EXODUS 5-6:Moses has responded to God's call, returned to Egypt with Aaron, and has had a successful meeting with the leaders of the Israelite people.

JOB 33:This is Elihu's second chapter of six in his speech.

JAMES 2:Yesterday James told us to consider it a great joy when troubles come our way. Don't miss James’ reasoning for this seeming contradiction. Then he spoke very strongly about not just being people who merely listen to God's Word. We must do it.

 

NLT Translation notes:Jam. 2:1 My dear brothers and sisters, a how can you claim to [fully believe//have faith] in our glorious Lord [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ] if you favor some people over others?5 Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in [the area of fully believing in Christ//faith]? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?6 But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? 7 Aren’t they the ones who slander [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ], whose noble nameyou bear?10 For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty [of being a law breaker as the//as a] person who has broken all of God’s laws. 11 For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery.”HEADING: [Believing without Good Deeds Is Dead Religion//Faith without Good Deeds Is Dead]14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you [believe/have faith] but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of [believing/faith] save anyone?17 So you see, [believing/faith] by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead [religion/0] and useless.18 Now [I can just hear someone arguing//someone may argue], “Some people [are good at believing//have faith]; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me [that you believe//your faith] if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you [that I fully believe through//my faith] by my good deeds.”19 You say you [believe//have faith], [because/for] you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe [that/this], and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that [believing/faith] without good deeds is useless?22 You see, [believing/faith] and his actions worked together. His actions made his [believing/faith] complete [in God's sight]. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his [fully believing//faith].” He was even called the friend of God. 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by [believing/faith] alone.[I hope you remember why I use ‘believe’ instead of ‘faith’. ‘Faith’ and ‘believe’ translate the same root word (pistin/pisteuw) in Greek. 1. Faith is fuzzy because the word has taken on all sorts of meanings. 2. If you tell someone to have faith, they will likely ask, “But how?” Faith is not a volitional action. But believing is. 3. And finally I make the changes above for maintaining cohesion. In a verse like 23, it is important that the two phrases use the same word: ‘Abraham believed God’, and … ‘because of his believing’— that believing just mentioned, not some fuzzy thing Hollywood and our culture calls ‘faith’.]26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also [merely believing is just dead religion//faith is dead] without good works.

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

EXODUS 3-4:In yesterday's beginning to Exodus, we heard of Moses' birth and his young adulthood in Egypt. He murdered a man and had to flee for his life, going to Midian. We also read of his helping the seven daughters of Reuel, a scene that I can't read without thinking of the Cecil B. DeMill movie.

JOB 32:Job having finished his defense, Elihu takes the stage. HC Mears says,

Eliphaz basically said, “God never makes a mistake. What have you done to bring this on yourself?” Bildad essentially said, “God is just. Confess your sin.” Zophar suggested, “God is all-wise. He knows man.” Elihu, God's man, said the wisest thing: “God is good; look up, and trust Him.”

Note that at the end of the book, Elihu is not mentioned as having misrepresented God. He does seem to speak wisely, but we can fault him for his arrogance.

JAMES 1:Yesterday in 1Peter 5, Peter gave a very important encouragement to elders within the church. And among other things, he gave an important words about spiritual battle with Satan. I summarize his commands as Stay alert, Stand firm, and Remember.

The letter of James is similar to 1 Peter in several ways. In the first verse of both letters, both mention that their audience is dispersed throughout the world. Both describe their audience using Jewish catch phrases. James is also similar to Peter in the way he sets out several themes and keeps returning to them. Moyer says of this book, “As soon as we read through the letter of James we say to ourselves, ‘This man was a preacher before he was a writer.’”

James is probably the oldest book of the New Testament, written perhaps only 15 years after Jesus' death and before the first council of Jerusalem in AD 50. This was written, not by the disciple named James, but by James the half brother of Christ. While Jesus was alive, James was not a believer. But he came to believe when Jesus appeared to him shortly after His resurrection. Some time after this and before his martyrdom in AD 62, James was the leader of the church in Jerusalem.

James does not call himself ‘the brother of Jesus’ but His slave!

