Page 76 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

BIBLE VERSIONS

CORRUPTION TERMINATE HERE; BUT WHEN NEW Hermogenes, a commentary on the Gospels (still extant
TEXTS WERE THUS FORMED, THEY BECAME THE in Latin), and a commentary on the book of Proverbs.
STANDARD BY WHICH THE LATER COPIES OF THE Dorotheus was a pastor at Antioch at the end of the
EARLY WRITERS WERE IN SUCCESSION 3rd century. According to Eusebius, Dorotheus was
CORRECTED” (Nolan, An Inquiry into the Integrity of
the Greek Vulgate, 1815, pp. 35, 326-332). “much devoted to the study of the Hebrew language, so
Alexandria was the source, and for sometime the that he read the Hebrew Scriptures with great facility”
principal stronghold, of the heresy of Arianism. Arius and could be heard in the church “expounding the
was an elder in the church at Alexandria around 315 Scriptures with great judgment.”
A.D. Arianism arose in Alexandria and spread rapidly in While the school at Alexandria was promoting
that area and to regions beyond. Gnosticism and allegoricalism, Antioch was promoting
Thus, the fact that the Alexandrian Greek text is faithfulness to the apostolic teaching and the literal
favored by the modern textual critics and the translators method of Bible interpretation. “As distinguished from
of the modern Bible versions is a very loud warning to the school of Alexandria, its tendency was logical rather
the Bible believer. than intuitional or mystical” (McClintock & Strong).
Wilbur Pickering observes that this fact has serious
THERE WAS AN OPPOSING SCHOOL AT ANTIOCH. implications in regard to the issue of texts and
Here we move for a moment from Egypt to Syria translations, because “a literalist is obliged to be
where the great missionary church was located at concerned about the precise wording of the text since
Antioch. “Antioch soon became a central point for the his interpretation or exegesis hinges upon it.” He notes
diffusion of Christianity among the Gentiles, and that the 1,000 extant manuscripts of the Syriac Peshitta
maintained for several centuries a high rank in the “are unparalleled for their consistency” and that “it is
Christian world” (McClintock & Strong Cyclopedia). The not unreasonable to suppose that the Antiochian
McClintock & Strong Cyclopedia claims that the antipathy toward the Alexandrian allegorical
“theological seminary” at Antioch was established at the interpretation of Scripture would rather indispose them
end of the 4th century, but that was only in a more to view with favor any completing forms of the text
formal sense, and it is admitted even in that volume that coming out of Egypt” (Identity of the New Testament Text,
the school “had been prepared for a century before by chapter 5).
the learned presbyters of the Church” (McClintock & Antioch long resisted Roman Catholic doctrinal
Strong). In fact, the church at Antioch was a serious novelties, such as Mary as the mother of God and
Christian discipleship and missionary training school purgatory and infant baptism and reverence for relics,
from its inception. The principles that Paul taught but gradually the Antioch church weakened, became
pertaining to the thorough training of Christian workers affected by Arian heresy at one point, and eventually
(2 Ti. 2:2) and the necessity of pastors being grounded submitted to Rome.
in the faithful Word (Titus 1:9) would no doubt have
What text of the New Testament was used at
been practiced at Antioch, his sending church. Antioch? The text of the church at Antioch was the
Ignatius was a prominent pastor at Antioch until his Traditional Text. This is why Hort called the Received
death in the early part of the 2nd century. It is probable Text “the Antiochan text” and “the Syrian text.” Hort
that he, along with Polycarp, knew the apostle John and said, “The fundamental text of the late extant Greek
had heard him preach. Ignatius was martyred in Rome MSS. generally is, beyond all question, identical with
between 107 and 115 A.D. by being thrown to the wild the dominant Antiochian or Graeco-Syrian text of the
beasts. second half of the IVth century” (Westcott and Hort, The
Theophilus was a prominent pastor at Antioch in the Greek New Testament, Introduction, p. 92). John Burgon,
second half of the second century, having been ordained who looked carefully into the history of the early
in about 170 A.D. He died in about 193 A.D. He was biblical text and particularly into the writings of “church
converted to Christ from heathenism by studying the fathers” (his index of quotations from early church
Scriptures and wrote an apology for the Christian faith leaders handled more than 86,000 references), testified
in the form of three letters to his friend Autolycus that that the New Testament text used by Chrysostom (a
are still extant. “The work shows much learning and pastor at Antioch until A.D. 398, when he moved to
more simplicity of mind” and “contains a more detailed Constantinople) was practically identical to that of the
examination of the evidence for Christianity, derived Traditional Text of the Reformation (The Revision
both from Scripture and from history” (McClintock & Revised, p. 296).
Strong). Theophilus was the author of other works, It is unreasonable to think that the church at Antioch
including writings against the heresies of Marcion and would look to any other realm in textual matters or
would have countenanced any sort of “recension” that

76 Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity