Believers do not want biblical contradictions in their religious lives.  Yet when we hear from the pulpit that Mary (supposedly the mother of God, which itself is a Roman church corruption) remained a virgin all her life and then we read in the New Testament that Jesus had brothers and sisters, we instinctively know there is a contradiction there.  This contradiction is not a textual one, but a church dogma being inserted into the Bible concerning the brothers and sisters of Christ.  New Testament corruption comes in many forms; original language, translated language, and church exposition.  The “mother of God” issue is only one example of many.  Perhaps one reason why the vast majority of professing Christians are woefully ignorant of the book upon which they have rested their faith is that they have been misled for years by their leadership.

Some have faith in a denomination that tells them to have faith in the book.  The book is not to be revered.  It is not to be an idol.  It is an instruction manual or a guide to life.  Testimony within this book points to Yahweh God.  Faith in Yahweh is to be stronger than a book of words. Faith in Yahweh is stronger than any given religious movement, even Christianity.  Or at least, it is supposed to be.  I know that my faith and trust in Yahweh is stronger for having studied this issue.

As to the Greek texts that underlie the New Testament,  there is NO TEXT that can be called THE Greek Text.  Such an animal does not exist.  No single Greek text can be said to represent the original autographs as they came from the pens of the NT authors.

Ronald J. Gordon wrote: Readers should be intellectually alert when they encounter terms such as original Greek, original Hebrew, “the” Greek, or Autographs because none of these exist and promotional literature frequently boasts how translators referred to the original Greek and Hebrew. It would be permissible for one to refer to original languages of the Bible, however, too many translators and marketing representatives utilize this opportunity to allow readers to believe that they have access, not to original language, but to original words! This is simply fallacious, because  no one is able to produce any original biblical work. Translators use “a” Greek text and rarely, if ever, look at manuscripts or photocopies. Textual experts have been reviewing thousands of manuscripts over many centuries, especially noting their agreements and differences, categorizing them according to text-type, and compiling their findings into “A” Greek text.  Because of this constant process of evaluation, Greek texts, themselves, are in a continuous state of revision.

The Nestle Greek Text began in the 1880's by Eberhard Nestle, his son Erwin continued the work of his father beginning with the Thirteenth edition in 1927, and more recently, Kurt and Barbara Aland contributed to its preservation with a Twenty-Sixth and Twenty-Seventh edition; thus, it is presently called, the Nestle-Aland Greek Text.  Upon the passing of the late Kurt Aland, it would appear that Barbara is now continuing the work herself.  In former centuries, other scholars, such as Erasmus, Griesbach, Beza, Lachmann, Tischendorf, and Tregelles have, likewise, produced more than one edition of “a” Greek text.  The King James Version is principally based on Beza's 1589 and Stephanus' 1550, 1551 editions.  Modern translators rarely, if ever, look at manuscripts or even photographic copies. They use “A” Greek text which usually contains the scriptural text with notes directing the user to the Manuscript Apparatus at the bottom of the page, such as the very popular 3rd and 4th editions of the Greek New Testament by the United Bible Societies. Nonetheless, all such productions are simply nothing more than “A” continuously evolving Greek text.  It is entirely presumptuous for the informed [person] to misdirect the uninformed by suggesting: “Let's check the original Greek” when there exists no such opportunity [and no such text which one might check!].  (Continued)