Saturday, August 23, 2014

WM # 25: Review: Wretched Interview with James White

I posted a new edition of Word Magazine (# 25) today.  This episode offers a review of this youtube video from Wretched Radio in which host Todd Friel interviews RB apologist James White of issues related to text and translation of Scripture.

I took exception to several things in the video including:

1.  Confusing a concern for the traditional text of Scripture with KJV-Onlyism.

2.  Undermining the traditional text by disparaging Erasmus' printed edition of the Greek New Testament (1516), including charges that the edition was riddled with errors because Erasmus rushed the work into print to beat Cardinal Ximenes' Complutensian Polyglott to the market and that the ending of Revelation (the last 5 or 6 verses) is filled with "bizarre" readings.

3.  The implication that the so-called Comma Johanneum (in 1 John 5:7-8) in the TR lacks ancient attestation.

4.  The implication that support for the traditional text is rooted merely in threadbare traditionalism.

Here also are some links to resources mentioned in the podcast:

a.  My blogpost (tract):  A Brief Guide to Bible Translations.

b.  Google Books entry for Anne Reeve, Ed., Erasmus' Annotations on the New Testament:  The Gospels (London:  Duckworth, 1986).

c.  Franz Delitzsch's Handschriftliche Funde (Leipzig, 1861).

JTR


8 comments:

  1. Great Todd Friel impression :D

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  2. Also, James White asked the following on Twitter:

    James White
    @DrOakley1689

    "Looks like a good article to examine and refute on the Dividing Line! But…could Riddle identify which text?

    Since he seems to defend the Comma, then, Scrivener’s TR? Which one?"

    https://twitter.com/ConfessNBaptist/status/503898708681830402

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  3. This is another marketing campaign for the Critical Text. Thank you for the thoughtful analysis.

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  4. Steven,

    Thanks for your comment and the link to the FB discussion. I'll try to take a look at the discussion but must say I do not do FB.

    FYI, DV, I will post a rejoinder to JW's video in my next WM. Hopefully, I can get to it on Friday.

    JTR

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  5. Phil,

    Thanks for the encouragement.

    JTR

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  6. I had a friend ask me about this back in March when it came out. My response is posted at my blog at the following address: http://thewildernessroad.blogspot.com/2014/03/which-bible-translation-is-most-reliable.html

    Your thoughts appreciated.

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  7. Hi Jeff,
    I posted some comments about James White's video-response at the Confessing Baptist site, at the pertinent entries. Apparently White read them, because he has already responded, with his typical evasion-tactics.

    ("Darts," James White? Think of them, rather, as syringes filled with wholesome medicine, sent to a patient who will benefit if he allows himself to be pricked, instead of raising needless defenses.)

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  8. Sure thing pastor. Just an FYI, I had a friend in New Mexico ask me back in March about this video when it came out. The following link is where I posted my thoughts on it at the time. Thanks. http://thewildernessroad.blogspot.com/2014/03/which-bible-translation-is-most-reliable.html

    ReplyDelete