Bible Query – Early Manuscripts of Titus

November 15, 2009 version

 

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

A: Here are many of them.

p32 Titus 1:11-15; 2:3-8 (latter half of 2nd century) The Complete Text of the Earliest New Testament Manuscripts has a photograph of part of p32 on p.124.

c.200 A.D. - 1968 - The Text of the New Testament.

p61 Romans 16:23,25-27; 1 Corinthians 1:1-2, 2-6; 5:1-3, 5-6, 9-13; Philippians 3:5-9, 12-16, Colossians 1:3-7, 9-13, 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3; Titus 3:1-5, 8-11, 14-15 Philemon 4-7. c.700 A.D.

c.700 A.D. - 1968 - The Text of the New Testament.

About 700 A.D. - 1975 - Aland et al. Third edition.

About 700 A.D. - 1998 - Aland et al. Fourth revised edition.

Sinaiticus 340-350 A.D.

Titus was not preserved in Vaticanus

Alexandrinus c.450 A.D.

Bohairic Coptic 3rd/4th century

Sahidic Coptic 3rd/4rth century

I Washington D.C. 5th century (Titus 2:10, others?)

Gothic 493-555 A.D.

Ephraemi Rescriptus 5th century

Claromontanus 6th century

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

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

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

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

 

Q: In Tt, what are the manuscript variations with the Textus Receptus, the basis for the KJV?

A: Jay P. Green, Sr. in the Interlinear Bible records variations in approximately 3 words between the Textus Receptus and the majority text. These are in 3 places (Titus 2:2, 2:8, 3:8). He does not record any additional alternates.

 

Q: In Tt, what are some of the manuscript variations?

A: Paul’s Letter to Titus has a total of 659 Greek words in 46 verses. This is the count in both Aland et al. 3rd edition and Aland et al. 4th revised edition, including 1 word in brackets. You can see the text of the 3rd edition on-line at http://www.greekbible.com. Titus has an estimated  word-for-word accuracy of 98.8%, with 8 words in question. These are in 7 verses (7 places).

   Below are the variations with the primary choice and the top alternate choice. Aland et al 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.

Titus 1:4 “Grace and” vs. “Grace” vs. “Grace, mercy, and” (2 words) (Aland, NRSV, Everyman’s Bible Commentary First Timothy p.24)

Titus 1:9 (absent) vs. “Do not appoint those who have married twice or make them deacons, and do not take wives in a second marriage; let them not come to serve the Deity at the altar. As God’s servant reprove the rules who are unjust judges and robbers and liars and unmerciful” (only in 13th century manuscript 460, so 34 Greek words not counted in the totals)

Titus 1:10 “and” is absent

Titus 1:11 (absent) vs. “The children who abuse or strike their parents you must check and reprove and admonish as a father his children.) Only in 13th century manuscript 460, so 18 Greek words not counted in the totals)

Titus 2:5 “self-controlled” vs. “homeworkers” (1 letter difference)

Titus 2:7 “incorruption” vs. “freedom from envy” vs. “sincerity” vs. “indifference”

Titus 3:1 Add the word “and”

Titus 3:6 “Jesus Christ our Savior” vs. “Jesus Christ our God” (only some Byzantine lectionaries so 1 word not counted in the totals)

Titus 3:9 “arguments” vs. “argument”

Titus 3:15a Add the word “amen” at the end (Aland, NRSV)

Titus 3:15b (absent) vs. “To Titus) (Sinaiticus, Ephraemi Rescriptus, Ethiopic). Other manuscripts have, “To Titus of the of Cretans assembly First overseer chosen. Written from Nicopolis of Macedonia.”

Conclusion: Sinaiticus has the shorter variant in all cases, the Byzantine Lectionary has the longer variant in all cases, and Alexandrinus has the longer variant only in Titus 1:4. A correction in Sinaiticus has “amen” in Titus 3:15

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 Tt, 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.

 

Place

words

p32

p61

Si

A

C

D

I

Sahidic

Bohairic

Origen

Cl A

Hilary

Ital b

Ital d

Lucifer

Vulgate

Pelagius

Ethiopic

Jerome

Chrysostom

Byzant.

Armen.

Georgian

Syr P

Syr H

Syr Pal

Tt 1:4

2

-

-

1

2

1

1

-

(1)

1/ 2?

2

-

-

1

1

-

1

-

(1)

1

1

2

1

1/(2)

1

(2)

-

Tt 1:10

1

-

-

2

2

2

1

1

2

2

-

-

1

1

1

1

1/ 2?

2

2

1

1

1

2

2

2

2

-

Tt 2:5

1

1

-

1

1

1

1

1

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

-

3?

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tt 2:7

1

2

-

1

1

1

1

 

2

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tt 3:1

1

-

-

1

1

1

1

-

2

2

-

-

-

1

2

1

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

Tt 3:9

1

-

-

2

1

1

2

 

1

1

 

-

 

 

1

-

1

 

2

 

-

 

2

 

1

1

 

Tt 3:15a

1

-

1?

1

1

1

3

-

1?

1?/2

-

-

-

3

3

-

(4)/(5)

(4)

2

1

2

2

1?

2

2

2

-

Tt 3:15b

2

-

2?

2

3

2

(2)

 

 

6

 

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

 

-

-

-

-

7

8

-

Place

words

p32

p61

Si

A

C

D

I

Sahidic

Bohairic

Origen

Cl A

Hilary

Ital b

Ital d

Lucifer

Vulgate

Pelagius

Ethiopic

Jerome

Chrysostom

Byzant.

Armen.

Georgian

Syr P

Syr H

Syr Pal