Manuscript Evidence for New Testament Reliability

[Chad]

Manuscript Evidence for Superior New Testament Reliability

by Matt Slick (carm.org)

The New Testament is constantly under attack and its reliability and accuracy are often contested by critics. But, if the critics want to disregard the New Testament, then they must also disregard other ancient writings by Plato, Aristotle, and Homer. This is because the New Testament documents are better-preserved and more numerous than any other ancient writings. Because they are so numerous, they can be cross checked for accuracy... and they are very consistent.

There are presently 5,686 Greek manuscripts in existence today for the New Testament.1 If we were to compare the number of New Testament manuscripts to other ancient writings, we find that the New Testament manuscripts far outweigh the others in quantity.2


<table style="width: 80%;" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="8"><tbody><tr><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;" valign="top"> Author</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;" valign="top">Date
Written</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;" valign="top"> Earliest Copy</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;" valign="top"> Approximate Time Span between original & copy</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;" valign="top"> Number of Copies</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;" valign="top"> Accuracy of Copies</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">Lucretius</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">died 55 or 53 B.C.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">1100 yrs</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">2</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">----</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">Pliny</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">61-113 A.D.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">850 A.D.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">750 yrs</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">7</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">----</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">Plato</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">427-347 B.C.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">900 A.D.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">1200 yrs</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">7</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">----</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">Demosthenes</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">4th Cent. B.C.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">1100 A.D.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">800 yrs</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">8</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">----</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">Herodotus</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">480-425 B.C.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">900 A.D.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">1300 yrs</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">8</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">----</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">Suetonius</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">75-160 A.D.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">950 A.D.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">800 yrs</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">8</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">----</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">Thucydides</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">460-400 B.C.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">900 A.D.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">1300 yrs</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">8</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">----</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">Euripides</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">480-406 B.C.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">1100 A.D.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">1300 yrs</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">9</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">----</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">Aristophanes</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">450-385 B.C.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">900 A.D.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">1200</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">10</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">----</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">Caesar</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">100-44 B.C.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">900 A.D.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">1000</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">10</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">----</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">Livy</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">59 BC-AD 17</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">----</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">???</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">20</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">----</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">Tacitus</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">circa 100 A.D.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">1100 A.D.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">1000 yrs</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">20</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">----</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">Aristotle</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">384-322 B.C.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">1100 A.D.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">1400</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">49</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">----</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">Sophocles</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">496-406 B.C.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">1000 A.D.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">1400 yrs</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">193</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">----</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">Homer (Iliad)</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">900 B.C.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">400 B.C.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">500 yrs</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">643</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">95%</td></tr><tr><td>New Testament</td><td>1st Cent. A.D. (50-100 A.D.</td><td>2nd Cent. A.D.
(c. 130 A.D. f.)</td><td>less than 100 years</td><td>5600</td><td>99.5%</td></tr></tbody></table>

As you can see, there are thousands more New Testament Greek manuscripts than any other ancient writing. The internal consistency of the New Testament documents is about 99.5% textually pure. That is an amazing accuracy. In addition there are over 19,000 copies in the Syriac, Latin, Coptic, and Aramaic languages. The total supporting New Testament manuscript base is over 24,000.

Almost all biblical scholars agree that the New Testament documents were all written before the close of the First Century. If Jesus was crucified in 30 A.D., then that means that the entire New Testament was completed within 70 years. This is important because it means there were plenty of people around when the New Testament documents were penned who could have contested the writings. In other words, those who wrote the documents knew that if they were inaccurate, plenty of people would have pointed it out. But, we have absolutely no ancient documents contemporary with the First Century that contest the New Testament texts.

Furthermore, another important aspect of this discussion is the fact that we have a fragment of the gospel of John that dates back to around 29 years from the original writing (John Rylands Papyri 125 A.D.). This is extremely close to the original writing date. This is simply unheard of in any other ancient writing and it demonstrates that the Gospel of John is a First Century document.

