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The Reading Culture of Early Christianity

**EDWARD D. ANDREWS** (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored 170+ books. Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).

Major Critical Texts of the New Testament

Byz RP: 2005 Byzantine Greek New Testament, Robinson & Pierpont
TR1550: 1550 Stephanus New Testament
Maj: The Majority Text (thousands of minuscules which display a similar text)
Gries: 1774-1775 Johann Jakob Griesbach Greek New Testament
Treg: 1857-1879 Samuel Prideaux Tregelles Greek New Testament
Tisch: 1872 Tischendorf’s Greek New Testament
WH: 1881 Westcott-Hort Greek New Testament
NA28: 2012 Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament
UBS5: 2014 Greek New Testament
NU: Both Nestle-Aland and the United Bible Society
SBLGNT: 2010 Greek New Testament
THGNT: 2017 The Greek New Testament by Tyndale House
GENTI: 2020 Greek-English New Testament Interlinear

We have two textual issues here that we will deal with, as well as the baptismal issue.

Mark 7:4 The Greek-English New Testament Interlinear (GENTI)

4 καὶand ἀπ’from ἀγορᾶςmarket ἐὰνexcept μὴnot ῥαντίσωνταιthey might sprinkle οὐκnot ἐσθίουσιν,they eat, καὶand ἄλλαothers πολλάmany ἐστινthey are ἃwhich παρέλαβονthey took along κρατεῖν,to hold, βαπτισμοὺςimmersions ποτηρίωνof cups καὶand ξεστῶνof pitchers καὶand χαλκίων.—of copper vessels.—

4 καὶand ἀπ’from ἀγορᾶςmarket ἐὰνexcept μὴnot βαπτίσωνταιthey might immerse themselves οὐκnot ἐσθίουσιν,they eat, καὶand ἄλλαothers πολλάmany ἐστινthey are ἃwhich παρέλαβονthey took along κρατεῖν,to hold, βαπτισμοὺςimmersions ποτηρίωνof cups καὶand ξεστῶνof pitchers καὶand χαλκίωνof copper vessels [[καὶ[[and κλινῶν]].dining couches]].

According to Philip W. Comfort

Mark 7:4a

TR NU ἐὰν μὴ βαπτίσωνται
“unless they wash [themselves]”
A D W Θ f^1, 33 Maj

Variant 1 εαν μη βαπτιζωνται
“unless it is immersed”
L Δ

Variant 2/WH [GENTI] εαν μη ραντισωνται
“unless they sprinkle [themselves]”
א B

The verb in TR NU, βαπτισωνται, is in the middle voice; this usage indicates that the Pharisees washed themselves. The first variant is in the passive voice; it suggests that the Pharisees washed whatever they bought from the marketplace before eating it. The second variant could be the result of Alexandrian scribal adjustment attempting to avoid the use of βαπτιζω (“baptize”) in any context beside that of Christian baptism. But this verb was commonly used to describe normal washing (see Luke 11:38; and see Luke 16:24; John 13:26; Rev 19:13 for the use of the cognate verb βαπτω); so it does not follow that the scribes of א and B would have necessarily changed it to preserve it as a descriptor of the Christian rite. Rather, it is just as likely that ραντισωνται was the more unusual word that was changed to βαπτιζωνται.

Finally, it should be noted that some manuscripts (D W it) add οταν ελθωσιν (“whenever they come”) after απ αγορας (“from the marketplace”) in order to fill out the meaning: “whenever they come from the marketplace.” The shorter text is preserved in 𝔓⁴⁵ א A B L etc.

