Far Eastern Bible College (FEBC) Bible-Presbyterian Church (BPC)

Dec 12, 2025

New Testament Manuscript Explorer 1 - Papyrus

5657

Title

Type

Date

Language

Textual Categories

𝔓1 P.Oxy. 2

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓2 Inv. 7134

Papyrus

6th century

Greek, Coptic

Eclectic (III)

𝔓3 Pap. G. 2323

Papyrus

6th century

Greek

Eclectic (III)

𝔓4 Suppl. Gr. 1120

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓5 P.Oxy. 208 + 1781

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓6 P. Copt. 379 + 381 + 382 + 384

Papyrus

4th century

Greek, Coptic

Egyptian (II)

𝔓7 F. 301 (KDA) 553 p

Papyrus

4th century

Greek

Unassigned

𝔓8 Inv. 8683

Papyrus

4th century

Greek

Egyptian (II)

𝔓9 P.Oxy. 402

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓10 P.Oxy. 209

Papyrus

4th century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓11 Gr. 258 A

Papyrus

6th century

Greek

Egyptian (II)

𝔓12 P. Amherst 3b

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓13 P.Oxy. 547 + PSI 1292

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓14 P. Sinai II + Harris 14

Papyrus

6th century

Greek

Egyptian (II)

𝔓15 P.Oxy. 1008

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓16 P.Oxy. 1009

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓17 P.Oxy. 1078

Papyrus

4th century

Greek

Egyptian (II)

𝔓18 P.Oxy. 1079

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓19 P.Oxy. 1170

Papyrus

4th century

Greek

Egyptian (II)

𝔓20 P.Oxy. 1171

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓21 P.Oxy. 1227

Papyrus

4th century

Greek

Eclectic (III)

𝔓22 P.Oxy. 1228

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓23 P.Oxy. 1229

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓24 P.Oxy. 1230

Papyrus

4th century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓25 Inv. 16388

Papyrus

4th century

Greek

Unassigned

𝔓26 P.Oxy. 1354

Papyrus

7th century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓27 P.Oxy. 1355

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓28 P.Oxy. 1596

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓29 P.Oxy. 1597

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓30 P.Oxy. 1598

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓31 P. Rylands 4

Papyrus

7th century

Greek

Egyptian (II)

𝔓32 P. Rylands 5

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓33 Pap. G. 17973 + 26133 + 35831

Papyrus

6th century

Greek

Egyptian (II)

𝔓34 Pap. G. 39784

Papyrus

7th century

Greek

Egyptian (II)

𝔓35 PSI 1

Papyrus

5th century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓36 PSI 3

Papyrus

6th century

Greek

Eclectic (III)

𝔓37 P. Mich. 137

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓38 P. Mich. 138

Papyrus

4th century

Greek

Western (IV)

𝔓39 P.Oxy. 1780

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓40 P. Heid. Inv. G. 645

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓41 Pap. K. 7377 + 7384 + 7396 + 7456 + 7541–48 + 7912 + 7914

Papyrus

8th century

Greek, Coptic

Eclectic (III)

𝔓42 Pap. K. 8706

Papyrus

7th century

Greek, Coptic

Egyptian (II)

𝔓43 Inv. 2241

Papyrus

6th century

Greek

Egyptian (II)

𝔓44 Inv. 14.1.527

Papyrus

6th century

Greek

Egyptian (II)

𝔓45 P. Chester Beatty I

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓46 P. Chester Beatty II + P. Mich. 6238

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓47 P. Chester Beatty III

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓48 PSI 1165

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Western (IV)

𝔓49 P. Yale I 2 + II 86

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓50 P. Yale I 3

Papyrus

4th century

Greek

Eclectic (III)

𝔓51 P.Oxy. 2157

Papyrus

5th century

Greek

Egyptian (II)

𝔓52 Gr. P. 457

Papyrus

2nd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓53 Inv. 6652

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓54 P. Princ. 15

Papyrus

5th century

Greek

Eclectic (III)

𝔓55 Pap. G. 26214

Papyrus

6th century

Greek

Egyptian (II)

𝔓56 Pap. G. 19918

Papyrus

5th century

Greek

Egyptian (II)

𝔓57 Pap. G. 26020

Papyrus

4th century

Greek

Egyptian (II)

𝔓59 P. Colt 3

Papyrus

7th century

Greek

Eclectic (III)

