The Majority Text refers to the Greek New Testament that represents the majority of existing manuscript evidence. It is also sometimes called the Byzantine Text or Traditional Text. The Majority Text is based on the large number of Greek New Testament manuscripts that share a generally consistent pattern of readings.
History of the Majority Text
The Majority Text represents the dominant strand of transmission of the New Testament text throughout most of Christian history. The vast majority of Greek New Testament manuscripts follow the Byzantine text-type. These manuscripts originated in the eastern Roman Empire and were copied throughout the Middle Ages by Orthodox Christians.
As Christianity spread, the Byzantine text became the common text used in worship, private devotions, and for the copying of Scripture. Over 80% of the approximately 5,800 Greek New Testament manuscripts belong to the Byzantine textual family. This demonstrates that the Byzantine text predominated.
However, the critical text published in the late 19th century largely disregarded the Majority Text in favor of older manuscripts like Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus. The critical text relies heavily on these few early manuscripts rather than the large number of later manuscripts. This was due to a theory that the majority of manuscripts had been corrupted over time and thus were not as reliable for determining the original wording of the New Testament.
In the 1970s and 1980s, some scholars began to reevaluate the Majority Text. They argued that while no one manuscript perfectly represents the original, the sheer weight of manuscript evidence means the original text is more likely preserved in the overall tradition embodied in the Majority Text rather than a few individual manuscripts.
Features of the Majority Text
The key features of the Majority Text include:
– It is based on the largest number of existing Greek New Testament manuscripts. Over 80% of manuscripts belong to the Byzantine textual family.
– The manuscripts are in general agreement, with only minor variations. This demonstrates a stable transmission history.
– It contains several disputed passages found in the KJV but not in modern translations, like the longer ending of Mark 16:9-20.
– It harmonizes parallel passages and incorporates cross-references among the gospels.
– It uses more polished Greek, correcting rough grammar and style. Later scribes improved readability.
– It has shorter, simpler versions of complex passages. Later editing simplified difficult sayings.
– It uses fuller, more explicit wording and removes ambiguities. This reflects the scribal tendency to expand and add clarification.
– It standardizes spellings and formalizes grammar. Over time, the text was updated and regularized.
So in summary, the Majority Text relies on the overall pattern of readings found in the vast number of Byzantine manuscripts rather than a few divergent early manuscripts.
Differences Between the Majority Text and Critical Text
There are several key differences between the Majority Text and the critical text that underlies most modern Bible translations:
– The Majority Text has about 1,500 more words than the critical text. Many of these additional words provide clarification.
– It includes the longer ending of Mark 16:9-20, while modern Bibles omit it or include it as a footnote.
– It includes the story of the woman caught in adultery (John 7:53-8:11) that is often omitted or footnoted in modern translations.
– In Acts 8:37 it contains the Ethiopian eunuch’s confession of faith in Christ. This verse is absent from the critical text.
– It does not include some shorter readings found in the earliest manuscripts, like “Isaiah the prophet” in Mark 1:2.
– In Mark 1:41 it reads “moved with compassion” rather than “angered.”
– In John 1:18 it has “only begotten Son” rather than “only begotten God.”
– It harmonizes parallel accounts and incorporates cross-references. The critical text prefers readings unique to each Gospel.
– It uses more consistent grammar and polished Greek. The critical text preserves rough idioms and styles.
So in many instances, the Majority Text is longer and clearer, harmonizes details between Gospels, and employs more elegant Greek. The critical text is shorter, rougher, and prefers unique readings.
Relationship to the Textus Receptus
The Textus Receptus, or Received Text, refers to the Greek New Testament text first published in 1516 by Desiderius Erasmus. It became the basis for early Protestant translations like the KJV. The Textus Receptus belongs to the Byzantine textual family and therefore has a close relationship with the Majority Text.
There are differences, however. The Textus Receptus is based on only a handful of manuscripts available to Erasmus in the 16th century. The Majority Text relies on a much larger set of manuscript evidence that has emerged since that time. The Textus Receptus also contains some readings that are found only in a minority of manuscripts.
So the Majority Text represents the general consensus of the vast majority of Greek manuscripts, while the Textus Receptus represents only a small subset of the tradition. The Majority Text provides a fuller and more accurate basis for translating the Byzantine text-form. The Textus Receptus, while historically significant, has limitations in its manuscript basis that are overcome by the comprehensive Majority Text.
Manuscripts Supporting the Majority Text
The Majority Text finds support in the vast number of Byzantine manuscripts. No one manuscript contains the original text in its entirety. But collectively, certain key manuscripts represent the Byzantine tradition:
– Codex Alexandrinus (A/02): A 5th-century manuscript containing the whole Bible. It provides the earliest substantial example of the Byzantine text.
– Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (C/04): A 5th-century manuscript with parts of every New Testament book except 2 Thessalonians and 2 John. It reflects the early Byzantine text.
– Codex Freerianus (W/032): A 5th-century manuscript with portions of the Gospels. It demonstrates the early Byzantine text-type.
– Codex Byzantinus (F/009): A late 8th-century manuscript with the Gospels. It represents the mature Byzantine text.
– Codex Petropolitanus Purpureus (N/022): A 6th-century copy of the Gospels with a Byzantine text.
– Codex Guelpherbytanus (P/024): A 6th-century manuscript with sections of Luke and John. It accords with the Byzantine tradition.
