BiBle STyle Guide - Get a Free Blog

9.5
more important
changes to the BiBle
Most of the changes to the biblical text are on the same level of importance as the height of
Goliath. The basic point is the same - Goliath was very tall. Biblical texts from the Dead Sea
give one height, some from the Septuagint provide another. Later Masoretic texts say Goliath
was even taller. Most Christians don’t find his exact height a cause for concern. However, the
following kinds of change to the biblical text are a bit more important.
1. texts of different length
The first important change revealed by textual criticism is the
length of a few of the books of the Bible. For example, the book of
Jeremiah as featured in the Septuagint and some of the Dead Sea
scrolls is ten per cent shorter than the one included in the Masoretic
text. The Western Text of the book of Acts is ten per cent longer
than other versions. But in actual fact, most of the extra material in
the longer version of Jeremiah is actually made up of repeated and
rehashed passages from elsewhere in the book. The longer version
of Acts, on the other hand, is viewed by many scholars as a less
authentic version of the New Testament.
2. texts with amBigUoUs meanings
The second kind of changes that are considered important are
where the meaning of a text may be made more ambiguous.
During the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century CE, the
key issue was whether justification was by faith or by works. This
meant that it’s perhaps more significant that James 2.20 could read
that faith without works is either ‘useless’ or ‘dead’ (James 2.20).
Similarly, the text of Luke 2.14, often read out at Christmas, could
read either ‘peace among those whom God favours’ or ‘peace, good
will among men’. These two readings have very different meanings.
3. texts that are sometimes missing
Thirdly, there are also a small number of entire passages that
are found in some manuscripts but not in others. This includes 1
Samuel 10.27—11.1, which is a short paragraph about eye injuries
that was discovered in biblical texts found near the Dead Sea. It
seems to make more overall sense of the passage. Scholars have
different views about whether the last part of Mark’s gospel (Mark
16.9—20) is really part of the Bible. Some early manuscripts don’t
include it and it seems to some to be a rehash of the final chapters
of the other gospels. On the other hand, it was quoted as part of
the Bible at an early stage. Although it may not have been written
by Mark, that’s not to say it doesn’t belong in the New Testament.
Most scholars agree that the ‘Johannine Comma’ – a verse
describing the teaching of the trinity in 1 John 5.8 – is not part of
the original text. Although it was included in the King James Version
of 1611 CE, the text only appeared in some later Latin manuscripts.
Some textual scholars have tried to make much of these debated
passages. Others, however, believe them to be largely irrelevant to
the big picture.
9.0 chineSe
whiSperS
This section provides a
short overview of the
history of the biblical
text and looks at the
issue of whether a
‘Chinese Whispers’
effect really has
changed the Bible
over the years.
The BiBle STyle Guide 73
bible society 2008