Chapter 15
THE GREAT COVER-UP
The Hidden Things of Dishonesty
4 Therefore, seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully"
Handling the Word of God Deceitfully
THE DECEPTION OF "THE TWO MOST RELIABLE EARLY MANUSCRIPTS."
After Mark 16:8 in the N.I.V. is a note that refers to the two most reliable early manuscripts. This is interesting. To the thoughtful the note raises many questions.
Why does the N.I.V. not name the manuscripts?
Also, if as is often claimed, that in recent times they have discovered many more manuscripts, why don’t they quote them instead of referring back to the "two most ancient ones"?
Is it because this last statement is grossly untrue? Also is it a vast cover-up by Catholic agents? Is it to extol these very questionable manuscripts?
These two doubtful documents are the Vaticanus and Sinaiticus. The N.K.J.V. in a note after Mark 16:8 names these two manuscripts. They are the back-bone of the hundred and more new versions in English that have been brought out in recent years. Their recognized importance are always in the order given. For instance Sir Frederic Kenyon in his book "The Bible Story" p. 43 refers to "The great Vatican Manuscript" and again "The oldest and best of all is the Codex Vaticanus." P. 49. He further states, "The outstanding characteristic of their (Westcott and Hort) work is the predominant importance which they attach to the Vaticanus, to which the Sinaiticus takes second place." p. 164.
It was largely the work of Westcott and Hort that pushed these two manuscripts to the fore and advanced the theory that "the oldest manuscripts are the most accurate." This has been echoed so often that today it has largely been accepted as a recognized fact.
I am reminded of Herr Hitler’s claim "Tell a lie often enough and it will be accepted as a truth. So let us note a few facts.
VATICANUS "B"
It is the best known Greek Uncial Manuscript. It came to light in the Vatican Library in 1481. It is believed to have been written in the 4th Century, between 350 to 370 A.D. Dr. Ruckman, the writer of many books on the manuscripts wrote:
"The Westcott and Hort text, is substantially the Roman Catholic Vaticanus (B). No Bible student has ever handled it, except Catholic scribes." The Christian Handbook of Manuscript Evidence, p. 24.
It is interesting to note that Westcott and Hort called the Vaticanus a "Neutral text preserved on an island of purity." (Since when is the Vatican "an island of purity.") The Vaticanus is always placed first. It is written on fine Vellum. It has 759 pages, 10 inches x 1036 inches. Each page has three narrow columns. It is in excellent condition. Apparently it has had very little use.
The Vaticanus omits from Gen.1:1 to Gen.46:28.
Also Psalms 106 to Psalms 138 is missing. Likewise Matt: 16:2,3; Rom.16:24; most of Paul’s epistles; and Revelation; and all of Hebrews after Heb. 9:14.
As one writer has stated "It cuts off the beginning, middle and end of the Scriptures, plus many other parts." The Vaticanus contains the Apocrypha and the Epistle of Barnabas.
As I write, before me is the "Ante-Nicene Christian Library, Vol.1. The Apostolic Fathers." This contains the Epistle of Barnabas. To give some idea of the nonsense this corrupt work contains, take for instance the reason given for not eating the hare. Here are his words:
"Moreover, ‘Thou shalt not,’ he says, ‘eat the hare.’ Wherefore? ‘Thou shalt not be a corrupter of boys, nor like unto such.’ Because the hare multiplies, year by year, the places of its conception; for as many years as it lives so many it has. Moreover, ‘Thou shalt not eat the hyena.’ He means, ‘Thou shalt not be an adulterer, nor a corrupter, nor be like to them that are such.’ Wherefore? Because that animal annually changes its sex, and is at one time male, and at another female."
Rome accepted the Apocrypha to get support for prayers for the dead. This grave error is based on the devil’s lie, "Ye shall not surely die." The Scriptures condemn this error, but these corrupt passages were accepted in the great "falling away."
However, the Old Testament accepted by the Jews, and used by our Lord and His Apostles had 39 books in it. The same books as found in the King James Version.
The Vaticanus and the Sinaiticus had these extra corrupt books in them. They thus "added" to the Scriptures of Jesus, despite the warning given in the Word of God.
