What's In Your Bible?
…for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. – Psalms 138:2
Footnotes
Footnotes are reference points usually found at the bottom pages of a Bible or in between text columns or sometimes both. They record alternative readings or sometimes reference other locations of the verse.
Many viewers have proclaimed that my posts are disingenuous and misleading because of a verse, phrase, or word missing from the text but is listed in the footnotes.
My question to you is, which is inspired? Scripture in the text, or the footnotes? If the footnotes are inspired, why aren’t they in the text? Who actually reads the footnotes every time they read the text?
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
Frequently Asked Questions
For this specific topic
Regardless of the ‘why’ (and there may be many reasons), once it is discovered, will that change your opinion of God’s Word or should it change your opinion of their opinion?
Exactly the point. The rest of their opinions on ‘translations’ or ‘interpretations’ become suspect. Why bother wasting time figuring out all of the other potential lies and just stick with reading the Word of God.
General
Yes. Yes it does.
Additional Documentation
Footnotes are reference points usually found at the bottom pages of a Bible or in between text columns or sometimes both. They record alternative readings or sometimes reference other locations of the verse.
Many viewers have proclaimed that my posts are disingenuous and misleading because of a verse, phrase, or word missing from the text but is listed in the footnotes.
My question to you is, which is inspired? Scripture in the text, or the footnotes? If the footnotes are inspired, why aren’t they in the text? Who actually reads the footnotes every time they read the text?
Imagine God trying to teach you something and Satan keeps interrupting you with footnotes.
One of the main reasons the Geneva Bible was so problematic is that the footnotes were Calvinistic and everyone was paying attention to the notes instead of the text.
The 1604 Millenary Petition presented by John Reynolds to King James established that a new translation be written with no notes. There could be references, but no notes.
Let’s look at the footnotes from a previous post from Matthew 17:21
NASV [But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting] The footnote states “Many manuscripts do not contain this verse.” Many? How many is “many?” This is interesting in that out of all of the manuscripts that have this verse only 2 don’t have it. The many manuscripts of Vaticanus and Theta omit it. Only 2. 2 out of many.
Meanwhile, this verse is quoted by Church Fathers that predate those 2 manuscripts and they are in translations that predate those two manuscripts, not to mention the 23 Uncial manuscripts and 13 Old Latin manuscripts that contain it. That is many
The footnote disingenuous and misleading.
NIV “Some manuscripts have: .”. Notice how it doesn’t say all but two? Or Only “Some” manuscripts omit the verse?
ESV “Some manuscripts insert verse 21”. Here’s that “some” word again.
Just one more instance where the manuscript evidence is completely ignored and doubt is caused as to the Bible being inspired scripture.
People infer that this is a cursed verse in that some spurious scribe added the verse to the Bible. And since God curses people who add or subtract from His word, this would equate to being a cursed verse.
(It’s more likely it was inadvertently skipped than added.) [And that’s being optimistic.]
If the notated omitted verses are put on a calendar or poster, will it still have the footnote? How does that fit?
How many people read the Bible to find out what God ‘might’ have said compared to what He inspired?
Imagine getting a set of instructions with footnotes. Place board “A” into board “C”.* *Some sets of instructions say board B. (There is no board “B”)
“Hide God’s Word in the footnote that I might not sin…”
Luke 4:4 “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every footnote” (which is funny because the ending to Luke 4:4 is missing in the new translations and has a footnote.)
“Thy footnotes have I hid in my heart…”
“Ye do err not knowing the footnotes…”
“Desire the sincere milk of the footnotes”
“All footnotes are given by inspiration….”
“Thy footnotes are a lamp unto my feet..”
“Thou hast put thy footnotes above thy name”
Study to shew thyself approved unto God!