FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE FIFTH YEARS OF THE TEXTUS RECEPTUS DESASTERIO ERASMO

Abstract

Erasmus Roterodamus published in 1516 his collation and edition of the Greek text of the New Testament, as well his Latin translation. Following the humanists´ emphasis on the return to the classics and having as its major competitor the Complutensian Polyglot Bible, this work would make him the most celebrated European scholar of all times. Influenced by the Italian literary critic Lorenzo Valla, Erasmus´ intention was to provide a text to replace Saint Jerome´s Vulgate and thus to reform the Church without breaking up with Rome. However, the turbulence that followed Martin Luther´s critics of the Roman Church led to the condemnation of the Erasmus´ Latin translation at the Council of Trent. On the other hand, the Greek text was the basis of the different Protestant translations and became known as
Textus Receptus.