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II PETER 2: 1 - 3

I. EARLY CHURCH HERESIES.
        A. Gnosticism.
                1. All material is evil.
                        a. Thus, God could not have created the material world.
                2. Jesus dwelling as He did in a human body could not be God.
                        a. Some forms of this error taught divinity came upon Him at baptism,
                           left before crucifixion.
                3. The Gnostics were known to deliberately alter the scriptures to meet their
                   views.
        B. Irenaeus said of the Gnostic Marcion, "Wherefore also Marcion and his followers
           have betaken themselves to mutilating the scriptures...which they themselves have
           shortened."
                1. They were guilty of removing passages that did not line up with their
                   views.
        C. Docetism.
                1. A form of gnosticism that sought to deny the fleshly body of Christ.
                        a. Saw him as a phantom.
        D. Arianism.
                1. Taught that Jesus was not God, but a created being inferior to God.

II. ALL OF THESE HERESIES FOUND THEIR HOME IN ALEXANDRIA.
        A. Here is where Clement spread the pernicious doctrines of Tatian, Gnosticism mixed
           with Greek philosophy.
                1. Origin was a pupil of Clement and had a great influence upon the early
                   church.
                        a. Here is where the Greek texts were developed for the Alexandrian,
                           Sianiaticus, and Latin Vulgate which Jerome translated from the
                           Alexandrian manuscripts.

III. THE TWO ANCIENT SOURCES OF MANUSCRIPTS.
        A. Alexandrian - Roman Catholic church (Origens Hexapin).
        B. Textus Receptus (Received Text).
                1. Its source is in Antioch which was the home church of Paul the Apostle.
                2. In 165, Syrian text called Peshitta.
                3. Eastern Greek church.
                4. Common Latin Text.
                5. Wildness of N. Italy.
                6. Erasamus.
                7. Reformation fathers.
        C. Of the over 5,255 manuscripts between 80 & 90% are Textus Receptus agreement.

IV. SOME DELETIONS IN ALEXANDRIAN, SINIATICUS:
        Matt. 6: 13; Matt. 18: 11; Matt. 23: 14; Matt. 25: 13 "Wherein...";  Mark 1:1 "The Son
        of God"; Mark 2:17 (to repentance.; Mark 9:44, Mark 11: 26; Mark 16: 9-20; Luke 2:33
        (His father); Luke 4:4 (ever word...; Luke 24:40; John 3:15, "should (not perish.";
        Acts 2:30 "According to the flesh he raised up Christ"; Acts 8:37, Acts 9: 5,6; Romans
        14:9, Both - rose; Eph. 3:9 (by Christ Jesus); Eph. 3:14, "of the Lord Jesus Christ";
        I Peter 1: 22 (through the Spirit); I Peter 4:1 (For us); I John 5: 7-8 (in heaven...;
        Rev. 11:17 (art to come..