NLT Translation notes:Jam. 1:1 This letter is from James, a slave of God and of [our Lord Christ Jesus//the Lord Jesus Christ].6 But when you ask him, be sure that [you fully believe that God is willing to give you that wisdom you are asking for./ /your faith is in God alone.]Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.17 Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. [But unlike those heavenly lights, God//He] never changes or casts a shifting shadow.24 You see [that you have dirt on your face, and then just//yourself,] walk away, and forget what you [looked/look] like.

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

EXODUS 1:Yesterday we wrapped up Genesis with Jacob's very prophetic blessings for each of his sons. Then we heard of the conclusion after Jacob was buried and finally Joseph died.

Exodus is clearly a continuation of the story of Genesis, since the first word in the Hebrew text is ‘And’. Tradition holds that Moses is the author. The name Exodus derives from the name that was given by the Septuagint translators— which is the translation of the OT into classical Greek made three hundred years before Christ.

Here are two perceptive summary statements about Exodus— quotes by Durham (from Constable’s Notes):

“No other biblical book surfaces elsewhere in the OT as frequently as the Book of Exodus does; in the NT only the Books of Psalms and Isaiah are cited more, and that for the fairly obvious reasons of liturgy and messianism.”

“The story of the first half of Exodus, in broad summary, is Rescue. The story of the second half, in equally broad summary, is Response, both immediate response and continuing response. And binding together and undergirding both Rescue and Response is Presence, the Presence of Yahweh from whom both Rescue and Response ultimately derive.”

Here is a quote by J. Daniel Hays:“The deliverance of Israel out of Egypt by Yahweh in the Old Testament is parallel in importance to the resurrection of Christ in the New Testament. The historicity of these events is a critical foundation for a proper understanding of the rest of the Bible.”

And finally, Henrietta Mears in her handbooks says this:“Exodus is connected to Genesis in much the same way that the New Testament is connected to the Old Testament. Genesis tells of humanity’s failure under every test and in every condition. Exodus is the thrilling epic of God rushing to the rescue. It tells of the redeeming work of a sovereign God.”

JOB 31:In the NLT, this is Job's sixth chapter of his long speech, and in the GNT it is his third. No matter how you divide the discourse, it is the final chapter of this long speech, in which he makes his final protest that he is innocent. After this, Elihu struts his stuff. 

1PETER 5:Peter finished chapter 4 talking about proudly bearing the name of ‘Christ’— which is part of the word ‘Christian’, and being patient under suffering, if that is included in God's will for you.

GNT Translation notes:Gen. 2:11 When Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his people, the Hebrews, and he saw how they were forced to do hard labour. He even saw an Egyptian [strike//beating//attaching//kill] a Hebrew, one of Moses' own people. ====Job 31:12 [Such a sin//It] would be like a destructive, hellish fire,consuming everything I have.====1Ptr. 5:9 Be firm in [fully believing in Christ//your faith] and resist him, because you know that your fellow-believers in all the world are going through the same kind of sufferings.

NLT Translation notes:1Ptr. 5:5 In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for [the Scriptures say,] “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your [fully believing in Christ//faith]. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

GENESIS 49-50: In yesterday's reading, Jacob blessed Pharaoh, Joseph lead powerfully during the worst of the famine, and Jacob blessed Ephraim and Manasseh— putting the younger Ephraim above his older brother. (And if you remember Jacob's story, you'll know where he got that idea.)

JOB 30: In the GNT, this is the 2nd of Job’s three chapters stating his complaints. In the NLT, this is the 5th chapter of his monologue. Yesterday Job spoke of his previous blessed life and high position. In this chapter he tells of his anguish.

1PETER 4: Yesterday in chapter 3 he gave instructions to wives, husbands, and all Christians— particularly when we suffer. NOTE: The final verses of chapter 3 having to do with Noah's day and spirits in prison have caused much debate. I agree with the maxim that states that in interpretation “Context is king.” It is therefore best to let the ending verses of chapter 3 be interpreted for us by what Peter says in chapter 4, verse 6. Let’s begin by re-reading 1PETER 3:17-22.

