The Word of God Among All Nations

THE MAGAZINE OF THE TRINITARIAN SOCIETY

ISSUE NUMBER : 579 April to June 2007 Trinitarian Bible Society Founded in 1831 for the circulation of Protestant or uncorrupted versions of the Word of God Officers of the Society General Committee: General Secretary: Mr. D. P. Rowland The Rev. M. H. Watts, Chairman Assistant General Secretary: The Rev. B. G. Felce, M.A., Vice-Chairman Mr. D. Larlham The Rev. G. Hamstra, B.A., M.Div., Vice-President Editorial Manager: Mr. G. W. Anderson Mr. D. Oldham, Vice-President Office Manager: Mr. C. A. Wood, Vice-President Mr. J. M. Wilson Pastor R. A. Clarke, B.Sc., F.C.A., Treasurer Warehouse Manager: Mr. G. Bidston Mr. I. A. Docksey Mr. G. R. Burrows, M.A. Production Manager:

Mr. G. D. Buss, B.Ed. Mr. M. D. N. Thomas

Pastor M. J. Harley Quarterly Record Mr. A. K. Jones Production Team General Secretary: D. P. Rowland The Rev. E. T. Kirkland, B.A., Dipl.Th. Assistant General Secretary: D. Larlham Production Editor: Dr. D. E. Anderson The Rev. J. MacLeod, M.A. Assistants to the Editor: C. P. Hallihan, R.J.Cooper Graphic Design: Stephen Talas The Rev. D. Silversides Circulation: J.M. Wilson

The Rev. J. P. Thackway The Word of God Among All Nations QUARTERLY RECORD THE MAGAZINE OF THE TRINITARIAN BIBLE SOCIETY Issue Number 579 April to June 2007 C ONTENTS 2 17 The Doctrinal Views of AGM notice Dr Kurt Aland 3 From the Assistant General 41 Secretary New Articles

5 The Treasury 42 Sermon Audio 6 Pardoning Love 43 Scripture distribution in 8 Cold Countries The Latin

16 45 The Passing of a The Word of God Among Faithful Servant All Nations

© Trinitarian Bible Society 2007 All rights reserved. The Trinitarian Bible Society permits reprinting of articles found in our printed and online Quarterly Record provided that prior permission is obtained and proper acknowledgement is made. QUARTERLY RECORD - Issue Number 579 - April to June 2007 The Magazine of the Trinitarian Bible Society From the Assistant General Secretary NOT GIVEN TO The 176th CHANGE, BUT WITH Annual General Meeting A SINGLE EYE will be held, God willing, at 1.00pm on  For I am the LORD, I change not; Who is never fickle or subject to fluctua- Saturday, 22nd September 2007 therefore ye sons of Jacob are not tion or ‘mood swings’. As the of consumed. 3.6 James puts it so well, ‘Every good gift and at the every perfect gift is from above, and who shall dwell in thy holy hill?… He cometh down from the Father of lights, that sweareth to his own hurt, and with whom is no variableness, neither METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, changeth not. Psalm 15.1,4 shadow of turning’ (.17). Not only does God not vary, He does not even Elephant and Castle, London, SE1 present the slightest glimmer of a sugges- an is for ever being told that he tion that He might do so at some time in lives in an ever-changing world. the future. B. A. Ramsbottom MWe hear about climate change, changing fashions, the almost incredible Pastor at Bethel Strict Baptist Chapel, Luton pace of technological change, and this is Thus, having wrought upon us the most is expected to preach all rather unsettling. Often the words glorious and amazing change that could used are made more attractive, made to ever be, delivering us from the power of suggest that change is good; words like darkness, and translating us into the Please note: ‘progress’, ‘development’ and ‘advances’ kingdom of his dear Son (Colossians 1.13), the Lord ensures that we will never Copies of the Minutes of the Society’s Annual General Meeting held are frequently employed. You are made to feel that if you do not follow these trends, change back from life unto death, none on 23rd September 2006 have been despatched to Members. Should you are somehow foolish, reactionary and can pluck us from the hand either of God any other friends/supporters wish to receive a copy, please do not a hindrance to others. Put more simply, the Father or of God the Son, none can hesitate to contact: Mr. D. Larlham, Assistant General Secretary, you are made to feel that you ‘get in the undo the wondrous work of redemption. way’ if you do not conform. Alongside that assurance, the Lord now Trinitarian Bible Society, Tyndale House, Dorset Road, London, commends in His saints unchangeable- SW19 3NN ([email protected]). Yet, as Christians we have an inbuilt ness, the determination to cleave to that resistance to unnecessary change, put which is right in the face of enormous there by God. He it is Who never pressure to surrender, or to deviate to the changes, Who can be utterly relied upon, right hand or to the left.

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Conversely, the unbeliever largely ignores speeches; they use ‘soundbites’, easily designer is not employed merely to italics, and some other lesser-known fea- the true and living God: ‘Because they digestible for the media and for their redesign our stationery or engage in other tures of the Authorised Version. In deter- have no changes, therefore they fear not undiscerning hearers. Letters are written cosmetic exercises, the Society firmly mining the best approach for each of God’ (Psalm 55.19). Though immersed to Christian publications advocating ser- resists any change in the text of Scripture these, we are often having recourse to the in the numerous vicissitudes of life, they mons of no more than twenty minutes, or in our own principles or aims. We cer- tried and tested methods of the past, imagine that they are in control of their and there seem to be many that agree tainly need to raise awareness of those rather than adopting more modern expe- own destiny, and it is only when some with this. We wonder what Ezra would principles and aims and this is being dients. However, we believe that our sup- crisis occurs, a ‘life-changing event’, that have made of this, as he stood on his pul- addressed. Our supporters need to know porters and customers will be pleased many are for the first time brought face- pit of wood, opened the book of the law why we are ‘Protestant’ and ‘reformed’, with the results, and we will take the time to-face with their mortality and vulnera- of God and read therein distinctly for and to understand the full meaning that to explain the rationale for our decisions bility, and constrained perhaps to give hours, from morning to midday, to a we assign to those words. It is anticipated in a short preface to the new range. thought to where they will spend eternity. multitude of men, women and ‘those that that articles on these and kindred topics Without God, man is an ever variable could understand’, no doubt therefore will follow in our Quarterly Record during Please continue to pray that the General and fickle creature, yet cannot see that. including young people and children the next few months. Committee and staff of the Society With God, the saints are eternally pro- (Nehemiah 8.1-8)! worldwide will have the gladness and tected by His loving embrace, yet are all One of our major tasks at the moment is singleness of heart of the apostles (Acts too often prone to fearful insecurity: a It is disturbing enough that many the design of our new range of 2.46), ‘as unto Christ’ (Ephesians 6.5), paradox indeed! churches today seem to have embraced which will not need to be printed by or ‘not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; change as the panacea for all evangelical under the auspices of Cambridge but…fearing God’ (Colossians 3.22). It These considerations are most relevant to ills. Proprietors of Christian bookshops, University Press but who—as the Queen’s is a lovely thought that the same Greek the Society’s work of Bible publication too, no doubt reflecting the restless spirit Printer—will still need to grant permis- word translated ‘singleness’ in these and translation. All around us there are of their customers, allied to their own sion for copies imported into Great passages, also has the connotation of the siren cries of those who fail to hold to over-reliance in many cases upon com- Britain. This project has concentrated our ‘bountifulness’ (2 Corinthians 9.11) and the straight and narrow, who imagine mercialism and pragmatism, are said to minds wonderfully upon the many ancil- ‘liberality’ (2 Corinthians 8.2)—let that that what is needed is a new Bible or a demand earnestly, ‘What is new?’ lary aspects of God’s Word, such as page be our watchword, ‘Being enriched in every new way of presenting the Word of God headings, chapter summaries, centre ref- thing to all bountifulness, which causeth I have personally found it difficult to find to pander to today’s fashions. Change is erences, the titles to the , the use of through us thanksgiving to God’. rampant in many churches today. the Bible section in some Christian book- Suddenly, it seems, we are hearing that shops, let alone an Authorised Version the attention span of a child has shrunk Bible, whereas books by populist authors, dramatically to around eight minutes— often of questionable spiritual value, are we do not notice, of course, that school boldly displayed, and the latest ‘Christian The Treasury lessons are being drastically cut to accom- music’ fills the air. All this seems a far cry modate this alarming trend, nor that tele- from the days of yore. We warmly thank the donors of the following anonymous gifts which have been received since the previous Quarterly Record went to press: Inverness vision programmes or various other What is the Society to do in the face of forms of popular ‘entertainment’ are cur- £50, £20, seven of £10, three of £5;Taunton £10; Muir of Ord £40; Bath/Bristol this insistent pressure? Reliant upon £40;Plymouth £140;Bournemouth £75;Ross-shire four of £10, £5; Edinburgh tailed to fit! However, when it comes to timeless truths that God changes not, the Word of God, brevity, superficiality two of £100, £20; Glasgow £100; Horsham £2,000; Chichester £25.56; man’s sinful nature and essential need for Stowmarket £100; anonymous CAF Voucher £4,000; Charities Aid and ‘relevance’ are supposed to be the salvation change not, and the remedy for new criteria. Foundation £128.21; Give As You Earn £31, £20.47, £18.33; Church donation sin changes not, we are seeking to stand three of £75; South West Charitable Giving three of £94.44; Stewardship Almost seamlessly, this apparent lack of firm, without in any way burying our Services £400; students of Hoornbeeck College, The Netherlands £78; direct the ability to concentrate is transferred in heads in the sand. While there is a case into the bank £30, three of £25; via Speakers £500, £150, £100, £10; other two the popular psyche to adults, too, and the for modernising the packaging and dis- of £10. Total £9,019.89. same criteria are said to apply. Politicians play materials of our Bibles and other have forgotten how to make coherent Scripture productions, and our graphic

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To whom could she go for help? Who Doubtless, she desired to speak to Jesus. To could give her hope and comfort? Her Him she would confess her sin and make former companions would not her plea for pardon. But when she saw the Pardoning understand. They would mock and Saviour, she was too deeply moved to speak. increase the hurt of her wounded heart. In His sacred presence, she was a sinner. His The moral and religious, unless they knew love was the need of her heart. As she stood something of brokenness of heart, would at His feet, she wept bitter tears of sorrow. In be too critical and judgmental. No one His nearness, she saw the darkness of her sin pitied the poor sinful woman. To whom and experienced the purifying effect of His Love then could she go: to God her Maker? How holy love. A love, unknown to her before, could the thought of God give her peace? filled her contrite heart. A description of this And, behold, a woman in the Did her grave transgressions not call for His wondrous love never fully answers to reality. by the Rev. G. Hamstra, special displeasure? Yet, day and night she city, which was a sinner, when a Vice-President of the Society Yet this love has a name: it is a heavenly, cried to God, divine love. she knew that Jesus sat at meat appears to have extended the invitation to Let my prayer now find acceptance, The tears of sorrow were an eloquent the Saviour as an act of condescension. in the Pharisee’s house, In Thy mercy answer me. expression of the sentiments of her heart. Although Jesus realised that the welcome Full of troubles and affliction, She washed Christ’s feet with her tears, brought an alabaster box of was not genuine, He nevertheless complied Nigh to death my soul is brought wiped them with the hairs of her head, ointment, and stood at his feet with the request of His self-righteous host. Helpless, like one cast for ever kissed His feet and anointed them with the behind him weeping, and Simon and his friends were in the presence From Thy care and from Thy thought. ointment. of the Fountain of Light. Yet they were not (Psalter 240:1) began to wash his feet with Tenderly, Jesus forgave the one who aware of His glory. Although these men had The poor, helpless woman was not entirely surrendered at His feet. Neither Jesus nor tears, and did wipe them with read and studied the without hope. The good news of the the woman spoke a word. Words were not the hairs of her head, and prophecies, they did not realise that the precious Fountain of Mercy had reached necessary, yet they both knew. When promised Messiah was present. If they had kissed his feet, and anointed her heart. She had heard the music of the forgiveness is experienced, there are always only known Who He was, no doubt they matchless name of Jesus. He had made the two who know it: the Christ Who pardons them with the ointment. would have pleaded with Him for the riches lame man leap as an hart. Jesus had and the sinner who is pardoned. Luke 7.37,38 of His all-sufficient grace. Not knowing touched and healed the leper. In wondrous The angels in heaven rejoice when the their spiritual poverty, they had no desire grace, He had pardoned sinners. His mercy Saviour and a poor sinner are united. God’s he narrative at the conclusion of for His love. The outward nearness was changed enemies into friends. children here on earth, who have known Luke 7 is one of the most valuable close. Alas, the inward distance could not be When the woman heard of the Friend of the selfsame grace, are likewise filled with stories ever recorded. Nevertheless, measured! T sinners, a spark of hope was kindled in her joy when they hear about a penitent sinner this priceless story is surpassed. The Unexpectedly, a very remarkable incident burdened heart. She longed for His who has experienced pardon by the love of transcendent message of the death and took place. A woman entered the house of presence. Her chief desire was His pardon. Jesus. However, people like Simon frown in resurrection of Christ Jesus overshadows Simon. She was a great sinner, even in the A life in His favour would give her joy and displeasure. Their pharisaical self- every other precious divine opinion of her fellow creatures. The woman peace. Although it was with fear and righteousness hinders them from communication. However, there is an had been seduced by the subtle temptations trembling, she believed. She could not rest appreciating the secret joy of true sorrow inseparable relation between God’s of the deceiver and destroyer of mankind. until she had found the Saviour from sin. for sin and it blinds their minds for the redeeming love revealed at Calvary and the In the ways of sin, she had often silenced Where was Jesus? He was in the home of special love of Christ that saves. In this gracious forgiveness bestowed on the her conscience. Her heart had become cold Simon the Pharisee. She knew that she was regard, there are no neutrals. We either take penitent woman of the narrative at hand. and frozen; her soul was lost, ruined and not welcome there. Yet her fervent desire our place on the side of the woman, at the Penitence and pardon are the most dead! was so strong that she overlooked all feet of Jesus, or we join the murmuring powerful fruits of the eternal sacrifice of Heavenly grace was given to this hardened hindrances. This was her golden Simon and his companions. On which side the atoning Lamb. sinner. It was the powerful means to awaken opportunity. Only one Person was are you? Mercy received from the heart of Jesus was a dinner guest in the home of a the woman. Reality came home to her and important to her. She was the sinner and Jesus is the richest treasure a human being very religious man. This man, Simon, she perceived her ruined condition. Jesus the Saviour. She went to the home. can know. There is yet room at His feet!

