old new mss

Dave Scarpino angs at sssnet.com
Thu Oct 7 19:11:00 EDT 1999


First let me thank Carl and Steven for their attempt to understand my 
poorly posted question, “first post ever”, to B-Greek. Steven, “no thanks 
to my wording”, seemed to grasp my intent.

I am a 46 year old, self-tutored Greek student, studying the language via 
limited resources. My sources for learning Greek text have been, “George 
Ricker Berry, Interlinear Greek New Testament”, and my foundation for 
learning the language is “William Hersey Davis, Beginner’s Grammar of the 
Greek New Testament”, and some computer software like “Parson’s Beginners 
Greek Grammar”, not to leave out reading B-Greek posts.

My lack of formal education makes much of the terminology and source 
citations alien to me. I want to learn, and beg your forgiveness for my bad 
start.

If I could restate my question:

I understand KJV and NIV, and so many others are translations of Greek into 
English.  I am looking for the source for the differences, not in 
translations, but in Greek texts, ”MSS.” When comparing my Greek text used 
to translate KJV and NIV. In Matt 5:44, and elsewhere, there is such a 
difference in the number of words in the Greek text, how can I know which 
is reliable?

Example: -------------------------------------------------------------
My KJV,GNT shows 26 words including:
EPEREAZO,
MISEW,
KATARA,

Which are not in NIV,GNT which has only 14 words in verse 44.

I understand there is a difference between earlier and later Greek MMS and 
that the earlier the better, but
could someone tell me where I can acquire copies of these MSSs that were 
used in translations,
so I may see for myself why translations varied so much.

I will look into, Nestle-Aland's "Novum Testamentum Graece" (27th edition) 
and the NA27, which I have neither copy.

Please explain: Textus Receptus and the Majority Text.

I hope my question is more appropriately stated, and not too far off the 
purpose of B-Greek.

Dave Scarpino




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