APPENDIX I.

A COMPARISON OF THE AUTHORISED VERSION WITH
EMENDED TEXT OF THE GREEK NEW TESTAMENT *
TISCHENDORF, WHICH IS NOW GENERALLY RECEIVED
THE WORD OF GOD, EXCEPT BY THEOLOGIANS.
And you

6

shall know the truth; and the truth shall make you free!

THE

OF

AS

IN the year 1516 Erasmus published his first edition of the Greek New Testament, and soon afterwards there appeared a second edition of it which he dedicated to Leo X.; and so highly was he esteemed as a theologian, that Paul III. offered to make him a cardinal, an honour which he however declined to accept. The great reformer Luther, who was a contemporary of Erasmus, availed himself of his printed Greek text, which he translated into German; and this text is still received by Protestant theologians as the word of God; for the Greek text, which was printed in 1550, and from which our Version is made, does not

* The Apostolic writings are called by theologians the New Testament of the Lord Jesus; that is to say, His New Will, or Dispensation. But this is a misnomer, for although the Greek word 'diatheke' means either a testament or a covenant, it is used only once in the former sense in the Apostolic writings (Heb 9. 16, 17). The New Covenant of the Lord Jesus would be a more appropriate title, but even this would be incorrect; for the dispensation of grace is not His New Covenant, but the New Covenant of God, of which He is the Mediator.

differ essentially from the fifth edition of Erasmus.* And even the 'textus receptus,' i. e., the received text, which was published in 1663, has no greater authority for its readings than that from which our version is made. But since that time some very early records of the apostolic writings have been discovered, which Biblical critics have collated and compared with the most ancient translations of the New Testament, and with citations from the Fathers; so that we now have a more authentic text of the sacred writings than that of Erasmus, which has only the authority of manuscripts which date from the tenth century. The omissions which are found in the text of Erasmus when compared with the ascertained Greek text are very few and of little importance; but there are many interpolations, and sometimes one word is substituted for another, which we need not wonder at, for the New Testament was for many centuries in the hands of men who had apostatised from the faith, and who did not scruple to alter God's word in order to accommodate it to their traditions.

But the Lord, who has promised to remain with his disciples till the end of the age by means of his Word, which is the divine Paraclete, has been pleased to raise up learned men who have purified it from the errors by which it was defiled; which was by no means an easy task, seeing that the original manuscripts of the apostolic writings have been lost, and that we have not even the first copies of these precious documents to guide us in our search for the truth. For the oldest copies of the Greek New Testament are the following, namely:-1. The Codex Sinaiticus, which critics suppose to have been written in the beginning of the fourth century. 2. The Codex Vaticanus, which was written not later than the end of the same century. 3. The Codex Alexandrinus, which is later than the Vatican manuscript, but anterior to the middle of the fifth century.

In the work of recension the textual critics were guided in doubtful cases by weighing the authorities for and against a particular reading of a passage, for they had only to deal with the letter; but there is another element to be taken into consideration in this question, namely, the analogy of the faith. Now, on

* Textual Criticism for English Students. By C. E. Stuart. London Bagster and Sons.

examining the critical emendations as they are found in the latest edition of the Greek New Testament of Tischendorf, it will be seen that in every case in which the readings have any dogmatic importance they invariably harmonise with the doctrine of the apostles, and thus bear internal evidence of their authenticity. It would be unjust, however, to blame the early Protestant theologians for accepting the Greek text which they received from the Church of Rome as the word of God, for textual criticism was unknown in their days; but their successors cannot claim the same indulgence, although we must allow, that it would be a great sacrifice on their part to accept the ascertained Greek text, for it controverts their false doctrines. But we are persuaded that the believer who loves the truth will receive the emended text with thankfulness; and accordingly we submit a list of the principal variants, by means of which he will be enabled to make the necessary corrections in the English New Testament, after which, he will have only to contend with the errors of translation in order to penetrate the veil by which God's word is hid from the faithful.

A LIST OF THE

PRINCIPAL EMENDATIONS WHICH ARE SUGGESTED BY A COMPARISON OF THE AUTHORISED VERSION WITH THE ASCERTAINED TEXT OF THE APOSTOLIC WRITINGS, ACCORDING TO THE LATEST EDITION OF THE GREEK NEW TESTAMENT OF CONSTANTINE TISCHENDORF.

MATTHEW, 1. 25, a son, instead of, her first-born son. (In Luke, 2.7.) 5. 47, the people of the nations, inst. of, the publicans. 6. 1, practise your justice, inst. of, do your alms. 13, omit, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 4, om. openly. 18, om. openly. 9.8, they feared, inst. of,

they marvelled. 13, om. conversion. (In Luke, 5. 32.) 15. 8, om. draweth nigh unto me with their mouth and. 18. 11, om. entirely. 19. 16, om. good before master. 17, read, why askest thou me concerning what is good? one is the good. 20, om. from my youth up. 20. 7, om. and whatsoever is right that shall ye receive. 22, om. and to be baptised with the baptism that I am baptised with. (In Mark, 10. 38.) 23, om. and be baptised with the baptism that I am baptised with. (In Mark, 10. 39.) 23. 14, om. entirely. 24. 36, after heaven, add, nor the son. 26. 3, om. and the scribes. 27. 34, wine, inst. of, vinegar. 35, om. that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, they parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. (In John, 19. 24.)

MARK, 1. 2, in the prophet Isaiah, inst. of, in the prophets. 17, om. to conversion. (In Luke, 5. 32.) 3. 32, after thy brothers, add, and thy sisters. 9. 16, and he asked them, inst. of, and he asked the scribes. 44, om. entirely. 45, om. in the fire that never shall be quenched. 10. 29, om. or wife. 11. 10, om. in the name of the Lord, 26, om. entirely. 13. 14, om. spoken of by Daniel the prophet. 14. 22, om. eat. 15. 28, om. entirely. (In Luke, 22. 37.) 16. 9-16, om. entirely.

LUKE, 2. 40, om. in spirit. 4. 4, om. but by every word of God. 6, om. into an high mountain. 8, om. get thee behind me, Satan. 18, om. to heal the broken-hearted. 41, om. the Christ, after, thou art. 8. 48, om. be of good comfort. 54, om. put them all out, and. 9. 50, read you, twice for, us. 54, om. even as Elias did. 55, om. and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. 56, om. for the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. 11. 2, Father, inst. of, our Father who art in heaven om. thy will be done as in heaven, so on earth. 4, om. but deliver us from the wicked. 44, om. scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. 14. 5, his son, inst. of, his ass. 16. 9, that when it shall fail, inst. of, when ye fail. 17. 9, om. I trew not. 36, om. entirely. 20. 23, om. why tempt ye me? 64, om. they struck him on the face,. 23. 17, om. entirely. 38, om. in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew. (In John, 19. 20.) 24. 1, om. and certain others with them.