NLT Translation notes: Job 30:9 “And now [even] they mock me with vulgar songs! They taunt me! ==== 1Ptr. 4:1 So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have [have made the decision to be] finished with sin. 6 That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead —so although they were destined to die like all people, they [could//might//now] live forever with God in the Spirit. 18 And also [the Scripture says], “If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?”

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

GENESIS 47-48: In yesterday's reading, Jacob arrived in Egypt with his family. Excluding more extended family, the whole group numbered 70 people at that time.

JOB 29: Yesterday we heard the chapter in praise of God’s wisdom, which GNT attributes to Zophar. Today Job speaks of his former blessings, in the first of three chapters which are the final statement of his case.

1PETER 3: Peter packed each sentence with meaning. I encourage you to take time to read the first two chapters slowly and think about Peter’s descriptive words. Yesterday, for instance, we read the wonderful “Living Stones” passage— which pictures deep meaning about our spiritual identity because of our being built upon (or, joined as one with) Christ, the Cornerstone.

At the end of chapter 2, Peter taught about submitting to governmental leaders, and slaves submitting to their masters.

NLT Translation notes: Job 29:12 For I assisted the poor in their need and the orphans who [needed/required] help. 18 “I thought, ‘Surely [my death will come after a good, long life//I will die surrounded by my familyafter a long, good life] and I will be surrounded by my family. 24 When they were discouraged, I [had only to smile//smiled] at them. My look of approval was precious to them. ==== 1Ptr. 3:15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about [where you have placed your hope//your Christian hope], always be ready to explain [about Christ/it].

1Ptr. 3:20 those who disobeyed [God] long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood.

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

GENESIS 46: In yesterday’s two chapters, Joseph's brothers went back to Egypt with Benjamin, Joseph's younger brother. Joseph contrived a creative way to reveal his identity. When Pharaoh heard about Joseph's brothers, he helped provide for Jacob's family to come to Egypt.

JOB 28:Did you notice in yesterday’s reading of Job 27 that my voice suddenly turned sarcastic sounding? In some translations, one of them being GNT, the second part of chapter 27 (beginning at verse 13) is assigned to Zophar. Actually, that idea, proposed by several commentators, has gone out of fashion. NLT goes strictly with the assignments of speakers as in the Hebrew, where all of chapters 27-28 are assigned to Job. The reason that commentators proposed Zophar as the speaker is that the second part of chapter 27 sounds mighty like things Job’s opponents have already said. By my tone of voice, I attempted to show that Job is sarcastically repeating his opponents’ arguments.

1PETER 1:22—2: Peter addressed his letter to “To God's chosen people who live as [refugees/foreigners] scattered throughout” various provinces. But it is clear that Peter also has a spiritual meaning in mind, as the song says, “This world is not my home.” In chapter 2, Peter again comforts us and gives wonderful descriptions of our identity because of being joined to Christ. The first verse of chapter 2 starts with ‘then/So’, so let’s start out by reviewing the last verses of chapter 1, starting at v22.

NLT Translation notes: Job 28:6 [Down there/Here] the rocks contain precious lapis lazuli, and the dust contains gold. 16 [Wisdom is//It’s] worth more than all the gold of Ophir, greater than precious onyx or lapis lazuli. 19 Precious peridot from Ethiopia cannot be exchanged for [wisdom/it]. ==== 1Ptr. 2:5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ], you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. 6 As [God says in the Scriptures// the Scriptures say], “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who [believes/trusts] in him will never be [disappointed/disgraced].” [Both meanings for this word are good. I simply prefer 'disappointed'. I think the idea is that No one who trusts in Him will find out that they have believed a lie. See Biblewebapp.com.] 7 Yes, you who [believe/trust] in him recognize [how precious that Cornerstone is!//the honor God has given him.]But for those who reject him, [the Scriptures say,]“The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.” [In 7a, NLT is not wrong. (Almost always when I make changes, it is not correcting mistakes, but simply choosing an alternative.) The Greek is very terse: “For you who believe therefore is the honor,” And the choice of meaning may be conditioned on what choice the translator has made at for  disgraced /disappointed' above. I totally do not like ESV here: “So the honor is for you who believe,” Such a translation takes the focus off Christ and puts it on us. It seems to me that NIV is much better: “Now to you who believe, this stone is precious.”] 9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. [As the Scriptures say,/0]11 Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” [in this world] to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. 13 For the Lord’s sake, respect all human authority— whether [that be/0] the king as head of state, 16 [You//For you] are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. 21 For God [has/0] called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

