WEBVTT

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 I just wanted to press start on the thing.

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 We'll jump in online a little earlier.

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 So, what this means is that only later manuscript copies exist,

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 and these copies sometimes are separated by hundreds or thousands of years from the original.

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 So, given all this, given that we only have later manuscript copies remaining of the New Testament,

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 how can we be confident that the original wording of the Scriptures has been preserved for us?

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 How do we trust that errors haven't crept in this process?

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 Well, there are certain skeptical scholars, like this guy right here.

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 His name is Bart Ehrman, and they don't believe that the New Testament has been preserved.

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 In fact, he claims that this process of copying the New Testament out by hand

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 introduced so many mistakes and errors and corruptions

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 that we cannot trust that we have the original text of the New Testament.

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 So, look what Bart Ehrman says here in his famous book.

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 This is a quote from his book, Misquoting Jesus.

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 He says,

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 What good is it to say that the autographs, i.e. the originals, the original manuscript copies,

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 what good is it to say that they were inspired?

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 We don't have the originals.

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 We have only error-ridden copies.

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 And the vast majority of these are centuries removed from the originals

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 and different from them evidently in thousands of ways.

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 There are more variations among our manuscripts

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 than there are words in the New Testament.

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 Ouch.

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 So, is he right about this?

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 Do we only have error-ridden copies?

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 Are the vast majority centuries removed from the originals

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 and different from them in thousands of ways?

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 Are there more variations among our manuscripts of the New Testament

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 than there are words in the New Testament?

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 It's important that we get to the bottom of this,

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 not only because it affects our faith,

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 but also because we as Christians are followers of Jesus,

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 and he calls us to follow the truth wherever it might lead.

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 So we should never be afraid to examine

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 and test the factual claims of our faith.

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 And I want you to know that whenever you come across claims like this,

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 if they happen to crop up in your classroom or at work,

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 whenever you encounter claims like this that are challenging to your faith,

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 don't be afraid to investigate these things.

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 In fact, I urge you to do so.

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 And you'll find that you don't need to be afraid

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 to test your faith in Jesus against the facts,

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 because the facts are always on Jesus' side.

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 And that's what we're going to find out tonight with this quote from Bart Ehrman.

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 We'll see that Bart Ehrman here is being very tricky.

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 Some statements that he's saying are misleading,

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 and some are just plain wrong,

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 because the fact is we do have very good reasons to be confident

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 that the manuscripts of the New Testament are of excellent quality,

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 and that we can identify any errors that happen to have slipped in,

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 and therefore we can be confident

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 that we possess the original wording of the New Testament.

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 Now, to show you why this is true,

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 I'm going to describe to you what scholars do

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 to determine the original wording of an ancient publication.

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 And then I'll show you what this process looks like for the New Testament.

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 So when scholars want to determine the original reading,

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 the original wording of an ancient text,

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 the very first thing they do is they gather all of the surviving manuscripts

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 and textual witnesses.

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 And then they group these together into lines of transmission

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 that lead back to the autographs.

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 And the idea here is to group textual witnesses together

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 that are related to one another

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 in order to build a genealogy of transmission lines.

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 And this grouping of textual witnesses is called the manuscript tradition.

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 Sometimes it's also called a manuscript stemma.

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 You can see a picture of an example of one of an ancient text on the screen.

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 It's a chart of how all these textual witnesses and manuscripts fit together,

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 and it leads back chronologically to the original autograph manuscript.

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 And in this way, scholars can reconstruct the transmission history of a text.

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 They can check for errors in its transmission,

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 and then ultimately zero in on the original reading.

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 Now, the best manuscript tradition is one where scholars are the most confident

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 in finding the original reading of an ancient publication.

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 And the best manuscript tradition has the following four characteristics.

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 The first thing that it has, that the best manuscript tradition has,

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 is a large number of manuscripts.

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 This gives scholars a large number of opportunities to check for errors.

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 The second thing that scholars hope for

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 is to find a large number of early manuscripts.

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 These are manuscripts that are close in date to the original.

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 And this limits the number of generations of copying

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 that separate the early manuscript from the original,

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 and thus it limits the number of errors that can creep in.

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 In other words, the closer a manuscript is to the original chronologically,

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 the more accurate it tends to be.

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 So having a lot of early manuscripts is very important.

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 The third thing scholars look for is

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 they look for a large number of ancient translations.

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 Back in the ancient world, books were often translated,

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 just like they are today.

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 And these ancient translations give scholars many opportunities

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 to check for how a text has been transmitted over the centuries,

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 and therefore it gives them many opportunities to check for errors.

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 So if a work was written in ancient Greek,

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 it's very helpful to look at an ancient Latin translation

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 that was done in the West,

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 or an ancient Syriac translation that was done in the East,

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 in order to identify errors.

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 Now the fourth thing, and the last thing,

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 that scholars look for in a good manuscript tradition

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 is a large number of quotations.

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 Quotations are quotes of the work they're interested in

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 that are made by another ancient work.

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 Just like today, when authors back then were writing books,

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 they're often quoted from other books.

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 And you can go back to those quotations

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 and see if they line up with the manuscripts we have today

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 in order to check for errors.

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 And scholars do this

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 so that they can increase their confidence

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 about identifying the original reading.

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 So let's review.

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 For scholars to be most confident

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 in finding the original reading of an ancient publication,

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 they want to find a large number of manuscripts,

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 a large number of early manuscripts,

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 a large number of ancient translations,

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 and a large number of quotations.

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 So what I want to know is how the New Testament

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 stacks up in these four categories,

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 and how we would evaluate the quality

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 of the New Testament's manuscript tradition

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 up against these four categories right here.

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 So let's do that right now.

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 We'll start at the bottom.

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 We'll start with the last category of quotations.

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 Does the New Testament have a large number of quotations

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 that scholars can use

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 to check its transmission history?

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 Well, yes, in fact it does.

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 There are so many quotations

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 that no one has been able to count them all.

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 We don't even know how many there are

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 because no one has had the time to do it.

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 In fact, there are so many

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 early and medieval Christian writings

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 that quote the New Testament

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 that if you go to Yale Divinity School

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 and you go to a certain aisle of books,

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 you'll find that an entire aisle of books

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 still does not contain all the writings.

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 And in these writings,

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 there are hundreds of thousands

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 of quotations of the New Testament,

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 and every single one of them

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 can help scholars identify any errors

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 that have happened in the transmission process.

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 And these quotations come from Christian writings

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 that date back to the very beginning of Christianity,

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 all the way up to the medieval era,

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 and spread throughout the entire Christian world,

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 from Western Europe and Eastern Europe,

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 from the Middle East, North Africa, Ethiopia, Persia,

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 everywhere the church was

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 are where these writings come from.

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 This is extraordinary.

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 There is not a single ancient publication

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 that even remotely approaches this number.

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 And in fact, it seems that if we were to lose

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 every single New Testament manuscript in existence,

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 we could still reconstruct the entire thing

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 simply based off of these quotations.

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 And in fact, I used to not actually believe that.

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 I thought that was an exaggeration,

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 but then when I started realizing

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 how many hundreds and hundreds

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 of verse-by-verse commentaries

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 were written on the New Testament,

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 I realized it was true!

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 You just go to these commentaries

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 and you can find the quotations.

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 But we're not done yet.

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 Aside from quotations,

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 scholars can also check for errors

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 in the New Testament

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 by looking at ancient translations.

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 And the more translations the text has,

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 and the earlier these translations are,

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 the better.

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 Now, most ancient texts

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 were never translated into any language.

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 You had to have a really special text

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 for someone to take the time

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 to do a translation.

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 And as far as I'm aware,

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 the classical text

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 that has the most translations

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 is probably some of the works of Aristotle.

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 He made it into four or five

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 different ancient languages,

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 which is an extraordinary number.

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 Aristotle has the most, that is,

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 except for the New Testament,

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 which has far, far more than Aristotle.

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 And this is actually because

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 many ancient languages

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 only now exist

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 because missionaries went there,

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 learned the language,

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 and created an alphabet

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 for these people,

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 which is why we still have

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 these ancient translations.

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 Let me give you some examples

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 of what I'm talking about.

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 Here we have

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 an ancient Latin translation

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 of the four Gospels.

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 It's just one page here.

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 And this particular manuscript

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 is very famous.

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 It comes from the 4th century.

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 It's extraordinarily early.

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 But the translation that it has

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 is even earlier.

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 It probably goes back

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 to around the year 200.

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 And so with just this manuscript,

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 you have this extraordinary witness

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 for the New Testament text

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 that scholars can use

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 to see how the New Testament text

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 has been translated

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 over the centuries.

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 But we're not done yet.

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 This is a different Latin translation.

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 It was done by St. Jerome

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 around the year 400.

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 This is a 5th century manuscript.

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 Again, it's another opportunity

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 to check for errors.

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 And we can just keep

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 going on down the list.

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 This is a Syriac manuscript.

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 It comes from the year 586.

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 It's very famous.

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 But the translation

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 comes even earlier.

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 It comes from the 4th century.

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 It's called the

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 Peshittis Syriac Translation.

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 Here's another Syriac translation.

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 It's called the Curatonian.

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 It probably comes

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 from the 3rd century.

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 This manuscript

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 comes from the 5th.

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 Here's another one.

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 Another Syriac translation.

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 It's called

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 the Sinaitacan Translation.

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 Again, it's very early.

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 And we can just keep

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 on doing this.

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 This is Bohairic Coptic.

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 Coptic was the native

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 language of Egypt.

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 This manuscript

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 comes from the 4th century.

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 But the translation

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 comes even earlier.

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 From the 2nd or 3rd century.

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 Here's a different

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 Coptic translation.

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 Sahidic Coptic.

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 Sahidic was in the south.

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 Bohairic was in the north.

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 This comes from

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 the 2nd or 3rd century.

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 The translation

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 and the manuscript

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 comes from the 3rd century.

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 Totally extraordinary.

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 And we can just keep

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 right on going.

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 And this is a Latin manuscript

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 but those little marginal notes

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 you see on the side,

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 that's actually in Old English.

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 This is the earliest

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 Old English document

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 in existence.

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 And it's a translation

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 of the Gospels.

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 And you can go back

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 and use this

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 to see the Gospel text

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 in England

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 at this time.

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 In the 7th or 8th centuries.

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 And then,

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 oh, this is a beautiful one.

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 This is called

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 the Silver Bible.

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 This is in Gothic.

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 It was made in the 4th century

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 by a missionary

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 named Volfila.

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 Very beautiful story.

00:11:13.519 --> 00:11:14.740
 This guy was a slave

00:11:14.740 --> 00:11:15.620
 of the Goths

00:11:15.620 --> 00:11:16.600
 and he escaped

00:11:16.600 --> 00:11:17.259
 and felt called

00:11:17.259 --> 00:11:17.819
 to go back

00:11:17.819 --> 00:11:18.519
 to preach them

00:11:18.519 --> 00:11:19.639
 the Gospel of Jesus.

00:11:19.899 --> 00:11:20.860
 And then he came

00:11:20.860 --> 00:11:21.579
 and he translated

00:11:21.579 --> 00:11:22.759
 the Bible for them

00:11:22.759 --> 00:11:24.059
 and created their alphabet.

00:11:25.539 --> 00:11:26.480
 And this manuscript

00:11:26.480 --> 00:11:27.600
 comes from the 6th century.

00:11:28.519 --> 00:11:29.419
 We can keep on going.

00:11:29.500 --> 00:11:30.720
 This is an Armenian Bible.

00:11:32.039 --> 00:11:32.639
 Here we have

00:11:32.639 --> 00:11:34.500
 a Georgian translation.

00:11:34.980 --> 00:11:35.519
 Here we have

00:11:35.519 --> 00:11:37.379
 a Caucasian Albanian translation.

00:11:37.379 --> 00:11:38.360
 We didn't even know

00:11:38.360 --> 00:11:39.399
 this language existed

00:11:39.399 --> 00:11:40.759
 until a couple decades ago.

00:11:40.759 --> 00:11:41.519
 when we found

00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:42.139
 this manuscript

00:11:42.139 --> 00:11:43.259
 and we realized

00:11:43.259 --> 00:11:43.679
 that someone

00:11:43.679 --> 00:11:44.240
 had translated

00:11:44.240 --> 00:11:44.700
 the Bible

00:11:44.700 --> 00:11:45.860
 into this language.

00:11:46.500 --> 00:11:48.360
 It's north of Iran

00:11:48.360 --> 00:11:50.460
 where these people lived.

00:11:51.379 --> 00:11:52.620
 This is Old Nubian.

00:11:52.720 --> 00:11:53.240
 This is from

00:11:53.240 --> 00:11:54.279
 modern day Sudan.

00:11:54.819 --> 00:11:55.659
 They had the Bible

00:11:55.659 --> 00:11:56.439
 in their language.

00:11:57.259 --> 00:11:58.659
 This is Ethiopic.

00:11:59.580 --> 00:12:00.700
 This manuscript

00:12:00.700 --> 00:12:01.419
 is one of the most

00:12:01.419 --> 00:12:02.480
 extraordinary manuscripts

00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:03.200
 in existence.

00:12:03.879 --> 00:12:04.879
 Scholars dated it

00:12:04.879 --> 00:12:06.019
 to the 13th century.

00:12:06.419 --> 00:12:07.480
 The Ethiopian church

00:12:07.480 --> 00:12:07.919
 kept saying,

00:12:07.919 --> 00:12:08.439
 no, no, no, no.

00:12:08.500 --> 00:12:09.099
 This is from like

00:12:09.099 --> 00:12:09.959
 the 5th or 6th century.

00:12:10.079 --> 00:12:10.799
 Scholars ignored them

00:12:10.799 --> 00:12:12.159
 and then they radiocarbon dated

00:12:12.159 --> 00:12:12.699
 the manuscript.

00:12:13.179 --> 00:12:13.639
 They found out

00:12:13.639 --> 00:12:14.519
 the Ethiopian church

00:12:14.519 --> 00:12:14.959
 was right.