𝔓60 P. Colt 4

Papyrus

7th century

Greek

Eclectic (III)

𝔓61 P. Colt 5

Papyrus

8th century

Greek

Egyptian (II)

𝔓62 P. Osloensis 1661

Papyrus

4th century

Greek, Coptic

Egyptian (II)

𝔓63 P. 11914

Papyrus

6th century

Greek

Eclectic (III)

𝔓64 Gr. 17

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓65 PSI 1373

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓66 P. Chester Beatty s.n. + P. Bodmer II + Inv. Nr. 4274/4298

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓68 Gr. 258 B

Papyrus

6th century

Greek

Eclectic (III)

𝔓69 P.Oxy. 2383

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Western (IV)

𝔓70 P.Oxy. 2384 + PSI inv. CNR 419, 420

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

𝔓71 P.Oxy. 2385

Papyrus

4th century

Greek

Egyptian (II)

𝔓72 P. Bodmer VII + P. Bodmer VIII

Papyrus

3rd century

Greek

Alexandrian (I)

Title	Type	Date	Language	Textual Categories
𝔓1 P.Oxy. 2	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓2 Inv. 7134	Papyrus	6th century	Greek, Coptic	Eclectic (III)
𝔓3 Pap. G. 2323	Papyrus	6th century	Greek	Eclectic (III)
𝔓4 Suppl. Gr. 1120	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓5 P.Oxy. 208 + 1781	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓6 P. Copt. 379 + 381 + 382 + 384	Papyrus	4th century	Greek, Coptic	Egyptian (II)
𝔓7 F. 301 (KDA) 553 p	Papyrus	4th century	Greek	Unassigned
𝔓8 Inv. 8683	Papyrus	4th century	Greek	Egyptian (II)
𝔓9 P.Oxy. 402	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓10 P.Oxy. 209	Papyrus	4th century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓11 Gr. 258 A	Papyrus	6th century	Greek	Egyptian (II)
𝔓12 P. Amherst 3b	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓13 P.Oxy. 547 + PSI 1292	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓14 P. Sinai II + Harris 14	Papyrus	6th century	Greek	Egyptian (II)
𝔓15 P.Oxy. 1008	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓16 P.Oxy. 1009	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓17 P.Oxy. 1078	Papyrus	4th century	Greek	Egyptian (II)
𝔓18 P.Oxy. 1079	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓19 P.Oxy. 1170	Papyrus	4th century	Greek	Egyptian (II)
𝔓20 P.Oxy. 1171	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓21 P.Oxy. 1227	Papyrus	4th century	Greek	Eclectic (III)
𝔓22 P.Oxy. 1228	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓23 P.Oxy. 1229	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓24 P.Oxy. 1230	Papyrus	4th century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓25 Inv. 16388	Papyrus	4th century	Greek	Unassigned
𝔓26 P.Oxy. 1354	Papyrus	7th century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓27 P.Oxy. 1355	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓28 P.Oxy. 1596	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓29 P.Oxy. 1597	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓30 P.Oxy. 1598	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓31 P. Rylands 4	Papyrus	7th century	Greek	Egyptian (II)
𝔓32 P. Rylands 5	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓33 Pap. G. 17973 + 26133 + 35831	Papyrus	6th century	Greek	Egyptian (II)
𝔓34 Pap. G. 39784	Papyrus	7th century	Greek	Egyptian (II)
𝔓35 PSI 1	Papyrus	5th century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓36 PSI 3	Papyrus	6th century	Greek	Eclectic (III)
𝔓37 P. Mich. 137	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓38 P. Mich. 138	Papyrus	4th century	Greek	Western (IV)
𝔓39 P.Oxy. 1780	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓40 P. Heid. Inv. G. 645	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓41 Pap. K. 7377 + 7384 + 7396 + 7456 + 7541–48 + 7912 + 7914	Papyrus	8th century	Greek, Coptic	Eclectic (III)
𝔓42 Pap. K. 8706	Papyrus	7th century	Greek, Coptic	Egyptian (II)
𝔓43 Inv. 2241	Papyrus	6th century	Greek	Egyptian (II)
𝔓44 Inv. 14.1.527	Papyrus	6th century	Greek	Egyptian (II)
𝔓45 P. Chester Beatty I	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓46 P. Chester Beatty II + P. Mich. 6238	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓47 P. Chester Beatty III	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓48 PSI 1165	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Western (IV)
𝔓49 P. Yale I 2 + II 86	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓50 P. Yale I 3	Papyrus	4th century	Greek	Eclectic (III)
𝔓51 P.Oxy. 2157	Papyrus	5th century	Greek	Egyptian (II)
𝔓52 Gr. P. 457	Papyrus	2nd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓53 Inv. 6652	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓54 P. Princ. 15	Papyrus	5th century	Greek	Eclectic (III)
𝔓55 Pap. G. 26214	Papyrus	6th century	Greek	Egyptian (II)
𝔓56 Pap. G. 19918	Papyrus	5th century	Greek	Egyptian (II)
𝔓57 Pap. G. 26020	Papyrus	4th century	Greek	Egyptian (II)
𝔓59 P. Colt 3	Papyrus	7th century	Greek	Eclectic (III)
𝔓60 P. Colt 4	Papyrus	7th century	Greek	Eclectic (III)
𝔓61 P. Colt 5	Papyrus	8th century	Greek	Egyptian (II)
𝔓62 P. Osloensis 1661	Papyrus	4th century	Greek, Coptic	Egyptian (II)
𝔓63 P. 11914	Papyrus	6th century	Greek	Eclectic (III)
𝔓64 Gr. 17	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓65 PSI 1373	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓66 P. Chester Beatty s.n. + P. Bodmer II + Inv. Nr. 4274/4298	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓68 Gr. 258 B	Papyrus	6th century	Greek	Eclectic (III)
𝔓69 P.Oxy. 2383	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Western (IV)
𝔓70 P.Oxy. 2384 + PSI inv. CNR 419, 420	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)
𝔓71 P.Oxy. 2385	Papyrus	4th century	Greek	Egyptian (II)
𝔓72 P. Bodmer VII + P. Bodmer VIII	Papyrus	3rd century	Greek	Alexandrian (I)