GENESIS 44-45: Yesterday we heard of Joseph's brothers on their first and second trips to Egypt. [GNT only: Regarding my comment in yesterday’s podcast about Joseph giving wine without limit, it is likely that He was showing the normal generosity of a wealthy host. I very much doubt that under these circumstances his brothers would have allowed themselves to become drunk.] We pick up the story, still in Joseph's palace on the second trip.

JOB 27: In the NLT, this chapter is the 2nd chapter of Job’s six-chapter-long speech. But in the GNT Zophar interrupts and carries on through chapter 28.

FIRST PETER 1:In the last chapter of Mark’s Gospel, we read about the resurrection of Jesus. Since Mark very likely wrote his gospel based on Peter's information, it seems fitting that we move to Peter's two letters now. Evidently Peter spent the last decade of his life in Rome, where he was martyred around the year 64. Mark (whom Peter fondly refers to as ‘his son’ in chapter 5) was with him in Rome when this was written. Silas— whom we will hear of later in Acts, was the secretary for writing this letter. Scholars do not doubt that this letter is from Peter.

For those who want to delve deeper in studying this short letter, I encourage you to search out and mark every occurrence of these repeated words: trials/suffering, hope, joy, grace, and glory.

You will note that whenever the NLT has written ‘Jesus Christ’, I read it as ‘Christ Jesus’. Most English Bible translations simply follow the order that the Greek has, which sometimes has ‘Christ Jesus’ and other times ‘Jesus Christ’. In Greek it doesn’t matter which order is used. However for English, it does matter which order is used. Now, I realize that saying ‘Jesus Christ’ sounds natural to our ears, but it is not really grammatical. English puts titles first. Let me give an example using ‘Doctor Jones’. If I say, “Jones Doctor is going to Egypt next week,” then everyone will say that that ordering is unnatural. I stubbornly insist that it would be better for English speakers to use the grammatical order, ‘Christ Jesus’, because that makes it clear that ‘Christ’ is His title, not His last name. The title of Christ— by the way, comes from Greek and means the same as Messiah, which comes from Hebrew. Both terms mean ‘the anointed one’.

NLT Translation notes: Job 27:13 [You say//0], “This is what the wicked will receive from God; [I also added ‘You say” to verses 16, 18, and 22.] 14 They may have many children, [(you say,)] but the children will die in war or starve to death. 16 “Evil people [(you say)] may have piles of money and may store away mounds of clothing. 20 Terror[s] overwhelm[0/s] them like a flood,  [(you say,)] and they are blown away in the storms of the night. ==== 1 This letter is from Peter, an apostle of [Christ Jesus*//Jesus Christ].   [and this change will be made everywhere.] [*Even though the Greek has the order as 'Jesus Christ' and that order sounds natural to our ears, it is not grammatical. This is shown if I put some other title and name in that order. If I say, “Obama President is going to Egypt next week,” then everyone will say that that ordering is unnatural. We never say, “Obama President” but “President Obama...” By using the grammatical order for “Christ Jesus” it makes it clear that a title is being used. The title of Christ, by the way, means the same as the same title from the Hebrew language, Messiah. Both terms mean 'the anointed one'.] 5 And through your [fully believing//faith]* in Christ, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. [*As I have discussed in other footnotes before, the word 'faith' in English has developed many meanings, and because of that it makes the meaning unclear to use the word ‘faith’ in Bible translations in English. In Greek, 'faith' and 'believe' are just the verb and noun form of the same word.] 7 These trials will [prove//show] that [you truly believe//your faith is genuine]. [Your believing//It] is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your [believing//faith] is far more precious than mere gold. So when [you continue strong in your believing in spite of many trials//your faith remains strong through many trials], it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ] is revealed to the whole world. 8 You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you [fully believe in//trust] him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 The reward for [believing in//trusting] him will be the salvation of your souls. [It greatly damages the cohesion of a passage when the translators sometimes translate the same Greek word as ‘believe’ and the noun form as ‘faith’. Now the NLT translators went even further by using ‘trust’ instead of ‘believe’. I urge us to use ‘believe/fully believe’ everywhere, so we can see the cohesion that centers on this term. One might say that the New Testament writers were harping on it! If people are afraid of the error of easy-believism, then I wouldn’t mind using the word ‘trust’ everywhere. But my main point is, let the cohesion be seen.] 14 So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. [Back then you didn’t know any better.//You didn’t know any better then.]16 For [God says in//0] the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” 21 Through Christ you have come to [believe//trust] in God. You believe that God raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. [The result is that you fully believe//And you have placed your faith] and hope in God. [moved to the front→ because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.]25 But the word of the Lord remains forever.” And [included in the word of the Lord that remains forever //that word] is the Good News that was preached to you!