00:12:17.259 --> 00:12:18.199
 It's probably

00:12:18.199 --> 00:12:19.299
 the earliest illuminated

00:12:19.299 --> 00:12:20.419
 manuscript in existence.

00:12:23.079 --> 00:12:23.919
 The New Testament

00:12:23.919 --> 00:12:24.579
 was translated

00:12:24.579 --> 00:12:25.539
 into more languages

00:12:25.539 --> 00:12:26.279
 in the ancient world

00:12:26.279 --> 00:12:27.659
 than any other publication.

00:12:28.179 --> 00:12:29.360
 And many of these

00:12:29.360 --> 00:12:31.360
 translations

00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:32.719
 are extremely early.

00:12:32.719 --> 00:12:33.399
 They're quite

00:12:33.399 --> 00:12:34.799
 widespread geographically.

00:12:34.799 --> 00:12:35.579
 this gives scholars

00:12:35.579 --> 00:12:37.099
 an unprecedented opportunity

00:12:37.099 --> 00:12:38.279
 to check for the accuracy

00:12:38.279 --> 00:12:39.500
 of the New Testament

00:12:39.500 --> 00:12:42.299
 at every single verse.

00:12:42.759 --> 00:12:43.939
 Sometimes even down

00:12:43.939 --> 00:12:45.120
 to individual words.

00:12:45.240 --> 00:12:45.779
 Quite literally

00:12:45.779 --> 00:12:46.740
 hundreds of thousands

00:12:46.740 --> 00:12:47.399
 of locations.

00:12:47.859 --> 00:12:48.579
 And this is totally

00:12:48.579 --> 00:12:49.120
 unprecedented

00:12:49.120 --> 00:12:51.019
 amongst ancient writings.

00:12:51.639 --> 00:12:52.399
 So, we've talked

00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:53.139
 about quotations.

00:12:53.240 --> 00:12:53.740
 We've talked about

00:12:53.740 --> 00:12:54.299
 translations.

00:12:55.019 --> 00:12:56.000
 But we still haven't

00:12:56.000 --> 00:12:56.620
 even touched on

00:12:56.620 --> 00:12:57.859
 the actual Greek manuscripts

00:12:57.859 --> 00:12:59.099
 of the New Testament.

00:12:59.319 --> 00:13:00.359
 That's the language

00:13:00.359 --> 00:13:01.099
 that the New Testament

00:13:01.099 --> 00:13:02.699
 was originally written in.

00:13:02.700 --> 00:13:04.560
 And of course,

00:13:04.960 --> 00:13:06.160
 the original language

00:13:06.160 --> 00:13:07.340
 is far more important

00:13:07.340 --> 00:13:08.040
 than translations

00:13:08.040 --> 00:13:08.860
 when it comes to

00:13:08.860 --> 00:13:09.820
 establishing the text.

00:13:10.259 --> 00:13:10.820
 And of course,

00:13:10.879 --> 00:13:11.480
 the more manuscripts

00:13:11.480 --> 00:13:12.020
 you have,

00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:12.379
 the better.

00:13:12.780 --> 00:13:13.480
 Because then you have

00:13:13.480 --> 00:13:14.060
 more witnesses

00:13:14.060 --> 00:13:14.940
 to the original

00:13:14.940 --> 00:13:15.780
 and more opportunities

00:13:15.780 --> 00:13:16.780
 to check for errors.

00:13:17.320 --> 00:13:18.020
 Now, it's difficult

00:13:18.020 --> 00:13:18.840
 to come up

00:13:18.840 --> 00:13:19.800
 with an estimate.

00:13:19.980 --> 00:13:21.259
 But it seems as though

00:13:21.259 --> 00:13:22.700
 a typical ancient publication

00:13:22.700 --> 00:13:24.900
 has about 20 or 30

00:13:24.900 --> 00:13:26.840
 manuscript witnesses

00:13:26.840 --> 00:13:27.780
 remaining.

00:13:28.280 --> 00:13:29.320
 And the ancient public,

00:13:29.440 --> 00:13:31.140
 that's like a typical number.

00:13:31.139 --> 00:13:33.539
 And the ancient publication

00:13:33.539 --> 00:13:34.879
 with the most manuscripts

00:13:34.879 --> 00:13:36.659
 is the Iliad of Homer.

00:13:37.319 --> 00:13:39.379
 It has about 2,000 manuscripts

00:13:39.379 --> 00:13:39.779
 remaining,

00:13:39.899 --> 00:13:41.100
 an extraordinary number.

00:13:41.480 --> 00:13:42.139
 But like I said,

00:13:42.199 --> 00:13:42.759
 that's the most

00:13:42.759 --> 00:13:44.000
 except for the New Testament,

00:13:44.519 --> 00:13:46.360
 which has 5,500

00:13:46.360 --> 00:13:47.519
 New Testament manuscripts

00:13:47.519 --> 00:13:48.519
 in Greek

00:13:48.519 --> 00:13:49.399
 and thousands

00:13:49.399 --> 00:13:50.720
 and thousands more

00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:51.460
 in other languages.

00:13:52.199 --> 00:13:52.799
 This number

00:13:52.799 --> 00:13:53.899
 is totally staggering.

00:13:54.039 --> 00:13:54.620
 By this measurement,

00:13:54.740 --> 00:13:55.220
 the New Testament

00:13:55.220 --> 00:13:57.519
 ranks not just very high,

00:13:57.620 --> 00:13:58.679
 but far and away

00:13:58.679 --> 00:14:00.599
 has the most number

00:14:00.599 --> 00:14:01.359
 of manuscripts

00:14:01.359 --> 00:14:03.000
 of any other ancient text.

00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:04.620
 Now, I need to say

00:14:04.620 --> 00:14:05.259
 that having a lot

00:14:05.259 --> 00:14:05.639
 of manuscripts

00:14:05.639 --> 00:14:06.639
 is a good thing,

00:14:06.639 --> 00:14:08.339
 but it doesn't necessarily

00:14:08.339 --> 00:14:10.079
 mean that a text

00:14:10.079 --> 00:14:11.319
 has been reliably preserved.

00:14:11.519 --> 00:14:12.659
 Because after all,

00:14:13.059 --> 00:14:14.739
 many or even most

00:14:14.739 --> 00:14:15.599
 of those manuscripts

00:14:15.599 --> 00:14:16.819
 could be very,

00:14:16.919 --> 00:14:17.579
 very, very, very

00:14:17.579 --> 00:14:18.519
 late copies.

00:14:18.959 --> 00:14:19.399
 Many of them

00:14:19.399 --> 00:14:20.099
 could potentially

00:14:20.099 --> 00:14:21.679
 even be poor copies

00:14:21.679 --> 00:14:22.239
 that have a lot

00:14:22.239 --> 00:14:22.919
 of mistakes.

00:14:23.399 --> 00:14:23.839
 And in fact,

00:14:23.899 --> 00:14:24.679
 this is exactly

00:14:24.679 --> 00:14:25.219
 what happens

00:14:25.219 --> 00:14:26.099
 with the Iliad of Homer.

00:14:26.539 --> 00:14:27.179
 The Iliad of Homer

00:14:27.179 --> 00:14:28.779
 has the most manuscripts

00:14:28.779 --> 00:14:29.939
 of any book

00:14:29.939 --> 00:14:30.819
 outside the New Testament,

00:14:31.239 --> 00:14:32.519
 but it doesn't have

00:14:32.519 --> 00:14:33.620
 the best manuscript tradition

00:14:33.620 --> 00:14:34.479
 because its copies

00:14:34.479 --> 00:14:35.459
 are very, very late

00:14:35.459 --> 00:14:36.279
 and they're not very good.

00:14:36.359 --> 00:14:37.159
 There's a lot of mistakes.

00:14:38.059 --> 00:14:38.719
 So let's go

00:14:38.719 --> 00:14:39.779
 to our last category.

00:14:40.279 --> 00:14:41.359
 Our last category,

00:14:42.439 --> 00:14:42.919
 we talked about

00:14:42.919 --> 00:14:43.419
 quotations,

00:14:43.579 --> 00:14:43.939
 translations,

00:14:44.159 --> 00:14:44.939
 total number of manuscripts.

00:14:45.079 --> 00:14:45.719
 Let's talk about

00:14:45.719 --> 00:14:46.819
 early manuscripts

00:14:46.819 --> 00:14:47.500
 of the New Testament.

00:14:47.620 --> 00:14:48.099
 We want to get

00:14:48.099 --> 00:14:50.500
 as ancient as possible,

00:14:50.719 --> 00:14:52.439
 as close as we can

00:14:52.439 --> 00:14:53.559
 to the originals

00:14:53.559 --> 00:14:54.259
 of the New Testament.

00:14:55.219 --> 00:14:56.099
 And this is important

00:14:56.100 --> 00:14:57.180
 because these can help us

00:14:57.180 --> 00:14:58.300
 eliminate the number

00:14:58.300 --> 00:14:59.759
 of generations of copying

00:14:59.759 --> 00:15:01.259
 and therefore eliminate

00:15:01.259 --> 00:15:02.700
 the number of opportunities

00:15:02.700 --> 00:15:03.860
 for errors to creep in.

00:15:04.600 --> 00:15:05.399
 Now, if we look

00:15:05.399 --> 00:15:05.960
 at the number

00:15:05.960 --> 00:15:06.580
 of manuscripts

00:15:06.580 --> 00:15:07.399
 that date

00:15:07.399 --> 00:15:09.379
 from within 300 years

00:15:09.379 --> 00:15:10.420
 of the publication

00:15:10.420 --> 00:15:11.560
 of an ancient text,

00:15:12.000 --> 00:15:12.840
 we find that

00:15:12.840 --> 00:15:13.899
 the vast majority

00:15:13.899 --> 00:15:16.279
 of ancient publications

00:15:16.279 --> 00:15:19.519
 have no manuscripts

00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:20.560
 from this time frame.

00:15:20.680 --> 00:15:21.019
 None.

00:15:21.700 --> 00:15:22.300
 All of those

00:15:22.300 --> 00:15:22.899
 are much later.

00:15:23.480 --> 00:15:24.460
 But with the New Testament,

00:15:24.460 --> 00:15:26.120
 we find that

00:15:26.120 --> 00:15:28.259
 we have over 60 manuscripts

00:15:28.259 --> 00:15:28.820
 that date

00:15:28.820 --> 00:15:29.700
 from within this

00:15:29.700 --> 00:15:31.320
 narrow time frame.

00:15:32.060 --> 00:15:32.800
 This number is,

00:15:32.900 --> 00:15:33.560
 as far as I'm aware,

00:15:33.680 --> 00:15:34.220
 far beyond

00:15:34.220 --> 00:15:35.000
 any other

00:15:35.000 --> 00:15:35.759
 ancient publication.

00:15:36.480 --> 00:15:37.480
 And I want to give you

00:15:37.480 --> 00:15:38.379
 some examples of these.

00:15:38.700 --> 00:15:39.800
 So perhaps

00:15:39.800 --> 00:15:40.860
 the most famous

00:15:40.860 --> 00:15:42.379
 biblical manuscript

00:15:42.379 --> 00:15:42.900
 in existence

00:15:42.900 --> 00:15:43.540
 is this one.

00:15:43.860 --> 00:15:44.340
 It's called

00:15:44.340 --> 00:15:45.560
 Codex Sinaiticus.

00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:46.900
 It dates to around

00:15:46.900 --> 00:15:48.019
 the year 350.

00:15:48.980 --> 00:15:49.700
 It contains

00:15:49.700 --> 00:15:50.759
 the entire New Testament.

00:15:50.759 --> 00:15:52.299
 This manuscript

00:15:52.299 --> 00:15:54.080
 is so early

00:15:54.080 --> 00:15:55.759
 that if we lost

00:15:55.759 --> 00:15:57.000
 every single manuscript,

00:15:57.179 --> 00:15:57.899
 except for this one,

00:15:58.720 --> 00:15:59.439
 then the New Testament

00:15:59.439 --> 00:16:00.740
 would still have

00:16:00.740 --> 00:16:01.600
 one of the best

00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:02.419
 manuscript traditions

00:16:02.419 --> 00:16:03.659
 of any ancient text,

00:16:03.799 --> 00:16:05.019
 just with this one,

00:16:05.139 --> 00:16:06.039
 because it is

00:16:06.039 --> 00:16:06.960
 so extraordinary.

00:16:07.159 --> 00:16:07.860
 It is completely

00:16:07.860 --> 00:16:08.519
 unprecedented.

00:16:10.919 --> 00:16:11.779
 But we can do

00:16:11.779 --> 00:16:12.439
 better than that.

00:16:13.480 --> 00:16:14.299
 Why don't we go

00:16:14.299 --> 00:16:15.000
 a little earlier?

00:16:15.460 --> 00:16:17.000
 This is Papyrus 47.

00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:17.659
 It's of the book

00:16:17.659 --> 00:16:18.259
 of Revelation.

00:16:18.360 --> 00:16:18.799
 My dissertation

00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:19.740
 is on Revelation.

00:16:19.879 --> 00:16:20.699
 I love this manuscript.

00:16:21.079 --> 00:16:21.799
 This dates

00:16:21.799 --> 00:16:22.699
 from the year 200

00:16:22.699 --> 00:16:23.359
 to 300,

00:16:23.559 --> 00:16:24.219
 even earlier,

00:16:24.299 --> 00:16:24.799
 and it contains

00:16:24.799 --> 00:16:25.939
 a very large portion

00:16:25.939 --> 00:16:27.159
 of the text of Revelation.

00:16:27.339 --> 00:16:28.379
 This is just one leaf

00:16:28.379 --> 00:16:29.139
 of the manuscript.

00:16:29.279 --> 00:16:30.279
 There's a lot of leaves there.

00:16:31.259 --> 00:16:31.819
 But we can go

00:16:31.819 --> 00:16:32.319
 even earlier.

00:16:32.679 --> 00:16:33.879
 This is Papyrus 45.

