Corrupted Manuscripts
This verse is corrupted in the following manuscripts:
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus -
Nineteenth Century Counterfeit
A 02 - Alexandrinus - Fifth century
C 04 - Ephraemi Rescriptus - Fifth century
D 06 - Paris: Claromontanus - Sixth century
X 033 - Tenth century
Manuscripts which agree with the Textus Receptus for this verse
Byzantine Text (450-1450 A.D.)
K 018 - Ninth century
L 020 - Ninth century
P 025 - Ninth century
Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions
Omit “in spirit” before “ in faith”
Greisbach, Johann - 1805
Lachmann, Karl - 1842
Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869
Tregelles, Samuel - 1857
Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871
Wordsworth, Christopher - 1856 revised in 1870
Westcott and Hort - 1881
Weiss, Bernhard - 1894
Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941
Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition
Nestle-Aland - 1993 - Twenty Seventh Edition
United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition
Von Soden, Freiherr - 1902
Affected Teaching
The modern versions remove an encouraging aspect of the Christian walk.
It is the spirit in which we do things. It is making sure that we have the
correct motivations in doing the Lord’s work. It is speaking of the
motivation in the believer’s life to effect holy and spiritually fruitful
works to the glory of God. If we approach our Christian walk with the wrong
spirit, it will ruin our testimony and will cause all the works we do to
become of non-effect for the Kingdom of God. Timothy was being encouraged by
Paul to be a good example of the believers but this could not happen if his
motivations were wrong. This is why when the modern versions omit that
phrase, they omit a very necessary part of the Christian walk. In fact, that
correct spirit separates us from the religious crowd. Once again the King
James Bible gives the believer a full picture of the true Christian walk
that separates us from religious behavior.