Why is Acts 28:29 missing in some Bible translations? Overview Of The Question Why do a number of contemporary English translations either place Acts 28:29 in a footnote or omit it entirely, while traditional translations (e.g., KJV, NKJV) print it in the main text? The answer lies in the way God has preserved His Word through thousands of Greek manuscripts, each copied by hand before the invention of printing. A handful of verses in the New Testament, including Acts 28:29, show small differences among these manuscripts. Sound textual analysis—using the very methods that have confirmed every central Christian doctrine—explains the absence or presence of this verse and strengthens, rather than weakens, confidence in Scripture’s reliability. The Wording Of Acts 28:29 “When he had said these words, the Jews departed, and a great dispute broke out among them.” † † Some earliest manuscripts do not contain this sentence; others place it at the end of v. 28. External Manuscript Evidence 1. Early manuscripts that omit the sentence • P⁷⁴ (7th cent.) • Codex Sinaiticus (ℵ, 4th cent.) • Codex Vaticanus (B, 4th cent.) • Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (C, 5th cent., lacuna) • Codex 81 (1044 A.D.) • Majority of Old Latin copies, Vulgate, Sahidic Coptic, Harklean Syriac The geographical spread—from Egypt to Rome—shows the omission was known very early. 2. Manuscripts that include the sentence • Codex Alexandrinus (A, 5th cent.) • Codex Laudianus (E, 6th cent.) • Family 1739 (including 1739, 945, 1891) • Most later Byzantine manuscripts (Majority Text) • Several marginal readings in early versions (e.g., Bohairic Coptic) The presence in A and the Byzantine tradition explains why the verse entered the Textus Receptus and thus the KJV line. Internal (Linguistic) Evidence • Style and vocabulary: the sentence uses wording Luke employs elsewhere (cf. Acts 13:45; 18:6), so it is linguistically “at home.” • Contextual flow: v. 28 ends Paul’s speech; v. 30 abruptly begins “And he stayed two full years….” Ancient scribes often felt the need to record how the Jews actually responded, so one may have added a summary note already common in oral retellings of Acts. • Parallels: similar expansions occur in Acts 15:34; 24:6b–8; they add detail but no new doctrine. How The Variant Arose Scenario 1: An early scribe, familiar with Luke’s pattern of reporting audience reactions, inserted the conventional summary (“the Jews departed… debating”) as he copied a master that lacked it. Scenario 2: The sentence was originally penned by Luke but was accidentally skipped by an early scribe because of homoeoteleuton (the eye of the copyist jumped from ἐαυτοῖς to the same ending two lines later). The wide omission in East and West, however, weighs slightly against this. Significance For Doctrine And Faith Nothing of Christian teaching rests on this sentence. Whether or not Luke wrote the summary, Acts still records: • Paul’s consistent pattern of Jewish rejection/Gentile inclusion (vv. 23-28). • His two-year Roman ministry (vv. 30-31). Salvation by the risen Christ (Acts 2:32-36; 17:31), the deity of the Spirit (5:3-4), and every core doctrine remain untouched. Archaeological And Historical Confirmations Of Acts • Gallio Inscription (Delphi, A.D. 51-52) anchors Acts 18:12-17 in verifiable chronology. • Politarch inscription (Thessalonica) corroborates Luke’s precise civic titles (Acts 17:6). • Erastus paving stone (Corinth) validates the official named in Romans 16:23 and Acts 19:22. These external convergences show Luke to be a first-rate historian; a minor variant such as Acts 28:29 does nothing to diminish that record. The Providence Of Preservation God chose to safeguard His Word not by one flawless manuscript but by thousands—so that, when compared, the original wording is evident. Over 5,800 Greek NT manuscripts, plus over 18,000 in other ancient languages, give the New Testament a documentary foundation exponentially stronger than any other work of antiquity. Less than one percent of the text is in question, and no Christian belief depends on those places. Pastoral And Evangelistic Takeaway Believers can gladly explain to seekers that Bible footnotes are signs of scholarly honesty, not uncertainty about God’s message. Acts ends triumphantly with the gospel “unhindered” (v. 31), a reality embodied in Christ’s resurrection power—confirmed historically (1 Corinthians 15:3-8) and experienced spiritually by all who repent and believe (Romans 10:9-13). Conclusion Acts 28:29’s varying placement across English Bibles results from careful comparison of ancient documents. The earliest evidence slightly favors omission, so many modern translations mark it as a later expansion; traditional texts retain it. Either way, the narrative remains intact, doctrine unchanged, and our confidence in the inerrant Word—preserved through centuries of faithful copying—fully vindicated. |
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