10-06-2008, 04:25 AM
Rarely do I find a Peshitta text that looks questionable, but the classical Greek version of 1 John 5: 6-8 looks best to me.
According to the ancient Byzantine Greek text of the Greek Orthodox Church:
6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
This seems to have good parallelism and completeness!
The Greek Alexandrian Minority text has:
6. This one is the one having come by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by the water only but by the water and by the blood, and the Spirit is the one giving testimony because the Spirit is the truth.
7 Because there are three giving testimony.
8. The Spirit and the water and the blood, all three are for one testimony.
According to Bauscher's Peshitto translation:
6. This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus The Messiah; it was not by water only, but by water and blood.
7. And The Spirit testifies because The Spirit is the truth.
8. And there are three testifying: The Spirit and the water and the blood, and the three of them are in one.
In his 1957 translation of the Peshitta Lamsa has:
6 This is he who came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ, not by water only, but by water and blood.
7 And the Spirit testifies that that very Spirit is the truth,
8 And there are three to bear witness, the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three are one.
Earlier Lamsa was apparently uncertain about the Peshitta version and essentially admits it by noting in his 1940 Edition in a footnote that he merged verses 6 and 7 and inserted the King James version of verse 7:
7. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father the Word, and the Holy Ggost: and these three ar one.
[b]What's going on here?[/b]
Otto
According to the ancient Byzantine Greek text of the Greek Orthodox Church:
6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
This seems to have good parallelism and completeness!
The Greek Alexandrian Minority text has:
6. This one is the one having come by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by the water only but by the water and by the blood, and the Spirit is the one giving testimony because the Spirit is the truth.
7 Because there are three giving testimony.
8. The Spirit and the water and the blood, all three are for one testimony.
According to Bauscher's Peshitto translation:
6. This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus The Messiah; it was not by water only, but by water and blood.
7. And The Spirit testifies because The Spirit is the truth.
8. And there are three testifying: The Spirit and the water and the blood, and the three of them are in one.
In his 1957 translation of the Peshitta Lamsa has:
6 This is he who came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ, not by water only, but by water and blood.
7 And the Spirit testifies that that very Spirit is the truth,
8 And there are three to bear witness, the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three are one.
Earlier Lamsa was apparently uncertain about the Peshitta version and essentially admits it by noting in his 1940 Edition in a footnote that he merged verses 6 and 7 and inserted the King James version of verse 7:
7. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father the Word, and the Holy Ggost: and these three ar one.
[b]What's going on here?[/b]
Otto