Bible Study Q&A Textual Criticism: Jude 1:5 - "Jesus Saved Israel?"

Question: Bakit maraming modern Bible translations ang nagpalit ng "Lord" into "Jesus" sa Jude 1:5? Mas solid ba talaga ang "Jesus"?

Answer:

Dalawang Competing Readings

Reading	Greek	Support
"Jesus"	Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous)	NA28, UBS5, TGNT; ESV, CSB, NET, NLT
"Lord"	Κύριος (Kyrios)	NA26/27; KJV, NKJV, NASB 1995

Note: NA27 gumamit pa ng "Lord," pero noong lumabas ang NA28 (2012) at UBS5, nag-shift na sila to "Jesus" — malaking scholarly update ito.

External Evidence: Manuscripts

Support para sa "Ἰησοῦς" (Jesus):

• Codex Alexandrinus (A) at Codex Vaticanus (B) top-tier Alexandrian uncials
• Minuscules: 33, 81, 1241, 1739, 1881, 2344 at marami pang iba
• Latin Vulgate, Coptic, Ethiopic versions
• Church Fathers: Origen (3rd c.), Cyril, Jerome, Bede

Patristic support ng "Jesus" umaabot pa sa 2nd–3rd century mas maaga kaysa sa earliest witness ng "Lord," at mas malawak pa ang geographic spread (Egypt/North Africa hanggang Western Roman Empire).

Support para sa "Κύριος" (Lord):

• Codex Sinaiticus (א) at Codex Ψ
• Minuscules: 436, 945, 1505, 1611, 2138

Interesting na Vaticanus at Sinaiticus mismo ay hindi nagkasundo Vaticanus may "Jesus," Sinaiticus may "Lord."

Internal Evidence: Scholarly Arguments

Bakit Mas Matibay ang "Jesus"?

Lectio Difficilior Principle (“the more difficult reading is stronger”)

Mas likely na palitan ng scribes ang "Jesus" (harder reading) into "Lord," kaysa baliktad. Ang idea na si Jesus mismo ang nag-deliver sa Israel from Egypt ay medyo awkward theologically, kaya pinalitan ng iba ng "Lord." 

1. Parallel sa 1 Corinthians 10:4
   Si Paul mismo nagsabi: "the Rock was Christ" consistent na pre-incarnate activity ng Son of God sa OT.

2. Coherence sa Jude 1:4
   Verse 4 already warns against denying Jesus as "only Lord." Kaya verse 5 naturally follows: si Jesus din ang nagligtas at nag-judge sa Israel.

3. Nomina Sacra Confusion
   Possible scribal error: "ΚΣ" (Kyrios/Lord) vs "ΙΣ" (Iēsous/Jesus). Pero mas logical ang direction ng error from Jesus → Lord, kasi walang theological reason para idagdag si Jesus kung hindi siya original reading.

Arguments Laban sa "Jesus"

1. Writing Style ni Jude
   Sa buong letter, Jude never uses "Ἰησοῦς" alone lagi itong "Jesus Christ." Strong internal argument ito for "Lord."

2. UBS Committee Hesitation
   Metzger notes: karamihan sa committee felt "Jesus" was "difficult to the point of impossibility." Pero kahit siya mismo, in his minority dissent, admitted na "Jesus" ang best-attested reading at critical principles demand its adoption.

Scholarly Consensus

Gathercole at Osburn: purely external grounds, mas preferable ang "Jesus." UBS minority report mismo nagsabi: "critical principles seem to require the adoption of Ἰησοῦς."

Ngayon, lahat ng major critical Greek editions NA28, UBS5, Tyndale House GNT naka-align na sa "Jesus." Isa ito sa pinaka-big deal na textual criticism updates ng Jude 1:5 in the last 20 years.

Theological Implication

Para sa mga naniniwala sa pre-existence at full deity ni Christ, ang "Jesus" reading ay hindi lang textually strong theologically rich pa:

Si Jesus mismo ang nagligtas sa Israel mula Egypt, at Siya rin ang hahatol sa lahat ng hindi nagtitiwala.

Perfectly fits NT typology: lahat ng divine activity sa OT ay activity rin ng pre-incarnate Son, the eternal Logos (John 1:1-3; 1 Cor. 10:4; Col. 1:16-17).

Bottom Line: Mas matibay ang "Jesus" — strongest external manuscript support, backed ng lectio difficilior, at officially adopted na ng lahat ng major critical editions. Hindi ito doctrinal shift, kundi mas malinaw na pag-highlight kung sino talaga ang eternally active Lord ng salvation history.

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