St. David's News & Notes, July 1, 2010

Our series in Luke continues this week with the calling of the seventy-two (ESV) or seventy (RSV) disciples.

Which was it and why do different versions have different numbers?

For much more information here is a teaching video on the subject of the transmission of the Bible.

Here's is a short summary of the issue from the ESV Study Bible with my additions in brackets (and emphasis added):
"Should the presence of textual variants [i.e. seventy, or seventy-two disciples in Luke 10:1], then, undermine the confidence of ordinary laypersons [and their ordinary priests] as they read the Bible in their own language? No—actually, the opposite is the case. The abundance of variants is the result of the very large number of remaining New Testament manuscripts, which itself gives a stronger, not weaker, foundation for knowing what the original manuscripts said.

"In addition, modern Bible translation teams have not kept the location of major variants a secret but have indicated the ones they think to be most important in the footnotes of all “essentially literal” modern English translations [such as the RSV, NASB, & ESV], so that laypersons who read these footnotes can see where these variants are and what they say. The absence of any such footnote (which is the case with far more than 99 percent of the words in the English New Testament) indicates that these translation teams have a high degree of confidence that the words in their English translation accurately represent the words of the New Testament as they were originally written.

What Is at Stake?

"The most significant textual variants certainly alter the meaning of various verses. And where the meaning of verses is changed, paragraphs and even larger units of thought are also affected to some degree. At times, a particular doctrine may not, after all, be affirmed in a given passage, depending on the textual variant. But this is not the same thing as saying that such a doctrine is denied. Just because a particular verse may not affirm a cherished doctrine does not mean that that doctrine cannot be found in the New Testament. In the final analysis, no cardinal doctrine, no essential truth, is affected by any viable variant in the surviving New Testament manuscripts. For example, the deity of Christ, his resurrection, his virginal conception, justification by faith, and the Trinity are not put in jeopardy because of any textual variation. Confidence can therefore be placed in the providence of God in preserving the Scriptures.

"In sum, although scholars may not be certain of the New Testament wording in a number of verses, for the vast majority of the words in the New Testament the modern English translations accurately represent what the original authors wrote, and therefore these translations can be trusted as reproducing the very words of God."

The Scriptures that we will hear together on Sunday are:
Isaiah 66:10-16
Psalm 66
Galatians 6:1-18
Luke 10:1-20

Announcements
 

Our Wednesday evening Bible study following the 6pm Mass will cover Ecclesiastes chapters 1-3.

A few final reminders: Please keep each other in your prayers as we travel and enjoy our summers. Please be faithful in your regular Sunday worship when you are in town (and even on the road, if possible). And please make the effort to stay faithful in your giving, especially over the summer months.

Blessings to you all,

Fr Greg+