New Testament Manuscripts Data

Type

• Minuscule 2850

• Lectionary 2385

• Majuscule 286

• Papyrus 136

Contents

• Matt, Mark, Luke, John (e) 4643

• Acts, James-Jude (a) 1277

• Romans-Hebrews (p) 834

• Revelation (r) 310

Textual Categories

• Unassigned 4029

• Category V: Byzantine 1300

• Category III: Eclectic 245

• Category II: Egyptian 102

• Category I: Alexandrian 61

• Category IV: Western 5

Date

• 2nd century 8

• 3rd century 64

• 4th century 54

• 5th century 65

• 6th century 81

• 7th century 45

• 8th century 51

• 9th century 200

• 10th century 350

• 11th century 786

• 12th century 1103

• 13th century 1027

• 14th century 850

• 15th century 430

• 16th century 356

• 17th century 126

• 18th century 29

• 19th century 5

• Not assigned 27

NTVMR Coverage

• None 3123

• Few 1198

• Many 624

• Medium 443

• Exact 269

Language

• Greek 5657

• Coptic 45

• Latin 27

• Arabic 25

• Slavonic 3

• Armenian 1

Tags

• Has Images at NTVMR 4225

• Cited in UBS5 453

• Headpiece 362

• Consistently Cited in NA28 341

• Illuminations 151

• Available in Logos 68

• Family 1 18

• Frequently cited in NA28 17

• Contains Commentary 14

• Family 13 13

• Illuminated Letters 10

• Purple Parchment 8

• Writing Material (Gold Ink) 3

• Pericope Marker 1

• Writing Material (Silver Ink) 1

John 1:18 in all English translations

JOHN 1:18

KJ21

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.

ASV

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

AMP

No one has seen God [His essence, His divine nature] at any time; the [One and] only begotten God [that is, the unique Son] who is in the intimate presence of the Father, He has explained Him [and interpreted and revealed the awesome wonder of the Father].

AMPC

No man has ever seen God at any time; the only unique Son, or the only begotten God, Who is in the bosom [in the intimate presence] of the Father, He has declared Him [He has revealed Him and brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him and He has made Him known].

BRG

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

CSB

No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side—he has revealed him.

CSBA

No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side – he has revealed him.

CEB

No one has ever seen God. God the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, has made God known.

CJB

No one has ever seen God; but the only and unique Son, who is identical with God and is at the Father’s side — he has made him known.

CEV

No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is truly God and is closest to the Father, has shown us what God is like.

DARBY

No one has seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, *he* hath declared [him].

DLNT

No one has ever seen God; the only-born God, the One being in the bosom of the Father— that One expounded Him.

