The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-04-14
The Revision OF the New Testament.

From an article by DR.. Joseph Angus,
in the January Sunday Mo asine, we
CLEAN the following particulars about the
Revision of the New Testament, which
is now finished, and the results Of which
are being issued from the press.
The movement for Biblo Revision be-
gan at the Convocation of Canterbury,
May 9Th, 1870. A Committee was ap-
pointed, and, at its first meeting, twenty
one scholars were selected, as members of
the New Testament Company. To these
were afterwards added fifteen eminent
American scholars. Tho English Com
pany first revised the Greek text and the
translation. They confined themselves
to forty verses a day, aud it took them six
years to complete this part Of their work.
AS each portion was completed, copies
were sent to the American Company,
who sent back their criticisms. Then
there was second revision by the En-
glish Company, which took two years
and q half. The various portions of this
second revision were also sent to Ameri-
ca and the American scholars returned
these, with any further criticisms and
suggestions. At last, the Revised Yer
sion was sent to America in its final form,
and the American Company asked TO
express its judgment upon this.
A very great deal of care and labor has
thus been bestowed, to give the English
speaking world as perfect translation of
the Word of God as can be made by
men. Tie two Companies are composed
Of scholars of all denominations. In the
second and final revision, it was required
that all changes should BE affirmed by q
two-thirds vote. The meetings of the
English Company have oeen held in the
Jerusalem Chamber Of Westminster
Abbey. The Company has been con-
yened ten times year, for the last ten
years, for four days st a time; aud
generally, for seven hours each day.
Thee four hundred wcrking.daya have
been given to this work, by twenty-one
men. Tine fifteen American schc!s:s
have expended scarcely less time and
toll. The expenses ara borne by the
Clarendon Press, Oxford, and the Uni.
versity PreEs, Cambridge, who pablish
the book. oniY
There is some diversity of opinion rs
to the wisdom of undertaking this Re-
vision; but, we think, there can he Iio
doubt that the work has been we'll done.
Our present translation, the King James'
Version, rs it is called, was made with
much less pains. This was done by two
Companies of eight and seven scholars,
who sat at Oxford and Westminster, and
aeldom, If ever, compared notes. The
time occupied was about two years and
three quarters; the final revision, by
portions of the two Companies, occupy
ing nine months more. In the, matter of
care and time. therefore, the E.w Yer
sion has greatly the advantage. It is
fair to presume, too, that the scholarship
devoted to the work is greater now, than
it was then. f
The new Testament will soon be scat
tered abroad, and people can then Judge
for themselves. It will, probably, Be
found NOT to differ much in style and
language om the Revision We now have,
but TO free this from obsolete words and
obscure forms of expression. No one
need be afraid of these changes. twill
still be the same old Bible, whatever the
differences in modes of statement. Let
us be thankful that We have this new
help in the stndy Of the blessed Word of
God.