JOHN 3:13 ~ WHO+ is in Heaven ~ Still Stands !

Alexandrian Changes to John 3:13

Are Followed 

by the Modern Versions

JOHN 3:13

KJV ~ Words of 

our LORD JESUS CHRIST

to Nicodemus

And no man hath ascended up to Heaven, but HE+ that came down from Heaven, even the SON+ of man

which is in Heaven.

Gk: The ONE+ being in the Heaven

   

ESV

No one has ascended into Heaven except HE+

Who+ descended from Heaven,

the SON+ of Man.^g

The footnote at the bottom of the page in the ESV ( whose basis is the RSV) states this

g 13 "Some manuscripts add  

who is in heaven"

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In the Nestle-Aland's 26^th and 27^th and 28^th editions: The Greek of N-A's Alexandrian text is exactly the same as the Textus Receptus until the last phrase, which is entirely omitted.

Variants in the footnote tell us the N-A text  with its omission follows about 12 manuscripts ( mss):

PAPYRUS:

·  Papyrus 66 ( This papyrus is quite marred with changes and non-sensical readings; no foot-notes on this reading in the papyrus to indicate another reading exists ) 

and P-75  which highly agrees with Codex B, the  Vaticanus;

· UNCIALS:

Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, L 019 ( mixed Cesarean text) , W-s ( a mixed text ) , 083, 086 ( Gk-Coptic Palimpsest) , 0113;

·  MINUSCULES:

33 (a completely Alexandrian ms), 1010, 1241 ( Alexandrian),

·    VERSIONS:

pc Coptic ( pauci: a few Coptic mss)

The N-A 26th variant notation ALSO contains the list of manuscripts and other documents which DO include the phrase

 "...  Who+ is in Heaven". 

 UNCIALS:

Alexandrinus* = original scribe, which is a 5th century manuscript and Theta  , Psi  , 050, 063

MINUSCULES:

·   f-1 ( Lake group --- 5 basic mss, with about 7 other mss which have  f-1 characteristics through-out parts of them ),

·     f-13 ( Ferrar group --- 13 basic mss),

·      Majority Text mss ( hundreds of them )

Special Note: Nestle-Aland-26th includes OTHER MSS besides BYZANTINE into its  "Majority Text"... even some which are UNCIALS and some which are Alexandrian, Cesarean, Western, etc., according to the introduction... unless some of these "other" mss have a variant. Then, it is listed separately. See  INTRO EXPLANATION on pages 47 and 50, English intro, N-A 26th. ed.  

Most other scholars use the term  "Majority Text" as synonymous with the large group of extant  Byzantine  Texts.

VERSIONS:  

·  Latin mss ( Lat = that is, an agreement of a part of the Old Latin mss --- second century ? --- with the Latin Vulgate, circa 384, etc. ) ,

·     all the Syriac witnesses:  ( Cureton-- has a variation which does not affect the meaning), Peshitta, Harclean,

 

·    a part of the Coptic versions, called the BOHARIC = Memphitic, the northern Egyptian dialect, most highly developed dialect became synonymous with "Coptic"( according to Burton Throckmorton**).

 PATRISTIC:

Origen, circa 254- Latin writings, ;  Epiphanius of Constantia, circa 403.

The omission of "... Who+ is in Heaven"  brought forth 3 pages of discussion, including a 5-inch long foot-note in very tiny print, of Dean Burgon's meticulous research, pin-pointing the unfairness, not only of the omission of the phrase, but the  inaccuracy of the explanatory note that accompanied the omission. DEAN John William Burgon... from A Revision Revised, 1883, pgs 132-135:

The Revised Standard Version of 1881 engineered by Westcott and Hort omitted the phrase according to " many ancient authorities" , according to the information found in the footnote of the RSV. 

DEAN Burgon listed these documents which included

" ... Who+ is in Heaven" :

·    10 versions as well as

·    38 Patristic writers including the exact citations of where it was found in their writings ( footnote, page 133). Note: N-A 26th only listed TWO Patristic citations .

