Updated American Standard Version
Giving Bible readers what God said not what translators think God meant
Learn about the accuracy of the Bible through the centuries with textual criticism, historical evidence, and manuscript comparisons. Discover how the Bible has been accurately copied down through the ages.
The papyri are documents written on papyrus, a material prepared in Ancient Egypt from the pithy stem of a water plant, used in sheets throughout the ancient Mediterranean world for writing. The early papyri of about 100+ manuscripts that date from 110-390 C.E. are said to be the most important for establishing the original.
Rome was a complex society. Levels of literacy were fluid because of the conditions of the day being as culturally and ethnically diverse as it was. The Roman Empire from the first century to the fourth century was as culturally and ethnically diverse as New York City and its five boroughs: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. A person’s literacy level to carry out different job functions and skills for daily living and employment would not be the same in Nazareth as would have been the case in Rome. The need or desire for literacy would not be as important in Nazareth as it would have been in Rome. As we will see, the need or desire for literacy was likely ...
This article explores the ongoing debate over the origin of textual variants in the Greek New Testament manuscripts, examining the evidence for and against the idea that some variants were intentionally introduced by readers. The implications for textual criticism and interpretation are discussed, as well as the views of scholars on both sides of the debate.
This article explores the reasons why modern Bible translations have removed certain verses that are found in the King James Version, including the impact of textual criticism, the desire for accessibility, and the need to avoid theological bias. The article discusses examples of removed verses and the complex factors that influence the decisions of modern translators.
It is true that the first three centuries of copying New Testament Greek manuscripts were “free,” in that scribes often took liberties with the manuscript they were copying from, chaotic copying of the texts, a period of copying that was in a state of flux by scribes who did not value what they were copying? Herein lies the truth.
Yes, it would be the greatest discovery of all time if we found the original five books penned by Moses himself, Genesis through Deuteronomy. However, first, there would be no way of establishing that they were the originals. Second, truth be told, we do not need the originals.
This makes more certain for us the Apostle Peter’s words: “But the word of the Lord endures forever.” (1 Peter 1:25) We can have the same confidence that the One who inspired the Holy Scriptures, giving us His inerrant Word, has also used his servants to preserve them, irrespective of the intentional and unintentional textual variants that entered the copies of the text, throughout the last two thousand years, and especially those many dozens of textual scholars that restored the text to its original form, “who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim. 2:4)
This article discusses the approaches taken to establish faith in the restored text of the New Testament, including the historical context of the text's creation, the factors that have made establishing an accurate text difficult, and the process of textual criticism. It emphasizes the importance of examining manuscript evidence, applying sound principles of textual criticism, and acknowledging the limitations of our knowledge to have confidence in the New Testament as a reliable and trustworthy record of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and the early Christian community.
This article discusses the differences between textual criticism of the Old Testament and the New Testament, including methodology, terminology, and types of variants. It explores the various terms used in each discipline and the challenges they present for communication and classification. The article also examines the concept of a literary edition and the different approaches taken by scholars in producing critical editions of ancient texts.