Textual Criticism Doesn't Really Matter?

Summary

In this video, Craig Truglia addresses the debate on the authenticity of certain New Testament passages, such as Mark 16:9-20 and John 7:53-81, which some Protestants question based on ancient manuscripts like Vaticanus and Sinaiticus. Truglia argues for their authenticity, citing early church fathers and the Orthodox view of sacred tradition. He contrasts this with the Orthodox Church's approach, which values consensus and spiritual discernment over textual criticism, emphasizing the importance of tradition and the Holy Spirit's guidance in interpreting scripture.

Takeaways

• 📜 The speaker, Craig Trulia, addresses the use of Vaticanus and Sinaiticus by Protestants to challenge the authenticity of certain New Testament verses.
• 🔍 Jacob Emmanuel questions the dismissal of passages like Mark 16:9-20, John 7:53-81, and 1 John 5:7 based on these manuscripts.
• 👨‍🏫 Craig explains the Orthodox Christian view, which relies on sacred tradition and the grace of the Church to preserve scriptures, rather than textual criticism alone.
• 🗣️ He argues that the longer ending of Mark is authentic, citing its presence in second-century documents like Saint Irenaeus' work.
• 🤔 Craig suggests that the pericope of the adulteress (John 7:53-81) might not be original but is part of Apostolic tradition, supported by early Church Fathers.
• 📚 He discusses the possibility of multiple editions of the Gospel of John, which could explain the presence of certain passages in some manuscripts but not others.
• 👥 Craig points out that the early Church had a nuanced view of scripture, distinguishing between prophetic and historical texts, with varying degrees of divine inspiration.
• 🙏 He emphasizes the importance of spiritual discipline in studying scriptures, suggesting that a lack of this leads to purely analytical approaches that miss the bigger picture.
• 🌐 The Orthodox Church's epistemology of consensus allows for a flexible approach to scripture, valuing tradition and spiritual edification over strict textual authority.
• 📖 Craig encourages the use of various translations and versions of the Bible, believing that God's grace can edify people despite translational imperfections.
• 💬 He concludes by inviting viewers to engage further through donations, joining a Discord community, and sharing the video to continue the conversation.

Q & A

What is the main issue Jacob Emmanuel raises in his question?

Jacob Emmanuel raises the issue of the authenticity of certain New Testament verses and passages, such as Mark 16:9-20, John 7:53-81, and 1 John 5:7, which are questioned by some Protestants using Vaticanus and Sinaiticus manuscripts as their authority.

What is the Orthodox Christian view on the authenticity of these passages?

The Orthodox Christian view is that they believe in sacred tradition and the grace of the Church preserving the scriptures, and they do not require textual perfection for the integrity of tradition.

Why does Craig Truglia believe the longer ending of Mark is authentic?

Craig Truglia believes the longer ending of Mark is authentic because it is quoted in detail in the second-century document 'Against Heresies' by Saint Irenaeus, suggesting it existed in the second century.

What is the argument against the pericope of the adulteress in John 7:53-81?

The argument against the pericope of the adulteress is that it might not be original to the Gospel of John because it is not found in some manuscripts and is found in some manuscripts of the Gospel of Luke.

How does Craig Truglia explain the presence of the pericope of the adulteress in different manuscripts?

Craig Truglia suggests that the pericope of the adulteress could have been part of an early or earliest autograph of the Gospel of John, or it could have been added in a third edition, and it might have been copied into other manuscripts due to awareness of the tradition.

What is the significance of the multiple endings of the Gospel of John according to Truglia?

The multiple endings of the Gospel of John suggest that there were multiple editions of the gospel, which could explain the presence or absence of certain passages like the pericope of the adulteress.

Why does Truglia argue that 1 John 5:7 might not be original to the Gospel of John?

Truglia argues that 1 John 5:7 might not be original because it first appears in the third century and there is an explanation from Saint Ambrose that Arian copyists were removing it from the manuscript.

What does Truglia mean when he says Orthodox Christians don't believe all scriptures are qualitatively inspired by God in the same way?

Truglia means that not all parts of the Bible are considered to be directly spoken by God or of equal authority; some are seen as historically or traditionally significant but not necessarily divinely inspired.

How does the Orthodox Church's epistemology of consensus help in understanding the authenticity of scriptures?

The Orthodox Church's epistemology of consensus allows for a more flexible approach to scripture authenticity, relying on tradition and the collective agreement of the Church rather than strict textual criticism.

What is the importance of spiritual discipline in studying scriptures according to Truglia?

