a study of the galatians text of papyrus 46

7/28/2019 A Study of the Galatians Text of Papyrus 46

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60 JSNT 3 (1979) 60-72

90· Ibid« ρ·ΐ86· In fact, of course, the problem is of precisely

the same proportions: a minor agreement on the 2-document·

hypothesis becomes an instance where Mark has chosen to ignore

the common witness of both his sources on the Griesbach hypothesis;a common omission by Matthew and Luke becomes an addition by Mark

to them· Either way an explanation is required·

91. Ibid· ρ·201·

92· Usually for reasons similar to those given by Kummel,

Introduction ρρ·5δ-6θ·

93· Wilke, op>cit. ρΛ^3·

TEXTUAL VARIANTS AND THEOLOGY: A STUDY OF THE GALATIANS TEXT OF

PAPYRUS 46

Howard EslU^ugh

HiΠ crest United Presbyterian Church

15 Church Street

Burgettstown, Pennsylvania 15021

Several recent studies have shown the theological significance of textual variants. By a comparison of the Galatiantext of P46 (the earliest extant witness of the Paulinecorpus) with other witnesses, several variants (3:19, 17;

4:6,7; 1:6; 2:20) have been found to be theologically significant.



Eshbaugh: Textual Variants and Theology 61

The primary task of textual criticism has been the quest of

the original text. Hence variant readings have been explained as

the result of scribal error, a slip of the pen, or harmonizationwith another text/1/. Consensus seems to be that textual criticism is atheological, a safe discipline that is purely scientific.

My own introduction to the mass of variants in the Nestle text was

cushioned by the word of assurance from the intructor that none of

these variants made any theological difference. While that scholartoday would deny the validity of this claim, there are many who

still affirm it: "There is no essential historical or theological point that is determined one way or another by textual variants/2/.Such thinking is challenged by K.W. Clark, who pictures the early

scribe as a theologian:

The earliest stage of transmission was marked by anattitude of freedom in theological interpretation.Dogmatic purposes were in view and constituted the basic attitude in the use of the gospel text/3/.

Clark documents this problem of the relationship of textual criticism and exegesis by showing specific instances within the Paulineletters where variant readings make a theological difference:Rom. 8:28; 1 Cor. 2:1; 6:20; 7:5; 10:19; 11:29; 13:3; 14:38; and

15:51/4/.

A monongraph by Eldon J. Epp further explores the relationship of textual criticism and exegesis by examining a larger blockof scripture, the book of Acts, noting the differences between the

Western and Neutral texts. Epp finds that the Western text has an

anti-Judaic tendency that is shown by a threefold thrust: (1) In

the Western text the Jews and their leaders are more hostile to

Jesus, and they are assigned a greater responsibility for his

death; (2) the Western text minimizes the response of the Jews and the importance of Judaism to the new faith; and (3) the Westerntext portrays the Jews, and especially their leaders, as more hostile towards the apostles and as persecuting them more vigorously/5/.

Another contribution to the study of the theological importance of textual variants is a doctoral dissertation by M.R. Pelt,written under the supervision of K.W. Clark. In this work, 175 New Testament passages have been selected "in which an important

difference of theological interpretation rests upon the choice between two or more variant readings/6/. The variants have been



62 JSNT 3 (1979)

A recent addition to the study of textual variants and theol

ogy is a doctoral dissertation written by G.E. Rice under the

supervision of E.J. Epp. Rice has examined the text of Luke in

Codex Bezae, and identified as emphases of this manuscript: (l)The

exaltation of Jesus, and (2) an anti-Judaic bias/7/.

My own work, also under the supervision of E.J. Epp, was an

examination of the Western text (primarily Codex Vaticanus) and

the Western text (primarily Codex Claramontanus) of the Pauline

epistles/8/. The number of theologically significant variants was

quite small (24, comprising only about 50 words). Several reasons

may account for this relatively small number of theological var

iants: (1) The genre of the epistles: narrative is easier toalter/9/; (2) the relatively pure state of the Pauline text/10/;

and (3) a conservative methodology/11/.

Several conclusions were drawn from this study: (1) The

Western theological variants are concerned with many of the signi

ficant theological problems that confronted the early church;

(2) the Western theological variants as a whole do not show any

pattern supporting one particular type of theology; and (3) it is

impossible to discern whether a Western reading is the source orthe result of theological conflict.

This paper is a further effort to show the theological signi

ficance of textual criticism by the study of P46. This papyrus

is the earliest extant witness of Paul, dating about 200 AD/12/.

