some thoughts as we launch out on this course in the next few days…
The evidence for our New Testament writings is ever so much greater than the evidence for many writings of classical authors, the authenticity of which no one dreams of questioning. And if the New Testament were a collection of secular writings, their authenticity would generally be regarded as beyond all doubt. It is a curious fact that historians have often been much readier to trust the New Testament than have many theologians.
… F. F. Bruce (1910-1990/1), The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?, Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1949, reprint, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2003, p. 10
When a comparison is made of the variant readings of the New Testament with those of other books which have survived from antiquity, the results are little short of astounding. For instance, although there are some 200,000 “errors” among the New Testament manuscripts, these appear in only about 10,000 places, and only about one-sixtieth rise above the level of trivialities. Westcott and Hort, Ezra Abbot, Philip Schaff, and A. T. Robertson have carefully evaluated the evidence and have concluded that the New Testament text is over 99 percent pure. In the light of the fact that there are over 5,000 Greek manuscripts, some 9,000 versions and translations, the evidence for the integrity of the New Testament is beyond question.
… Norman L. Geisler (b. 1932) & William E. Nix, From God to Us, Chicago: Moody Press, 1974, p. 180
Is that a photo of a New Testament document?
the former picture was of the Aleppo Codex from Deuteronomy.
The new picture is of the John Rylands papyrus fragment of the Gospel of John (the oldest known manuscript fragment of the NT)
That’s better.
I’m excited to learn more about God’s word with the remainder of our class and even though it looks like I’m daydreaming all the time, I really am listening and taking to heart what is being said. I appreciate your occasional rants about subjects somewhat unrealted
It’s been a fun year so far … Let’s hope it gets even “funner”
what does it mean when it says there is a fragment of a papyrus codex? on page 12?
I am not sure if this is where I am supposed to be posting this, but it is late and this will have to do. Question: What errors do exist in the new testament, and how are we to treat these errors?
Yeah, I really dont think this is the right topic…oh well.
First, who were the Flavian emperors mentioned on the bottom of page 5?
Second, Who were “Lightfoot, Tischendorf, Tregelles…” mentioned on page 9??” (These sound more like names from the Lord of the Rings or Narnia than ancient historians or scholars or whoever they were.)
On page one, the article says, “the real essence of Christianity”… Which sounds like no reason for a question, but it made me think about different variations of Christianity.. Catholic, Protestant, etc. Do the differences make them wrong? I don’t mean wrong in like a bad way.. But my grandpa is Episcopalian, and I know he prays and gives every thought to God. He truly worships Him and rests all his anxieties on the Lord. I feel as though our form of Christianity is too exclusive? I’m not sure. I just feel like judgement is too strong on certain things, like forms of Christianity, that may not necessarily be a life or death issue..
It says on page 5 that 13 books in the NT were letters, written by Paul, to different churches and individuals. Were these the only letters Paul wrote to these people, and if there were more then why were these 13 letters chosen to be put into the NT over other letters and why are they significant.