By: Dr. Phil Stringer
The Westcott and Hort Theory

In the 1870's, a challenge arose in the English world to the primacy of the King James Bible. There had always been a challenge from Roman Catholicism, but this challenge came from men who were officially Protestants: Church of England Bishop Brooke Foss Westcott and Cambridge University Professor Fenton John Anthony Hort.

The heart of the Wescott and Hort theory was that the New Testament was preserved in almost perfect condition in two Greek texts, the Vaticanus and the Sinaticus. Sinaticus was discovered in a wastebasket in St. Catherine’s Momentary (near Mt. Sinai) in 1844 by Constantin von Tischendorf. The Vaticanus was found in the Vatican library in 1475 and was rediscovered in 1845.

The King James New Testament was translated from a different family of Greek texts. To Westcott and Hort, the King James Bible was clearly an inferior translation. It must be replaced by a new translation from texts that they considered to be older and better. They believed that the true work of God in English had been held back by an inferior Bible. They determined to replace the King James Bible and the Greek Textus Receptus. In short, their theory suggests that for fifteen hundred years the preserved Word of God was lost until it was recovered in the nineteenth century in a trash can and in the Vatican Library.

Hort clearly had a bias against the Textus Receptus, calling it "villainous" and "vile". Hort aggressively taught that the School at Antioch (associated with Lucian) had loosely translated the true text of Scripture in the second century A. D. This supposedly created an unreliable text of Scripture which became the Textus Receptus. This was called the Lucian Recension Theory.

Hort did not have a single historical reference to support the idea that such a recension took place. He simply theorized that it must have taken place. Although there is not a single historical reference to the Lucian Recension, many Bible colleges teach it as a historical fact.

Westcott and Hort Only!

The modern movement to revise the English Bible is based completely on the works of Westcott and Hort.

K.W. Clark writes, "...the Westcott-Hort text has become today our Textus-Receptus. We have been freed from one only to become captivated by the other...The psychological chains so recently broken from our fathers have again been forged upon us, even more strongly."

E.C. Colwell writes, "The dead hand of Fenton John Anthony Hort lies heavy upon us. In the early years of this century Kirsopp Lake described Hort’s work as a failure, ...But Hort did not fail to reach his major goal. He dethroned the Textus Receptus. ...This was a sensational achievement, an impressive success. Hort’s success in this task and the cogency of his tightly reasoned theory shaped - and still shapes - the thinking of those who approach the textual criticism of the New Testament through the English language."

Zane Hodges, a long-time professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, writes, "Modern textual criticism is psychologically addicted to Westcott and Hort. Westcott and Hort in turn, were rationalists in their approach to the textual problem in the New Testament and employed techniques within which rationalism and every other kind of bias are free to operate."

Alfred Martin, former Vice-President at Moody Bible Institute, wrote in 1951, "The present generation of Bible students having been reared on Westcott and Hort have for the most part accepted this theory without independent or critical examination. ...if believing Bible students had the evidence of both sides put before them instead of one side only, there would not be so much blind following of Westcott and Hort. "The two most popular Greek manuscripts today, Nestles-Aland and UBS (United Bible Society), differ very little from the Westcott and Hort text.

What You Have to Believe to Accept the Westcott and Hort Theory

•    You have to believe that people who believed in the Deity of Christ often corrupt Bible manuscripts.

•    You have to believe that people who deny the Deity of Christ never corrupt Bible manuscripts.

•    You have to believe that people who died to get the gospel to the world couldn’t be trusted with the Bible.

•    You have to believe that their killers could be trusted.

•    You have to believe that the Celtic Christians, Waldenses, Albigenses, Henricians, Petrobrussians, Paulicians, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Protestant churches, the Anabaptists and the Baptists all did not have the pure word of God.

•    You have to believe that the Roman Catholics and the nineteenth century rationalists did have the pure word of God.



Google AI: Codex Sinaiticus has been revised extensively, with estimates of around 20,000 to 27,000 corrections and changes made by at least seven or more scribes from the 4th century up to the 13th century, making it one of the most heavily corrected ancient manuscripts, featuring many variations, omissions, and additions from its original text.
Key Details on Revisions:
•    Number of Correctors: Up to ten different scribes/correctors worked on the manuscript over centuries.
•    Magnitude of Changes: There are thousands of textual variations, including dropped words, doubled letters, and altered sentences.
•    Timeframe: Corrections span from the 4th century (original scribes) to the 13th century.
•    Significance: The sheer volume of revisions highlights the importance placed on the text but also shows significant textual fluidity in early Christianity, with some scholars questioning its reliability for certain verses (e.g., omissions in Mark and Luke).
In essence, the codex is a palimpsest of textual history, with layers of corrections reflecting different readings and understandings of the biblical text over time.


Google AI: Codex Vaticanus (4th century) is not merely a single, static manuscript, but one that underwent multiple revisions, corrections, and restorations throughout its history, primarily in the 8th, 10th, and 15th centuries.

Key Aspects of Revisions and Corrections:
•    Original Scribes: The text was originally produced by two or three scribes in the mid-4th century.
•    Early Correctors (Uncial Era): There are at least two distinct correctors from the early period (uncial era, 4th–8th century) who modified the text.
•    10th/11th Century Revision: A major revision took place in the 10th or 11th century, during which the faded text was traced over with new ink by a corrector (sometimes identified as B2). During this phase, some corrections were made that left original text unenhanced.
•    15th Century Restoration: The most significant, structural revision occurred in the 15th century. Due to the loss of the original beginning (Genesis) and end (part of Hebrews, Pastorals, and Revelation), a 15th-century scribe added new leaves to fill in these missing parts.
•    Scribal Alterations: The manuscript contains many corrections, including some, like one near Hebrews 1:3, that indicate disputes between scribes regarding changes to the text.
•    Textual Differences: In the Gospels alone, it is estimated that the text was modified over 7,500 times compared to the Textus Receptus.
The manuscript is considered a heavily, though carefully, manipulated document.