This initial study will examine variant readings in Galatians.

Gal. 3:19

P46 d F Gτι ουν ο νομός

των Πράξεων-1"

^παραδόσεων D

"Τετεθη d f g Ambrosi aster

Irenaeus

This verse introduces the story of law (3:19-25). Woven into

UBS/13/τι ουν ο νομόςτων παραβάσεωνχάριν προσετέθη




find this text to be obscure, and that this obscurity has produced

the textual changes/15/.

In the UBS reading of 3:19 the use of the verb form "it was

added" has been interpreted as showing that the law "is a mere ad-

dition to the main stream of God's purpose/16/. The lack of a verb

in P46 and the verb of the Western uncials, "was established,"

makes interpretation of the law as an insignificant, parenthetical

afterthought less likely, if not impossible. Deletion of the verb

"was added" also makes this passage more in harmony with 3:15 that

states "no one annuls even a man's will, or adds to it/17/.

The UBS phrase χά ριν πρ οσε τέθ η has been interpreted

in two ways: (1) The law was added in order that man might know

what sin is, to define sin by recognizing its sinfulness/18/. (2)

The law was added in order that man might sin, to make him more

sinful/19/. The reading of P46, "the law of deeds," also may be in

terpreted in two ways: (1) The law was established as a result of

evil deeds in order to check and restrain them/20/. (2) The law

was established in order that good deeds might be accomplished. The

law in this latter interpretation does not have any negative func

tion in relation to sin, but has the positive function of bringingabout good. Ambrosiaster, whose text is the same as the Latin of

Claromontanus (d), states that this "law of deeds" was established

to instruct the people how to fear God. Some of the specific deeds

mentioned by Ambrosiaster are sacrifice, primogeniture, and the

tithe/21/. The items on this list of good deeds in Ambrosiaster

are some of the traditions of Israel, and Ambrosiaster's commentar

could also serve as an exposition of the Greek text of D.

While it is possible to interpret the UBS text as a disparagement of law, it is impossible to do so with the text of P46 and it

supporting manuscripts. The law in P46 is either to contain and

check evil deeds or to produce good deeds. This latter interpre

tation is supported by the Greek text of Claromontanus. This posi

tive interpretation of the law is also found elsewhere in the Paul

ine corpus: "The law is good" (Rom. 7:12, 16b); and the law is on

of the privileged possessions given to Israel by God (Rom.9:5).

Gal. 3:17

P46 UBS D d G F

τ ο ύ τ ο δε λέγω τ ο ύ τ ο δε λέγω



64 JSNT 3 (1979)

In 3:15-18, Paul applies to the prior covenant in Abraham

(3:15) a human illustration about the irrevocable nature of a man'

will. Paul asserts that Christ is the seed of Abraham to whom thepromises are addressed (3:16). The law is shown temporally to beafter the promise to Abraham and, therefore, as a codicil, incap

able of negating the prior promise (3:17). Paul concludes that

the inheritance is by promise and not by law (3:18).

The basic intent of either of the readings of 3:17 is to show

that the law was established after the covenant with Abraham. For

Paul, in contrast to the rabbis/22/, the law has no pre-existence

The text of P46 and the text of UBS presents the fact without any

Christological reference, but the other text (a Western reading)

relates Christ to the prior covenant with Abraham/23/. This text

indicates the pre-existence of Christ and shows him as acting in

history prior to the incarnation.

Gal. 4:6

P46 UBS

μεν οτι* δε εστε_υιοι οτι δε εστε υιοίεξαπεστειλεν ο θζ ε^απεστειλεν ο θεόςτο πνα αυτού το πνεύμα του υιού αυτούεις χαρδιαζ ημών εις τας χαρδιας ημών

In Gal. 4:1-6 Paul explains the ben ef its of sonship. God hasbestowed a twofold g i f t upon his people: the sending of his son,and the sending of the S p i r i t . The consensus t e x t , by use of agenitive phrase, clearly indicates that this "Spirit" is the"Spirit" of his Son." This passage from the UBS text along with

John 15:26 are the classical proof texts for the doctrine that theSpirit proceeds from the Father and the Son (fil ioque)/24/. Thisdoctrine has been a contin uin g focal po in t f or th eolo gi cal co nt ro

versy throughout the history of the church/25/.

In contrast the text of P46 states merely that God has senthis S p i r i t . I f P46 is a secondary t e x t , i t s de le ti on may implytha t t h i s was done to show that the S p i r i t proceeds only from theFather. However, i f i t is or i g i n a l , i t may imply: (1) The S p i r i tdoes not come from the Son; or (2) the o r i g i n of the S p i r i t has noyet been considered a theological problem.