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Today I will do my best to convince you that the last 12 verses of Mark 16 shouldn’t have brackets around them or footnotes that cast doubt on their authenticity. I believe that they are authentic Scripture inspired by God.

Now, I try to stay away from saying anything controversial in the Daily Bible Reading Podcast series, and it kind of bothers me that here in this first extra podcast of the year, I will say things that quite a few people with seminary training will consider leaning too much to the conservative side of the scale. But I feel constrained to be controversial now so I will come right out and say it:

I believe what Moses (Deut. 8:3) and Jesus (Luk. 4:4) said: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but by every word of God.”

If we are to live by ‘every word’, then it makes sense to me to believe that God would preserve every word for us.

Please remember that all Bible translations were made by humans. This means that there is no such thing as a perfect Bible translation, as almost all good versions state in their prefaces. Even the KJV translators admitted this in their Preface. So I ask for your patient understanding as I set out a weakness in the NLT.

The NLT has this at Mark 16:8:

8 The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, and they said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened.[c]

c The most reliable early manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark end at verse 8. Other manuscripts include various endings to the Gospel. A few include both the “shorter ending” and the “longer ending.” The majority of manuscripts include the “longer ending” immediately after verse 8.

Then with a sub-heading in bold and italic font:

[The most ancient manuscripts of Mark conclude with verse 16:8. Later manuscripts add one or both of the following endings.] [Shorter Ending of Mark]

Then they briefly reported all this to Peter and his companions. Afterward Jesus himself sent them out from east to west with the sacred and unfailing message of salvation that gives eternal life. Amen.

[Longer Ending of Mark] verses 9-20 …

When you get to Day 26 you will note that I didn't read the shorter ending for the podcast. That ending has extremely thin support in ancient manuscripts, and where the words occur, the manuscripts often also have the longer ending, verses 9-20.

 

Some experts today think that Mark intended to end his Gospel with the words, “they said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened.” But this defies imagination! I don’t think authors started using the type of endings where you leave-the-audience-hanging until centuries later, like perhaps just two centuries ago. Remember that Mark starts with the words, “This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.” Mark shows a pattern of telling the outcome for every miracle. He is not about to leave the main thesis of his story without its fulfillment. The fulfillment of the starting thesis is found in the next to last verse (16:19), which says, “19 When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand.” That verse is also an important doctrinal statement, since no other Gospel includes those words as part of the story of Jesus’ resurrection. And the same verse very appropriately links Mark’s Gospel with Peter’s teaching in 1Peter 3:22.

I believe that God has preserved His Word for us. Therefore it is unacceptable to me to say that the Holy Spirit would leave a whole book of the NT without a clear ending. We have two choices for the ending: One says the ladies didn’t tell anyone because they were afraid. The other ends with Jesus at the right hand of God. Which one seems to be the proper ending to you?!

