by Karen A. Bellenir
Photo by Robert_C from Pixabay
Which of the following positions best describes your point of view regarding the most authoritative “original” text for the Bible?
Some people believe that the version of the Greek New Testament text that was first received in Europe during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries contained the exact words that were favored and preserved by God. This “received text” is called Textus Receptus. People holding this view often believe that this text should never be changed because God is unchanging. Other older Greek New Testament manuscripts that were subsequently discovered are considered flawed.
Some people believe that the oldest existing manuscripts are more likely to be closer to the actual content of the original texts. They believe manuscripts copied more recently—even if they were copied in greater numbers—are more apt to include comments and opinions (and even mistakes) made by generations of scribes. Because there is no single oldest manuscript of the Biblical texts and researchers continue to bring new information to light, scholars work with ancient documents to compile a version of the text they believe to be the best possible interpretation of the original manuscripts. This compiled version is called the Critical Text. Scholars update it when they believe new discoveries warrant making changes. Nestle and Aland’s Novum Testamentum Graece, currently in its 28th edition (abbreviated NA28), is the most widely accepted representation of the Critical Text.
Excerpted from Which Good Book: An Impartial Guide to Choosing a Bible Translation, by Karen A. Bellenir.