c 1450 was a key time for the reformation. Almost 100 years before the reformation really begins to take root but what is key about this time is the invention of the printing press. Without the printing press, there could not have been a reformation because the printing press made printing scripture widely available as well as a critical printed greek text allowing for accurate translations.
What many seem to miss is another major event that shaped Christendom that also happened in the 1450s and that's the fall of the Byzantine Empire (know then simply as the Roman empire). The Byzantines knew biblical Greek well and the fall of Constantinople would displace thousands of Christians including scholars and their manuscripts. There may be a reason why it's called majority text because this forced exodus may have caused the text to multiply throughout Europe. Erasmus made the famous Textus receptus (TR) from these majority texts which is then used to create protestant translations. Erasmus was proud Catholic but recognized the need for reform (he just thought it could be done within) He did not support the reformation but he was a silent sympathizer and the TR was a major contributor to advancing the reformation (otherwise it would just be translations from Latin)
the KJV is a Byzantine text-type and the KJV is in many ways is the culmination and greatest fruit of the reformation. Where would scriptural development be without the fall of the Byzantine Empire and in turn where would the reformation be? Did displaced Byzantines spread anti-Catholics ideas? did they pass on their knowledge of scripture to the next generations that started the reformation?
What many seem to miss is another major event that shaped Christendom that also happened in the 1450s and that's the fall of the Byzantine Empire (know then simply as the Roman empire). The Byzantines knew biblical Greek well and the fall of Constantinople would displace thousands of Christians including scholars and their manuscripts. There may be a reason why it's called majority text because this forced exodus may have caused the text to multiply throughout Europe. Erasmus made the famous Textus receptus (TR) from these majority texts which is then used to create protestant translations. Erasmus was proud Catholic but recognized the need for reform (he just thought it could be done within) He did not support the reformation but he was a silent sympathizer and the TR was a major contributor to advancing the reformation (otherwise it would just be translations from Latin)
the KJV is a Byzantine text-type and the KJV is in many ways is the culmination and greatest fruit of the reformation. Where would scriptural development be without the fall of the Byzantine Empire and in turn where would the reformation be? Did displaced Byzantines spread anti-Catholics ideas? did they pass on their knowledge of scripture to the next generations that started the reformation?