Colossians 2

Colossians 2:2

:TEXT: “knowledge of God’s mystery, of Christ”

p46 B

ASV RSV NASV NIV NEB TEV? RANK: BNOTES: “knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ”

D* four lat

TEV?NOTES: “knowledge of the mystery of God, Father of Christ”

S* A C 048 four lat cop(north) some cop(south)

TEVn NOTES: “knowledge of the mystery of the God and Father and of Christ”

Dc K 104 614 630 2495 Byz Lect syr(h+) syr(p) (“God the Father”)

KJV NIVn TEVn NOTES: “knowledge of God’s mystery”

Db H P 1881 one cop(south)

TEVn OTHER: “knowledge of the mystery of Christ”

81 1241 1739 OTHER: “knowledge of the mystery of the God and Father of Christ”

Sb Psi syr(h)

If the text reading is original, this offers the best explanation for the many other readings, most of which are expansions designed to remove the ambiguity of the text reading.

Colossians 2:7

:TEXT: “abounding in thanksgiving.”

S* A C I(vid) 0208 33 81 1241 1739 1881 one lat earlier vg most cop(south)

ASV RSV NASV NIV NEB TEV RANK: CNOTES: “abounding in it in thanksgiving.”

\ B \ Dc H K 104 614 630 2495 Byz Lect \ two lat \ syr(p,h) cop(north) one cop(south)

KJV ASVn NASVnOTHER: “abounding in it.”

P Psi 048vid

The evidence listed in braces has “in him” instead of “in it.” Although it is possible that “in it” was accidently omitted when copyists’ eyes jumped from “in” to “in,” it is also possible that “in it” was borrowed by copyists from Colossians 4:2. It is likely that “in it” was changed to “in him” under the influence of the two previous uses of “in him” in the sentence.

Colossians 2:18

:TEXT: “taking his stand on what he has seen [in visions]”

p46 S* A B D* I 33 1739 three lat cop

ASV RSV NASV NIV NEB TEV RANK: BNOTES: “taking his stand on what he has not seen”

Sc C Dc \ K P Psi 104 614 630 1241 1881 2495 Byz Lect most lat vg syr(p,h)

KJV ASVnCOMMENTS: The evidence listed in braces uses a different word for “not” than that used in most witnesses that have it. The word is missing from early manuscripts of both the Alexandrian and Western types of ancient text. Perhaps it was added by copyists under the influence of the word “vainly.”