E T S A N N U A L M E E T I N G , P R O V I D E N C E, R I | NO V EM B ER 1 7, 2 0 1 7

Common Problems in Evangelical

Defenses of the New Testament Text
Peter J. Gurry, Phoenix Seminary and Elijah Hixson, University of Edinburgh

OUR BOOK . This paper is an abridged version of the introductory chapter of our edited volume, tentatively titled
Myths and Mistakes: Correcting Common Misconceptions about the Text of the New Testament (under contract with IVP
Academic). The table of contents is given below (chapter titles may change).

T H I S H A N D O U T. More than a guide to our presentation, this handout o fers a brie y annotated bibliography to
provide examples of unhelpful or outdated resources (✕) as well as reliable resources (✓) for each of the examples we
present.

1. O U T D ATE D IN F O RM ATI O N

✕ F. F. Bruce. The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? 6th ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1981. A good book
that is now severely dated. Bruce never updated his manuscript numbers after the 1943 edition.
✓ Peter M. Head, Is the New Testament Reliable? Grove Biblical Series 30. Cambridge: Grove, 2003, 8–11.
✓ Clay Jones, “The Bibliographical Test Updated,” Christian Research Journal 35.3 (2012): 32–37. Available at:
http://www.equip.org/articles/the-bibliographical-test-updated

2. A B U S E D S TAT I S TI C S

✕ Many of the estimates that are given in both the popular and academic literature are unreliable.
✓ Peter J. Gurry, “The Number of Variants in the Greek New Testament: A Proposed Estimate,” New Testament
Studies 62.1 (2016): 97–121.

How many variants are there among our Greek NT manuscripts? Probably about half a million non-spelling
di ferences. The best metric for putting this estimate in perspective is variants per number of words copied.

3. S E LE C T I V E U S E O F E V I D E N C E

✕ José O’Callaghan, “¿Papiros neotestamentarios en la cueva 7 de Qumrān?” Biblica 53.1 (1972): 91–100.
✕ Carsten Peter Thiede. The Earliest Gospel Manuscript? The Qumran Fragment 7Q5 and Its Signi cance for New
Testament Studies. Carlisle: Paternoster, 1992.
✓ Gordon D. Fee, “Some Dissenting Notes on 7Q5=Mark 6:52–53,” JBL 92.1 (1973): 109–12.
✓ Daniel B. Wallace, “7Q5: The Earliest NT Papyrus?” WTJ 56.1 (1994): 173–80.

On “First Century Mark”: it does little good to cite material evidence which is not accessible to everyone. This is
not the rst time we’ve seen a rst-century Mark claim or a rst-century NT manuscript claim (see sources
above). In previous cases, the fragment was even published before it was revealed that the sensational claims did
not pan out. In the case of the latest claim of a rst-century Mark, it is not even published yet!

1
4. TAB LE O F C O NT E NTS F OR T H E B O O K

Foreword by Daniel B. Wallace

. Introduction
Peter J. Gurry (Ph.D. University of Cambridge), Assistant Professor of New Testament, Phoenix Seminary and Elijah
Hixson (Ph.D. cand. University of Edinburgh), Adjunct Lecturer in New Testament, Edinburgh Bible College

. Mathematical Myths: Why More Manuscripts Isn’t Always Better

Jacob W. Peterson (Ph.D. cand. University of Edinburgh), Research Associate,
Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts

. Dating Myths : Why the Earliest Manuscript Date Is Not Always Best
Elijah Hixson

. Dating Myths : When Later Manuscripts Are Better Manuscripts

Greg Lanier (Ph.D. University of Cambridge), Assistant Professor of New Testament
and Dean of Students, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando

. Myths about Variants: Why Most Variants Are Insignificant and Why Some Can’t Be Ignored
Peter J. Gurry

. Myths about Transmission: The Text of Philemon from Beginning to End

S. Matthew Solomon (Ph.D. New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary), Adjunct Professor, New Orleans Baptist
Theological Seminary, Managing Director of the Museum of the Bible and Archaeology and Senior Project Director
for the H. Milton Haggard Center for New Testament Textual Studies

. Myths about Reading: The Form and Formatting of Our Earliest Manuscripts
Peter Malik (Ph.D. University of Cambridge), Research Associate at the Institut für
Septuaginta- und biblische Textforschung, Kirchliche Hochschule Wuppertal/Bethel

. Myths about Early Copyists: The Freedom and Fidelity of Early Christian Scribes
Zachary J. Cole (Ph.D. University of Edinburgh), Lecturer in Biblical Studies, Union Theological College, Belfast

. Myths about Orthodox Corruption: How Influenced Were Scribes by Theology and How Can We Tell?
Robert D. Marcello (Ph.D. cand. Dallas Theological Seminary), Director of Operations and Research,
Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts

. Myths about Patristics: What the Church Fathers Thought about Textual Variation
Andrew Blaski (Ph.D. University of Edinburgh)

. Myths about Canon: What the Codex Can and Can’t Tell Us
John Meade (Ph.D. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary),
Associate Professor of Old Testament, Phoenix Seminary

. Myths about Classical Literature: Responsibly Comparing the New Testament to Ancient Works
James B. Prothro (Ph.D. University of Cambridge)

. Myths about Translation : The Earliest Versions of the New Testament

Jeremiah Coogan (Ph.D. cand. University of Notre Dame), Adjunct Professor of New Testament, Wheaton College

. Myths about Translation : Translating the New Testament Today

Edgar Ebojo (Ph.D. University of Birmingham), Publishing Manager
and Translation Consultant, Philippine Bible Society