Truglia emphasizes the importance of spiritual disciplines such as liturgical use, daily devotion, fasting, and prayer in studying scriptures, as these practices allow for spiritual discernment rather than purely analytical approaches.

How does Truglia view the role of translation in the understanding of scriptures?

Truglia believes that despite imperfections in translations, God's grace can help overcome these issues, and the consensus and tradition of the Church can guide the understanding of scriptures, allowing for edification from various translations.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Orthodox View on Biblical Manuscripts

Craig Trulia addresses a question about the Orthodox Christian perspective on the authenticity of certain New Testament verses, which are disputed by some Protestants who rely on specific ancient manuscripts like Vaticanus and Sinaiticus. Trulia explains that Orthodox Christians believe in sacred tradition and the grace of the Church, which provides a unified view of scripture. He argues that the longer ending of the Gospel of Mark (Mark 16:9-20) is authentic, citing its presence in early Church Father Irenaeus' writings as evidence. Trulia also discusses the possibility of manuscript damage or selective copying as reasons why some texts might be missing from certain manuscripts.

05:01

🔍 Analyzing the Pericope Adultery and John 5:7

The paragraph delves into the authenticity of the pericope adultery (John 7:53-8:11) and the passage in 1 John 5:7. Trulia suggests that while there is a stronger textual case for the pericope adultery not being original to the Gospel of John, its presence in early Church tradition, such as Saint Papias' writings, supports its authenticity. He also considers the possibility of multiple editions of the Gospel of John and the influence of copyists. Regarding 1 John 5:7, Trulia points out that its absence in some manuscripts could be due to Arian copyists' tampering, as noted by Saint Ambrose. He emphasizes that the Orthodox Church's acceptance of these passages is based on tradition and consensus rather than the perfection of textual evidence.

10:01

🌟 Spiritual Disciplines and Scriptural Interpretation

Trulia discusses the importance of spiritual disciplines in studying scriptures and how a lack of these practices can lead to a purely analytical and historical approach, which may miss the spiritual truths. He contrasts this with the Orthodox Church's epistemology of consensus, which values tradition and the collective wisdom of the Church over individual textual criticism. Trulia argues that this approach allows for a more flexible understanding of the biblical canon and the inspiration of scripture, including the acceptance of texts that may not be considered canonical by some but are still spiritually edifying.

15:03

🙏 Conclusion and Call to Action

In the concluding paragraph, Trulia summarizes the discussion and encourages viewers to support the evangelization efforts in Cambodia through donations to Orthodox Christian Theology. He invites viewers to join the conversation on Discord and to like and share the video. The video ends with a quote from Jesus, emphasizing the importance of fighting for the truth and having faith that God will support those who do so.

Keywords

💡Vaticanus and Sinaiticus

Vaticanus and Sinaiticus are two ancient Greek manuscripts of the Bible. They are significant in the video as they are used by some Protestants to argue against the authenticity of certain New Testament verses. The video discusses the historical reception of these manuscripts and how their use in textual criticism has led to debates within Christian theology.

💡Authenticity

Authenticity in the context of the video refers to the genuineness or originality of biblical texts. The speaker discusses the authenticity of certain verses in the New Testament, such as Mark 16:9-20, and how different manuscripts like Vaticanus and Sinaiticus are used to question or affirm their authenticity.

💡Sacred Tradition

Sacred Tradition, as mentioned in the video, is the belief in the Orthodox Church that there is a body of apostolic teachings and practices that are preserved by the Church. It is contrasted with textual criticism and is seen as a way to maintain the integrity of the scriptures and church teachings.

💡Ecumenical Councils

Ecumenical Councils are significant gatherings in Christian history where church leaders convene to discuss and affirm matters of faith and practice. The video mentions these councils as part of the sacred tradition that helps preserve and interpret the scriptures.

💡Pericope Adultery

The Pericope Adultery refers to the passage in John 7:53-8:11, which tells the story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery. The video discusses the textual evidence for and against its inclusion in the original Gospel of John and how it is treated within the Orthodox Church.

💡Textual Criticism

Textual Criticism is the study of determining the original text of a document, in this case, biblical texts. The video discusses how textual criticism is used to question the authenticity of certain passages and how it contrasts with the Orthodox view of sacred tradition.

💡Church Superintending

Church Superintending refers to the belief that the Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, preserves and protects the scriptures and teachings. The video argues that this belief in the Church's role in preserving the scriptures is why the Orthodox Church does not have issues with certain disputed passages.

💡Harmony

Harmony, in the context of the video, refers to the idea that the various parts of tradition, scripture, and church teachings work together to form a cohesive whole. The speaker argues that the harmony of these elements is what holds the tradition together, rather than perfection at every textual point.

