The Need to Revise the Cornilescu Romanian Bible

Dr. Waite:

Here's a brief list I compiled for someone else of some of the textual problems in Cornilescu.

I am working with Brian Nibbe on the Romanian translation which is 100% and exclusively from the TR (and MT). He asked me to send you an additional list of textual problems from the Cornilescu version. I did a quick check using my "short" list of textual variants from I Timothy through Jude only(!) and here's what I found.

TR = Textus Receptus (I don't think there are any errors in the TR readings underlying the King James Translation)

KJV = King James Version (I don't think there are any errors in the KJV)

CT = Critical Text (United Bible Societies text or Westcott and Hort text)

1. I Timothy 2:8 - Cornilescu ("C") has "indoieli" ("doubtings", plural) following the CT/WH, but the TR and the KJV have the singular (doubting)

2. I Timothy 6:3 - C has "tine" ("hold to") following the CT, but the TR and KJV have "consent to"

3. II Timothy 2:13 - C adds "caci" ("because" He cannot deny Himself) following the CT, but the TR and KJV do not have this word

4. Titus 2:5 - It's complicated but there is a textual problem/difference here

5. Titus 2:8 - C has "noi" ("us") at the end of the verse following the CT, but the TR and KJV have "you".

6. Hebrews 1:1 - C adds "nostri" ("our" fathers) following the CT, but the TR and KJV have "the" fathers.

7. Hebrews 1:2 - C has "la sfîrsitul acestor zile" ("at the end of these days"), but the TR and KJV have "In these last days"

8. Hebrews 3:16 (major theological and translational problem here as well) - C, following the CT has "N-au fost oare toti aceeia, care iesisera din Egipt prin Moise?" ("Didn't in fact all those who came out of Egipt with Moses rebel . . . ." implying/saying that they all did rebel, when in fact they all did not rebel), but the TR and KJV have, "But not all . . . . "

9. Hebrews 5:1 - C, following the CT, omits the word "both", but the TR and KJV have it.

10. Hebrews 6:2 - C begins with the nominative case ("învatatura" or "teaching about baptisms"), but the TR and KJV have the genitive case ("of the doctrine of baptisms . . ")

11. Hebrews 6:6 - again a little complicated here but C is wrong in his translation.

12. Hebrews 10:15 - C, following the CT, omits the word "before" at the end of the verse, but the TR and KJV have it

13. Hebrews 10:16 - C, following the CT, has the singular "mintea" ("mind"), but the TR and KJV have the plural ("minds")

14. Hebrews 10:34 - C, following the CT, omits the phrase "in yourselves", but the TR and KJV have it

15. Hebrews 11:26 - C, following the CT, has "comorile Egiptului" ("the treasures of Egypt"), but the TR and KJV have "treasures in Egypt" ("comorile în Egypt" or "tezaurele în Egipt")

16. Hebrews 12:7 - C, following the CT, omits the word "if" from the beginning of the verse, but the TR and KJV have it

17. Hebrews 13:6 - C, following the CT, omits the word "and" (I will not fear), but the TR and KJV have it ("and I will not fear" / "si nu ma voi teme")

18. James 2:19 - C, following the CT, reads "ca Dumnezeu este unul . ." ("that God is one" or " . . .the one"), but the TR and KJV have "there is one God"

19. James 3:3 - C, following the CT, adds the word "if" ("daca") after "Behold" and before "we". The TR and KJV do not have the word "if" here.

20. James 3:17 - C, following the CT, omits the word "and" without hypocrisy, but the TR and KJV have it.

21. James 4:2 - C, following the CT, uses the word "si" ("and") rather than "yet" near the end of the verse (TR and KJV have it right).

22. James 4:5 - C, following the CT, adds the phrase "pe care L-a pus Dumnezeu" (which God has put), but the TR and KJV don't have it.

23. James 4:11 - C, following the CT, uses the word "sau" ("or") instead of "si" ("and") before "judgeth his brother". TR and KJV have it right.

24. James 5:9 - C, following the CT, says "ca sa nu fiti judecati" ("so that you will not be judged"), but TR and KJV have "lest ye be condemned"

25. James 5:11 - C, following the CT, uses the past tense without reason "au rabdat" ("ye endured"), but the TR and KJV have the present tense "endure"

26. James 5:20 - C, following the CT, says at the beginning of the verse "sa stiti" ("know ye") rather than "Let him know" as the TR and KJV have

27. I Peter 2:2 - C, following the CT, adds the phrase at the end of the verse, "spre mîntuire" ("toward salvation"), but the TR and KJV do not have this

28. I Peter 2:21 - C, following the CT, says "a suferit pentru voi, si v-a lasat . . ." ("Christ suffered for you and left you an example"), but TR and KJV have "Christ suffered for us, leaving us and example . . ."