The NLT has words in bold italics before Mark 16 verses 9-20 which say, “[The most ancient manuscripts of Mark conclude with verse 16:8. Later manuscripts add one or both of the following endings.]”

Well, how many manuscripts are we actually talking about with the words ‘The most ancient manuscripts’? Then the footnote says ‘later manuscripts add’ the last 12 verses. What are the real numbers? Two of the very oldest manuscripts plus one other do not have the last 12 verses of Mark. But the manuscripts that include the last 12 verses number more than 1,650! 99.99% of ancient manuscripts contain the longer ending of Mark.

The NLT also has a footnote that starts with “The most reliable early manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark end at verse 8.” But this statement is, in my opinion, totally false.  The two manuscripts they are talking about (Codex Sinaiticus and Vaticanus) cannot be said to be ‘reliable’. They are, however, recognized as the very earliest, dated at 325 and 345. However, for Codex Sinaiticus and Vaticanus to be considered reliable, one would hope they would be reasonably consistent with one another. Instead they differ from one another in 3,036 places. I believe that early scribes recognized that they were defective, and this offers a plausible explanation for why there are no extant copies made from them.

Many old-school ‘experts’ (by that I mean seminary teachers from the mid-20th century) will say that the two oldest manuscripts outweigh all of the 1,650 other ancient manuscripts. But an increasing number of today’s informed experts will not agree with the people I just called the ‘old-school experts’. Here are some points to consider:

• Both of the two oldest manuscripts I just mentioned have an odd blank space at the end of Mark, showing that the scribe realized the manuscript he was copying had something left out. This is called a ‘memorial space’. Such memorial spaces are found in various places in other ancient manuscripts. So even though the two manuscripts do not have the last 12 verses of Mark, the scribes telegraphed to us that they knew such an ending existed.
• Remember that Codex Sinaiticus and Vaticanus are from the early 4th century.  There are quotes of verses from Mark 16:9-20 by church fathers that predate those two manuscripts. Earlier support for the longer ending of Mark include “four second-century witnesses, and 99.9% of the [other ancient] Greek manuscripts, and 99.99% of the [ancient] Latin manuscripts, and 99.5% of the [ancient] Syriac manuscripts, and 40 Roman-era patristic writers.” (These statistics are quoted from Dr. James Snapp’s article: https://www.thetextofthegospels.com/2013/08/robert-stein-and-ending-of-mark.html)
• Codex Sinaiticus was discovered in 1844. This touched off a lot of excitement, and a revolutionary new text of the NT was published by Westscott and Hort in 1881. Please consider that there are multiple examples in history where excitement over new discoveries resulted in mistaken theories. For example, Darwin’s theory of evolution from the same time period is now discredited. Just like you have university teachers still bone-headedly holding on to the theory of evolution, so the theories of Westscott and Hort are no longer upheld by many of today’s experts but are still being repeated by seminary teachers. Westscott and Hort’s faulty decisions about what verses are not authentic are still seen in today’s Bibles.
• I’m sure that you will hear someone claim that the last 12 verses of Mark contain non-Markan vocabulary, but that assertion has been repeatedly disproved. Please see the resources for the podcast that I link at the end of today’s episode notes.
• According to one ancient writer, Mark wrote his Gospel in Rome. It is likely that Mark or one of his friends made several copies of the first manuscript. Let’s say that one stayed in Rome and was copied, and let’s say that four other copies were sent toward the north, south, east and west. Each copy was painstakingly copied by hand over and over again and sent to an ever-widening circle of locations until the Gospel arrived all over the ancient world. Each scribe worked independently to copy the text of an earlier manuscript. 1650 manuscripts could not have the last 12 verses of Mark if the verses had not come from the first papyrus copy written by Mark.

