The Majority Text
Society |
When the minority of the early mss. disagree with the majority, most of us in the Majority Text Society believe that the original wording of the NT is found in this majority. We do so for good reasons. Weaknesses of the Minority Text Advocates defend the minority text because the mss. that contain it are closer in time to the originals. But is a ms. better simply because it's older? There are a number of reasons for rejecting these early mss. the minority text never circulated widely within the Church. It virtually disappeared after the fourth century with a few ms. descendants. These few early mss. not only disagree with the M-text, they also disagree significantly among themselves. Current Gr. texts based on this minority often print words and phrases based on only one or two mss. In dozens of places they have produced a patchwork quilt -- a text not found as such in any known copy! Strengths of the Majority Text By contrast, the M-Text has had wide circulation and use throughout Church history. It is the type of text that has always been used in Gr. speaking Orthodox churches. This circulation was especially strong in those very areas of the Roman Empire where the NT books first arrived and where the Church flourished, such as Ephesus, Corinth, Galatia, Philippi, Colosse, and other places that became the Byzantine Empire. Critics of the M-text point out that it has few early copies. But this is exactly what is to be expected if its copies were constantly worn out and replaced. Ironically, the minority text may have survived because it was seldom used and happened to circulate in the dry climate of Egypt, where it was more easily preserved. Besides, early papyri have now demonstrated that many M-text readings existed as early as minority ones. What differance does it make? Several doctrines have weaker support in the minority text, such as the deity of Christ (1 Tim 3:16) and His virgin birth (Lk. 2:33,43). Furthermore, the doctrine of inerrancy becomes much more difficult to defend. Difficulties for Inerrancy in the Minority Text 1. In Matt 1:7,10 two non-existent kings are listed in Christ's genealogy; Asaph, and Amos. The M-text correctly reads: Asa and Amon. 2. In Lk 23:45 there is a scientific error that the sun was eclipsed (Gr. eklipontos) at Christ's death. But this was impossible during the full moon that occurs at Passover. The M-text reads, "the sun was darkened" (eskotisthe). 3. In the minority test of John 7:8 Jesus tells his brothers that He's not going to the feast; then two verses later, He goes. There is no contradiction in the M-text, which quotes Jesus' words, "I am not yet going." Unfortunently, these Gr. texts and the translations based on them often plant doubts in the minds of Christians about the integrity of the NT. They do this primarily by means of textual notes that are often inaccurate and slanted. Mark 16:9-16 Many Chrisitans have been led to believe that these concluding verses of Mark are not original because of notes stating that this paragraph is missing in the "oldest and best mss." In truth, Mk. 16 9-20 is lacking in only three Gr. mss. against an estimated 1800 that have it. Other textual notes propose that the original ending of Mark is lost. However, we are convinced that it any words of the NT are lost beyond recovery, then Jesus' words in Matt. 24:35 cannot be true. Equally distressing, the minority text deletes nine and a half pages of words, phrases, and sentences found in the M-text. If the M-text it correct, then users of the minority text are being deprived of nine and a half pages of inspired Scripture! |