Gal. 4:7

P46 UBS

ώστε ουχετι ει δούλος

άλλα υιός ει δε υιόςχαι χληρονομος

δια θεού

1962 arm eth ro

ώστε ουχει ει δούλοςάλλα υ ι ό ς ει δε υ ι ό ςχαι χληρονομοςθεού

81 630 syrpal cops a

Jerome

. . . δ ια χριστού

1739 Ι5 5

• ο · δ ι α ιησου χριστού

X CC

2D Κ Ρ 88 104 614* Byz Lect

gpt a l

. . . θεού δια χριστού

326 614C2127 2495 syrp,h e t h

p p

Theodoret

. . . θεού δ ια ινσου χριστού

„ b o mscop

. . . δια θεού εν χριστώ

ιησου

1984 1985 Theodoret Theophylact

• o · μεν θεού

συγχληρονομο£ δε χριστού

Here as in 3:17 Ρ46 is in agreement with the UBS text. The

other readings are not well attested and aregenerally considered

to be secondary. However, theologically it must be noted that some

of them indicate that Christ has some role in thebestowal of theinheritance. This is in contrast to the reading of P46 which

h i i h h d l h h i h i i b



66 JSNT 3 (1979)

In Galatians Paul often shows Christ to be the agent ofChrist's blessing: freedom in Christ (2:4), justified in Christ

(2:17); Christ redeemed us (3:13), Abraham's blessing comes uponus in Christ, and in Christ all are sons of God (3:26). Hence,it seems strange that in 4:7 there is no reference to the agencyof Christ and that God alone bestows the inheritance. P46 here isChristologically barren.

Gal. 1:6

P46

θαυμάζω οτι ούτω ταχέωςμετατιθεσθε απο τουχαλεσαντος ημάςε]ν χαριτι

UBS

θαυμάζω οτι ούτως ταχέωςμετατιθεσθε απο τουχαλεσαντος υμάςεν χαριτιΓυριστού

ΓΓησου χριστού D d syr

^χρΑστού ιησουχ

cop Jerome

*- Origen (lat)

•θεούy

Paul begins the main portion of this letter by stating his

concern that the Galatians have abandoned the gospel. Textual variation occurs in the second phrase. The UBS text modifies grace by"of Christ." Similarly D 326 sy modify grace by "of Jesus Christ,and cop Jerome use of "of Christ Jesus." These readings havebeen interpreted in several ways: (1) Christ is the object of thepreposition "from." The Galatians have turned from Christ, and itis Christ who has called them by grace ; (2) "In the grace ofChrist" is instrumental; (3) The phrase is elliptical and standsfor the one who called you to be in the grace of Christ; (4) Paul

stands in Christ's grace when he (Paul) called the Galatians/26/.Each of these interpretations has a specific Christological




alone here appears to be the actor and agent.

Since the text of P46 has no genitive modifier, it is possible on the basis of a pre-understanding of what grace is, tointerpret "grace" as "the grace of Christ"/27/. However, the silence of P46 makes it more probably that the text of P46 has noChristological reference. Thus 1:6 as well as 3:17; 4:6; and 4:7are not Christologically oriented.

Gal. 2:20

P46 Β D d G g UBS

πιστει ζω τη του εν πιστει ζω τ η του

θεού και χριστού υιού του θεού /28/

In 2:15-20 Paul presents the heart of his argument to theGalatians. He does not argue abstractly but relates his own per

sonal experience. V.20 summarizes this experience: "I have to becrucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ wholives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith

in the Son of God (in God and Christ), who loved me and gave him

self for me."

Both readings are unique. While Paul many times speaks about

"faith in Christ" and its cognates, he never elsewhere uses thephrase "faith in the Son of God." The P46 reading "faith in Godand Christ" is the sole occurrence of a double object of faith.

While Metzger's statement that "Paul nowhere else expressly

speaks of God as the object of a Christian's faith"/29/ is true,there is the possibility that the reading of P46 is a subjective

genitive and should be translated "I live by the faith (fulness)

of God and Christ/30/.

These readings,like those considered above, show a Christo

logical difference. The UBS text by its use of "Son of God" shows

a higher, more formalized Christology than the P46 text which make

God as well as Christ the object (subject) of faith.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CHRISTOLOGICAL VARIANTS IN P46



68 JSNT 3 (1979)

which they are compared are the original readings/31/. While thisquest is beyond the scope of this investigation, some perspective

on the theological significance may be gained by viewing the Christological variants in P46, as a whole, first as secondary and thenas original readings.

