No. 78 OFFICIAL NEWS ORGAN OF THE DEAN BURGON SOCIETY
October--December, 2006
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"The Words of the Lord are pure Words: as silver tried in a furnace
of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them
from this generation for ever." (Psalm 12:6-7)
GET DR. MOORMAN’S
LATEST BOOK--ON 8,000 C.T. & T.R. DIFFERENCES!!
The DBS members cannot begin to
express their appreciation to Calvary Baptist Church, of Robbinsdale, MN, and
their pastor, Dr. Mike Monte, along with his wife, Susan for hosting the 28th
Annual Meeting. There are too many special, hardworking servants in the church
to mention their names individually, but a special thank you is in order to Paul
Ramnarine and his family for the shuttle service, kitchen duty, and serving
tables. There was a sweet spirit present at the meeting.
In case you could not be at the
annual conference, you can order audio tapes (9 audio cassettes @ $25 + $4
S&H) or video tapes (3 videos or 2 DVD’s, 6 hours each, @ $35 + $5.00 S&H)
The DBS is a non-profit
organization that has many ministries around the world. It is in need of your
help. Will you contribute regularly ANY amount?
Please ask the missionary
committee in your church to consider a regular contribution to the DBS to help
the many ministries that are offered such as the printing and publishing of
books, the educational ministry, Website articles, regional meetings,
missionary-representative to local churches, DBS News, radio ministry,
live-streaming of DBS meetings, Spanish outreach ministry, and the assistance of
translators around the world. ANY gift of any amount would be
helpful. If any additional information is required, please send your request by
E-mailing DBS@Dean BurgonSociety.org, or mailing any questions or any
gift of ANY size to The Dean Burgon Society, Box 354,
Collingswood, NJ, 08108.
by Dr. D. A. Waite, D.B.S. President
Several
announcements are pertinent in this issue of the DBS News:
1. Several years ago, Dr. Jack Moor- man completed
his extensive work, “8,000 Differences Between the Textus Receptus and
the Nestle-Aland New Testament Greek Texts.” This 544-page work is a
must for everyone’s library. The Dean Burgon Society (DBS) and the Bible For
Today (BFT) are uniting jointly to publish this important work. These
organizations believe it is necessary to publish this work now for the following
reasons: (1) It is needed for a special inter- national meeting of
Bible translators in late October.
(2) It is needed for the DBS Regional Meeting in
March 5-6, 2007 in Chicago.
(3) It is needed by all translators of the Bible
everywhere in the world.
(4) It is needed by all defenders of God’s Words to see
the differences in the falsely-constructed Greek text compared to the Received
Greek text underlying our King James Bible. The work is scheduled to be
available by the end of October.
2. The DBS and BFT plead for your assistance to
publish this important work. The costs will be difficult to recoup through sales
because of the lack of public demand. The book will be for a GIFT of $20.00
+ $5.00 S&H. However, the work is being offered until the end of
December for a gift of only $12.00 + $5.00 S&H as a special prepub- lication
price. Why not obtain a copy for yourself, for a friend, and/or for
your pastor.
3. Another special offer for you to help
with this endeavor until the end of December is a TRIO of books for $28.00
(normally $56.00) + $5.00 S&H. The set consists of (1) The
8,000 Differences, (2) Miller’s Guide to Textual Criticism,
and (3) D. A. Waite, Jr.’s Doctored New Testament (The
Englishman’s Edition of Scrivener’s Annotated Greek New Testament).
Please reserve your copies online at www.biblefortoday.org
or www.deanbur- gonsociety.org or by calling 1-800-John 10:9.
4. The DBS Executive Committee at the 28th
annual conference in Robbinsdale, MN, purposed to expand its radio outreach by
authorizing a worldwide shortwave radio ministry. A goodwill offering made at
the DBS Annual Conference helped launch the radio program. However, additional
funds will be needed to continue the effort. WE NEED YOUR HELP! If God is
touching your heart, please contribute to these missionary out- reaches.
You may mail your gifts to The Dean Burgon Society, Box 354, Collings- wood, NJ,
08108.
5. Please make a note to attend the first Regional
Meeting (RM) of the DBS. It was approved by the Executive Committee and
will be hosted by Ravenswood Baptist Church in Chicago, IL, where Dr. Phil
Stringer is Pastor. It will be held Monday and Tuesday, March 5-6, 2007. The
theme of the meeting is “The Received Text is for the Whole World.” The
RM will be translated into Spanish for
Spanish-speaking attendees by Dr. Humberto Gomez and his assistants. The English
session will be live-streamed over the Internet. Prayerfully, future Regional
Meet- ings will be held at various locations around America and the world with
different DBS speakers at each meeting. For additional information, see the DBS
and BFT web sites.
By Dr. Phil Stringer, DBS Advisory Council
THE BIG QUESTION
How do we know what books belong in the Bible?
The word canon refers to a rule by which something is judged.
The Greek word for canon originally meant “reed.” Reeds were used like rulers or
yardsticks are today. The word came to be translated as rule or measure.
In
reference to the Scripture, the Canon is the list of books that are properly
called Scripture. Canonization was a recognition that God had inspired the
writing of a book.
THE CANON IS DETERMINED BY GOD
It is important to recognize that church councils and leaders
could not have imposed a Canon of Scripture upon the people that a strong
majority of them did not already accept.
Canonicity was recognized first in the hearts of individual
Christians (The New Testament priesthood), then by local churches, and finally
by church councils.
God guided His believer priests in the gathering of the
individual books of Scripture. There are historical references that indicate
that this was done under the supervision of the apostles, especially John. H. S.
