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In the last decades questions over Bible versions have arisen which tend to create doubt over faith. Faith comes from hearing God's word and we must be nourished up in the words of faith.
Changes in Bible wording can be important. We may translate but must be careful not to add to God''s word or take away from God's word in the process. Some verse translations can change the entire thought.
Bad translations can add to and take away. There are several modern translations that come from the same 4th century documents.
New World Translation - Jehovah's Witnesses
NIV - Protestant/Wesleyan
New Jerusalem - Catholic
Catholics and other modern scholarship have made a big push to use these documents, almost all seminaries and colleges now support them. Many creating NIV commentaries.
The real purpose in pushing for these documents is to bring all to Catholic theology. Almost all who accepted them originally accepted them based upon Catholic propaganda taught in Catholic universities. Westcott and Hort being invited by Catholics to view them.
The main argument is age, Vaticanus coming from 4th Century Codex while the Received Text came from preserved 9th century codex, the 9th century codex texts however, originally came from older documents not in book form.
Catholics have been deceiving the world, by saying Vaticanus and Sinaiticus are the oldest Codex, which is true, yet they leave the impression they are the oldest documents. Most people don't know what codex means.
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What is perhaps the strongest argument in favor of the Westcott-Hort text vis-a-vis the textus receptus, is the fact that it has firm support from the oldest extant Greek manuscripts, plus the earliest of the versions or translations, as well as the early Christian writers of the 2nd through 4th centuries. Age of manuscripts is probably the most objective factor in the process of textual criticism. When Westcott and Hort compiled their text, they employed the two oldest then-known manuscripts, Vaticanus and Sinaiticus, as their text base.
This is actually false, they were not the earliest manuscripts, they were earliest known Codex forms.
The received text came from older 2nd century documents, but they were not organized into Codex form. They were still older than the Vaticanus.
History
NIV and other modern translations - came from documents in Egypt, Codex Siniaticus and Codex Vaticanus, both coming from 4th century AD. Both are recognized by modern scholarship as the best Greek manuscripts. (Scholarship can be wrong when coming from bias) Codex Vaticanus is considered the best and most modern translations flow more from Vaticanus.
What older manuscript can we actually view to notice the Catholic deception? Believe it or not a Harmony of the Gospels actually used in Rome by Justin Martyr.
If you believe Codex Vaticanus was an intentional corruption to be used by Catholics during the Donatist controversy, using strategically placed alterations to sway the African public, then the following may be helpful.
Catholics were losing to the Donatists so they had to alter Bible verses. Doctrines like
Ever-Virginity
Infant Baptism
Repentance of Idolatrous priests
Blessing enemies vs persecuting them
Divorce
All of these doctrines are changed to some degree in the Vaticanus document and consequently the versions coming from it.
The Diatessaron Is Older and contains a true reference to altered scripture.
The Diatessaron was a harmony of the Gospels put together by Tatian a Syrian Christian. His harmony of the Gospels was used extensively in the Roman Empire to consolidate teaching into a more organized harmony.
It was the organization used before Codex form.
It contains the words and verses the NIV and other translations leave out.
1. Compare Matthew 1:25
he had not had intercourse with her when she gave birth to a son; and he named him Jesus. - New Jerusalem
And knew her not till she had brought forth her son: and he called his name JESUS. - NIV
and knew her not until she brought forth her firstborn son. - Diatessaron
The word firstborn being present in the Diatessaron, the word till or until being left out of the New Jerusalem.
The New Jerusalem showing corrupt reconciliation to support the ever-virginity doctrine which in turn supported celibacy.
Corruption not originally used by Rome when Justin Martyr and Tatian worked on Gospel Harmonies in 150 AD when the Diatessaron was developed in Rome.
2. Consider the need for repentance of idolatrous Bishops. Matthw 9:13
But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners - NIV
I came not to call the righteous, but the sinners, to repentance. - Diatessaron
This would effect the Donatus controversy, Catholics claiming priests could be restored without repentance.
Though other verses contain the need for repentance, this verse states Christ's general purpose, other verses may be used by John the Baptist prior to the death of Jesus, or by Christ in a localized sense such as repentance to belief in Christ.
This verse is clear in stating Christ's overall purpose.
By including repentance it clearly denies faith alone. It also denies absolution based upon faith alone.
3. Mark 16:9-20 and Baptism through Belief Mark 16:15-16
Bracketed as doubtful in NIV,
left out of Vaticanus and Sinaiticus.
Note: Catholics include Mark 16:9-20 based on another manuscript Codex Alexandrinus.
In Africa during the Donatist controversy seems to be the deployment of Vaticanus.
For whosoever believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but 9 whosoever believeth not shall be rejected. - Diatessaron
Mark 16:16 is useful in refuting infant baptism, and is also useful in refuting faith only.
Catholics could leave it out in local manuscripts when refuting Donatists concerning infant baptism, Protestant "Faith only" translators liked the Vaticanus because it creates doubt over the necessity of baptism.
Remember, the Diatessaron used in Rome by Justin Martyr in AD 150 had the verse.
By including baptism as a necessity it clearly denies faith alone.
4. Vaticanus also opened the door for persecution under Augustines doctrine of compelling Donatists through government persecution.
Leaving out - Do good to your enemies.
12, Ye have heard that it was said, Love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy: but I say unto you, Love your enemies, and pray for those that curse you, and deal well with those that hate you, and pray for those who take you with violence and persecute you; that ye may be sons of your heavenly Father, who maketh his sun to rise on the good and the evil, and sendeth down his rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If ye love them that love you, what reward shall ye have? for the pub- licans and sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do a kindness to those who treat you well, where is your superiority? for sinners also do likewise. And if ye lend to him of whom ye hope for a reward, where is your superiority? for the sinners also lend to sinners, seeking recompense from them. But love your enemies, and do good to them, and lend, and cut not off the hope of any man; that your reward may be great, and ye may be the children of the Highest: for he is lenient towards the wicked and the ungrateful. Be ye merciful, even as your Father also is merciful. And if ye inquire for the good of your brethren only, what more have ye done than others? is not this the conduct of the publicans also? Be ye now perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. - Diatessaron
43 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighborh47 and hate your enemy.'48
44 But I tell you: Love your enemiesi and pray for those who persecute you,49
45 that you may be sons50 of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.51
46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?52 Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
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References for Matthew 5:46
47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.53 - NIV
Love
Prayer
but no doing good.
Augustine had developed a policy of persecution.
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