DEUT.4:1,2 "Now therefore hearken, 0 Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth you.
Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.
DEUT.12:32 "What thing soever I command you, observe to do, thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it."
PROV.30:5,6 "Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar."
The New Testament gives the same solemn warning:
REV.22:18,19 "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."
The Vaticanus manuscript was available and known at the time of the reformers and the preparation of the King James Version in 1611. It was even referred to by Erasmus in 1515. Erasmus however entirely rejected the Vaticanus as unreliable see Sir Frederick Kenyon in "Our Bible and the Ancient Manuscripts," p. 202-3.
Of this period we have these very interesting inspired comments:
"In 1516, a year before the appearance of Luther’s theses, Erasmus had published his Greek and Latin version of the New Testament. Now for the first time the word of God was printed in the original tongue. In this work many errors of former versions were corrected." G.C. 245.
"Tyndale was to complete the work of Wycliffe in giving the Bible to His countrymen. A diligent student and an earnest seeker for truth, he had received the gospel from the Greek Testament of Erasmus. He fearlessly preached his convictions, urging that all doctrines be tested by the Scriptures. To the papist claim that the church had given the Bible, and the church alone could explain it, Tyndale responded:, "Do you know who taught the eagles to find their prey? Well, that same God teaches His hungry children to find their Father in His word. Far from having given us the Scriptures, it is you who have hidden them from us; it is you who burn those who teach them, and if you could, you would burn the Scriptures themselves." G.C. 245,7.
The Latin text referred to in G.C. 245, is the Latin Vulgate, which originated with St. Jerome in the 4th century, in the time of Constantine. This was the century when Sunday took the place of God’s Sabbath. This was the century when error came into the church like a flood. This was the century that produced the Vaticanus and Sinaiticus, and the Latin Vulgate. This was the time when as suggested by the "father of lies, ancient writings were forged by monks. Decrees of councils before unheard of, were discovered,...and a church that had rejected the truth, greedily accepted these deceptions." G.C. 56.
Catholic Authorities say:
"Writers of the fourth century were prone to describe many practices as Apostolic institutions which certainly had no claim to be so regarded." (Cath. Ency., III, 484).
"Some parts of the governmental system of the Catholic Church are of divine origin, and many of them are human institutions." (Externals of the Catholic Church, 19)
"One is forced to admit that the gradual corruption of Christianity began very early." (Cath. Ency., XII, 414).
"It would be a monstrous anachronism were we to attribute a belief in Papal infallibility to the Ante-Nicene Fathers." (Cath. Dic., 674).
Forgeries, Fabrications, Falsehoods, Fakes and Frauds!
"Substituting of false documents and tampering with genuine ones was quite a trade in the Middle Ages." (Cath. Ency., VI, 136).
This was the time the Vaticanus, Sinaiticus and the Vulgate saw the light of day. This is the time when the corrupt foundation of the modern per-versions were laid. This is when "the two most reliable (?) ancient manuscripts" had their beginning.
Notice some more interesting facts:
"The same text (Vaticanus) is the basic text for Nestles Critical edition."
Nestles makes "it clear in stating explicitly that the Vatican manuscript is to be preferred above every other manuscript." Ruckman, p. 25.
Tischendorf issued a revised text of the New Testament based predominantly on the Vaticanus and the Sinaiticus."
Think of it, "the Vaticanus leaves out words and whole clauses at least, 1491 times." "It bears evidence of a very careless copyist on every page."
"The Vaticanus drops from the Received Text at least 2877 words." ("Jesus said that man shall not live by bread alone, but by ever word of God." Luke 4:4, but the Vatican-based modern per-version omits these words of our Lord and our Judge.) Read for yourself Luke 4:4 in the Bible and compare it with the N.I.V.
Further the Vaticanus adds 536 words, substitutes 935 words, changes 2098, making 1578 differences."
"The Sinaiticus is even worse." It has nearly 9000 differences.
The Vatican treasures the Vaticanus. Corruptions are valuable to the papacy. Why not heed the sure word of prophecy that our Lord has given us?
