(He quoted http://ahmadiyya.org/ror/9408/codx0894.html)
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[1] 'There appeared unto him an Angel from heaven, strengthening him.
And being in Agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became as it
were great drops of blood falling down upon the ground' [Luke 22:43-44]
This text, clearly indicating that Jesus needed the support of an Angel,
and that before his arrest and trial he was in agony. In Sinaiticus a
scribe has placed dots beside this text, indicating it ought to be
deleted. (This scribe obviously knew that this text could weaken the
faith of many Christians. For why would a Son of God, who is supposed to
be on the same level of God, need the support of an Angel?
And if he knew that he was going to make such a graceful sacrifice, then
why was he in agony?). Later on, another scribe carefully tried to erase
the dots.
CARR
This whole verse is missing in p66 and p75 and in Clement and Origen and
in Codex Alexandrinus (5th century), Codex Vaticanus (c. 350 AD) , Codex
Washingtonensis (c. 400 AD)
MF
[5] In the gospel of John 5:1-3, Jesus comes across a great many sick
persons Iying by a pool. The following verse of John 5:4 'For an angel
went down at a certain season into the pool and troubled the water.
Whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in it
was made whole of the whatever disease he had'. This later insertion is
not to be found in the Sinaiticus.
In John 5:1-3, the stuff about the 5 porticoes is not in the 3rd century
manuscripts of John's Gospel (p66, p75) and not in Vaticanus or
Sinaiticus (as you point out).
p66 and p75 also differ from later manuscripts in John 6:42-44, 7:46,
9:33,10:8,10:33,14:9 and 19:28. These are just some of the most
significant differences. Obviously, there are also the usual spelling
mistakes and small changes of wording.
MF
[7] 'Now as he blessed them, and was parted from them, and was carried
>up to heaven'. [Luke 24:51]
Sinaiticus omits 'carried up to heaven', this must have been
deliberately inserted in later manuscripts. However if this omission in
the Sinaiticus is correct, then there is no reference at all to the
'Ascension' in any of the original texts of the gospels.
CARR
This verse is also missing from Codex Bezae. When both Sinaiticus and
Bezae agree ( 2 very different text types indeed), then we have *very*
strong evidence.
MF
'They were still talking about all this when he himself stood among them
and said to them, 'peace be with you ! '. In a state of alarm and
fright, they thought they were seeing a ghost. but he said, 'why are you
so agitated, and why are these doubts rising in your hearts? Look at my
hands and feet; yes it is I indeed touch me and see for your selves; a
ghost has no flesh and bones as you can see I have. 'And as he showed
them his hands and feet. their joy was so great that they still could
not believe it, and they stood there dumfounded. so he said to them,
'have you anything here to eat? ' And they offered him a piece of
grilled fish, which he took and ate before their eyes'. [Luke 24:36-43]
CARR
This whole passage differs among the manuscripts. Surprisingly :-) ,
when they do differ, it turns out that the extra words very rarely
appear in Luke's Gospel but appear in John's account of the
resurrection. Did an anonymous scribe add stuff to Luke, basing what he
added on John? I think it possible.
-- Steven Carr steven@bowness.demon.co.uk Visit the UK's leading atheist Web page http://www.bowness.demon.co.uk/