Lessons

The lesson on October 31, 2021 was part 14 of the “Bible Inspiration and Preservation” study.  In this lesson, Wayne revealed more of the findings in Westcott and Hort theories on their published work that created the wave of modern bibles.  One of the main theories they promoted was on the Genealogical method founded by Hort.  Here is Hort’s classic definition of genealogical method: The proper method of Genealogy consists . . . in the more or less complete recovery of the texts of successive ancestors by analysis and comparison of the varying texts of their respective descendants, each ancestral text so recovered being in its turn used, in conjunction with other similar texts, for the recovery of the text of a yet earlier common ancestor. These are the arguments with which W. and H. opened their discussion of genealogical method. . . . They show clearly that a majority of manuscripts is not necessarily to be preferred as correct (which is what the Textus Receptus has).  It is this a priori possibility which Westcott and Hort used to demolish the argument based on the numerical superiority of the adherents of the Textus Receptus.  It is clear that the notion of genealogy is crucial to Hort’s theory and purpose. He felt that the genealogical method enabled him to reduce the mass of manuscript testimony to four voices— “Neutral,” “Alexandrian,” “Western,” and “Syrian.”  Wayne reviewed what those were on the whiteboard.  Then we looked at the fact that their Genealogical method was not used in the production of the “Neutral” Greek text!  Further we learned that their theory is not valid because of blended manuscripts.  Finally, we looked at several passages in John 6:69 KJV; Luke 2:33 KJV; Matthew 5:22 KJV; and Matthew 27:35 KJV (compare with Psalms 22:18 KJV).  The scripture reading was from Luke 2:33 KJV

“33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.”