What of the NU and M text?

[brianbbs67]

What are your opinions of the NU and M texts in the footnotes of the NKJ? Sometimes they are way different than the traditional. And the Majority text can either indicated a Majority or it appears a divided Majority of differing opinions.

https://www.laridian.com/content/tsfaq. ... categories

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 1 by brianbbs67]

Are you referring to the footnotes being "way different" or the manuscripts (NU / M)?

• I'm no expert but I know a good translation would reference as many different manuscrips as possible, favoring the most respected. The varieties between actual manuscipts are not as significant as some would have us believe as is evidenced by the relative uniformity of translations across the board.

Good study bibles usually note in the footnotes when their are "significant" variants in source content, I know my translations does this NWT Reference Bible.

[brianbbs67]

[Replying to post 1 by brianbbs67]

Are you referring to the footnotes being "way different" or the manuscripts (NU / M)?

• I'm no expert but I know a good translation would reference as many different manuscrips as possible, favoring the most respected. The varieties between actual manuscipts are not as significant as some would have us believe as is evidenced by the relative uniformity of translations across the board.

Good study bibles usually note in the footnotes when their are "significant" variants in source content, I know my translations does this NWT Reference Bible.

Funny, you should reply first. Your advice to another poster actually lead me to critically think about them. Rev. 20 thread.

Sometimes they are "way different". Rev. 22:14. Blessed are those who do his commandments OR Blessed are those who wash their robes.

That is the starkest one I have seen so far. I must learn more Koine.

General question is, they are important enough to be noted but what are they really? It makes me think the accepted NT may not be quite acceptable. Almost like a mystery within a mystery.

[JehovahsWitness]

Good study bibles usually note in the footnotes when their are "significant" variants in source content, I know my translations does this NWT Reference Bible.

Funny, you should reply first. Your advice to another poster actually lead me to critically think about them. [...] Rev. 22:14. Blessed are those who do his commandments OR Blessed are those who wash their robes. That is the starkest one I have seen so far. I must learn more Koine.

It will take you many years of study to become knowledgable in Greek and many more years to become an expert in biblical greek texts. Then you will have to have access to the manuscripts to make comparative studies up close to make an informed decision about what would be the best choice when there is a variation between texts and then get feedback by having your work peer reviewed. Biblical expertese is a field of study like any other.

I think a more realistic goal may be to learn how [brackets] work, what to and not to expect from footnotes, get a good concordance and interlinear and find out what they do. And learn how to google.

[brianbbs67]

[Replying to post 4 by JehovahsWitness]

I know how brackets work in writing. Just as you bracketed my incorrect thread reference with [...].

I know how to google also. I appreciate the opinions here. Your reply seems quite pointed, considering I credited you with revealing this to me indirectly. I hope you did not take sarcastically what was not meant that way and be offended.

I know it is difficult to understand all about scripture. I know i never will. But, it should not stop me from trying.

[JehovahsWitness]

I hope you did not take sarcastically what was not meant that way and be offended.

No offense taken don't worry.

• And don't be discouraged from trying to understand scripture that's a good thing. That said, it might be realistic to set your initial goals at a more attainable level than mastering koine greek to the point were, independent of experts in the field, you can make a decision about the content of ancient texts. Like you, I don't read or understand Greek or Hebrew, the tools I mentioned are what I find helpful and they enable me to draw on the knowledge of others to form an opinon.
  

  For example with the scripture you pointed to in Revelation 22:14. I googled various translations and found that the majority said "washed in robes" then I checked in a interlinear (for the Hebrew word being translated) Then I googled and read about the various different manuscripts to find out why there was a variant and which had more credibility according to experts.

Staying humble, learning how to read and understand what experts have written on a subject, and asking questions of others and really trying to listen and understand the answers is a good start to bible study. I find that recognizing that feelings don't change the rules of grammar or syntax in any language is also a good thing to keep in mind.


Regards,

JW

[JehovahsWitness]

General question is, they are important enough to be noted but what are they really? It makes me think the accepted NT may not be quite acceptable. Almost like a mystery within a mystery.

You started a new paragraph and use the pronoun "they"; since your posts mentioned several different things it is not clear to me what "they" here is refering to.

It makes me think the accepted NT may not be quite acceptable. Almost like a mystery within a mystery.

That's why study is good, it enables you to have confidence in scripture. The bible is (in my opinon) absolutely essential to building faith, not having confidence in it (or believing it cannot be understood by ordinary people), will impede faith from growing.


JW

[2timothy316]

And don't be discouraged from trying to understand scripture that's a good thing. That said, it might be realistic to set your initial goals at a more attainable level than mastering koine greek to the point were, independent of experts in the field, you can make a decision about the content of ancient texts.

That's why study is good, it enables you to have confidence in scripture. The bible is (in my opinion) absolutely essential to building faith, not having confidence in it (or believing it cannot be understood by ordinary people), will impede faith from growing.

Yes, good advice. A person doesn't have to know Greek like a scholar to understand the Bible. Begin with simple translated text to explain the more complex translations.

Take Rev. 22:14 for example. How does one wash their robes? 2 Corinthians 7:1 says, "beloved ones, let us cleanse ourselves of every defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." 1 Timothy 1:5 says, "Really, the objective of this instruction is love out of a clean heart and out of a good conscience and out of faith without hypocrisy." 1 Timothy 3:9 says, "holding the sacred secret of the faith with a clean conscience." 1 John 3:3 "And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as that one is pure."

How does one know what 'defilements' need to be cleaned? How does one know what a clean heart is? Who can teach us how to attain a clean conscience? Is it not following the commandments of Jesus? So in your question "Blessed are those who do his commandments OR Blessed are those who wash their robes." The answer is they are one in the same. A person is blessed by following his commandments, by doing those commandments they make their robes clean. It could be said that a person's robe is their hope, conscience and heart. Clean those in Jesus' commandments and be blessed.

We didn't even have to get into the Greek language at all. Look for harmony in the Bible. Where something is translated that makes a contradiction to other scriptures, that should send up a red flag that something is not translated correctly. I'd recommend not stressing out over a single scripture. There is plenty of other scriptures to help us straighten a mystery scripture out.

[brianbbs67]

[Replying to post 7 by JehovahsWitness]

Sorry, the they, referred to NU and M.

I agree and the second point. I read the bible my entire life. I didn't really start to delve into theology until about 3 years ago. It has been a fun trip.

[brianbbs67]

[Replying to post 8 by 2timothy316]

Thanks for the reply. I understand the scripture you posted. My question is more, why are they so different? Different manuscripts? Diferent scholars translating?

The two phrases seem so far apart in language. Why and how could this occur?