Page 90 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

BIBLE VERSIONS

Ezra Abbot (1819-1884) joined the editorial committee in 1967 (until his
Abbot, a Harvard theology professor and one of the retirement in 2002), and the Pontifical Biblical Institute
foremost textual critics in America, was on the American in Rome became a partner in the project at the same
Standard Version (ASV) translation committee (1901). time. Johannes Karavidopoulos and Barbara Aland are
Abbot was a Christ-denier. He authored the footnotes in listed on the editorial committee beginning with the
the ASV that say that Christ should not be worshipped fourth edition (they joined the work in or before 1981).
and that question his deity. For example, at John 9:38, Carlo Maria Martini (1927-2012)
the wicked footnote states, “The Greek word denotes an Martini is a Jesuit priest and the Archbishop Emeritus
act of reverence, whether paid to a creature (as here) or of Milan. He was consecrated Archbishop of Milan by
to the Creator.” I cite this from an edition of the 1901 Pope John Paul II in January 1980 and proclaimed a
ASV that I have in my library. He argued that the last Cardinal on February 2, 1983. His diocese in Europe is
clause of Romans 9:5 was a doxology to God and does the largest in the world, with two thousand priests and
not refer to Christ. In Acts 20:28 Abbot led the five million “laity.” Martini was a professor at the
committee to remove “God” and replace it with “the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, which promotes the
Lord,” thus corrupting this powerful witness to the deity theory of evolution and the modernistic documentary
of Jesus Christ. Unitarians and theological modernists views of biblical studies, etc. Carlo Martini is also
and even Jehovah’s Witnesses alleged that Jesus is “the committed to strange universalistic, New Age doctrine.
Lord” but they deny that He is actually God. Abbot Kurt Aland (1915-1994)
wrote a long article arguing for the omission of “God” in
Aland was co-editor of the Nestle-Aland Greek N.T.
1 Timothy 3:16. as well as one of the editors of the United Bible
Joseph Henry Thayer (1828-1901) Societies Greek New Testament. He rejected verbal
Thayer was also on the American Standard Version inspiration, calling it merely an “idea.” As a contributor
translation team and was the translator and reviser of to the 1982 revised edition of Peake’s Commentary,
the Greek Lexicon that bears his name today. A Harvard Aland put his stamp of approval upon its modernistic
professor of New Testament criticism, he was assistant theology, which claimed, for example, that the Old
to Unitarian Ezra Abbot and succeeded him in 1884 as Testament contains myths and the Gospels were the
Bussey professor of New Testament criticism and product of uncertain naturalistic processes. Aland even
interpretation. Like Abbot, Thayer was a Unitarian who claimed that the canon of Scripture is yet unsettled.
denied the deity of Jesus Christ and the infallibility of Barbara Aland (b. 1937)
Scripture. Barbara, the wife of the late Kurt Aland, is a
Eberhard Nestle (1851-1913) professor of New Testament and Ecclesiastical History at
Nestle was the editor of an influential Greek New the University of Munster, Germany, and (since 1983)
Testament that has become a standard among those Director of the Institute for New Testament Textual
committed to the critical text. He was an influential Research (Institut für neutestamentliche Textforschung),
father of modern textual criticism and authored Munster. She was co-editor of the Nestle-Aland text with
Introduction to the Textual Criticism of the Greek New her husband beginning in 1979. She is listed as an
Testament (London: Williams and Norgate, 1898, 1901). editor of the United Bible Societies Greek New
Nestle denied the infallible inspiration of the Bible. In Testament beginning with the fourth edition and started
Introduction to Textual Criticism he claimed that it is work with that committee in about 1981. That Barbara
possible that the authors of the New Testament did not Aland shares her late husband’s theological modernism
write what they “thought or intended to be read” (p. is evident from her writings.
23). He believed the writing of the New Testament was Bruce Metzger (1914-2007)
completely happenstance. Like most other fathers of
modern textual criticism, Nestle believed the Bible is to Metzger was probably the most influential textual
be treated like any other book. One of his foundational critic of this generation. Every book defending the
principles was that “… the task and the method [of modern versions lists his works. He is popular across all
textual criticism] are the same for all literary denominational lines, Catholic, liberal Protestant,
productions.” evangelical, even fundamentalist. His 1997
autobiography, Reminisces of an Octogenarian, omitted
United Bible Societies Greek New Testament any reference to a personal salvation experience.
Consider, too, the editors of the United Bible Metzger denied the infallible inspiration of the Bible. In
Societies Greek New Testament. The original editors of the notes to the Reader’s Digest Condensed Bible, of
the UBS Greek text were Kurt Aland, Bruce Metzger, which he was the chairman, he questioned the
Matthew Black, and Allen Wikgren. Carlo M. Martini authorship, traditional date, and supernatural

90 Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity