CHAPTER SEVEN

The Annotations on the New Testament

[I noted in the introductory chapter the stimulating variety of subjects

Erasmus addressed in his Annotations (cf especially 8–9 and 16–17 in
reference to the second and fourth editions of the New Testament). The
annotations were intended in the first instance to defend his translation
and clarify the sense of the Greek text. But the genre permitted the dis-
cussion of a wide-ranging field of topics (cf 21). As an avenue facilitating
defence and clarification, the annotations invited discussion, necessar-
ily pervasive, of the text and language of Scripture, but this discussion
itself presupposed debatable views about the authority and canon of
Scripture. In addition, few passages of Scripture fail to invite reflection
on theological issues, issues indeed that were often heatedly contested
in the sixteenth century, some of which are subjects of debate still in the
twenty-first century. Moreover, when Erasmus dedicated his New Testa-
ment to Pope Leo, his affirmation that his work was undertaken with the
hope that it would contribute to the restoration of a religion fallen into
decay rationalized his frequent attempts in the annotations to contrast
the word of Scripture with the state of the current church, bringing into
view with a sharp critique ethical and, indeed, even liturgical problems.
Beyond that the humanist instinct to describe places and assess human
character led to some of the most interesting passages in the annota-
tions. The selections below roam through this work of Erasmus and
attempt to order his thoughts, sometimes apparently quite spontane-
ous, within the categories just described. Selections from Romans and
Ephesians are referenced according to CWE page number; selections
from the other New Testament books are referenced according to ASD
series, volume and page number, and, in the case of long annotations,
line number as well.]