00:16:34.319 --> 00:16:35.139
 It has large portions

00:16:35.139 --> 00:16:36.519
 of Matthew, Mark, Luke,

00:16:36.679 --> 00:16:37.799
 John, and the book of Acts.

00:16:38.139 --> 00:16:38.899
 And it dates

00:16:38.899 --> 00:16:40.120
 a little earlier,

00:16:40.259 --> 00:16:42.500
 200 to 225 AD,

00:16:42.659 --> 00:16:43.939
 200 to 250 AD.

00:16:45.039 --> 00:16:45.839
 And we can just

00:16:45.839 --> 00:16:46.659
 keep on going earlier.

00:16:46.759 --> 00:16:48.120
 This is Papyrus 46,

00:16:48.120 --> 00:16:49.299
 extremely famous.

00:16:49.480 --> 00:16:50.700
 It contains almost

00:16:50.700 --> 00:16:51.799
 all of Paul's letters.

00:16:52.480 --> 00:16:53.220
 Again, this is just

00:16:53.220 --> 00:16:53.799
 one leaf.

00:16:54.299 --> 00:16:55.039
 And it dates

00:16:55.039 --> 00:16:55.580
 to around the year

00:16:55.580 --> 00:16:56.879
 200 to 225.

00:16:57.419 --> 00:16:58.399
 We have a lot

00:16:58.399 --> 00:16:58.940
 of manuscripts

00:16:58.940 --> 00:16:59.600
 that date

00:16:59.600 --> 00:17:00.620
 from the 3rd century.

00:17:01.639 --> 00:17:02.460
 But I want to go

00:17:02.460 --> 00:17:02.940
 even earlier.

00:17:04.039 --> 00:17:05.539
 Let's go to the 3rd

00:17:05.539 --> 00:17:07.259
 to the 2nd century.

00:17:07.400 --> 00:17:09.079
 This is Papyrus 98.

00:17:09.220 --> 00:17:09.799
 It's of Revelation.

00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:11.079
 This is Papyrus 104.

00:17:11.539 --> 00:17:12.140
 It's of the Gospel

00:17:12.140 --> 00:17:12.539
 of Matthew.

00:17:12.819 --> 00:17:13.900
 This is Papyrus 52.

00:17:14.119 --> 00:17:14.660
 It's of the Gospel

00:17:14.660 --> 00:17:15.140
 of John.

00:17:15.140 --> 00:17:16.960
 All three of these

00:17:16.960 --> 00:17:17.900
 plausibly date

00:17:17.900 --> 00:17:19.380
 to the 2nd century.

00:17:19.900 --> 00:17:20.480
 Perhaps even

00:17:20.480 --> 00:17:21.780
 the early part

00:17:21.780 --> 00:17:22.900
 of the 2nd century.

00:17:23.160 --> 00:17:23.820
 Meaning that

00:17:23.820 --> 00:17:24.620
 these manuscripts

00:17:24.620 --> 00:17:25.900
 may have been copied

00:17:25.900 --> 00:17:28.020
 within 40 or 50 years

00:17:28.020 --> 00:17:30.040
 of the original publication.

00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:30.920
 Or even earlier.

00:17:31.600 --> 00:17:33.180
 This is extraordinary.

00:17:33.620 --> 00:17:34.920
 No ancient publication

00:17:34.920 --> 00:17:36.259
 has so many early manuscripts

00:17:36.259 --> 00:17:37.120
 attesting to it.

00:17:37.380 --> 00:17:37.860
 In fact,

00:17:38.200 --> 00:17:39.240
 there are so many

00:17:39.240 --> 00:17:40.540
 early New Testament manuscripts

00:17:40.540 --> 00:17:41.440
 that we discover

00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:42.360
 a new one

00:17:42.360 --> 00:17:43.360
 just about

00:17:43.360 --> 00:17:44.960
 every year.

00:17:45.620 --> 00:17:46.460
 What this means

00:17:46.460 --> 00:17:47.460
 is that every year

00:17:47.460 --> 00:17:48.240
 we can confirm

00:17:48.240 --> 00:17:49.039
 the original text

00:17:49.039 --> 00:17:49.700
 of the New Testament

00:17:49.700 --> 00:17:50.820
 with greater

00:17:50.820 --> 00:17:52.360
 and greater certainty.

00:17:52.720 --> 00:17:53.580
 Several years ago

00:17:53.580 --> 00:17:54.299
 I gave a version

00:17:54.299 --> 00:17:55.000
 of this talk

00:17:55.000 --> 00:17:55.840
 and I mentioned

00:17:55.840 --> 00:17:56.940
 how in the year 2015

00:17:56.940 --> 00:17:58.140
 we discovered

00:17:58.140 --> 00:17:58.820
 this manuscript

00:17:58.820 --> 00:17:59.799
 of the Gospel of John.

00:17:59.880 --> 00:18:00.539
 It was found on eBay.

00:18:00.860 --> 00:18:01.559
 Some guy died.

00:18:01.640 --> 00:18:02.059
 He had a collection

00:18:02.059 --> 00:18:02.519
 of manuscripts.

00:18:02.980 --> 00:18:03.940
 People put it on

00:18:03.940 --> 00:18:05.200
 and oh look at that.

00:18:05.320 --> 00:18:06.080
 It's really, really,

00:18:06.180 --> 00:18:07.180
 really, really early.

00:18:08.080 --> 00:18:09.400
 We found that in 2015.

00:18:09.400 --> 00:18:10.360
 But I keep having

00:18:10.360 --> 00:18:11.740
 to update my slides.

00:18:12.200 --> 00:18:12.800
 Last year

00:18:12.800 --> 00:18:13.580
 I gave a version

00:18:13.580 --> 00:18:14.320
 of this talk

00:18:14.320 --> 00:18:15.600
 and I said in 2018

00:18:15.600 --> 00:18:17.160
 we found not one,

00:18:17.500 --> 00:18:18.160
 not two,

00:18:18.460 --> 00:18:19.320
 but three

00:18:19.320 --> 00:18:20.800
 early New Testament manuscripts

00:18:20.800 --> 00:18:22.160
 and the one you see here

00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:23.240
 is the earliest fragment

00:18:23.240 --> 00:18:24.200
 of the Gospel of Mark

00:18:24.200 --> 00:18:25.060
 ever discovered.

00:18:25.440 --> 00:18:26.440
 That was found last year.

00:18:27.019 --> 00:18:28.280
 And now in 2019

00:18:28.280 --> 00:18:30.220
 I have to update them again

00:18:30.220 --> 00:18:31.620
 because it was announced

00:18:31.620 --> 00:18:32.259
 in March

00:18:32.259 --> 00:18:33.940
 that the Egyptian

00:18:33.940 --> 00:18:35.000
 Exploratory Society

00:18:35.000 --> 00:18:35.700
 had identified

00:18:35.700 --> 00:18:37.960
 20 New Testament manuscripts

00:18:37.960 --> 00:18:39.019
 that it was going

00:18:39.019 --> 00:18:39.660
 to be publishing

00:18:39.660 --> 00:18:40.420
 in the coming years

00:18:40.420 --> 00:18:41.619
 some of which date

00:18:41.619 --> 00:18:42.680
 extremely early.

00:18:42.879 --> 00:18:44.160
 So there's no expectation

00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:44.879
 that this pace

00:18:44.879 --> 00:18:45.480
 of discoveries

00:18:45.480 --> 00:18:47.139
 will pause

00:18:47.139 --> 00:18:48.359
 at any time soon.

00:18:49.259 --> 00:18:49.940
 And what this means

00:18:49.940 --> 00:18:50.660
 is that every year

00:18:50.660 --> 00:18:51.099
 our knowledge

00:18:51.099 --> 00:18:51.660
 of the original

00:18:51.660 --> 00:18:52.480
 New Testament text

00:18:52.480 --> 00:18:54.920
 gets more and more certain.

00:18:55.319 --> 00:18:56.200
 So let's sum up.

00:18:56.460 --> 00:18:57.099
 The New Testament

00:18:57.099 --> 00:18:59.019
 has the most manuscripts,

00:18:59.220 --> 00:18:59.920
 the most translations,

00:19:00.099 --> 00:19:00.839
 the most quotations,

00:19:00.920 --> 00:19:01.980
 and the most early manuscripts

00:19:01.980 --> 00:19:03.039
 of any ancient text.

00:19:03.259 --> 00:19:03.879
 And these numbers

00:19:03.879 --> 00:19:04.879
 increase and get better

00:19:04.879 --> 00:19:06.299
 every single year.

00:19:06.639 --> 00:19:08.099
 So according to these categories

00:19:08.099 --> 00:19:08.959
 and the New Testament

00:19:08.959 --> 00:19:10.099
 has an extraordinarily

00:19:10.099 --> 00:19:11.839
 reliable manuscript tradition.

00:19:12.519 --> 00:19:13.480
 But let's go back

00:19:13.480 --> 00:19:14.599
 to our friend here,

00:19:14.699 --> 00:19:15.240
 Bart Ehrman.

00:19:15.359 --> 00:19:16.279
 Remember that quote

00:19:16.279 --> 00:19:17.779
 I said in the beginning, right?

00:19:18.059 --> 00:19:18.859
 Now actually,

00:19:19.399 --> 00:19:21.099
 Bart Ehrman would agree

00:19:21.099 --> 00:19:22.139
 with probably every single

00:19:22.139 --> 00:19:22.879
 thing I just said.

00:19:23.199 --> 00:19:23.980
 And I've heard him

00:19:23.980 --> 00:19:24.799
 do things like that.

00:19:25.019 --> 00:19:26.139
 But he would have

00:19:26.139 --> 00:19:27.899
 a reply to this.

00:19:27.959 --> 00:19:28.839
 He would have an objection.

00:19:29.339 --> 00:19:30.219
 And this objection

00:19:30.219 --> 00:19:30.740
 is contained

00:19:30.740 --> 00:19:31.740
 in his original quote.

00:19:32.299 --> 00:19:33.559
 Remember that he said,

00:19:33.559 --> 00:19:36.159
 yes, but these manuscripts

00:19:36.159 --> 00:19:37.500
 are error-ridden.

00:19:38.019 --> 00:19:38.659
 It might be hard for you

00:19:38.659 --> 00:19:39.519
 to see the underline there.

00:19:39.559 --> 00:19:40.279
 But he says these are

00:19:40.279 --> 00:19:41.159
 full of errors.

00:19:41.359 --> 00:19:42.019
 And they're different

00:19:42.019 --> 00:19:42.759
 from the originals

00:19:42.759 --> 00:19:44.099
 in thousands of ways.

00:19:44.359 --> 00:19:45.079
 And then at the bottom

00:19:45.079 --> 00:19:45.960
 he says there are more

00:19:45.960 --> 00:19:47.759
 variations among our manuscripts

00:19:47.759 --> 00:19:48.799
 than there are words

00:19:48.799 --> 00:19:49.480
 in the New Testament.

00:19:50.460 --> 00:19:51.279
 That's what he would say.

00:19:51.339 --> 00:19:52.139
 He'd say, yes, yes, yes,

00:19:52.139 --> 00:19:53.359
 you have all these things.

00:19:53.940 --> 00:19:54.879
 But they stink.

00:19:55.159 --> 00:19:56.039
 They're bad copies.

00:19:56.139 --> 00:19:56.879
 They're full of errors.

00:19:57.099 --> 00:19:57.559
 We don't know

00:19:57.559 --> 00:19:58.619
 what the New Testament says.

00:19:59.399 --> 00:20:00.339
 Well, is this true?

00:20:01.319 --> 00:20:01.919
 Well, Bart Ehrman

00:20:01.919 --> 00:20:04.059
 is being very sneaky here

00:20:04.059 --> 00:20:05.220
 with what he's saying.

00:20:05.319 --> 00:20:06.220
 He is right.

00:20:06.519 --> 00:20:07.679
 There are more variations

00:20:07.679 --> 00:20:08.319
 in manuscripts

00:20:08.319 --> 00:20:09.119
 of the New Testament

00:20:09.119 --> 00:20:10.039
 than there are words

00:20:10.039 --> 00:20:10.720
 in the New Testament.

00:20:10.919 --> 00:20:12.319
 But the only reason

00:20:12.319 --> 00:20:13.480
 why this is the case

00:20:13.480 --> 00:20:14.480
 is because we have

00:20:14.480 --> 00:20:15.759
 so many manuscripts

00:20:15.759 --> 00:20:16.659
 of the New Testament.

00:20:17.179 --> 00:20:18.059
 In fact, every time

00:20:18.059 --> 00:20:19.500
 we discover a new manuscript,

00:20:19.799 --> 00:20:20.980
 the number of variants

00:20:20.980 --> 00:20:21.839
 goes up

00:20:21.839 --> 00:20:22.959
 because the scribe

00:20:22.959 --> 00:20:23.759
 who made the manuscript

00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:24.679
 may have skipped a word

00:20:24.679 --> 00:20:25.759
 or misspelled something

00:20:25.759 --> 00:20:27.000
 and we chalk it up

00:20:27.000 --> 00:20:27.939
 to a textual variant.

00:20:28.439 --> 00:20:29.779
 And indeed, I can show you

00:20:29.779 --> 00:20:30.399
 ancient works

00:20:30.399 --> 00:20:31.079
 like this one

00:20:31.079 --> 00:20:31.700
 by Athanas

00:20:31.700 --> 00:20:33.899
 that have very, very,

00:20:34.079 --> 00:20:35.539
 very few variants

00:20:35.539 --> 00:20:37.220
 because we only have

00:20:37.220 --> 00:20:38.240
 one manuscript.

00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:41.079
 Obviously, having only

00:20:41.079 --> 00:20:41.660
 one manuscript

00:20:41.660 --> 00:20:42.700
 is not a good way

00:20:42.700 --> 00:20:43.180
 to guarantee

00:20:43.180 --> 00:20:44.399
 the preservation of a work

00:20:44.399 --> 00:20:45.039
 because then you have

00:20:45.039 --> 00:20:46.599
 nothing to compare it against.

