GOD WAS MANIFEST IN FLESH! -- A Discrepancy in Modern Bibles

The Word was with God, and the Word was God

And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us http://www.bibletoday.com/archive/godinflesh_text

The First Christmas Day

We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:

God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit,

seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles,

believed on in the world, received up into glory.-- (The New Testament -- 1Timothy 3:16 -- King James Bible (KJB).

Modern Bibles offer some advantages in helping us with passages obscured by the older language of old bibles such as the KJB.

An old saying is that the “Devil is in the details.” We must be vigilant that important truths are not lost in the rush to make the Bible “readable” to modern ears.

We must compare bibles.

1 Timothy 3:16 is arguably the strongest Bible Verse showing Jesus Christ was GOD in human flesh. But, almost all modern versions replace the noun, “God” with a pronoun, usually “who.”

Few knowledgeable people doubt, or care, that Jesus really lived -- that he was “manifest in flesh.” Every one of us humans is “manifest in the flesh.”

BUT, to say GOD was manifest in flesh ignites a firestorm.

Just the thought God Almighty was born into human flesh as the baby Jesus is immensely offensive to many, many people.

We have, then, the situation that, arguably, the most powerful Bible verse showing Jesus Christ was God in person is lost in the modern Bibles.

We should understand that old Bibles like the KJB are translated from the “Traditional Text” which is a family of handwritten manuscripts (MSS), in Greek, handed down through church people, I believe from the original “autographs”.

Whereas, modern Bibles are translated from what is commonly called the “Critical Text,” which is a family of several significantly older Greek manuscripts.

Although somewhat older, these texts are FAR more divergent and disagreed between themselves than the manuscripts of the Traditional Text which underlie the older bibles, like the King James and Geneva.

Thus, the Traditional Text is a tight knit family, the Critical Text, a loose knit family.

The backbone of this family is the Vaticanus MSS, supposedly found long-lost in the Vatican library and the Sinaiticus MSS, supposedly found at the monastery on Mt Sinai, in the Sinai desert.

The difference, then between old Bibles like the KJB, and modern bibles, is not only translation, but, as in the case of 1Timothy 3:16, a difference in the underlying TEXTS FROM WHICH it is translated.

Speaking of older Bibles -- Thank heaven, for the The Geneva Bible (1599) that was very popular with the American Pilgrims and with many Europeans too, of course.

It comes from the same texts as the King James Bible.

It effectively serves as a check, preceding the KJB by 11 years, or as an additional witness, alongside the King James Bible.

The Geneva Bible says in 1Timothy 3:16:

And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness, God is manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of Angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory.

Many of us call the Bible, “God’s Word.”

So to be careless in the underlying text used, is sin. We have to be diligent to determine the correct text.

I would argue that there is a clear philosophical difference involved.

Fans of the Traditional Text are, in effect, saying that God has providentially brought the text down to us through history.

For the fans of this view, other manuscripts being somewhat older, isn’t a problem because of God’s providential superintending in textual transmission.

Fans of the Critical text seem to see the Bible like any other old book.

The very oldest manuscripts are deemed closest to the original “autographs,” as they are called, and viewed as most accurate.

So it’s lucky Sinaiticus and Vaticanus were found -- We might have lost the real bible altogether!

A strong argument for the Traditional text is that it is a close knit family; differences between individual manuscripts in this family are minor. Whereas, the differences between Sinaiticus and Vaticanus are quite major. This negates any possible age advantage.

Sometimes in these investigations the passage context helps us decide. Such is the case here.

Pronouns must have antecedents. But, search the passage.

The pronoun “who” has NONE. “God” will have NO antecedent, being a noun. Traditional Text reading matches this context.

Wilbur N. Pickering wrote an excellent book, The Identity of the New Testament Text, Thomas Nelson, 1980. Regarding 1Tim 3:16 Pickering says, “Over 300 Greek MSS read “God” while only eleven read something else.

Of those eleven two have private readings; two have a third reading, and seven agree in reading “who.” So we have to judge between 97% and 2%, “God” versus “who.”

It is hard to imagine any possible set of circumstances in the transmissional history sufficient to produce the cataclysmic overthrow in statistical probability required by the claim that “who” is the original reading.” (My emphasis)

Pickering is saying that the overwhelming weight of 300 manuscripts (97%) makes it a statistical certainty that “God” is the true, correct, original, text reading.