29. I Peter 3:8 - C, following the CT, says "smeriti" (humble) rather than the TR/KJV "courteous".

30. I Peter 3:13 - C, following the CT, says "plini de rîvna pentru bine" ("full of zeal for good"), but the TR and KJV have "followers of that which is good"

31. I Peter 3:16 - C, following the CT, omits the phrase "as of evildoers" but the TR and KJV have it

32. I Peter 4:3 - C, following the CT, omits the word "us", but the TR and KJV have it

33. I Peter 4:8 - C, following the CT, uses "acopere"/"acopera" ("covers"), but the TR and KJV have future tense ("shall cover")

34. I Peter 5:10 - C, following the CT about 5 times in this one verse fails to use the subjunctive

35. II Peter 1:3 - C, following the CT, adds the word "Lui" ("His" [power]), but the TR and KJV do not have this.

36. II Peter 1:12 - C, following the CT, says "voi fi gata" ("I will be ready"), but the TR and KJV have "I will not be negligent"

37. I John 1:3 - C, following the CT, adds the word "si" ("and"/"also") before the word "you" near the beginning of the verse. The TR and KJV don't have this

38. I John 2:29 - C, following the CT, adds the word "si" ("and") before "know".

39. I John 5:6 - C, following the CT, adds the word "cu" ("with"/"in") before blood

40. II John v.7 - C, following the CT says "s-au raspîndit" ("were scattered into the world"), but the TR and KJV have "entered" [into the world]

41. III John v.12 - C, following the CT says "si stii" ("and you know" - singular), but the TR and KJV have the plural ("and ye know"/"si stiti")

42. Jude v.3 - C, following the CT adds the word "noastra" ("our") after "mîntuire" ("salvation"). TR and KJV don't have this.

43. Jude v.4 - C, following the CT, omits the word "Dumnezeu" ("God") after "Stapîn" ("Lord"). TR and KJV have "Lord God"

44. Jude v.5 - C, following the CT, uses the plural "aceste lucruri" ("these things"), but the TR and KJV have the singular "this"

45. Jude v.19 - C, following the CT, says "cari dau nastere la dezbinari" ("who give birth to divisions"), but the TR and KJV have "separate themselves"

46. Jude vss 22 and 23 are a mess translationally and textually in Cornilescu

Testimonials About the Revised Romanian Bible

From: "Ron Rockney" <rockney@chick.com>

To: <BJNIBBE@aol.com>

Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2006 1:05 AM

Subject: Re: Romanian language

Dear Brother,

It's exciting to hear that someone is working on a translation in Romanian using the TR! We don't speak Romanian, so we have always had to rely on the translators. I would assume that they would simply use the Bible that is available to them or, in some cases, translate the KJV.

You offered a list of errors with English explanations? Would you be so kind as to send that? I can pass it along to the brother who works with this and would expect approval in a short time to go ahead with your new translation.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Ron Rockney

Chick Publications

From: BJNIBBE@aol.com

To: rockney@chick.com

Sent: Monday, January 23, 2006 1:36 PM

Subject: RE: Romanian language

Greetings from Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

My name is Brian Nibbe. I have been a missionary in Romania since 1995. Four years ago our church accepted the responsibility to produce the preserved Word of God in the Romanian language. We believe that the preserved Word of God comes from the Textus Receptus Greek and the Masoretic Hebrew texts. We have finished translating the NT and are working on the OT right now. We have had 14 different people involved in this translation, of which two are American missionaries committed to the TR and Masoretic texts. We understand very well the issue of Formal Equivalence and reject wholesale the practice of Dynamic Equivalence.

I have been reading on your site about your stand on the Bible text issue and I agree with you. I also have seen your tracts and you use the Cornilescu version. Cornilescu is not based on the TR and Masoretic texts. It cannot be traced to any text as it has TR/Masoretic readings and a host of Critical Text readings. It is NOT to be relied upon. The main reason we produced the NT in Romanian is because the Cornilescu is so very weak. I can send you a host of errors with English explanations if you wish.

I would like you to consider our translation. We believe that we have produced a very readable, accurate, translation of the Word of God in Romanian. Another group (TBS) has claimed to have done this already but when we reviewed their text we found hundreds, in excess of 500, of textual errors in the NT; plus a host of translational errors.

Many people are searching for the correct text in Romanian and it now exists. Our translation is not a revision but a brand new translation directly from the TR. The OT is being done from the Masoretic text. Would you be interested in knowing more about what we have done?

A bit about myself. I have been married for almost 20 years to my one and only wife, Lynette. We have four boys. I have a degree in business and accounting from Metro State University in St Paul, Minnesota. I also have a Master's of Pastoral Theology degree from Hyles Anderson Seminary in Crown Point, Indiana. I am currently working on my Doctorate of Ministry degree. I have been a missionary for 12 years and a pastor for almost six. I started an independent Baptist church in Cluj Napoca, Romania in 2000.

If we can help with tract translation I do believe that our group would enjoy the opportunity. We have excellent translators who are all members of our church and all understand the importance of an accurate soul winning presentation.

Sincerely,

Brian Nibbe

Cluj Napoca, Romania