Bible Query – Early Manuscripts of 2 Timothy

October 27, 2022 version

 

There are two fields where we have lost most of the evidence and yet still can come to conclusions: paleontology and history. 99.9+ % of the bones of dead animals have been eaten or destroyed, and yet we can still come to conclusions based on the what is preserved. 99.9+ of people in past centuries died without writing anything that has been preserved about what they saw in their lifetime. 99+% people who experienced the American Civil War and died did not write anything about it that we have preserved. Yet, can we saw that we don’t know for sure about anything about the Civil War because we lost 99% of the evidence. So you can’t measure the tentativeness of your conclusions solely by the evidence you don’t have; you also have to take into account what you have. One way to measure reliability of a prediction or conclusion is by test and training sets. Applied to New Testament manuscripts, you use a subset of manuscripts, the training set, to predict what the originals said. Then you use that prediction on the other manuscripts, the test set, and see how well it predicts what those manuscripts say. You could do this for all changes, only changes that are not obviously wrong (like misspellings), or only changes that have meaning. That would give an estimate of how much you can trust the prediction.

 

Q: In 2 Tim, what are early New Testament manuscripts we have preserved today?

A: Here are many of them.

Sinaiticus [Si] 340-350 A.D.

2 Timothy was not preserved in Vaticanus [B]

Bohairic Coptic 3rd/4th century

Sahidic Coptic 3rd/4th century

Italic 4th-5th century

Peshitta Syriac [Syr P] 411-435 A.D. Over 350 manuscripts.

I Washington, D.C. 5th century

Armenian [Arm] from 5th century

Georgian [Geo] from 5th century

Alexandrinus [A] c.450 A.D.

Ephraemi Rescriptus [C] 5th century

Ethiopic [Eth] from c.500 A.D.

Claromontanus [D] 6th century

Italic [Ital] 4th to 13th centuries

Vulgate [Vulg] 4th and 5th centuries

Palestinian Syriac [Syr Pal] from c.6th century

Harclean Syriac [Syr H] 616.A.D Thomas of Harkel

048 Fifth century

 

Q: In 2 Tim, what are the textual variations with the Textus Receptus, the basis for the KJV?

A: Jay P. Green, Sr. in the Interlinear Bible records variations in approximately 5 words between the Textus Receptus and the majority text. These are in 5 places (2 Timothy 1:14,15,16; 2:19; 3:6). He does not record any additional alternates.

 

Q: In 2 Tim, what are some of the textual variations?

A: Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy has a total of 1,238 Greek words in 83 verses. This is the count in Aland et al. 5th revised edition, 4th revised edition, and 3rd edition, including 2 words in brackets. The text of the 3rd edition is on-line at http://www.greekbible.com. 2 Timothy has an estimated word-for-word accuracy of 98.6%, with 17 words in question. These are in 12 verses (12 places).

   Below are the variations with the primary choice and the top alternate choice. Aland et al. 5th revised edition, 4th revised edition, and 3rd edition, from which this primarily is based, also give a judgment of the degree of certainty per variation. The list below does not include many places where the evidence for a particular reading is so strong that the alternatives are very unlikely. See the next question for which manuscripts support which variants.

2 Tim 1:1 “Jesus Christ” vs. “Christ Jesus (NU, M according to NKJV footnote)

2 Tim 1:5 “taking recollection” “ vs. “taking recollection” (different Greek words (2 letters different) (only in Bezae Cantabrigiensis, Harclean Syriac, and later manuscripts, so 1 word not counted in the totals)

2 Tim 1:10 “our Savior Christ Jesus” vs. “Savior, God” (only in I (5th century) so not counted in the totals)

2 Tim 1:11 “deacon” vs. “teacher” vs. “teacher of the Gentiles/nations” (Aland, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary) (The KJV, NKJV, and Green’s Literal Translation follow the Byzantine Lectionary with “of the Gentiles/nations”)

2 Tim 1:18 “many ways he ministered” vs. “many ways he ministered to me” (Vulgate, a few Greek mss according to the NKJV footnote)

2 Tim 2:1,2 “witness” (parakluseun) vs. “witnesses” (martyrun) (only in Hippolytus’ Treatise on Christ and Antichrist ch.1 p.204 so not counted in the totals)

2 Tim 2:3 “Endure hardship” vs. “”you, then, suffer hardship) (3 words)

2 Tim 2:14 “God” vs. “Lord”

2 Tim 2:18 “concerning the truth” vs. “concerning truth”

2 Tim 2:19 “names the name of Christ” vs. “names the name of the Lord”

2 Tim 2:22 “with those calling” (Sinaiticus, Byzantine Lectionary) vs. “with all those calling” Coptic, Chrysostom. Alexandrinus alone has “with all those loving"

2 Tim 3:8a “Jannes” vs. “Juannes” (only in Cyprian, so 1 word not counted in the totals)

2 Tim 3:8b “Jambres” vs. “Mambrus” (ital d, Vulgate, Cyprian, Hippolytus, Lucifer)

2 Tim 3:10 “Galatia” vs. “Gaul”

2 Tim 3:11 (absent) vs. the things which he suffered on account of Thecla” (only in manuscript 181, so 5 Greek words not counted in the totals)

2 Tim 3:14 “from what” vs. “from whom”

2 Tim 3:16 “and” vs. (absent in Syr P, Bohairic Coptic, Origen, and Hilary.) 1 word not counted in the totals)

2 Tim 4:1 “Therefore before God” vs. “before God”

2 Tim 4:1 “according to the” vs. “and the”

2 Tim 4:1 “dead at his appearing” vs. “dead and by his appearing” (2 words)

2 Tim 4:8 “but also all those” vs. “but also those”

2 Tim 4:10 “Galatia” vs. “Gaul” (Aland and NRSV)

2 Tim 4:19 “Aquila” vs. “Aquila. (plus 11 additional words. (Only in 11th and 13th century manuscripts, so 11 words not counted in the totals.)