We must realize that many people including textual scholars have an enormous dislike for the idea that God has providentially brought the Bible down through history. As I said before, many folks hate the truth that “God was manifest in flesh.”

Thus, they have adopted the humanistic view that the Bible is just like any other old book and they have chosen to trust a few older manuscripts, which disagree markedly among themselves, over the overwhelming numerical superiority of the Traditional Text.

In fact the Traditional Text is often referred to as the “Majority text.”

As Pickering says, “It is hard to imagine any possible set of circumstances in the transmissional history sufficient to produce the cataclysmic overthrow in statistical probability required by the claim that “who” is the original “reading.”

Only the truth that the Traditional text correctly represents the original “autographs” can explain this statistical superiority. The Traditional text got out of the starting blocks first and thus no later, competing texts could catch it in the race.

I immediately take full advantage of God’s great promise in 1 John 5:14-15 any time I have a ANY question:

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

There are several things that must be said here. First, the “we” means Christians; the promise is only to believers. Second, the objective prayed for must be according to his will. Thirdly, one must accept God’s answer, IN ADVANCE, to be according to his will.

One cannot say, “God, show me the answer and then I will decide if I want to accept it or not. One must accept God’s answer in advance for God to make good on his promise. This disqualifies many paid religious teachers and ministers because they are locked into doctrinal boundaries by their employments.

I have used this great promise dozens of times. God has faithfully given me THE answers. I’m so glad I was able to take a Logic course in college in place of philosophy. God’s promise is, logically, a basic, “if-then-statement.” Its right working depends ONLY, on my doing the “if” part, and God doing the “then” part. It does not depend on my own intelligence, understanding or special skill.

I am not constrained. I work a secular job. I can embrace God’s answer and still get my paycheck. I do not have to please anyone. We still have freedom of religion, speech, and the press, so far, here in America. But, time is short!

God faithfully answered my question about 1Tim 3:16, and also the general question about the New Testament text. He brought to me the knowledge I have already mentioned. But, God clinched the answer, for me, in favor of the Traditional Text, by bringing to my attention, Jesus’ great “High Priestly Prayer” in the Gospel of John chapter 17.

John 17 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:

2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.

7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.

8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.

11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.

26And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

Our Lord Jesus Christ prays for the Father to sanctify ALL BELIEVERS, down through history with the truth of his Word. This shows that God providentially protects transmission of the Bible text down through Earth history. Only the Traditional Text matches this scenario.

The Vaticanus was lost in the Vatican library for perhaps 1000 years. The Sinaiticus was found, supposedly, in a waste basket at St. Catherine’s monastery on Mt. Sinai in the Sinai Peninsula.

Only the Traditional Bible Text comes down through history vitally connected with the true Church, the body of Jesus Christ made up of all true believers.

This is what is demanded by Christ’s prayer in John 17. God’s true Word would be found hand in hand with his true people, not long lost in some obscure library or monastery.

The Traditional text IS THE TRADITIONAL text, because that IS WHAT IT IS!

It is the Received Text.

THE TRADITIONAL TEXT IS GOD'S PROVIDENTIALLY TRANSMITTED TEXT TO US!!!

The great scholar, C.I. Scofield sets forth a most powerful, cogent, argument for the divine authorship of the Bible.

The Bible is at ONCE, SIXTY-SIX books, and yet truly, ONE BOOK.

From Genesis the Bible bears witness to one God.

Wherever He speaks or acts he is consistent with himself, and with the total revelation concerning Him.

The Bible forms one continuous story --the story of humanity in relation to God.

The Bible hazards the most unlikely predictions concerning the future, and, when the centuries have brought round the appointed time, records their fulfillment.

The Bible is a progressive unfolding of truth.

Nothing is told all at once, and once for all. The law is, “First the blade, then the ear, after that the full grain.”

Without the possibility of collusion, often with centuries between, one writer of Scripture takes up an earlier revelation, adds to it, lays down the pen,

and in due time another man moved by the Holy Spirit, and another, and another, add new details till the whole is complete.

From beginning to end the Bible testifies to one redemption.

The Bible has one great theme--the Person and work of Christ.

Finally, these writers, some forty in number, writing through twenty centuries, have produced a perfect harmony of doctrine in progressive unfolding.

This is, to every candid mind, the unanswerable proof of the divine inspiration of the Bible.”

I see fit here to insert commentary from Jamieson, Faussett & Brown, 1871.

