© John Stevenson, 2013 Revelation

Can our copies of the Bible be trusted?

Copy Original Manuscript Copy

Scholarly work with available manuscripts aimed at the recovery within the limits of possibility of the original text.

Looks at outside factors of the book Who wrote the book?Who wrote the book? Where was it written?Where was it written? What outside factors influenced its writing?What outside factors influenced its writing? Why was the book written?Why was the book written?

Also known as “Textual Criticism” What does the passage say?What does the passage say? Examines all available manuscriptsExamines all available manuscripts Origen’s Hexapla did such a study of the Old Testament in 250 A.D.Origen’s Hexapla did such a study of the Old Testament in 250 A.D.

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (NAS). There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (KJV).

Unintentional Errors From Faulty Eyesight Intentional Changes God (Qeoj) was manifest in the flesh He (Oj) was manifest in the flesh

Unintentional Errors From Faulty Eyesight From Faulty Hearing From the Mind Intentional Changes Mark 14:65 They struck (elabon) They struck (elabon) They received (eballon) They received (eballon)

Unintentional Errors From Faulty Eyesight From Faulty Hearing From the Mind Additions due to personal notes Intentional Changes

Unintentional Errors From Faulty Eyesight From Faulty Hearing From the Mind Additions due to personal notes Intentional Changes Spelling and grammatical updates Modernization of names and places Attempted harmonization

Original Text BabylonianFamilyOldPalestinianFamily EgyptianFamily RabbinicFamily MassoreticFamily LatePalestinianFamily SeptuagintSamaritanTexts

Textual FamilyDescriptionDates Proto Alexandrian Siniaticus, Vaticanus 2 nd – 4 th Century Alexandrian Ephraemi Rescriptus 3 rd – 12 th Century WesternLatin 3 rd – 13 th Century Byzantine Textus Receptus, KJV 5 th – 10 th Century

“It thus develops that we do not have an embarrassing welter of three thousand manuscripts disagreeing in confusing ways, but that these manuscripts have been copied with considerable care from a few old and standard editions.” (Dr. Laird Harris, Inspiration and Canonicity of the Bible; Page 91).

The Early Text is to be Preferred.The Early Text is to be Preferred. The Shorter Text is to be Preferred.The Shorter Text is to be Preferred. Diverse Geographical Reading is to be Preferred.Diverse Geographical Reading is to be Preferred. The More Difficult Reading is to be Preferred.The More Difficult Reading is to be Preferred.