00:20:47.059 --> 00:20:47.819
 So criticizing

00:20:47.819 --> 00:20:48.859
 the New Testament

00:20:48.859 --> 00:20:50.200
 for having a large number

00:20:50.200 --> 00:20:51.039
 of total variants

00:20:51.039 --> 00:20:52.920
 is very disingenuous

00:20:52.920 --> 00:20:54.099
 because the total number

00:20:54.099 --> 00:20:54.599
 of variants

00:20:54.599 --> 00:20:56.879
 is really just a signifier

00:20:56.879 --> 00:20:57.879
 that the New Testament

00:20:57.879 --> 00:20:59.259
 has a lot of manuscripts.

00:20:59.259 --> 00:21:00.579
 And that's a good thing

00:21:00.579 --> 00:21:01.039
 to have.

00:21:01.640 --> 00:21:02.400
 Another issue

00:21:02.400 --> 00:21:03.299
 that Bart Ehrman

00:21:03.299 --> 00:21:04.059
 doesn't tell you

00:21:04.059 --> 00:21:04.759
 in his quotation,

00:21:04.960 --> 00:21:06.019
 though he will admit it

00:21:06.019 --> 00:21:07.279
 elsewhere when he's forced to,

00:21:07.660 --> 00:21:09.359
 is that the vast, vast,

00:21:09.539 --> 00:21:10.400
 vast majority

00:21:10.400 --> 00:21:11.299
 of all these variants

00:21:11.299 --> 00:21:12.140
 he's talking about

00:21:12.140 --> 00:21:14.079
 are inconsequential differences

00:21:14.079 --> 00:21:15.900
 in spelling, grammar,

00:21:16.339 --> 00:21:18.000
 or obvious errors

00:21:18.000 --> 00:21:18.480
 that occur

00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:19.039
 when a scribe

00:21:19.039 --> 00:21:19.799
 accidentally skips

00:21:19.799 --> 00:21:20.640
 a word or a line.

00:21:21.559 --> 00:21:22.480
 In other words,

00:21:22.920 --> 00:21:24.539
 well, well over 99%

00:21:24.539 --> 00:21:25.440
 of all these variations

00:21:25.440 --> 00:21:27.180
 are either completely meaningless

00:21:27.180 --> 00:21:28.500
 or are very easy

00:21:28.500 --> 00:21:29.680
 for scholars to detect.

00:21:30.100 --> 00:21:31.660
 And this is totally different

00:21:31.660 --> 00:21:33.240
 from other ancient works.

00:21:33.920 --> 00:21:34.940
 Other ancient works

00:21:34.940 --> 00:21:35.680
 have manuscripts

00:21:35.680 --> 00:21:37.000
 whose errors

00:21:37.000 --> 00:21:38.160
 are so severe

00:21:38.160 --> 00:21:39.279
 and so pervasive

00:21:39.279 --> 00:21:40.660
 that we can no longer

00:21:40.660 --> 00:21:42.600
 recover the original reading.

00:21:42.980 --> 00:21:43.840
 In these instances,

00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:45.440
 scholars have to do something

00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:47.600
 called conjectural emendation.

00:21:47.820 --> 00:21:49.060
 That's a fancy word

00:21:49.060 --> 00:21:50.820
 for making an educated guess

00:21:50.820 --> 00:21:53.560
 about what the original reading said

00:21:53.559 --> 00:21:54.740
 because the original reading

00:21:54.740 --> 00:21:55.299
 is gone

00:21:55.299 --> 00:21:56.539
 from every single

00:21:56.539 --> 00:21:57.359
 ancient manuscript.

00:21:58.019 --> 00:21:58.919
 And this is the case

00:21:58.919 --> 00:22:01.159
 with, as far as we know,

00:22:01.559 --> 00:22:03.119
 every single ancient publication,

00:22:03.299 --> 00:22:04.679
 at least those of significant length,

00:22:04.779 --> 00:22:05.619
 require this.

00:22:06.179 --> 00:22:07.220
 Where there's a part

00:22:07.220 --> 00:22:08.379
 that just is gone.

00:22:08.799 --> 00:22:10.440
 And if it's a big part,

00:22:10.700 --> 00:22:11.839
 scholars just leave a blank.

00:22:12.179 --> 00:22:13.179
 If it's a little part,

00:22:13.440 --> 00:22:14.519
 maybe they can make a guess

00:22:14.519 --> 00:22:15.759
 about what was there.

00:22:16.639 --> 00:22:18.399
 This is not true, though,

00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:19.539
 for the New Testament.

00:22:20.200 --> 00:22:21.159
 For the New Testament,

00:22:21.160 --> 00:22:23.400
 we have no locations

00:22:23.400 --> 00:22:25.060
 where scholars are required

00:22:25.060 --> 00:22:28.080
 to conjecturally amend the text.

00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:29.880
 And the ironic part

00:22:29.880 --> 00:22:30.440
 in all of this

00:22:30.440 --> 00:22:31.700
 is that even our very skeptical

00:22:31.700 --> 00:22:32.279
 Bart Ehrman

00:22:32.279 --> 00:22:33.500
 acknowledges this

00:22:33.500 --> 00:22:35.019
 in one of his publications

00:22:35.019 --> 00:22:37.060
 that he co-did

00:22:37.060 --> 00:22:38.060
 with a very famous scholar

00:22:38.060 --> 00:22:38.840
 named Bruce Metzger.

00:22:38.940 --> 00:22:39.200
 He said,

00:22:39.300 --> 00:22:40.000
 the amount of evidence

00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:41.180
 for the text of the New Testament,

00:22:41.700 --> 00:22:42.920
 whether derived from manuscripts,

00:22:43.160 --> 00:22:43.860
 early versions,

00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:44.660
 that's translations,

00:22:44.960 --> 00:22:46.360
 or patristic quotations,

00:22:46.640 --> 00:22:47.920
 is so much greater

00:22:47.920 --> 00:22:48.740
 than that available

00:22:48.740 --> 00:22:50.600
 for any ancient classical author

00:22:50.599 --> 00:22:51.639
 that the necessity

00:22:51.639 --> 00:22:53.019
 of resorting to emendation

00:22:53.019 --> 00:22:53.819
 is reduced

00:22:53.819 --> 00:22:55.480
 to the smallest dimensions.

00:22:55.980 --> 00:22:57.159
 And then he leaves a footnote.

00:22:58.119 --> 00:22:59.159
 And he goes on to say,

00:22:59.240 --> 00:22:59.919
 well, if we wanted

00:22:59.919 --> 00:23:01.119
 to conjecturally amend the text,

00:23:01.199 --> 00:23:01.819
 maybe we could do it

00:23:01.819 --> 00:23:02.859
 in this one location.

00:23:03.019 --> 00:23:03.759
 And then he concludes,

00:23:03.899 --> 00:23:04.159
 quote,

00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:06.699
 even this cannot be accepted.

00:23:07.939 --> 00:23:08.299
 And thus,

00:23:08.539 --> 00:23:09.500
 even the most skeptical

00:23:09.500 --> 00:23:10.459
 scholar around

00:23:10.459 --> 00:23:12.039
 admits that the New Testament

00:23:12.039 --> 00:23:12.779
 does not require

00:23:12.779 --> 00:23:13.779
 conjecturally amend the text.

00:23:14.019 --> 00:23:15.459
 And because conjecturally amend

00:23:15.459 --> 00:23:16.359
 are not required

00:23:16.359 --> 00:23:17.139
 to restore the text

00:23:17.139 --> 00:23:17.799
 of the New Testament,

00:23:18.459 --> 00:23:19.899
 this inescapably means

00:23:19.900 --> 00:23:20.940
 that the original

00:23:20.940 --> 00:23:21.740
 still exists.

00:23:23.660 --> 00:23:24.220
 Now,

00:23:24.480 --> 00:23:25.280
 the only caution

00:23:25.280 --> 00:23:26.460
 I will say to this

00:23:26.460 --> 00:23:27.300
 is that scholars

00:23:27.300 --> 00:23:28.580
 are sometimes confronted

00:23:28.580 --> 00:23:30.200
 with multiple

00:23:30.200 --> 00:23:32.120
 reasonable variants

00:23:32.120 --> 00:23:33.440
 for a wording

00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:34.040
 of a particular

00:23:34.040 --> 00:23:35.000
 New Testament passage.

00:23:35.160 --> 00:23:36.160
 And they're unsure

00:23:36.160 --> 00:23:37.160
 of which variant

00:23:37.160 --> 00:23:37.820
 is authentic.

00:23:38.220 --> 00:23:39.100
 They're confident

00:23:39.100 --> 00:23:40.680
 that one of the variants

00:23:40.680 --> 00:23:41.340
 is authentic,

00:23:41.920 --> 00:23:42.960
 but sometimes they have

00:23:42.960 --> 00:23:43.880
 trouble deciding

00:23:43.880 --> 00:23:44.940
 between them.

00:23:45.560 --> 00:23:46.600
 And in important cases,

00:23:46.759 --> 00:23:47.759
 most English translations

00:23:47.759 --> 00:23:48.379
 of the Bible

00:23:48.379 --> 00:23:49.779
 will insert a note

00:23:49.779 --> 00:23:51.619
 explaining this uncertainty

00:23:51.619 --> 00:23:52.640
 and then list

00:23:52.640 --> 00:23:53.799
 an alternative manuscript

00:23:53.799 --> 00:23:54.900
 variant so the reader

00:23:54.900 --> 00:23:56.079
 will be aware of it.

00:23:56.480 --> 00:23:56.879
 Fortunately,

00:23:57.220 --> 00:23:58.119
 it is very rare

00:23:58.119 --> 00:23:58.879
 that this happens

00:23:58.879 --> 00:23:59.640
 with any significant

00:23:59.640 --> 00:24:00.339
 part of the text

00:24:00.339 --> 00:24:01.299
 and by far the two

00:24:01.299 --> 00:24:02.500
 most important instances

00:24:02.500 --> 00:24:02.980
 of this

00:24:02.980 --> 00:24:04.460
 are with the last verses

00:24:04.460 --> 00:24:05.859
 of the Gospel of Mark

00:24:05.859 --> 00:24:06.680
 and I've got a little

00:24:06.680 --> 00:24:07.480
 picture up here of that

00:24:07.480 --> 00:24:08.400
 and the woman

00:24:08.400 --> 00:24:09.220
 caught in adultery

00:24:09.220 --> 00:24:10.960
 in the Gospel of John.

00:24:11.039 --> 00:24:11.500
 These two are

00:24:11.500 --> 00:24:12.940
 by far and away

00:24:12.940 --> 00:24:14.720
 the most important areas

00:24:14.720 --> 00:24:15.359
 where this happens.

00:24:15.359 --> 00:24:17.579
 But I need to tell you

00:24:17.579 --> 00:24:18.519
 that it's also possible

00:24:18.519 --> 00:24:19.379
 that our New Testament

00:24:19.379 --> 00:24:20.899
 authors wrote multiple

00:24:20.899 --> 00:24:22.219
 editions of their work.

00:24:22.819 --> 00:24:23.359
 Ancient authors

00:24:23.359 --> 00:24:24.500
 did this all the time.

00:24:25.339 --> 00:24:26.119
 Remember back then

00:24:26.119 --> 00:24:27.159
 everything was done by hand

00:24:27.159 --> 00:24:28.279
 so it was a less formal

00:24:28.279 --> 00:24:29.179
 process to have

00:24:29.179 --> 00:24:29.979
 something disseminated.

00:24:30.079 --> 00:24:30.819
 You read something out,

00:24:31.039 --> 00:24:31.979
 people start copying it,

00:24:32.039 --> 00:24:32.500
 you go back,

00:24:32.559 --> 00:24:33.279
 you make some changes

00:24:33.279 --> 00:24:34.119
 or you update it.

00:24:34.319 --> 00:24:35.199
 That happened all the time

00:24:35.199 --> 00:24:35.699
 in the ancient world.

00:24:35.799 --> 00:24:37.179
 So it could be the case

00:24:37.179 --> 00:24:37.919
 with certain variants

00:24:37.919 --> 00:24:38.839
 that actually both

00:24:38.839 --> 00:24:39.379
 are authentic.

00:24:40.259 --> 00:24:41.079
 That could potentially

00:24:41.079 --> 00:24:41.579
 be the case.

00:24:41.919 --> 00:24:42.819
 But these places

00:24:42.819 --> 00:24:43.399
 of uncertainty

00:24:43.399 --> 00:24:44.819
 should not trouble you

00:24:44.819 --> 00:24:45.960
 because they're so minor

00:24:45.960 --> 00:24:47.659
 that no Christian doctrine

00:24:47.659 --> 00:24:48.399
 is affected

00:24:48.399 --> 00:24:49.519
 by these variants.

00:24:51.039 --> 00:24:51.460
 And do you know

00:24:51.460 --> 00:24:52.399
 who effectively agrees

00:24:52.399 --> 00:24:52.819
 with us?

00:24:54.099 --> 00:24:54.799
 Our friend

00:24:54.799 --> 00:24:55.299
 Bart Ehrman.

00:24:55.960 --> 00:24:56.659
 He says

00:24:56.659 --> 00:24:57.779
 in one of his publications

00:24:57.779 --> 00:24:59.139
 essential Christian beliefs

00:24:59.139 --> 00:24:59.939
 are not affected

00:24:59.939 --> 00:25:01.059
 by textual variations

00:25:01.059 --> 00:25:02.059
 in the manuscript tradition

00:25:02.059 --> 00:25:02.720
 of the New Testament.

00:25:06.460 --> 00:25:06.899
 Yeah.

00:25:08.119 --> 00:25:08.960
 Now I would go

00:25:08.960 --> 00:25:09.859
 even farther than that.

00:25:09.939 --> 00:25:10.740
 I would say it's not just

00:25:10.740 --> 00:25:11.700
 essential Christian beliefs

00:25:11.700 --> 00:25:12.599
 but pretty much anything

00:25:12.599 --> 00:25:13.899
 that we would identify

00:25:13.900 --> 00:25:15.220
 as a Christian doctrine

00:25:15.220 --> 00:25:16.240
 is not affected

00:25:16.240 --> 00:25:17.080
 by any of these

00:25:17.080 --> 00:25:18.400
 potential variants.