Mark 7:4b

TR NU βαπτισμοὺς ποτηρίων καὶ ξεστῶν καὶ χαλκίων [καὶ κλινῶν]
“washing of cups and pitchers and bronze vessels and dining couches”
A D W Θ f^1, 33 Maj

variant/WH [GENTI] βαπτισμους ποτηριων και ξεστων και χαλκιων
“washing of cups and pitchers and bronze vessels”
𝔓⁴⁵ א B L Δ

If 𝔓⁴⁵ were the only early manuscript to contain the shorter reading, it could be dismissed as 𝔓⁴⁵’s typical trimming of the text; but the words και κλινων are also lacking in several other significant manuscripts, including א and B. Perhaps the words were omitted accidentally due to homoeoteleuton (χαλκιων and κλινων end in the same two letters), or they may have been purposely excised because the scribes may have thought that κλινων meant “beds” and therefore deleted it as incongruous with the other items. But in context it has to mean “dining couches” because the passage speaks of the legalistic requirements pertaining to eating utensils. This word could not have been added under the influence of Lev 15, as Metzger suggests (TCGNT), because “the bed” in Lev 15 is the conjugal bed, which is never said to be washed. If it was added by scribes, it was done so as to include the largest of dining fixtures—the dining couch. Most modern translations (including the NRSV, which usually follows NU) adhere to the shorter text lacking the words “and beds.”^[1]

END OF COMFORT COMMENTS

TRANSLATIONS

Mark 7:4 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)
⁴and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they sprinkle themselves.[40] And there are many other traditions that they have received and cling to, such as baptisms[41] of cups, pitchers, and copper vessels.

OTHER TRANSLATIONS, MARK 7:4

ASV 1901 and when they come from the marketplace, except they bathe themselves, they eat not; and many other things there are, which they have received to hold, washings of cups, and pots, and brasen vessels.)

ESV and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.)

NASB95 and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.)

NASB 2020 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they completely cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received as traditions to firmly hold, such as the washing of cups, pitchers, and copper pots.)

LEB And when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions which they have received and hold fast to—for example, the washing of cups and pitchers and bronze kettles and dining couches.)

CSB When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they have washed. And there are many other customs they have received and keep, like the washing of cups, pitchers, kettles, and dining couches.)

YLT and, coming from the market-place, if they do not baptize themselves, they do not eat; and many other things there are that they received to hold, baptisms of cups, and pots, and brazen vessels, and couches.

The Complete Guide to Bible Translation-2

Baptismal Issues—Doctrinal Consideration

“Unless they sprinkle themselves” is the original wording according to the earliest and most trusted manuscripts (א B). Rantisōntai (they sprinkle themselves) was the more difficult reading that the scribes changed to baptisontai (they wash themselves). We can arrive at some sound deductions concerning baptism if we look at the traditions of the Pharisees and other Jews. The Gospel writer Mark said, “When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they sprinkle themselves [ραντισωνται rantisōntai (ῥαντίζω rhantizō; from ῥαίνω rhainō)]; there are many other traditions that they have received and cling to, such as baptisms [βαπτισμός baptismos] of cups and pitchers and copper vessels.” (Mark 7:3, 4) These men self-righteously sprinkled themselves before eating when they came back from the market. Whereas, they baptized, or immersed in water, the different things they used when eating their meals. This verse has nothing to do with Christian baptism. The account here at Mark 7:1-4 has to do with washings of hands and of vessels, not the baptism of people. The Jewish sect the Essenes or from the Pharisees went to extensive efforts to observe tithing and ceremonial cleanness went beyond what that law demanded to show the people just how pious they supposedly were. Jesus just a few verses later would condemn them, saying, “in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commands of men … You skillfully disregard the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition.” (Mark 7:7, 9) “Unless they sprinkle themselves” is the original wording, as is clear it is, but it has nothing to do with baptismal immersion of persons, while βαπτίζω baptizō is found elsewhere, and baptism of persons by full immersion is what was meant. – Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:41; 8:12; 19:1-7

^[1] Philip W. Comfort, New Testament Text and Translation Commentary: Commentary on the Variant Readings of the Ancient New Testament Manuscripts and How They Relate to the Major English Translations (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008), 118–119.