[Springfield Reformer]

There is evidence the doxology is original to the inspired text.  John Gill informs us that it resembles an already existing Jewish prayer form.  This is backed up by the fact that the expression appears in the Didache, very recognizably the same formula as found in Matthew.  We know the Didache comes from about the end of the first century, so this is strongly suggestive that the doxology was being used in the immediate post-apostolic era because that's how Jesus taught the apostles to pray.

As for manuscript evidence, Sinaiticus and Vaticanis have long been suspect, even though physically older than most other manuscripts (though there are fragments much older than even these), because they are of Alexandrian origin, meaning they may have survived as long as they did, not because they were the preferred variant, but because the dry air of the area, combined with disuse, allowed these manuscripts to survive, despite being inferior texts.  The active text, that which was being most fervently used by the church at large, was the Byzantine text form, and that textform has the doxology.  The number of manuscripts containing it versus not is, IIRC, something like 10 to 1.  

But if that's not enough, keep in mind the reading with the doxology can also be found in the third oldest Bible, Codex Washintonianus, which dates to the 4th or 5th century, making it a near contemporary of Sinaiticus and Vaticanis, the difference being it is part of the traditional collection of texts supporting the Byzantine/Majority textform.  There are also Patristic uses of the Matthian doxology, in Origen, Tertullian, Cyprian, I believe.  

So terycarl, whatever else one might conclude, this means it is not a Protestant invention, unless you want to make the named patristic writers, the Didache, and the third oldest Bible out to be Protestant products.

In any event, I see no reason to doubt it's authenticity.

Peace,

SR

[Heart-Rest]

"So terycarl, whatever else one might conclude, this means it is not a Protestant invention, unless you want to make the named patristic writers, the Didache, and the third oldest Bible out to be Protestant products."

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I believe you were responding to my post. (I'm "Heart-Rest".)      :-)

I did not say it was a Protestant invention.    (Read my post #2606 again!)    I said it was not in the oldest Greek manuscripts, and that most biblical scholars today (both Catholic and Protestant) believe it was added later by a "copyist", then propagated through a number of subsequent copies by other copyists as well, but that it was definitely not in the oldest manuscripts we have of the Gospel of Matthew (just like it is not in the Lord's Prayer in the Gospel of Luke), but was added later for liturgical reasons, following the custom of the time to add a "Doxology" like that to the end of vocal, liturgical prayers.

That's the simple truth.