Example:  Textual Variant notes for 2 Corinthians 4:7-15

There is only one variant worth noting: vs. 14

kurion ("Lord") is read by ) (4^th century Alexandrian, reliable); D (6th century Western); FG (9^th century Western)

It is omitted by P46 (3^rd cent), B (4^th century Alexandrian, reliable), Vulgate

Thus, the external evidence is split.

Looking for an explanation for the textual confusion here, it could have been added by a pious scribe (thus the original reading would have been simply "Jesus"), or it could have been accidentally omitted because 2 words in a row have the same ending ("homoioteleuton"; thus the original would have been "the Lord Jesus"). Since the witnesses without "Lord" are from a wide area, accidental omission seems unlikely. Also, the shorter reading is normally preferred. Therefore, the should be read without ku&rion. Note that NRSV includes it.

If omitted, then it is striking that the simple name "Jesus" is used 6x in vv. 10-14. This is remarkable, because "Jesus" appears 140  times in Paul’s undisputed letters, but only 16x without "Lord" or "Christ" attached; of those 16, more than 1/3 would be in this short text! Is this a sign that Paul is perhaps emphasizing the earthly Jesus, his suffering and death and resurrection, as the pattern of our hope? We will consider this under "Parallel Passages."

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