THE ANTE-NICENE PATRISTIC TESTIMONY TO THE TEXTUS RECEPTUS
By Thomas M. Strouse, PhD
 
 

ASSERTION  "There is no unambiguous evidence that the Byzantine Text type was known before the middle of the fourth century," D.A. Carson.

DOCUMENTATION: [Proving that assertion false.]

 KJV Mk. 1:1,2  "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; as it is
written in the prophets.,." 
 Irenaeus (130-202) "Mark . . . does thus commence his Gospel narrative:  'The beginning
of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as it is written in the prophets. . .' Plainly does the commencement of the Gospel quote the words of the holy prophets and point out Him. . .whom they confessed as God and Lord (Against Heresies III:10:5, :11:14, :16:3).

 KJV Mk. 16:19 "So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into
heaven, and sat on the right hand of God."
 Irenaeus (130-202) "Also, towards the conclusion of his Gospel, Mark says: 'So then,
after the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God."' (Against Heresies III:l0:6)

 KJV Lk 22:44 "And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly:  and his sweat was as it
were great drops of blood failing down to the ground."
 Justin (100~165) "For in the memoirs which I say were drawn up by His apostles and those who followed them, it is recorded that His sweat fell down like drops of blood while    He was praying, and saying, 'If it be possible, let this cup pass'" (Trypho103:24)

 KJV Jn. 1:18  "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."
 Irenaeus (130-202) "the only begotten Son of God, which is in the bosom of the Father. . ."  (Against Heresies III :11:6), "the only begotten Son, who. . ." (IV:20:6), "the only begotten God, which . . ." (IV:20:11)

 KJV  Jn. 3:13  "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven."
 Hippolytus (170-236)  "No man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven." (Against the Heresy of One Noetus I:1:4).

 KJV Jn. 5:3,4   "...waiting for the moving of the water, For an angel went down at a certain season unto the pool, and troubled the water:  whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had."
 Tertullian (160-221) "If it seems a novelty for an angel to be present in 'waters, an example of what was to come to pass has forerun.  An angel, by his intervention was want to stir the pool at Bethsaida. They who were complaining of  ill-health used to watch for him; for whoever had been the first to descend into them, after his washing ceased to complain." (On Baptism I:l:5).

 KJV  Jn 6:69  "And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God."
 lrenaeus (130~202) "By whom also Peter, having been taught, recognized Christ as the Son of the living God..." (Against Heresies III:11:6)
 
 KJV Jn.14:l7 "...but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."
 p66 (c. 200) "...shall be in you'."

 KJV Acts 8:36,37 "...See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
 Cyprian(200-258) "In the Acts of the Apostles: 'Lo, here is water; what is there which hinders me from being baptized?  Then said Phillip, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest." (The Treatises of Cyprian 1.1:143).

 KJV I Tim. 3:16 "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh. . ."
 Ignatius(35-116) "God was in the flesh" (To the Ephesians 1:1:7).
 Hippolytus (170-236) "God was manifested in the flesh" (Against the Heresies of Noetus I :1:17).
 Dionysius (3rd cent.) "For God was manifested in the flesh" (Conciliations I:1:853).

 KJV 1 Jn. 5:7,8  "For there are three that bear record In heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water and the blood:  and these three agree in one.
 Cyprian (200-258)  "The Lord says, 'I and the Father are one,' and again it is written of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, ‘and these three are one.'" (The Treatises of Cyprian I :1:6).

 KJV Rev. 22:14 "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."
 Tertulilan (160-221) "Blessed are they who act according to the precepts, that they may have power over the tree of life, and over the gates, for entering into the holy city." (On Modesty 1:19:2).

CONCLUSION

 KJV 2 Pet. 3:16  "As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction."
 Tertullian (160-221) "Now this heresy of yours does not receive certain Scriptures; and whichever of them It does receive, it perverts by means of additions and diminutions, for the accomplishment of its own purposes." (On Prescriptions Against Heresies 1:17:1).

Thomas M. Strouse, PhD
Maranatha Baptist Graduate School of Theology
Watertown, WI 530914