NOTE: I find a lot of great value in this commentary, however, warning -- they make the mistake of deeming oldest texts as best. As I say above, the Bible comes to us by providence of God, NOT, by historical, archaeological luck.

I believe the Traditional Text is the most reliable one. However this commentary has much of value, so I include it here. I start at verse 15:

15. But if I tarry long—before coming to thee.

that—that is, I write (1Ti 3:14) "that thou mayest know," &c.

behave thyself—in directing the Church at Ephesus (1Ti 4:11).

the house of God—the Church (Heb 3:2, 5, 6; 10:21; 1Pe 4:17; 1Co 3:16, "the temple of God"; Eph 2:22).

which is—that is, inasmuch as it is.

the church—"the congregation." The fact that the sphere of thy functions is "the congregation of the living God" (who is the ever living Master of the house, 2Ti 2:19, 20, 21), is the strongest motive to faithfulness in this behavior as president of a department of the house."

The living God forms a striking contrast to the lifeless idol, Diana of Ephesus (1Th 1:9). He is the fountain of "truth," and the foundation of our "trust" (1Ti 4:10). Labor directed to a particular Church is service to the one great house of God, of which each particular Church is a part, and each Christian a lively stone (1Pe 2:5).

the pillar and ground of the truth—evidently predicated of the Church, not of "the mystery of godliness" (an interpretation not started till the sixteenth century; so Bengel); for after two weighty predicates, "pillar and ground," and these substantives, the third, a much weaker one, and that an adjective, "confessedly," or "without controversy great," would not come. "Pillar" is so used metaphorically of the three apostles on whom principally the Jewish Christian Church depended (Ga 2:9; compare Re 3:12).

The Church is "the pillar of the truth," as the continued existence (historically) of the truth rests on it; for it supports and preserves the word of truth. He who is of the truth belongs by the very fact to the Church. Christ is the alone ground of the truth in the highest sense (1Co 3:11). The apostles are foundations in a secondary sense (Eph 2:20; Re 21:14). The Church rests on the truth as it is in Christ; not the truth on the Church. But the truth as it is in itself is to be distinguished from the truth as it is acknowledged in the world. In the former sense it needs no pillar, but supports itself; in the latter sense, it needs the Church as its pillar, that is, its supporter and preserver [Baumgarten].

The importance of Timothy's commission is set forth by reminding him of the excellence of "the house" in which he serves; and this in opposition to the coming heresies which Paul presciently forewarns him of immediately after (1Ti 4:1). The Church is to be the stay of the truth and its conserver for the world, and God's instrument for securing its continuance on earth, in opposition to those heresies (Mt 16:18; 28:20). The apostle does not recognize a Church which has not the truth, or has it only in part. Rome falsely claims the promise for herself.

But it is not historical descent that constitutes a Church, but this only, to those heresies (Mt 16:18; 28:20). The apostle does not recognize a Church which has not the intermediate; the "ground," or "basement" (similar to "foundation," 2Ti 2:19), the final support of the building [Alford]. It is no objection that, having called the Church before "the house of God," he now calls it the "pillar"; for the literal word "Church" immediately precedes the new metaphors: so the Church, or congregation of believers, which before was regarded as the habitation of God, is now, from a different point of view, regarded as the pillar upholding the truth.

16. And—following up 1Ti 3:15: The pillar of the truth is the Church in which thou art required to minister; "AND (that thou mayest know how grand is that truth which the Church so upholds) confessedly (so the Greek for 'without controversy') great is the mystery of godliness: (namely), He who (so the oldest manuscripts and versions read for 'God') was manifested in (the) flesh (He who) was justified in the Spirit," &c. There is set before us the whole dignity of Christ's person.

If He were not essentially superhuman (Tit 2:13), how could the apostle emphatically declare that He was manifested in (the) flesh? [Tregelles, Printed Text of the Greek New Testament]. (Joh 1:14; Php 2:7; 1Jo 1:2; 4:2). Christ, in all His aspects, is Himself "the mystery of godliness." He who before was hidden "with God" was made manifest (Joh 1:1, 14; Ro 16:25, 26; Col 1:26; 2Ti 1:10; Tit 2:11; 3:4; 1Jo 3:5, 8). "Confessedly," that is, by the universal confession of the members of "the Church," which is in this respect the "pillar" or upholder "of the truth."

the mystery—the divine scheme embodied in Christ (Col 1:27), once hidden from, but now revealed to, us who believe.

