All New Testament notes: http://www.scribd.com/collections/4553555
Class website: http://bit.ly/ldsarc
Notes for this slideshow: http://www.scribd.com/doc/37533844
Handout for this slideshow: http://www.scribd.com/doc/239569938
Original Title
LDS New Testament Slideshow 02: Origin and translation of the New Testament
All New Testament notes: http://www.scribd.com/collections/4553555
Class website: http://bit.ly/ldsarc
Notes for this slideshow: http://www.scribd.com/doc/37533844
Handout for this slideshow: http://www.scribd.com/doc/239569938
All New Testament notes: http://www.scribd.com/collections/4553555
Class website: http://bit.ly/ldsarc
Notes for this slideshow: http://www.scribd.com/doc/37533844
Handout for this slideshow: http://www.scribd.com/doc/239569938
I believe the Bible as it read when it came from the pen of the original writers. Ignorant translators, careless transcribers, or designing and corrupt priests have committed many errors. Joseph Smith, October 1843 2 Who wrote the New Testament? Why these 27 books? How was the text transmitted? What kinds of errors and changes? Why do Latter-day Saints still use the King James Bible? Are any other Bible translations good or useful? 3 Koine Greek. Oral tradition. First Gospel accounts written 2040 years after Jesus. Gospels and letters read aloud in the churches (Colossians 4:1516). Copied by amateurs. 4 Papyrus 46, c. A.D. 200 2 Corinthians 11:3312:9 Books that are authoritative and accepted. Canon = (kanon) = measuring rod (cf. standard works). Non-canonical Gospels and letters. Current canon (27 NT books) finalized between A.D. 367 and 383. Widely used/accepted; written by a known apostle; no heretical teachings. 5 Authorship certain: Most of Pauls epistles. Anonymous books: The Gospels. The Epistle to the Hebrews. Epistles of John. Pseudonymous books: Some of Pauls epistles. Epistles of Peter. Is he the same guy? The Epistle of James. The Revelation of John.
6 Papyrus 75, c. A.D. 200 Luke 11:113 John 17:15 (majority of mss.): I do not ask that you keep them from the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. John 17:5 (Codex Vaticanus): I do not ask that you keep them from the evil one. 7 Revelation 1:5b (later mss.): Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood. Revelation 1:5b (earlier mss.): Unto him that loved us, and freed us from our sins by his blood. An error in hearing? released = (lusanti ) washed = (lousanti ) 8 Luke 11:24 (KJV): 2 Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. 3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. 9 Luke 11:24 (KJV): 2 Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. 3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Luke 11:24 (early mss.): 2 Father, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. 3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.
10 Luke 2:33 (earlier mss.): And the childs father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Luke 2:33 (later mss.): And Joseph and his mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 11 The differences among the manuscripts [of the Gospels] have become great, either through the negligence of some copyists or through the perverse audacity of others; they either neglect to check over what they have transcribed, or, in the process of checking, they make additions or deletions as they please. Origen, c. A.D. 246248 12 About 5,800 Greek New Testament manuscripts known today. Fragments, partial copies, full volumes. 13 Papyrus 52 Earliest known NT manuscript (c. A.D. 125) 3" H 2" W Fragment of John 18:3133 (front) & John 18:3738 (back) 14 Codex Sinaiticus Earliest known complete NT (c. A.D. 330360) Written on parchment (binding not original) 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Papyri Majuscules 15 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1,000 Papyri Majuscules Minuscules 16 Scholars differ significantly in their estimatessome say there are 200,000 variants known, some say 300,000, some say 400,000 or more! We do not know for sure because, despite impressive developments in computer technology, no one has yet been able to count them all. Perhapsit is best simply to leave the matter in comparative terms. There are more variations among our manuscripts than there are words in the New Testament. Bart Ehrman 17 18 Syriac (Mesopotamia). Coptic (Egypt). Latin (Rome). Early Latin versions (2nd4th centuries). The Vulgate (A.D. 382).
19 Portion of a vellum leaf from a Latin Vulgate manuscript, Germany, 9th century. Johannes Gutenberg (c. 13981468) 20 Desiderius Erasmus (14661536). Greek New Testament published 1516. Textus Receptus (TR) = received text. Basis for all printed Bibles until 1881. 21 Our latitude and longitude can be determined in the original Hebrew with far greater accuracy than in the English version [of the Bible]. There is a grand distinction between the actual meaning of the prophets and the present [English] translation. Joseph Smith, 1843 22 Authorized by the Church of England. Based on earlier English Bibles. Published A.D. 1611 (current version revised in 1769). Greatest English literary achievement. 23 Epistle Dedicatory from a 1612/13 King James Bible KJV 2 Corinthians 6:1113: 11 O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. 12 Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels. 13 Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged. NRSV 2 Corinthians 6:1113: 11 We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; our heart is wide open to you. 12 There is no restriction in our affections, but only in yours. 13 In returnI speak as to childrenopen wide your hearts also. 24 In 1611 this word meant: Closet Private room (Matt. 6:6; Luke 12:3) Conversation Conduct, behavior (1 Tim. 4:12; Heb. 13:5; +13 more) Conversation Citizenship (Acts 23:1; Philip. 1:27; 3:20) Careful Anxious (Luke 10:41; Philip. 4:6; +6 more) Lewdness Villainy, evil (Acts 17:5; 18:14) Prevent Precede, come first (Matt. 17:25; 1 Thess. 4:15) Let Hinder, restrain (2 Thess. 2:7) By and by Immediately (Matt. 13:21; Mark 6:25; Luke 17:7; 21:9) 25 KJV Matthew 23:24: Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. NRSV Matthew 23:24: You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel! 26 27 KJV is the Churchs official Bible. It is not superior in translation, readability, source documents. Sufficient for devotional use, but not for in-depth Bible study. It shares a family relationship with other LDS scriptures. 28 [If the Bible] be translated incorrectly, and there is a scholar on the earth who professes to be a Christian, and he can translate it any better than King Jamess translators did it, he is under obligation to do so. I think it is translated just as correctly as the scholars could get it, although it is not correct in a great many instances. Brigham Young, 1871 29 30 What is the JST? How did Joseph make his translation? Is the JST a restoration of an original text, or something else? 31 Restorations of lost material. Events or doctrines not recorded anciently, or not included in collection. Corrections errors in originals. Inspired commentary by Joseph Smith. Make Bible more clear and understandable for modern readers. Harmonization and fixing contradictions. [Five hundred years ago] scriptural ignorance abounded because people lacked access to the Bible, especially in a language they could understand. Today the Bible and other scripture are readily at hand, yet there is a growing scriptural illiteracy because people will not open the books. Elder D. Todd Christofferson, April 2010 32 We revere the Bible, in spite of its flaws. NT contains the central message of the gospel: Jesus lived, and died, and lives again. We are not scriptural inerrantists. Our doctrine is based on revelation to living prophets.
33 Faith will not come from the study of ancient texts as a purely academic pursuit. It will not come from archaeological digs and discoveries. It will not come from scientific experiments. It will not even come from witnessing miracles. These things may serve to confirm faith, or at times to challenge it, but they do not create faith. Faith comes by the witness of the Holy Spirit to our souls, Spirit to spirit, as we hear or read the word of God. And faith matures as we continue to feast upon the word. Elder D. Todd Christofferson, April 2010 34
(Ancient Narrative - Supplementum) Marilia P. Futre Pinheiro, Judith Perkins, Richard Pervo - The Ancient Novel and Early Christian and Jewish Narrative - Fictional Intersections-Barkhuis (2013)