1. The Reliability of the New Testament (Introduction)

Summary

The New Testament's reliability as an ancient document is explored, emphasizing the vast number of manuscripts, the early dating of fragments, and the consistency of transmission. With over 5,800 Greek manuscripts and more than 20,000 in total, the New Testament is far better attested than other ancient texts. Critics like Bart Ehrman argue about late copies and textual variants, but the overwhelming evidence from early church fathers, manuscript preservation, and textual criticism shows that essential Christian doctrines remain intact. The New Testament’s accuracy stands at 99.5%, making it one of the most reliable ancient documents available.

Takeaways

• 😀 The New Testament is considered highly reliable due to the vast number of manuscripts available for textual criticism.
• 😀 Over 5,800 Greek manuscripts, along with over 10,000 in Latin and thousands more in other languages, provide ample sources to crosscheck for accuracy.
• 😀 Even without the original manuscripts, the New Testament is preserved through over 1 million quotes in early church fathers' writings.
• 😀 Textual criticism is more effective with more manuscripts, enabling scholars to reconstruct the original text more accurately.
• 😀 Compared to other ancient texts, the New Testament has by far the most manuscript evidence, eclipsing works like Homer's Iliad and others in terms of volume and preservation.
• 😀 The oldest complete New Testament manuscript is within 300 years of the original, a remarkably short time frame compared to other ancient texts.
• 😀 Early fragments of the New Testament, such as P-52 (dating to 90-125 AD), further support its early transmission and accuracy.
• 😀 Some skeptics, like Bart Ehrman, argue that the New Testament manuscripts differ in thousands of ways, but these variants are mostly minor, like spelling errors or synonyms, and do not affect essential Christian doctrines.
• 😀 Despite the 400,000 variants across manuscripts, 75% are spelling errors, and 15% involve untranslatable Greek synonyms, leaving only 1% of variants that may affect the meaning, none of which change core doctrines.
• 😀 The New Testament's textual accuracy is around 99.5%, with only about 40 lines remaining unresolved, the highest of any ancient text.
• 😀 Given the overwhelming manuscript evidence and scholarly consensus, it is reasonable to trust the New Testament as a reliable document, and radical skepticism does not stand up to the available evidence.

Q & A

What is the main argument regarding the reliability of the New Testament in this script?

The main argument is that the New Testament is highly reliable due to the large number of manuscripts available, the early dating of these manuscripts, and the consistency found in the textual transmission, all of which support the claim that the New Testament reflects what was originally written.

Why is having more manuscripts considered important in textual criticism?

Having more manuscripts is important because it allows scholars to cross-check the texts for accuracy, identify any errors, and reconstruct the original text more accurately. More manuscripts also help to identify both intentional and accidental changes in the transmission process.

How many manuscripts of the New Testament exist, and why is this significant?

There are over 5,800 Greek manuscripts, over 10,000 Latin manuscripts, and between 5,000 and 10,000 manuscripts in various other languages. This vast number of manuscripts is significant because it provides a solid foundation for verifying the text's accuracy and reconstructing its original form.

What role do the writings of church fathers play in preserving the New Testament?

The writings of church fathers play a crucial role in preserving the New Testament because their works contain over 1 million quotes from the New Testament, which can be used to reconstruct the original text, even if the physical manuscripts were lost.

How does the New Testament compare to other ancient documents in terms of manuscript evidence?

The New Testament has far more manuscript evidence than any other ancient document. The second most widely attested document is Homer's Iliad, with only 1,757 copies, which is significantly fewer than the New Testament's over 25,000 manuscripts across various languages.

What is the significance of the manuscript P52 in relation to the New Testament?

P52, a fragment dating from approximately 90 to 125 AD, is significant because it is one of the earliest surviving New Testament manuscripts, demonstrating that the text was being copied and preserved very early after its original writing, well within the lifetime of eyewitnesses.

What is the difference in the manuscript preservation between the New Testament and other ancient texts like Homer's Iliad?

The New Testament is preserved much more closely to its original form than other ancient texts. For example, the earliest copy of The Iliad is 500 years after its original, while the New Testament's earliest complete manuscript is within 300 years, and some fragments date back to within 70 years of the original.

How does textual criticism help resolve differences between manuscripts of the New Testament?

Textual criticism allows scholars to compare various manuscripts, identify differences (variants), and analyze which readings are most likely original based on factors like the age and location of manuscripts. It helps in understanding the accurate transmission of the text over time.

What are the key types of textual variants found in New Testament manuscripts?

The key types of textual variants are spelling errors (75%), variations in synonyms and word order (15%), meaningful but minor variants (9%), and variants that affect meaning but are from late manuscripts (<1%). The overwhelming majority of these variants do not affect the core meaning or essential doctrines of the New Testament.

How do the debates surrounding the reliability of the New Testament relate to its doctrinal integrity?

The debates surrounding the reliability of the New Testament often focus on textual variants, but these variations do not affect essential Christian doctrines. Scholars, including critics like Bart Ehrman, agree that while there are textual differences, none significantly alter the core beliefs of Christianity.