00:25:18.840 --> 00:25:19.460
 And furthermore,

00:25:19.600 --> 00:25:20.820
 there's no expectation

00:25:20.820 --> 00:25:22.600
 that any manuscript discovery

00:25:22.600 --> 00:25:24.019
 will change this

00:25:24.019 --> 00:25:25.620
 because since the advent

00:25:25.620 --> 00:25:27.220
 of modern textual criticism,

00:25:27.380 --> 00:25:28.620
 which is about 130 years,

00:25:29.140 --> 00:25:31.380
 no manuscript discovery

00:25:31.380 --> 00:25:32.920
 has provided a new

00:25:32.920 --> 00:25:33.840
 authentic variant

00:25:33.840 --> 00:25:35.500
 for any New Testament passage.

00:25:36.480 --> 00:25:37.920
 Every single one

00:25:37.920 --> 00:25:38.840
 of the many discoveries

00:25:38.840 --> 00:25:39.580
 that we have made

00:25:39.580 --> 00:25:40.820
 over the past 130 years

00:25:40.819 --> 00:25:43.000
 have only confirmed readings

00:25:43.000 --> 00:25:44.419
 we already knew about.

00:25:45.259 --> 00:25:45.879
 And I suspect

00:25:45.879 --> 00:25:46.839
 that this will continue

00:25:46.839 --> 00:25:48.559
 for the future.

00:25:49.000 --> 00:25:49.659
 So if we gather

00:25:49.659 --> 00:25:50.599
 all these points together,

00:25:50.960 --> 00:25:51.480
 the New Testament

00:25:51.480 --> 00:25:52.419
 wasn't just

00:25:52.419 --> 00:25:54.139
 accurately preserved,

00:25:54.259 --> 00:25:55.619
 it was extraordinarily preserved.

00:25:55.799 --> 00:25:56.460
 And this is because

00:25:56.460 --> 00:25:58.419
 it has the most manuscripts,

00:25:58.740 --> 00:25:59.639
 the most quotations,

00:25:59.759 --> 00:26:00.939
 the most ancient translations,

00:26:01.439 --> 00:26:02.980
 the most early manuscripts

00:26:02.980 --> 00:26:04.299
 of any ancient text.

00:26:04.460 --> 00:26:05.359
 And these combine

00:26:05.359 --> 00:26:06.599
 to make the manuscript tradition

00:26:06.599 --> 00:26:07.259
 of the New Testament

00:26:07.259 --> 00:26:08.720
 of such high quality

00:26:08.720 --> 00:26:10.400
 that no conjectural

00:26:10.400 --> 00:26:11.879
 emendations are needed

00:26:11.879 --> 00:26:13.059
 because simply put,

00:26:13.119 --> 00:26:13.900
 the entire text

00:26:13.900 --> 00:26:14.960
 has been preserved.

00:26:15.539 --> 00:26:16.400
 And those locations

00:26:16.400 --> 00:26:17.379
 where scholars find

00:26:17.379 --> 00:26:18.240
 several variants

00:26:18.240 --> 00:26:20.119
 and can't be completely sure

00:26:20.119 --> 00:26:20.940
 which one is authentic,

00:26:21.279 --> 00:26:22.799
 these are so inconsequential

00:26:22.799 --> 00:26:24.220
 that no Christian doctrine

00:26:24.220 --> 00:26:25.900
 is affected by any of them.

00:26:26.660 --> 00:26:27.839
 And every year

00:26:27.839 --> 00:26:29.019
 more discoveries are made

00:26:29.019 --> 00:26:30.079
 and every year

00:26:30.079 --> 00:26:30.799
 these discoveries

00:26:30.799 --> 00:26:31.500
 do not add

00:26:31.500 --> 00:26:33.200
 any new authentic readings,

00:26:33.579 --> 00:26:34.779
 but instead they confirm

00:26:34.779 --> 00:26:36.119
 what we already

00:26:36.119 --> 00:26:37.220
 have long known.

00:26:37.259 --> 00:26:38.460
 So given this,

00:26:38.799 --> 00:26:39.759
 we can trust

00:26:39.759 --> 00:26:40.559
 that the New Testament

00:26:40.559 --> 00:26:43.240
 has been reliably preserved.

00:26:43.839 --> 00:26:44.740
 But in all of this,

00:26:44.879 --> 00:26:45.940
 I want us to remember

00:26:45.940 --> 00:26:48.440
 the purpose of Scripture.

00:26:48.960 --> 00:26:50.039
 The purpose of Scripture,

00:26:50.140 --> 00:26:51.059
 the purpose of the New Testament

00:26:51.059 --> 00:26:53.059
 is not to testify to itself.

00:26:54.119 --> 00:26:56.599
 Its purpose is to testify to Jesus.

00:26:57.240 --> 00:26:59.299
 Our faith is ultimately

00:26:59.299 --> 00:27:00.500
 not in the New Testament.

00:27:00.759 --> 00:27:01.960
 It's in the one

00:27:01.960 --> 00:27:03.279
 the New Testament talks about,

00:27:03.460 --> 00:27:04.259
 in Jesus.

00:27:04.460 --> 00:27:05.000
 And this is what

00:27:05.000 --> 00:27:06.259
 the New Testament itself says.

00:27:06.720 --> 00:27:07.759
 The Gospel of John

00:27:07.759 --> 00:27:09.279
 describes how Jesus

00:27:09.279 --> 00:27:10.619
 was talking to the Pharisees

00:27:10.619 --> 00:27:11.339
 and he said,

00:27:11.460 --> 00:27:12.859
 you search the Scriptures,

00:27:13.339 --> 00:27:14.259
 for in them you think

00:27:14.259 --> 00:27:15.299
 you have eternal life.

00:27:15.759 --> 00:27:17.539
 These are which testify about me,

00:27:17.619 --> 00:27:19.140
 but you are not willing

00:27:19.140 --> 00:27:20.599
 to come to me

00:27:20.599 --> 00:27:22.319
 so that you may have life.

00:27:22.879 --> 00:27:24.079
 So we should never make

00:27:24.079 --> 00:27:24.720
 the New Testament

00:27:24.720 --> 00:27:25.779
 the goal,

00:27:25.879 --> 00:27:26.559
 the ultimate goal

00:27:26.559 --> 00:27:27.640
 and object of our faith.

00:27:27.740 --> 00:27:28.379
 It does not have

00:27:28.379 --> 00:27:29.240
 eternal life in it.

00:27:29.539 --> 00:27:31.000
 It points to our Lord

00:27:31.000 --> 00:27:31.879
 and Savior Jesus.

00:27:31.880 --> 00:27:33.560
 And so all this information

00:27:33.560 --> 00:27:35.080
 that I've shared with you today,

00:27:35.380 --> 00:27:36.340
 it can help bolster

00:27:36.340 --> 00:27:37.960
 your faith in Jesus,

00:27:38.800 --> 00:27:39.460
 but remember that

00:27:39.460 --> 00:27:40.240
 all these statistics

00:27:40.240 --> 00:27:40.920
 about manuscripts

00:27:40.920 --> 00:27:41.600
 and translations

00:27:41.600 --> 00:27:42.380
 and quotations

00:27:42.380 --> 00:27:43.040
 and things like that,

00:27:43.200 --> 00:27:44.380
 they're useful for that purpose,

00:27:44.480 --> 00:27:45.460
 for growing someone's faith,

00:27:45.540 --> 00:27:46.380
 for witnessing to others,

00:27:47.040 --> 00:27:47.720
 but the greatest

00:27:47.720 --> 00:27:49.140
 and most powerful testimony

00:27:49.140 --> 00:27:50.560
 that you can have

00:27:50.560 --> 00:27:51.220
 with your coworkers

00:27:51.220 --> 00:27:51.900
 or classmates

00:27:51.900 --> 00:27:52.560
 or professors

00:27:52.560 --> 00:27:54.820
 is not any of this information.

00:27:55.280 --> 00:27:56.780
 It's the power of a life

00:27:56.780 --> 00:27:57.560
 that has been changed

00:27:57.560 --> 00:27:58.600
 and forgiven by Jesus

00:27:58.599 --> 00:28:00.019
 and overflows

00:28:00.019 --> 00:28:00.819
 with his love

00:28:00.819 --> 00:28:01.819
 for that person

00:28:01.819 --> 00:28:03.819
 and points that person

00:28:03.819 --> 00:28:04.299
 to him.

00:28:05.219 --> 00:28:06.059
 So why don't I just

00:28:06.059 --> 00:28:06.939
 close in prayer real quick

00:28:06.939 --> 00:28:07.379
 and then we'll see

00:28:07.379 --> 00:28:08.439
 if we have any questions.

00:28:09.159 --> 00:28:09.819
 Father in heaven,

00:28:09.899 --> 00:28:10.819
 we thank you so much

00:28:10.819 --> 00:28:12.000
 that you saw fit

00:28:12.000 --> 00:28:13.439
 to preserve your word for us

00:28:13.439 --> 00:28:15.519
 and we just give you

00:28:15.519 --> 00:28:16.619
 glory and honor for that

00:28:16.619 --> 00:28:18.059
 and we pray, Lord,

00:28:18.159 --> 00:28:19.439
 that you would boost

00:28:19.439 --> 00:28:20.039
 our confidence

00:28:20.039 --> 00:28:20.819
 in the New Testament.

00:28:21.399 --> 00:28:22.419
 You would increase our faith

00:28:22.419 --> 00:28:23.219
 so that we can share

00:28:23.219 --> 00:28:23.779
 with others,

00:28:24.339 --> 00:28:25.819
 that we can better love others,

00:28:26.139 --> 00:28:26.980
 that we can forgive

00:28:26.980 --> 00:28:28.259
 those who've wronged us,

00:28:28.259 --> 00:28:29.099
 that we can confess

00:28:29.099 --> 00:28:30.140
 our sins when we've

00:28:30.140 --> 00:28:30.660
 wronged others,

00:28:31.119 --> 00:28:31.920
 that we can share

00:28:31.920 --> 00:28:32.819
 your gospel message

00:28:32.819 --> 00:28:33.460
 with this world.

00:28:34.000 --> 00:28:34.660
 And we pray all this

00:28:34.660 --> 00:28:35.640
 in the name of Jesus.

00:28:36.379 --> 00:28:36.559
 Amen.

00:28:37.640 --> 00:28:38.759
 Alright, so I think we have

00:28:38.759 --> 00:28:40.319
 time for questions, right?

00:28:41.440 --> 00:28:42.119
 Alright, yeah.

00:28:42.119 --> 00:28:43.140
 10 minutes.

00:28:44.220 --> 00:28:45.460
 So today,

00:28:45.619 --> 00:28:46.119
 many translations

00:28:46.819 --> 00:28:47.500
 are accused

00:28:47.500 --> 00:28:48.539
 of having an agenda.

00:28:49.859 --> 00:28:51.460
 Presumably that's based on

00:28:51.460 --> 00:28:53.759
 there's a couple choices

00:28:53.759 --> 00:28:54.400
 that are made

00:28:54.400 --> 00:28:55.299
 in the given translation

00:28:55.299 --> 00:28:56.359
 and the translators

00:28:56.359 --> 00:28:57.339
 have to make a choice

00:28:57.339 --> 00:28:58.720
 and then through

00:28:58.720 --> 00:29:01.220
 systematic decision-making,

00:29:01.619 --> 00:29:01.859
 you know,

00:29:01.899 --> 00:29:03.220
 an agenda is inferred.

00:29:03.459 --> 00:29:03.619
 Yeah.

00:29:03.759 --> 00:29:04.199
 Does that,

00:29:04.779 --> 00:29:05.619
 did that happen

00:29:05.619 --> 00:29:06.439
 in the ancient world

00:29:06.439 --> 00:29:07.299
 or did they just,

00:29:07.539 --> 00:29:08.959
 like in your genealogy chart,

00:29:09.119 --> 00:29:09.759
 you show that,

00:29:09.839 --> 00:29:10.059
 I think,

00:29:10.099 --> 00:29:10.740
 every translation

00:29:10.740 --> 00:29:11.179
 had, like,

00:29:11.179 --> 00:29:11.919
 a single parent.

00:29:12.799 --> 00:29:12.980
 Like,

00:29:13.000 --> 00:29:14.139
 was that the case?

00:29:14.220 --> 00:29:14.359
 Like,

00:29:14.419 --> 00:29:15.899
 were there agendas

00:29:15.899 --> 00:29:16.579
 of any sort?

00:29:16.679 --> 00:29:17.139
 And if so,

00:29:17.240 --> 00:29:17.459
 can you,

00:29:17.459 --> 00:29:19.019
 I don't know,

00:29:19.419 --> 00:29:20.019
 try to back,

00:29:20.339 --> 00:29:21.199
 infer what that agenda

00:29:21.199 --> 00:29:22.439
 was and back that out?

00:29:22.740 --> 00:29:23.619
 Great question.

00:29:24.059 --> 00:29:24.539
 Great question.

00:29:24.539 --> 00:29:24.759
 Yeah,

00:29:24.819 --> 00:29:27.079
 so I'll say two things.

00:29:27.159 --> 00:29:27.759
 One is that

00:29:27.759 --> 00:29:28.899
 some of these

00:29:28.899 --> 00:29:30.799
 translations that I showed you

00:29:30.799 --> 00:29:32.799
 and some of the manuscripts

00:29:32.799 --> 00:29:33.639
 I showed you also,

00:29:33.920 --> 00:29:34.579
 they might have had,

00:29:34.680 --> 00:29:34.740
 like,

00:29:34.759 --> 00:29:35.700
 a single parent,

00:29:35.920 --> 00:29:37.019
 but many of them didn't.

00:29:37.200 --> 00:29:37.819
 Many of them,

00:29:38.200 --> 00:29:39.480
 scribes would reference

00:29:39.480 --> 00:29:40.440
 multiple manuscripts.