Special Note on the Patristic citations of Nestle-Aland's 26th Ed:  Introduction, page 61:

" Their number could easily have been increased, but what would have been gained by adducing greater numerical support, for example, for the Majority Text ? "

·       acknowledged by Lachmann, Tregelles, and Tischendorf,

·     

· and "a host of (existing) copies ( mss)  in the proportion of 995 to 5" ( page 133 ).

Included in DEAN Burgon's long footnote on page 134 was the note that "in all the Churches of the East these words from the earliest period were read as part of the Gospel for the Thursday in Easter week."

NOTE: Burgon did not have access to the 2,453 extant lectionaries in his day. Likely, there were around 50 or so at that point in manuscript history.

From Wikipedia: Before Scholz ( Johann Scholz, d. 1852) only 57 Gospel lectionaries and 20 Apostoloi were known. Scholz added to the list 58-181 Evangelistarioi and 21-58 Apostoloi.^[3] Gregory in 1909 enumerated 2234 lectionaries. To the present day 2453 lectionary manuscripts have been catalogued by the (INTF) in Münster. The lectionary text is basically Byzantine with detectable Caesarean influence.^[4] Lectionaries usually agreed with the Textus Receptus but with some departures.

Roy E. Ciampa, 2002, lists about 100+ in his internet Reference Charts for New Testament Textual Criticism .  The information on his charts reflects the Alexandrian school. See: http://www.viceregency.com/TextCrit.htm

  

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Honesty in the Foot-notes

The Revised Standard Version, like the ESV, which is an adaptation of the RSV* ( a Westcott-Hort Greek text crafted from Alexandrian manuscripts ), determined its translation of John 3:13 on the text of about 12 manuscripts , disregarding the HUNDREDS of manuscripts , 10 versions, 38 documented Patristic citations, and early Christian lectionaries which have that phrase at an early age. 

The footnote of the RSV says:

"Other ancient authorities add "Who is in Heaven."

The footnote of the ESV says:

g 13 Some manuscripts add who is in heaven

Similar foot-notes accompany the Holman Christian Standard Bible and the NIV, among others.

Some modern translations add  "... Whose home is in Heaven" , missing the point in their paraphrase by adding the words "whose" and "home" to either their verse or foot-note which follows it.

The Greek language has excellent, familiar words in the New Testament for BOTH "whose" and "home" ... and neither of those words are in the text of any manuscript ! 

There are some modern translations , based on the Alexandrian text, which omit the phrase and omit any explanatory footnote as well .

Now ... 

DO "some" manuscripts

 "ADD"  

that phrase? 

Is that an honest statement? 

Would it not be more truthful in presenting the real picture to the reader to say that out of over 1,000 manuscripts and other  documents, only 12 have omitted that phrase and this ESV translation has chosen to follow those 12 manuscripts ?

Nestle-Aland's 26th has stated it purposely does NOT INCLUDE all the Patristic evidence given for the variants, usually documentation for the Byzantine text.

Does this action present the reader an honest representation of the documentation which still exists ? 

Further, no lectionaries were cited. Perhaps it is understandable to omit the lectionary particulars, but SOME kind of information should have been included in John 3:13 due to the inclusion of that verse in many of the earliest lectionaries.

Are these foot-notes, explanatory notes, and citations , then , able to give the reader a TRUE REFLECTION of the documentation which exists, so that the reader can make a thoughtful decision based on all the information available ?  

Unfortunately, this kind of incomplete information is found across the spectrum of the modern translations which are based on the Alexandrian texts.

An honest footnote would at least reflect that the modern, Alexandrian-based translation indeed REMOVED that phrase ( and concept and understanding) in spite of the over-whelming evidence supporting it.

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WHY Does it Matter ?

  

That phrase 

 --- "Who+ is in Heaven" ---  

is CRUCIAL

to the establishment of the concept

and understanding

of the GODHEAD.

( NOTE WELL the Greek Grammar: the ONE+ being -- Verb-Participle-present-active-nominative- masc- sing--- in Heaven... Present denotes continual, on-going action.)