BBelow is a chart with some of the oldest extant New Testament manuscripts compared to when they were originally penned. Compare these time spans with the next closest which is Homer's Iliad where the closest copy from the original is 500 years later. Undoubtedly, that period of time allows for more textual corruption in its transmission. How much less so for the New Testament documents?

<table class="carm-table-with-border" style="width: 80%;" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="8"><tbody><tr><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;" valign="top"> Important
Manuscript
Papyri</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;" valign="top"> Contents</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;" valign="top">Date
Original Written</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;" valign="top">MSS
Date</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;" valign="top"> Approx.
Time Span</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;" valign="top"> Location</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">p⁵²
(John Rylands
Fragment)3</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;"> John 18:31-33,37-38</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">circa
96 A.D.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">circa
125
A.D.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">29 yrs</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">John Rylands Library, Manchester, England</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">P⁴⁶
(Chester Beatty Papyrus)</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;"> Rom. 5:17-6:3,5-14; 8:15-25, 27-35; 10:1-11,22,24-33,35; 16:1-23, 25-27; Heb.; 1 & 2 Cor., Eph., Gal., Phil., Col.; 1 Thess. 1:1,9-10; 2:1-3; 5:5-9, 23-28</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">50's-70's</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">circa
200
A.D.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">Approx.
150 yrs</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">Chester Beatty Museum, Dublin & Ann Arbor, Michigan, University of Michigan library</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">P⁶⁶
(Bodmer Papyrus)</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;"> John 1:1-6:11,35-14:26; fragment of 14:29-21:9</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">70's
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">circa
200
A.D.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">Approx.
130 yrs</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">Cologne, Geneva</td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">P⁶⁷</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;"> Matt. 3:9,15; 5:20-22, 25-28</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">circa
200
A.D.</td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">Approx.
130 yrs/td> </td><td style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #FF9933;">Barcelona, Fundacion San Lucas Evangelista, P. Barc.1</td></tr></tbody></table>

If the critics of the Bible dismiss the New Testament as reliable information, then they must also dismiss the reliability of the writings of Plato, Aristotle, Caesar, Homer, and the other authors mentioned in the chart at the beginning of the paper. On the other hand, if the critics acknowledge the historicity and writings of those other individuals, then they must also retain the historicity and writings of the New Testament authors; after all, the evidence for the New Testament's reliability is far greater than the others. The Christian has substantially superior criteria for affirming the New Testament documents than he does for any other ancient writing. It is good evidence on which to base the trust in the reliability of the New Testament.

Footnotes:

1. 1. Norman Geisler & Peter Bocchino, Unshakeable Foundations, (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2001) p. 256.
2. 2. The above chart was adapted from three sources: 1) Christian Apologetics, by Norman Geisler, 1976, p. 307; 2) the article "Archaeology and History attest to the Reliability of the Bible," by Richard M. Fales, Ph.D., in The Evidence Bible, Compiled by Ray Comfort, Bridge-Logos Publishers, Gainesville, FL, 2001, p. 163; and 3) A Ready Defense, by Josh Mcdowell, 1993, p. 45.
3. 3. "Deissmann was convinced that p52 was written well within the reign of Hadrian (A.D. 117-38) and perhaps even during the time of Trajan (A.D. 98-117)" (Footnote #2 found on pg. 39 of The Text of the New Testament, by Bruce M. Metzger, 2nd Ed. 1968, Oxford University Press, NY, NY). Bruce Metzger has authored more than 50 books. He holds two Masters Degrees, a Ph.D. and has been awarded several honorary doctorates. "He is past president of the Society of Biblical Literature, the International Society fo New Testament Studies, an the North American Patristic Society." -- From, The Case for Christ, by Lee Strobel, Zondervan Publishers, 1998, Grand Rapids, MI: pg. 57.

 

[shipwrecksoul]

Josephus (37 – c.100 CE)
Antiquities of the Jews recounts the history of the world from a Jewish perspective for a Roman audience. These works provide valuable insight into 1st century Judaism and the background of Early Christianity.
He has been credited by many as recording some of the earliest history of Jesus Christ outside of the gospels this being an item of contention among historians.

Another scholar I think, yes?