Miller de- scribes the process this way:
“It is held by the great writers, ancient and modern, and by the great church
creeds and con- fessions, that above and beyond the common consent of the Church
we have the perfect assurance of the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit. The
same Spirit who inspired the writers in producing the New Testament guided the
Church step by step in the growth of the Canon, and bears witness with our
spirits that the Canon is correct” (General Biblical Introduction, p.
141).
THE OLD TESTAMENT CANON
The Jews recognized that God inspired all Words of the message
of the prophets! Often these messages were spoken, but at times God led the
prophets to write down His Words. These writings were the “Holy Writings”--Scripture.
These writings were committed to the Levites.
The Levites recognized three steps in the formation of the
Canon:
1. Divine
inspiration
2. Human
recognition of divine inspiration
3.
Collection of the inspired Scriptures
The Old Testament priesthood was simply trusted to recognize
what God had inspired through His prophets!
Jesus endorsed the entire range of the Old Testament Scripture
(Luke 11:51, Matt. 23:36)!
THE CLOSING OF THE OLD
TESTAMENT CANON
The Canon of the Old Testament was closed when the Holy Spirit
stopped giving the prophets new written inspired messages. The people could
clearly tell when someone was prophesying (1 Samuel 10:10-13, 19:18-24).
The last
five men of the Old Testament whom God used to prophesy and write Scripture
lived during roughly the same period of time: Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah
and Malachi. After these men, prophecy ceased until the New Testament era.
First Maccabees (100 B.C.) reports that the people were perplexed because
there were no prophets among them (1 Maccabees 4:46, 9:27, 4:41).
Josephus was a Jewish historian, writing just after the time of
Christ. He makes the point that no new Jewish Scripture had been given since the
time of Artaxerxes 1 (465-424 B.C.). The reason was that the Jews no longer had
any prophets. He also listed the canonical books of the Old Testament! He gave
exactly the same list to be found today in the King James Bible.
He pointed out that the Hebrews con- considered these books as
sacred, and that no one dared to make any addition, subtraction or alteration to
them (Against Apion 1:8).
The book of Second Maccabees refers to Nehemiah gathering
all the sacred Scriptures of the Hebrew together and putting them into one
library (2 Macc. 2:13). The Jewish Talmud refers to the “great men of the
synagogue” and Ezra collecting all of the sacred books and placing them into
one volume.
In A.D. 70 a number of Jewish rabbis met in the Council of Jamnia. They specifically confirmed the same Old Testament books that are found
in the King James Bible today.
THE APOCRYPHA
The term apocrypha means “hidden” or “secret.” Today the term is
used of fourteen books that are accepted in the official Roman Catholic Canon of
the Old Testament but that have been rejected by Baptists and (until recently)
by Protestants.
These books were written between the close of the Old Testament
Canon and the beginning of the New Testament era. The Jews never accepted these
books and never listed them as a part of the Old Testament. Christ and the
apostles never quoted from or alluded to these books.
King James Bible critics often like to point out that the
Apocrypha was included in early editions of the King James Bible. This is true
but they were placed in a separate category between the Testaments with a note
about the “Canonical and Apocryphal Books.” They were clearly identified as
“Apocryphal” and not “Canonical.”
King James himself wrote, “as to the apocrypha books, I omit
them because I am no Papist (as I said before) and indeed someone of them are as
like the indictment of the Spirit of God, as an Egg is to an Oyster”
(Basilikon Doron).
THE NEW TESTAMENT CANON
During the New Testament era, God used apostles to deliver the
message of the New Testament, Hebrew 2:3-4, 2 Cor. 12:12.
Over a thirty-five year period, God led the apostles to write 27
books. The original manuscripts were sent to a number of different locations.
Copies began to be made and shared between churches.
THE NEED FOR A RECOGNIZED
CANNON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
From the very beginning, heretics began to write their own ideas
into books and pretend that these books were written by apostles. Books like
The Gospel of Thomas, and The Acts of Paul and Thecla were used to
advance heresy. Various sects promoted phony gospels and epistles but they had
little impact on genuine believers. However, Bible believers longed to know
whether they had collected all the New Testament Scriptures.
JOHN AND THE NEW
TESTAMENT CANON
Augustine wrote that the New
Testament was confirmed by the apostles (Eleventh book, Against Faustus the
Manichean, chapter 5).
Jerome states that John collected all the books of the New
Testament and that he rejected any fictitious books. A false book, The Acts
of Paul and Thecla, was presented to John, but he rejected it and identified
and condemned the true author (The Catalogue of Jerome, first volume).
Eusebius wrote that John collected and recognized the canonical
books by 95 A.D. (Eusebius, History of the Church, book III, chapter 24).
Tertullian wrote that the original manuscripts of the apostles
were available in his day and that copies could be compared to them. (Prescriptions
of Tertullian, Leopold edition, prescription 3, page 25).
The New Testament Canon was estab- lished long before the
official councils of the state church took place. The books of the New Testament
were recognized by the testimony of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the
priesthood of believers. They were collected by the apostles, particularly John.
They were recog- nized by apostolic authority just as they were written by
apostolic authority. The Latin Itala Bible, translated by 150 A.D., had every
canonical book of the Old and New Testa- aments just as we have them today.
THE CHURCH COUNCILS
As the Emperor Constantine began to merge Christianity,
paganism, and the Roman Empire into one state church, new issues arose!
Some genuine Christians, weary of centuries of persecution,
joined the state church. They struggled to make orthodox Christianity the
doctrine of the state church. They attempted to battle paganism and heresy from
within the state church. The first great champion of the orthodox Christians was Athanasius. He battled the Arians to make the Deity of Christ and the Trinity
official doc- trine.
