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THE

HOLY GOSPEL

A COMPARISON of the GOSPEL TEXT

AS IT IS GIVEN IN THE

PROTESTANT AND ROMAN CATHOLIC

BIBLE VERSIONS IN THE ENGLISH

LANGUAGE IN USE IN AMERICA

WITH A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE ORIGIN OF the severAL VERSIONS

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THEOLOGICAL LIBRARY

JUN 1 1 1914

HARVARD
DIVINITY SCHOOL

H42,673

COPYRIGHT, 1911

BY

FRANK J. FIRTH

The Bible text used in this volume taken from the American Standard Edition of the Revised Bible, copyright, 1901, by Thomas Nelson & Sons, is used by permission.

Dedicated

TO THE MEMORY OF THOSE

LEARNED AND GODLY MEN OF THE OLDEN TIME

TO WHOM WE OWE THE

GREATEST BOOK IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

THE KING JAMES OR AUTHORIZED VERSION

OF THE

HOLY BIBLE

(1611)

EXPLANATORY

THE BOOK AND ITS PURPOSE

THE Holy Gospel (the good news, the glad tidings about Jesus Christ), as it is told in the English language in the Bibles used in America by Protestant and by Roman Catholic Christians, is herein. recorded in parallel columns so that comparison of the text may be easily made. There are four of these Bibles. They are known as Bible versions. A brief account is given of how each version or translation originated. An alphabetically arranged Gospel subject-index, which is incidentally a partial Gospel harmony, completes the book.

The comparative Gospel here presented is intended for general reading and reference. The text used is that chosen by those responsible for the translation and revision as best expressing in English the meaning designed to be conveyed by the original manuscripts from which the translations were made. All marginal references, alternate readings, chapter index headings, and explanatory footnotes have been omitted as they often confuse the general reader by diverting his attention from the plain text.

The purpose of the book is to afford the reader an opportunity to compare the translations that were made into English about three hundred years ago by Protestant and by Roman Catholic Bible scholars; and also to compare the good work of the olden time with the recent English and American revisions that represent a high order of reverent, painstaking modern scholarship applied to the sources of information and under methods of investigation now available. It should confirm the faith in the gospel story, as told in our venerable English Bible, to learn from such a comparison that all of these versions are in practical accord as to the important message they convey.

Another purpose of the book is to make all Christians familiar with the text of the Gospel as it is given in the Protestant and in the Roman Catholic English Bibles, so that they may understand how little difference of importance there is between the Protestant and the Catholic Bible gospel stories. It is a hopeful fact and worthy to be held in remembrance that there are no differences that need cause any lack of unity in effort among Christians professing to serve the same Master. FRANK J. FIRTH.

GERMANTOWN,

PHILADELPHIA, PA.

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