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Well, where do all of these Bibles come from and why the
difficulty in defining what is a truly “inspired” word of God? They come from
the “ancient manuscripts” (also known as MSS). The Christian world today
boasts of an excess of 24,000 “ancient manuscripts” of the Bible dating all the
way back to the fourth century after Christ (But not back to Christ or the
apostles themselves). In other words, we have with us gospels which date back
to the century when the Trinitarians took over the Christian Church. All
manuscripts from before this period have strangely perished. All Bibles in
existence today are compiled from these “ancient manuscripts.” Any scholar of
the Bible will tell us that no two ancient manuscripts are exactly identical.
People today generally believe that there is only ONE
Bible, and ONE version of any given verse of the Bible. This is far from true.
All Bibles in our possession today (Such as the KJV, the NRSV, the NAB,
NIV,...etc.) are the result of extensive cutting and pasting from these various
manuscripts with no single one being the definitive reference. There
are countless cases where a paragraph shows up in one “ancient manuscript” but
is totally missing from many others. For instance, Mark 16:8-20 (twelve whole
verses) is completely missing from the most ancient manuscripts available today
(such as the Sinaitic Manuscript, the Vatican #1209 and the Armenian version)
but shows up in more recent “ancient manuscripts.” There are also many
documented cases where even geographical locations are completely different
from one ancient manuscript to the next. For instance, in the “Samaritan
Pentateuch manuscript,” Deuteronomy 27:4 speaks of “mount Gerizim,” while in
the “Hebrew manuscript” the exact same verse speaks of “mount Ebal.” From Deuteronomy 27:12-13 we can see that these are two distinctly different
locations. Similarly, Luke 4:44 in some “ancient manuscripts” mentions “Synagogues
of Judea,” others mention “Synagogues of Galilee.” This is only a sampling, a
comprehensive listing would require a book of its own.
There are countless examples in the Bible where verses
of a questionable nature are included in the text without any disclaimer
telling the reader that many scholars and translators have serious reservations
as to their authenticity. The King James Version of the Bible (Also known as
the “Authorized Version”), the one in the hands of the majority of Christendom
today, is one of the most notorious in this regard. It gives the reader
absolutely no clue as to the questionable nature of such verses. However, more
recent translations of the Bible are now beginning to be a little more honest
and forthcoming in this regard. For example, the New Revised Standard Version
of the Bible, by Oxford Press, has adopted an extremely subtle system of
bracketing the most glaring examples of such questionable verses with double
square brackets ([[ ]]). It is highly unlikely that the casual reader will
realize the true function these brackets serve. They are there to tell the
informed reader that the enclosed verses are of a highly questionable nature. Examples
of this are the story of the “woman taken in adultery” in John 8:1-11, as well
as Mark 16:9-20 (Jesus’ resurrection and return), and Luke 23:34 (which,
interestingly enough, is there to confirm the prophesy of Isaiah 53:12).....and
so forth.
For example, with regard to John 8:1-11, the
commentators of this Bible say in very small print at the bottom of the page:
“The most ancient authorities lack 7.53-8.11; other
authorities add the passage here or after 7.36 or after 21.25 or after Luke
21.38 with variations of text; some mark the text as doubtful.”
With regard to Mark 16:9-20, we are, strangely enough,
given a choice of how we would like the Gospel of Mark to end. The
commentators have supplied both a “short ending” and a “long ending.” Thus, we
are given a choice of what we would prefer to be the “inspired word of
God”. Once again, at the end of this Gospel in very small text, the
commentators say:
“Some of the most ancient authorities bring
the book to a close at the end of verse 8. One authority concludes the book
with the shorter ending; others include the shorter ending and then continue
with verses 9-20. In most authorities, verses 9-20 follow immediately after
verse 8, though in some of these authorities the passage is marked as being
doubtful.”
Peake’s Commentary on the Bible records;
“It is now generally agreed that 9-20 are not an
original part of Mk. They are not found in the oldest MSS, and indeed were
apparently not in the copies used by Mt. and Lk. A 10th-cent. Armenian MS
ascribes the passage to Aristion, the presbyter mentioned by Papias (ap.Eus.HE
III, xxxix, 15).”
“Indeed an Armenian translation of St. Mark has
quite recently been discovered, in which the last twelve verses of St. Mark
are ascribed to Ariston, who is otherwise known as one of the earliest of the
Christian Fathers; and it is quite possible that this tradition is correct”
Our Bible and the Ancient Manuscripts, F. Kenyon, Eyre
and Spottiswoode, pp. 7-8
Even at that, these verses are noted as having been
narrated differently in different “authorities.” For example, verse 14 is
claimed by the commentators to have the following words added on to them in
some “ancient authorities”:
“and they excused themselves saying ‘This age of
lawlessness and unbelief is under Satan, who does not allow the truth and power
of God to prevail over the unclean things of the spirits. Therefore, reveal
your righteousness now’ - thus they spoke to Christ and Christ replied to them ‘The
term of years of Satan’s power has been fulfilled, but other terrible things
draw near. And for those who have sinned I was handed over to death, that they
may return to the truth and sin no more, that they may inherit the spiritual
and imperishable glory of the righteousness that is in heaven’.”
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