He also campaigned to get the state church to recognize an
official Canon of Scripture. He wrote, “Our whole Scripture is divinely
inspired and hath books not infinite in number, but finite and comprehended in a
certain canon.” (Synopsis Oppositions 2:126). In 367 A.D., he clearly
listed the books that we have now in our King James Bible. He wrote, “Let no
one add to these, let nothing be taken away from them” (Ibid).
Augustine chaired three church councils that dealt with the
subject of the Canon, the Council of Hippo in 393 A.D. and the Councils of
Carthage in 397 and 419 A.D. All came to the same conclusion. They each listed
as the Canon of Scripture exactly the same books that we have now in the King
James Bible.
In later centuries, the Roman Catholic Church would declare that
it had the power to decide which books were Scripture. Protes- tants were quick
to reject the idea that the Roman Catholic Church had authority over the
Scriptures!
In 1559, John Calvin wrote (in The French Confession) “We
know these books to be canonical and the sure rules of our faith, not so much by
the common accord and consent of the Church, as by the testimony and inward
illumination of the Holy Spirit, which enables us to distinguish them from
other ecclesiastical books upon which, however useful, we cannot found any
article of faith.”
THE
FALSE WRITINGS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT ERA
As soon as the New Testament writings began to be distributed,
heretics began to distribute their own writings. They often falsely attributed
the authorship of these writings to the apostles.
The New Testament pseudepigrapha (false writings) have gained a
lot of renewed attention. The books of Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code, etc.)
and the theories of modernist Christianity have found a great deal of support in
some of the pseudepigrapha. Some eighty Gnostic writings have been published in
English by Bart Ehrman in “The Lost Scrip- tures.”
These books were routinely rejected by early Christian leaders.
They were accepted by isolated cults and heretics but never by any number of
Bible-believing Christians. It was not necessary for church councils to reject
these books, the New Testament believer priesthood had already done so!
THE EXTERNAL TESTS OF
CANONICITY
The Jews, pagans, and Christian heretics all challenged the New
Testament Canon. Unbelievers could not understand how that the Scriptures could
authenticate themselves in the heart of believers. Christians began to develop
explanations to defend the authority of the New Testament books. These were
referred to as the tests of canonicity.
The first and most basic test of canonicity was apostolic
authority. God used the apostles to deliver revelation and to write down His
holy writings.
Apostles may also have written books and letters that were not
inspired (Paul wrote at least two other letters to the Corinthians). By the
grace of God none of the uninspired writings of the apostles have survived! This
prevents any confusion from trying to distinguish between inspired and
uninspired writings of apostles. The New Testament is accepted based upon having
been written by apostles or under the authority of an apostle. Many early
Christian authors (Eusebius, Papias, Justin Martyr for example) describe Luke
and Acts as being authorized by Paul and Mark as being authorized by Peter.
These books were accepted upon the basis of apostolic authority!
Other tests of canonicity included: (1) What is the subject of
the book? (2) Does it claim to be inspired? (3) Does it have any provable
errors?
CONCLUSION
The New Testament Canon has stood for nearly 2,000 years. From
the beginning, the Bible-believing independent churches (Baptist) accepted the
same canon that is found in our Bible. In the early days of the state church,
the orthodox believers advocated the same books found today in the King James
Bible! The Protestants accepted the same books found today in our Bible.
The Scriptures were written by the guidance of the Holy Spirit
through human penmen. The Scriptures were collected (canonized) based upon the
work of the Holy Spirit! The Scriptures are preserved by the Holy Spirit.
Editor’s note
[The following article by Dr. Waite is too large
for one edition of the DBS News. It will be divided among the next
several issues. Please plan to keep this issue (and the next few issues of our
Dean Burgon News as well) so you can read the article in its entirety.
[We cannot stress enough the importance of the controversy over
the false Greek text and theories first introduced by Bishop Westcott and
Professor Hort. Their virtual worship of manuscripts Vatican and Sinai became a
paradigm for modern Greek texts].
-
Westcott & Hort's Greek
Text and Theory Refuted
By Dr. D. A. Waite,
D.B.S. President
I. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
A. The purpose
and In- tention is to deal
with the false and erroneous Greek New Testament Greek text and theory
promulgated by what Dean Burgon refers to as "two irresponsible scholars of
the University of Cambridge."
These "irresponsible scholars" are none other than Bishop
Brooke Foss Westcott and Professor Fenton John Anthony Hort. Their "invention"
of the new Revised Greek Text surfaced in 1881. It is strange indeed that very
few people saw as clearly as Dean John William Burgon, their fellow Anglican
clergyman, that Westcott and Hort were indeed "irresponsible scholars."
Instead, there has been, from that day to this, a stampede of
pastors, teachers, “schol- ars," lay people, students and others who have
followed their false lead into serious error. From the quotations taken from
Dean Burgon's Revision Revised, it is hoped that the reader will turn
from the errors of Westcott and Hort and enter into the truth and acceptance of
the Traditional Greek text. It is also hoped that the reader will purchase and
read The Revision Revised in its entirety (It is available as DBS #611
for a GIFT of $25.00 + $5.00 for S&H).
B. The
Relationship Be- tween the Westcott and Hort Greek Text and the Modern So‑Called
“Eclectic” or "Critical" Text.
Many of those who despise the Textus Receptus today and are
powerful advocates of the false Revised Greek texts of Nestle‑Aland or the
United Bible Societies have attempted to distance themselves from the Westcott
and Hort Greek Text of 1881. In reality, with some minor changes, they are
virtually identical. This fact is what makes this present booklet and the
entire Revision Revised so powerful and so necessary. Here are some
quotes from various writers about modern New Testament Greek texts and theories
compared with the Greek text and theories of Westcott and Hort, showing the
similarity between the two in both areas.