💡Occam's Razor

Occam's Razor is a principle that suggests the simplest explanation is often the correct one. The video uses this principle to argue for the authenticity of certain biblical passages, suggesting that the simplest explanation is that they were part of the original texts.

💡Epistemology

Epistemology is the study of knowledge and how we come to know things. The video discusses the Orthodox Church's consensus-based epistemology, which relies on tradition and the collective wisdom of the Church rather than individual textual analysis.

💡Canonical

Canonical refers to texts that are accepted as authoritative and part of the official collection of scriptures. The video discusses how certain texts, like the pericope adultery, are considered canonical by the Orthodox Church despite questions about their authenticity in some manuscripts.

Highlights

Discussion on the use of Vaticanus and Sinaiticus by Protestants to challenge the authenticity of certain New Testament verses.

Orthodox Christian belief in sacred tradition and the grace of the church as a means of preserving scriptures.

Craig Trulia's stance that the longer ending of Mark (Mark 16:9-20) is authentic due to its presence in second-century documents.

Explanation of manuscript wear and tear as a possible reason for missing passages in some versions of the New Testament.

Argument for the authenticity of the pericope adultery (John 7:53-8:11) based on early second-century attestation.

Hypothesis that the pericope adultery could have been part of an early autograph of the Gospel of John.

Discussion on the possibility of multiple editions of the Gospel of John and the inclusion of the pericope adultery.

The significance of Saint Papias' records and their relation to the pericope adultery.

Analysis of the authenticity of 1 John 5:7, with reference to Saint Cyprian and Saint Ambrose.

Explanation of how the text of 1 John 5:7 was removed by Arian copyists, according to Saint Ambrose.

Craig Trulia's view on the qualitative differences in scriptural inspiration and the role of consensus in Orthodox theology.

The importance of spiritual disciplines in studying scriptures, as opposed to purely analytical approaches.

The role of consensus and tradition in Orthodox Christianity and how it impacts the understanding of scripture.

Craig Trulia's personal preference for certain Bible translations and his critique of the New World Translation.

The idea that the Septuagint and Vulgate can both be edifying despite differences due to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Final thoughts on the importance of tradition and consensus in Orthodox Christianity and the flexibility of the biblical canon.

Call to action for viewers to donate to support missionary work in Cambodia and engage in further discussion on the topic.