The Greek text of the New Testament that is the direct descendant of the Westscott and Hort 1881 text is published now in various editions of the Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament, and also published as the United Bible Societies Greek New Testament. There are, of course, slight changes in these editions coming down to the present day. But even today, the main text is still remarkably similar to the 1881 text by Westscott and Hort. These texts are referred to collectively as the Critical Text or the Eclectic Text. Most of our English Bible translations of the last century have been based on that text, including NASB, GNT, NLT, NIV, and ESV. It is for that reason that you will find faith-destroying footnotes in them. By ‘faith-destroying’, I mean that thinking readers ask, “If whole verses could disappear and marr the conclusion of Mark’s Gospel, how many other corruptions might there be in the New Testament?” Opponents of Christianity seize on such things to say that the Bible text is not reliable. Islamic people frequently repeat that criticism.

It is for that reason that our New Testament translation into the Indonesian language is based on the Majority or Byzantine Text. The Majority Text is not the same as the text that was the basis of the KJV, but it is similar to it.

I am so pleased that I can announce that at the end of 2022 Adam Boyd published his Text Critical English New Testament, which is an English translation of the Majority/Byzantine Text. (You can get this for free. I have included links to this and other resources at the end of the episode notes.) This is a real game changer because at last modern scholarship is able to give us accurate statistics about the percentage of manuscript support for variants in the Greek text. (The collating of manuscripts is still in process, and the percentages will continue to increase in accuracy.)

Let me give you two short examples. It would help if you could open your Bible to Mark 1 and also open ebible.org/study/ on your computer and navigate to Mark 1. You will see two columns for Scripture. Put the TCENT in the first column and the NASB in the second column. You will see that both translations give the first verse as “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” But click the superscript footnote at the word ‘Christ’ in the TCENT. It shows that 98.2% of the manuscripts have the last words, “the Son of God.” No matter what translation you are holding, it is likely that verse 1 ends with “the Son of God.

Move to verse 2. The NASB starts with, “As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,” whereas the TCENT begins with “As it is written in the prophets.” Which is right? The footnote in the TCENT shows us that 96.2% of ancient manuscripts say ‘in the prophets’. Only 1.3% of manuscripts say ‘Isaiah the prophet’. Well now look at the NASB and you will see a superscript cross reference symbol at the start of the quote. The quote in the last two lines of verse 2 is not from Isaiah, but from Malachi! (The quote in verse 3 is from Isaiah.) So the Majority Text is proved right. The NASB chose to follow the Critical Text. But at the time the NASB was translated, they would not have known that their translation was supported by only 1.3% of the manuscripts.

I hope that finding a weakness in your printed Bible doesn’t upset your belief in God preserving his Word. He has preserved his Word, and we humans have a persistent habit of messing things up. If you follow the links at the end of today’s episode notes, you can find some good literal translations of the Majority/Byzantine Text. But unfortunately, we still do not have a good meaning-based translation of that text that rivals the NLT or GNT for understandability. We’ll keep on with the NLT and GNT podcasts for now. But please join me in prayer that an easy-to-utderstand translation of the Majority Text will soon be made!

Wow, what a difficult topic this is! If you have listened to this point, I thank you! Normally my extra podcasts each month will not deal with such complicated topics!

Until next time, may the Lord bless you ‘real good’.

 

Resources:

Please consider supporting the work of James Snapp by buying and reading his 400-page book entitled Authentic: The Case for Mark 16:9-20: 2016 Edition. The Kindle book is only 99 cents. https://www.amazon.com/Authentic-Case-Mark-9-20-2016-ebook/dp/B01EU1OR9O

Phil Fields, 2019, Playing ‘Follow the Leader’ in Bible Translation: https://map.bloomfire.com/posts/3446975-playing-follow-the-leader-in-bible-translation

Phil Fields, 2020, EveryWord podcast 005: https://dailybiblereading.libsyn.com/website/everyword005-mark-16 Please follow that last link to find the supplemental PDF for that episode containing an essay on the ending of Mark by Dr. Wilbur Pickering, plus two other articles. (The last one deals with Markan vocabulary.)