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in general use, though not nec- THE essarily with every book now included in the canon. , bishop of Carthage, martyred in 258, quotes abun- Latin dantly from a Latin text which must have been a complete Bible, considering the range of the quotes. Old Latin versions began to circulate through North Africa, Italy, Gaul and ulgate Spain—most of them quite V distinct and divergent from by C.P. Hallihan each other, leading later to This material is intended to supply a gen- ’s much quoted remark eral historical background, and not to to the effect that there were as many ver- A monk at work in a scriptorium enter into the realm of evaluation, textual sion was not evident in Rome, or in Italy sions as there were manuscripts of the 2 criticism, or discussion of the Canon. generally. Old Latin. Not so in Italy, where the ‘provincial’ In the various regions there would be a awkwardness of the version was Greek First popular Latin version of the Bible, or inevitably more apparent and offensive. he Latin language, though pre- Africa and Old Latin The Italian bishops were also familiar It was in Africa, not Rome, that Latin was more particularly of the and dominant in the Western , current from the begin- with the Greek texts, and saw the need Churches from mid-3rd century the primary literary language of for revision of the Latin for more accept- . This Roman province cov- ning of the 3rd century. From that time a to the , was not so distinctive of the Latin Scriptures also able use in their congregations. By this Tbefore about AD 250. The was ered what we now know as Tunisia, time Latin was in general, though not begins to appear: words which are either first proclaimed through the Roman Algeria and Morocco, and Latin was the exclusive, use in Christian writings, and official, but never indigenous, language.1 plain transliterations of Greek words or Empire by preachers whose language was gratingly literal translations of Greek in the 4th century a definite revision of Greek, and who continued to use Greek Augustine gives the impression that the the Old Latin appears to have been made Gospel was relatively late in coming to forms are scattered throughout. The pic- in their writings. At Lyons ture for the Latin Old Testament is even in North Italy, with church needs in view, (c. AD 130-200) preached in Latin and in North Africa, but certainly by the end of using Greek manuscripts. This attracted the 2nd century Christians were found less clear, and the one plain fact would be some local Celtic vernacular, but he that all such efforts had been derived the name Itala. Augustine recommended argued about heresies in Greek, and the throughout that region and throughout it strongly as being accurate and clear, that society. from the , the Greek transla- Letter of the Church of Lyons about its tion of the Old Testament. No surprise but other revisions were made for indi- martyrs is in Greek. When Clement The history of the earliest Latin then that the Latin contained the vidual and local use, and more changes wrote from Rome to the Corinthians version of the Bible is lost in Apocryphal books usually found in were introduced. Perhaps this was what (AD 95), he did so in Greek. The obscurity, but Carthage, caught the Septuagint, and added to these was caused Augustine to say, ‘any one in the Shepherd of Hermas was written in up in Roman Latin culture, was . In the New Testament it seems first ages of Christianity who gained pos- Greek. Justin and Tatian wrote in Greek perhaps where the first crude certain that the , session of a Greek manuscript, and fan- at Rome in the 3rd century. Greek is the renderings of the Gospels James, and 2 Peter did not form part of cied that he had a fair knowledge of language of Roman Christian inscrip- into a stilted Latin were the original African (Latin) version. Greek and Latin, ventured to translate tions down to the 3rd century—even made. of it’.3 Scribes also inserted additional details the original epitaphs of the bishops! Carthage, the first of the in the narrative from parallel passages, The few remains of the early Christian Latin fathers, distinctly Italy and changed forms of expression back to literature of Rome are in Greek, and for recognises a Latin ver- The early Latin version continued in use those with which they had first been two centuries the need for a Latin ver- sion of the New Testament generally unchanged in North Africa. familiar. Next came the mingling of these

8 9 QUARTERLY RECORD - Issue Number 579 - April to June 2007 The Magazine of the Trinitarian Bible Society various revisions, with further was held to be almost unforgivable. Even deterioration of the text. At the close of Jerome’s Latin Bible Augustine struggled to come to terms the 4th century the Latin Scriptures, Inevitably the work was begun in the with this, but, as the younger man, he Gospels particularly, were in such a state Gospels, and between 382–4 Jerome pro- conducted himself with humility under as to call for serious attention to this duced a new Latin version of the four the scorching and abusive reproofs of the version of the Scripture. Gospels,5 and also a revision of the older scholar. Nevertheless Augustine, Psalms styled the ‘Roman Psalter’ and whilst acknowledging and commending Jerome reputedly still in use in St. Peter’s, Rome. the value of the new work (as did When Damasus died in 384 Jerome left Pelagius!), seems to have kept to the Italic In 382 the bishop of Rome, already Rome for good, but not the charge that Text. Jerome himself admitted haste, styled , was Damasus, and his secre- he had received. After two years’ pilgrim even errors in his work, and in later writ- tary was Sofronis Hieronymus, wanderings he founded a monastery in ings quoted portions differently. usually referred to as Jerome. This name Bethlehem, and settled there for the rest This was to be the Bible of Western more than any other is associated with of his life. Planning to go on revising the Christianity for almost 1,000 years, and the Latin Bible, and particularly the title Jerome in his study Old Testament he produced another ver- most attempts to produce versions in Latin Vulgate. The word vulgate is simply sion of the Psalms, using the Septuagint other languages were derived from this the Latin word vulgatus, meaning com- ing, and committed himself to a rigor- and Origen’s Hexapla. This ‘Gallican uneven version, making them at best ‘a mon or generally known, and in reference ously ascetic life. Damasus, distressed at Psalter’ is still used in the Vulgate of version of a version’. In itself though, it to the Scriptures always referred to the the confused and uncertain state of the today. In doing this Jerome became con- was a rendering from the original, and generally received or accepted text. The Latin Scriptures, commissioned Jerome vinced that he must turn aside from the affords a glimpse, for careful and princi- phrase Latin Vulgate is locked in historic to the task of revising and editing the Septuagint version and work from the pled use, into the witness of textual and usage, but I find it ironic that whenever manuscripts. It was always going to be a Hebrew texts. He may have been the first canonical history. Jerome used the word vulgate he referred thankless task, with much opposition, to use the expression ‘Hebrew Verity’ for to the Greek Old Testament, the some informed, more not so. In some this return to the original language. Septuagint, and that it was the Council of ways Jerome with his learning and dedi- From Jerome to Trent 1,200 years later which, mistaking cation might seem the ideal man for the Jerome’s complete Hebrew- and Greek- Jerome’s usage, attached the word inextri- work; his abrasive and virulent nature, his based Latin Bible was completed in 405, Printing cably to the Latin Bible. hostility to all that was not of Rome,4 his including another Psalter, this one always Acceptance of Jerome’s work was very referred to as the ‘Hebrew Psalter’. His Opinions of and attitudes to Jerome were zeal for and ardent promulgation of slow, and the old and the new Latin were enlargement of his Hebrew fluency with as different and difficult for those in his monasticism, mariolatry, relics and together in the Western Churches for 300 the help of Jewish scholars aroused an own days as for all later writers. He was departed saints, give a different view. years. In the east other things were hap- unease, amounting at times to downright born in Dalmatia of a Christian family in pening. Jerome’s work was adopted in hostility and accusation of being a 347 (some say 329) and educated at Gaul by the 5th century, but the Old Judaizer, and his turning from the Greek Rome. Extensive travelling and dili- Latin prevailed in Britain and Africa. By Septuagint as the Old Testament source gent classical learning followed, prob- the 6th century only Africa held plainly ably the beginnings of a knowledge The Ashburnham Pentateuch: A fine example of an illumintated Latin manuscript dating from around the of Hebrew and Aramaic, too. early 7th century. It originally contained all the Pentateuch, but Deuteronomy is now missing. When he returned to Rome he received their baptism, turned resolutely from all classical learn-

A monastery set into the mountains near the Jordan Valley provides a setting akin to that in which Jerome would have pursued his work on the Vulgate.

10 11 QUARTERLY RECORD - Issue Number 579 - April to June 2007 The Magazine of the Trinitarian Bible Society by the Old Latin. The most important the outstanding fruit of the towards the settling and proper use of a made, as many as remaining manuscript of Jerome’s Latin Medieval Latin Bible tradi- true Greek text, and will not be followed three thousand by text, Codex Amiatinus in Florence, was tion is the use that Wycliffe now. ‘But by the yellow Tiber, Was some counts. actually copied either at Wearmouth or made of it to produce an tumult and affright…’:7 the challenge of Sixtus died a few Jarrow in the north-east of England very English language the Reformers to the Church of Rome months later, and Gutenberg’s early in the 8th century, and Bede refers to Bible, still a Press involved clear appeal to the Scriptures, everything ground Jerome’s Bible as the familiar one in 731. version of an and the confusion of differences in text to a halt. But the text-stream of the Latin Bible was uneven version, and interpretation of the Vulgate called In the reign of the again in rapid decline. The simultaneous but hastening for some remedy. An authorised Latin next pope but one, use of the old and new versions led to the Reformation edition became a necessity for the Clement VIII, a Clement VIII. This was the and its outstand- same pope who refused to Roman Church. drastic revision of grant Henry VIII a divorce ing Bible work in The first session of the , the Sixtine text was from Catherine of Aragon England. the instrument of Counter-Reformation, effected and pub- The first great work was held on December 13, 1545. The lished, printed by Aldus Manutius, from the process of Nicene Creed was formally set forth as grandson of the famous founder of the printing was, of course, the foundation of the Christian faith on Aldine Press. This Sixto-Clementine the Latin Bible of 1455—the Gutenberg February 4, 1546, and then the council Vulgate became the standard Bible of the Bible from the printer’s name, or the proceeded to the question of the author- Roman Church. Cardinal Mazarin Bible from the famous copy in ity, text, and interpretation of Holy Bellarmine in the 1592 preface suggests the library of Cardinal Mazarin. It took Scripture. There was considerable variety that the Sixtus edition had needed such six years to do the typesetting of 1,300 of opinion as to the relative value of the extensive correction because of printers’ pages of type, issued in two volumes and original languages and the Latin texts. errors; in fact there were very few, less two impressions. It was almost a replica The unique authority of the ancient and than in the Clement issue! of the two-column per page manuscript vulgate (Latin) version was affirmed, but The Rheims New Testament, the English Facsimile of Gutenberg’s 1455 bible style that had been honed in handwritten no ground for its authority given, and no language version of the Genesis 1 from an copies over past centuries. Would the clear text was provided. There was, how- Vulgate for the Roman early Douai Bible great corruptions of both, and various printed text bring stability? ever, provision for a clear, revised edition Catholic ‘merged’ texts were formed according to of the Vulgate to be printed. the taste or judgment of scribes; and the Forty years passed and the difficulties of rent was made worse! Textual instability The Printed Latin such a revision had not been overcome. is a great hindrance. By the mid 8th cen- At that point , a man tury the Latin Bible called the Vulgate was Text acknowledged by all to be no mean in use in handwritten copies through Cardinal Ximenes (1502–17) was the Western Europe; Jerome’s they called it, first to present a seriously revised Latin scholar, took matters into his own hands, but few if any copies would agree with text, giving it the middle place of honour and issued his own the 405 Bethlehem copy. Some attempts in his Complutensian6 Polyglot, between true, lawful, authorita- to tidy the text did stand out— the Hebrew and Greek text (a strange tive edition of the Cassiodorus in 6th century south Italy, ‘honour’ to place a version between the Vulgate in 1590. His Alcuin of York with ’s Biblical languages!). This Complutensian scholarship seems to patronage in 800, Theodolph of Orleans text is said to be more correct than most have been abandoned, about the same time. A group of Paris before it, but still very far from being and the most arbi- scholars effected a revision in the 13th pure. Many familiar names now became trary and unskillful century—the one which first divided the involved with Latin editions—Erasmus, alterations had been Bible into chapters—which was to be the Stephens, Coverdale, Beza and so on. basis of the early printed editions. For us, Theirs is a different path, and tending Aldus Manutius

