Logos 21 Translation - Absolutely Free, Inc. Gospel of John

Updated: Thu, 03/26/2020 - 14:49 By Art Farstad



A Word about the Translation and Text

Logos 21 is translated from The Greek New Testament According to the Majority Text, edited by Zane C. Hodges and Arthur L. Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2d ed., 1985). Logos is the Greek word for word (see John 1:1) and the 21 means we are seeking to bring that word, or message from God, into the 21st century. John wrote his Gospel in everyday language (koiné or common Greek). Our translation is modern, easy to read, and yet an accurate representation of his original. Where English usage allows, the translation is fairly literal; where it does not, a freer rendering is used. In Logos 21, italics show emphasis. What is emphasized is often clear in Greek by word order or other means, but not obvious in English without occasional italics. Logos 21 also uses italics for foreign words (such as rabboni) and to indicate direct quotations from the Old Testament. Whereas most modern versions are based on a text heavily influenced by scholars who have largely disregarded or discounted the majority of Greek manuscripts, Logos 21 represents the vast bulk of existing Greek manuscripts. It is similar to the traditional text used by William Tyndale (1526) and the King James translators (1611), but corrected by later finds. The Majority Text used here represents from 80–95% of our Greek manuscripts. These stem largely from the areas which first received the original Gospels and Epistles (modern Greece and Turkey). On the whole, these manuscripts have a remarkable agreement among themselves. Heavy reliance on the few older manuscripts, mostly from Egypt (the region dry enough to preserve ancient papyrus), seems unwarranted to us. These manuscripts, often called “Alexandrian,” have many discrepancies between them. Also, no New Testament book, as far as we know, was originally sent to Egypt, the area where these manuscripts likely originated. Those who wish to pursue this subject further should read Wilbur Pickering’s The Identity of the New Testament Text, 2d ed. 1977; and Harry A. Sturz’s The Byzantine Text Type and New Testament Textual Criticism, 1984, both from Thomas Nelson Publishers. Also, for further information write to: The Executive Secretary, The Majority Text Society, Box 141289, Dallas, TX 75214-1289, U.S.A. Notes on the Text Except for “Amen, amen,” verses marked * are places where there is a significant variation between the Majority Text, which we follow, and the so-called “critical text,” abbreviated “NU.” NU is an abbreviation for the Greek text published in Nestle-Aland’s 27th edition and the United Bible Societies’ 4th edition (virtually identical texts, different apparatuses [footnotes]). In each case, the reading in Logos 21 has the support of a large majority of manuscripts.