h ow it came to us and

how it came to us and

how it came to us and

how to study it

how to study it

BibleBible

the

the

Transmission (copying the books)Transmission (copying the books)

PapyrusParchment (Vellum)Paper

Chief MaterialsChief Materials

ScrollCodex (book)

Forms of BooksForms of Books


One to One Copying

Dictation

Copying MethodsCopying Methods


Errors of faulty eyesight-Confusion of letters-Abbreviated words mistaken-Lines ending with the same word

..........You to take them from the world, but to keep them from the evil one….

becomes………You to take them from theevil one….

Unintentional ErrorsUnintentional Errors


Errors from faulty hearing

Revelations 1:5lou,santi (lousanti) ‘Unto Him that loved us, and washed us . . .’ KJVlu,santi (lusanti) ‘Unto Him that loved us, and freed us . . .’ NIV/NAS

1 Corinthians 15:54ni/koj (nikos) ‘Death is swallowed up in victory . . .’nei/koj (neikos) ‘Death is swallowed up in conflict . . .’



Errors of the Mind-Words substituted for synonyms-Change in word order-Transposition (switching) of letters

Errors of Judgment-Ancient practice of writing in all caps with no spaces and “unnatural” line breaks led to misreading the text-Accidentally reading across two columns-Marginal notes incorporated into the text



Errors of Judgment ExampleJohn 5:3-4 NIVHere a great number of disabled people used to lie-- the blind, the lame, the paralyzed.

John 5:3-4 KJVIn these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, [waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.]



Changes Involving Grammar and Spelling

-Major revision of Hebrew grammar in 1350 BC probably resulted in some differences arising in the Hebrew text

-Correcting grammatical and spelling ‘errors’ in the Greek that were likely due to the ‘commonizing’ of Greek with other languages (i.e.; Semitic expressions carried over into the Greek)

-Change from a difficult reading to an easier reading

Intentional “Corrections”Intentional “Corrections”


Efforts to Harmonize Parallel Accounts

-Short version of Lord’s Prayer in Luke made to match the longer versions in Matthew and Mark

-Quotations from the Old Testament in the New Testament made to agree to Septuagint reading, or have context added



Addition of Natural Compliments

-Matthew 9:13 – ‘For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners [to repentance – KJV]’

-Matthew 6:4 – ‘Your Father who sees in secret will reward you [openly – KJV]’



Clearing Up Historical and Geographical Difficulties

Mark 1:2 – Isaiah credited with quote from both Isaiah and Malachi

NIV – ‘It is written in Isaiah the Prophet . . .”

KJV – ‘As it is written in the prophets . . .”

Harmonizing of John 19:14 with Mark 15:25

John 19:14 – ‘in the sixth hour . . .’

Mark 15:25 – ‘in the third hour . . .’



Combining variant readings rather than choosing one reading over the other

Alterations Made Because of Doctrinal Reasons

-Acts 1:3 – ‘It seemed good to me [and to the Holy Spirit] to write an orderly account . . .’

-John 7:8 – ‘I am not [yet] going up to the feast, for my time has not yet come . . . but after his brothers went up to the feast, the he also went up, not publicly but in private.’



Addition of Miscellaneous Details

-Names of the two thieves on the cross

-Name of the ‘rich man’ in the story of the rich man and Lazarus

-Additional details to the resurrection



Exalting Titles of Christ or the Apostles

Acts 15:11 -‘Lord Jesus’ – NIV/NAS-‘Lord Jesus Christ’ – KJV

Colossians 1:23-‘of which I, Paul, have become a servant (or minister)’-Switched to ‘of which I, Paul, have become a herald and apostle’ (not in any English version)


Evaluating Variant ReadingsEvaluating Variant Readings

Scribal Tendencies-Generally the more difficult reading is to be preferred-Generally the shorter reading is to be preferred

What was the author more likely to have written-Style and vocabulary throughout the book-The immediate context-Harmony with usage elsewhere-Aramaic background to the text-Priority of the Gospel of Mark-Influence of Christianity on the text

Internal EvidenceInternal Evidence


Number or Manuscripts - “Majority Text Theory” – KJV & NKJ-The reading with the most witnesses wins

This is typically considered untrustworthy since the Byzantine church used Greek beyond the 13th Century A.D. and there are a great number of their manuscripts available. They are referred to as the ‘majority text’ and are considered the top authority for the KJV translators.

External EvidenceExternal Evidence


Date of the Witnesses - “Weight of the Text Theory” – NIV, NAS, RSV, etc.-Earlier manuscripts are typically taken to be more reliable since they are closer in time to the original-Later manuscripts, though greater in number, are not considered as heavily as earlier manuscripts



Geographical Distribution of the Witnesses-If a reading is found in manuscripts that were in various parts of the Christian world it is considered more reliable-If a reading is centrally locate around one region it is more likely to be a corruption



Genealogical Relationship of the WitnessesAlexandrian – Considered most reliableWestern – Considered as second most reliableEastern – Considered a close third in reliabilityByzantine – Considered the most corrupt due to the many intentional errors/corrections that are found


Evaluating Variant ReadingsEvaluating Variant ReadingsTextual FamiliesTextual Families

WesternWestern ByzantineByzantine

AlexandrianAlexandrian

EasternEastern

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h ow it came to us and

Documents

difficult reading

septuagint reading

commonizing of greek

hebrew text

harmonizing of john

repentance kjvmatthew

faulty hearingrevelations

letterserrors of judgment