The 1582 Rheims New Testament

A detailed review of the 1582 Rheims New Testament, ISBN 1719276080, 9781719276085. This volume, published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, is a facsimile of the original edition, printed with archaic Roman type in a 10 point font. Text is formatted in a single column organized into paragraphs. Each chapter is followed by a lengthy section of annotations, many of which are polemical in character and defend Roman Catholic doctrine against the Reformed theological views then held by the Church of England. The translation is said to be a word-for-word (literal) translation of the Latin Vulgate. The preface defends the practice of withholding the Scriptures from laypersons, except those licensed by their local ordinaries. It also argues that the Latin is superior to the Greek, because the Greek text of the New Testament has been corrupted by heretics.

Detailed Contents

00:00 Dimensions, margins, layout, font ... (three charts)
00:43 Where is Rheims?
01:30 Size compared with other Bibles
02:30 Page format
03:35 The margins
04:05 The font in the text
04:30 The text is organized into paragraphs
04:58 Verse numbers are located in the inner margin
05:40 References and translation notes in the inside margin
06:25 The notes in the outer margin
06:55 The annotations, which appear at the end of each chapter, are in a seven point font
07:30 The book and section introductions are in an eight point font
07:52 Paper qualities: thick, matte, white, very little show through
08:30 Print non-uniformity (some pages are printed more darkly than others)
09:02 The words of Christ are in black
09:40 Old Testament quotations are in an italic font
10:25 Book titles, chapter numbers, page numbers are printed at the top of the page
12:00 A harmony of the gospels
12:40 Tables of Peter, Paul, and the other apostles – plus the Apostles’ Creed
13:35 A table of Epistle and Gospel readings for Sundays, holy days, and the principal days of the year
14:42 An index to the annotations (a table of controversies)
16:20 A short glossary of obscure terms
16:40 Errata
17:02 This glued paperback does not lie open in Matthew or the Apocalypse
17:33 The title page
18:02 The preface to the reader
18:25 A key to symbols
19:08 The books of the New Testament, with quotations
19:46 Decorative capital letters appear at the beginning of each chapter
19:52 Fonts compared: 1582 Rheims New Testament vs recent Douay-Rheims Bible
21:00 A history timeline – some significant events from 1558 to 1611
23:55 Gregory Martin was the primary translator of the Rheims New Testament
24:21 Richard Bristow was responsible for the annotations
24:32 How does the Rheims New Testament read? A sample from Galatians chapter three
25:57 Comparison of the 1582 Rheims New Testament to the 1752 Challoner revision in Galatians 3.1-5
26:05 Ephesians 3.9 (‘sacrament’ instead of ‘mystery’), Ephesians 4.30 (‘contristate’), and Philippians 2.7 (‘exinanited’)
28:08 The note at Matthew 6.24 on Two Masters. “Communion” considered a wicked thing, like Baal, Calvin, and heretical conventicles.
29:32 The note at Matthew 3.2, ‘Do Penance’, which includes painful satisfaction.
30:12 The extensive notes at Matthew 16.16
31:37 1 John 4.3, ‘every spirit that dissolveth Jesus’. The Latin is superior to the Greek, because of heretics.
31:14 The note at Romans 5.14 and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
34:49 The preface on laypersons reading the Bible. The translators did not think that everyone should be permitted to read the Scriptures.
35:49 The preface on translation philosophy. ‘Word-for-word’ preferred over ‘dynamic equivalence’.
36:27 The tenth reason the preface gives for translating from the Latin: the Greek was corrupted by ancient heretics.
37:40 Summary