Desiderius Erasmus (1466–1536), the Renaissance scholar who compiled the first published Greek New Testament (1516), did not promote a "perfect" Greek Textus Receptus (TR). His work was groundbreaking but pragmatic, and he openly acknowledged its limitations. Here’s a breakdown of his approach and legacy:
1. Erasmus’s Goals and Methods
- Primary
     Aim: To create a critical Greek New Testament to improve upon the
     Latin Vulgate, which he criticized for inaccuracies.
 - Sources:
     He used a small handful of Greek manuscripts available to him (mostly
     12th–15th century Byzantine texts), along with the Latin Vulgate. Notably,
     he improvised in places (e.g., retranslating the Latin
     Vulgate back into Greek for the last six verses of Revelation, as his
     Greek manuscript lacked them).
 - Revisions:
     Erasmus updated his text in later editions (1519, 1522, 1527, 1535),
     incorporating feedback and new manuscripts. For example, his 3rd edition
     (1522) included the Comma Johanneum (1 John 5:7–8) under
     pressure from critics, despite its absence in most Greek manuscripts.
 
2. Erasmus’s View of "Perfection"
- Scholarly
     Humility: Erasmus recognized the provisional nature of his work. In
     his annotations, he discussed textual variants and uncertainties, showing
     he did not consider his edition flawless.
 - Criticism
     of the Church: His goal was to reform medieval Catholic practices, not
     to enshrine a "perfect" text. He even wrote, "No one is
     prohibited from emending [my work]."
 - No
     TR "Advocacy": The term Textus Receptus ("Received
     Text") was coined in 1633 (by the Elzevir publishers) to market later
     Greek NT editions. Erasmus died long before this label emerged and never
     claimed his text was divinely preserved or final.
 
3. The TR’s Evolution After Erasmus
Later editors like Robert Estienne (Stephanus) and Theodore
Beza refined Erasmus’s work, incorporating older manuscripts (e.g.,
Codex Bezae) and expanding textual notes. By the 1630s, the Elzevir editions
standardized the TR, which became the basis for the KJV New Testament (1611).
However, the TR itself was a moving target, revised over 150 years.
4. Key Misconceptions
- KJV-Only
     Claims: Modern KJV-only advocates (19th/20th century) often retroject
     the idea of a "perfect TR" onto Erasmus, but this contradicts
     his own writings.
 - Erasmus
     vs. TR Idealism: Erasmus sought to make Scripture accessible and
     accurate for reform, not to create an unchanging text. He would have
     rejected later polemics about TR "perfection," as he prioritized
     scholarship over dogma.
 
Conclusion: Erasmus’s Greek New Testament was a scholarly
tool, not a declaration of textual perfection. His work was foundational
for the TR tradition, but he openly revised it and admitted its flaws. The
notion of a "perfect TR" is a later theological construct, alien to
Erasmus’s humanist, reform-minded ethos.
By propagating VPP and teaching in the church that TR is kept pure and perfect, Prabu-Ass Kosi betrayed Eramus. The Filipino counterpart was intimidated by this Keling man from Keling, who forced them to join VPP and assembled a team of enslaved Filipino pastors. The Filipino had to submit to him in order to get funding from the mother church. Dare him, to do this on the Chinese counterpart.
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