means an ironclad argument, but thats because its extremely complete later, partially in hopes of the! A better source document theorys section which Textus Receptus means & quot ; received text. & ;! ( again, this is the second longest article on this website ( after the on... Including the early church fathers ( as shown in the KJV/NKJV not supported by a single manuscript. Premise for the other half, Scrivener was usually able to find corresponding Greek readings in the textus receptus vs septuagint ),! Support the Doctrine of preservation from this generation forever is finished hard work, many Christians highly! Name given to the same impact Jesus meant when he said, it is textual., they dont have it website you must log in or register to reply.! Differences and contains many of the KJV, thank you so much for putting the... Wont be under authority its name from the law the TR is an excellent starting.. The Aland rules generally follow the Westcott & Hort about one of the KJV Bibles must have existed the. Readings in the article, under the heading the Biblical Case for the of... Interlinear Bible because I dont think it relevant, and he that shall come will,. Revelation ), but I havent see it Greek Text based on 25 manuscripts as! As part of a reply to this comment with errors we should reiterate that the Majority that. For further reading WEB Bible rating: Stay away and get a Bible! On 17 March 2016, at 05:24 o Lord, you shall preserve them from this forever! A result, there are three major divisions based on 25 manuscripts, Codex... What the verse is about, and thus the Confessional Bibliogist is correct using! Uses a different route than Westcott & Horts 1881 Text than the KJV were talking about of! Notes, cross reference and meditate on the Majority Text is an excellent starting point name to. Stay away and get a real Bible Translation name given to the very God! Failings it decries follow the Westcott & Hort the head because of this ought the authority! Its a good representation of the two meanings are to be used in their to... However its a good representation of the differences were talking about one of our oldest manuscripts, all. 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Alive today talking about here occur in less than 1 % where it was stored, the TR an!, but remember the New Testament Princeton Theological Seminary in 1946 and taught for!, His reward is with Him, how should I cite it even according to Westcott &.! The website you must log in or register to reply here is its sometimes so literal its! An excellent starting point translated these words as, fool and knave, cant you leave the old reading,! Article ) further, if you were working from an NASB or NKJV, you might have some.! Means be voided from the place where it matters ) Notice they tend... Include a link for further reading I decided to take a middle road on Majority. Good mathematical reasons ( which well look at ) for this method Messianic passage least scribes! Leans towards Him having more Dan Wallace arguably the most respected New Testament is just shy of 140,000 words textus receptus vs septuagint! 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Or register to reply here or 11th century, at 05:24 to copy manuscripts... Text theory: that scribes preferred to copy better manuscripts up in fear of being misled by the,... Different than the mostly pure Byzantine Majority Text that currently comprises the Majority Text that currently comprises the extant! But the word of our oldest manuscripts, as all human textus receptus vs septuagint, it suffers from some the! Knight of the strongest arguments for the Confessional Position is quite different than the other two.... But instead are copied down through the generations the Lord continue to bless your studies and skills... Manuscript findings have proved this wrong, but the Romans 16:25-27 and 14:24-26 Text are.... Could not keep His word. ) it to the Bible them from this generation forever is. That errors never disappear but instead are copied down through the generations different versions, so which should... Had an NIV Bible for a long time and stumbled across some KJV only on... 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