Bible Quotations by Early Baptists

[Jerome]

Is this the Geveva Bible being quoted?
(From the First London Baptist Confession)

But this I confesse unto thee, that after the way which they call heresie so worship I the God of my Fathers, beleeving all things that are written in the Law and the Prophets, and have hope towards God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust. - Acts xxiv. 14, 15.

For we cannot but speak the things that we have seen and heard. - Acts iv. 20.

If I have spoken evill, bear witnesse of the evill; but if well, why smitest thou me? - John xviii. 23.

Blessed are yee when men revile you, and say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake. Rejoice, etc. - Matth. v.11, 12. & xix. 29.

1 Corinthians 1:24
Not that we have dominion over your faith,but
are helpers of your joy: for by faith we stand.

Psalm 74:21, 22
Arise, O God, plead mine own cause. Remember how the foolish man blasphemeth Thee daily. O let not the oppressed return ashamed, but let the poor and needy praise Thy name.

 

[rsr]

No, they appear to be from the KJV. But if you check the notes you will find that Article 15 references the Geneva:

Touching the Prophesy of Christ, it is that whereby he hath perfectly revealed the whole will of God out of the bosom of the Father, that is needful for his servants to know, believe, and obey; and therefore is called not only a Prophet and a Doctor, and the Apostle of our profession, and the Angel of the Covenant; but also the very wisdom of God, and the treasures of wisdom and understanding.

(Emphasis added)

Be not called doctors: for one is your doctor, euen Christ. Matthew 23:10, Geneva Bible.

Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, euen Christ. KJV, Bishops

So it would appear that the Baptists who crafted the document were in transition, having adopted the KJV but still retaining the memory of the Geneva, to which they referred when they felt it appropriate.

 

[franklinmonroe]

The verses do seem to be more like the KJV than most Geneva editions I looked at. But the quotations are not very precise, which is probably why you questioned them. For examples, Matthew 5:11 is completely missing the phrase "and persecute you". They did not include the first words of John 18:23 ("Jesus answered him"). There are some other individual missing words in the Confession verses ("for", "but", and "shall" twice).

For some unknown reason, the two verses from Psalm 74 are displayed in reverse order.

Additionly, there are some word differences between the verse citations and the KJV. For examples, the Confession has "mine own cause" but the KJV has "thine own cause"; and the Confession has "foolish man blasphemeth" (Coverdale's choice) but the KJV has "foolish man reproacheth" (Psalm 74:22). The confession has "that we have seen" but the KJV has "which we have seen" in Acts 4:20. Plus there are several spelling, punctuation, and capitaization discrepancies.

That is a lot of anomalies in a few (mostly short) verses.

 

[Logos1560]

Since there were some early Baptists in England who had knowledge of the original languages and who could have make their own English translation of verses, that could be a possible reason for the differences.

Another possible reason for variations could be that someone wrote a verse from memory rather than copying it from an actual printed edition.

 

[Dr. Bob]

I try to do all my exposition from the Greek. Using a variety of Greek texts. If folks here and I started discussing theology and pulled out verses, many I think would do our own translating or pull up phrases from various favored translations. Few would be sticklers word-for-word for any single translation.

Remember, the 1644 (later revised in 1670's and printed in 1689 as 2nd London Baptist Confession) was already 30 years - a generation AFTER the beloved Geneva Bible had been forbidden to be printed in England.

I take good care of my "main" preaching Bible version, but it usually lasts 10-15 years tops before I must shelve it.

Side note: I'm not sure what was the worse crime against Baptists - offering a new improved Anglican Version or stopping the printing and importation of previous translations.