Was the New Testament Really Written in Greek? - The Preterist ...

Note: Incredibly, this very same verse has another variant. Some mss have “father” and others have
“father” and “mother”. With this many variants in the GNT, it is a wonder how people can believe in
Greek primacy.
Mss with the commandment reading, τν ντολν, include: K L W X Delta Pi f1 33 565 1241 Byz
Lect some lat vg syr(h).
Mss with the word reading, τòν λóγον, include: S a B D Theta 700 892 some lat syr(c,s,p) cop.
Mss with the law reading, τòν νóµον, include: S* ,b C 084 f13 1010
The root (fm ) of the corresponding word in the Peshitta (Flm ) has the meanings “a word”,
“precept” and “command”. It is so easy to see how Zorba came up with three different readings.
However, according to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, νóµον, can mean law, precept and command.
Strong’s also says that ντολν, can mean “commandment” and “precept”.
So to be fair to Zorba, in terms of meaning, this is a regular split word. But in terms of actual variants in
the Greek, this is most definitely a “triple split word”.
32. The Big One! A QUADRUPLE split word. Prisoner, servant, bondsman, apostle
or “prisoner apostle”, of Yeshua? – Philemon 1:1
To the best of my knowledge, this is the first “quadruple split word” (a 4-way Greek variant is involved,
with all meanings covered by the equivalent word in the Aramaic Peshitta) that has been found. This is a
unique case and undisputedly proves that the Peshitta precedes all the Greek manuscripts. This is a
special case and evolved as a humble “semi split word”. This will serve to illustrate an important point
later, so the format of this topic will be different than for the other split words.
The KJV says: “Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly
beloved, and fellowlabourer,”
Versions that say prisoner OF Jesus or a variation thereof: ALT, ASV, BBE, Darby, Douay-Rheims,
Holman, ISV, KJ21, KJV, LITV, MKJV, NASB, NIV, NIV-UK, NKJV, Rotherham, YLT.
Versions that say prisoner FOR Jesus (betraying the “original Greek”) or a variation thereof: AMP*,
ESV, MSG, RSV, TEV, Weymouth.
* – the AMP version admits that it has added “for the sake of”, when the real meaning of the Greek is
“prisoner of Jesus”.
We see that the most literal versions, LITV, YLT, ALT, all are loyal to the Greek and render it “prisoner
of Jesus”.
The Greek texts say δεσµιος, “desmios”. Its primary meaning is “prisoner” and this is reflected by
Strong’s showing that every time “desmios” is used as a noun in the Bible, it is “prisoner”.
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