One position permits narration by meaning for a person who can recall the original wording, reasoning that such a person can compare the original expression against the replacement and make an informed substitution.
A contrasting view holds that one who remembers the wording should transmit that wording; any concession to paraphrase belongs rather to a narrator who has forgotten the exact words but still retains their meaning accurately.
These positions are not identical. The first stresses the capacity for comparison when changing a phrase; the second prioritizes keeping the actual wording whenever it is available. They represent alternative restrictions on the disputed practice, not one undisputed rule.