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Church, was published in 1582, well sometimes afford a glimpse into some before the Sixtus-Clement text. The Old unlikely corners of textual history to An ailing Jerome still diligently at work Testament of that version was printed at which we have no other access; and glad Douai in 1609, and may have used the we are of it. Overall, for instance, the 1592 Aldus printing as a source. This Bethlehem Bible gives us a reassuring Bible was altered and modernised by ‘mirror-look’ at the 4th-century Hebrew Bishop Challoner in 1749, and the text text, but is not an authority for it nor for properly conformed to that of the the correct translation of it. But just as Clementine edition. This was the English the mechanic will not be at ease until he translation of the Vulgate in use for the has the car in a well-equipped workshop, next two hundred years. so will we always look for more and bet- ter help, such as we believe the Lord to have granted in the bringing to light of Review the Masoretic and Received texts of the There can be no doubt nor denying of Old and New Testaments to seal the the massive influence of the Latin Reformation. As we saw in the last para- Scriptures in the Western World, where graph, even the printing era brought no most familiar, and from which they had antem interpretes nullo, modo, Ut enim for over a thousand years it was ‘The short-term stability to the Latin text! drawn their earliest knowledge of divine cuivii primis fidei temporibus in manus Bible’. But it was only ever a version; the Beyond the matters of text and canon, truth. Directly or indirectly, it was the venit codex Grecus et aliquantulum fac- Latin language has no standing over however, we can never close our minds source of all the vernacular versions of ultatis sibi utriusque linguve habers vide- against the Hebrew and Greek, so that all to the fact that the Latin versions made Western Europe until the Reformation. batur, aunsus est interpretari’. Quoted in translations made from it are doubly at their mark both upon our language and The Latin Scriptures, despite their ‘Vulgate’, McClintock and Strong (AGES fault. It is true that all Bible texts before upon our thoughts and the way we put obscure past and obvious problems, were Library, MSE_1008.pdf). the general use of the printing presses are those into words. It was these versions used by God in the preservation of the subject to the problems of hand-copying, with which the greatest of the Word of God and even the transmission 4. East and West were clearly dividing by but the Latin texts more so by their very Reformers were of the Gospel, until He provided for us this time, and in remote parts of the popularity. Textbooks talk of the Old some better thing. waning Western Empire there were still Latin, the Itala, the Hieronymian ‘independent’ Christian communities. (Jerome’s 405) and the Jerome had no time for them and was Vulgate as if there were Endnotes not slow to condemn. only a single text of each, 1. F.F. Bruce has an interesting aside: but none of these were in there was never a vernacular Bible in the 5. He is thought to have used a popular any way stable, always beg- Berber tongues of North Africa—was European ‘Western Text,’ with ging the question, ‘Which this a factor in the almost complete dis- ‘Alexandrian’ corrections. Discussion of particular one?’ appearance of the Gospel there? See F.F. this is for another time and place. Sometimes, attending a road- Bruce, The Books and the Parchments, 3rd side breakdown, a car ed. (Old Tappan, NJ, USA: Fleming H. 6. From Complutum in Spain. mechanic will put a mirror on Revell Co., 1984), p. 202. a rod and with that and a torch 7. Thomas Babbington Macaulay, can sometimes find an obscure 2. Jerome, Preface to the Four Gospels, ‘Horatius’, Lays of Ancient Rome, XIII problem underneath. At that addressed to Damasus, AD 383. (Englishverse.com, level the whole stream of Latin www.englishverse.com/poems/horatius, texts, judiciously used, can 3. De Doctr. Christ. 2, 16 [11], ‘Qui scrip- accessed 19 February 2007). turas ex Hebraea lingua in Graecam 1 John 1 from a Vulgate Bible verterunt numerari possunt, Latini

14 15 QUARTERLY RECORD - Issue Number 579 - April to June 2007 The Magazine of the Trinitarian Bible Society The Doctrinal Views of The Passing of a DR KURT ALAND, Faithful Servant Textual Critic he Treasurer of the Society’s USA Branch, Robert Verhey, by A. Hembd, MACS passed away unexpectedly on October 17, 2006, at the age of T83. For more than ten years, Mr. Verhey carried out his duties Reformation International Theological Seminary very diligently in a quiet but faithful manner, and he will be deeply A consultant to the Society missed. r Kurt Aland is which was used by all the great Mr. Verhey was an extremely helpful and practical man, and in addi- perhaps the most translations of the Reformation, tion to donating many hours of his time each month to the Branch’s renowned Biblical including the Authorised finances, he was always readily available to help out in any other textual critic of the Version in the English language 20thD century. Born in Berlin in (also known in some parts of facet of the work where needed. He was a most conscientious the world as the ‘King James Treasurer, and he would stop at the TBS office several times a week 1915, he died in Münster/Westphalia in 1994. Version’). Thus, the versions to collect the incoming receipts and deposit them at the bank. translated from this new During each of these visits to the office, he would go over the books The most famous modern English versions of the ‘critical’text differ signifi- with Marnie Linna, the office manager, and then look for any other cantly from our way in which he could be of assistance. It was not uncommon to see New Testament—the Revised Standard Version, Authorised Version as well. Mr. Verhey shovelling the snow from the office’s sidewalks during the New American winter or helping unload a truckload of Bibles when a shipment had At present, the NIV and Standard Version, the New arrived from England. Mr. Verhey also played a pivotal role in the the ESV are sweeping International Version, and evangelical churches in the planning and setting up of the USA Branch’s new office facilities last the English Standard Version—are all United States and Britain. Thus, year, and the Board is much indebted to him for the practical grounded on, and, for the most part, modern churchgoers are being pro- knowledge and skills he so willingly donated to that effort. In the translated from, Dr Aland’s work. These foundly influenced by Aland’s Greek Text, words of one volunteer at the TBS office, ‘Mr. Verhey’s heart was full translations utilise as their principal text and so also by his peculiar views of the of love for the work of the Trinitarian Bible Society’. (with its critical apparatus and alternate text. This is because the very verses that readings) the United Bible Societies modern churchgoers are reading in their May the Lord give special strength to his invalid wife, whom he so version of the Greek New Testament, a Bibles reflect the theological and textual lovingly cared for, and to his entire family in their great loss, and version over which Dr Aland was a views of Dr Aland, which underlie his may it please the Lord to provide a capable person to fill Mr. principal editor. Indeed, the UBS version choices for readings and variant readings Verhey’s empty place on the Board of Directors. Above all, our third edition (1983) is virtually the same for every verse in the original Greek, from prayer is that the Lord would sanctify this loud calling to the hearts as Aland’s own twenty-sixth edition of which these new versions are translated. of all of those he leaves behind, that we may pray with Moses in the Nestle-Aland text: such was his However, very few churchgoers even 1 Psalm 90.12, ‘So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our influence over the UBS text. know the name of Dr Kurt Aland. Many hearts unto wisdom’. The Nestle-Aland Greek 26th edition and ministers do—the Nestle-Aland text is the UBS 1966 and 1983 Greek texts differ the one that they buy when in theologi- widely from the common Received Text cal seminary (as is required for students

16 17 QUARTERLY RECORD - Issue Number 579 - April to June 2007 The Magazine of the Trinitarian Bible Society in Westminster Theological Seminary). means ‘breathed out by God’. All Accordingly, the Scripture, indeed all promises to preserve His Word; He They have heard in their text-critical class- Scripture is breathed out by God—every Scripture, is breathed out and inspired promises to do so in that very Word. ‘All es of Dr Aland’s prowess as a scholar. Yet word of it. Accordingly, all Scripture is as by God still. The Scripture, every word Scripture is breathed out by God.’ ‘Every very few ministers know what Dr Aland’s pure as God Himself. No abiding corrup- of it, is still profitable for doctrine, for word of God is pure.’ As .21 tells theological views are concerning the tion can enter into it. Though mistakes reproof, for correction, for instruction in us, God’s inspired words, all of them, inerrancy and infallibility of Scripture. have entered some copies of the original righteousness: hence, it is also inspired shall be preserved in the line of the true We come then to the point of this paper, language texts, though heretics have still. Despite its being copied by men, Church, for ever. namely, to show concerned readers what even mutilated some copies, yet, in the despite mistakes and errors having Kurt Aland’s theological views are con- good Providence of God, by the Holy been introduced into some of the We must believe that God cerning Biblical inspiration, inerrancy, Spirit, the true Church has been enabled copies, yet, in the good Providence of preserves His Word, by His and infallibility. always to recover the true reading from God by the Holy Spirit, the true Church the copies. has always been able to recover the Spirit, in the line of the true But first, we must lay down some funda- original readings, so that we still have Church. mental premises. This paper is the review Because Scripture is breathed out by the inspired Word of God, infallible and of a Bible-believer, and unashamedly so. God, the man of God is ‘perfect’,or ‘com- inerrant. *Isaiah 59.20–21 ‘And the Redeemer Accordingly, we are not backward to plete’. He is complete in that he has need shall come to Zion, and unto them that affirm that, if we are to understand the of no other reference. Obviously, he is not There may be spelling or stylistic differ- turn from transgression in Jacob, saith text of the Old and New Testaments, we sinlessly perfect: ‘…there is no man that ences in some of the words or their the LORD. As for me, this is my covenant must know what the Bible says of itself. sinneth not’ (1 Kings 8.46). But he is ‘per- forms in the present manuscripts, but with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that And so, we affirm that: fect’ in this sense: he is perfectly fur- the essential words, in all their mean- is upon thee, and my words which I ings, are still there—the inspired, *We must believe that the Bible is nished with all that he should ever need have put in thy mouth, shall not depart inerrant words of God. The Holy Spirit, in the inspired, inerrant Word of God, to know, on this side of eternity, to equip out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth the Church, has helped the true Church because the Bible itself says so. him for his ministry in this world—so of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy that, as we have said, he has need of no always to recover and maintain the true seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from hence- *We must believe that God pre- other reference. Indeed, the only other reading (Isaiah 59.21). forth and for ever.’ serves His Word, by His Holy Spirit, references he may want to consider And how pure are the Words of God? in the line of His true Church— The Lord says, ‘this is my covenant with would be good commentaries on the Totally pure. ‘Every word of God is pure’, again, because the Bible says so. them’. With whom? With those that ‘turn Scripture itself, to help him understand says Proverbs 30.5. ‘Every word of God is from transgression in Jacob’. These the Scripture better. But even these com- pure: he is a shield unto them that put would be those who know ‘repentance We must believe that the Bible is mentaries the man of God would read as their trust in him’. Every word of God is unto life’— that saving work of the the inspired, inerrant Word of subordinate to the inspired Scripture pure. It is pure still. It is pure, by the blessed Holy Ghost—by the Holy Spirit, God, because the Bible says so. itself. Oh, the man of God is complete in good Providence of God, preserving the convincing them of sin, righteousness, his being throughly furnished, by the inspired Word of God, for the man of and judgment, and savingly illuminating *2 Timothy 3.16–17 ‘All scripture is given fully-inspired words of God! God, so that he need not have recourse their minds with the knowledge of the by inspiration of God, and is profitable for The very thing that makes the man of God to any other work—so that by it, he may blessed Redeemer who has come for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for complete and throughly furnished unto all be made profitable to every good work. them. With these, and these alone, God instruction in righteousness: that the good works is the verbal plenary inspira- The good Providence of God has kept makes His covenant. He sends the man of God may be perfect, throughly tion of Scripture. If the Scripture ceases to every word of God pure. Redeemer to Zion, for them, and for furnished unto all good works.’ be inspired, and fully inspired in its every ‘He is a shield unto them that put their them alone. *Proverbs 30.5 ‘Every word of God is pure: Word, then it is no longer reliable or prof- trust in him’, says Proverbs 30.5. Why? And what is this covenant with them? he is a shield unto them that put their itable for doctrine, for reproof, for correc- Because ‘every word of God is pure’. Take The covenant is, that the spirit that is trust in him.’ tion, for instruction in righteousness. The away the purity of every word, and God upon them, and the words that are in How much of Scripture is inspired, very attribute of Scripture that makes it is no longer a shield to the saints. their mouth, shall not depart out of inspired indeed by God?‘All Scripture.’ ‘All reliable and profitable for these things is We must not doubt the purity of God’s their mouth, nor out of the mouth of scripture is given by inspiration of God.’ its plenary inspiration, its purity, its being Word, nor doubt His covenant faithful- their seed, nor their seed’s seed. For The original Greek word for ‘inspired’ ‘breathed out by God’. ness to preserve it. He Who cannot lie how long? ‘For ever.’

