EVIDENCE FOR USING THE MAJORITY TEXTS

Introduction

The Majority New Testament texts are a collection of different New Testament Greek collations, which for the most part fall into a class where thousands of manuscripts, partial and whole, overwhelmingly support the Greek text found in:

• the text formally known as the "Majority Text" Greek New Testament

• Stephanus Greek New Testament

• Scrivener Greek New Testament

• Beza Greek New Testament

• Bazae Codex New Testament

• many other manuscripts.

Evidence

Evidence for supporting these versions of the Greek New Testaments (GNTs) and their derivatives consists of the following:

• the alternative, the Hort and Westcott Greek New Testament is rejected "out-of-hand," having a dubious background, including, but not limited to:

  • manuscript handlers, older and contemporary, with dubious to outright apostate beliefs (in their own words)

  • back-translation, at least in part, from the Latin of the Church of Rome (evidence: 31%, that is, 2330+ verses with Latin grammar vestiges in the Greek), implying Catholic church influence over the text, in significant portions

  • accommodations of uniquely Catholic, Arian and Gnostic doctrines by deliberately changing the texts (evidence: statistical analysis and false doctrines documented in 42% of the verses, that is, about 3200 verses)

  • the fact that the texts for this GNT were out of circulation for about 1500 years, does not sound like God's "preserved" Word , but more like a plot by the devil himself to introduce false texts in the "last days" to throw faithful Christians off course

  • the infusion of 5th century Medieval and Egyptian Greek (about 3% of the verses), providing doubt to authenticity

  • the rejection of the authority of the succession of popes to change scripture, such as the uniquely Catholic accommodations found in the H&W GNT

  • Sinaiticus is an admitted forgery, so it is not one of  the "oldest and best"

  • Vaticanus is a widely overwritten text, and so it is really a forgery, and not one of  the "oldest and best"

    the rejection of the authority of the succession of popes to change scripture, such as the uniquely Catholic accommodations found in the H&W GNT

• recognition that the Majority text sources have been in circulation, intact, for at least 1500 years, and in partial sets, for at least 300+ years before that

• evidence of the Majority texts' accuracy, not just from thousands of Greek sources, but other scripture sources, such as the Aramaic and Old Latin from about 150 AD, and others

• evidence of the Majority texts' accuracy, from hundreds of scripture quotations by many church leaders, whose writings are preserved from the 2nd, 3rd and 4th century

• evidence from new manuscripts that are being discovered, in more recent times, which are proving that the texts that textual critics said were added at later dates, is now being proved to be false, and indeed, many modern translations are in their 20-30th revision because of this

• perseverance of "the saints" to protect the majority texts from the Catholic church's attempt to stomp out these texts in favor of the uniquely Catholic-doctrine biased New Latin of Jerome

• millions killed by the Catholic church's attempt to stomp out the Majority texts, and yet it survives by God's providence

• the consistency of Koine Greek as found in the Majority texts, but not Hort and Westcott

• the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Majority texts (which overrides scholarship-only approach in favor of a Spirit-guided scholarship)

• the forensic evidence shows the progression of the uniquely Catholic, Arian and Gnostic infusions throughout history, ending up in modern translations is overwhelming

• forensic evidence shows a general anti-Christ attitude with respect to a personal Christ, and Christ as our Lord, and as our Savior in at least 293 verses

• a great many witnesses from the 1st - 4th century have attested to the changes taking place in the Greek and Latin scriptures by the church at Rome

• ample 2nd-4th century external writings quoting scriptures back up the Majority text over the Hort and Westcott, almost exclusively

• probably theory shows the differences between Greek sources are not mistakes, but deliberate changes, as 3300 verses out of 8000 with doctrinal changes is no accident

• ample 2nd-4th century external writings quoting scriptures back up the Majority text over the Hort and Westcott, almost exclusively

• all scripture proves itself faithful, and the faithfulness rating in the Majority texts is very high

• the ecumenical movement that embraces the uniquely Catholic, Arian and Gnostic texts and corresponding doctrines, and rejects the Majority texts, is a witness to the validity of Majority texts.

Historical evidences for the priority of the Textus Receptus (Majority texts, Stepanus) over others, includes but is not limited to:

■All of the Apostolic Churches used the Textus Receptus
■Peshitta (157 A.D.) was based on the Textus Receptus
■Papyrus 66 used the Textus Receptus
■The Italic Church in the Northern Italy (157 A.D.) used the Textus Receptus
■The Gallic Church of Southern France (177 A.D.) used the Textus Receptus
■The Celtic Church used the Textus Receptus
■The Waldensians used the Textus Receptus
■The Gothic Version of the 4th or 5th century used the Textus Receptus
■Curetonian Syriac is basically the Textus Receptus
■Vetus Itala is from the Textus Receptus
■Codex Washingtonianus of Matthew used the Textus Receptus
■Codex Alexandrinus in the Gospels used the Textus Receptus
■The vast majority of extant New Testament manuscripts all used the Textus Receptus (99% of them)
■The Greek Orthodox Church used the Textus Receptus.

Manuscript Evidences:

■85% of papyri used Textus Receptus, only 13 represent text of Westcott-Hort
■97% of uncial manuscripts used Textus Receptus, only 9 manuscripts used text of WH
■99% of minuscule manuscripts used Textus Receptus, only 23 used text WH

Almost 6000 mss back up the TR. 

But for Hort and Westcott support, about 50 the modern Greek, and even from them, B and Adelph are in such massive disagreement, they contradict each other in at almost every 20th verse. God’s word has been with us since the apostles, not in the Vatican, or some monastery hidden, and never used, translated, quoted, or known about.

External Support for Stepanus, and very critical of Hort and Westcott:

• Diatessaron, 160-175 AD,  Tatian of Adiabene
• "Against Heresies",  ~180 AD,  Irenaeus of France, Greek scholar
• 100% of 2nd century lectionaries support Textus Receptus, not Hort and Westcott