Hi Ed and Jim:
Ed, the Word of God is within our translations, but we also have many additions and alterations. What we need to do, is sift through the things man has done to alter the Word of God, and cling to those things God has said.
If you continue to follow this conversation, for however long it lasts . I think some of your questions , just may be answered.
Jim:
There is always a reason for why anything was "added" within the translations. Punctuation, as well as parentheticals.
The translators were "men" , who translated from the Greek manuscripts . You will take special notice, that I said the plural, manuscripts ! The KJV was not translated from only one manuscript.
The KJV was taken out of the manuscripts that agreed mostly with each other. The translators did not agree on everything that should be added or left out of the translation from these many Greek manuscripts !
In order for the translators to finish the job of translating from the Greek to the English. They had to find a way in which their disagreements could be considered a compromise. The greatest compromises were made note of. The greatest disagreements about what should enter into this translation were given special types of quotes, or signs. These ended up with what we know of today , as parentheticals.
The Greek manuscripts that they used, agreed with each other, in about 95 % of the times. Those which agreed the most, were used, and the translation began, with the use of these most agreed upon manuscripts, which is where they came up with the translation of the KJV. A lot of the new translations of our day and time, took a lot of their translations from those manuscripts that are considered the lessor, or minority manuscripts , because of their higher percentage of disagreement with the major manuscripts that were considered in agreement.
Even with the use if these major manuscripts, the translators had problems agreeing with everything that should be entered into this KJV translation. Because of the disagreements , we today, end up with these parentheticals, which were "added" pieces of the manuscripts , which were a part of the compromise of the translators. Even in the 15 and 1600 's, there was a lot of disagreement about what the faith should and should not say, or what should or should not be believed. However, they had to compromise at times , and this is how we ended up with the KJV tranlsation.
These parentheticals were added by man, to emphasis that these words that did indeed come from these major manuscripts. But these words were not in agreement from within the so called - major texts. And that there was a disagreement among the translators. This puts a shadow upon those things which were allowed into the translation, and those things that were not allowed into the KJV translation.
The translators took from many manuscripts, which is like taking from 50 different writers, the same story , which they claim they all were transfering the same information from the same source. The reason we know that this was not from the same source, is because there were so many manuscripts to take your information from, before declaring that a certain piece of information is what would be declared as the Words of God.
Parentheticals, do not change what was in the manuscripts, but become a huge question mark in the authority of the those manuscripts that did not agree among themselves.
As complicated as this all is, there are still ways in which one can be sure , that certain parts from our translations, are not a part of the originals, even though the originals are not around to confirm or deny.
By not declaring any word or group of words as authentic. You then have to go and look at the Word of God from another perspective.
Consistency is a great tool, along with logic, and also by not adding anything yourself, to introduce another vison upon what has already been written.
These parentheticals in Romans 10:6 & 7 does not confirm consistency , nor does it contain logic, and the only way for one to make these parentheticals to fit, is to add one's own private interpretations to them, to try and make them fit !
This is what you did Jim, and thus declared your interpretation based upon your desire , to try and make something fit , when it is neither logical, nor consistent with the entire Word of God, as a foundation , based upon logical reasoning, which then changes the vision that is being given from those words outside of the parentheticals.
Whether or not you follow my reasoning, is totally up to you. But my imput into this thread, never intended to alter the Word of God in any way. Thus, throwing out the parentheticals, does not in any way change the consistency of the Word of God, nor does it make the Word an illogical new vision, that someone should render invalid , just because I threw them out ! Only those who change the consistency of the Word, and those who change the logic of the Word, into something that makes a new vision , should we considered, as what they have done, as nothing more than either "adding" to the Word, or "changing" the Word, or "omitting" the Word, which is exactly what the adversary did back in Genesis, in the garden , when he was talking to the woman !
Unbelievers are unbelievers, and Paul was not talking to unbelievers in Romans 10:6 & 7. Thus you must consider the logic and consistency of the Word to understand, that the parenthtetical is nothig more, than an addition to the original Words of God ! Other punctuations also change the meaning in scripture, and should not be considered in any way , a part of the Word of God. Nor should punctuation be used to specifically express what scripture is saying.
Jim, what is an interlinear, mean to you ?
If you ask, as to where the comma goes in this record, you will then be claiming by the puctuation , that the Word of God says this or that >
"Verily I say unto thee , To day shalt thou be with me in paradise"
Or
"Verily I say unto thee To day , shalt thou be with me in paradise"
Understanding is more important that the punctuation, but punctuation causes confusion.
Jesus Christ said in John 18:37 - "Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born , and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice"
We are to whorship God , in Spirit and in truth, but those who hear his voice, is of truth, because they hear his voice.
The voice I hear, tells me, that this parenthetical is not of the truth. Believe it or not, is up to you.
Love IN Christ - Hervey