THOSE persons are called Editors who, with whatever evidence is at their disposal, study to ascertain, wherever the Greek manuscripts differ, what the text was originally.
The reader will have seen that such a work was necessary, and this not simply for important alterations, but for those more minute. To make this more obvious we will examine in detail the small portion copied from the Codex Sinaiticus given in our specimen on page 28.
It omits ὁ Ἰηαοῦς, reading, 'he had done,' instead of ‘Jesus had done,' as in the common text. Tischendorf, Tregelles and Alford also omit 'Jesus.'
It omits ὄτι, ‘that,’ ‘they said, That this is,' &c. This word is often omitted in the translation, but generally found in the Greek. The Editors retain the word.
3. It reads εἰς τὸν κόμον ἐπχὁμενος ‘into the world is coming.' The common text, confirmed by the Editors, places the words, ἐπχόμενος εἰς τὸν κόσμον. The sense is not affected.
4. It reads καἰ ἀναδικνύναι βασιλέα, ‘and to proclaim [him] king.' The common text reads ἴνα ποιήαωσιν αὐτὸν βασιλέα, ‘that they may make him king.' The Editors adopt the common text, except that they leave out αὐτὸν, 'him.'
5. It reads φεύγει, ‘escapes.' The common text has ἀνεχώρησεν, ‘withdrew,' which is adopted by the Editors, except Tischendorf, who prefers 'escapes.'
6. It reads μόνος αὐτός ‘alone himself.' The common text, confirmed by the Editors, transposes the words. The sense is the same.
Thus in this short piece there are six variations from the common text; in five of which we may say the Editors judge the Codex Sinaiticus to be incorrect and the common text to give the true reading. And this is so notwithstanding that this Codex is one of the oldest manuscripts we have; indeed it is declared to abound with mistakes, which of course have to be corrected by other manuscripts, as already explained.
To judge therefore of the true text in every detail is no easy task; the reader will have had a glimpse of the immense amount of evidence that is now available for an Editor of the Greek Testament. As we have seen, it is not everyone's province to attempt such work; and it is only those who have a special gift for such labor should approach it.
To most persons such a mass of evidence would be bewildering in the extreme; and in some cases, instead of all the witnesses being either for or against a reading, some may give a third reading, and some a fourth. To give each particle of evidence its own proper weight, and no more; to see which are independent witnesses, and which are only repetitions; to see how the age and family of each affects a question-are some of the points that have to be decided, and borne in mind all through.
The Editors have made for themselves, or adopted from others, certain rules for their guidance, which rules they call canons. We give a few of them, as they are given by various Editors.
No conjecture, without manuscript authority, is ever on any consideration to be entertained.
Though Versions and Fathers are of little authority when they differ from the Greek manuscripts, yet when the Greek copies of equal weight differ from each other, those have the greatest weight with which the Versions and Fathers agree.
The mere number of witnesses does not decide, but their age must be considered, and also whether they are independent witnesses, or merely copies of one another.
Where two readings have equal weight, the most difficult is the correct one; for we can easily conceive of a difficult passage being altered into an easier one; but it is presumed no one would alter an easy one into a difficult one.
Of two readings a shorter one is mostly preferable to a larger one; the tendency being in difficult cases to attempt to explain the meaning by enlarging the sentence.
In difficult readings, that one is generally preferable which will account for the others, or from which the others can have been taken.
In judging of a reading, attention must be paid to the style of the writer; it being judged that each writer had a style more or less peculiar to himself.
Other rules have been laid down by various editors, but perhaps it is not too much to say that not one has kept strictly to his rules. Every variation had to be tried upon its own merits, scarcely any two being exactly alike.
Perhaps the most difficult part of an Editor's work is touching internal evidence. Where there is a great preponderance of external evidence for a reading, internal evidence would not be allowed a voice; but where the evidence for and against a reading is very nicely balanced, it becomes a serious question how far internal evidence may be called into question, and also what may be called internal evidence. For instance, Dr. Scrivener, in describing such cases of difficulty, says, "By internal evidence we mean that exercise of the reason upon the matter submitted to it, which will often prompt us, almost by instinct, to reject one alternative and to embrace another." In other places he speaks of "common sense" as greatly helping to decide such questions. With all deference to the indefatigable doctor we cannot help thinking this very dangerous ground. We cannot find any such thing set up as a guide in the New Testament.
On the other hand, we doubt not a person in such difficulties should duly weigh the context, and see if any light could be thrown upon it therefrom. Here, of course spirituality would be of the greatest value. He who can enter best into the spirit of the passage will have an immense advantage, over one who cannot.
But there is also this difficulty in deciding by internal evidence, that there is nothing to show for it. The reasons that may operate in one mind may have no weight with another. We may expect that if the Holy Spirit leads one intelligently to a decision, it will commend itself to other Christians who also have the Holy Spirit as their teacher and guide; still there are degrees of spiritual intelligence, and what may be quite clear to one may be beyond another.
But the majority of variations have to be considered by external evidence; internal evidence only having a voice when the external is more or less nicely balanced.
Perhaps the reader will get a better idea of the work that has been done for him by looking at a few passages, and seeing the evidence for and against the readings.