DRA

No man hath seen God at any time: the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

ERV

No one has ever seen God. The only Son is the one who has shown us what God is like. He is himself God and is very close to the Father.

EASY

Nobody has ever seen God. But God's only Son has shown God to us. He is very near to the Father, and he himself is God.

EHV

No one has ever seen God. The only-begotten Son, who is close to the Father’s side, has made him known.

ESV

No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.

ESVUK

No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.

EXB

No one has ever seen God [C God the Father, who is pure spirit; 4:24]. But ·God the only Son [God the one and only; the only Son who is himself God; T God the only begotten] is ·very close to [by the side of; close to the heart of; T in the bosom of] the Father, and he has ·shown us what God is like [made him known].

GNV

No man hath seen God at any time: that only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

No one has ever seen God. God’s only Son, the one who is closest to the Father’s heart, has made him known.

GNT

No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is the same as God and is at the Father's side, he has made him known.

HCSB

No one has ever seen God. The One and Only Son— the One who is at the Father’s side— He has revealed Him.

ICB

No man has ever seen God. But God the only Son is very close to the Father. And the Son has shown us what God is like.

ISV

No one has ever seen God. The uniquely existing God, who is close to the Father’s side, has revealed him.

PHILLIPS

So the word of God became a human being and lived among us. We saw his splendour (the splendour as of a father’s only son), full of grace and truth. And it was about him that John stood up and testified, exclaiming: “Here is the one I was speaking about when I said that although he would come after me he would always be in front of me; for he existed before I was born!” Indeed, every one of us has shared in his riches—there is a grace in our lives because of his grace. For while the Law was given by Moses, love and truth came through Jesus Christ. It is true that no one has ever seen God at any time. Yet the divine and only Son, who lives in the closest intimacy with the Father, has made him known.

JUB

No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.

KJV

No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

AKJV

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

LSB

No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.

LEB

No one has seen God at any time; the one and only, God, the one who is in the bosom of the Father—that one has made him known.

TLB

No one has ever actually seen God, but, of course, his only Son has, for he is the companion of the Father and has told us all about him.

MSG

We all live off his generous abundance, gift after gift after gift. We got the basics from Moses, and then this exuberant giving and receiving, This endless knowing and understanding— all this came through Jesus, the Messiah. No one has ever seen God, not so much as a glimpse. This one-of-a-kind God-Expression, who exists at the very heart of the Father, has made him plain as day.

MEV

No one has seen God at any time. The only Son, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.

MOUNCE

No one has ever seen God. The only Son, himself God, the one who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.

NOG

No one has ever seen God. God’s only Son, the one who is closest to the Father’s heart, has made him known.

NABRE

No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him.

NASB

No one has seen God at any time; God the only Son, who is in the arms of the Father, He has explained Him.

NASB1995

No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.

NCB

No one has ever seen God. It is the only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, who has made him known.

NCV

No one has ever seen God. But God the only Son is very close to the Father, and he has shown us what God is like.

NET

No one has ever seen God. The only one, himself God, who is in closest fellowship with the Father, has made God known.

NIRV

No one has ever seen God. But the One and Only is God and is at the Father’s side. The one at the Father’s side has shown us what God is like.

NIV

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

NIVUK

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in the closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

NKJV

No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

NLV

The much-loved Son is beside the Father. No man has ever seen God. But Christ has made God known to us.

NLT

No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.

NMB

No man has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.

NRSVA

No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

NRSVACE

No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

NRSVCE

No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

NRSVUE

No one has ever seen God. It is the only Son, himself God, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

NTFE

Nobody has ever seen God. The only-begotten God, who is intimately close to the father—he has brought him to light.

OJB

No one has ever seen Hashem [Ex 33:20]. It is Elohim the Ben Yachid [who shares the nature of Hashem, the Chochman Ben Elohim at his side, see very importantly Mishle 8:30; 30:4)], it is he, the one being in the kheyk (bosom) of HaAv, this one is Hashem’s definitive midrash (exegesis).

RGT

No one has yet seen God at any time. The Only Begotten Son, Who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

RSV

No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.

RSVCE

No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.

TLV

No one has ever seen God; but the one and only God, in the Father’s embrace, has made Him known.

VOICE

God, unseen until now, is revealed in the Voice, God’s only Son, straight from the Father’s heart.

WEB

No one has seen God at any time. The only born Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has declared him.

