Good morning in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! Another day, another blogpost.
Luke 23:34a - And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
No doubt, this text was used in churches everywhere over the Easter weekend to teach about the humility of Jesus, even as he was nailed to a cross. But as well as it preaches, is the text original? There is some dispute as to whether this actually took place, being that this is a textual variant. There is a lot to consider here, so I will try to cover it quickly.
What is a textual variant? A textual variant is where a particular manuscript of the scriptures deviates from another manuscript. This could be that a word or sentence is added, spelled differently, etc. As an example, most modern bible translations do not contain the latter part of 1 John 5:7, known as the Comma Johanneum: “For there are three that testify in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one.” This variant is only found in very late manuscripts and is not in any of our earliest manuscripts, and therefore, it can safely be concluded that it is an addition to the text and is not original. Well, in the case of Luke 23:34a, we have the same thing: the verse does not exist in some of our earlier manuscripts, although it is not nearly as blatant as the Comma Johanneum.
Our earliest codices of the scriptures are Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus. A codex simply refers to it being a book rather than a single scroll, meaning it was collated and assembled to contain multiple works. Both Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus are traced back to about the fourth century. A fifth century codex, Codex Alexandrinus, contains it, but another fifth century codex, Codex Bezae, omits it. In addition, P75, our very early 3rd century papyrus which contains Luke and John (our earliest record of Luke 23:34a) also omits it. It would seem the manuscript evidence for this text is lacking.
Although our earliest texts omit this saying of Jesus, most modern translations have kept it in the text and have merely placed a footnote at the bottom of the page stating that the earliest manuscripts omit it. Why do they do this? A few reasons. First, most suggest that even if the verse is not original, it is probably historically accurate and fits well with the Lukan theme of forgiving one’s enemies (6:27). Further, Stephen appears to echo these words in Acts 7:60 during his stoning when he cries out “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” It is assumed by many that this was hearkening back to the words of Jesus. Consider I. Howard Marshall's words: "This verse is omitted by a significant number of early MSS, but it should be retained either as a genuine part of what Luke wrote (cf. Acts 7:60) or as a reliable piece of tradition that found its way into some MSS. It would have been omitted by scribes who felt that the prayer was unseemly or was not answered." On the other hand, the other gospels are silent on Jesus’s statement. Mark 15:24 simply refers to the casting of lots and dividing up of his garments, with no mention of Jesus asking for God to forgive them. One would think a statement like this which seems to be very memorable and teachable would find its way into another gospel as a way to verify its historicity.
Where does this leave us? Well, I am of the persuasion that it is a bit hazy and hard to be dogmatic about. It is very helpful to know that it is a variant, and if it is used in a sermon or class, it should be mentioned as such. I also don’t think it is wise to use it as the main teaching point. It would be safer to either refer to Stephen’s statement as the primary text for forgiving one’s enemies, even during death, or at least to use it in conjunction with Luke 23:34a. For me, the manuscript evidence is pretty convincing that this text is not original, but I am by no means an expert on the subject. I simply wanted to outline the evidence and present it to you for consideration.
Grace and Peace,
Joel
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