[B-Greek] _A Readers Greek New Testament_ = a new critical text

Perry L. Stepp plstepp at email.kcc.edu
Thu Apr 29 14:25:35 EDT 2004


Basically, what the RGNT presents us with is a new eclectic critical text.  

The problem I have is not so much that they've "reverse engineered" a text
from the NIV--which I think is probably not an accurate summary of what's
been done--but rather that I a. don't know who the translators of the NIV
New Testament were, and b. don't know what their rationale for textual
decisions was.  

One of the beautiful things about the UBS/NA is that we can see the textual
commentaries (and the prolific writings of Aland and Metzger), ergo we can
weigh the committee's deliberations regarding certain readings.  We don't
have access to such information--or at least, I don't know where to find
it--for the RGNT text.

And no, I don't have time to collate the differences between the NIV and the
UBS/NA, nor do my work-studies.

Perry L. Stepp, Ph.D.
 
Associate Professor of Biblical Studies
Kentucky Christian College 
 
"The past is never dead. It's not even past." 
                                                            --Faulkner 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Joseph Weaks
Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2004 1:21 PM
To: bgreek at ntresources.com
Cc: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] Very interesting GNT, _A Readers Greek New Testamen
t_

On Apr 29, 2004, at 7:29 AM, bgreek at ntresources.com wrote:
> I think we're forced to acknowledge that RGNT, with something like 200 
> variants, is
> essentially an equivalent text.

Perhaps if they were random variants, but they are not. Someone raised 
the issue earlier; the major problem with endorsing the RGNT in a 
classroom is that the NIV text is a Private/Commercial/Non-ecumenically 
focused project.  This is my major objection and lamentation regarding 
the book that will keep me from using it this fall.
Of course, this is a straw man argument until someone produces a 
collation of the 200+ places where the commercially driven NIV 
committee chose to differ from the NA/UBS text. I'm not gonna do it. 
Wish someone would. But in the absence of that, I'll place my trust in 
an ecumenical, church committee with more ease (such as the NRSV 
committee), and in the absence of that, the consensus of the the 
academy (NA/UBS).

Joe

**************************************************************
Rev. Joseph A. Weaks
Senior Minister, Bethany Christian Church, Dallas
Leander Keck Fellow of NT Studies, Brite Divinity School, Ft. Worth
j.weaks at tcu.edu
**************************************************************

---
B-Greek home page: http://metalab.unc.edu/bgreek
B-Greek mailing list
B-Greek at lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek




More information about the B-Greek mailing list