In this volume—dedicated to B. B. Warfield—Robertson explains the purpose and uses of textual criticism for exegesis, interpretation, and preaching. Following in the tradition of Westcott and Hort, he explains textual principles for students of Greek, as well as for a wider audience.
“In 1550 Robert Estienne (Stephanus) published the third edition (Editio Regia) of his Greek New Testament (the first in 1546, the second in 1549) which was based directly on the work of Erasmus with marginal readings from fifteen other manuscripts, one of which was the Codex Bezae (D). This text became the Textus Receptus of Britain.” (Page 20)
“These two Cambridge scholars have produced a text that is not final, but that is infinitely superior to all others that preceded it since the first printed Greek New Testament in 1514. They spent twenty-eight years in preparing their text and have laid down their theory on lines that have stood the test of time.” (Page 36)
“His edition of 1551 was published at Geneva and was the first New Testament to give our verse divisions, a device that on the whole has done more harm than good.” (Page 20)
“The real conflict in the textual criticism of the New Testament is concerning this ‘thousandth part of the entire text.’” (Page 22)
“Erasmus actually published his edition of the Greek New Testament in 1516 and so six years before Ximenes in 1522” (Page 18)