 That phrase, 

spoken by Our LORD JESUS, 

presents to the Christian

a substantial verification of HIMSELF+

as being in the ELOHIM.

It shows the ELOHIM, the GOD-HEAD,

in operation. 

That The SON+ of Man was being in Heaven at the same time that HE+ was on earth is a hard concept for finite minds to accept. Thus, we need every Scripture which states this truth. 

 The LORD reaffirms this truth in John 1:1, 1:18,1:30, 8:58, verses in chapter 17, and in Colossians 2:9.

There is no separation or division between YHWH ELOHIM , YHWH ADONAI ( the ETERNAL SON+, the Eternal WORD+ MADE FLESH ), and YHWH RUACH ha KADOSH ( JEHOVAH- HOLY SPIRIT), Romans 8:9.

The LORD JESUS said, 

 " I and My+ FATHER are One." 

 John 10:30.

The Scripture at John 1:18 declares The SON+ as the One+ being in the bosom of The FATHER, HE+ is the ONE+ Who+ explains ... HIMSELF !

Note well that there is no "him" in the actual Greek text, but that the verb is acting as a reflexive verb here, being a middle deponent.

( Technically, then, the Greek verb here tells the story: 

exAgAsato--- vb-indic-aorist- middle deponent -3rd person- singular. HE+ declares or explains ... HIMSELF+ .

NOTE:  There is no "him" in the actual text because the middle voice of that verb tells us that the action would be reflexive, being done by HIMSELF towards HIMSELF,  the ELOHIM. )

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The Conclusion

Regarding the Omission of 

--- "Who+ is in Heaven" ---   

in the last phrase of John 3:13

Thus, it seems that neither the explanations in the footnotes ( when included) nor the translations reflect honest scholarship which omit, italicize, add in words, or put into parentheses  the last phrase in John 3:13.

By so distinguishing that phrase, the translations are casting doubt in the reader's mind regarding the veracity of that phrase. Its AUTHENTICITY as a part of the Holy Writ --- Words of our LORD JESUS CHRIST --- is being held up to QUESTION.

The truth of the matter is that "Who+ is in Heaven" or the literal Greek "... the One+ being in the Heaven"  should have NEVER been OMITTED from any book of John.

Now, some of the early copyists may not have had access to any Byzantine manuscript and simply copied whatever manuscript they could obtain to have some Scripture verses from the book of John.

But in this day of internet research, published academic papers, scholarship, access to manuscripts, and reams of solid documentation available,  any reason seems unsupportable and odd for translators and publishing houses to obscure, distinguish as "questionable",  or omit the LORD'S WORDS "... Who+ is in Heaven" from the Holy Deposit at John 3:13.

 

It amounts to dishonest scholarship, for whatever the reason.

Thus, by this omission,  the reader is cheated of the full statement given in Holy Writ.  The Follower of JESUS CHRIST is robbed of a crucial verification of the concept of the GODHEAD bodily, the ELOHIM.

The evangelist to the unredeemed ( especially working with someone from a Moslem or Jewish background ) is less equipped to defend the deity of CHRIST JESUS. 

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Over 30 modern English Bible translations checked on Biblehub and Bible Gateway websites OMIT "...Who is in Heaven" in John 3:13.

Just to name a few besides the ESV and RSV, "... Who is in Heaven"  is omitted from Moffat's New Testament as well as from  the JB Phillips New Testament and the Living Bible.

Sadly, the composers of the Complete JEWISH Bible , 1998, edited by David Stern, also omitted that crucial phrase,"... Who is in Heaven" . 

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 It would be wise for the SERIOUS Bible reader to check his version of Scriptures to see if that phrase is included or not. If it is NOT there, then it is likely the Alexandrian texts based on the Vaticanus and Sinaiticus manuscripts have been used in the translation. 

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*The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

** Throckmorton, Jr., Burton H., editor, Gospel Parallels: A Synopsis of the First Three Gospels, with Alternative Readings from the Manuscripts and Noncanonical Parallels. 5th Ed., 1992, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tn.  Throckmorton used the New Revised Standard Edition throughout his volume and supports the Alexandrian view.