Transcripts

welcome to Orthodox Christian theology

this is Craig Trulia and we got a

question from Jacob Emmanuel he says if

you don't mind telling me your thoughts

what's your take on the popular

Protestant Doctrine in which many

Protestants use vaticanus and sinaiticus

to latter being a manuscript received by

one Constantine Von tischerdorf from

Saint Catherine's Eastern Orthodox

Monastery in 1844 a couple of the

claimed that unnamed Scholars have

declared these to be the oldest and best

manuscripts as an authority to deny the

authenticity of numerous New Testament

verses and passages such as Mark 16 9 20

John 7 53-811 and first John 5 7

Etc

now he is not joking because I've heard

James White say that he won't preach out

of those passages because they're not

authentic I've heard John Piper preach

that yes these passages aren't authentic

but they're useful because you could

cross them with other passages of the

scriptures and then those sermons become

exercises and preaching on those other

passages and making excuses for what

they doubt was really in the scriptures

now us Orthodox don't have this issue

because we believe in sacred tradition

the idea that there's some Apostles in

the scriptures they make a unified whole

we believe in the grace of church

superintending the church's actions and

preserving the scriptures the biblical

Canon canons really as well as The

ecumenical councils and other Cotillion

documents are prayers so that the

Integrity for tradition doesn't actually

demand that in any textual Point there's

perfection

right because it's the harmony of

everything that holds it all together

now I always ask well what do you

actually think about the textual

Traditions so let's jump into that now

the longer ending of Mark Mark 16 9 to

20. I think it's authentic why because

it's quoted in detail in Saint irenaeus

against heresies how would it find

itself in a second century document

if it didn't exist in the second century

so just because you could show me a

fourth Century document where the longer

ending is missing that's really not

convincing to me then that shows you

before then it didn't exist because we

already have a second century document

with the longer ending of Mark

so that should distill away with the

whole issue though it's worth bringing

up that at the beginning of manuscripts

and at the end of manuscripts from very

frequent use it's common for parts to

tear out and so maybe those versions

would have the part torn out or they're

copied from a version where the part

torn out my own prior book literally the

cover and the first few pages are

totally torning off just from frequent

use so the same thing would have

happened with a early version of Mark

and this led to a corrupt version being

copied the longer ending is certainly

authentic and the consensus and

reception of the church on this issue

settles it now when it comes to the

pericope adultery in John 7 53 811 a

better textual case could be made that

it's not original to the Gospel of John

strictly because it's not found in some

manuscripts and it's found that some

manuscripts of gospel Luke right how

does it find itself in different

manuscripts well I want people to

consider two things first saint papius

records in the early second century an

episode very similar to this one and we

don't have it quoted because we just

know from Saint arenaeus that St Papi

has talked about such an episode so it

might have been adverbatim the same

thing

that being said being that we know it as

second century attestation that's at

least proof that it was considered

authentic oral tradition

now how about the possibility it was

authentic to an early or earliest

autograph the gospel John well the

gospel John presently has two endings

right and because there's it's second

last chapter where it ends and then it

ends again in the next chapter What's

that show us it shows us that the

Apostle John or whoever wrote it for him

took his Traditions wrote it once and

then decided to add some things and

expanded the gospel so if we already

know there's multiple editions what is

not to say that one there could have

been a third edition where the pericope

adultery was added

now someone if they're really Brainiac

we'll say because Saint Ernie has

ascribes the pericope adultery to papias

and not to the gospel John so this shows

we actually know it's from a different

book

and they'd be like hmm that's some high

level thinking you got going on there

here's my argument against that because

the Apostle John continued living into

the early second century if you continue

to live in the early second century and

it really was his tradition that St

papius wrote down when it makes sense if

they're making multiple editions gospel

John they go well we really should add

this to it

and that now makes sense of it for those

who go well how about the versions of

the Gospel Luke well because there would

have been already other manuscripts of

the Gospel John without it because

there's multiple editions and people

have been aware of this tradition they

might have decided Well we got to add it

to this manuscript and they did so as

maybe a copious error or just good

intentions

and so it really does not definitively

prove that the pericope adultery is an

original the gospel John because we

already know there's multiple versions

and at very least it's certainly an

Apostolic tradition that's attest to in

the early second century and the fact

that it's found itself in the consensus

of additions the gospel John used by the

Orthodox Church makes this a non-issue

for us

five seven it's first attestation is in

the third Century in Saint cyprian he

doesn't always quote the scripture

saying the scriptures say and so the

fact that he doesn't say so before

talked about first John 5 7 where it

talks about the Holy Trinity

this would not mean that he was just

speaking for himself and not quoting the

scripture

I think he was quoting the scripture

because in the fourth Century Saint

Ambrose and I think it's an on the Holy

Spirit if I remember the book right he

makes mention of when it started finding

itself out of manuscripts he said that

Aryan copyists were removing it from

first John 5 7.

