FABRICATIONS · ADDED PHRASES
“To Repentance” Added in Matthew
But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
In earlier manuscripts, Jesus calls sinners without specifying “to repentance.” The added phrase seems borrowed from parallel accounts to emphasize conversion. This change reveals how scribes felt entitled to refine Jesus’ words, prompting questions about the authenticity of New Testament sayings. The NIV and ESV bibles omit this phrase.
THE CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
The phrase “to repentance” aligns with Jesus’ mission and is found in parallel passages. Scribes might have harmonized Matthew with Luke, making explicit what was implicit. This addition doesn’t contradict Jesus’ message but clarifies it.
THE ISLAMIC POSITION
If the earliest forms of Matthew lacked “to repentance,” adding it shows scribes importing ideas from other Gospels. Instead of preserving Matthew’s original nuance, they molded it to match their understanding, undermining claims of a faithfully transmitted text. Would the true words of God require human refining or harmonization? This question challenges the idea of divine perfection in scripture.
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“To Repentance” Added in Matthew