The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-06-22
Omr Contributors.
The Revised Version of the
New Testament.
BY REV. H. C. ALEXANDER, D. D.


Little remains to be said of historical
character. Some reference has already
been made to the earlier versions, and
some account given of the manner in
which they came to be made. The main
facts have also been recited in relation
to King James's Bible of 1911, and in re-
lation to the present revision. The whole
number of rans-continental revisers in
1880 was So OF these 81 constituted
the Old Testament Company, and 25 the
New Testament Company. The mem
bers were on an equality as to their priv
ileges, but more than two-thirds belonged
to the Church of England. The Inde-
pendents, the Wesleyans, the Baptists,
and the Presbyterian Churches of Scot
land, are all strongly represented in the
committee The Scotch Church had no
voice in the Authorized Version; unless
through King James himself, who had,
however, abjured its authority and fell
lowship.* Among the English revisers
will be found the names of several of the
first scholars and exegetes of the day.
Soon after the English committee had
been formed, American cooperation was
cordially invited. 1t was Judged best,
on account of the distance, to organize
separate committee. Agreeably to this
determination the American committee,
consisting Of about thirty members, was
constituted in 1871; and went to work
in October, 1872, when the first revision
o. the three first gospels was received.
The American committee, like the Brit
ish committee, was divided into two COM
panies. Eminent scholars and divines
were put at the head Of the business.
The permanent chairman of the Old Tes-
lament Company is Professor William
Henry Green, of Princeton Seminary,
the author Of an elaborate Hebrew Gram
mar, and of an excellent work on Job.
The chairmanship of the New Testament
Company was entrusted to ex-President
Theodore Woolsey, OF Yale College (cla-
rum ct veraerobile 7aomaen), whose name is
tower of strength in various walks of
learning, and preem; nently in Greek, in
Exegetical Theology, in antiquities, and
in social and political economy. Better
selections it would have been difficult to
hit upon.
The results of their labors were mutual
ly exchanged by the committees under
the seal of confidence. The New Testa-
ment part was done by October, $780,
just 500 years after Wyclif. The Old
Testament part, as has already been no
ticed, will not be finished for several
years.
The American committee was not ap-
pointed by the authority of any Churches
or Church. The Protestant Episcopal
Church was the only Church that was
consulted, but declined to act officially.
The American revisers are all undoubt-
edly expert biblical scholars, common
ly professors Of Greek and Hebrew, and
were selected (as one Of the + English re-
vlsers informs us) with an eye to fair
representation Of the leading denomina-
tions and theological institutions of the
country, aojthin the necessary limits of
convenience for united Vork" The clause
here italicised (and the italics are your
contributor's) is an important modifca-
ton of previous statement Of the same
reviser, viz, that the idea in England
was that the American branch Of the