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The Lord makes a covenant with His The blood of Christ has purchased the that are most revealing, two relatively several books in it that do not belong Zion, with those that turn from transgres- purity of all the words of God in all ages, early works, written in 1961 and 1962, there? sion in Jacob. His Spirit shall not depart for you, for me, if we will but believe it. and one later work, in 1985. It may be asked, “But The Problem of the from them; neither will His Words. God Now, with whom is this promise made? We address first the two earlier works. New Testament Canon was written in 1962. will preserve all His words for them; With those that turn from transgression One is entitled ‘The Problem of Did Dr Aland ever renounce these views? ‘every word of God is pure’. Why? So that in Jacob, and with their seed, and their Anonymity and Pseudonymity in And similarly with ‘The Problem of He may be a shield to His saints, even by seed’s seed, even for ever. The Spirit will Christian Literature of the First Two Anonymity and Pseudonymity’. That was His Word. God will keep all His Word, the continue with them. The efficacy of the Centuries’, written in 1961.2 In that book- written in 1961. Did Aland renounce its Scriptures of our salvation, inspired. Why? blood of Christ will continue with them. let, Dr Aland denies the apostolic author- views?” So that the man of God may be perfect, By the covenant of this blood, and the ship of the Four Gospels, the Catholic No, he did not. Indeed, he had ample so that he may be complete, so that he workings of the Holy Spirit, this true , the , and opportunity to renounce these views in may be throughly furnished unto every Church will be able to discern the words Hebrews. The other work is entitled The his much later book entitled A History of good work. of God in all ages; and by the good Problem of the New Testament Canon, Christianity, published in German in 1980 Indeed, this very promise is because of Providence of God all His words will 3 written in 1962. In this work, Dr Aland and in English in 1985.5 In this book, Aland the Redeemer, spoken of in Isaiah 59.20, remain with them. expresses his doubts as to the canonicity discusses his theories concerning the ori- Who is Christ Jesus our Lord, the Desire And thus, we should be looking to the of several New Testament books. gins and the evolution of the New of all nations, that One who comes to original language texts that have been Testament text, including the settling of Zion. Because of Him, God makes this Now, we must interject the following. With used by the historic true Church. the Canon and the apostolic authorship of wonderful covenant. Indeed, we see in respect to the apostolic authorship of the the Gospels, the Catholic Epistles, and .19 that Moses sprinkled not Four Gospels, these books in their titles Hebrews. Yet he says nothing in that work only all the articles of the tabernacle and What we must look for in a begin ‘The Gospel according to Matthew’ to renounce his former views. To the con- the people, but yes, even the very book or ‘The Gospel according to Mark’,and so textual critic trary, he cautiously confirms them, even of the Law, the Word of God, with the on. Though some may question whether adding shockingly disdainful, higher criti- blood. Hebrews 9.19 says, ‘For when When we would evaluate the work of a the titles are inspired per se, yet we cannot cal views of the Catholic Epistles—James, Moses had spoken every precept to all textual critic—one who would compile a deny that the titles of all the complete Jude, 1 and 2 Peter, and 1, 2, and 3 John. the people according to the law, he took text of the original languages for the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament We will discuss what he says in A History of the blood of calves and of goats, with Bible—we must look for a man who books, going back to the earliest of times, Christianity toward the end of this paper. water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and believes the things which we have just attribute the authorship of the Gospels to sprinkled both the book, and all the discussed. He must believe that the Bible Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, as did all Denying the canonicity of certain books of people’. is the Word of God, because ‘every word the going back to the ear- the Bible is certainly the more blatant of of God is pure’. He must believe that God liest ages of the Church. (For more detail his errors. For that indeed is a denial of the Moses sprinkled both the book and the has promised to preserve that Word pure, on the variations that exist in the head- verbal plenary inspiration of Scripture people. Why? Because this foreshadowed in every age. He must also believe that ings, and yet how they all attribute itself. For that reason, we shall begin by how that the blood of Christ would be God will do this in the line of the true authorship to the men, the author refers addressing Dr Aland’s work concerning sprinkled on both the people of God and Church. the reader to F.H.A. Scrivener’s excellent the Canon. After that, we shall address upon the very words of God that God work A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of what he says in ‘The Problem of would use to keep them. In other words, the New Testament,1.65–71.)4 Thus, there Anonymity and Pseudonymity in Christian Christ purchased both His people and An examination of Dr Kurt really is no manuscript or patristic evi- Literature of the First Two Centuries’. Next, the words of God by His precious Aland’s views on the inspiration dence whatever, other than mere conjec- we shall address what he says in A History blood. When the blood of Christ ceases ture, that could merit Aland’s questioning of Christianity. Finally, at the end of this to be efficacious, then the people of God of the Bible who authored them. But unquestionably, paper, we shall evaluate the validity of can be lost. When the blood of Christ is It can be rather difficult to find anything a man who doubts the canonicity of sev- Dr Aland’s work, in the light of Scripture, no longer living and warm, then the puri- that openly displays Dr Aland’s views eral books of the Bible—specifically, 2 specifically, Isaiah 59.20–21. ty of God’s words will be lost. concerning the inspiration, inerrancy and Peter, James, 1 and 2 John, and Jude— We proceed now to examine The Problem No, this can never be! Whatever the infallibility of the Scriptures. However, cannot at all believe in Bible inerrancy. of the New Testament Canon. blood of Christ touches, it purchases. there are three little-known works of his How can the Bible be infallible, if it has

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The Problem of the New direction of our choosing. Luther’s sad questioning of the books of And so, the orthodox view is that the Testament Canon [emphasis added] Hebrews, James, and Revelation, thus Canon of the New Testament was fully In other words, he poses himself a con- implying that a review ought to be made settled by the 4th century, never to be At the beginning of this work, Kurt Aland servative by saying somewhat ‘cautiously’ by modern ecumenical councils as to questioned again. Yes, there was a peri- writes the following: ‘This brochure that we ought not to adopt any new whether these books ought not to be od of some flux, though most of the embodies the text of a lecture written for books. However, says he, we may well scrapped, too. books were unanimously accepted by the Second International Congress on considering rejecting some books. He Before we continue further, we must con- the end of the second century AD. To New Testament Studies which met at later expresses his view that the Epistles sider for a moment, ‘What is the ortho- some degree, the Roman persecutions Christ Church, Oxford, in September of Ignatius surpass 2 and 3 John, Jude, dox view of the Canon?’ and the martyrdoms of many thousands 1961’.6 The pamphlet, then, is a lecture and even 2 Peter, thus implying, on of saints no doubt limited the Church’s that Dr Aland delivered to a worldwide pages 26–27, that 2 and 3 John, Jude, ability to review the books thoroughly, as convention of New Testament scholars. and 2 Peter are candidates for being The orthodox view of the well as limiting her ability to gather into ecumenical (i.e., ‘universal orthodox’) syn- Just the title of the work is enough to dropped. He says: formulation of the Canon ods to come to a full, universal accept- raise eyebrows. The Problem of the New The only group among the The orthodox view of the formulation of ance of the Canonical books. However, Testament Canon? What ‘problem’? which, by their the Canon is wonderfully summarised in the Holy Spirit gradually worked in the content and spiritual authority, For the reader not acquainted with the Dr Edward Freer Hills’s famous book, The true Church so that, by the fourth centu- tower far above the average, are term, ‘Canon’means the listing of books King James Version Defended. Says Dr Hills: ry AD, acceptance of our present Canon that should be included in the New the Epistles of Ignatius. Certainly After the New Testament books had was universal, not to be disputed again. Testament. Dr Aland is in this pamphlet they cannot bear comparison with been written, the next step in the Indeed, the Canon must have been set- raising a question of whether new books the , nor even with divine program for the New tled. Why? Because, unless the books of not included in the Bible ought to be 1 Peter and 1 John. But Jude, 2 and Testament Scriptures was the gath- the Bible are known, how can we even included, and also of whether books now 3 John, for example, even 2 Peter, ering of these individual books into know what the Word of God is which we included should be excluded. In the con- are clearly surpassed by them. one New Testament Canon that are to believe, and what words are clusion of his booklet, he does not advo- [emphasis added] they might take their place beside indeed the infallible and inerrant words cate the inclusion of any new books, but He elsewhere expresses his doubts as to the books of the Old Testament of God, which God intends to keep pure he seriously advocates that we consider the real canonicity of Hebrews and Canon as the concluding portion of in all ages? And if we cannot discern dropping 2 Peter, Hebrews, Revelation, Revelation (pages 10–13) because of God’s holy Word. Let us now consid- finally what constitute the real books of Jude, and 2 and 3 John. their relatively late acceptance—the er how this was accomplished the Bible, how then can God’s covenant Eastern Church accepting Hebrews, and Says Dr Aland, pages 24–25: under the guidance of the Holy with His true Church be fulfilled (Isaiah the Western Church accepting In spite of all the imperfections and Spirit.7 [emphasis added] 59.20–21)? Revelation—though Athanasius accept- uncertainties which surround the ed both. Says Dr Aland: Dr Hills then goes on to explain how all formation of the Canon, we must the books of the New Testament were express our belief that the decision The fifth stage of development Conclusions to be drawn from lasts right through the third and gathered and accepted by AD 200, except Aland’s comments thus far of the early Church cannot be bet- for 2 and 3 John, 2 Peter, Hebrews and tered by any extension. It cannot into the beginning of the fourth centuries…with respect to Revelation. But then he shows how that, Dr Aland does not agree with orthodox be said of a single writing pre- by the 4th century, also these books were served to us from the early period Hebrews and the Apocalypse, the doctrine as to the New Testament Canon East and the West go separate universally accepted and questioned by which is so plainly set forth in all the of the Church outside the New very few; and thus the Canon was estab- Testament that it could properly be ways: the Eastern Church recog- Church confessions of the Reformation, nizes Hebrews, and rejects the lished, settled, and recognised, once for especially the Westminster Confession, added to-day to the Canon: a revi- all. sion of the New Testament Apocalypse, while the Western chapter one, article eight. No, Dr Aland Canon would be possible only by does the exact reverse and, Notice, too, that Hills specifically mentions opines that there were numerous prob- the suppression of what was indeed, each area with astonishing the role of the Holy Spirit in guiding the lems in the way that the Church gathered then pronounced canonical, not unanimity. [p. 10] Church infallibly, over time, to these con- the books; that, in fact, the Church even gathered correct books, but for the by extending the Canon in any Dr Aland then, on page 30, refers to clusions.

22 23 QUARTERLY RECORD - Issue Number 579 - April to June 2007 The Magazine of the Trinitarian Bible Society wrong reasons—reasons which are the true words of God in every age, from quate standards of discrimina- denies that the Apostle Jude is the real unscientific and therefore patently false. amongst the multitude of copies which tion. In view of this, the actual author of the book of Jude. With the We shall discuss these opinions in greater they possessed. result of the Canon can only aston- words ‘others,’he refers at least also to detail in just a moment. In short, Dr Aland does not believe the ish the observer again and again. It 2 and 3 John, and 2 Peter, which he had However, we may immediately come to a Bible to be the Word of God. Accordingly, remains inexplicable if, behind the just said (in the same paragraph) ‘were conclusion. Dr Aland does not believe in the promise of keeping God’s words is human activity and the question- surpassed’by the Epistles of Ignatius. the inspiration or infallibility of Scripture. not with him. Why? Because he is not of able standards of men, one does So, Dr Aland denies that 2 and 3 John, How so? Well, if one believes that there the true Church; he is not one who ‘turns not presuppose the control of the Jude, and 2 Peter were really written by are whole books in the Bible that do not from transgression in Jacob’.To the con- providentia Dei, the working of the those men. belong there, then the Bible must be full trary, he is an unbelieving sceptic. Nor is Holy Spirit… [p. 14, emphasis Similarly, Dr Aland hints at his belief that of uninspired words, inasmuch as there Dr Aland a divinely-appointed steward or added] the Four Gospels, noble as he considers may be whole books in it that are unin- guardian of the holy Word of truth. We However, this is not an infallible work- them to be, were nonetheless not writ- spired, and which, in fact, should be must rather fear that he is likely to be an ing, according to Dr Aland, in that he ten by the Apostles to whom they were deleted. agent of the devil to corrupt it. ‘He that is believes that very possibly, several books ascribed. He states that, in reality, those Moreover, if indeed the Bible has unin- not with me is against me’ (Matthew 12.30). should be deleted from the Canon! Gospels were compiled from a previous spired books in it, then the Holy Spirit Now, what are the ‘grave scientific errors Gospel, and then, these four new ver- must not have been the author of them, Other grave errors in Aland’s in external standards’which the early sions were ‘distinguished from each nor of the Bible as a whole; and therefore work The Problem of the New Church Fathers committed? other by the names of authors’,hinting there could also be historical and doctri- For one, says Dr Aland, the Church that the books were not really written nal errors in the Bible. If in particular the Testament Canon Fathers were mistaken about the apos- by those men. Catholic Epistles were not written by the We now quote Dr Aland again. We have mentioned already, in passing, tolic authorship of some of the books. men who claim to be writing them, then how Dr Aland asserts in his pamphlet Says he, the Epistles of Ignatius were not It is certain that in many commu- the Bible is indeed full of historical errors. that, in some cases, the early Church included in the Canon because they were nities there were, besides one or Yet this is precisely what Dr Aland will Fathers came to choose the right books not written by an apostle. But Jude and more of the four Gospels, also affirm, as we shall see, in ‘The Problem of but on ‘erroneous premises’. certain books were admitted into the apocryphal gospels in use, some- Anonymity and Pseudonymity’and in A Canon, because ‘supposedly’they were times even in official use. The . Says Dr Aland: written by an apostle, when, in fact, they starting point must, however, But the Bible itself confutes Dr Aland. It cannot be gainsaid that the really were not. And thus, he argues for generally have lain with one Kurt Aland is not wiser than the Bible. external standards which the early considering deleting them. Gospel, which was the Gospel; The Bible says of itself that ‘every word of Church applied in canonizing the Says Dr Aland: the use of several Gospels New Testament Scriptures are, God is pure’, that ‘all Scripture is breathed …[S]imply because of this obvious together (only now are they dis- when looked at from the view- out by God’,that God, in fact, would pre- lack of apostolicity no one even tinguished from each other by point of modern scientific knowl- serve it in every generation, for ever— thought of accepting the Epistles the names of authors, etc.) rep- edge, insufficient and frequently that He would keep His blessed Holy of Ignatius into the Canon, whereas resents a later stage… [p. 19, even wrong. The views accepted Spirit and His words in the true Church, the (and others), emphasis added] by the present-day New Testament with those who turn from transgression because of the declaration of So, Dr Aland posits, at first there existed critics on matters of authorship or in Jacob.‘My spirit that is upon thee, and authorship which concealed the within the Church the letters of Paul, date of the New Testament my words which I have put in thy mouth, real situation, presupposed an and the ipsissima verba of Jesus (the Scriptures are, in many cases, differ- shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor apostolic author, hence, as its con- ‘very words’of Jesus Himself). After this ent from those held in the early out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of tents caused no scruples, it was evolved a single Gospel from which the Church… [p. 14, emphasis added] the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the allowed to make its way into the Four Gospels and even the apocryphal LORD, from henceforth and for ever’ [I]t is clear as the noonday that pale of the canonical books. gospels emerged. (And in the next work (Isaiah 59.21). Therefore, the Holy Spirit even in the previous age of the [p. 27, emphasis added] of his which we shall review, ‘The with the true Church would enable true Church [the third century] the Obviously, with the words ‘which con- Problem of Anonymity and Pseudonymity’, believers, and not heretics, to discern Church was working with inade- cealed the real situation’,Aland flatly we shall see that he flatly denies that the