of godliness—rather, "piety"; a different Greek, expresses godliness (1Ti 2:10). In opposition to the ungodliness or impiety inseparable from error (departure from the faith: "doctrines of devils," "profane fables," 1Ti 4:1, 7; compare 1Ti 6:3). To the victims of such error, the "mystery of piety" (that is, Christ Himself) remains a mystery unrevealed (1Ti 4:2). It is accessible only to "piety" (1Ti 3:9): in relation to the pious it is termed a "mystery," though revealed (1Co 2:7-14), to imply the excellence of Him who is the surpassing essential subject of it, and who is Himself "wonderful" (Isa 9:6), surpassing knowledge (Eph 3:18, 19); compare Eph 5:32. The apostle now proceeds to unfold this confessedly great mystery in its details.

It is not unlikely that some formula of confession or hymn existed in the Church and was generally accepted, to which Paul alludes in the words "confessedly great is the mystery," &c. (to wit), "He who was manifested," &c. Such hymns were then used (compare Eph 5:19; Col 3:16). Pliny [1.10, Epistle, 97], "They are wont on a fixed day before dawn to meet and sing a hymn in alternate responses to Christ, as being God"; and Eusebius [Ecclesiastical History, 5.28]. The short unconnected sentences with the words similarly arranged, and the number of syllables almost equal, and the ideas antithetically related, are characteristics of a Christian hymn.

The clauses stand in parallelism; each two are connected as a pair, and form an antithesis turning on the opposition of heaven to earth; the order of this antithesis is reversed in each new pair of clauses: flesh and spirit, angels and Gentiles, world and glory; and there is a correspondence between the first and the last clause: "manifested in the flesh, received up into glory" [Wiesinger].

justified—that is, approved to be righteous [Alford]. Christ, while "in the flesh," seemed to be just such a one as men in the flesh, and in fact bore their sins; but by having died to sin, and having risen again, He gained for Himself and His people justifying righteousness (Isa 50:8; Joh 16:10; Ac 22:14; Ro 4:25; 6:7, 10; Heb 9:28; 1Pe 3:18; 4:1 1Jo 2:1) [Bengel]; or rather, as the antithesis to "was manifest in the flesh" requires, He was justified in the Spirit at the same time that He was manifest in the flesh, that is, He was vindicated as divine "in His Spirit," that is, in His higher nature; in contrast to "in the flesh," His visible human nature.

This contrasted opposition requires "in the Spirit" to be thus explained: not "by the Spirit," as Alford explains it. So Ro 1:3, 4, "Made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." So "justified" is used to mean vindicated in one's true character (Mt 11:19; Lu 7:35; Ro 3:4). His manifestation "in the flesh" exposed him to misapprehension, as though he were nothing more (Joh 6:41; 7:27).

His justification, or vindication, in respect to His Spirit or higher being, was effected by ALL that manifested that higher being, His words (Mt 7:29; Joh 7:46), His works (Joh 2:11; 3:2), by His Father's testimony at His baptism (Mt 3:17), and at the transfiguration (Mt 17:5), and especially by His resurrection (Ac 13:33; Ro 1:4), though not by this exclusively, as Bengel limits it.

seen of angels—answering to "preached unto the Gentiles" (or rather "among the nations"; including the Jews), on the other hand (Mt 28:19; Ro 16:25, 26). "Angels saw the Son of God with us, not having seen Him before" [Chrysostom].' "not even they had seen His divine nature, which is not visible to any creature, but they saw Him incarnate" [Theodoret] (Eph 3:8, 10; 1Pe 1:12; compare Col 1:16, 20).

What angels came to know by seeing, the nations learned by preaching. He is a new message to the one class as well as to the other; in the wondrous union in His person of things most opposite, namely, heaven and earth, lies "the mystery" [Wiesinger]. If the English Version, "Gentiles," be retained, the antithesis will be between the angels who are so near the Son of God, the Lord of "angels," and the Gentiles who were so utterly "afar off" (Eph 2:17).

believed on in the world—which lieth in wickedness (1Jo 2:15; 5:19). Opposed to "glory" (Joh 3:16, 17). This followed upon His being "preached" (Ro 10:14).

received up into glory—Greek, "in glory." However, English Version may be retained thus, "Received up (so as now to be) in glory," that is, into glory (Mr 16:19; Lu 24:51; Ac 1:11). His reception in heaven answers to His reception on earth by being "believed on."

Ken@CreationOutreach.com