the oldest manuscripts in existence, it evidently is not a very early copy. From all indications the phrase "that Joseph was the father o f Jesus’’ was an interpolation o f some modernist o f that particular generation o f Bible copyists who himself was endeavoring to mini mize the person and work o f our Lord Jesus Christ. For it must be remembered that there were modernists during all o f the centuries o f the Christian era from the day o f the resurrection up to the present time. Without ceasing men have tried to eliminate the super natural nature o f Jesus Christ and make Him, instead, merely a human being. But, now we discover that in the latest editions o f the Revised Standard Version the objectionable phrase, "Other ancient authori ties, etc.,” has been completely eliminated. Unfortunately, there may be some well-meaning Christian people who will shout "hur rah!” because the R. S. V. translators have at last seen the light. But, in our humble judgment, it makes the Revised Standard Ver sion that much more reprehensible. We may well ask the question, Why has this most objectionable statement been eliminated in the later editions o f the R. S. V.? Surely one must be extremely naive, indeed, to think fo r a moment that the translators have suddenly reversed then ideas concerning our Lord Jesus Christ and now are making every effort to raise Him to the high level in which He is presented in the Word o f God itself. And if they always have held Him in such high regard as to recognize His virgin birth, the ques tion may well be asked, "Why, then, did they ever put this false and diabolically-conceived statement in their footnotes in the first place?” One is almost forced to the conclusion that the storm o f protest over this objectionable footnote was more than the trans lators had counted upon. They must have thought they could slip this in surreptitiously without anyone’s noting it and thus they could obtain their desired ends. But could it be that the transla tors and the publishers found there was so much objection to this phrase that it was affecting their sales? I f such is the case, this is where the reprehensible nature o f the whole business comes in. I f the phrase is true that "Joseph is the father o f Jesus,” then they are selling their souls fo r a mess o f pottage by eliminating it. If, how ever, the phrase making Joseph the father o f Jesus is not true, that is, it does not occur in several "ancient authorities,” then what pur pose could the translators possibly have had in mind in inserting it unless they were making a conscious effort to eliminate the virgin birth from Christian thought in future years? Certainly no manu scripts have been discovered since the R. S. V. first appeared that would lead them to change their minds on a basis o f evidence. The whole situation is a most glaring example o f the fa c t that the R. S. V. is not an accurate translation at all. Instead, it is a conscious effort on the part o f men who do not hold to the infallibility o f the Word o f God to downgrade the Person and work o f our Lord Jesus Christ. They are not to be trusted in their handling o f the Word o f God.
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