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Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were cometh this faith? By hearing. By hearing receive the Word of God as it is: not the Words enclosed in single brackets written by those men, and he expresses what? The Word of God. Not only that: word of men, but the Word of God. It [ ] have only a dubious claim to his doubt that the was when we savingly hear the Word of God, necessarily follows, then, that the true authenticity as part of the original written by John.) we must know it to be the Word of believer believes the Bible is the infallible, New Testament writings. A text The titles aside, the Pauline and Catholic God—thence, inspired and inerrant.‘For inerrant Word of God. Dr Aland, with his enclosed in double brackets [[ ]] is Epistles, and the Gospel of John, are quite this cause also thank we God without denials that certain books belong in the clearly not part of the original text; specific as to who wrote them by the ceasing, because, when ye received the Bible, clearly does not believe this. e.g., however early the tradition of opening statements made within the word of God which ye heard of us, ye Dr Aland, with his unbelief and blasphe- the pericope of the Woman Taken Epistles themselves. Though there is received it not as the word of men, but mous accusations of errors in the Word of in Adultery [in John 7:53–8:11] some variation in the exact wording of as it is in truth, the word of God, which God, clearly manifests himself not to be may be, it is certain that these the headings in the , yet effectually worketh also in you that of the line of the true Church, of those verses did not form a part of the they all agree with all the Church Fathers believe,’Paul says of the Thessalonians in who ‘turn from transgression in Jacob’,of original text of the gospel of as to who wrote them. (As we’ve men- 1 Thessalonians 2.13. We must not only those who ‘have the Spirit of God in their John when it was first circulated tioned, Scrivener’s Plain Introduction hear the Word of God, we must receive it mouths’,by drinking Him in with an in the Church. [emphasis added] explains some of these variations.) There as being the Word of God, and not of upright faith in Christ the Redeemer. And How does Dr Aland come to this conclu- really is no reason why we should doubt men. so, such a man cannot, according to the sion? We may see from his notes on John the authorship of the Synoptic Gospels; Accordingly, the Westminster Confession Bible, have either the covenant of grace 7.53–8.11, found in the first edition of the there is no manuscript or patristic evi- of Faith is most correct when it says, in nor the grace in his soul to discern the United Bible Societies’Greek text dence to the contrary. Much more is the Chapter XIV, Article II, the following Words of God. (1966).10 In this text we find the following case with the Catholic Epistles, the words: footnote on page 355: Epistles of Paul, and the Gospel of John. By this faith, a Christian believeth Dr Aland’s influence on the 12 7:53-8:11 {A} omit 7:53-8:11 (see The internal evidence of the books them- to be true whatsoever is revealed p 413) p66, 75 ℵ Avid BCvid… selves makes it beyond doubt who the New International Version in the Word, for the authority of To explain the above footnote briefly, authors are. If we can doubt who wrote God himself speaking therein; and Dr Aland’s pernicious views of the unreli- what Dr Aland is saying is, ‘The following the Gospel of John and the Catholic acteth differently, upon that which ability of our Bibles in the original manu- early texts omit John 7.53–8.11, and we Epistles, when the books themselves tell each particular passage thereof scripts is profoundly seen in the NIV give those readings an {A} reading’. (He us who wrote them, we may also doubt containeth; yielding obedience to Bible. The same hand that would excise refuses even to consider evaluating the many of the facts and doctrines within the commands, trembling at the whole books of the Bible from our Canon other reading, which he considers spuri- those books! threatenings, and embracing the would also excise many, many texts. ous.) The {A} means, ‘We believe this to And so, we find in Dr Aland a scepticism promises of God for this life, and For this reason, in the earlier editions of be the true reading, with virtually approaching that of Pontius Pilate, who that which is to come. But the prin- p66 the NIV we find statements like this one absolute certainty’. Aland then lists said, ‘What is truth?’He clearly doubts the cipal acts of saving faith are, p75 which is printed at the beginning of John 8: and , two early papyrus manuscripts Bible to be the Word of God. accepting, receiving, and resting found in upper Egypt by Martin The earliest and most reliable man- Belief in the Bible’s being the Word of upon Christ alone for justification, Bodmer—in the same area where the uscripts and other ancient witness- God is an essential ingredient of saving sanctification, and eternal life, by infamous Gnostic library of the Nag es do not have John 7:53–8:11.8 faith. Some might say, ‘But we are only virtue of the covenant of grace. Hammadi cave was discovered. (Upper required to believe that Jesus died for our ‘The Christian believeth to be true These words echo Dr Aland’s words in his Egypt was infested with Gnostics.) Aland sins, and that God raised Jesus from the whatsoever is revealed in the Word, for magnus opus entitled The Text of the New then also lists ℵ or Sinaiticus, a manu- dead’.But where does this belief come the authority of God Himself speaking Testament, written in collaboration with script so called because it was discovered from?‘Faith cometh by hearing, and hear- therein.’ Yes, ‘the principal acts of saving his wife Barbara, and translated into by Constantin von Tischendorf (a textual ing by the word of God’ (Romans 10.17). faith are accepting, receiving, and resting English by Erroll F. Rhodes.9 In that work, critic who also was a heretic) ‘on a shelf’, Yes, if we confess with our mouths the upon Christ alone for justification, sancti- page 232, we find the following explana- unused, in a monastery in Mount Sinai. Lord Jesus, and believe in our hearts that fication, and eternal life’, but also, the true tion for the use of brackets in the foot- Aland proceeds to list ‘A’,which is Codex God raised Him from the dead, we Christian must believe ‘to be true what- notes of the UBS and Nestle-Aland Greek Alexandrinus, a manuscript that indeed shall be saved: but whence soever is revealed in the Word’. H e m u s t texts: Theodore Beza of the Reformation in

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Geneva had, but which he rejected along In other words, all minuscule (small-let- ‘The Problem of Anonymity and the Gospel as he remembered it. with the rest of the Reformers, because of ter) Greek manuscripts that had any Pseudonymity in Christian Those other Apostles from whom that manuscript’s many historical and marks of being in the Byzantine tradition Mark and Luke received their infor- grammatical errors. Aland then also lists were intentionally omitted from con- Literature of the First Two mation remembered the Gospel in ‘B,’which is Codex Vaticanus, which was sideration. And yet, all these manu- Centuries’ a somewhat different way. This is for centuries in the Vatican, and which scripts, which comprise the over- one reason why the three Synoptic was known of by Erasmus, the compiler whelming majority of the Greek man- In this work, Dr Aland draws conclusions Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) of the first versions of Textus Receptus. uscripts in existence, contain John as to the original authorship of several differ from each other on a number Erasmus rejected Vaticanus out of hand as 7.53–8.11. New Testament books, based on his stud- of particulars. Another reason for ies of certain early Egyptian papyri and corrupt.11 After ‘B’,Dr Aland lists ‘C’, which A thorough examination of why the ‘vari- these differences is that each of is Codex Ephraemi Syri Rescriptus, so upon his inferences which he draws from these inspired evangelists wrote ant manuscripts’primarily taken from the genuine problems of the authorship called because it also contains a Greek Egypt should be looked at askance— from his own point of view and translation of thirty-eight sermons by an of certain patristic and apocryphal works. according to his own literary plan. because of the known contamination (There were indeed many spurious works early Church Father named Ephraem of they had from heretics of the time— But these differences are not con- Syria. This manuscript is similar to of that period that claimed to have been tradictions. By faith we know that exceeds the scope of this paper. written by the apostles. However, Aland Vaticanus and Sinaiticus. After these, However, suffice it to say we should not the Holy Spirit does not contradict Aland lists a number of manuscripts that infers from this that also certain books of Himself and that if at any point we find it surprising that a man who himself the New Testament were not written by follow in the textual tradition of these does not believe in the inerrancy and are unable to harmonize the several aforecited ones. the men whose names appear in the Gospel narratives with each other it infallibility of Scripture should himself titles, but rather, they were written by To summarise then: the texts on which choose manuscripts from areas where is because some fact has escaped men using pseudonyms.) But before we us or has not been revealed.12 Dr Aland relies were rejected by the his- heretics were known to have the ascen- proceed to Dr Aland’s views, let us look at toric Church because of their known poor dancy, as his basis for excising passages the orthodox view of the authorship of In addition to those deeds and quality (high number of spelling and his- from the Bible that were long recognised the Four Gospels, from Edward Hills’s words of Jesus which all the torical errors), or their known parentage by the true historic Church. John famous book, Believing Bible Study, pub- Apostles were able to remember from texts that had been corrupted by 7.53–8.11 was indeed recognised by the lished by Christian Research Press in 1967. and which formed the substance of heretics (as were the so-called historic Church for ages, it being included On page 34 of that book, Dr Hills correctly the oral Gospel and of Matthew, Alexandrian texts, which came from in the vast majority of the extant Greek states: Mark, and Luke, the first three writ- upper Egypt, where the Gnostic errorists manuscripts and being included also in ten Gospels, there were deeper ele- proliferated). These texts, rejected by the the common Received Text which was When the time approached, in the plan of God, for the oral Gospel to ments in the teaching of our Lord historic Church, are the ones that Dr used by the Reformers. The same hand which were retained mainly in the Aland relies upon. that would delete inspired books from be set down in writing, Matthew, an Apostle, and Mark and Luke, follow- sensitive mind of John, ‘the disciple Also, Dr Aland himself admits that he sys- our New Testament Canon, will also whom Jesus loved.’ For many years delete Providentially Preserved texts! ers and companions of the tematically rejected all texts of the Apostles, were inspired by the Holy the Apostle John meditated pri- Byzantine tradition—the tradition from We now proceed to examine Dr Aland’s Spirit to perform the task. The vately on these sublime discourses which Textus Receptus arose. On page 1961 work entitled‘The Problem of Gospel which these three evangel- of the Saviour. Finally, in his old age xvii of the ‘Introduction’to the UBS text of Anonymity and Pseudonymity in ists wrote down was the same oral he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to 1966, we find the following note: Christian Literature of the First Two add his Gospel to the other Gospel which had been preached 13 The following minuscules, selected Centuries’. This little article may be found everywhere, and was expressed in three… after a critical examination of more in The Authorship and Integrity of the New the same familiar words. This, we Dr Hills proceeds on page 35 to specify than one thousand manuscripts, Testament: some recent studies by Kurt may well believe, is why the written how likewise the Catholic Epistles, and all have been cited systematically Aland, et al, published by S.P.C.K. in 1965. Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and the epistles of Paul, were then written by because they exhibit a significant (The article originally was published in Luke agree together so closely in the very apostles whose names appear in degree of independence from the the Journal of Theological Studies, N.S., wording and in subject matter. At those inspired books. so-called Byzantine manuscript Vol. XII, Pt. I, April, 1961.) the same time, however, there were We have seen how Dr Hills asserts (and tradition. [emphasis added] differences. Matthew wrote down rightly so) that the authors of the Four