No one has ever seen God. But his only Son is very near to his Father's heart. He has told us plainly about God.

WYC

No man saw ever God [No man ever saw God], but the one begotten Son, that is in the bosom of the Father, he hath told out.

YLT

God no one hath ever seen; the only begotten Son, who is on the bosom of the Father -- he did declare.

Dec 11, 2025

Preaching from P66 - The Begotten God

The Begotten God

Based on John 1:18 (P66 Textual Variant)

Original Text (P66 Reading): "No one has ever seen God; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, he has explained him."

(P66 reads - monogenēs theon, meaning "only begotten God," instead of the more common reading "only begotten Son.")

Sermon Outline: Revealing the Unseen Father

I. The Great Wall: Unseen and Unknowable (John 1:18a)

A. The Absolute Transcendence of God: "No one has ever seen God."

Reference to Exodus 33:20: Moses desires to see God's glory, but God states, "you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live."

The Barrier of Holiness: Emphasize the infinite gulf between the Holy Creator and finite, sinful humanity. God is too glorious for human eyes to comprehend directly.

B. The Resulting Human Dilemma: How can we know and worship a God who is fundamentally invisible and unapproachable?

II. The Bridge: The Only Begotten God (John 1:18b - The P66 Focus)

A. The Uniqueness of Christ: "The Only Begotten God"

Explain the Term: Discuss the deep significance of Monogenēs—it doesn't just mean "only child," but "unique" or "one of a kind." When paired with "God," it declares the divine nature of the Revealer.

The Son is God: Christ is not merely a prophet, an angel, or a created being; he is God, sharing the very essence of the Father. This is the truth the P66 text underscores.

B. The Location of Intimacy: "Who is in the bosom of the Father."

A Picture of Close Relationship: This phrase suggests the deepest possible intimacy, like reclining at a formal dinner, head next to the host's chest (referencing John 13:23).

The Internal Knowledge: Because he is in the Father's "bosom," He possesses perfect, first-hand knowledge of the Father's mind, heart, and nature.

III. The Revelation: He Has Explained Him (John 1:18c)

A. The Mission of Explanation: "He has explained him."

The Greek Verb: The verb used is (exēgēsato), from which we get the English word "Exegesis" (to draw out or explain a text).

Christ is the Divine Exegete: Jesus Christ is God's perfect explanation—the living, walking, breathing interpretation of the invisible Father.

B. The Scope of the Explanation:

Through His Words: (e.g., John 14:9: "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.")

Through His Deeds: His miracles reveal the Father's power and compassion.

Through His Person: His life, death, and resurrection reveal the Father's holiness, justice, and love.

Conclusion: Seeing God Through the Begotten God

Final Call: Because the Begotten God has stepped out of the Father's bosom and fully explained Him, we are no longer left in the dark.

Application: To know the Father, we must look to Jesus. To truly worship the invisible God, we must worship the Begotten God who became visible.

P66 - John 1:14-21

This is an image of Papyrus $\mathfrak{P}^{66}$ (P. Bodmer II), specifically containing part of John 1:14-21. This manuscript is a crucial early witness to the New Testament text, representing the Alexandrian tradition.

The critical phrase we are looking for, "the only begotten God" (monogenēs theos), is found in John 1:18.

In the image, John 1:18 is located approximately on the fifth line from the top of the main body of the legible text.

Location of John 1:18

Start of John 1:14 (Line 1): (And the word became flesh...)
... (John 1:15-17 continues) ...
John 1:18 (Mid-Text): The phrase begins near the middle of this line.
$\dots \quad \dot{o} \quad \mu o \nu o \gamma \epsilon \nu \dot{\eta} \varsigma \quad \theta \epsilon \dot{o} \varsigma \quad \dot{o} \quad \ddot{\omega} \nu \quad \epsilon \text { i } \varsigma \quad \tau \dot{o} \nu \quad \kappa \dot{o} \lambda \pi o \nu \quad \tau o \tilde{u} \quad \Pi \alpha \tau \rho \dot{o} \varsigma \quad \dot{\epsilon} \kappa \epsilon \tilde{\imath} \nu o \varsigma \quad \dot{\epsilon} \xi \eta \gamma \dot{\eta} \sigma \alpha \tau o$

The Byzantine Text-Type is a Weakened Form of the New Testament Tradition

The Byzantine text-type—dominant in the medieval Greek-speaking world and represented most prominently by later minuscules and the Textus Receptus—presents itself as a unified, stable, and liturgically polished form of the New Testament. Yet the stability that characterizes it is the product of late smoothing rather than early authority. When viewed in comparison with earlier textual witnesses such as P66, P75, Codex Vaticanus (B), and Codex Sinaiticus (א), the Byzantine tradition appears as a weakened text: less daring, less primitive, more harmonized, and more shaped by theological anxiety than by fidelity to the raw contours of the earliest Christian writings.

