Well then, did they immediately expend every effort to make mass copies of the original manuscripts and send them out to the Christian world so that they could make their own decisions as to what truly was the original unchanged word of God? Once again, No!
RESPONSE: Actually, this IS what has effectively happened. Churches and Bible Societies have appointed scholars to investigate the differences and determine what was originally written. The result is the work of the United Bible Societies. This group produces a Greek New Testament which has been used for most modern translations.
So what did they do? Let us ask Rev. Dr. George L. Robertson. In his book
“Where did we get our Bible? he writes:
“Of the MSS. of Holy Scripture in Greek still existing there
are said to be several thousand of varying worth ... Three or four
in particular of these old, faded out, and unattractive documents
constitute the most ancient and the most precious treasures of
the Christian Church, and are therefore of special interest.”
First in Rev. Richardson’s list is the “Codex Vaticanus” of which he says:
“This is probably the most ancient of all Greek MSS. now
known to exist. It is designated as Codex ‘B.’ In 1448, Pope
Nicholas V brought it to Rome where it has lain practically ever
since, being guarded assiduously by papal officials in the
Vatican Library. It’s history is brief: Erasmus in 1533 knew of
its existence, but neither he nor any of his successors were
permitted to study it... becoming quite inaccessible to scholars,
till Tischendorf in 1843, after months of delay, was finally
allowed to see it for six hours. Another specialist, named de
Muralt in 1844 was likewise given an aggravating glimpse of it
for nine hours. The story of how Dr. Tregelles in 1845 was
allowed by the authorities (all unconscious to themselves) to
secure it page by page through memorizing the text, is a
fascinating one. Dr. Tregelles did it. He was permitted to study
the MS. continuously for a long time, but not to touch it or to
take notes. Indeed, every day as he entered the room where the
precious document was guarded, his pockets were searched and
pen, paper and ink were taken from him, if he carried such
accessories with him. The permission to enter, however, was
repeated, until he finally had carried away with him and
annotated in his room most of the principle variant readings of
this most ancient text. Often, however, in the process, if the
papal authorities observed he was becoming too much absorbed
in any one section, they would snatch the MS. away from him
and direct his attention to another leaf. Eventually they
discovered that Tregelles had practically stolen the text, and
that the Biblical world knew the secrets of their historic MS.
Accordingly, Pope Pius IX ordered that it should be
photographed and published; and it was, in five volumes which
appeared in 1857. But the work was very unsatisfactorily done.
About that time Tischendorf made a third attempt to gain access
to and examine it. He succeeded, and later issued the text of the
first twenty pages. Finally in 1889-90, with papal permission,
the entire text was photographed and issued in facsimile, and
published so that a copy of the expensive quartos was obtainable
by, and is now in the possession of all the principle libraries in
the biblical world.”
“Where did we get our Bible?”, Rev. Dr. George L. Robertson.
Harper and Brothers Publishers, pp.110-112
What were all of the Popes afraid of? What was the Vatican as a whole
afraid of? Why was the concept of releasing the text of their most ancient copy
of the Bible to the general public so terrifying to them? Why did they feel it
necessary to bury the most ancient copies of the inspired word of God in a dark
corner of the Vatican never to be seen by outside eyes? Why? What about all
of the thousands upon thousands of other manuscripts which to this day remain
buried in the darkest depths of the Vatican vaults never to be seen or studied by
the general masses of Christendom?