1. Seven Testimonies By
Writers from 1914 through 1990 Stating the Similarity between the Westcott and
Hort Text and Theory and that of the Current Greek Texts.
a. 1914‑‑The Testimony of Herman Hoskier.
"The
text printed by Westcott and Hort has been accepted as ‘the true text,’ and
grammars, works on the synoptic problem, works on higher criticism, and others
have been grounded on this text." [Herman C. Hoskier, Codex B and Its
Allies‑‑a Study and an Indictment, (1914), Vol I, p. 468 (DBS #1643 for a
GIFT of $45.00 + $5.00 for S&H)].
b. 1964‑‑The Testimony of J. H. Greenlee.
"The textual theories of W‑H [Westcott & Hort] underlie virtually all
subsequent work in NT textual criticism." [J. H. Greenlee, Introduction
to New Testament Textual Criticism, (1964), p. 78]
c. 1979‑‑The Testimony of D. A. Carson.
"The theories of Westcott and Hort . . . [are] almost universally accepted
today. . . . Subsequent textual critical work [since 1881] accepted the theories
of Westcott and Hort. The vast majority of evangelical scholars hold that the
basic textual theories of Westcott and Hort were right and the church stands
greatly in their debt" [D. A. Carson, The King James Version Debate,
(1979), p. 75].
d. 1980‑‑The Testimony of Wilbur N.
Pickering. "The two most popular manual editions of the text today,
Nestles‑Aland and U.B.S. [United Bible Society] really vary little from
the W‑H [Westcott & Hort] text." [Dr. Wilbur N. Pickering, The
Identity of the New Testament Text, (1980), pp. 42 (DBS #556 for a gift
of $12.00 + $4.00 S&H)].
e. 1987‑‑The Testimony of John R.
Kohlenberger. "Westcott and Hort . . . all subsequent versions from the
Revised Version (1881) to those of the present . . . have adop- ted their basic
approach . . . [and] accepted the Westcott and Hort [Greek] text."
[John R. Kohlenberger, Words About the Word, (1987) p. 42]
f. 1990‑‑The Testimony of Philip W.
Comfort. "But textual critics have not been able to advance beyond Hort
in formalizing a theory . . . this has troubled certain textual scholars. "
[Philip W. Comfort, Early Manuscripts and Modern Translations of the New
Testament, (1990), p. 21]
g. 1990‑‑The Testimony of Bruce
Metzger. In 1990, Dr. Kirk D. DiVietro, a Baptist Pastor (and DBS
Secretary), wrote to Dr. Bruce Metzger about how he and the other members of the
Nestle‑Aland and United Bible Societies Committee began their work on their New
Testament Greek Texts. Dr. Metzger re- plied to him as follows:
"We
took as our base at the beginning the text of Westcott and Hort (1881) and
introduced changes as seemed necessary on the basis of MSS evidence."
This
documentation is found in Metzger's own handwriting in DBS #2490‑P, p.
272 in The Dean Burgon Society (1978‑‑1994) Messages From the 16th Annual
Meeting, August, 1994 (DBS #2490‑P for a gift of $30.00 + $4.00 S&H).
2.
The Conclusion and Importance to be Drawn from
these Seven Testimonies.
Have you ever wondered just WHY the basic Greek text of Westcott
and Hort dated in 1881 is virtually identical with the basic Greek text of the
present critical editions? The simple reason is that they are derived from the
same basic, corrupt Gnostic Greek manu- scripts, namely "B" (Vatican) and
"Aleph" (Sinai) and a few others that followed them.
Do you remember the axiom we were taught in high school plane
geometry class: "Things equal to the same thing are equal to each other"?
This applies in this case as well. The conclusion drawn from this is that when
we attack the text and theory of Westcott and Hort, we are at the same time
attacking the text and theory behind the Nestle‑Aland Greek text, the United
Bible Societies text, and others that go along with them. What is said against
Westcott and Hort's text in these quotes can also be said against the texts of
Nestle‑Aland and the United Bible Societies!
C. The
History of Bur- gon's Revision Revised.
The Revision Revised, by Dean John William Burgon, was
originally published in 1883. In 1973, I read a condensed version of it in
Which Bible, edited by Dr. David Otis Fuller. The first complete and
unedited copy I read was the Conservative Classics edition which was published
in Paradise, Penn- sylvania. This edition has long since gone out of print.
THE BIBLE FOR TODAY, INCOR- PORATED, has been publishing a Xerox copy of this
book for many years in order to make it available for those who wanted to read
it.
Jay Green published portions of Dean Burgon's books in his book
Unholy Hands on God's Holy Word. Since Dean Burgon's various books in
Green’s edition do not have their original page numbers, and are not organized
in their original order, it is difficult to see if every word has been
included. It is also to be noted that Green’s edition of Burgon’s books are not
complete, but con- densed.
D. The New Dean
Burgon Society Hardback Edition.
In view of the continued need for The Revision Revised, the
Executive Committee of the Dean Burgon Society voted to make hardback copies
(with the original page numbers) again avail- able for the many who want to read
it. It can be ordered as #611 @ $25.00 + $5.00 S&H. An important fact
to remember about The Revision Revised is that it was still unanswered
even after two full years after it was published. It is still unanswered to
this day!