and so we actually have an explanation

of how it began disappearing when it

started disappearing ironically the same

Century where we have our earliest

manuscripts with it lacking now people

may say well why don't we have more than

people that more people than Saint

cyprian and Saint Ambrose talking about

this well first John was a letter of

doubted Authority uh eusebius wrote

about this in the early 4th century and

his career actually took them into the

late 3rd Century so this is a scripture

that didn't have consensus around it as

to it being canonical and for that

reason there have been less people

quoting it and less people getting into

the nitty-gritty of what's in it and

what's not

so I think we're just going to go simply

the the simplest explanation Occam's

razor we have a quote in the third

Century we have an explanation from a

trustworthy source of people doctoring

uh the same passage to remove it that

explains why it's gone in some of the

additions but not in all of them

now I want to change topics a little bit

it's about why this is an issue reason

number one reason it's not an issue is

because Orthodox don't believe all

scriptures are qualitatively this

inspired by God in the same way now that

sounds scandalous this is where I

recommend people read the notes of Saint

Nicodemus the hegirite of apostolicated

85. now according to Saint Nicodemus the

historical books the Old Testament like

first and second Samuel first and second

Kings

uh the deuterol cannon

for example and The ecumenical councils

are not prophetic

spoken by God written down a paper

rather they are super intended by God

meaning there's people writing their own

opinions their own studies like first

and second Kings they tell you

historical sources they're studying the

adults the kings of Judah they write it

down but the process has been preserved

and protected by God so what they write

and the end product is true as God

intended

we believe the same occurs in ecumenical

councils for example

Saint Nicodemus even cites at the end of

second Maccabees the author makes

apologies for the quality of his

production and so if he's making an

apology for the quality of his

Production Saint Nicodemus uh says then

it couldn't actually be God because God

wouldn't apologize for equality of his

production

so let's now talk about prophecy

according to the Saints like Saint

nathanagoras Saint Jerome and also

origen talks about this

those who wrote the scriptures were like

God playing a harp okay so meaning thus

saith the Lord really would be God

speaking even though a man's voice in a

man's fingers writing down this stuff

would have been occurring it would have

been literally what God wanted said

superintendent is qualitatively

different right it's God allowing people

to say what they want to say but letting

it fall by the wayside or them not get

into conversations and write down the

things he didn't want said

right so we had to look at qualitative

differences in scriptures and if we use

these categories of thought it actually

clears up a lot of problems why are why

is Deuter Cannon secondary why do people

kind of treat it like it's a little less

important

why are there books of the Old Testament

like Esther that were treated as

doubtful authorities by a lot of saints

why do we talk about 66 buchanans like

Saint Jerome but then we quote other

scriptures that are called Canon in

other contexts because there's awareness

in early church that there are

scriptures that are inspired by God and

others that are maybe doubtful in the

sense that they're not the same but

useful in the church

and the quotes of the guts to the city

of God

by consensus on these issues he says the

acceptance of the scripture gets the

force of Law and he's talking about

wisdom to Solomon particularly right so

even if it's lacking according to say

Augustine to in the temple of Jerusalem

and has gained the force of law through

custom of the church

and so that custom that consensus over

it solves the issue for us

now I think the reason why people get

into a lot of problems with this and why

this comes from post-enlightenment

thought and textual critics and

prosatism is there's a lack of spiritual

disciplines in studying the scriptures

right people aren't using the scriptures

liturgically they are not using the

scriptures enough in daily devotion they

should be reading four chapters a day so

they could finish the scriptures once a

year

they're not fasting on Wednesdays and

Fridays they're not doing morning and

evening prayers they're not doing good

works they're not giving alms the

scriptures are spiritually discerned as

First Corinthians 2 says and so because

they're not trying to spiritually

discern these things they look at these

things analytically and they try to look

at these things strictly as historians

in the discipline of history and so they

missed the forest from the trees

right and then so missing the forest

from the trees they start thinking well

I can't I can't preach in the park of

adultery even though that 2 000 years of

Christians have been edified from

preaching from the pericope adulterate

right and then we know there's something

wrong where we can't be edified by

something that people have been edified

by for so long

I think because the Orthodox church has

epistemology of consensus

that when we don't need textual

Authority for something for it to be

authoritative for us for it to be

something that we could preach through

for something that we could say is

actually inspired by the Holy Spirit

just maybe qualitatively different and

so this allows us to really not worry

whether or not the text type is perfect

the other issues translation I've been

edified by all sorts of biblical

translations

and I'd say the only one that's truly

terrible would be the nwt right the

Jehovah's Witness one

and so that being said because none of

them are truly terrible you could be

edified despite many of the

imperfections because again God's grace

will help you overcome any problems with

the translation personally I'm a bit of

a new King James guy I have a soft spot

for the nrsv I think it's quite elegant

for my Old Testament I like reading the

Septuagint personally other than for the

Book of Job I think the Book of Job is

defective in the Septuagint because it's

actually translation of the Aramaic

targum but this is not important we have

Saints have quoted from the Septuagint

version and made edifying commentaries

we have saints that have quoted from The

Vulgate which is from the masoretic text

version of The Book of Job and it shows

being that the Saints could quote from

both we could be edified by both because

it's the same holy spirit that inspires

us it's the same fear of the Lord that

gives us wisdom and so in short yes I do

think that the actual historical

arguments against the pericope adultery

the longer ending a mark first John 5 7

leave a lot uh wanting but that being

said that's not what's important what's

important it's a spiritual discipline

when it's important to consensus-based

epistemology we don't need to reinvent

the wheel if we've always been edified

by this is what we've always had this we

always received just so you find hiccups

where this was popular here or there for

brief periods of time doesn't mean now

we radically change how we listen to the

scriptures how we read the scriptures

how we publish the scriptures

and I think that's why the orthocs could

work with a more flexible Cannon than

those with Western ecclesiologies and

Western epistemologies because consensus

is what gives us this understanding and

tradition tradition is scripture and

oral tradition and the consensus of the

church it's a Harmony of all these

things and so if we have multiple

biblical canons let's say and canons who

have trulo it helps us because we have

more to draw from we got more to discern

and we see it all through the lens of a

harmonious tradition where even when

there's differences they complement each

other

now how these things work would be

topics other video but this would give

you a lot to chew on now if this video

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will end this show as I end all them

quoting Jesus to Rock fight to death for

the truth and the Lord God will fight

for you God bless you have a great day