– Minuscules 28, 565, 892, 1424, 1500, along with the bulk of later minuscules: These manuscripts from the 9th-15th centuries provide the quantity of evidence supporting Majority Byzantine readings.
So while none of these manuscripts perfectly match the original autographs, together they demonstrate the basic consistency and dominance of the Byzantine textual tradition and vindicate the Majority Text.
Key Proponents of the Majority Text
Some important figures and institutions that have defended or translated the Majority Text include:
– John Burgon: 19th-century textual scholar who argued strongly for the reliability of the Majority Text against Westcott and Hort’s reliance on a few manuscripts.
– Zane Hodges and Arthur Farstad: Produced the first comprehensive Majority Text edition in 1982 called The Greek New Testament According to the Majority Text.
– Maurice Robinson and William Pierpont: Scholars who published several editions of the Majority Text in the 1990s and early 2000s.
– The Dean Burgon Society: An organization founded in 1978 to defend the Byzantine text-type and Majority Text readings.
– Thomas Nelson Publishers: Published the New King James Version in 1982, which was based primarily on the Majority Text.
– Trinitarian Bible Society: Has published the 1904 Textus Receptus Greek New Testament and several Majority Text translations like the Modern English Version.
While the critical text is dominant today, the Majority Text continues to have scholarly defenders who maintain its validity and superiority as the universal texts used by Greek Orthodox and Byzantine Christians.
Modern Translations Using the Majority Text
Several recent Bible translations have relied primarily on the Majority Text as their underlying Greek text:
– New King James Version (NKJV, 1982): A scholarly update of the KJV that retains its style but updates the Greek text to match the Majority Text readings.
– Modern English Version (MEV, 2014): A fairly literal translation designed for smooth reading that is based on the Majority Byzantine text.
– Eastern Orthodox Bible (EOB, 2008): A new translation tailored for Eastern Orthodox Christians and translated from the Patriarchal Text of the Greek Orthodox Church, which derives from the Majority Text.
– World English Bible (WEB, 1997): A Public Domain Bible translation that is based on the Majority Byzantine Text and includes the longer ending of Mark and the passage of the adulterous woman.
– 21st Century King James Version (KJ21, 1994): An update of the KJV that stays close to the style of the original but uses the Majority Text as its Greek textual basis.
In addition, the New American Standard Bible and English Standard Version occasionally prefer Majority Text readings over critical text readings in their translation footnotes. So while not fully Majority Text translations, they give it some recognition.
Modern Critical Editions Incorporating the Majority Text
Some recent critical Greek New Testament editions have sought to reflect the contribution of the Majority Text by considering its readings:
– The New Testament in the Original Greek (Maurice Robinson and William Pierpont, 1991, 2005): A reconstruction of the Majority Byzantine Text that also notes places where the critical text differs.
– The Greek New Testament According to the Majority Text (Hodges and Farstad, 1982, 1985): One of the first efforts to publish the comprehensive Majority Text with apparatus showing critical text differences.
– The Greek New Testament (Kurt Aland et al, 1966-2006): Although based on the critical text, its apparatus notes where the Majority Text differs.
– Novum Testamentum Graece (Institute for New Testament Textual Research, 1963-2020): The standard critical text but its apparatus tracks Byzantine manuscript support for variant readings.
– Tyndale House Greek New Testament (Peter Williams et al, 2017): A critical text but with apparatus giving more weight to the earliest Byzantine witnesses.
So while the critical text still predominates in most seminaries and Greek editions, some recent scholars have tried to give more attention to the contribution of the Byzantine tradition seen in the Majority Text. This allows students and scholars to make more informed decisions on disputed textual variants.
Arguments For and Against the Majority Text
There are reasonable arguments on both sides of the Majority vs. critical text debate:
Arguments for the Majority Text:
– It has overwhelming manuscript support from a wide geographic distribution.
– It represents the text used by the church throughout history, rather than a small localized text form.
– The copying process naturally propagates errors rather than restoring the original wording. The majority reading is more likely to be original.
– The Byzantine manuscripts seem carefully copied and reflect a stable, conserved textual tradition.
– Early surviving manuscripts may contain odd local texts, while the Majority Text represents the universal tradition.
Arguments against the Majority Text:
– No one manuscript perfectly represents the original writings. There are errors even in the majority manuscripts.
– Early manuscripts like Vaticanus and Sinaiticus may contain readings that were lost over time in the standardized Byzantine text.
– The Majority Text shows evidence of scribal stylistic improvements that alter the original wording.
– The early text was fluid and diverse; the Majority Text imposed uniformity on the manuscripts.
– The Majority Text harmonizes parallel passages, obscuring their unique voices.
So there are thoughtful points on both sides. In the end, many scholars argue there needs to be consideration of both the early manuscripts and the overall testimony of the majority.
Conclusion
The Majority Text represents the traditional form of the Greek New Testament used by Byzantine Christians throughout history. It relies heavily on the overall manuscript tradition rather than a few divergent early manuscripts. While all manuscripts contain errors and omissions, the Majority Text arguably reflects the way most early Christians would have known and used the Greek New Testament through the centuries. Some scholars argue it deserves renewed consideration rather than dismissal in favor of readings from a small handful of early manuscripts. The Majority Text remains a viable option for those seeking a traditional Byzantine Greek text that accords with the majority of evidence. Most scholars today recognize the need to evaluate both the early critical manuscripts and the overall testimony of the Majority Byzantine tradition in reconstructing the text of the New Testament.