"Not by one word, not by many words, but by every word that God has spoken, shall man live. You cannot disregard one word, a single injunction that He has given, however trifling it may seem to you, and be safe." Vol. 5,434.
BIBLE PROPHECY WARNS.
DANIEL 7:25 "And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time."
DANIEL 8:25 "And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand."
2 THESS.2:10-12 "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
This power, God says, works in deception. It changed God’s laws.
It changed His Sabbath.
It changes His Scriptures.
It brings in false and counterfeit versions and too many of God’s professed people "love to have it so."
Sister White says we have an, infallible Bible. In the face of that, how can any dare to say all versions have mistakes, as an excuse for laying aside that infallible Book. Why not stand with the Reformers and with their Bible?
G.C. 249 "The grand principle maintained by these Reformers—the same that had been held by the Waldenses, by Wycliffe, by John Huss, by Luther, by Zwingle, and those who united with them—was the infallible authority of the Holy Scriptures."
Now let us look to: THE OLDEST EVIDENCE.
The most popular argument in favour of the modern versions that I have noticed is that they are based on the oldest" and hence the "most reliable manuscript." This has silenced many. But is it true? Is it reliable? Consider a few facts and also a stronger evidence than the oldest (?)manuscripts. Take for instance their chief manuscript— The Vaticanus:
FACTS:
The facts are that no one knows for sure when, where and by whom the Vaticanus was written. They are all a matter of guess. They are wholly unknown. The style of writing is the main criterion for age.
"The style of writing adopted in the manuscripts... forms the simplest and surest criteria for approximating the date of the documents." Scrivener, p.29 Vol. I.
We must always remember that the practice of dating manuscripts did not begin till the 10th Century so that the age of all manuscripts prior to that time, are based, in main, on changes of style. The difficulties thus encountered by scholars in putting an accurate date on an ancient manuscript are illustrated by the following quote:
"The Herculanean papyri buried from 79 A. D. downwards may probably be a century older still .... Hence from three to hour hundred years must have elapsed betwix the date of the Herculanean rolls and that of our earliest Biblical (N.T.) manuscripts. Yet the fashion of writing has changed but little during the interval." Scrivener, page 33, Vol.1
THE FATHERS give us a much more reliable proof of time of writing. While we cannot get any of these manuscripts back beyond the 4th Century, the fathers can be dated back to the 2nd and 3rd Century.
Take an example: Basil, Bishop of Caesarea, died 379 A.D. Therefore, his writings would be most likely a few years before his death. Thus his writings were before the Vaticanus.
It is a significant, but usually neglected fact, that the fathers from the 2nd to the 5th Century used the Scriptures heavily. In fact if all the manuscripts were lost, the New Testament could practically all be restored by the quotations from the fathers alone. Over 95% of these quotations support the King James Version. These go back well before any known manuscript. This reveals the weakness in the claim that originated with Westcott and Hort, namely that the oldest manuscripts must be the most reliable. They hide the fact that these two oldest manuscripts are the product of the corrupt century of the compromising Constantine. This was the century when corruption poured into Christendom like a Niagara.
Jerome and Eusebius, lovers of Origen’s philosophizings, and worshippers of Constantine and compromise, produced the Vaticanus, Sinaiticus and Vulgate. Today, the defenders of these manuscripts boast that they come from the 4th Century. I agree. But what a century! Before me as I write is Mosheim’s church history, and under the Century he tells of the many, many errors that were introduced. This was the century the Sabbath was changed. Note the clear and definite statement:
"We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church in the Council of Laodicea (A.D. 336) transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday." the Convent’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine.
Inspiration points to this 4 century as the century of corruptions on a giant scale:
"The nominal conversion of Constantine, in the early part of the fourth century...Now the work of corruption rapidly progressed. Paganism, while appearing to be vanquished, became the conqueror ... This compromise between paganism and Christianity resulted in the development of the man of sin’ foretold in prophecy as opposing and exulting himself above God.
That gigantic system of false religion is the masterpiece of Satan’s power." G.C.45, 50
This compromise between paganism and Christianity resulted also in the corrupt manuscripts - the Vaticanus, Sinaiticus and the Vulgate.