Google AI: The "bad Greek lexicon" basis for Westcott and Hort's (W-H) text refers to the Alexandrian text tradition, primarily Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus, which they championed over the Byzantine (Majority) Text used in the Textus Receptus (KJV basis). Critics argue W-H's reliance on these older, but heavily edited, manuscripts introduced doctrinal shifts, favoring liberal views by removing words supporting Christ's deity, while defenders see it as recovering a purer, earlier text.
The Core Controversy
•    W-H's Textual Theory: Westcott and Hort believed the Alexandrian manuscripts (like Vaticanus & Sinaiticus) were the purest, reflecting the original text, while the later Byzantine text (used for the KJV) was corrupted.
•    Critics' View (KJV-Only Perspective):
o    Corruption & Deception: They claim W-H intentionally used "corrupt" Alexandrian texts to subtly alter doctrines, especially regarding Jesus' divinity, by removing or changing verses.
o    Secretive Process: They argue W-H's work on the Greek text was done in secret, preventing proper review before influencing the English Revised Version (ERV) and subsequent modern translations (NIV, ESV, etc.).
o    "Apostate" Figures: Critics link W-H to spiritualism and occult groups (like the Hermes Club), suggesting their personal beliefs tainted their textual work.
W-H's Influence
•    Their critical Greek text became the foundation for virtually all modern Bible versions, making them the standard for mainstream textual scholarship.
•    Footnotes in modern Bibles like "earliest and best manuscripts" usually refer to Vaticanus and Sinaiticus, reflecting the W-H approach.
Translations using or influenced by the W-H text include the Revised Version, New American Standard Bible (NASB), New International Version (NIV), and English Standard Version (ESV).




Google AI: The "supremacy of the Textus Receptus" (TR) is a theological view asserting the Textus Receptus (the Greek New Testament base for the King James Version) is the most reliable text, often linked to belief in divine preservation, representing the majority of manuscripts (Byzantine text-type) and foundational for historic translations like the KJV, though modern textual critics often favor earlier, diverse manuscripts. Adherents argue it's God's preserved word, contrasting it with "Critical Texts" (NA/UBS) used in newer versions, which rely on older but fewer manuscripts, while critics point to variations within TR editions and manuscript evidence for earlier readings.
Key Arguments for TR Supremacy
•    Divine Providence: Believers hold that God preserved the TR text through the Byzantine tradition, the majority of surviving manuscripts.
•    Majority Text: The TR aligns closely with the Byzantine Majority Text, seen as a reliable witness to the original text.
•    Historical Standard: It served as the standard Greek text for centuries, forming the basis for influential translations like the KJV and the NKJV.
•    Simplicity & Clarity: Its readings are often considered clearer and less prone to scholarly alteration than composite Critical Texts.


The lack of translating Scripture into the evolving vernacular languages of the western world from Greek led to the general onslaught of the dark ages and the general misunderstanding of the Christian message of Jesus Christ. In the east or Byzantine Empire, Greek was maintained and was consistent. This became known as the Majority Text. In the west the Latin Vulgate was the standard Bible translation used beginning in the 4th century. Unfortunately, numerous revisions occurred in the west on both the Latin Vulgate and Codex Vaticanus for the next thousand plus years.

With the fall of Constantinople in 1453, many Greek scholars from the east moved to the west and began teaching in various universities. With the Greek Majority Text availability in the west, study began in earnest of the original Greek. Erasmus, a leading scholar due to his travels throughout the west and stops at various universities, published the first Greek New Testament on March 1, 1516. This translation featured a Greek Latin diglot intended to correct the Latin Vulgate and foster a return to the original biblical sources. Erasmus used approximately eight Greek Majority Texts from the Byzantine tradition.

This significantly impacted scholarship and served as the foundation of the Reformation by allowing scholars to read the New Testament in its original language, moving away from the reliance on the Latin Vulgate. Later versions became known as the Textus Receptus which was the basis for the King James Bible. With the explosion of bibles in various vernacular languages thanks to the Protestant Reformation and the Renaissance, the Catholic Church maintained control in many countries due to the counter reformation Council of Trent and the Inquisition.

However, by the 19th century with England and the King James Bible dominating the world, the Catholic Church began an orchestrated approach toward a new Greek Lexicon. The Vatican allowed Constantine Tischendorf to study the Codex Vaticanus in 1843 and 1844 with recommendations from Saxon and French authorities. Tischendorf suddenly visited the Monastery at Mount Sinai in 1844 and discovered 43 leaves of the Old Testament. He later returned in 1859 with Russian imperial patronage and took the remainder of the manuscript to St. Petersburg. The manuscript Codex Sinaiticus is divided among four institutions: 347 leaves at the British Library, 12 leaves and 14 fragments at the St. Catherine’s Monastery, 3 fragments at the National Library of Russia, and 43 leaves at the Leipzig University Library.

Brooke Foss Westcott and Fenton John Anthony Hort produced the New Testament in the Original Greek in 1881. They relied primarily on the Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus. This resulted in shifting biblical translation away from the Textus Receptus resulting in new Bible translations and numerous paraphrase translations. This degradation of Scripture has continued into the 21st century with the American Bible Society promoting Catholic editions of the Bible and works of Catholic leaders.

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