Editing Textus Receptus (section)

== Textual origin ==
[[File:Portret van Desiderius Erasmus, RP-P-OB-7388.jpg|thumb|Desiderius [[Erasmus]] Roterodamus, the author of the Textus Receptus|325x325px]][[File:Henri Estienne the Elder 2.jpg|thumb|Robert Stephanus|341x341px]]The ''Textus Receptus'' most strongly resembles the [[Byzantine text-type]], as its editor [[Erasmus]] mainly based his work on manuscripts following the Byzantine text. However, Erasmus sometimes followed the [[Codex Basilensis A. N. IV. 2|Minuscule 1]] (part of the proposed [[Caesarean text-type]] in the Gospels) in a small number of verses, additionally following the [[Vulgate|Latin Vulgate]] translated by Jerome in the 4th century in a few verses, including Acts 9:6 and in placing the doxology of Romans into chapter 16 instead of after chapter 14 as in most Byzantine manuscripts.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Andrews |first=Edward D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i2LFEAAAQBAJ&dq=Textus+Receptus+Byzantine+text&pg=PA144 |title=THE TEXTUS RECEPTUS: The "Received Text" of the New Testament |date=2023-06-15 |publisher=Christian Publishing House |isbn=979-8-3984-5852-7 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Scrivener183" /><ref name=":0">Daniel Wallace, "Some Second Thoughts on the Majority Text", Bibliotheca Sacra, July–September, 1989, p. 276.</ref><ref name=":4" /> In the [[Book of Revelation]], Erasmus' text primarily follows the [[Andreas text-type]], named after the Andreas of Caesarea, (563–614) who used it in his widely influential commentary on Revelation.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Waltz |first=Robert B. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pefhAAAAQBAJ&dq=andreas+text+type+Textus+Receptus&pg=PA438 |title=The Encyclopedia of New Testament Textual Criticism |publisher=Robert B. Waltz |language=en}}</ref>

For the first edition, Erasmus had direct access to around 8 Greek manuscripts in Basel, although he used ''Manuscript 2105'' mainly for his copious annotations which were based on notes prepared over the previous decade on unknown manuscripts in England and Brabant. The Greek manuscripts used in the creation of Erasmus' first edition are the following:<ref>{{Cite web |last=Heide |first=Martin |date=2023-02-07 |title=Erasmus and the Search for the Original Text of the New Testament |url=https://textandcanon.org/erasmus-and-the-search-for-the-original-text-of-the-new-testament/ |access-date=2024-02-08 |website=Text & Canon Institute |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref name="Scrivener183" /><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Andrews |first=Edward D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DCyGDwAAQBAJ&dq=Minuscule+1+caesarean&pg=PA127 |title=INTRODUCTION TO THE TEXT OF THE NEW TESTAMENT: From The Authors and Scribe to the Modern Critical Text |date=2019-02-02 |publisher=Christian Publishing House |isbn=978-1-949586-78-7 |language=en}}</ref>{{r|Scrivener}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!GA
!Date
!Name
!Text-type
!Contents
|-
|2817
|11th century
|''[[Minuscule 2817|Codex Basilensis A. N. III. 11]]''
|[[Byzantine text-type|Byzantine]]
|Pauline Epistles
|-
|1
|12th century
|''[[Codex Basilensis A. N. IV. 2|Codex Basiliensis A. N. IV. 2]]''
|[[Caesarean text-type|Caesarean]]/[[Byzantine text-type|Byzantine]]
|Acts, Epistles, Gospels
|-
|2
|12th century
|[[Codex Basiliensis A. N. IV. 1|Codex Basilensis A. N. IV. 1]]
|[[Byzantine text-type|Byzantine]]
|Gospels
|-
|2814
|12th century
|[[Minuscule 2814|''Augsburg I.1.4° 1'']]
|[[Andreas text-type|Andreas]]/[[Byzantine text-type|Byzantine]]
|Revelation
|-
|2815
|12th century
|''[[Codex Basilensis A. N. IV. 4]]''
|[[Byzantine text-type|Byzantine]]
|Acts, Epistles
|-
|4
|13th century
|[[Minuscule 4]]/''Codex Regius 84''
|Mixed/[[Byzantine text-type|Byzantine]]
|Gospels
|-
|2816
|15th century
|''[[Minuscule 2816|Codex Basilensis A. N. IV. 5]]''
|[[Byzantine text-type|Byzantine]]
|Acts, Epistles
|-
|817
|15th century
|[[Minuscule 817 (Gregory-Aland)|Codex Basilensis A. N. III. 15]]
|[[Byzantine text-type|Byzantine]]
|Gospels
|}
Even though Erasmus had only one manuscript of Revelation when he created the ''Textus Receptus'', F.H.A Scrivener notes that in a few places such as Revelation 1:4 and Revelation 8:13, Erasmus refers to manuscripts which he had seen earlier during his travels.<ref name=Scrivener>{{Cite book |last=Scrivener |first=Frederick Henry Ambrose |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hyJ4cqYufD4C&dq=As+Apoc.+1+was+mutilated+in+the+last+six+verses,+Erasmus+turned+these+into+Greek+from+the+Latin;+and+some+portions+of+his+self-made+version,+which+are+found+(however+some+editors+may+speak+vaguely)+in+no+one+known+Greek+manuscript+whatever,+still+cleave+to+our+received+text+%5E.+Besides+this+scanty+roll,+however,+he+not+rarely+refers+in+his+Annotations+to+other+manuscripts+he+had+seen+in+the+course+of+his+travels+(e.+g.+on+Heb.+i.+3+;+Apoc.+i.+4+;+viii.+13),+yet+too+indistinctly+for+his+allusions+to+be+of+much+use+to+critics.+Some+such+readings,+as+alleged+by+him,+have+not+been+found+elsewhere&pg=PA431 |title=A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament for the Use of Biblical Students |date=1883 |publisher=Deighton, Bell |language=en |quote=As Apoc. 1 was mutilated in the last six verses, Erasmus turned these into Greek from the Latin; and some portions of his self-made version, which are found (however some editors may speak vaguely) in no one known Greek manuscript whatever, still cleave to our received text ^. Besides this scanty roll, however, he not rarely refers in his Annotations to other manuscripts he had seen in the course of his travels (e. g. on Heb. i. 3; Apoc. i. 4; viii. 13), yet too indistinctly for his allusions to be of much use to critics. Some such readings, as alleged by him, have not been found elsewhere}}</ref>  For subsequent editions, Erasmus had the benefit of many European correspondents (he wrote "The New Testament has made me friends everywhere")<ref>{{cite book |title=The Correspondence of Erasmus |date=1 December 1977 |publisher=University of Toronto Press |isbn=978-1-4426-8100-2 |pages=xi–xv |url=https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.3138/9781442681002-002/pdf |language=en |chapter=Preface}}</ref> and was able to get more collaborators or subeditors: for example, future English Catholic bishop [[Cuthbert Tunstall]] helped with the second edition;<ref>{{cite web |title=The Galileo Project |url=http://galileo.rice.edu/Catalog/NewFiles/tunstall.html |website=galileo.rice.edu}}</ref> and he had friendly interactions with Spanish Cardinal [[Francisco_Jiménez_de_Cisneros|Ximénez de Cisneros]] who sent a [[Complutensian Polyglot Bible|Complutensian Polyglot]] in time for Erasmus' 1527 fourth edition, particularly used for improving Revelation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Erasmus’s 1527 New Testament - Trinitarian Bible Society |url=https://www.tbsbibles.org/page/1527NewTestament |website=www.tbsbibles.org |language=en}}</ref>