If P46 is a secondary text, these variants suggest that P46

has a subordinationist Christology. 4:6 speaks of the sending of

the Spirit. In P46 this Spirit is God's Spirit not the Spirit of

the Son/32/. In 4:7, P46 makes no declaration of the agency of

Christ. The inheritance has come through the agency of God alone.Similarly in 1:6, P46 does not speak of "the grace of Christ." In

2:20, P46 has changed the genitive phrase "faith in the Son of God"to read "faith in God and Christ." The addition of the phrase "in

God" suggests that the scribe-theologian/33/ saw a need for a roleof God in this passage to support the work of Christ. 3:17 makesno mention of the agency of Christ in establishment of the covenant of Abraham. Together these readings suggest subordinationistChristology.

On the other hand if P46 is the original text, the other text

has embellished these readings and established a broader, higherChristology. In 4:6 the scribe-theologian has added the phrase"of his Son." 4:7 shows the agency of Christ. In 1:6 it is thegrace "of Christ." 2:20 has the Son alone as the object of faiththat enables Paul to live. In 3:17 Christ is not only pre-exis-tent but works in history before the incarnation. Thus, if P46 isoriginal, this later text has added material in order to presenta higher Christology/34/.

Where does P46" fit into church history? Some scholars havenoted a relationship with Marcion. The Nestle text (25th ed.) conjectures that Marcion utilized the reading of P46 that omits thephrase "of his Son" in 4:6. Harnack, as cited by Blackman,"probably" lists 1:6 as found in P46 as a Marcionite tendentious emendation/35/. However, no explanation is given for this omission.On the other hand, Schlier and others have noted that 3:19 of P46is probably a reaction to the theology of Marcion/36/.

CONCLUSION

This paper is the beginning of a complete study of the significance of textual variants in P46. Galatians was chosen at random




In such a study the problem of a precise methodology must be

resolved. What should be the basis of comparison? What is the

relationship of P46 and text-types? How are text types defined/37/

I believe that study of variant readings in P46 and other manu

scripts is useful to both the exegete and the church historian. Theexegete will gain some insight on the text as the variant shows howsome scribe-theologian wrote how he thought the text was to be understood/38/. These variants whould also help the church historian

as they show areas of theological controversy.

NOTES

/!/ Note the frequency of "accidentally" in B.M. Metzger, A Tex

tual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (New York, 1971),passim.

/2/ H.C. Kee, F.W. Young, and K. Froelich, Understanding the New Testament (Englewood Cliffs, 1963), "Introduction (n.p.H Others

similarly state: "There is not one (variant) affecting the sub

stance of Christian dogma." L. Vaganay, An Introduction to theTextual Criticism of the New Testament, cited by K.W. Clark,

"Theological Relevance of Textual Variation in Current Criticism of the Greek New Testament, "Journal of Biblical Literature, 85(1966), 3: and "There is no essential historical or theological

point that is determined one way or another by textual variants.",

J.H. Greenlee, Introduction to Textual Criticism (Grand Rapids,

1964), p. 68.

/3/ "Theological Relevance,"7.

/4/ "Textual Criticism and Doctrine," Studia Paulina (Haarlem,

1953), pp. 69-80./5/ The Theological Tendency of Codex Bezae Cantabrigiensis inActs (Cambridge, 1966), p. 165.

/6/ "Textual Variation in Relation to Theological Interpretation inthe New Testament" (Ph.D. dissertation, Duke University, 1966)

ΠI "The Alteration of Luke's Tradition by the Textual Variants

in Codex Bezae" (Ph.D. dissertation, Case Western Reserve Univer

sity, 1974), p. 262.

/8/ "Theological Variants in the Western Text of the Pauline Corpus(Ph.D. dissertation, Case Western Reserve University, 1975).



70 JSNT 3 (1979)

/IO/ G. Zuntz, The Text of the Epistles (London, 1953), p. 263.

/Il/ In order to qualify as a Western reading the variant had to

appear in one of the bilingual codices (Dd, Ff, Gg) and haveattestation by a Western Father. This excluded about 75 readings.

/12/ B.M. Metzger, The Text of the New Testament (New York, 1964),

p. 252.

/13/ The Greek New Testament of the United Bible Societies, ed. Κ.Aland, M. Black, B.M. Metzger, and A. Wikgren (Stuttgart, 1969)

will be used for comparison with P46. When P46 agrees with theconsensus text of the UBS, other manuscripts will be used for com

parison. Such a methodology will be employed in this preliminarypaper. If a complete study of the theological textual variants

is carried out, a more reasoned methodology, probably utilizing

text types, will be used.

