Question:

My question is about John 1:18. If we use a modern translation, we can clearly notice that the verse says that Jesus is God. But the textus receptus translations just say that Jesus is Son. Which do you think is authentic?

Answer:

This is a question of translation, not of an error, either in the textus receptus or any other Greek text.  If you look at the Greek, the literal translation from the Greek is as follows:  God no man has seen never [the] only begotten God the

being in the  bosom of the Father that one declared.  The translators of the Authorized Version, otherwise known as the King James Version chose to interpret only begotten as only begotten Son.  Like I already said, as  far ask I know this is not because of a discrepancy between the textus receptus and more accurate modern accepted Greek texts.  The word Son is not in the Greek, but to translate this as only begotten Son is not unreasonable, given the context.

It should be noted that some believers take the textus receptus as a sort of inspired Greek text.  This is not the case.  This Greek text was created by Erasmus.  It was a masterful job of recreating the Greek text in the early sixteenth century by the century’s greatest scholar, Erasmus.  However, this text is flawed for several reasons, the most important of which is that Erasmus only had five or six Greek manuscripts at his disposal and none of them were truly ancient. Since that time, scholars have gained access to several truly ancient Greek texts, such as the Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Vaticanus and Codex Alexandrinus.  There are several major errors in the textus receptus. It includes passages such as 1 John 5:8 which is not found in any of the truly ancient manuscripts.  This is an interpolation, but it is included in the textus receptus.

I am including several translations of John 1:18 below.  All of these translations of the passage, by the way, imply that Jesus is God and that he is the Son, even if the word Son is not in the English translation.  In my opinion, attempts to generate controversy over the textus receptus versus the majority of modern translations is not helpful in this particular case.

John Oakes

New International Version
No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

New Living Translation
No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.

English Standard Version
No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Berean Study Bible
No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.

Berean Literal Bible
No one has ever yet seen God. The only begotten God, the One being in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known.

New American Standard Bible 
No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.

King James Bible
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
No one has ever seen God. The One and Only Son– the One who is at the Father’s side– He has revealed Him.

International Standard Version
No one has ever seen God. The unique God, who is close to the Father’s side, has revealed him.