Other manuscripts were available to later editors of the ''Textus Receptus''. [[Robert Estienne|Robert Stephanus]] had access to over a dozen manuscripts, including [[Codex Bezae]] and [[Codex Regius (New Testament)|Regius]],<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Waltz |first=Robert B. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pefhAAAAQBAJ&dq=Textus+Receptus+Stephanus+manuscripts&pg=PA855 |title=The Encyclopedia of New Testament Textual Criticism |publisher=Robert B. Waltz |language=en}}</ref> additionally making use of the [[Complutensian Polyglot Bible|Complutensian Polyglot]].<ref name=":22">{{Cite book |last=Koester |first=Helmut |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oZQgAAAAQBAJ&dq=Textus+Receptus+church+fathers&pg=PA37 |title=History and Literature of Early Christianity |date=2012-10-25 |publisher=Walter de Gruyter |isbn=978-3-11-081265-7 |language=en}}</ref> Stephanus' edition of the ''Textus Receptus'' became one of the two "standard" texts of the ''Textus Receptus'' alongside those of [[Theodore Beza]]. Like Stephanus, Beza had access to a larger manuscript pool than Erasmus, including [[Codex Claromontanus]] and the Codex Bezae; however, he made very little use of them in his editions.<ref name=":4"/>

=== Last verses of Revelation ===
Although sometimes contested by some defenders of the ''Textus Receptus'', it is widely accepted that because the manuscript which Erasmus used lacked the last six verses of Revelation, he used the Latin Vulgate to backtranslate the last verses of Revelation into Greek. However, he also used the notes of [[Lorenzo Valla|Valla]], such as in the reading "Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus" in Revelation 22:20, which does not completely agree with the Latin Vulgate. In this process, Erasmus introduced many distinct readings into the text of Revelation. Some of these readings were later edited out by Stephanus in his editions of the ''Textus Receptus'', but some distinct Erasmian readings remained, such as the words "book of life" instead of "tree of life" in [[Revelation 22]]:19.<ref name=":11">{{Cite journal |last=Krans |first=Jan |title=Erasmus and the Text of Revelation 22:19 |url=https://jbtc.org/v16/Krans2011.pdf |journal=TC: A Journal of Biblical Textual Criticism}}</ref>

Some defenders of the ''Textus Receptus'' have argued that Erasmus used other Greek manuscripts for the last six verses of Revelation. Manuscripts such as 2049, 2067 and 296 which contain similar readings to the ''Textus Receptus'' have been proposed as possible sources for Erasmus' readings in the book of Revelation. However, critical scholarship today views these manuscripts as being more likely being influenced by the printed ''Textus Receptus'' editions, instead of them being a source for the readings of Erasmus. It has also been noted that even if these manuscripts did not copy the Textus Receptus, that since Erasmus did not produce impossible Greek, it is possible for such manuscripts to contain similar readings by coincidence.<ref name=":11" />