The Text of the New Testament
“The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration” by Bruce M. Metzger and Bart D. Ehrman is a foundational textbook that explores how the New Testament was preserved, copied, altered, and studied over time. Here is a concise summary:
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Purpose:
The book aims to explain how the original text of the New Testament was transmitted and preserved, the types of errors or alterations that occurred, and the methods scholars use to reconstruct the most authentic form of the text.
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Main Sections and Insights:
1. Materials and Manuscripts:
• Describes the materials (papyrus, parchment) and writing tools used in creating ancient biblical manuscripts.
• Explains different forms of books (scrolls, codices) and script styles (majuscule and minuscule).
• Highlights key Greek manuscripts and ancient translations that serve as witnesses to the text.
2. History of Textual Criticism:
• Traces the development from the Textus Receptus to the modern critical editions.
• Shows how earlier scholars like Erasmus and Griesbach laid the foundation for scientific textual criticism.
3. Causes of Corruption:
• Unintentional errors: mistakes in copying due to eyesight, hearing, or memory.
• Intentional changes: theological edits, harmonization, grammar corrections, or clarifications.
4. Textual Criticism in Practice:
• Discusses criteria for evaluating variant readings (external evidence, internal consistency).
• Introduces modern methods, including computer-assisted analysis and family group profiling of manuscripts.
5. Transmission and Restoration:
• Reviews the evolution of textual traditions (Alexandrian, Western, Byzantine).
• Emphasizes the challenge of reconstructing the original from thousands of variants.
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Significance:
The book balances historical overview, technical detail, and scholarly analysis, making it ideal for students, theologians, and researchers. It underscores that the New Testament text, while altered in minor ways over centuries, remains remarkably well-preserved.