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Gospels were indeed those whose names us, ‘Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, in their original home, as ‘the titles vary in their wording, from appear in the titles of those inspired is come, he will guide you into all truth’. gospel.’ The more the individual manuscript to manuscript, yet they books. And what does Dr Hills say of The Spirit of God is a Spirit of truth, who gospels won common acknowl- all attribute their authorship to the those who say otherwise? Let us see how only leads his disciples into the truth. This edgement, and the more numer- same men. Yet Aland says that he addresses the notion that the Apostle was especially so with the inspired apos- ous they were in any one place, the these were not the men who John was not the author of the Gospel of tles and evangelists who penned the more it proved necessary to dif- wrote these works. John, from The King James Version books of the New Testament. The Spirit of ferentiate between them (or to Let us now examine Dr Aland’s claims. In Defended, pages 69–70 (again, published God would never inspire a man to sign combine them into, for instance, the first place, we must take exception to by Christian Research Press). or inscribe a book with a pseudonym. a Diatessaron, as did Tatian). All his irreverence in referring to the Gospels The most common hypothesis, Nor would the Spirit of God, who prom- the titles and subscriptions in the as ‘gospels’,with a lower case g. But in the however, among naturalistic critics ised to remain with the true Church for gospel manuscripts are of a later second place, we must scrutinise his is that the Gospel of John was writ- ever, allow the Church to corrupt the period. And it is no evidence claim that none of the early manuscripts ten not by the Apostle John but by words of God, so that they should against this that Papyrus Bodmer II had their titles in them. ascribe a book to a false author. Rather, (around 200) has the inscription: another John called the Elder John, On what ground does Aland base his Isaiah 59.21 tells us that the Spirit of God, . It who lived at Ephesus at the end of claim? Well, prior to Papias, who lived in and God’s words, would remain with His belongs to the time after Papias, the first century A. D. and who also the second century AD and likely died true Church, for ever. Accordingly, the when not only were the gospels wrote the Epistles of John. This before AD 150, ‘there were no titles in the true Church would not willingly contami- fully distinguished, but also cer- would make the Gospel of John a manuscripts of that period’. Keep in mind nate the text; and any unintentional cor- tain traditions had achieved their forgery, since it claims to have that Papias, according to church history, ruptions, by the Holy Spirit working in developed form. [emphasis been written by the disciple was an actual hearer of the Apostle John Christ’s Church would also be found out added] whom Jesus loved (John 21:24), himself. Most accounts consider him to and purged. that intimate follower who To summarise what Dr Aland has said, we have been born before , which beheld Christ’s glory (John 1:14), But what does Kurt Aland say on this may say: would have been before AD 67, accord- who leaned on his bosom (John matter? We proceed by examining ‘The 1. He claims that all four ‘gospels’ ing to most accounts. This means Dr 13:23), and who viewed with Problem of Anonymity and [sic] were anonymous, and as such, Aland is considering Scripture manu- wondering eye the blood and Pseudonymity in Christian Literature of their true authors can never be scripts that were written well before 200. water flowing down from his the First Two Centuries’. known. Oh? How many manuscripts do we have 14 riven side (John 19:35). [empha- 2. He says that certain early manu- extant from before AD 150? sis added] Kurt Aland on the authorship of scripts of the New Testament did Using Dr Aland’s own listing of texts in In other words, anyone who would say the Four Gospels not have the titles we have today UBS 1966, there may be three manu- that the Gospel of John was not written in them, and that therefore, none scripts extant from Papias’s time: p46, p66 by the Apostle John, would make that On page 5 of this work, Dr Aland says the of the manuscripts of those early and p67. And even these manuscripts inspired book a forgery, given the inter- following: times did. UBS 1966 dates at around AD 200, after nal claims to the contrary. Let us start with anonymous litera- 3. He claims that ‘certain traditions’ Papias. Three manuscripts: do these rep- And indeed it would be. If this author ture. In my opinion, it is beyond arose in the Church later, and these resent a statistically significant sampling were to write this present work, and doubt that all the gospels were were used, out of expediency, to of the manuscripts of the period? (We then subscribe with Edward Hills’s published anonymously. Our pres- differentiate each of the ‘gospels’ must note that even p66 has for its title name, would it not be a forgery? It ent opinion about their authors from one another, as, in time, they ‘The Gospel according to John’, as Aland would: a most dishonourable and uneth- dates from information which were spread out of their original has already admitted. p66 is the same ical forgery at that! derives from the time of Papias or localities. manuscript as Bodmer Papyrus II.) We may not believe that the Holy Spirit is later. Not only the four canonical 4. It only follows from this line of Suppose you were a heart patient. Would the author of lies. No, the Spirit of God is ones, but also the other gospels of thinking that Dr Aland believes you want to take a newly patented heart emphatically the Spirit of truth: John the earlier period were not thought that the historic Church corrupted medicine that had been tested using 14.17, John 15.26, John 16.13, and 1 John of as ‘the ,’ ‘the the Four Gospels, by adding their only three people? Or suppose you were 4.6. Indeed, John 16.13 specifically tells ,’and so on, but, titles to them. Even though the a businessman. Would you want to pre-

30 31 QUARTERLY RECORD - Issue Number 579 - April to June 2007 The Magazine of the Trinitarian Bible Society dict marketing trends for your new prod- So Dr Aland’s assertion that ‘none of the longstanding, generally held view. his own. Aland is here claiming that the uct, based on a survey of three people? early manuscripts of the period had the As we proved from Dr Hills, to claim that authors of the Pastorals, 1 and 2 Peter, I think not. Then why should standards titles and subscriptions in them’is unten- the Gospel of John was written by anoth- James, Jude, 2 and 3 John and possibly for research studies be lower for examin- able. He cannot prove this. Three manu- er would make that work a forgery. This is Hebrews, were not written by the apos- ing texts of the Holy Writ? scripts and three or four early Church especially so with the Gospel of John, tles whose names appear in the titles of Fathers prove nothing, especially when the books, nor by the men professing to Also to be considered is this fact: all three which supplies considerable internal evi- one of the three earliest manuscripts, a have written them in the opening verses, of the above-mentioned manuscripts are dence as to its author. Its author, as Hills copy of the Gospel of John, indeed has the but that these epistles were rather writ- from the same locale—upper Egypt, not notes, was one who was present with the title ‘The Gospel according to John’ in it. ten by other men, who feigned being far from the Nag Hammadi cavern— Lord at the Last Supper, who was an eye- those other men.) where a Gnostic library was uncovered. Moreover, with respect to the earliest witness of the Lord’s sufferings on the Certainly, we would not want to take a Church Fathers—the so called ‘Apostolic cross, and who was present when the On page 6 he continues his discourse on new heart medicine, if we were a heart Fathers’—none of them deny that the Lord manifested himself to the apostles pseudonymous writings. In this section, patient, that had only been tested on Four Gospels were written by Matthew, when they had been fishing, in John 21. he explains his hypothesis as to why three members of the same family! Mark, Luke, or John. Rather, the writings Yet, as we shall see, Aland will later these writings came to be. He says that Why, no! They may have dramatically dif- we have of these simply don’t reference specifically claim in his History of the writer, an anonymous writer, was ferent genetics than we have. We may the Four Gospels. Three of the early Christianity that the Gospel of John was ‘under the power of the Spirit’,and suffer harmful side effects that they Fathers to which Aland refers are not written by the Apostle John. because of this, it could be said that it wouldn’t because of their genetic makeup. Clement of Rome, , But now we proceed to examine was not he, but Christ and the apostles preaching through him. Thus, Aland So also with the three manuscripts under and Polycarp of Smyrna. In the only writ- Dr Aland’s claims that the Pastoral opines, it was actually legitimate for the consideration. They all came from a cer- ten work we have of Polycarp, Polycarp Epistles and the Catholic Epistles were man, a non-apostle, to subscribe an tain ‘family’. They all came from Upper liberally quotes from the Epistle of Paul to written under ‘pseudonyms’. apostle’s name to his work. He begins by Egypt, an area known to be heavily the Philippians, but he does not cite the explaining his theory for the origin of the infested with Gnostics and Gnostic litera- Four Gospels. Ignatius mainly appeals to Dr Aland’s claim that the Didache, a spurious work. He then ture. And we know from the early Church the authority of the local bishops. applies that theory also to the Pastorals Fathers that heretics of that period, espe- Clement mainly appeals to the Old Catholic and Pastoral Epistles and 2 Peter, and even opines that this cially the Gnostics, hewed and hacked Testament and to natural reasoning. were written by pseudonymous theory may also apply to the author of the Scriptures. One only need read However, we only have a total of about authors examined the ‘gospel’of John. Irenaeus and Tertullian for confirmation eleven works from these men, plus two of this. or three anonymous works like The On page 4 of ‘Anonymity and Here are Dr Aland’s words: Shepherd of Hermas and the Epistle to Pseudonymity’,Dr Aland says: Let us now come to the group of Moreover, there would unquestionably Diognetus. have been tens of thousands of manu- To the category of pseudonymous pseudonymous writings. It will be scripts in the Christian world at the time, Moreover, beginning with Papias, a little writings I would like to ascribe: the suitable to begin with the most because, indeed, there were well over a after AD 100, and especially with Pastorals, 1 and 2 Peter, James, extreme example, the Didache, for million, or perhaps, millions, of Christians. Irenaeus, at around AD 180 (Adversus Jude, possibly Hebrews, 2 and 3 it does not claim the authorship of It is not at all responsible to make conclu- Haereses III,1.1), we find all the early John, possibly the gospel of John, one apostle, but of the whole sions from such a statistically insignificant Fathers saying, to the man, that the Four the Didache, and the non-anony- assembly of apostles and of the sampling as three manuscripts out of Gospels were indeed written by the men mous New Testament . Lord himself… Neither the locality tens of thousands. whose names appear in the titles of Whether or not we have to assign nor the exact date (we take the those books. the epistles to the Colossians and date to be about 110) of the gene- Nor is it advisable to base our conclu- to the Ephesians to this category is sis of the Didache is important in sions upon how certain very early Church Though the titles themselves vary in their controversial. this regard; not even the form of its Fathers may have referred to the Gospels. words, particularly in Matthew, Mark, and text in detail or its possibly differ- Again, we have very few writings of any Luke, yet they all unanimously agree as (A ‘pseudonymous’writing would be one ent forms. The heart of the matter Church Fathers from that early period: to whom the authors are. There is really that was written by an author who was is the claim of the writing and its only three or four, in fact. no manuscript or patristic evidence that using a false name, a name that was not warrants Dr Aland’s overturning the acceptance in the Church as an

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authoritative document… The only Peter’s name, or with the name of any from us’(2 Thessalonians 2.2)—Paul’s ing the name of an apostle as being the conceivable hypothesis is that the other apostle. No, he specifically warned salutation with his own hand was ‘the author of the work. Aland proceeds to author of the writing introduced it the disciples not to be deceived by token in every epistle’ (3.17). state openly that the Pastorals and 2 Peter [the Didache] first into his own con- epistles as though by him. Nor can we accept Aland’s view that a were pseudonymous works. gregation, probably by reading it in In 2 Thessalonians 2.1–2, Paul specifically man’s being inspired by the Spirit would So, he says on page 9: the service of worship. Indeed, the warns the disciples: ‘Now we beseech justify his signing another man’s name to It is much more difficult to answer congregation knew that its address you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord his inspired document; not at all. Paul did was written by its elder. But when some other questions which may Jesus Christ, and by our gathering not do this, and he was certainly under be illustrated by the Pastorals and he claimed his work to be the mes- together unto him, that ye be not soon the inspiration of the Spirit. The Spirit is a sage of the Lord through the apos- 2 Peter. Let us remember the shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither Spirit of truth, who guides Christian hypothesis we proposed above: tles, and when his own congrega- by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as believers into the knowledge of the truth, tion, and the neighboring congre- viz. a writer, being nothing but the from us, as that the day of Christ is at including who wrote the epistle that they tool of the Holy Spirit, on this gation acknowledged this to be hand’. were reading. The Holy Spirit of God valid, they did this only because it account claims the authorship of Again, Paul always certified his own would never inspire a man to forge the was but the written version of what an apostle for his writings. Is it authorship of his epistles, with remarks signature of another to his own docu- hitherto had been orally delivered conceivable that such a writer as these: 1 Corinthians 16.21 ‘The saluta- ment; neither would he ‘inspire’ a man to in any congregational meeting; a extends the identification so far tion of me Paul with mine own hand’; or, feign being another famous man while prophet got up and preached the that he even furnishes data on again, Colossians 4.18 ‘The salutation by writing a text. word of the Lord. Everyone knew the concrete situation as is done the hand of me Paul. Remember my the prophet and his human Of course, it was the Church’s discerning in the Pastorals, or that, like the bonds. Grace be with you. Amen’. It is affairs. But when he spoke with that the Didache had not been written writer of 2 Peter, he can casually commonly understood that Paul person- inspired utterance it was not he by an apostle that caused them to reject use references from 1 Peter?… ally handwrote that salutation into the that was heard but the Lord or it from the Canon. But the information about the epistle, that its readers could then ascer- the apostles or the Holy Spirit… But Aland does not acknowledge this, sojourn of the various coworkers tain Paul’s own personal handwriting. Of [emphasis added] because he does not know ‘the scrip- in the fourth chapter of 2 Timothy, course, when the amanuensis of the tures, neither the power of God’ (Mark the first trial of Paul, the instruc- Now before we proceed, let us sum- epistle also personally carried the epistle 12.24). He continues on page 8: tions for the addresses, as well as marise what Aland is saying here. He is to the congregation to whom it was writ- the end of the to When the pseudonymous writings saying that the writer of the Didache, and ten, he also would confirm that Paul evince such a thorough knowl- of the New Testament claimed the others like him, were men known to all— indeed had written those words, and that edge, such a stimulated perspec- authorship of the most prominent but when they spoke as prophets, under Paul indeed had dictated the entire epis- tive, and such a reconstruction apostles only, this was not a skillful divine inspiration, it was no longer they tle. of Paul’s affairs, that we cannot trick of the so-called fakers, in order that spoke, but the Lord or the apostles avoid assuming an intended for- In summary, then, Paul always certified to guarantee the highest possible through them. This then, in Aland’s gery [sic]…[emphasis added] that the letters he was sending were reputation and the widest possible strange view, justified and vindicated indeed by him, and by no forger. He did their signing the document with the circulation for their work, but the So here we have it. Dr Aland declares this by writing a personal handwritten logical conclusion of the presup- that the Pastorals and 2 Peter are pseu- name of one of the apostles, or of all the salutation in the letters, in the presence apostles, or even of the Lord Himself. position that the Spirit himself donymous. Not only that, the writers of those eyewitnesses who would bring was the author of the work. went to extravagant lengths to supply Of course, this is not at all the doctrine of the letter to the church to which it was [emphasis added] details to make themselves appear actu- written. In all cases, eyewitnesses of Paul’s Scripture, because all acknowledge the Notice carefully the words ‘when the ally to be Peter or Paul! And not only writing the letter were the ones who epistles of Paul to Corinth, Galatia and pseudonymous writings of the New that: ‘We cannot avoid assuming an delivered it. Rome to have been epistles actually writ- Testament claimed the authorship of intended forgery’,he says. ten by him. In each of those epistles, Paul Indeed, Paul’s hearers would have been the most prominent apostles’. W h a t h e In the rest of the document, Dr Aland specifically says that it is he, and not looking for such confirmations, given is saying here is that there are books in nowhere negates these statements as to some other apostle, who is writing. Paul that Paul had specifically warned his our New Testament which were written these epistles being intended forgeries, would never sign one of his epistles with hearers not to be deceived by ‘letter as by pseudonymous authors, writers forg- as not really being what he intended to

