Walking in Faith

Basic Facts:

• OT was originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic (portions of Ezra and Daniel) from 1500 to 400 BC
• NT was originally written in Kolae Greek from years 40 to 100 BC
• Do not have any original writings (autographs or autographa)
• All transmissions were hand written until invention of the printing press
• Most readily available materials were stone, papyri, parchment.   In 2nd century BC, codex was developed
• Few manuscripts of OT that date before 900AD
• Transmission was extremely difficult

Textual Criticism

• Definition: science of reconstructing the original text of the Scriptures based on available manuscript evidence
• Applies to all historical documents (Plato, Socrates, Confucius, etc.)
• There were over 300,000 copyist errors, or variants, in the NT alone
• Variant is defined as one text disagreeing with another text
• 99% of the variants do not impact theology
• Of the 1% that do impact theology none affect major doctrine
• Vulgate was considered the only inerrant text by many; KJV by others
• Unintentional errors:  mistaken letter, homophony (substitution of similar-sounding words), dittography (letter or word that was written twice rather than once), fusion (incorrect division of words (GODISNOWHERE)), homoioteleuton (omission caused by two words that have similar endings), and metathesis (reversal of order of two words: Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus)
• Intentional errors: changes in grammar or spelling and modernization of language (Genesis 47:11 – city of Rameses), harmonization (scribe felt at liberty to change apparent discrepancies (Lk 23:38 and John 19:19 — “this is Jesus — King of the Jews)), theological changes and/or additions (1 John 5:7-8 — doctrine of Trinity) and liturgical additions (Matthew 6:13 – Lords prayer “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”)

Basic Principles of Textual Criticism:

• Shorter reading is normally preferred
• Harder reading is normally preferred
• Earlier occurrence of the variant gives credence to its validity
• Wider distribution of the variant gives credence to its validity

Transmission of the Old Testament

Two primary factors we look for:

1. How close do our copies come to the original?
2. How many copies do we have?

Four different manuscripts:

1. Ben Asser Family (9th and 10th century, Masoretic family of scribes): Cairo Codex (Codex C in AD 950), Leningrad Codex (Codex P written in AD 916), Alppo manuscript (Codex A written before AD 940)
2. Septuagint (LXX): Greek translation of the OT translated around 300-150 BC (earliest copy AD 400)
3. Targums: Aramaic paraphrases of the OT after AD 200
4. Dead Sea Scrolls:  found in 1948; contained copies or portions of every book in OT expect Esther; includes full copy of Isaiah dating 135-200 BC

When comparing DSS and Codex Leningrad, almost identical text.  This gives huge weight to the Leningrad Codex based on consistency of text between Codex and DSS.

Masorites: group of scribes who carried on the meticulous transmission process of the standardized text from AD 500 to 1100 AD.

Transmission of the New Testament

Three types of evidence:

1. Original Greek Manuscripts
• John Ryland Papyri (125 AD)
• Codex Sinaiticus (350 AD)
• Codex Vaticanus (350 AD)
2. Early Church Fathers
• Commentaries, dairies, books, letters, etc.
• Polycarp, Clement of Rome, Justin Martyr, Ignatius, Irenaeus, Tertillian, etc.
• John Burgeon catalogued over 86,000 quotations before AD 325
3. Translations
• 15,000 copies
• 25,000 handwritten copies of NT

Sinaiticus is the is the most reliable NT Codex and includes the entire NT.