Introducing Biblearc’s New Greek Text of Choice
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March 14, 2022
Category: Announcements
So let’s start with the bad news: Biblearc is no longer permitted to present you with the NA28 Greek New Testament. The NA28 is generally considered the standard in terms of critical Greek texts of the NT. So the loss of this text on Biblearc is felt by those who have a high view of Scripture—by those who know it matters what is the original.
But this is where the good news—no, great news—comes in. At the same time that we acknowledge this loss, we have the privilege of announcing a far more substantial gain. Introducing The unfoldingWord Greek New Testament (UGNT) with exhaustive ancient variant apparatus.
Exhaustive...really?
Here’s the story: For nearly a decade, Alan Bunning of the Center for New Testament Restoration (CNTR) has labored to collect, digitalize, organize, and freely distribute ancient manuscript data for the Greek New Testament. As a result, his CNTR website now presents images and detailed transcriptions for all surviving manuscripts of the New Testament through 400 AD. This consists of roughly 1.5 million words found in 1 ostracon (potsherd), 89 papyri, 38 parchment, and 64 witnesses (other literature that quotes the NT). So, yes, we do mean something by exhaustive.
All this data, along with a comparison to the six most significant critical texts (Nestle Aland 28th Edition, Society of Biblical Literature, Textus Receptus, Wescott and Hort, Robinson-Pierpont, and Stephanus), is now presented to you within the new Biblearc interface (gradually releasing throughout 2022), giving you easy and powerful access to researching the text.
A Walk-Through Of Our New Greek Apparatus
Consider the following example use-case.
1. In reading the ESV, you note a textual variant in John 1:18.
2. You click the verse number to compare other translations and see the Greek.
3. By clicking that yellow dot at the end of the Greek verse, you are instantly presented with a comparison of all the key critical Greek texts.
4. Wanting more, you click to view a representation of all extant ancient manuscripts.
5. By hovering your mouse over different words and letters, you are presented with clarifying information on those very words and letters within the actual manuscripts.
6. And in case that is not enough, you click on any of the manuscript names and are brought directly to where you can view an image of this very passage in the actual manuscript at The Center for New Testament Restoration.
One More Exciting Announcement...
As can be plainly seen, this change is an incredible advance in providing you with easy access to all the information you need to make an informed consideration of the original reading of any and every verse in the Greek New Testament. In addition, we are also pleased to announce that we have received permission to make the Tyndale Greek New Testament available to you on Biblearc. We will let you know just as soon as this additional critical Greek text has been integrated.
May these resources serve the church of Jesus Christ in carefully handling the word of truth.
FAQ
Is this currently available on biblearc.com?
The UGNT with apparatus is not available on the legacy version of Biblearc (currently found at biblearc.com). However, it is available on the preview site for the new Biblearc. (We are working hard to fully prepare the new Biblearc for full release.)
How can I utilize the UGNT with apparatus in my arcs, phrases, etc.?
For the moment, you cannot. We recommend that you utilize the SBL Greek text for the time being at biblearc.com, while having the UGNT with apparatus open in a separate tab (available via the Biblearc preview site).