Recently I have started to study a little Greek with the intent of studying the New Testament in Greek. One of the issues I have encountered concerns the large number of manuscripts. I don't understand all the issues very well, but it seems there are two major lines of manuscripts: the received (majority) text and the critical text. The received text seems to come mostly from the Byzantine line of manuscripts and the critical text mostly from the Alexandrine line of texts . The KJV/NKJV and I suppose the Geneva Bible were mainly translated from the received text, but most modern versions (NASB,ESV,NIV,etc.) of the Bible seem to be translated from the critical text. I have found a number of web pages that say the critical text has many alterations that have been influenced by gnosticism. For example,

http://www.studytoanswer.net/bibleversions/gnostic.html

A specific example listed was

Quote
John 1:18

Textus Receptus - Qeon oudeiV ewrake pwpote. o monogenhV uioV, o wn eiV ton kolpon tou patroV, ekeinoV exhghsato.

(No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. - KJV)

NA 21 - Qeon oudeiV ewraken pwpote. monogenhV qeoV o wn eiV ton kolpon tou patroV, ekeinoV exhghsato.

(No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known. - NIV)

The NASB gives "No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. "

Does any one have any thoughts concerning this issue?

Thanks,
John