10-19-2014, 04:09 PM
The differences between the Eastern and Western texts also demonstrate that a very large number of Aramaic Christians -- the vast majority even -- were not Aramaic Primacists, but Greek Primacists. They saw the missing books as an incomplete Bible and that the Eastern tradition was far too textually conservative with its inclusions, opting to be more inclusive. This is also evidenced in subsequent Syriac translations of the New Testament, such as the Philoxenian and Harklean (and a few others that didn't even get names).
There is quite a lot to learn. <!-- s
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The major differences are threefold:
1) The Eastern tradition doesn't have the Pericope Adulterae (John 7:53 - 8:11) where some (but not all) Western texts do. This pericope is a funny one, though, as it doesn't always appear in John in the same place in different manuscript traditions in any language, either, nor even in John in some cases (a half dozen manuscripts place it in Luke). As such it is believed to be a late addition, but one that was almost universally accepted as indicative of Jesus' character and teaching.
2) The Eastern tradition does not have 2nd Peter, 2nd John, 3rd John, Jude, and Revelation. Various denominations were chewing upon whether these books were canon or not for a long while.
3) In Hebrews 2:9 there is a difference due to a theological and/or translational dispute over the nature of Jesus vis-a-vis God. The Eastern reading is "for he, apart from God, tasted death" where the Western reading is "for God himself, by his grace, tasted death."
All other differences are mere trifles.
Sadly, we do not have the original of any Biblical documents, today. Only copies of copies.
Peace,
-Steve
There is quite a lot to learn. <!-- s
--><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!-- s -->The major differences are threefold:
1) The Eastern tradition doesn't have the Pericope Adulterae (John 7:53 - 8:11) where some (but not all) Western texts do. This pericope is a funny one, though, as it doesn't always appear in John in the same place in different manuscript traditions in any language, either, nor even in John in some cases (a half dozen manuscripts place it in Luke). As such it is believed to be a late addition, but one that was almost universally accepted as indicative of Jesus' character and teaching.
2) The Eastern tradition does not have 2nd Peter, 2nd John, 3rd John, Jude, and Revelation. Various denominations were chewing upon whether these books were canon or not for a long while.
3) In Hebrews 2:9 there is a difference due to a theological and/or translational dispute over the nature of Jesus vis-a-vis God. The Eastern reading is "for he, apart from God, tasted death" where the Western reading is "for God himself, by his grace, tasted death."
All other differences are mere trifles.
Sadly, we do not have the original of any Biblical documents, today. Only copies of copies.
Peace,
-Steve