1 Timothy 3:16
From Textus Receptus
1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
θεος
God is often changed to "he" or "who" in most modern translations. This is because in some Greek manuscripts the word Theós (θεος) in Greek capitals (θEOΣ) was shortened to make room, and was written as OΣ with a line above it. Without the line about it, OΣ simply means "who". In one manuscript, Codex A the line faded, although history testifies that the line was there. and also there are well over 300 other manuscripts that contain the horizontal lines, and which therefore testify unmistakably to Theos, or "God", it is omitted and replaced for "he" or "who". Because it is impossible for Greek grammar to support these later conclusions, it has been theorised that this portion of scripture is a hymnic quotation, thus creating what is known as the Hymn Theory. While he NKJV may not change the word it does imply that verse is a hymn, thus giving credence to the false notion.
John Burgon said:
“The fact remains for all that, that the original reading of A is attested so amply, that no sincere lover of Truth can ever hereafter pretend to doubt it... it is too late by 150 years to contend on the negative side of the question... The plain fact concerning Cod. A is this - That at 1 Tim. iii. 16, two delicate horizontal strokes in THEOS which were thoroughly patent in 1628, which could be seen plainly down to 1737, and which were discernible by an expert (Dr. Woide) so late as A.D. 1765, have for the last hundred years entirely disappeared, which is precisely what Berriman in 1741 predicted would be the case.” Revision Revised, 432-436
