Comments on Protestant Christian View of Septuagint
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Protestant Christian View of Septuagint
I am interested in the specific viewpoint of Protestant Christians regarding the Septuagint.
While both the Orthodox and Catholic traditions include books from the Septuagint in their Old Testament canons, my understanding is that Protestants generally prefer the Masoretic Text. However, I’ve noticed there are books included in the Masoretic Text that differ from those in the Septuagint.
Furthermore, in certain books like Esther, the Septuagint version provides a much deeper understanding of the story through its additions. Given that the early Christians used the Septuagint, and considering the possibility that the Greek translators were divinely inspired, how do Protestants view the authority and use of the Septuagint?
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I have asked this question of a few Protestant teachers. The answer I received is that "this is our denominations belief that this one is the divinely inspired one". Which isn't said in a way that believing in one or the other is a guarantee of salvation or hell, merely that "our group has chosen to pick one that we organizationally believe is correct, and this is the one".
They encourage reading the old texts, and the original greek and hebrew if you can learn it or pick up inline translations.
I was introduced to the phrase "in essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty". You're allowed to think as you please, as long as you can agree on some points that folks feel are absolutely essential.
For almost all Protestants I am aware of, the essentials are : scripture, not tradition is authoratative (solo scriptura); you must believe Jesus is the messiah he claimed to be (solo fidelis) in order to enjoy the promised benefits; and that you can not obligate God to give you any "specialer" status than the basic Christian, because Salvation is a gift so precious you will never be able to afford it (solo gratia).
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