Our modern Bible, good book as it may be, was written thousands of years ago, copied millions of times, translated into thousands of languages, and therefore can in no way accurately represent the Bible that was originally written.
That’s the conclusion of Bart Ehrman’s best selling Book Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why. Dr. Ehrman is considered by many to be one of the most erudite New Testament scholars in the U.S; he’s overqualified to speak on the topic of “New Testament Textual Criticism,” the discipline of attempting to ascertain the original contents of the New Testament. I think it’s a must-read, with one qualification.
Dr. Ehrman rightly points out that there are over 5,000 complete copies, fragments, and other parts/pieces/manuscripts of the New Testament, ranging in date from early 100 AD forward (preserved in more manuscripts than any other ancient work). Some are full copies of the New Testament, some are mere scraps containing a few lines. Scholars have pored over these documents…
This post has been featured at revtrev.com. They’ve since passed away, but I wrote a new version here. Check it when you get a chance.