In G.C. p. 56 we also read: "Ancient writings were forged by monks ... And a church that had rejected the truth greedily accepted these deceptions."
In Early Writings p. 220:
"I saw that God had especially guarded the Bible; yet when copies of it were few, learned men had in some instances changed the words, thinking that they were making it more plain."
The Catholic Encyclopaedia. "Substituting of false documents and tam ring with genuine ones was quite a trade in the Mile Ages." No, VI, p. 136.
Many excuses are made for the use of the N.I.V. and other popular perversions of Scripture. For instance, it is claimed that many new manuscripts have been found. Why don’t they tell you that of all manuscripts both old and new, 95% of them favour the King James Version and only a bare 5%, the corrupt products of the 4th Century.
Referring to the Vaticanus and Sinaiticus, Dean Burgan writes:- "These are two of the least trustworthy documents in existence." Revision Revised, p. 315,316.
Dr. Scrivener writes:
Sinaiticus "From the number of errors, one cannot affirm that it is very carefully written. The whole manuscript is disfigured by corrections, a few by the original scribe, very many by an ancient and elegant hand of the 6th Century whose emendations are of great importance, some again by a hand a little later, for the greatest number by a scholar of the 7th Century who often cancels the changes by the 6th Century amender, others by as many as eight (8) different later writers." p. 93.
GOD‘S WORD WILL BE PRESERVED.
Vaticanus—"One marked feature is the great number of omissions which induced Dr. Dobbin to speak of it as an abbreviated text of the New Testament. He calculates that whole words or clauses are left out no less than 2556 times." p. 120 Vol. 1.
God has preserved His Word.
PSALMS 12:6,7 The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, 0 Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever."
THE RECEIVED TEXT. There are over 5000 New Testament Manuscripts. 95% of them support what is known as the Textus Receptius or Received Text. This was the New Testament for 1500 years down to the reformation and for 350 years since.
OUR GOD CERTAINLY PRESERVED HIS WORD.
1 PETER 1:22-25 "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. ‘The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you."
REV.12:6,13,14 The Church in the Wilderness, adds her testimony. In addition to the multitude of Greek manuscripts of the Received Text there are Syrian copies from the 1st and 2nd Centuries.
Papyrus copies 150 - 400 AD
Uncial copies 500 - 1500 AD
Latin Bible - Waldensian 1100 - 1300
Latin Bible - Albigenses 1380 - X550
Latin Bible - Lollards 1300 -1500
Tyndale 1525
Luther Bible 1530
Coverdale 1535
Matthews 1537
Great Bible 1539
Geneva 1560
Bishops 1568
A.V. or K.J.V. 1611
This was the Bible of the Reformation, the Wesley revival and it was the Bible of the pioneers of the Great Advent Movement.
In the R. & H. of December 15, 1885 Sister White wrote:
"The Bible, and the Bible alone, is to be our creed,. the sole bond of union; all Who bow to this holy word will be in harmony. Our own views and ideas must not control our efforts. Man is fallible, but God’s word is infallible." Vol.1, p.770
This was before the modern flood of perversions of the Bible.
LUKE 4:4 "And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God."
The N.I.V. and other perversions has cut out the underlined words of Jesus. Why? Because the Vaticanus and Sinaiticus omitted them.
May I close with a few gems of inspiration
PROVERBS 30:5 "Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
6. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar."
"One scripture explaining another, and no word used in vain." L.S. 62.
"When His visible presence should be withdrawn, the word must be their source of power, Like their Master, they were to live "by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4 D.A.
"None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict." G.C. 593.
"Brethren, cling to your Bible, as it reads, and stop your criticisms in regard to its validity, and obey the Word, and not one of you will be lost." 1 SM 18.
"Satan is a cunning worker, and he will bring in subtle fallacies to darken and confuse the mind and root out the doctrines of salvation. Those who do not accept the Word of God just as it reads, will be snared in his trap." 2 SM 52.
"I take the Bible just as it is, as the Inspired Word. I believe its utterances in an entire Bible.." 7 B.C. 945.
"There is no Bible sanctification for those who cast a part of the truth behind them." B.C. on 1 Thess.4:3. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness,