Digital Logos Edition
Since the unexpected popularity of Bart Ehrman’s bestselling Misquoting Jesus, textual criticism has become a staple of Christian apologetics.
Ehrman’s skepticism about recovering the original and inerrant text of the New Testament does deserve a response. However, this renewed apologetic interest in textual criticism has created fresh problems for evangelicals. An unfortunate proliferation of myths, mistakes, and misinformation has arisen about this technical area of biblical studies.
In this volume Elijah Hixson and Peter Gurry, along with a team of New Testament textual critics, offer up-to-date, accurate information on the history and current state of the New Testament text that will serve apologists and Christian students even as it offers a self-corrective to evangelical excesses.
“Unfortunately, apologists’ numbers often reflect an inclusive count for the New Testament but a functional one for classical works.” (Page 80)
“This reveals that Christians sometimes threw away biblical manuscripts after a period of use, likely after being replaced with a new copy, rather than being retained for hundreds of years. This is because it was the text of the autographs that was important. Once a good copy of the text was produced, the physical autograph could then be discarded.” (Page 45)
“Stephen Neill argued over fifty years ago and Peter Gurry affirms in this book, ‘The very worst Greek manuscript now in existence … contains enough of the Gospel in unadulterated form to lead the reader into the way of salvation.’” (Page xii)
“Thus, it cannot be said for certain that there were multiple autographic copies of every New Testament book produced by the authors.” (Page 42)
“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.’45 In brief, the comparative appeal suggests that if you don’t think you can trust the New Testament text, then you really can’t trust any ancient text.” (Page 84)
The authors in this book offer a necessary corrective to decades of overly exuberant apologetic arguments—arguments that have actually hurt the Christian faith. The writers are refreshingly honest, and they do not pull their punches. They observe poignantly that apologetic works on the reliability of the New Testament text have been drifting away from a proper, well-researched, accurately documented scholarship that is anchored to actual data. Apologists have had a tendency to regurgitate other apologetic works, which in turn are based on other apologetic works. Meanwhile, the scholarship that is supposedly behind the popular declarations in many an evangelical trade book is out-of-date, misunderstood, or simply ignored. These young scholars have something to say—not only to Christian speakers and writers but to non-Christian speakers and writers and even to New Testament scholars of all stripes. I was happily stunned to see the depth of discussion, the candid examination, and the up-to-date bibliography in each chapter. Although Myths and Mistakes in New Testament Textual Criticism is written in clear, user-friendly prose, the contents are well-grounded and perspicacious. I intend to utilize this volume unapologetically in my introduction as a primary source for several analyses.
—From the foreword by Daniel B. Wallace, Dallas Theological Seminary and Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts
Early in my work as an apologist, I made an embarrassing number of mistakes when it came to comments about textual criticism. In almost every instance, a book like this one would have provided the broader perspective that I needed to speak the truth with greater precision. What Elijah Hixson and Peter Gurry have provided in this handbook is a tool that every would-be defender of the Christian faith should purchase and regularly consult. Sloppy defenses of the truth always end up diminishing the truth instead of exalting the truth. Myths and Mistakes in New Testament Textual Criticism will equip you to leave behind sloppy defenses of Scripture when it comes to textual criticism.
—Timothy Paul Jones, C. Edwin Gheens Endowed Chair of Christian Ministry, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
“Packed with reliable data, Christian-friendly apologetics, but also critical of exaggerations and inaccuracies of some apologists, this rich multiauthor volume is a valuable resource. Practically every aspect of New Testament textual criticism is addressed competently and clearly. Highly recommended!
—L. W. Hurtado, Emeritus Professor of New Testament language, literature, and theology, University of Edinburgh
Elijah Hixson (PhD, University of Edinburgh) is junior research associate in New Testament Text and Language at Tyndale House, Cambridge, and author of Scribal Habits in Sixth-Century Greek Purple Codices. He has served as a tutor in biblical studies at the University of Edinburgh and as a research assistant in Greek manuscripts at Tyndale House, Cambridge, and has written articles for Journal of Theological Studies, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, and Lexham Bible Dictionary.
Peter J. Gurry (PhD, University of Cambridge) is assistant professor of New Testament at Phoenix Seminary. His books include A Critical Examination of the Coherence-Based Genealogical Method in the New Testament and A New Approach to Textual Criticism (with Tommy Wasserman).
Gurry has been an expedition team member for the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (CSNTM) in Dallas, Athens, Bucharest, Florence, and Dublin, and he previously served as a preacher and children’s Sunday school teacher at Christ Church, Cambridge. He has published articles in New Testament Studies, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, and The Lexham Bible Dictionary.
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Doug Smith
3/24/2021
Paul Gibson
2/14/2020