00:29:41.180 --> 00:29:41.619
 And so,

00:29:41.819 --> 00:29:43.339
 the word genealogy

00:29:43.339 --> 00:29:44.500
 actually isn't always

00:29:44.500 --> 00:29:45.539
 the best term

00:29:45.539 --> 00:29:46.379
 because a genealogy

00:29:46.379 --> 00:29:47.180
 implies you just have

00:29:47.180 --> 00:29:47.659
 two parents

00:29:47.659 --> 00:29:48.240
 or one parent,

00:29:48.619 --> 00:29:50.279
 but with manuscripts,

00:29:50.420 --> 00:29:51.799
 you can have multiple parents

00:29:51.799 --> 00:29:52.940
 because you can line up

00:29:52.940 --> 00:29:54.240
 multiple texts.

00:29:54.359 --> 00:29:55.139
 And we know that

00:29:55.139 --> 00:29:57.099
 some translators did that.

00:29:57.200 --> 00:29:57.279
 Like,

00:29:57.319 --> 00:29:58.019
 St. Jerome did that.

00:29:58.059 --> 00:29:58.599
 It was Latin.

00:29:58.740 --> 00:29:59.379
 Thomas of Harkle

00:29:59.379 --> 00:30:00.799
 with Syriac did that.

00:30:01.379 --> 00:30:01.740
 So,

00:30:01.919 --> 00:30:02.659
 that's one thing.

00:30:02.720 --> 00:30:02.799
 So,

00:30:02.879 --> 00:30:04.039
 that helps get out,

00:30:04.099 --> 00:30:04.319
 you know,

00:30:04.359 --> 00:30:05.399
 an agenda that might have come in.

00:30:05.700 --> 00:30:06.500
 The second thing

00:30:06.500 --> 00:30:07.399
 about an agenda

00:30:07.399 --> 00:30:08.559
 is sometimes you do see.

00:30:08.680 --> 00:30:08.819
 I mean,

00:30:08.859 --> 00:30:10.240
 sometimes you will see.

00:30:10.319 --> 00:30:10.980
 In my dissertation,

00:30:11.299 --> 00:30:11.799
 I went through

00:30:11.799 --> 00:30:12.460
 the book of Revelation

00:30:12.460 --> 00:30:14.000
 and I looked for precisely

00:30:14.000 --> 00:30:15.200
 this thing you were talking about

00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:16.579
 in some of these translations

00:30:16.579 --> 00:30:18.480
 and in some of the copying.

00:30:18.980 --> 00:30:19.919
 And what I found

00:30:19.920 --> 00:30:22.320
 is that you could sometimes

00:30:22.320 --> 00:30:24.100
 find a place

00:30:24.100 --> 00:30:25.039
 where a scribe

00:30:25.039 --> 00:30:26.080
 or a translator

00:30:26.080 --> 00:30:26.880
 seemed to be a little

00:30:26.880 --> 00:30:27.900
 uncomfortable with something

00:30:27.900 --> 00:30:28.740
 and tried to just

00:30:28.740 --> 00:30:30.160
 tweak it a little bit.

00:30:30.580 --> 00:30:31.779
 But in the vast majority

00:30:31.779 --> 00:30:32.279
 of cases,

00:30:32.279 --> 00:30:33.259
 this doesn't happen.

00:30:33.720 --> 00:30:34.740
 And I can give you

00:30:34.740 --> 00:30:35.160
 an example.

00:30:35.380 --> 00:30:35.600
 So,

00:30:35.880 --> 00:30:36.920
 in the book of Revelation,

00:30:37.080 --> 00:30:37.620
 there's a passage

00:30:37.620 --> 00:30:38.740
 that says that Jesus

00:30:38.740 --> 00:30:39.720
 is the beginning

00:30:39.720 --> 00:30:40.840
 of God's creation.

00:30:41.880 --> 00:30:42.279
 Now,

00:30:42.400 --> 00:30:43.039
 that word beginning

00:30:43.039 --> 00:30:43.980
 can also be translated

00:30:43.980 --> 00:30:44.440
 ruler.

00:30:45.019 --> 00:30:45.860
 Ruler or beginning.

00:30:46.180 --> 00:30:46.340
 So,

00:30:46.420 --> 00:30:47.220
 you can say he's the ruler

00:30:47.220 --> 00:30:47.900
 of God's creation

00:30:47.900 --> 00:30:48.980
 or you can interpret it

00:30:48.980 --> 00:30:49.640
 and he's the beginning

00:30:49.640 --> 00:30:50.440
 of God's creation

00:30:50.440 --> 00:30:51.640
 which could imply

00:30:51.640 --> 00:30:54.360
 that he is part of creation.

00:30:54.599 --> 00:30:55.500
 He's not divine.

00:30:56.019 --> 00:30:56.880
 He's subordinate

00:30:56.880 --> 00:30:57.839
 to God the Father.

00:30:58.860 --> 00:31:00.299
 It's an ambiguous verse.

00:31:00.640 --> 00:31:00.860
 And so,

00:31:00.920 --> 00:31:01.420
 what I did is

00:31:01.420 --> 00:31:02.900
 I went to ancient translations.

00:31:03.079 --> 00:31:03.799
 I went to about

00:31:03.799 --> 00:31:05.259
 six or seven of them

00:31:05.259 --> 00:31:06.539
 and I wanted to see

00:31:06.539 --> 00:31:07.779
 how do they handle this?

00:31:08.059 --> 00:31:09.860
 Do they try to disambiguate it

00:31:09.860 --> 00:31:10.740
 to make it seem

00:31:10.740 --> 00:31:11.460
 like he's the ruler

00:31:11.460 --> 00:31:12.019
 of creation?

00:31:12.400 --> 00:31:13.120
 What do they do?

00:31:13.620 --> 00:31:14.440
 And I thought

00:31:14.440 --> 00:31:15.480
 this is a great test case

00:31:15.480 --> 00:31:16.720
 because you can make

00:31:16.720 --> 00:31:17.779
 a legitimate translation

00:31:17.779 --> 00:31:18.639
 and just say ruler

00:31:18.639 --> 00:31:19.160
 of creation

00:31:19.160 --> 00:31:20.940
 and just move on.

00:31:21.119 --> 00:31:21.680
 And then the reader

00:31:21.680 --> 00:31:22.440
 doesn't even know

00:31:22.440 --> 00:31:24.220
 this ambiguity is there.

00:31:24.740 --> 00:31:25.839
 And I was shocked

00:31:25.839 --> 00:31:27.859
 because every single one

00:31:27.859 --> 00:31:28.519
 of the translations

00:31:28.519 --> 00:31:29.799
 except for one of them

00:31:29.799 --> 00:31:31.399
 preserved the ambiguity.

00:31:31.740 --> 00:31:32.700
 They went into their language.

00:31:32.940 --> 00:31:34.319
 They found a word

00:31:34.319 --> 00:31:36.079
 that preserved this ambiguity

00:31:36.079 --> 00:31:37.539
 even though they knew

00:31:37.539 --> 00:31:39.779
 that someone could mistake

00:31:39.779 --> 00:31:40.519
 what the intention

00:31:40.519 --> 00:31:41.399
 of this verse might mean.

00:31:41.559 --> 00:31:42.660
 They still did that.

00:31:43.220 --> 00:31:43.619
 And so,

00:31:44.019 --> 00:31:45.720
 I thought that's a beautiful testimony

00:31:45.720 --> 00:31:46.200
 that yes,

00:31:46.339 --> 00:31:47.319
 occasionally you'll find

00:31:47.319 --> 00:31:47.819
 a manuscript

00:31:47.819 --> 00:31:49.960
 where someone has clearly

00:31:49.960 --> 00:31:51.339
 been tweaking something.

00:31:51.680 --> 00:31:53.819
 But that by no means

00:31:53.819 --> 00:31:55.039
 seems to be ordinary.

00:31:55.480 --> 00:31:56.440
 It seems to be that

00:31:56.440 --> 00:31:57.600
 when there were mistakes,

00:31:57.720 --> 00:31:58.680
 they're unintentional.

00:31:59.460 --> 00:32:00.620
 Scribes are doing

00:32:00.620 --> 00:32:01.380
 their very best.

00:32:01.900 --> 00:32:02.799
 And what that means

00:32:02.799 --> 00:32:03.740
 is that we have

00:32:03.740 --> 00:32:04.400
 greater confidence

00:32:04.400 --> 00:32:05.920
 in what they have before us.

00:32:05.920 --> 00:32:10.279
 So,

00:32:10.720 --> 00:32:11.880
 I've read some Ehrman

00:32:11.880 --> 00:32:13.140
 and I think

00:32:13.140 --> 00:32:14.560
 the lack for a need

00:32:14.560 --> 00:32:15.519
 of

00:32:15.519 --> 00:32:20.840
 scholarly adjustments

00:32:20.840 --> 00:32:21.500
 to the manuscript

00:32:21.500 --> 00:32:22.140
 for clarity,

00:32:22.840 --> 00:32:25.019
 the fact that

00:32:25.019 --> 00:32:27.740
 there's no need

00:32:27.740 --> 00:32:28.940
 for doctrinal variance

00:32:28.940 --> 00:32:29.620
 within Christianity

00:32:29.620 --> 00:32:30.300
 is probably

00:32:30.300 --> 00:32:31.360
 a thorn in his side

00:32:31.360 --> 00:32:32.279
 though you would admit it.

00:32:32.600 --> 00:32:33.640
 I feel like other scholars

00:32:33.640 --> 00:32:34.500
 kind of reluctantly

00:32:34.500 --> 00:32:35.200
 kind of give in

00:32:35.200 --> 00:32:35.840
 that point.

00:32:36.299 --> 00:32:36.440
 But,

00:32:36.900 --> 00:32:37.900
 I myself have noticed

00:32:37.900 --> 00:32:38.880
 a renewed interest

00:32:38.880 --> 00:32:39.799
 in the last few years

00:32:39.799 --> 00:32:40.559
 among scholars

00:32:40.559 --> 00:32:42.700
 in a lot of those

00:32:42.700 --> 00:32:43.360
 4th century

00:32:43.360 --> 00:32:44.460
 and 3rd century

00:32:44.460 --> 00:32:45.580
 Gnostic texts,

00:32:46.220 --> 00:32:47.600
 extra-biblical gospels,

00:32:47.840 --> 00:32:48.000
 you know,

00:32:48.059 --> 00:32:48.340
 Peter,

00:32:48.559 --> 00:32:48.799
 Mary,

00:32:48.940 --> 00:32:49.259
 Thomas.

00:32:49.759 --> 00:32:50.640
 And do you think

00:32:50.640 --> 00:32:51.920
 that it is

00:32:51.920 --> 00:32:54.120
 calculated on their part

00:32:54.120 --> 00:32:54.980
 to say,

00:32:55.100 --> 00:32:55.180
 well,

00:32:55.200 --> 00:32:55.900
 let's pull this

00:32:55.900 --> 00:32:56.960
 into the scholarly

00:32:56.960 --> 00:32:57.819
 conversation,

00:32:59.819 --> 00:33:00.259
 specifically,

00:33:00.580 --> 00:33:00.860
 you know,

00:33:00.900 --> 00:33:01.380
 the reliability

00:33:01.380 --> 00:33:02.160
 of the New Testament

00:33:02.160 --> 00:33:03.040
 as a whole

00:33:03.040 --> 00:33:04.100
 because of that

00:33:04.100 --> 00:33:05.740
 coincidence,

00:33:06.060 --> 00:33:06.380
 if you will,

00:33:06.420 --> 00:33:07.100
 or just the fact

00:33:07.100 --> 00:33:08.200
 that most of the

00:33:08.200 --> 00:33:09.140
 datings of those

00:33:09.140 --> 00:33:09.940
 Gnostic texts

00:33:09.940 --> 00:33:11.640
 kind of fall into

00:33:11.640 --> 00:33:12.279
 that same,

00:33:12.340 --> 00:33:12.600
 you know,

00:33:12.660 --> 00:33:13.340
 glut of,

00:33:13.600 --> 00:33:13.880
 you know,

00:33:13.940 --> 00:33:15.000
 rich manuscripts

00:33:15.000 --> 00:33:16.740
 that we have

00:33:16.740 --> 00:33:17.440
 from around

00:33:17.440 --> 00:33:18.319
 the same period

00:33:18.319 --> 00:33:19.119
 and within

00:33:19.119 --> 00:33:20.700
 similar geographical

00:33:20.700 --> 00:33:21.099
 regions.

00:33:21.099 --> 00:33:21.299
 Yeah.

00:33:21.819 --> 00:33:23.140
 That's a great question.

00:33:23.779 --> 00:33:24.279
 The question

00:33:24.279 --> 00:33:25.779
 is about,

00:33:26.099 --> 00:33:26.559
 okay,

00:33:26.759 --> 00:33:27.779
 so the

00:33:27.779 --> 00:33:29.220
 manuscripts

00:33:29.220 --> 00:33:29.839
 of the New Testament

00:33:29.839 --> 00:33:30.299
 are good,

00:33:30.380 --> 00:33:30.880
 they're reliable,

00:33:30.960 --> 00:33:31.460
 but what about

00:33:31.460 --> 00:33:32.339
 all these other

00:33:32.339 --> 00:33:33.460
 false gospels

00:33:33.460 --> 00:33:34.059
 out there?

00:33:34.339 --> 00:33:35.440
 What about those?

00:33:36.240 --> 00:33:37.460
 So what if the New Testament

00:33:37.460 --> 00:33:38.400
 is reliably preserved?

00:33:38.859 --> 00:33:39.839
 Maybe these should be

00:33:39.839 --> 00:33:40.420
 in there,

00:33:40.519 --> 00:33:41.000
 or maybe

00:33:41.000 --> 00:33:42.339
 certain New Testament

00:33:42.339 --> 00:33:43.359
 texts shouldn't be there

00:33:43.359 --> 00:33:44.079
 and should be thrown out.

00:33:45.039 --> 00:33:45.819
 That's a great question.