34 35 QUARTERLY RECORD - Issue Number 579 - April to June 2007 The Magazine of the Trinitarian Bible Society say! Quite to the contrary, he concludes views in maybe one or two minor points, to our own day: the ‘genuineness’ closest companions are filled the document by saying, yet we find him, overall, holding tena- of the statements—the authority with so little of his reality? The We must not forget that all of ciously to the views formerly expressed. of the New Testament—had as catholic epistles, for example, these pseudonymous writings— We shall discuss what he says in A History its presupposition the fact that have so little in them of the reali- except perhaps the second and of Christianity with regard to two points her apostles and eyewitnesses ty of the historical Jesus and his third epistles of John—obviously in particular: 1) the canonicity of the were speaking. [p. 105, emphasis power, that it suffices for James, do not bear the name of an apos- Catholic Epistles, and 2) the apostolic added] for example, to mention only tle without reason. The unknown authorship of the Four Gospels, the Aland proceeds in the next sentences Christ’s name in passing… men by whom they were com- Pastoral and Catholic Epistles, and even openly to sneer at such a suggestion: When we observe this—assum- posed, not only believed them- some of the letters of Paul. As soon as critical scholarship ing that the writings about which selves to be under the sign of the First, with respect to the canonicity of the proved that this or that New we are speaking really come Holy Spirit; they really were. Catholic Epistles, though, in this work Testament writing could not have from their alleged authors—it [emphasis added] Aland does not advocate outright con- been written by an apostle, the almost then appears as if Jesus In other words, it was the Spirit of God sidering their deletion from the Canon, as authority of its author collapsed were a mere phantom and that that inspired the unknown writers of the he openly did before in The Problem of along with it; and with the authori- the real theological power lay Pastorals and of 2 Peter to add factual the New Testament Canon, yet he more ty of the author, the authority of not with him, but with the apos- details to heighten the illusion that it openly expresses his relative disdain for the New Testament writing col- tles and with the earthly was really indeed Paul and Peter who them. lapsed along with it; and with the church…’ [p. 106, emphasis added] had penned these works! And why? authority of the New Testament To the writer of this tract, the foolishness Because they believed themselves to be writing collapsed the authority of of these statements almost equals the under the sign of the Spirit, and they Aland’s contempt for the the Church… Of course, the gen- wickedness of their blasphemies. The were! This makes the Holy Spirit of God Catholic Epistles uine foundation of faith was not epistles of Peter paint Christ as a mere a lying Spirit. What a wicked blasphe- disturbed, but only a false foun- phantom? The life of Christ expressed in Before we proceed directly to Aland’s my! dation—nevertheless, a false the precepts of James had to have been remarks on the Catholic Epistles, we lead foundation which the Church had written by a man who really didn’t know We see that Dr Aland not only denied into it with his comments on the apos- proposed as the genuine one… Christ at all? These statements are not the inspiration, inerrancy, and infallibili- tolic authorship of New Testament books [emphasis added] only wicked; they are downright strange. ty of Scripture in his early works, he also in general, and whether he even deems held to very dangerous errors concern- that relevant or not. He says: Aland goes on to assert what he sees as How can a man who holds the inspired ing the Holy Spirit and His work. the folly of assuming the apostolic Catholic Epistles in such contempt, mak- We need only observe the course authorship of the New Testament writ- ing such derogatory statements as these, But now we proceed to examine Aland’s of church history during the last ings by attempting to prove its absurdity really believe that they are indeed the later work, published in 1980 in German centuries where we will find with from the Catholic Epistles. Says he: inspired, inerrant Word of God, that merit and in 1985 in English: A History of clarity the devastating conse- If the catholic epistles were really a place in the inspired Canon? He simply Christianity. Certainly if Dr Aland had quences that result from using written by the apostles whose cannot. The Kurt Aland of 1985 is the come to a better mind, he should have such inappropriate criteria. [p. 105] done so by then. names they bear and by people same Kurt Aland of 1961 and 1962, only Now before we proceed, we must ask who were closest to Jesus (by worse. what ‘inappropriate criteria’are they to James, the brother of the Lord; by Certainly Aland’s entirely subjective con- which Aland refers? Why, it’s the apostolic A History of Christianity by Jude, James’s brother; by the prince demnation of the Catholic Epistles authorship of the books of the New Kurt Aland of the apostles, Peter; by John, the reveals him for what he is: a German Testament! We see this in what follows in son of Zebedee; if the Gospel of higher critic. He is a higher critic who This book was published in German the next sentences, where he says: John was really written by the uses subjective reasoning to adduce, in within the last fourteen years of Dr It [using inappropriate criteria] beloved disciple of Jesus), then the his opinion, how the text was created Aland’s life. It was published in English in began in the time of Orthodoxy, real question arises: was there and transmitted. Specifically, he makes 1985, just nine years before his decease. repeated itself in a new way in the really a Jesus? Can Jesus really subjective assessments of those Epistles, Although he modifies his grounds for his nineteenth century, and continues have lived, if the writings of his to adduce that they could not have been

36 37 QUARTERLY RECORD - Issue Number 579 - April to June 2007 The Magazine of the Trinitarian Bible Society written by the eyewitnesses of the Lord, much later), and John’s Gospel excels the Apostolic Fathers including true readings of Scripture would be pre- because they demonstrate so little of the belongs to the time around A.D. Ignatius. Perhaps he thought that he served. historic Christ and His power. Accordingly, 90–95. The late dating of these might appease us by these comforting We need to be grounded in a theology of he infers they were not written by those Gospels far into the second century remarks. the Scriptures which is grounded in the eyewitnesses, but by other men who (which used to be considered up-to- Elsewhere in the work, Aland questions Scripture itself. And what saith the forged the names of the apostles to their date and by which people judged a the Pauline authorship of Ephesians— Scripture? texts. Clearly, in A History of Christianity theologian’s ‘scholarship,’ just as but we defer further consideration of this Aland still holds to his blasphemous people on the other side meas- *2 Timothy 3.16-17 ‘All scripture is given by work. It is abundantly clear Dr Aland was inspiration of God, and is profitable for notions which he expressed in his earlier ured a theologian’s piety by not of the true Church, nor in the line of work, ‘The Problem of Anonymity and whether he held the names doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for the true Church. Hence, according to instruction in righteousness: that the man Pseudonymity’: that men, under the ascribed to the individual’s writ- Isaiah 59.20–21, he is not one of those by power of some ‘spirit’,forged the names of ings as really ‘genuine’) has of God may be perfect, throughly fur- whom the true words of God should be nished unto all good works.’ apostles to their works because they were become obsolete, and we hope preserved. speaking as the apostles did (though not will not return. [p. 99, emphasis *Proverbs 30.5 ‘Every word of God is pure: in their original power and experimental added] he is a shield unto them that put their trust knowledge). So we see that Dr Aland rejects out-of- Conclusions in him.’ We have already seen that Aland doubts hand the authorship of the Four Gospels Dr Aland has exercised a very powerful *Isaiah 59.20–21 ‘And the Redeemer shall the apostolic authorship of the Gospel of by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, with and dangerous influence upon the tex- come to Zion, and unto them that turn John in the passage quoted above. He even greater vehemence than he had in tual views of our modern Bible transla- from transgression in Jacob, saith the was so bold as to say: ‘(…if the Gospel of 1962. tors. He clearly does not believe the LORD. As for me, this is my covenant with John was really written by the beloved Only in one respect does Aland seem to Bible to be the Word of God. Believing them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon disciple of Jesus), then the real question have mitigated his contempt for the the Bible to be the Word of God is plainly thee, and my words which I have put in arises: was there really a Jesus?’ It is Catholic Epistles. Previously, in The the foundation of saving faith. Faith thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy astounding to this author that Dr Aland Problem of the New Testament Canon, he comes by hearing, Romans 10.17 tells us; mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, can even dare to state that the Gospel of had said that the Epistles of Ignatius but this hearing is by the Word of God. nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, John paints the historical Christ as a mere excelled them. However, in A History of Paul’s first epistle to the Thessalonians saith the LORD, from henceforth and for phantom, but he is bold and shameless to Christianity, he revises his views to the fol- 2.13 specifically tells us that those who ever.’ do so, is he not? But now, we briefly con- lowing: believe did not receive the Word of God We grant that there are good men and sider remarks proving his scepticism with Despite all the lack of principles, as if it were the word of men, but as the women who mistakenly have embraced regards to the apostolic authorship of all despite all the arbitrariness, despite Word of God. ‘For this cause also thank the ‘new scholarship’and the newer trans- the Gospels. all the errors—what the church has we God without ceasing, because, when lations based upon Greek texts compiled In the passage below, Aland condemns received in the New Testament ye received the word of God which ye by men like Dr Aland. (The textual critics of two notions. He condemns the higher crit- stands on an incomparably higher heard of us, ye received it not as the the modern Greek text who preceded ical notion that the Four Gospels were level than all the other early word of men, but as it is in truth, the Dr Aland were of a like bent, but reviewing written in the second century. But on the Christian literature. None of the writ- word of God, which effectually worketh all their doctrinal views is beyond the other hand, he condemns the notion that ings of the Apostolic Fathers can also in you that believe.’ By the phrase scope of this paper.) But to such good the Four Gospels were indeed written by even remotely compare with those ‘you that believe’,Paul clearly shows that men and women, men and women who the four evangelists whose names appear of the New Testament…’ [pp. he means that all believers, along with actually do believe in the inerrancy and in the titles of those books. Says he: 113–114, emphasis added] the Thessalonians, are of such a mind. infallibility of God’s words, yet who have Accordingly, anyone who does not Thus Mark’s Gospel was written So, even though in Dr Aland’s opinion embraced the Nestle-Aland text, we believe the Bible to be the Word of God shortly before the year 70, and the Catholic Epistles are rather poor— would beseech them to consider their is not a true believer. Matthew’s Gospel not too long they depict a phantom Christ and are ways. Is it wise to put one’s stock in such afterward. Luke’s Gospel originated obviously the work of men who did not Being as Dr Aland was not a true believer an important matter as to what really shortly before 80 (prudent scholar- know the reality and power of the histori- in any sense, we cannot deem him to be comprises the Word of God, into the ship will not allow us to date it very cal Christ—yet their work still somehow of the line of the true Church by which the hands of a serious errorist like Dr Aland?

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Does not God’s Word and its doctrine con- Centuries’, The Authorship and Integrity of the New cerning its own inspiration and transmis- Testament: some recent studies by Kurt Aland, et al. sion in every jot and tittle, and that, London, England: SPCK, 1965. through the true Church, that Church that 3. Kurt Aland, The Problem of the New Testament ‘turns from transgression’,make it alto- Canon. London, England: A. R. Mowbray & Co., 1962. gether unfitting for an unbeliever to edit 4. F. H. A. Scrivener, Plain Introduction to the Criticism its sacred texts? What saith the Scripture? of the New Testament, 2 vols. Eugene, OR, USA: Wipf NEW ARTICLES ‘And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and and Stock Publishers, 1997. In recent months, the Society has published three new unto them that turn from transgression 5. Kurt Aland, A History of Christianity, 2 vols. articles, with a fourth on the way. in Jacob, saith the LORD. As for me, this is Philadelphia, PA, USA: Fortress Press, 1985. my covenant with them’ (emphasis added). Christ’s Substitutionary Sacrifice Article 118 With whom is this gracious and glorious 6. Aland, Problem of the New Testament Canon, p. v. Originally published in Quarterly Record No. 574 (January to March 2006) as covenant? And what are its provisions? 7. Edward Freer Hills, The King James Version Defended Christ’s Substitionary Sacrifice: A Brief Study of the Atonement, this deals with the The covenant is with them that ‘turn from (Des Moines, IA, USA: The Christian Research Press, importance of even little words for the proper understanding of the Holy transgression’. It is with those who know 1984), pp. 104–5. Scriptures. saving repentance unto life. Granted, good 8. Holy Bible: New International Version (East men of the past appear at times to have Brunswick, NJ, USA: International Bible Society, 1986), How We Got Our English Bible Article 119 cited a poor version of a text—if indeed p. 83. In the April to June 2005 issue of the Quarterly Record (No. 571), we had the their own works were copied correctly! But 9. Kurt and Barbara Aland, The Text of the New privilege of publishing ‘The Story of Our Bible’ by B. A. Ramsbottom. This article, the true Church at large nonetheless Testament, Erroll F. Rhodes, trans., 2nd ed. Grand taken from a children’s address in remembrance of the 400th anniversary of the recovered the better reading. To that Rapids, MI, USA: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., decision to translate the Authorised Version, is now available as A119, How We Church, and to its Providentially Preserved 1995. Got Our English Bible. This article is especially aimed at and slightly adapted for younger people, although eminently suitable for people of all ages. text, we ought to, and indeed must, look. 10. Greek New Testament, 1st ed. Stuttgart, Germany: We need to stay with the versions of the Wurtemburg Bible Societies,1966. This footnote was Bible translated from the historic texts of retained in the second edition (1968), changed in the The English Standard Version: What today’s the true Church—the Textus Receptus in third (1975) to indicate that the passage should be Christian needs to know about the ESV Article 120 the Greek for the New Testament and the included, and changed in the fourth (1993) to again indicate omission. As a service to our supporters, when substantial new modern-speech English ver- Hebrew for the Old. The sions come out we produce evaluations to help deal with the problems they translators of our Authorised Version were 11. Erasmus no doubt was aware of the Vatican man- bring. One such version is the ESV, which we reviewed in Quarterly Record No. Bible-believing men, under the covenant uscript perhaps as early as 1521. His familiarity is 563, April to June 2003. Sadly, the lack of discernment evident in many adopt- of God. Let us stay with the ancient land- more fully seen in his 1533 correspondence with ing the NIV is apparent in this case, too, as this new version has caught on well marks, with the tried and faithful work of Sepulveda regarding the differences between amongst evangelicals. The review has now been republished as article A120. Vaticanus and Erasmus’s Greek texts, and the prior’s the translators of the Authorised Version. similarity to the text of the Latin Vulgate. Yet Erasmus *Jeremiah 6.16 ‘Thus saith the LORD, Stand chose not to correct his Greek text to reflect those dif- Which Version: Does it Really Matter? Article 121 ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old ferences. It is thought by many that Erasmus found In October 2003, the Rev. David Blunt spoke at the Society’s Day Conference in paths, where is the good way, and walk Vaticanus to be inferior to the Greek manuscripts on Inverness, Scotland, on the subject of Bible versions. This address was adapted to therein, and ye shall find rest for your which he built his texts—and perhaps a corruption of print in Quarterly Record No. 577, October to December 2006. It has proved the Greek text—and thus chose not to use it. souls.’ very popular with many supporters and is expected to be available as a separate 12. Edward Hills, Believing Bible Study (Des Moines, IA, article, A121, later this year. USA: The Christian Research Press, 1967), p. 34. Endnotes These articles as well as many others, and the complete Quarterly Records since 1. Michael Marlowe, ‘Bibliography of Textual 13. Ibid. January 2001, are available online at our Web site Criticism’, www.bible-researcher.com/bib-a.html, www.trinitarianbiblesociety.org accessed 27 February 2007. 14. Hills, The King James Version Defended, pp. 69–70. 2. Kurt Aland, ‘The Problem of Anonymity and Pseudonymity in Christian Literature of the First Two