/14/ The Epistle of Paul to the Galatians (London, 1934), p. 115.

/15/ "Exegesis of Galatians," The Interpreter's Bible, ed. G.A.

Buttrick, et al_. (New York, 1953), Vol. X, p. 513.

/16/ G.S. Duncan, The Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians, p.115.

/17/ E.D. Burton, The Epistle to the Galatians (Edinburgh, 1921),

p. 168.

/18/ J.B. Lightfoot, The Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians

(London, 1896), p. 144.

/19/ R. Bultmann, Theology of the Mew Testament, trans. K. Grobel

(New York, 1951), Vol. I, p. 265.

/20/ This is similar to Lightfoot's first interpretation "to check

transgressions" (p. 144). Lightfoot gives no Pauline support butlists Clem. Horn. XI. 16.

/21/ Ambrosiastri qui Dici tur Commentarius in Epistulas Paulinas,

ed. H.J. Vogels (Vindobonae, 1966), Vol. I, p. 38.

/22/ Sifre Deut. #37:76a; Gen. R. 8,2; ABN 31.

/23/ There are two grammatical possibilities for the phrase

εις χρ ι στον : (1) The phrase could be taken temporally,

that is, the law is only to exist until the coming of Christ.

While this interpretation is a grammatical possibility, its weakness is that it places the covenant on the same temporal level asthe law This interpretation diminishes the thrust of Paul's



Èshbaugh: Textual Variants and Theology II

the preposition ε κ can have the same meaning as the preposi

tion ε ν . Hence, it is possible that the phrase εις χριστονshows Christ as a personal agent. This interpretation is shared

by the Latin witnesses of the western text, for the Latin prepo

sition ijn also* can show agency. This alternative is taken as more

probable because of the united testimony of the Greek and Latin

witnesses.

/24/ "Confession of Faith," The Constitution of the PresbyterianChurch in the United States of America, 1919 (Philadelphia), p.20n.q.

/25/ W. Walker, A History of the Christian Church(New York, 1950):

The Third Council of Toledo added the phrase to the Ni cene Creed i589 (p.180).

/26/ Bligh, Galatians in Greek (Detroit, 1966), p. 80

/27/ H. Schlier, Der Brief an die Galater, 12ed. (Göttingen, 1962, p. 37, n.2.

/28/ The RSV as well as many commentators make this phrase an ob-

jective genitive. Some as H. Ljungman, Pistis: A Study of ItsPresuppositions and Its Meaning in Pauline" Use (Lund, 1964), p. 38and M. Barth, "Galatians" (unpublished, Pittsburgh), p. 421 takethis to be a subjective genitive and translate the phrase as "bythe faithfulness of the Son of God." The possibility that the texof P46 is a subjective genitive will be discussed below.

/29/ A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (New York,1971), p. 593

/30/ See Rom. 3:3 for this usage (the faithfulness of God)./31/ In 3:17 the UBS text is the same as P46 and other mss. are

used for comparison.

/32/ P46 may have done this to keep from confusing the persons ofthe Trinity. E.g., The Shepherd of Hermas, Sim. 5,5,2 and 9,9,1equates the Spirit and the Son.

/33/ The dual function was suggested by K.W. Clark.

/34/ Further research must be carried out in order to see if this pattern exists elsewhere in the Pauline corpus. If it does not

exist in the corpus as a whole, it may be indicative that each



72 JSNT 3 (1979)

/35/ E. C. Blackman, Marcion and His Influence (London, 1948),

pp. 60, 108.

/36/ H. Schlier, Der Brief an die Galater (12th ed.; Göttingen,1962), p. 151.

/37/ Β is usually taken as the best representative of the Neutral

(Alexandrian) text-type, but Sanday and Headlam, The Epistle tothe Romans, p. lxvii, state: "and Β also (as we shall see) in thePauline Epistles has a clear infusion of Western readings."

Metzger, The Text of the New Testament (New York, 1964), p. 252,

states that P46 is Alexandrian; but E.J. Epp, "The TwentiethCentury Interlude in New Testament Textual Criticism," Journalof Biblical Literature, 93 (1974), 397, describes P46 as "midway

between" the Neutral and Western.

/38/ Markus Barth describes variants as a "first commentary"

(forthcoming in Colossians: The Anchor Bible).



^ s

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a study of the galatians text of papyrus 46

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