00:33:45.879 --> 00:33:46.299
 We're going to talk

00:33:46.299 --> 00:33:47.279
 about that week three,

00:33:47.699 --> 00:33:48.299
 the canonicity

00:33:48.299 --> 00:33:48.819
 of the New Testament.

00:33:48.919 --> 00:33:49.359
 We'll be talking

00:33:49.359 --> 00:33:50.439
 about the false gospels

00:33:50.439 --> 00:33:51.139
 of, you know,

00:33:51.199 --> 00:33:52.000
 Peter, Mary, and John.

00:33:52.339 --> 00:33:52.959
 Just to give you

00:33:52.959 --> 00:33:53.679
 a quick preview,

00:33:54.919 --> 00:33:55.479
 you know,

00:33:55.539 --> 00:33:56.279
 this is also,

00:33:56.479 --> 00:33:56.759
 I think,

00:33:56.819 --> 00:33:57.359
 going to disappoint

00:33:57.359 --> 00:33:57.759
 the hopes

00:33:57.759 --> 00:33:58.740
 of skeptical scholars

00:33:58.740 --> 00:34:00.339
 because when you go back

00:34:00.339 --> 00:34:01.399
 and you look at these,

00:34:01.740 --> 00:34:02.339
 they really have

00:34:02.339 --> 00:34:03.559
 no historical backing

00:34:03.559 --> 00:34:04.079
 to them

00:34:04.079 --> 00:34:05.279
 like the four gospels do.

00:34:05.819 --> 00:34:06.439
 They have

00:34:06.439 --> 00:34:08.480
 very, very weak

00:34:08.480 --> 00:34:09.679
 ancient attestation.

00:34:10.179 --> 00:34:11.219
 There's numerous reasons

00:34:11.219 --> 00:34:12.500
 why these are dismissed.

00:34:12.500 --> 00:34:15.159
 And you do hear

00:34:15.159 --> 00:34:15.940
 loud voices

00:34:15.940 --> 00:34:16.679
 in the academy,

00:34:16.960 --> 00:34:17.099
 you know,

00:34:17.179 --> 00:34:17.679
 trumpeting this,

00:34:17.739 --> 00:34:18.579
 Elaine Pagels does

00:34:18.579 --> 00:34:19.179
 and stuff like that.

00:34:19.239 --> 00:34:21.159
 But most scholars,

00:34:21.559 --> 00:34:22.539
 even ones who are

00:34:22.539 --> 00:34:24.099
 not devout Christians,

00:34:24.639 --> 00:34:25.320
 they don't think

00:34:25.320 --> 00:34:26.559
 these really have

00:34:26.559 --> 00:34:27.659
 anything to do

00:34:27.659 --> 00:34:29.079
 with the historical Jesus.

00:34:29.940 --> 00:34:31.119
 They will argue

00:34:31.119 --> 00:34:32.320
 these should be considered

00:34:32.320 --> 00:34:32.960
 as variants

00:34:32.960 --> 00:34:33.739
 of Christianity.

00:34:34.460 --> 00:34:35.059
 And sure,

00:34:35.199 --> 00:34:35.940
 we can consider them

00:34:35.940 --> 00:34:36.800
 a variant of Christianity.

00:34:36.960 --> 00:34:37.099
 I mean,

00:34:37.119 --> 00:34:38.380
 I don't have a real problem

00:34:38.380 --> 00:34:38.659
 with that.

00:34:38.719 --> 00:34:39.019
 I don't think

00:34:39.019 --> 00:34:40.739
 they're orthodox

00:34:40.739 --> 00:34:41.880
 variations of Christianity.

00:34:41.880 --> 00:34:43.079
 Or variants that go

00:34:43.079 --> 00:34:43.900
 back to the apostles.

00:34:44.320 --> 00:34:44.599
 But,

00:34:44.920 --> 00:34:45.320
 I'm sure,

00:34:45.400 --> 00:34:46.160
 if you want to class them

00:34:46.160 --> 00:34:46.400
 that way,

00:34:46.440 --> 00:34:46.820
 you can.

00:34:46.980 --> 00:34:47.079
 But,

00:34:47.500 --> 00:34:48.599
 we'll be talking

00:34:48.599 --> 00:34:49.240
 about that week three.

00:34:50.220 --> 00:34:50.840
 So stay tuned.

00:34:50.840 --> 00:34:53.680
 Is there an estimate

00:34:53.680 --> 00:34:54.360
 of the number

00:34:54.360 --> 00:34:55.480
 of ancient translations

00:34:55.480 --> 00:34:56.120
 that the Bible

00:34:56.120 --> 00:34:57.000
 is translated into?

00:34:57.220 --> 00:34:58.079
 So the question is,

00:34:58.120 --> 00:34:59.680
 is there an estimate

00:34:59.680 --> 00:35:00.559
 for the number

00:35:00.559 --> 00:35:01.460
 of ancient translations

00:35:01.460 --> 00:35:02.460
 the Bible is translated into?

00:35:03.180 --> 00:35:04.140
 I have not seen one.

00:35:04.180 --> 00:35:04.740
 I've tried to come up

00:35:04.740 --> 00:35:05.300
 with one myself.

00:35:05.920 --> 00:35:08.079
 And there's a lot.

00:35:08.300 --> 00:35:08.640
 First,

00:35:08.780 --> 00:35:09.600
 it depends on what

00:35:09.600 --> 00:35:10.460
 you count as ancient.

00:35:10.900 --> 00:35:11.480
 So you have to have

00:35:11.480 --> 00:35:12.260
 a cutoff time.

00:35:12.980 --> 00:35:13.640
 And then we have

00:35:13.640 --> 00:35:14.300
 to work backwards.

00:35:14.519 --> 00:35:14.980
 And then we have

00:35:14.980 --> 00:35:15.980
 to decide,

00:35:16.100 --> 00:35:16.220
 you know,

00:35:16.320 --> 00:35:17.039
 for instance,

00:35:17.039 --> 00:35:20.739
 there's a translation

00:35:20.739 --> 00:35:21.639
 that seems to have

00:35:21.639 --> 00:35:22.000
 been done

00:35:22.000 --> 00:35:23.039
 into an African language

00:35:23.039 --> 00:35:23.539
 called Baja,

00:35:23.960 --> 00:35:24.659
 which is now

00:35:24.659 --> 00:35:25.480
 in Sudan.

00:35:26.480 --> 00:35:27.559
 And we only know

00:35:27.559 --> 00:35:28.000
 about it

00:35:28.000 --> 00:35:30.199
 because it exists

00:35:30.199 --> 00:35:32.340
 on a clay ostracon,

00:35:32.559 --> 00:35:33.840
 a fragment of a pot.

00:35:34.059 --> 00:35:34.719
 It's a version

00:35:34.719 --> 00:35:35.500
 of the Psalms

00:35:35.500 --> 00:35:36.420
 in Baja.

00:35:37.099 --> 00:35:37.300
 And,

00:35:37.360 --> 00:35:39.199
 do we count that?

00:35:39.400 --> 00:35:39.699
 I mean,

00:35:39.900 --> 00:35:40.960
 it's a scrap.

00:35:41.119 --> 00:35:42.019
 It's someone clearly

00:35:42.019 --> 00:35:42.659
 was ministering

00:35:42.659 --> 00:35:43.380
 with these people.

00:35:44.300 --> 00:35:44.579
 So,

00:35:45.019 --> 00:35:45.860
 I would estimate

00:35:45.860 --> 00:35:46.680
 that if you want to say,

00:35:46.820 --> 00:35:46.900
 like,

00:35:46.940 --> 00:35:47.780
 let's say before the year

00:35:47.780 --> 00:35:48.740
 900 or something,

00:35:48.860 --> 00:35:49.340
 I would say,

00:35:49.400 --> 00:35:49.559
 you know,

00:35:49.599 --> 00:35:50.740
 at least two dozen

00:35:50.740 --> 00:35:51.539
 were made

00:35:51.539 --> 00:35:52.599
 that we have

00:35:52.599 --> 00:35:53.579
 some witness of.

00:35:53.680 --> 00:35:54.420
 There may have been more,

00:35:54.559 --> 00:35:54.660
 like,

00:35:54.920 --> 00:35:55.840
 Jerome talks about

00:35:55.840 --> 00:35:56.920
 a Dalmatian translation

00:35:56.920 --> 00:35:58.780
 that we have no scrap

00:35:58.780 --> 00:35:59.460
 at all of.

00:36:00.119 --> 00:36:00.760
 Who knows if that

00:36:00.760 --> 00:36:01.320
 actually existed.

00:36:01.440 --> 00:36:01.860
 People wonder

00:36:01.860 --> 00:36:02.900
 if a Punic translation

00:36:02.900 --> 00:36:03.360
 existed.

00:36:03.480 --> 00:36:04.119
 It seems likely,

00:36:04.220 --> 00:36:04.980
 but we don't have it.

00:36:05.519 --> 00:36:06.380
 We didn't have

00:36:06.380 --> 00:36:07.380
 the Caucasian-Albanian

00:36:07.380 --> 00:36:07.780
 translation,

00:36:07.900 --> 00:36:08.680
 and then we found it

00:36:08.680 --> 00:36:09.500
 20 years ago.

00:36:09.559 --> 00:36:09.660
 So,

00:36:09.760 --> 00:36:11.099
 who knows what we'll dig up.

00:36:11.099 --> 00:36:13.500
 But that's an estimate,

00:36:13.719 --> 00:36:14.920
 so someday I want to sit down

00:36:14.920 --> 00:36:16.719
 and just try and get it all out.

00:36:17.679 --> 00:36:19.019
 You said new fragments

00:36:19.019 --> 00:36:20.059
 are being discovered

00:36:20.059 --> 00:36:20.500
 all the time.

00:36:20.559 --> 00:36:21.380
 Where are they coming from?

00:36:21.559 --> 00:36:21.880
 So,

00:36:22.019 --> 00:36:23.099
 most new fragments

00:36:23.099 --> 00:36:24.059
 are coming from

00:36:24.059 --> 00:36:26.219
 a collection of papyri

00:36:26.219 --> 00:36:27.559
 called the Oxyrnchus papyri.

00:36:28.019 --> 00:36:28.719
 About a hundred

00:36:28.719 --> 00:36:29.759
 something years ago,

00:36:30.159 --> 00:36:31.039
 a group of scholars

00:36:31.039 --> 00:36:32.199
 went to a garbage dump

00:36:32.199 --> 00:36:33.440
 in the sands of Egypt,

00:36:33.940 --> 00:36:35.299
 and this was an ancient

00:36:35.299 --> 00:36:35.920
 garbage dump

00:36:35.920 --> 00:36:36.639
 where people were just

00:36:36.639 --> 00:36:37.619
 throwing out manuscripts.

00:36:38.019 --> 00:36:38.239
 And they,

00:36:39.119 --> 00:36:39.339
 you know,

00:36:39.619 --> 00:36:41.019
 1,500 years ago,

00:36:41.099 --> 00:36:42.239
 and so they collected

00:36:42.239 --> 00:36:42.940
 all of these

00:36:42.940 --> 00:36:44.279
 into boxes,

00:36:44.460 --> 00:36:45.380
 tons and tons of boxes,

00:36:45.500 --> 00:36:45.980
 brought them back

00:36:45.980 --> 00:36:46.519
 to Great Britain,

00:36:46.699 --> 00:36:48.119
 and they are still

00:36:48.119 --> 00:36:49.159
 going through these.

00:36:49.679 --> 00:36:50.079
 So,

00:36:50.380 --> 00:36:50.639
 actually,

00:36:50.759 --> 00:36:51.519
 that fragment of Mark

00:36:51.519 --> 00:36:51.980
 I said

00:36:51.980 --> 00:36:53.500
 was from that collection.

00:36:53.719 --> 00:36:55.019
 Those 20 more manuscripts

00:36:55.019 --> 00:36:55.679
 that have been found

00:36:55.679 --> 00:36:56.699
 are from that collection,

00:36:57.179 --> 00:36:58.440
 and it's because

00:36:58.440 --> 00:36:59.179
 they found hundreds

00:36:59.179 --> 00:36:59.759
 of thousands

00:36:59.759 --> 00:37:00.460
 of manuscripts.

00:37:00.980 --> 00:37:01.880
 And most of these

00:37:01.880 --> 00:37:02.920
 are little fragments,

00:37:03.319 --> 00:37:03.940
 and most of them

00:37:03.940 --> 00:37:05.239
 are like tax receipts,

00:37:05.420 --> 00:37:06.239
 bills of sale,

00:37:06.659 --> 00:37:07.500
 things like that.

00:37:07.759 --> 00:37:08.019
 But,

00:37:08.119 --> 00:37:08.400
 you know,

00:37:08.400 --> 00:37:09.519
 sometimes you find

00:37:09.519 --> 00:37:10.079
 a little piece

00:37:10.079 --> 00:37:10.599
 of the New Testament

00:37:10.599 --> 00:37:10.960
 in there.

00:37:11.099 --> 00:37:13.099
 some of the,

00:37:13.199 --> 00:37:13.980
 most of the early

00:37:13.980 --> 00:37:14.860
 manuscripts that we have

00:37:14.860 --> 00:37:15.539
 actually are from

00:37:15.539 --> 00:37:16.159
 that one,

00:37:16.940 --> 00:37:17.639
 that location,

00:37:17.920 --> 00:37:18.460
 Oxyrnchus,

00:37:18.579 --> 00:37:19.900
 has been very fertile

00:37:19.900 --> 00:37:20.759
 for finding manuscripts.

00:37:22.139 --> 00:37:22.799
 What are the ways

00:37:22.799 --> 00:37:23.759
 you think that the

00:37:23.759 --> 00:37:24.239
 New Testament

00:37:24.239 --> 00:37:25.259
 has got inspired?

00:37:26.119 --> 00:37:27.279
 What are some of the ways?

00:37:27.319 --> 00:37:27.500
 Yeah,

00:37:27.500 --> 00:37:28.139
 what are the

00:37:28.139 --> 00:37:29.880
 reasons

00:37:29.880 --> 00:37:30.719
 or like that?