Adam Boyd, 2022, Text Critical Greek New Testament (TCGNG) and Text Critical English New Testament (TCENT): https://byzantinetext.com/study/translations/ https://ebible.org/bible/details.php?id=engtcent&all=1 https://ebible.org/bible/details.php?id=grctcgnt

This page has a downloadable PDF of the Introduction to the TCGNT: https://alkitabkita.info/bahasa-sumber-alkitab/    (Scroll down the page until you see the PDF file displayed in a box.) You will need the information in the Introduction to understand the abbreviations in the TCENT/TCGNT footnotes.

My favorite way to access the TCENT using this nifty online study app provided by ebible.org: https://ebible.org/study/ You can also easily access the Introduction at the top of the book menu. (Click on the zero.)

GENESIS 42-43: Yesterday in chapter 41, we heard of Pharaoh's dream, and what happened to Joseph as a result of his correctly telling the interpretation. Note also that Joseph was careful to give the glory to God for that interpretation.

JOB 26: Yesterday in chapter 25, Bildad only had a six verse response, because Job interrupted him with the speech we will read today. Bildad implied Job’s guilt in more than one way, including this most obvious rhetorical question:

4 Can anyone be righteous or pure in God's sight?

MARK 16: Yesterday we heard of the death and burial of Jesus. That chapter was full of fulfilled prophecies.

GNT Translation notes: Mrk. 16:1 After the Sabbath was over, Mary [— the one from the village of Magdalene//Magdalene], Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices to go and anoint the body of Jesus. 17 Believers will be given the power to perform miracles: they will drive out demons in my name; they will speak in [unlearned languages//strange tongues];

NLT Translation notes: Gen. 42:5 So Jacob’s a sons arrived in Egypt along with others to buy food, for the famine [extended to//was in] the land of Canaan as well. 43:9 I personally guarantee his safety. You [can//may] hold me responsible if I don’t bring him back to you. Then let me bear the blame forever. 22 We also have additional money to buy more food. We have no idea who put our money [back/0] in our sacks.”

 

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

GENESIS 41: In yesterday's reading, Joseph interpreted two dreams. He said something significant: Interpreting dreams is God’s business.

JOB 25: Yesterday Job said,

Why doesn't God set a time for judging, a day of justice for those who serve him? (Job 24:1)

And speaking of the helpless and downtrodden he said,

“In the cities the wounded and dying cry out, but God ignores their prayers. (v12)

Starting in v18 GNT follows a number of other translations in saying that Zophar chimed in, disagreeing that the wicked are indeed punished, contradicting what Job was saying. NLT doesn’t do that. When you find a place like that and want more information, it is always a good idea to see if the NET (New English Translation) has a footnote. If you are using the YouVersion Bible reader, and do not see the footnote marks in NET and GNT, click the Menu button, then click Settings, and activate Show Notes.

In chapter 25, Bildad only has time to speak a few lines when Job interrupts him.

MARK 15b: In the first half of this chapter, Jesus was tried by Pilate, and condemned when Pilate caved in to pressure orchestrated by the religious leaders. The soldiers beat and mocked Jesus, he was nailed to the cross, and then everyone mocked him.

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

GENESIS 40: In Genesis yesterday, some listeners to these podcasts were probably shocked. We heard the less than auspicious beginnings of Judah's line— particularly involving Tamar, who was more righteous than Judah. Then we heard of Joseph working for Potiphar and then being thrown in jail. Even in jail, he rose to the top.

JOB 24: Job continues his response to Eliphaz.

MARK 15a: At the end of chapter 14, Jesus was arrested, was tried before the council, and Peter denied knowing Jesus.

NLT Translation notes: 2 Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “[Yes, as you said.//You have said it.}” [Jesus says “You say” in Greek. I am told that this would normally be interpreted as an affirmative response. For English, I don't like the NLT here, because “You have said it” might mean an enthusiastic affirmative. On the other hand, if we say something like “Those are your words,” it implies that Jesus is disagreeing. Probably the best way to translate an affirmative is to add a 'Yes' to make clear the meaning.] 3 [The//Then the] leading priests kept accusing him of many crimes, 32 Let this Messiah, this King of Israel, come down from the cross so we can see it and believe [in/0] him!” Even the men who were crucified with Jesus ridiculed him.

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.