2 Tim 4:22a “Lord” vs. “Lord Jesus Christ” (2 words)

2 Tim 4:22b “you (plural)” vs. “you (singular)

2 Tim 4:22c corrected 1739 manuscript has the postscript: “To Timothy Second, of the Ephesians church/assembly first overseer chosen, written from Rome, when a second time was placed before Paul Caesar Nero.”

2 Tim 4:22d (absent) vs. “amen”

Bibliography for this question: The Greek New Testament Third Edition by Kurt Aland et al., The Greek New Testament Fourth Edition by Kurt Aland et al., Interlinear Greek-English New Testament by George Ricker Berry, the Interlinear Bible by Jay P. Green, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary volume 8, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament 2nd edition by Bruce M. Metzger, The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture by Bart Ehrman, The Complete Text of the Earliest New Testament Manuscripts edited by Philip W. Comfort and David P. Barrett, The Expositor’s Greek Testament edited by W. Robertson Nicoll, and footnotes in the NASB, NIV, NKJV, and NRSV Bible translations. Manuscripts of the Greek Bible : An Introduction to Paleography by Bruce M. Metzger also has interesting information on the characteristics and quality of the copying of each manuscript.

 

Q: In 2 Tim, how do the early manuscripts compare with each other?

A: The table below shows each of the places in question, and the number says which variant is in each manuscript.

This chart shows variants of early writers and manuscripts of 2 Timothy. The darker the shading the later the writing. Shaded verses mean we are virtually certain of the correct reading. For each verse, the variant Aland et al. views as correct is labeled as “1”, the next choice “2”, and so on. Corrections to manuscripts by later scribes are not included. “A” after a choice simply means the choice with the fewest words. A question mark means it is probably but not certain the manuscript had these words. Parentheses means fragmentary or hard to read. Where there is more than one number, such as “1 /2?”, this means that one or more manuscripts in the family give the first choice, and one or more manuscripts are not clear, but appear to give the second choice. A parenthesis, such as (6), means that through translation or loss of letters are not sure, but it appears to support reading 6.

Place of variant

words

Iren

Clem A

Hippol.

Origen

Cyprian

Si

Hilary

Sahidic

Bohairic

Ital b

Ital d

Vulgate

Ethiopic

Lucifer

Ambst

Jerome

Chrysostom

Pelagius

A

C

D

I

048

Armenian

Georgian

Syr P

Syr H

Syr Pal

Byzant.

2 Tim 1:5

1

-

-

-

-

-

1

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

1

1

2

-

-

-

-

-

2

-

-

2 Tim 1:10

2

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

1

 

1

2?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 Tim 1:11

1

-

-

-

-

-

1

 

2

2

2

2

2

2

 

 

-

2

2

1

2

2

1

-

2

2

2

2

1?/2?

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 Tim 2:3

3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

3

 

-

 

 

 

2

 

 

2 Tim 2:14

1

-

 

 

 

 

1

 

1/2

1/2

2

2

1?/2

-

 

 

-

2

1

-

1

-

1

2

1

1

(2)

2

-

2

2 Tim 2:18

1

-

 

 

 

 

2

 

1

1

-

-

 

-

 

 

-

1

-

1

1

1

 

2

-

2

 

 

-

1

2 Tim 2:22

1

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

3

1/3

 

 

1

3

 

 

 

1/ 3

 

4

3

1

3

3

1

-

1

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 Tim 3:8a

1

 

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 Tim 3:8b

1

 

 

2

 

2

 

 

 

 

 

2

2

 

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 Tim 3:14

1

-

 

 

 

 

1

 

-

-

1

1

2

-

 

 

2

2

2

1

1

2

 

-

-

2

-

-

-

2

2 Tim 3:16

1

 

3

 

2

 

1

2A

-

2A

 

 

2A

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

1

3

1

-

 

 

2A

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 Tim 4:1

1

-

-

-

-

-

1

 

2

1

1

1

1/(2?)

-

 

 

-

2

1

1

1

1

1

-

2

2

(2)

(2)

-

2

2 Tim 4:8

1

1

 

 

 

 

1

 

1

1

 

 

2A

1

 

 

 

1

1

1

1

2A

1

-

1

-

2A

1

 

1

2 Tim 4:10

1

 

 

 

 

 

2

 

2

1/ 2?/(3?)

1

1

1/ 2/ 3?

1

 

 

-

1

 

1

2

1

1?

-

3

1

1

1

-

1

2 Tim 4:22a

2 J/L

-

-

-

-

-

1

 

1

3

2

2

2/ 3

-

 

 

-

3

2

2

3

3

-

-

3

(3)

3

3

-

3

2 Tim 4:22b

1

-

-

-

-

-

1

 

3/5

1-3

(5)

5

1?/2/(4)

(2)

 

 

-

(2)

-

1

1

4

-

-

3?

(2)

3

2

-

2

Place of variant

words

Iren

Clem A

Hippol.

Origen

Cyprian

Si

Hilary

Sahidic

Bohairic

Ital b

Ital d

Vulgate

Ethiopic

Lucifer

Ambst

Jerome

Chrysostom

Pelagius

A

C

D

I

048

Armenian

Georgian

Syr P

Syr H

Syr Pal

Byzant.

by Steven M. Morrison, PhD.