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Sermon Audio Scripture Distribution in hose with Internet access Mr Christopher Tuck of our COLD COUNTRIES may have noticed a new link Australian Branch on ‘The Ton the Society’s Web site Doctrine of Christ and the Identity entitled ‘Audio Messages’. This link of the New Testament Text’ is to Sermon Audio. The Rev. David Blunt on ‘What is A few months ago, the good peo- Wrong with the Modern ple at sermonaudio.com offered Translations?’ (the text of which the Society a page on their appeared in Quarterly Record specialist Web site on no. 578 as ‘Which Version: which to post audio Does it Really Matter?’, and messages and ser- which will shortly be avail- mons. Therefore, we able as article A121) are now able to offer a The Rev. James Frew on variety of messages on ‘The Text and Translation of subjects relating to the Holy Scripture’ text and translation of ur friends at Stichting the Scriptures. Messages Pastor Michael Harley, a member Friedenstimme in The include: of the Society’s General ONetherlands often send us photo- Committee, on ‘Reasons for the graphs of their ministry in eastern Europe. The Rev. Malcolm Watts, Use and Defence of the As they mention in one of their letters, Chairman of the General Authorised Version’ ‘We try to do our very best to provide Committee, speaking on ‘The you with pictures of Calendars all over Reformers and Bible Versions’ New sermons and messages will the World’. be added as they become avail- The Rev. Malcolm Watts again on occupants who live in tents (tsjoems) able. Therefore, we invite you to They distribute our Bibles, New ‘The Authentic Text of Holy amongst the reindeer. visit often. Testaments and Russian calendars as well Scripture: Reformation Principles’ as calendars in (Please note: The Rev. Maurice Roberts on Armenian, Dutch although many of ‘The Word of God and Revival’ and Ukrainian. the messages The Rev. John J. Murray on available In one letter, they ‘Modern attacks on the Bible’ through wrote: Sermon Audio The Rev. David P. Murray’s ser- In March 2006 I vis- are very good, ited the peninsula mon from the 2005 Scottish Day the Society would Kamtchatka. With Conference not endorse every- the snow scooter I The Rev. Roy Mohon on ‘The thing found there.) visited (in -32ºC. of Authorised Version: A Reliable frost) fishers at the Bible for the 21st Century’ coast and Tundra

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In another letter they told THE FIELD IS THE WORLD THE SEED IS THE WORD OF GOD us: These photographs were taken in the polar regions, THE WORD OF GOD Nentsie and Yakutia. We make the following pack- ets: one with a Bible and Gospel of John; a second with daily readings of C.H. Spurgeon and two calendars; a third with two Gospels, two calendars, and two New Testaments. AMONG ALL NATIONS With approximately 12,500 packets, we need From Inverness, Ross-shire, Scotland transformed! On Inverness High Street 25,000 calendars. We do not ur day is indeed a day of small over two Saturdays in under six hours, I want to abuse TBS’s gen- things. Knowledge has been have distributed forty-seven Bibles erosity. If, however, you have increased, not of the a few thousand more, that O truth, but of the way that will give some possibilities seemeth right unto a man; many run to and fro, not to the light, but to the dark- ness. There is a temptation for Christians to be discour- aged. How wonderful then, as I silently sit on Inverness High Street offering Bibles, to experience Scripture- hungry people requesting and receiving them with eagerness.When someone asks me for a Bible I say, ‘On one condition: that you to increase numbers! Thanks read it, and ask the Lord to for everything. bless it to you’. So far no one has declined my terms. We would encourage your Some takers are the last prayers for Friedenstimme, that you would expect, like God would enlarge their work ‘Goths’for instance whom and continue the distribution of you would more readily His Word throughout the associate with things dark Some recipients of Bibles in Inverness, including: (top left) an elderly former Soviet Union. accordion busker, Goths, (bottom right) a street charity worker who and occultish. May they now has information about the true charity, and (bottom left) a fellow read the Scriptures and be who agreed to sit and watch my Bibles while I nipped to a shop.

44 45 QUARTERLY RECORD - Issue Number 579 - April to June 2007 The Magazine of the Trinitarian Bible Society only on request—that’s eight per hour. their own.We do hope that Christian seed, shall doubtless come again with So, many thanks for providing the beliefs and values will be absorbed by rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him’ Bibles, but I need more—I only have our community. Thank you once again – Psalm 126.6.This is so true. Keep three left. for your generosity. praying for us.

From Saxmundham, Suffolk, England From a prisoner in a London, England, Thank you very much for the generosi- prison Asia ty that you have shown to the Year 4 I am in Wormwood Scrubs, London, children in donating the Bibles. It is a and although I don’t go to church that From Cochin, Kerala, India thought very much appreciated by often (outside or in here), I recently Greetings in the precious name of our myself and the other staff. As always, asked one of the sisters (nun) how I Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This let- following your visit, the children were would go about getting a Bible, and ter is my grateful thanks to you and the fascinated with their Bibles, and spent she told me there was a charity that TBS for providing the Word of God for a great deal of time discussing the gave them to prisoners, and she got The Word of Light in spiritually dark Chile the thirsty hearts of the people in our thinness of the pages, the organisation me one. So this is just a short note to country and also among Arab Muslims. and readability of the language. Having say thank you for the Bible and for the Fortunately God enabled me to send a book which is so different to their work that you do. I don’t pretend to Central & Latin three Arabic Bibles to the Gulf through usual ones does, I’m sure, help to have read it cover to cover, but do try my contacts. I hope that I will get more remind them that it is special, and thus, to read from it at least once a day. Once America chances to present the Arabic Bibles to other Arabic Muslims. I am much needs careful looking after. again thank you, it is very much appre- From Elqui Valley, Chile appreciating your kindness in provid- ciated. The Elqui Valley, in the north of Chile, is ing the Holy Bibles in English and From Middlesbrough, Teeside, a spiritually dark area. Thanks so much Arabic, New Testaments and Psalms, England From a chaplain in a prison in Lincoln, for your faithfulness. Please continue and bookmarks. I am unable to express Each Year 6 child was presented with a England and praise the Lord for three souls who my gratitude in words, but remember Bible. As this is an area of social depri- I am very much hoping you will be came to the Lord. The Lord is working you in my prayers every day. able to give us some more Bibles. in hearts, thanks to you. ‘He that goeth Interest in your Bibles is growing each forth and weepeth, bearing precious Scriptures for Indian youth month, and today I noticed some of the prisoners at the Service following the readings in their TBS Bibles—this is a first for me here at Lincoln! The ones we have had and are now on our last pack with are the TBS Royal Ruby Text Bibles. I reckon we have used up about five of your packs per year.When I arrived in February 2003 there were many packs in our chaplaincy store- room, and I thought it would take for- Year 6 children receiving Bibles ever for them to go, and I was surprised vation, I am sure this will be the only to find we are down to our last one! copy of the Bible in the majority of You will be interested to know that we homes. Our children love Religious give out the Gideon’s small New Education lessons.The older children Testaments to any who ask, but there enjoyed reading the school copies of remains a regular desire from the men your Bible, and now they have one of for the TBS Bibles.

46 47 QUARTERLY RECORD - Issue Number 579 - April to June 2007

From Tirupattur, Tamil Nadu, India foundational course in our Church, I We have received Greek New was embarrassed, as I could not recite Testaments (Textus Receptus) for our the names of . I Bible College and Seminary in the past had to borrow a Bible so that I can work years.Our stock is over and our students on these assignments at home.Thank of Greek are without Greek New God that as we come to the end of six Testaments.Kindly send fifty New weeks, I am able to return the borrowed Testaments for the use of our students. Bible, as I have received my own copy. We let them carry it with them after On the graduation day all of us were graduation in order to perpetuate the given the Bibles.’ right text.We strongly defend the Textus Receptus through the study of textual From Jinja, Busoga, Uganda criticism and oppose modern critical The timing of the arrival of all five editions. parcels could not have been more per- fect. My husband had started to teach From Porur, Chennai, S. India the class and we had no New By the grace of God our ministries are Testaments.We are very grateful.We going smoothly.We daily pray for your also gave them each a Text Bible and literature ministries. Last year I came to some did not have a King James transla- your office and we requested some liter- tion. The class consists of fourteen stu- ature. You have sent me the literature. dents: two from Rwanda, one from You have sent me the Holy Bible, New Kenya, one from Congo whose family Testament, Gospel of John and Tracts.We was massacred and he is now living in have distributed the Holy Bible to the Kampala, one from Sudan who had to youths in our Church.We have distrib- flee, but hopes to go back as a mission- uted the New Testament to our Sunday ary, and the remainder from Uganda, School children and to orphanage chil- one who lives in an internally displaced dren. They have taken it with thanks. persons camp.You will never believe Now I request you send Tamil Gospel of this, but along with this shipment, we John and Holy Bible, New Testament and received one parcel of your grant which posters with Bible verses. had been sent in June 2004! This was the year that all M Bags were held in Mombassa due to an issue between Africa Kenya and Uganda Governments over customs payments.We are so grateful to From Karoi, Zimbabwe have it in hand as we are in great need Greetings in the precious Name of our of more Bibles. Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.We thank God that finally many parcels of the [Although certain phrases and expressions used in precious Word did arrive. One of the these letters may not be doctrinally accurate or in beneficiaries of the Bibles gives his tes- correct English, we reproduce the letters essentially timony, ‘When I look at this Bible I am as received, knowing that the Lord is using His Word filled with joy, as I could never afford to to the glory of His Name and the furtherance of His Kingdom as the Scriptures are distributed among purchase a Bible from the bookshop the nations of the world.] here in Karoi. When I enrolled in the

48 Trinitarian Bible Society International Headquarters Tyndale House, Dorset Road, London, SW19 3NN, England Telephone: (020) 8543 7857 Facsimile: (020) 8543 6370 e-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.trinitarianbiblesociety.org Office Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Registered Charity Number: 233082 V.A.T. Registration Number: GB 215 9219 67

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To publish and distribute the Holy Scriptures throughout the world in many languages.

To promote Bible translations which are accurate and trustworthy, conforming to the Hebrew Masoretic Text of the Old Testament, and the Greek Textus Receptus of the New Testament, upon which texts the English Authorised Version is based. Gutenberg Bible The image is of the 42-line Biblia Sacra (Latin Vulgate) published in 1455 by To be instrumental in bringing light Johannes Gutenberg in Mainz, Germany. It was the first and life, through the Gospel of Christ, book ever printed using movable type. to those who are lost in sin and in the darkness of false religion and unbelief.

To uphold the doctrines of reformed Christianity, bearing witness to the equal and eternal deity of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, One God in three Persons.

To uphold the Bible as the inspired, inerrant Word of God.

For the Glory of God and the Increase of His Kingdom through the circulation of Protestant or uncorrupted versions of the Word of God.

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Trinitarian Bible Society ISSN 0049-4712 Tyndale House, Dorset Road, London, SW19 3NN, England e-mail: [email protected] www.trinitarianbiblesociety.org