1. The Earliest Manuscript Evidence Reveals a Sharper, More Demanding Text

P66 (c. 200 CE) and P75 (early 3rd century), along with Vaticanus and Sinaiticus (4th century), represent the earliest recoverable form of the Johannine tradition. These manuscripts are not merely old; they are diverse, geographically distributed, and internally consistent in key readings that the Byzantine tradition later revises.

John 1:18 is the clearest example.

Where the early witnesses read:

μονογενὴς θεός — the only-begotten God or the unique God,

the Byzantine text substitutes:

ὁ μονογενὴς υἱός — the only-begotten Son.

The early reading is striking, theologically potent, and text-critically difficult. Scribes tend to soften difficult wording, not invent it. The Byzantine shift is the kind of change that betrays conservative instinct rather than originality. Instead of preserving the bold Johannine formulation, it opts for something safer, more familiar, and easier to preach without raising eyebrows.

A text that survives by removing its edges is a weakened text.

2. Byzantine Harmonization Indicated Editorial Intervention

Textual critics have long recognized that the Byzantine tradition is marked by:

• harmonizing parallel passages,

• expanding or smoothing grammar,

• regularizing vocabulary,

• eliminating perceived contradictions,

• assimilating unusual phrasing to more familiar forms.

This is not the behavior of scribes preserving an ancient, untamed text. It is the work of scribes domesticating that text for ecclesiastical consumption.

A harmonized text is easier to read aloud in church, but it represents the end of the tradition, not its beginning.

In John 1, Byzantine manuscripts repeatedly adjust small details to make the narrative flow more smoothly. The earliest manuscripts preserve abrupt shifts, rough constructions, and unbalanced sentences—hallmarks of authenticity. Byzantine scribes polish these out.

Every smoothing weakens the historical transparency of the Gospel.

3. Doctrinal Pressures in a Post-Arian World

If we plot the history:

Early 2nd–3rd centuries: P66, P75, Alexandrian proto-text

4th century: Arian crisis

4th–5th centuries: consolidation of Byzantine text

9th century onward: Byzantine text becomes dominant in manuscripts

The theological pressure of the Arian debate created an environment in which ambiguous Christological statements were suspect. “Only-begotten God” is precisely the sort of phrase an anxious scribe would rather avoid.

Byzantine scribes—consciously or not—tended to:

• avoid ambiguities that Arians or Semi-Arians might exploit,

• reinforce Nicene orthodoxy with safer language,

• harmonize Johannine terminology with mainstream doctrinal vocabulary,

• resolve sharp or paradoxical statements.

The result is not heresy, but timidity. The Byzantine text inherits the fears of its era. In doing so, it retreats from the boldness of the earliest Johannine witness.

When a text bends under doctrinal pressure, it is weakened.

4. Multiple Lines of Evidence Show the Byzantine Text is Secondary

Almost every category of evidence lines up:

Internal evidence: Byzantine readings tend to be smoother and less challenging.

External evidence: No clear Byzantine text exists before the 4th century.

Geographical evidence: Byzantine readings lack early support from Egypt, Palestine, and the Western Mediterranean.

Transcriptional probability: Byzantine scribes typically replaced hard readings with easy ones, never the reverse.

Patristic citations: Early Fathers quote forms closer to Alexandrian than Byzantine.

These patterns demonstrate that the Byzantine tradition is not a rival early stream but a late editorial consolidation—a medieval revision built on the rubble of earlier textual diversity.

5. John 1:18 as a Case Study in Weakening

The early form of the verse confronts readers with a startling confession:

“…ὁ μονογενὴς θεός…

the only-begotten God…”

It forces confrontation with theological paradox. It preserves the earliest Christian attempt to articulate the relationship of Father and Son. It is a daring text.

The Byzantine revision is:

“…ὁ μονογενὴς υἱός…”

“…the only-begotten Son…”

The phrase is theologically comfortable, familiar, and doctrinally safe after Nicaea. But it loses the punch of the original. It substitutes clarity for paradox, predictability for daring, smoothness for originality.

