The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-05-05
The Revised Testament.

AS the time approaches for the appearance
of the revised edition Of the New Testament,
the interest in it increases. On the one hand
are those who are apprehensive as to the
result of changes in the text; on the other
those who anticipate relief in more faithful
rendering from the logical constructions
which they insist the original text does not
Justify. Then there is the multitude, to whom
any novelty recommends itself, and who will,
for once, at least, search the Scriptures" with
more earnestness, and perhaps more intelli-
gence than they have ever done.
Whatever may be the verdict, it is safe to
say that, during the coming year. the New
Testament will be more extensively read than
at any time since the first appearance of the
King James version, and there will be COM
parsons of the two by many people who have
never read the older version consecutively
&c. between what the Doctors of Divinity
will have to say about it, and what critics
and scholars will write and publish about it,
and the awakened curiosity of the multitude
because of it, the New Testament will be pref
ty generally explored by all sorts of people
and for all sorts of purposes.
There is natural sensitiveness against
changes, even unimpOrtant ones, in poems
and passages Of general literature with which
we have become familiar. We even regret
compositions. We who are older read Bry-
ants first version of "Tbanatopsis" with more
satisfaction than the amended text. The
hymns which we committed to memory as
children are preferred to the improved YER
sions which learned editors have published
under authorization ofChurch Assemblies and
Conferences. 1t is with glow of indigna-
ton we encountered these editorial innova.
TONS We feel that the liberty taken with the
author is unwarranted, and that either his
hymn should be published as he wrote it, or
altogether suppressed.
1t was doubtless with this feeling that the
committees appointed to revise the text OF the
Old and New Testament approached their
work. These committees were made up OF
the most eminent scholars and learned theolo-
gians in the Old and New World, and they
represent all the divisions of the Evangelical
Protestant Church. There is not name in
the whole list that is not recognized as that OF
a scholar, linguist, and critic, AND especially
accomplished in the languages in which the
books of the Old and New Testaments were
written. And these committees have labored
patiently and long. 1t is nearly eleven years
since the first meeting of the General Commit.
tee. The work had to be laid out, sections
formed and parts distributed, SO that it was
well on into 1872 before the real work began
and it was not till the 18th OF November las,
that the final meeting was held and the work
pronounced finished.
1t may serve to still further illustrate the
labor of these committees to say that the Ole
Testament Committee has sat five times eact
year, each session lasting eight days, and the
New Testament Committee corresponding
number of days. The actual work of revision
was, of course, done outside of the committee
room. The meetings were held to compare
and exchange comparisons, and to decide
finally upon the rendering Of any doubtfn
passage. Of course there is no difference O
opinion about large portion OF the text O
the Scriptures. 1t is upon passages variously
construed. and which have excited cOntrOver
sy, that all this fine scholarship and conscien
tious study were concentrated. Anothel
thing Living languages are constantly chang
ing. new words appearing, and the old onc'
becoming obsolete, or acquiring very differ
ent meaning from that which they had ever
hundred years ago, and it was this fact
more than any inaccuracies and mlsreading
IN the King James version, that led to the re
vision which is now an accomplished fact.
In starting out in this labor the STANDARD
version was taken as the basis of the work
There were to be no changes unless justiiet
by better reading of the original, or wher'
another word would convey the idea NOR
clearly than that employed by the scholars o
King James time. Necessarily, this implied
conservatism, and our readers will be prepared
to hear that, though the changes numbered
some thousands, they are for the most par
merely verbal and do not either effect tn
sense of the text nor the faiths founded upo1
it. The body of orthodox Christian belle
will be wholly unaffected by the new render
ing, yet there are some things omitted ant
some substitutlons made which will create
controversy and incline many stick to the oil
text. The new version will have to fight it
way into public favor like any other new
conner. with new manners and customs.
For example, i'll an interview with MI
Beecher on the subject, published in tn
Brooklyn Eagle, we find the following:
20. If what is known as the three witness
es" should be expunged from the New Tesla
ment. will it at all affect the belief in tn
Trinity9'
"a. No. Undoubtedly that passage wa
put IN there to bolster up that idea OF tn
Trinity. think no scholar has any douh
about that, or believes that it was part OF tn
original record. recollect as early in m
boyhood, when was in Boston, when tina
very question of the Trinity was hot IN th
air, and that passage was broken tooth
any mans argument who used it. No ma
well read could use that passage as evidenc
with anything like honesty
20. 1t is said that the only two passage