Reconstructing the NT (for Walt Jr.)

Steven Carr (steven@bowness.demon.co.uk)
Sat, 19 Apr 1997 01:54:37 +0100

Perhaps Walt could reconstruct just *one* verse of the NT from the early
Christian fathers.

Try Matt 19.17/Mark 10.18/Luke 18.19:

1.
Justin's Dialogue with Trypho (130 AD) gives
"One is good, my Father in the heavens."

2.
EPHREM: Commentary on the Diatessaron, XV.9, in BOTH the original
Syriac and the Armenian reads:

"One is good, the/my Father who [is] in the heaven."

This is from 373 and it gives the same quote as Justin (AD 130) and it
is not the quote in the Bible today.

3.
IRENAEUS: Haer. V.7.25 (pre-185):

"One is good, the/my Father in the heavens."

4
) HIPPOLYTUS: Haer. V.7.25 (pre-222):

"One is good, the/my Father in the heavens."

Gosh! All these Church Fathers (and big names at that) disagree with the
Bible , but agree with each other.

5.
CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: Strom. V.10.63 (composed c. 207):

"One is good, the/my Father."

Closer to the Bible, but not an exact match.

6.
PSEUDO-CLEMENTINE HOMILIES: XVI.3.4 (c. 260 ):

"For one is good, the/my Father in the heavens."

7.
VETUS LATINA MS e (apud Matthew, V cent.):

"Unus est bonus, pater."

pater means Father , which is *not* in the Bible today.

8.VETUS LATINA MS d (apud Luke, V cent.):

"Nemo bonus nisi unus Deus pater." (Father again)

Please reconstruct Mark 10:18 from the Church fathers quotes, or explain
why the later manuscripts drop Jesus calling God 'Father'.

-- 
Steven Carr steven@bowness.demon.co.uk
Visit the UK's leading atheist Web page
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