Modern New Testament textual critics prefer what is typically known as reasoned eclecticism. This position holds to the belief that the earliest papyri, specifically those manuscripts (MSS) classified as the Alexandrian text type, and the major codices (e.g., Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Alexandrinus etc.) are to be prioritized since this is where the original wordings of the inspired autographs are to be found.
For those who do accept this position I share a particular verse of Scripture, which the majority of textual scholars who hold to the Alexandrian line of textual transmission accept as the original reading, which affirms the essential Deity of Christ. I am referring to the following text from the Prologue to John’s Gospel:
“No one has ever seen God; the only God (monogenes theos), who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.” John 1:18 ESV
Here’s how another leading Evangelical translation renders this passage:
“No one has ever seen God. The only one, himself God, who is in closest fellowship with the Father, has made God known.” NET
The NET has a footnote explaining the significance of these Greek expressions:
tn Or “The unique one.” For the meaning of μονογενής (monogenēs) see the note on “one and only” in 1:14.
tc The textual problem μονογενὴς θεός (monogenēs theos, “the only God”) versus ὁ μονογενὴς υἱός (ho monogenēs huios, “the only son”) is a notoriously difficult one. Only one letter would have differentiated the readings in the mss, since both words would have been contracted as nomina sacra: thus qMs or uMs. Externally, there are several variants, but they can be grouped essentially by whether they read θεός or υἱός. The majority of mss, especially the later ones (A C Θ Ψ ƒ M lat), read ὁ μονογενὴς υἱός. P75 א 33 have ὁ μονογενὴς θεός, while the anarthrous μονογενὴς θεός is found in P66 א* B C* L. The articular θεός is almost certainly a scribal emendation to the anarthrous θεός, for θεός without the article is a much harder reading. The external evidence thus strongly supports μονογενὴς θεός. Internally, although υἱός fits the immediate context more readily, θεός is much more difficult. As well, θεός also explains the origin of the other reading (υἱός) because it is difficult to see why a scribe who found υἱός in the text he was copying would alter it to θεός. Scribes would naturally change the wording to υἱός however, since μονογενὴς υἱός is a uniquely Johannine christological title (cf. John 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9). But θεός as the older and more difficult reading is preferred. As for translation, it makes the most sense to see the word θεός as in apposition to μονογενής, and the participle ὁ ὤν (ho ōn) as in apposition to θεός, giving in effect three descriptions of Jesus rather than only two. (B. D. Ehrman, The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture, 81, suggests that it is nearly impossible and completely unattested in the NT for an adjective followed immediately by a noun that agrees in gender, number, and case, to be a substantival adjective: “when is an adjective ever used substantivally when it immediately precedes a noun of the same inflection?” This, however, is an overstatement. First, as Ehrman admits, μονογενής in John 1:14 is substantival. And since it is an established usage for the adjective in this context, one might well expect that the author would continue to use the adjective substantivally four verses later. Indeed, μονογενής is already moving toward a crystallized substantival adjective in the NT [cf. Luke 9:38; Heb 11:17]; in patristic Greek, the process continued [cf. PGL 881 s.v. 7]. Second, there are several instances in the NT in which a substantival adjective is followed by a noun with which it has complete concord: cf., e.g., Rom 1:30; Gal 3:9; 1 Tim 1:9; 2 Pet 2:5.) The modern translations which best express this are the NEB (margin) and TEV. Several things should be noted: μονογενής alone, without υἱός, can mean “only son,” “unique son,” “unique one,” etc. (see 1:14). Furthermore, θεός is anarthrous. As such it carries qualitative force much like it does in 1:1c, where θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος (theos ēn ho logos) means “the Word was fully God” or “the Word was fully of the essence of deity.” Finally, ὁ ὤν occurs in Rev 1:4, 8; 4:8; 11:17; and 16:5, but even more significantly in the LXX of Exod 3:14. Putting all of this together leads to the translation given in the text.
tn Grk “in the bosom of” (an idiom for closeness or nearness; cf. L&N 34.18; BDAG 556 s.v. κόλπος 1).
tn Grk “him”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
sn Has made God known. In this final verse of the prologue, the climactic and ultimate statement of the earthly career of the Logos, Jesus of Nazareth, is reached. The unique One (John 1:14), the One who has taken on human form and nature by becoming incarnate (became flesh, 1:14), who is himself fully God (the Word was God, 1:1c) and is to be identified with the ever-living One of the Old Testament revelation (Exod 3:14), who is in intimate relationship with the Father, this One and no other has fully revealed what God is like. As Jesus said to Philip in John 14:9, “The one who has seen me has seen the Father.” (NET Bible https://netbible.org/bible/John+1; emphasis mine)
Thus, according to the reading attested by the two oldest extant MSS of John 1:18 from the third century AD, i.e., P66 and P75, as well as two of the major codices which many textual scholars hold in high esteem, namely, Vaticanus and Sinaiticus, Jesus is the one and only who is fully God in nature.
I now share a list of some the major English versions, which render the phrase somewhat similarly:
“No one has ever seen God [i.e., His full splendor], but God, the only conceived [and eventually born Son], who is at the Father’s side, has shown us who He is.” AUV
“No one has ever yet seen God. The only begotten God, the One being in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known.” BLB
“God no one has ever seen. The only-begotten God, Who is in the bosom of the Father, He unfolds Him.” CLV
“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.” CSB
“No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.” Common
“No one has ever seen God. God the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, has made God known.” CEB
“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.” CJB
“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.” CEV
“ALOHA no man hath ever seen: the one-begotten God, he who is in the bosom of his Father, he hath declared him.” Etheridge
“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.” ERV
“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].” EXB
“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.” ICB
“No one has ever seen God. The uniquely existing God, who is close to the Father’s side, has revealed him.” ISV
“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.” LEB
“No man has ever seen God; God, only begotten, who is in the bosom of the Father—he has interpreted him.” MNT
“Nobody has ever seen God, but God has been unfolded by the divine One, the only Son, who lies upon the Father’s breast.” Moffatt
“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.” MOUNCE
“No man hath ever seen God; the only begotten God, he who is in the bosom of his Father, he hath declared him.” Murdock
“No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him.” NABRE
“No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” NASB1995
“No one has seen God at any time; God the only Son, who is in the arms of the Father, He has explained Him.” NASB
“No one has ever seen God. It is the only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, who has made him known.” NCB
“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.” NCV
“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.” NIRV
“No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.” NIV 1984 Bible
“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.” NIV
“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.” NLT
“No one hath ever seen God; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath made him known.” Noyes
“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 the only Son, himself God, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.” NRSVUE
“No man has ever seen God. The only begotten God-like one who is closest to the Father (in the bosom of the Father) tells us about him. (Psalm 8:5)” NSB
“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).” OJB
“No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has interpreted him.” Riverside
“No one, hath seen, God, at any time: An Only Begotten God, The One existing within the bosom of the Father, He, hath interpreted [him].” Rotherham
“No one has ever seen God; but the one and only God, in the Father’s embrace, has made Him known.” TLV
“No man has ever yet seen God; God the Only Son, who is ever with the Father–He has revealed him.”
Twentieth_Century
“No one has ever seen God; the only son, Deity Himself, who lies upon His Father’s breast, has made him known.” Williams
FURTHER READING
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