E. Though The
Revision Revised has almost 600 pag- es, fifty quotations that summarize
the argument of the book will be used. It is important that you see
why Dean Burgon's book, The Revision Revised, is such a valuable tool for
people to read and understand. It is hoped that the following fifty
quotations will whet the appetite for this solid documentation so that
the reader might be anxious to read every page of the book itself!!
F. Outline of
the book. The Revision
Revised consists of three major ARTICLES. Each of the ARTICLES ap- peared
first in a periodical in England called The Quarterly Review. In ARTICLE
I Dean Burgon evaluated the new Greek text of Westcott and Hort (pages 1‑110).
In ARTICLE II he enumerated the defects of the English Revised Version (ERV) and
the superiority of the King James Bible (pages 111‑232). In ARTICLE III Dean
Burgon refuted Westcott and Hort's new textual theory and its serious defects
(pp. 233‑366).
These three ARTICLES are followed by a LETTER TO BISHOP
ELLICOTT in reply to his pamphlet, various APPENDICES and the INDEX (pages
367‑549).
G. Background.
In 1995, at the DEAN BURGON SOCIETY ANNUAL MEETING, the President of the
Society spoke about Dean Burgon's CONFIDENCE in the King James Bible.
Quotations were taken from ARTICLE II of The Revision Revised in which
the English Revised Version (ERV) and the King James Bible (AV) were compared.
The Authorized (King James) Version was found by Dean Burgon to be far superior
in every way to any other version of his day. By extension, similar arguments
might be made against the false versions of our own day (DBS #2591 (36 pages)
for a GIFT of $3.00 + $2.00 S&H).
H. The
Refutation of Westcott and Hort's Greek Text and Theory.
At this time, I will give the highlights, main arguments, and quotations from
Dean Burgon's PREFACE, from his ARTICLE I, and from his ARTICLE III as found in
his book, The Revision Revised. As mentioned before, ARTICLE I dealt
with Westcott and Hort's false New Testament Greek text (pages 1‑110). ARTICLE
III condemned in strong, yet clear language, Westcott and Hort's false theory
behind their New Testament Greek text (pages 233‑366).
II. Quotations From
Burgon's PREFACE
A. Dr. Frederick
Scriv- ener Backed Dean Burgon's Attack on Westcott and Hort's New Testament
Greek Text. Dr. Frederick H.
A. Scrivener was an Anglican clergyman who was a contemporary of both Westcott
and Hort and Dean Burgon. Dr. Scrivener was one of the greatest and most
exacting scholars of his day in the field of textual criticism. He was quoted
by Dean Burgon in his PREFACE.
1. Westcott
and Hort's Greek Text Was Based on “In- genious Conjecture."
Dr. Scrivener wrote: "There is little hope for the stability of their
[that is, Westcott & Hort's] imposing structure, if its foundations have
been laid on the sandy ground of ingenious conjecture. And, since barely the
smallest vestige of historical evidence has ever been alleged in support of the
views of these accomplished editors, their teaching must either be received as
intuitively true, or dismissed from our consideration as precarious and even
visionary." [Dr. F. H. A. Scrivener's Plain Introduction, 1883, p.
531, quoted by Dean John W. Burgon, Revision Revised, p.iv.
2. Dr.
Hort's Greek Textual System Was "Destitute of Historical Foundation."
Dr. Scrivener again wrote: "Dr.
Hort's System is entirely destitute of historical foundation. . . We are
compelled to repeat as emphatically as ever our strong conviction that the
Hypothesis to whose proof he has devoted so many laborious years, is destitute
not only of historical foundation, but of all probability, revealing from the
internal goodness of the Text which its adoption would force upon us." [Dr.
F. H. A. Scrivener's Plain Introduction, 1883, pp. 537, 542, quoted by
Dean John W. Burgon, Revision Revised, p. iv].
B. Dean Burgon's
Sage Comments of an Introduc- tory Nature.
1. Dean Burgon's One
Ob- ject in The Revision Revised.
He wrote:
"My one object has been to defeat the mischievous attempt which was made in
1881 to thrust upon this Church [the Anglican Church] and Realm
[London and the whole British Commonwealth] a Revision of the Sacred Text,
which‑‑recommended though it be by eminent names‑‑I am thoroughly convinced, and
am able to prove, is untrustworthy from beginning to end." [Dean John W.
Burgon, Revision Revised, p. v]
2. "Poisoning the River
of Life." Dean Burgon wrote:
"It is, however, the systematic depravation of the underlying Greek which
does so grievously offend me: for this is nothing else but a poisoning of the
River of Life at its sacred source. Our Revisers (with the best and purest
intentions, no doubt,) stand convicted of having deliberately rejected the words
of Inspiration in every page, and of having substituted for them fabricated
Readings which the Church has long since refused to acknowledge, or else has
rejected with abhorrence, and which only survive at this time in a little
handful of documents of the most depraved type." [Dean John W. Burgon,
Revision Revised, pp. vi‑vii]. He is referring to "B" and "Aleph," the
Vatican and Sinai manuscripts.
3. A Time for Hitting
His Opponents "Hard." Dean Burgon was often charged with hitting his
opponents "rather hard." This was his response: "If, therefore, any
do complain that I have sometimes hit my opponents rather hard, I take leave to
point out that ‘to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose
under the sun’; ‘a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embracing’; a time
for speaking smoothly, and a time for speaking sharply. And that when the Words
of Inspiration are seriously imperiled, as now they are, it is scarcely possible
for one who is determined effectually to preserve the Deposit in its integrity,
to hit either too straight or too hard." [Dean John W. Burgon, Revision
Revised, pp. vii‑viii].
