A number of Bible translations are choosing to go with εκλεκτος (“chosen one”) over ὁ υἱός (the Son), such as TNIV NEB REB NJB NLT LEB NET, which the recent publication P106 has strengthened εκλεκτος (“chosen one”) as a choice. However, is this the best choice as the original reading based on the evidence?
What Are Lacuna Manuscripts As It Relates to New Testament Textual Studies?
Lacuna (pl: Lacunae): an unfortunate loss of text within a manuscript due to accident or wear and tear. Even more unfortunate, lacunae usually are more frequent and more damaging in early manuscripts, especially the papyri. Notable Examples ...
INTENTIONAL ERRORS: The necessity of Textual Criticism
A scribe is far more likely to omit a word or phrase mistakenly, as to intentionally adding. The reading that is deemed immediately at odds with the context is preferred if deemed intentional because a scribe is more likely to have smoothed the reading out. The harmonization of passages is likely an intentional change by a copyist, who is seeking to have a passage agree with a similar passage from another book. Examples: Doctrinal Corrections, Liturgical Corrections, Harmonistic Corrections, Historical Corrections, and Linguistic or Rhetorical Corrections.
NTTC MARK 1:2: Was the Original Reading “it has been written in Isaiah the prophet” OR “it has been written in the prophets”?
The quotation in verses 2 and 3 is composite, the first part being from Mal 3:1 and the second part from Is 40:3. It is easy to see, therefore, why copyists would have altered the words ...
NEW TESTAMENT TEXTUAL STUDIES: Accuracy of Transmission
Textual Studies of the Bible The task of reconstructing the original text of the Bible with as great a degree of accuracy as the available materials permit.
FROM SPOKEN WORDS TO SACRED TEXTS
Many good Christian biblical apologists spend a lifetime defending the trustworthiness of God’s Word. Many modern-day textual scholars seem to be apologists of another sort. They seem to be apologists for uncertainty and ambiguity as Daniel Wallace in the Foreword of MYTHS AND MISTAKES in New Testament Textual Criticism (2019) writes, “The new generation of evangelical scholars is far more comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty than previous generations.” (Page xii)
Why Would the Holy Spirit Miraculously Inspire 66 Fully Inerrant Texts and Then Allow Human Imperfection Into the Copies?
Delve into the thought-provoking question of why, if the Holy Spirit miraculously inspired 66 fully inerrant texts, human imperfection was allowed to creep into the copies. In this article, we explore the complexities of divine inspiration and human involvement in the transmission of the sacred scriptures. Through a careful analysis of historical context and textual criticism, we seek to unravel the divine purpose behind this apparent contradiction. Discover the profound implications of this paradox and gain a deeper understanding of the intricate interplay between divine inspiration and human agency.
Theodore Cressy Skeat: AKA T. C. Skeat (1907 – 2003)
Theodore Cressy Skeat: AKA T. C. Skeat (1907 — 2003) If you have never heard of T. C. Skeat; then, you have barely scratched the surface of New Testament Textual Studies. Skeat's name and work can be found many dozens upon dozens of times and in some cases 200+ times in many modern NT textual criticism books. Read what lies below and learn of one of the greatest textual scholars of the 20th century.
NTTC MATTHEW 13:35b: Is it “since the foundation” or “since the foundation of the world”?
If we look to the longer reading, it says that the prophet spoke “things that have been hidden since the foundation of the world.” This was a quotation from Psalm 78:2: “I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old.” “Sayings from of old” is likely speaking about forgotten truths from the nation of Israel's past.
PAPYRUS 66 (P66): One of the Earliest Available Papyri
Papyrus 66 (also referred to as P66) is a near-complete codex of the Gospel of John, and part of the collection known as the Bodmer Papyri.