New Ulm review., 1901-07-17
A NEW REVISION.
The American Episcopalians Present
Latest Version of Bible
Their Work Outlined.

New York. July 15.-A committee of
Biblical scholars, consisting of five
bishops and five priests of the Prot
estant Episcopal church, has complet-
ed after six years of labor what is
practically another revision of the
Holy Scriptures. This committee is
known as the joint commission on
marginal readings in the Bible and
was appointed at the general conyen-
tion of the Protestant Episcopal
church in 1895 with instructions to
report to the general convention in
1898. 1t did so, but limited its recon-
mendations to the books of the New
Testament. "A resolution to continue
the commission was. adopted by the
house of bishops and the house of dep
uties in the convention of 1898 in order
that 1t might prepare a more complete
report for the consideration of the
convention of 1901, which meets in
San Francisco in October. The COM
mission consists of Bishops Dudley, of
Kentucky, chairman; Gailor, of Ten
nessee; Hall, of Vermont; Niles. of
New Hampshire; Whitehead, of Pitts
burgh, and Revs. Carey, Binney, Body,
Packard and Waterman. The commits
sion has completed its report and sent
copies of it. printed pamphlet of up
ward Of 300 pages, to the bishops Of
the country and to the clerical and
lay delegates to the house of deputies
The report in part is as follows:
'The object of the commission has been
to give an intelligible meaning to every part
Of the Bible. This, it is believed, will be
clear on careful examination of the pro-
posed marginal readings Even in quite
minor corrections the element of instruc-
tion has been the primary thought 1t is
hoped that this work may aid in encourag-
ing regular private study of Gods S word as
we'll as in promoting edifcation In the pub
lie services. The church will have Bible
which on the one hand retains the version
around which the loving regard of the peo-
pie SO largely centers and which at the
same time contains all such alterations in
the rendering of the text as are necessary
for it's intelligent use.
with regard to textual questions in the
books. of the Old Testament certain num-
Der of renderings have been introduced in
cases where different reading appeared to
give needed help for the understanding of
an otherwise obscure passage. These are
distinguished from merely alternative rem
derings of the present text by the word .or'
preceding them.
With regard to only three passages in
the New Testament, however, the commits
sion felt called upon to make any critical
note. In these instances the commission
has simply recognized that the passages in
question are not found in some of the
earliest manuscripts.
The revision and enlargement of these
marginal readings with the aid of the full
er opportunities granted in our days has
certain advantages over the adoption of an
entirely new version Gas that of 1851. not
only In preserving the familiar words and
phrases hallowed by long association, but
also In that it does not commit the church
7 prematurely to a decision on critical or
linguistic questions which must for their
satisfactory solution require longer time
and wider research.
1t has been the object of the commission
to sift out of the very large number of al
teratfons made in the familiar English
text by the revised version those which
are really important to make clear the
sense of the Holy Scripture. In many cases
renderings preferable to those in its text
are found in the margin of the revised YER
sion. OF these and of the renderings pre-
ferred by the American revision company
the commission has made use with a view
to the best presentation of the English
Bible to the people of our time and coun-
try. The American revisers often suggest
words and phrases better adapted to our
needs than those of the English translators
of 1911 or 1881 -