00:37:30.980 --> 00:37:31.679
 What do you think?

00:37:32.159 --> 00:37:33.019
 I'm going to be talking

00:37:33.019 --> 00:37:33.579
 a lot about this

00:37:33.579 --> 00:37:34.199
 next week,

00:37:34.759 --> 00:37:35.839
 but there's numerous,

00:37:35.839 --> 00:37:36.880
 there's numerous reasons.

00:37:36.880 --> 00:37:38.119
 One,

00:37:38.340 --> 00:37:39.440
 the most fundamental

00:37:39.440 --> 00:37:40.559
 reason is that

00:37:40.559 --> 00:37:42.220
 there's this

00:37:42.220 --> 00:37:43.059
 self-authenticating

00:37:43.059 --> 00:37:43.619
 nature of it.

00:37:43.640 --> 00:37:44.039
 The New Testament

00:37:44.039 --> 00:37:44.880
 changes lives.

00:37:45.079 --> 00:37:46.140
 People are redeemed,

00:37:46.220 --> 00:37:46.700
 they're forgiven,

00:37:47.280 --> 00:37:48.160
 they're brought into

00:37:48.160 --> 00:37:48.940
 new life through the

00:37:48.940 --> 00:37:49.820
 writings and teachings

00:37:49.820 --> 00:37:50.460
 of the New Testament.

00:37:50.900 --> 00:37:52.000
 But there's many others.

00:37:52.260 --> 00:37:53.059
 There's historical

00:37:53.059 --> 00:37:53.599
 veracity,

00:37:54.240 --> 00:37:54.940
 there's a lot of

00:37:54.940 --> 00:37:56.480
 historical reasons

00:37:56.480 --> 00:37:57.900
 why what the New Testament

00:37:57.900 --> 00:37:59.400
 says can be considered

00:37:59.400 --> 00:38:00.380
 to be true and accurate,

00:38:00.619 --> 00:38:01.420
 which we'll talk about

00:38:01.420 --> 00:38:01.840
 next week.

00:38:01.840 --> 00:38:02.760
 And this even goes

00:38:02.760 --> 00:38:03.800
 to the miracles of Jesus,

00:38:04.039 --> 00:38:05.519
 that we have lots of

00:38:05.519 --> 00:38:06.579
 reasons for trusting

00:38:06.579 --> 00:38:08.120
 what the documents say

00:38:08.120 --> 00:38:08.780
 about his miracles

00:38:08.780 --> 00:38:10.940
 and about his statements.

00:38:11.420 --> 00:38:12.039
 And there's other

00:38:12.039 --> 00:38:13.480
 prophecies also that

00:38:13.480 --> 00:38:14.500
 I'll mention next week

00:38:14.500 --> 00:38:14.740
 too,

00:38:15.300 --> 00:38:16.500
 that we can confirm

00:38:16.500 --> 00:38:17.640
 today are accurate,

00:38:18.079 --> 00:38:19.059
 that Jesus made,

00:38:19.400 --> 00:38:20.300
 that points to him

00:38:20.300 --> 00:38:22.200
 having some divine

00:38:22.200 --> 00:38:22.740
 inspiration,

00:38:23.240 --> 00:38:24.320
 that increases our

00:38:24.320 --> 00:38:25.220
 reliability for things

00:38:25.220 --> 00:38:25.880
 like when he says,

00:38:26.039 --> 00:38:26.600
 I'm the way,

00:38:26.640 --> 00:38:26.900
 the truth,

00:38:26.940 --> 00:38:27.360
 and the life.

00:38:27.460 --> 00:38:27.579
 Well,

00:38:27.600 --> 00:38:28.300
 this guy just said

00:38:28.300 --> 00:38:28.760
 something no one

00:38:28.760 --> 00:38:29.280
 could ever know.

00:38:29.680 --> 00:38:30.559
 And then he knew it.

00:38:30.559 --> 00:38:31.960
 So he probably knows

00:38:31.960 --> 00:38:32.599
 what he's talking about.

00:38:32.820 --> 00:38:33.699
 But we'll talk more

00:38:33.699 --> 00:38:34.360
 about that next week.

00:38:38.039 --> 00:38:40.139
 Do other religious texts

00:38:40.139 --> 00:38:41.659
 have the same reliability?

00:38:42.219 --> 00:38:42.920
 Very good question.

00:38:43.019 --> 00:38:43.900
 Do other religious texts

00:38:43.900 --> 00:38:44.759
 have the same reliability?

00:38:45.440 --> 00:38:46.059
 I've done,

00:38:46.179 --> 00:38:46.840
 I've tried my best

00:38:46.840 --> 00:38:47.539
 to look into this.

00:38:47.739 --> 00:38:48.980
 Certainly the Old Testament

00:38:48.980 --> 00:38:50.079
 is much older,

00:38:50.239 --> 00:38:50.880
 so if you want to talk

00:38:50.880 --> 00:38:51.679
 about the Jewish scriptures,

00:38:52.360 --> 00:38:54.199
 they have very good arguments,

00:38:54.679 --> 00:38:55.739
 but they don't,

00:38:55.860 --> 00:38:56.799
 we don't have as early

00:38:56.799 --> 00:38:57.559
 manuscripts because

00:38:57.559 --> 00:38:57.960
 they're very,

00:38:58.299 --> 00:38:59.840
 the documents are much

00:38:59.840 --> 00:39:00.279
 later.

00:39:00.559 --> 00:39:01.139
 or much earlier.

00:39:01.719 --> 00:39:02.799
 In terms of other religions,

00:39:02.920 --> 00:39:03.759
 like let's take the Quran.

00:39:03.880 --> 00:39:04.279
 The Quran,

00:39:04.880 --> 00:39:06.420
 the sacred text for Islam,

00:39:06.659 --> 00:39:09.019
 was written early 600s,

00:39:09.259 --> 00:39:11.279
 and it has a big advantage

00:39:11.279 --> 00:39:12.559
 because it was written

00:39:12.559 --> 00:39:14.299
 500 years after the New Testament.

00:39:14.440 --> 00:39:15.380
 That's 500 less years

00:39:15.380 --> 00:39:15.940
 of variation.

00:39:16.380 --> 00:39:17.519
 It also was written

00:39:17.519 --> 00:39:18.539
 in a climate

00:39:18.539 --> 00:39:20.820
 where Muslims were in charge,

00:39:21.299 --> 00:39:22.799
 where they had the political

00:39:22.799 --> 00:39:24.380
 and financial means

00:39:24.380 --> 00:39:25.239
 to preserve this.

00:39:26.199 --> 00:39:27.299
 It was also written

00:39:27.299 --> 00:39:29.159
 in a very arid environment,

00:39:29.159 --> 00:39:29.759
 which is ideal

00:39:29.759 --> 00:39:30.679
 for preserving manuscripts,

00:39:30.679 --> 00:39:31.899
 but I would say

00:39:31.899 --> 00:39:32.379
 the New Testament

00:39:32.379 --> 00:39:33.339
 is still far better

00:39:33.339 --> 00:39:33.839
 than the Quran.

00:39:35.119 --> 00:39:36.739
 The Quran has a lot

00:39:36.739 --> 00:39:37.940
 of problems with it

00:39:37.940 --> 00:39:38.899
 textually.

00:39:39.480 --> 00:39:40.379
 If you go to

00:39:40.379 --> 00:39:41.420
 Zoroastrian texts

00:39:41.420 --> 00:39:41.920
 in Iran,

00:39:42.799 --> 00:39:43.819
 it's like,

00:39:44.559 --> 00:39:44.799
 you know,

00:39:44.839 --> 00:39:46.239
 the earliest Zoroastrian texts.

00:39:46.399 --> 00:39:47.319
 We have Zoroastrianism

00:39:47.319 --> 00:39:48.279
 as a very ancient religion.

00:39:49.179 --> 00:39:50.099
 It's older

00:39:50.099 --> 00:39:50.879
 than the New Testament,

00:39:51.099 --> 00:39:51.539
 not as old

00:39:51.539 --> 00:39:52.239
 as the Old Testament,

00:39:52.440 --> 00:39:53.239
 but older

00:39:53.239 --> 00:39:53.899
 than the New Testament,

00:39:53.900 --> 00:39:55.400
 and their manuscripts,

00:39:55.559 --> 00:39:55.700
 you know,

00:39:55.740 --> 00:39:56.180
 come from like

00:39:56.180 --> 00:39:57.200
 the 16th century.

00:39:57.900 --> 00:39:58.900
 Like, you know,

00:39:58.960 --> 00:39:59.880
 and then if you go

00:39:59.880 --> 00:40:00.579
 to Buddhism,

00:40:01.119 --> 00:40:02.119
 Buddhist texts,

00:40:02.220 --> 00:40:02.619
 unfortunately,

00:40:02.800 --> 00:40:04.599
 India is very hot,

00:40:05.099 --> 00:40:06.180
 wet climate.

00:40:06.720 --> 00:40:07.880
 Manuscripts just deteriorate

00:40:07.880 --> 00:40:08.760
 like crazy there

00:40:08.760 --> 00:40:09.639
 and that means

00:40:09.639 --> 00:40:10.380
 that their stuff

00:40:10.380 --> 00:40:11.440
 is really recent.

00:40:11.900 --> 00:40:12.780
 And so Buddhism,

00:40:13.019 --> 00:40:13.160
 you know,

00:40:13.220 --> 00:40:13.900
 the Buddha lived,

00:40:14.619 --> 00:40:14.860
 you know,

00:40:14.940 --> 00:40:15.800
 we don't really know

00:40:15.800 --> 00:40:16.539
 500 BC,

00:40:16.680 --> 00:40:17.260
 400 BC,

00:40:17.380 --> 00:40:17.980
 something like that.

00:40:18.579 --> 00:40:19.860
 The earliest life

00:40:19.860 --> 00:40:20.360
 of the Buddha

00:40:20.360 --> 00:40:23.420
 was written in Sanskrit

00:40:23.420 --> 00:40:25.360
 several hundred years

00:40:25.360 --> 00:40:26.059
 after he lived

00:40:26.059 --> 00:40:28.160
 and the earliest manuscript

00:40:28.160 --> 00:40:28.820
 in Sanskrit

00:40:28.820 --> 00:40:29.640
 we have of it

00:40:29.640 --> 00:40:31.740
 comes from the 1800s

00:40:31.740 --> 00:40:32.360
 in Nepal.

00:40:33.320 --> 00:40:33.500
 Now,

00:40:33.680 --> 00:40:34.420
 in China,

00:40:34.960 --> 00:40:35.440
 you do have

00:40:35.440 --> 00:40:36.120
 some early manuscripts

00:40:36.120 --> 00:40:36.920
 like the Tao Te Ching.

00:40:37.140 --> 00:40:38.220
 We've got some very early manuscripts

00:40:38.220 --> 00:40:38.840
 of the Tao Te Ching.

00:40:39.500 --> 00:40:40.559
 That's really the only

00:40:40.559 --> 00:40:41.760
 even possible comparison,

00:40:41.880 --> 00:40:42.300
 I would say,

00:40:42.460 --> 00:40:43.360
 for an ancient document

00:40:43.360 --> 00:40:44.559
 would be the Tao Te Ching

00:40:44.559 --> 00:40:45.579
 but I haven't been able

00:40:45.579 --> 00:40:46.140
 to look into it.

00:40:46.180 --> 00:40:46.579
 I know there are

00:40:46.579 --> 00:40:48.320
 some issues there also.

00:40:48.920 --> 00:40:49.460
 So when I say

00:40:49.460 --> 00:40:50.220
 ancient publications,

00:40:50.219 --> 00:40:51.319
 I'm talking about everything.

00:40:52.099 --> 00:40:52.839
 The Quran usually

00:40:52.839 --> 00:40:53.839
 is considered medieval

00:40:53.839 --> 00:40:55.539
 and usually we have,

00:40:55.619 --> 00:40:56.119
 like for instance,

00:40:56.519 --> 00:40:57.579
 we have documents

00:40:57.579 --> 00:40:58.519
 from the time

00:40:58.519 --> 00:40:59.500
 when the Quran was written

00:40:59.500 --> 00:41:00.179
 and we have

00:41:00.179 --> 00:41:01.399
 the original documents.

00:41:01.839 --> 00:41:02.799
 The Quran doesn't have that.

00:41:02.879 --> 00:41:03.819
 We don't have the originals.

00:41:04.039 --> 00:41:05.359
 We have later copies

00:41:05.359 --> 00:41:06.039
 and things like that.

00:41:06.099 --> 00:41:06.939
 So certainly relatively

00:41:06.939 --> 00:41:08.239
 to other medieval documents

00:41:08.239 --> 00:41:09.299
 the Quran is not,

00:41:09.819 --> 00:41:10.819
 would not be considered

00:41:10.819 --> 00:41:11.639
 well preserved

00:41:11.639 --> 00:41:13.059
 by medieval standards.

00:41:13.859 --> 00:41:14.679
 It's 9.50.

00:41:14.779 --> 00:41:15.059
 I don't know

00:41:15.059 --> 00:41:15.819
 if we should wrap up.

00:41:16.980 --> 00:41:17.199
 Okay.

00:41:17.539 --> 00:41:18.219
 Why don't we wrap up?

00:41:18.559 --> 00:41:19.500
 Come next week

00:41:19.500 --> 00:41:20.539
 and the next two weeks

00:41:20.539 --> 00:41:21.400
 and I'd be happy

00:41:21.400 --> 00:41:22.199
 to answer more questions

00:41:22.199 --> 00:41:22.719
 you guys have.

00:41:23.159 --> 00:41:23.559
 Thanks.

00:41:24.119 --> 00:41:25.239
 Thank you.

00:41:25.239 --> 00:41:26.280
 Thank you.

00:41:28.800 --> 00:41:29.000
 Thank you.

00:41:29.179 --> 00:41:29.539
 Thank you.

00:41:29.539 --> 00:41:30.360
 Thank you.

00:41:30.360 --> 00:42:00.340
 Thank you.