4. This book Was Unan-
swered After Two Years while Dean Burgon Was Still Alive, And Is Still
Unanswered. Dean Burgon
wrote: "Two full years have elapsed since the first of these Essays was
published; and my Criticism‑‑for the best of reasons‑‑remains to this hour
unanswered. The public has been assured indeed, (in the course of some
hysterical remarks by Canon Farrar), that `the "Quarterly Reviewer" can be
refuted as fully as he desires as soon as any scholar has the leisure to answer
him.' The `Quarterly Reviewer' can afford to wait,‑‑if the Revisers can. But
they are reminded that it is no answer to one who has demolished their master's
`Theory,' for the pupils to keep on reproducing fragments of it; and by their
mistakes and exaggerations, to make both themselves and him, ridiculous."
[Dean John W. Burgon, Revision Revised, p. xv].
5. Inventing
Facts and "Oracular Decrees."
Dean Burgon wrote: "In this department of sacred Science, men have
been going on too long inventing their facts, and delivering themselves of
oracular decrees, on the sole responsibility of their own inner consciousness.
There is great convenience in such a method certainly,‑‑a charming simplicity
which is in a high degree attractive to flesh and blood. It dispenses with
proof. It furnishes no evidence. [that is, Westcott and Hort's text and
theory] It asserts when it ought to argue. It reiterates when it is called
upon to explain. ‘I am sir Oracle.’ . . . This,‑‑which I venture to style the
unscientific method,‑‑reached its culminating point when Professors Westcott and
Hort recently put forth their Recension of the Greek Text." "Their work is indeed quite a psychological
curiosity. Incomprehensible to me is it how two able men of disciplined
understandings can have seriously put forth the volume which they call ‘INTRO-
DUCTION‑‑APPENDIX.' It is the very Reductio ad absurdum of the uncritical meth-
od of the last fifty years. And it is especially in opposition to this new
method of theirs that I so strenuously insist that the consentient voice of
Catholic Antiquity is to be diligently inquired after and submissively listened
to; for that this, in the end, will prove our only safe guide." [Dean John
W. Burgon, Revision Revised, pp. xxv‑xxvi].
6. "Catholic
Antiquity" de- fined as Universal Antiquity.
Dean Burgon defined what he meant by "Catholic
antiquity." He did not mean "Roman Catholic antiquity," but "universal
antiquity." He wrote: "The method I persistently advocate in every case
of a supposed doubtful Reading. (I say it for the last time, and request that I
may be no more misrepresented.) is, that an appeal shall be unreservedly made to
Catholic Antiquity; and that the combined verdict of Manuscripts, Versions,
Fathers, shall be regarded as decisive." [Dean John W. Bur- gon,
Revision Revised, pp. xxvii]. That is what Dean Burgon appeals to, Westcott
and Hort do not.
7. Dean Burgon Longed
to Teach the Bible. Dean
Burgon would rather engage in Bible interpretation than needing to battle for
the Words of God. He wrote: "But I more than long,‑‑I fairly ache to have
done with Controversy, and to be free to devote myself to the work of
Interpretation. My apology for bestowing so large a portion of my time on
Textual Criticism, is David's when he was reproached by his brethren for
appearing on the field of battle,‑‑`Is there not a cause?'" [Dean John W.
Burgon, Revision Revised, pp. xxix]. Many of us would love to be able to
"have done with controversy," but the battle for the Words of God is
there. I think we chose a good name for our society‑‑The Dean Burgon Society.
As Dean Burgon did, we certainly have a cause, don't we!
8. Westcott and Hort as
"Irresponsible Scholars."
Dean Bur- gon characterized Westcott and Hort as two "irresponsible scholars."
He wrote: "But instead of all this, a Revision of the English Authorized
Version having been sanctioned by the Convocation of the Southern Province in
1871, the opportunity was eagerly snatched at by two irresponsible scholars of
the University of Cambridge [He is talking about Westcott and Hort] for
obtaining the general sanction of the Revising body, and thus indirectly of
Convocation, for a private venture of their own,‑‑their own privately devised
Revision of the Greek Text. On that Greek Text of theirs, (which I hold to be
the most depraved which has ever appeared in print), with some slight
modifications, our Authorized English Version has been silently revised:
silently, I say, for in the margin of the English no record is preserved of the
underlying Textual changes which have been introduced by the Revi- sionists."
[Dean John W. Burgon, Revision Revised, pp. xxx]. Though Westcott and
Hort's Greek text is "the most depraved which has ever appeared in print,"
this is virtually the same text used by the new versions and perversions of
today.
9. Why Dean
Burgon Des- cended into "the Arena of Controversy."
Dean Burgon wrote: "If all this does not constitute a valid reason
for descending into the arena of controversy, it would in my judgment be
impossible to in- dicate an occasion when the Christian soldier is called upon
to do so:‑‑the rather because certain of these who, from their rank and station
in the Church, ought to be the champions of the Truth, are at this time found to
be among its most vigorous assailants." [Dean John W. Burgon, Revision
Revised, pp. xxxi‑xxxii]. Notice what he said about some of the preachers of
his day. We have this today do we not? Some claim to be "champions,"
and "Fundamentalists," yet they are assailants of the truth. When the Words of
God are at stake, we must, at times, contend with even our own Christian
brethren. If our brethren are wrong on the Words of God, and don't want to
preserve the Words of our Lord Jesus Christ, then we must stand up as David did
and ask: "Is there not a cause?" We of course should also expose those
who are in error who are not "brethren." In so doing, we will no doubt
get into trouble from both of these groups.
III. ARTICLE I‑‑THE NEW
GREEK TEXT‑‑Refuted by Dean John William Burgon (pages 1‑110)
A. The
Importance of Dean Burgon's ARTICLE I on THE NEW GREEK TEXT.
