Thread: Rom 12:11 "Serving The Time"

Hi Ken!

The best I can make of this comes from F.H.A. Scrivener, in his, A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament Vol. 1, pp. 15, 16. He says,

Not a few variant readings may be imputed to the peculiarities of the style of writing adopted in the oldest manuscripts.....The habitual abridgment of such words as Qeoj or Kurioj [God or Lord] sometimes leads to a corruption of the text. Hence possibly comes the grave variation of [who for God in] 1 Tim. 3:16, and the singular reading tw kairw douleuontej [the time serving in] Rom. 12:11, where the true word kuriw [Lord] was first shortened into Krw, and then read...[with] K being employed to indicate KAI in very early times.

Thus we get tw kairw douleuontej “the time serving” instead of tw kuriw douleuontej “the Lord serving”.

Metzger, in his, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, says “The reading kairw, supported chiefly by Western witnesses (D* F G 5 itd Origen Cyprian Ambrosiaster Jerome al) probably arose from a confusion [when the sacred name was customarily contracted and misinterpreted to read “time” instead of “Lord” –SMR]. (p. 466)

This variant was present among the Textus Receptus mss, as it is the reading of Stephen’s 1550 edition, with “Lord” in the margin, along with the mss it appears in. This is in accord with John Owen’s view that the minute variants in the TR mss were allowed there so the Lord’s people would exercise their discernment and ferret out the true reading.

Ken, I believe you realize the editor cited was not John Owen himself, as the dates for Griesbach were 1745 – 1812 and 1616 – 1683 for Owen. I think Owen would have chosen “Lord” as by his time the text was providentially settled in the King James Bible, and in 1646 the WCF 1:8 declared concerning the extant Greek and Hebrew Scriptures, which would have adhered to Beza and the Elzevir edition – which essentially were the Greek under the KJB NT. The Dutch Reformation Bible, the Staten Vertaling (1619), reads Heere – Lord, or mister – in 12:11.

I have noted elsewhere that the editor of Owen's works presumptuously contradicts Owen and adds his own views, as though we would listen to his far more liberal exegetical and text-critical opinions!

John Gill (1697 – 1771) says of it, “...as the reading our version follows is confirmed by authentic copies, and by the Syriac, and other Oriental versions, ’tis best to adhere to it...” He also agrees the variant likely entered through the abbreviating noted above.

I don’t know any more than this the particulars of how it was settled, but it was. Hope this helps (and is clear!).

Steve

Originally Posted by Jerusalem Blade

Ken, I believe you realize the editor cited was not John Owen himself, as the dates for Griesbach were 1745 – 1812 and 1616 – 1683 for Owen. I think Owen would have chosen “Lord” as by his time the text was providentially settled in the King James Bible, and in 1646 the WCF 1:8 declared concerning the extant Greek and Hebrew Scriptures, which would have adhered to Beza and the Elzevir edition – which essentially were the Greek under the KJB NT. The Dutch Reformation Bible, the Staten Vertaling, reads Heere – Lord, or mister – in 12:11.

Thanks for clearing that up for me, Mr. Rafalsky. I was using the online version of Calvin @ ccel.org and just went with what was on the title page. Could the 'John Owen' be 'John J. Owen' (1803-1869) who wrote commentaries on the 4 Gospels?

Originally Posted by Jerusalem Blade

I have noted elsewhere that the editor of Owen's works presumptuously contradicts Owen and adds his own views, as though we would listen to his far more liberal exegetical and text-critical opinions!

Thank you for confirming what I have long suspected! The editor's views often seem quite arbitrary.

Originally Posted by Jerusalem Blade

John Gill (1697 – 1771) says of it, “...as the reading our version follows is confirmed by authentic copies, and by the Syriac, and other Oriental versions, ’tis best to adhere to it...”

Apparently the modern translators agree.