Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1881-03-09
NEW TESTAMENT CHANCES.
Familiar Passages as they Read IN The
Revised Edition.


of the CoDvocation of Canterbury ten
years ago, was completed last October,
and the new version is now in print.
although it has not vet been given TO
the public. The work is the result OF
the deliberations of two committees,
one of fifty learned Biblical scholars IN
England and one of thirty in this coun-
try. In very few instances has any
text b en- changed so as to alter the
meaning which attached to It IN the
King James version, aud in still fewer
instan .es il the change material from a
doctrinaI point Of view. As general
thing. the changes consist OF the pres
ent for the past tense in the verbs, the
use of the indefinite article in place OF
the definite, and the changing OF prep
ositions. In several instances verses
have been omitted altogether, but as
general thing the omission detracts
nothing from the sense OF the lesson
As an example of this, Mark tx: 1916
may be cited. In the present version
the verses read as follows:
"43. And if thy kand offe nd thee,
cut it off: it is better for thee to enter
into life MANNED. than having two
hands tn ~ into hell. into the fire that
never shall be quencaed:
"44 Where their worm dieth not and
the fire IL not quenched.
as. And if thy foot offend thee. cut
it off; it is better for thee TO enter bait
into life. than having two feet to be
cast into bell, into the fire that never
shall be equencbed :,
Verses A. and 46 in the above, old
version are entirely omitted from the
new version, but verse 48 of the same
chapter, hich is in precisely the same
words, is allowed to stand. The work
is arranged in paragraphs, and the
chapters and verses are printed IN the
mafgins. The familiar headlines to
the chapters which serve SO well as a
means Of reference are expunged. This
will make the book seem strange to the
ordinary Bible reader. The text OF
each Gospel is thus made continuous
in the body of the book from the begin
ming to toe end, and in order to find
the subdivisions with which one has
been familiar, the margins must be con-
suited. The work of translation has
been very faithfully performed, and the
committees have adhered scrupulouslv Y
to the idioms of the original language
instead Of adopting the English idionI.
as the public was led to believe they
would do. The result IL that the work
is very scholarly, but the text is not so
plain an II might have been made by a
freer translation. The changes. on the
whole, are not Of character To create
any alarm in the minds Of Christians.
Not single accepted truth has been
eliminated, and no special doctrine ol
the Church is assailed
Amopg the more striking changes
ma be boted an alteration in the Lords
Prayer, as rendered in Matthew vi: 9-l3
In the new version the Doxology is
entirely omitted, and tie Prayer reads
thus: Our Father which art in Heaven,
halIowed be Thy name Thy kingdom
come. Thy will be done, as il Heaven,
30 on earth. Give us day by Gay our
daily bread And forgive us our sins
for we ourselves also forgive every one
that is indebted to US. And lead u
not into temptation" In Matthew iv;
5, where the temptation Of Christ is re-
lated, the old version says: Then tie
devil taketh him up into the holy city
and setteth him on pinnacle Of The
TEMPLE" In this verse "a pinnacle
Is made to read 'tbe pinnacle, and the
change is manifestIy proper, since there
was only one pinnacle to the Temple
Very many Of the alterations are Of pre-
cisely euch nature az this, the defini't
article being substituted for the inde6
mite and Uice Uersa. Matthew vi: l.
Take beed that ye do not your alm'
before men "--is made to read: Take
heed that ye do not your righteousness
before men," which is looked upon al
a much broader command, aud more il
accordance with the whole spirit o
Cbrist's teachings. In Matthew xix
II, the entire meaning of the text i
changed, but no new doctrine is pu
forth, and no old one is assailed.
In the King James version the vers,
reads, why callest thou me good
There IL none good but one, that i
God. But II thon will enter into life
keep the commandments In the new
version the verse IL as follows: "Wb,
askest thou me concerning that which
Is good? One there is who is good
but If thou wouldst enter into life, keel
the commandments, The question il
Mark, viii, 36, 81 "For what shall j
profit man If be shall gain the worl'
and lose bis own soul? Or what shal
a man give in exchange for his soul
is rendered: For what doth j. prof
a man TO gain the whole world and for
felt bis life |? For what should ma
give in. exchange for his life 7" j
Luke, ix., 35, "Aad then came voic
out of-ths cl0ud, "a, ing, This is NJ
beloved Son hear Him." the new wor
reads, "And then came voice out Q
the cloud saying, This il My Son, NJ.
chosen"
In speaking Of Capcrnaum, Chris
said, as recorded in Luke, X, Is is, {
the accepted version: And thou. Ca
pernaum, which art exalted to HEAVIER
shall be thrust down to bell He tba
hearetb you speaking to His disciples
beareth Me. aud be that dcspiseth 20
despiseth Me- The committee hav
changed this passage very materially
1t reads: And thou, Capernaun
shall thou be exalted unto heaven
thou shalt be brought down unto II'
dcs. He that hesretb you bearetb NJ
and be that rejecteih you rejccteth NJ
and be that rejected Ne reiecteth Hi
that sent Me- Luke, XVI, =, Q, bav
also been materially changed In th
presen; version they read: And tn
Lord commended the unjust stewar
because be bad dvne wisely for tn
child,.n of fhia xgnrfd arc in their pei