In Dean Burgon's ARTICLE I on THE NEW GREEK TEXT, he totally destroyed
the erroneous New Testament Greek Text that was foisted upon an unsuspecting
people in 1881 by Westcott and Hort. Sad to say, this false Greek text was, in
the main, the basis for the English Revised Version (ERV). I have cited above,
in Section I (pages 2‑3), seven critical scholars in the 20th century (from 1914
to 1990) who have proclaimed that this false Greek text is STILL the primary
basis for the modern Greek texts of Nestle‑Aland and the United Bible Society!
When Dean Burgon destroyed Westcott and Hort's Greek text, he also destroyed the
present Greek texts that form the basis of the modern New Testament versions and
perversions. These Westcott and Hort‑type Greek texts are used, not only in
the apostate schools, colleges, and seminaries, and the New Evangelical schools,
colleges, and seminaries, but, sadly, also in entirely too many so‑called
"Fundamentalist" schools, colleges and seminaries! I would urge you to pay
close attention to the quotations from this section of Dean Burgon's masterful
book, The Revision Revised.
B. Important
Quotations from Dean Burgon's AR-TICLE I: THE NEW GREEK TEXT (pages 1‑110)
1. God's Threefold
Means of Preservation of His Written Words.
a. God's
Preservation Means #1: MANUSCRIPT COPIES. Dean Burgon wrote of the
manuscript COPIES:
"(1) The provision, then, which the Divine
Author of Scripture is found to have made for the preservation of His written
Word, is of a peculiarly varied and highly complex description, First‑‑By
causing that a vast multiplication of Copies should be required all down the
ages,‑‑beginning at the earliest period, and continuing in an ever‑increasing
ratio until the actual invention of Print- ing,‑‑He provided the most effectual
security imaginable against fraud. True, that millions of the copies so
produced have long since perished; but it is nevertheless a plain fact that
there survive of the Gospels alone upwards of one thousand copies in the present
day." [Dean John W. Burgon, Revision Revised, pp. 8‑9].
b. God's
Preservation Means #2: ANCIENT NEW TEST- AMENT VERSIONS.
On the subject of the VERSIONS, Dean Burgon wrote:
"(2) Next, VERSIONS. The necessity of
translating the Scriptures into divers languages for the use of different
branches of the early Church, procured that many an authentic record has been
preserved for the New Testament as it existed in the first few centuries of the
Christian era. Thus, the Peschito Syriac and the Old Latin version are believed
to have been executed in the IInd century [Early versions show the text that
the translators had in their hands and were using.]. . . . The two Egyptian
translations are referred to the IIIrd and IVth. The Vulgate (or revised Latin)
and the Gothic are also claimed for the IVth; the Armenian and possibly the
Aethiopic, belong to the Vth." [Dean John W. Burgon, Revision Revised,
p. 9].
c. God's Preservation Means #3: Quotations
From CHURCH FATHERS. Here's
what Dean Burgon wrote on the value of "patristic" quotations, or
references to the Bible by the Church Fathers:
"(3) Lastly, the requirements of assailants and
apologists alike, the business of Commentators, the needs of controversialists
and teachers in every age, have resulted in a vast accumulation of additional
evidence, of which it is scarcely possible to over‑estimate the importance. For
in this way it has come to pass that every famous Doctor of the Church in turn
has quoted more or less largely from the sacred writings, and thus has borne
testimony to the contents of the codices with which he was individually
familiar. PATRIS- TIC CITATIONS." [Dean John W. Burgon, Revision
Revised, p. 9]
These "Church Fathers" were leaders in the early churches
who either quoted the New Testament directly, or made references to certain
verses. What text did they have in their hands when they referred to these
verses? This evidence is very important. Dean Burgon made an index of over
86,000 quotations from these Church Fathers showing the text of Scripture they
used. This is a third mighty safeguard of the integrity of the deposit of the
Words of God.
2. The Value
of “Lection- aries." Dean Burgon wrote: "In truth, the security
which the Text of the New Testament enjoys is altogether unique and
extraordinary. To specify the single consideration, which has never yet
attracted nearly the amount of attention it deserves. Lectionaries abound
which establish the Text which has been publicly read in the churches of the
East, from at least A.D. 400 until the time of the invention of printing."
[Dean John W. Burgon, Revision Revised, p. 11]
“Lectionaries" were portions of the New Testament that were read
on certain feast days such as Christmas, Easter, and so on. We have at least
2,143 of these Greek Lectionaries preserved for us today. This evidence is very
important.
3. The Blind
Superstitious Reverence for "B," "Aleph," and Others.
Dean Burgon wrote: "Singular to
relate, the first, second, fourth and fifth of these codices (“B,” Aleph, C, D)
but especially “B” and Aleph have within the last twenty years established a
tyrannical ascendency over the imagination of the Critics which can only be
fitly spoken of as a blind superstition. It matters nothing that all four
["B", "Aleph", "C", and "D"] are discovered on careful scrutiny to differ
essentially, not only from ninety‑nine out of a hundred of the whole body of
extant MSS, besides, but even from one another." [Dean John W. Burgon,
Revision Revised, pp. 11‑12].
Yet these same manuscripts, by "blind superstition" are
used as the very foundations of the versions and perversions of our day. Even
the ones that Bible‑believing Christians are using such as: the New
International Version, the New American Standard Version, the English Standard
Version, the New King James Version in the footnotes, the New Berkeley, and many
others. . . .