The early church grappled with a wild text. The Byzantine church passed down a tamed one.

Conclusion

The Byzantine text-type is not heretical, corrupt, or spiritually inferior. But in textual-critical terms it is unquestionably a weakened tradition:

less primitive,

less raw,

less challenging,

more edited,

more smoothed,

more doctrinally cautious.

Where P66, P75, Vaticanus, and Sinaiticus preserve a text forged in the chaotic experimental energy of the 2nd century, the Byzantine tradition presents a text shaped by centuries of liturgical use, doctrinal consolidation, and scribal caution.

The question, then, is not whether the Byzantine text is Christian or valuable—it certainly is—but whether it preserves the earliest reachable form of the New Testament. On the evidence of John 1:18 and numerous similar cases, it does not. The Byzantine text’s very coherence testifies to its late and weakened form.

The path forward lies in appreciating the Byzantine tradition for what it is: a polished, ecclesiastical text, not an original one.

My Personal Proposed Thesis

Although the mainstream scholarly consensus argues that the Byzantine text-type preserves a later and smoother form of the New Testament, it is possible to construct a thesis that the Byzantine reading of John 1:18 (“the only-begotten Son”) reflects post-Nicene theological pressures—including reactions to Arianism—rather than purely early textual tradition. In this framing, the church of the 4th century, whose leading centers used manuscripts such as P66, P75, Codex Vaticanus (B), and Codex Sinaiticus (א), originally received and circulated the older reading “the only-begotten God,” but later transmission in the Byzantine tradition gradually shifted toward a ‘safer,’ less controversial Christological formulation to avoid wording that resembled Arian claims about the Son’s divinity.

Argument Structure

1. The early manuscript evidence points overwhelmingly toward “μονογενὴς θεός.”

P66 (c. 200), P75 (early 3rd century), Vaticanus, and Sinaiticus all preserve μονογενὴς θεός (“the only-begotten God” or “the unique God”).
This reading is:

earlier
geographically widespread
text-critically “more difficult” (lectio difficilior)—scribes are more likely to change it than to invent it

If the Christian centers of Alexandria, Rome, and Caesarea were reading manuscripts like P66, P75, B, and א, then the church’s operative scripture in the pre-Nicene period included “the only-begotten God.”

2. “Only-begotten God” is theologically uncomfortable in a post-Arian context.

Arius argued:

The Son is not eternal.
The Son is a creature, not truly God.

The phrase “only-begotten God” contains two theological hazards in such a climate:

“Begotten God” could sound like the Son became God or was a second, derivative deity.
Arian polemic often exploited ambiguous phrases to argue hierarchical divinity.

For a scribe living after Nicaea—especially within Byzantine regions—this phrase could feel dangerous, confusing, or open to misuse.

3. The Byzantine shift to “μονογενὴς υἱός” may reflect doctrinal normalization.

The Byzantine text-type reads “the only-begotten Son.”

This form is:

theologically smoother
less likely to provoke Arian readings
aligned with Johannine usage elsewhere (John 3:16, 3:18)

The change could arise from:

Harmonic instinct: scribes unconsciously align 1:18 with 3:16 and 3:18.
Doctrinal pressure: post-Nicene orthodoxy avoids ambiguous Christology.
Anti-Arian anxiety: scribes prefer language easily deployed in debates.

In this model, “only-begotten God” is pre-Arian, but “only-begotten Son” is post-Arian and influenced by the need to avoid ambiguous formulations that Arians could weaponize.

4. The Byzantine text is demonstrably later and more polished.

Even critics of the Alexandrian priority sometimes acknowledge:

greater harmonization
smoother syntax
reduction of “difficult” readings
the emergence of Byzantine forms in the 4th–5th centuries (not the 2nd–3rd)

This provides the textual environment in which theological pressure could influence scribal choices.

5. The centers combating Arianism relied on texts that preserved “μονογενὴς θεός.”

Athanasius, the Cappadocians, the Antiochene theologians, and the Alexandrian tradition rooted their theology in manuscripts similar to:

P75 → source of Vaticanus’ text
P66 → early Egyptian line
B and א → the Alexandrian textual backbone

If the church’s anti-Arian theologians had “only-begotten God,” then the Byzantine shift to “only-begotten Son” cannot be early; it must be a later harmonizing movement.

