FABRICATIONS · TEXTUAL VARIANTS
‘Who Is in Heaven’ Addition
And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
The phrase "which/who is in heaven" is missing from some early manuscripts, suggesting it was added later to emphasize Jesus' divine status. This addition shapes how readers understand Jesus' nature. This questions the authenticity of core teachings about Jesus' identity and status. NIV omits it while it's present in the KJV.
THE CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
The added phrase emphasizes Jesus' divine origin and omnipresence. Even if a textual variant, it aligns with the theological understanding of Jesus in Christian belief.
THE ISLAMIC POSITION
Adding phrases to support specific doctrines compromises the Scripture’s authenticity and raises doubts about what Jesus actually taught. If Jesus’ divine status required reinforcement through added text, it suggests the original was less explicit. Such changes indicate that Christology evolved over time through human edits, undermining claims of an unaltered, divinely preserved Scripture.
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‘Who Is in Heaven’ Addition