[To Be Continued]
Books may be
ordered with credit card by phone at 856-854-4452 or from the DBS
Website: www.deanburgonsociety.org. At the HomePage click on DBS Press,
then click on “Click here to order DBS Publications button.” 1. Inspiration and Interpre
tation by Dean John Burgon. There is an excellent summary
of this book by Pastor D. A. Waite, Th.D., Ph. D. at www.deanburgon
society.org/ dbs2925d.htm. This is a "must have" book for anyone
interested in the preservation of the Scriptures. Dean Burgon remarks on "Essays
and Reviews" concerning inspiration and interpretation of Scripture. The
book includes sermons on "The Study Of The Bible Recommended; And A Method Of
Studying It Described," "Natural Science and Theological Science," "Inspiration
of Scrip- ture.--Gospel Difficulties--The Word Of God Infallible.--Other
Sciences Subordinate To Theological Science," "The Plenary Inspiration of Every
Part of the Bible, Vindicated and Explained.--Nature Of Inspiration.--The Text
Of Scripture," and much more. Order DBS #1220 now for a gift of $25 +
$5.00 shipping and handling. Hardback book, over 300 pages.
2. A Guide to the Textual Criticism of the
New Testament.
This book is by Rev. Edward Miller who was a close friend and fellow worker with
Dean John W. Burgon. In this volume, Miller condenses and sums up Dean Burgon's
methodology for textual criticism. In it he refutes the false system used by
Bishop Westcott and Professor Hort. This DBS #743 is for a gift of
$12.00 + $5.00 Shipping and handling. It is a hardback book of 168
pages.
3. The Last Twelve Verses of
Mark by Dean John William Burgon.
Dean Burgon vindicates and establishes Mark 16:9-20 as genuine. In his day the
only manuscripts (with few exceptions) that omitted these verses were the false
Vatican & Sinai manuscripts. Order
DBS #1139 for a gift of $15.00 +$5.00 S&H. Hardback book Over 300
pages.
4.
Revision Revised
by Dean John William Burgon.
In this volume, Burgon does the following four things: (1) He attacks the false
Greek text of Westcott and Hort; (2) He demolishes the theory behind that text;
(3) He refutes the English Revised Version of 1881 and (4) He defends the King
James Bible! Order DBS #611 for a gift of $25.00 + $5.00 S&H,
Hardback book over 500 pages
5. Traditional
Text Of The Holy Gospels by Dean John
William Burgon. A careful survey
of the historical supremacy of the New Testament Greek Text that has been
preserved from the first century until the present. Dean Burgon shows the
superiority of this text and the inferiority of B and Aleph
and others. Order DBS #1159 for a gift of $16.00 + $5.00 S&H.
Hardback book over 300 pages
6. The
Cause of Corruption Of The Traditional Text,
by Dean John William Burgon
Dean Burgon, gives detailed illustrations of five accidental causes and ten
intentional causes of the corruption of the original traditional text. The book
is replete with condemnation of the B & Aleph, Vatican &
Sinai manuscripts, and the Westcott and Hort and other critical Greek New
Testament Texts. Order DBS #1160 for a gift of $15.00 + $5.00 S&H.
Hardback book almost 300 pages.
7.
Forever Settled
by Jack Moorman. This is a survey of the documents and history of the Bible,
illustrated with pictures of various Hebrew and Greek texts. An excellent
textbook for those interested in the background of the current textual battle.
Order DBS #1428 for a gift of $20.00 + $5.00 S&H. Hardback book
over 300 pages.
8. Ten Reasons Why the D.B.S. Deserves Its Name
by Dr. D. A. Waite, President of the Dean Burgon Society. The booklet is
paperback, perfect bound. It uses the letters of DEAN BURGON and explains how
both Dean Burgon and the DBS were and are Defending, Educational,
Adamant, Neglected, Believing, Undaunted, Relevant,
Growing, Obedient, and Needed. Order DBS #1847 for
a gift of $5.00 + $2.00 S&H.
9. Scrivener’s Annotated Greek New Testament
by Dr. Fred- erick Scrivener. This is truly a useful tool for anyone who
is seeking to find exactly where the changes have been made between the Westcott
and Hort Greek text and the English Revised Version compared to the King James
Bible’s Greek text. The Greek has been enlarged to make it easy to read. The
changes have been noted in bold print and the nature of the changes are
found in the footnotes. Some of the changes are additions, some subtractions,
and some other kinds of alterations. Order DBS #1670 @ $35 (hardback)
$45 (leather) + $5.00 S&H.
10. The Doctored New Testa- ment by D. A. Waite,
Jr. Order #3138 for a gift of $25.00 + $5.00 S&H. This book is for the
English speaking student who knows little or no Greek. It is an English tool
patterned after Scrivener’s Annotated Greek New Testament referred
to above in #9. The King James Bible is printed from Matthew through Revelation. The places where the English Revised Version and the Westcott and Hort
Greek Text have changed the Words underlying the King James Bible have been
indicated in bold type. The changes that have been made are indicated in
the footnotes. With this book, a person can go to any version in any language
of the world and see whether or not they have followed the wrong Greek
foundation. As in the Scrivener’s Greek edition, some of the
changes are additions, some subtractions, and some other kinds of alterations.
11. 8,000 Differences Be- tween the Modern Greek Text and the
Words Underlying the King James Bible by Dr. Jack Moorman. This
is a newly published book of 544 pages, hardback edition. It shows the changes
in the Greek text of the modern versions compared to the Words of the King
James Bible. It is jointly published by the Dean Burgon Society and the Bible
For today. Order it as #3084 for a gift of $20.00 + $5.00 S&H. Remember
this, please: Until December 31, you can get this for only $12.00 + $5.00
S&H. Don’t miss this one!! |