Thus the Byzantine reading is no “preservation of original orthodoxy,” but rather a doctrinally shaped smoothing.

Conclusion

My thesis can reasonably argue:

The Byzantine reading of John 1:18 did not preserve an earlier, purer tradition but emerged as a post-Nicene adjustment shaped by anti-Arian theological pressure. The older manuscripts—including P66, P75, Vaticanus, and Sinaiticus—demonstrate that early Christian communities used “the only-begotten God,” and the Byzantine shift to “the only-begotten Son” reflects a deliberate or subconscious scribal softening to avoid Christological ambiguity in the centuries after the Arian controversy.

This does not claim Arius created the variant, but that the controversy around Arius created conditions that favored scribal alteration in the Byzantine textual line.

The Purpose in writing this blog

The authors are full-time ordained ministers and preachers in the Bible Presbyterian Church in Singapore. The goal of this blog is to encourage all Bible Presbyterian pastors, elders, and leaders, as well as the flocks they serve, to turn to the Shepherd, our Lord Jesus Christ. To unite under the leadership of the Holy Spirit and the Bible. Accepting our minor differences while focusing on the cross. Being described as one family under God the Father. We are called to be together in our diversity. Pride is the fault of all Bible Presbyterian Churches worldwide. Lust has blinded theologians at Far Eastern Bible College. It is at this heavy, serious, and gloomy moment in our Christian walk, rebuking these pastors and theologians, the remarks in this blog are heavy and severe in order to prompt them to repentance. May God help and bless us.

The Apostles' Creed

I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead; I believe in the Holy Ghost; I believe in the holy catholic church: the communion of saints; The forgiveness of sins; The resurrection of the body; And the life everlasting. Amen.

Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made human. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried. The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will never end. And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life. He proceeds from the Father and the Son, and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. He spoke through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church. We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and to life in the world to come. Amen.

LUTHER'S MORNING PRAYER

Errors in King James Version

Read Romans 8:26...the KJV has "the Spirit itself..." This is an error; the Holy Spirit is our God, and we must address Him correctly! How may "itself" be used to approach God, the Holy Spirit? "It" is used to address an item or an animal, not a person or God! The KJV translators had insulted the Holy Spirit! However, in another verse, the KJV translators used the term "him" to designate Satan. What an insult to KJV readers! Read Luke 11:18: "...if Satan also be divided against himself..." The KJV uses the phrase "himself..." when addressing Satan! The KJV translator used "it" for the Holy Spirit, but "him" for Satan!!! Mark 3:28 "Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, Mark 3:29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"

One Another

Unity In Diversity for Bible Presbyterian Churches in Singapore Like a peal of bells the word allelon-'one another'-rings through the pages of the New Testament. 'Accept one another' allelon 'Serve one another' allelon 'Wash one another's feet' 'Confess your sins one to another' 'Pray one for another' 'Forbearing one another and forgiving each other' 'Teaching and admonishing one another' 'Comfort one another and build each other up' 'Bear one another's burdens' 'Love one another as I have loved you' Those who have the flow of mutuality in their relationship with each other need not be vocal or exuberant in expressing it.

John Calvin's consent

To new readers, I greet you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, may God grant us good theologians, humble servants of the Lord, and faithful believers in these last days, may God use this blog to call some one for self searching and repentance, and here we are blogging in theological debates. In 1547, Jacques Gruet, he was arrested by Calvin, tortured for a month and beheaded on July 26, 1547.. The civil court condemned him to death and, with Calvin's consent, he was beheaded. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Calvin) John Calvin consented to kill a man for his theological stand, but I rather use strong words to achieve that!

Statement

1. The authors of this blog do not believe that the KJV Bible is the perfect Bible. The KJV has problems and inaccuracies because it is a man-made translation. 2. The inerrant Bible is in the autograph. All subsequent copies of Hebrew and Greek manuscripts have God's Written Word. We have God's written Word preserved in the NIV, KJV, and ESV. 3. There is no such notion as Verbal Plenary Preservation on a single TR Greek Text underlying the KJV, and the authors do not believe that the entire Greek text underlying the KJV Bible, or the TR, is error-free. 4. The authors believe that the Bible was inspired verbally and plenarily preserved in NIV, KJV, ESV, NESB….other faithful Bible versions. 5. The authors recommend NKJV, NIV, ESV, and NLT New Living Translation. 6. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the living Word.