Monday, January 27, 2020

Win Myths and Mistakes in New Testament Textual Criticism!

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Myths and Mistakes in New Testament Textual Criticism has been out for about two months now and is already in a second printing. To celebrate, we’re giving away 3 copies here on the blog! You can enter in any of the ways below. Entries will close at midnight on Wednesday (Arizona time).


a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the book

Since the unexpected popularity of Bart Ehrman’s bestselling Misquoting Jesus, textual criticism has become a staple of Christian apologetics.

Ehrman’s skepticism about recovering the original text of the New Testament does deserve a response. However, this renewed apologetic interest in textual criticism has created fresh problems for evangelicals. An unfortunate proliferation of myths, mistakes, and misinformation has arisen about this technical area of biblical studies.

In this volume Elijah Hixson and Peter Gurry, along with a team of New Testament textual critics, offer up-to-date, accurate information on the history and current state of the New Testament text that will serve apologists and Christian students even as it offers a self-corrective to evangelical excesses.

Reactions

  • Sean McDowell: “Elijah Hixson and Peter J. Gurry have provided the church with an indispensable resource with the release of their recent book Myths and Mistakes in New Testament Textual Criticism. In my opinion, every pastor, Bible teacher, speaker, and apologist needs to read this book.”
  • Justin Taylor (with excerpts from the book): “a remarkably careful and learned book that will step on some toes but serve the church and the cause of truth ... We all have a lot to learn from these rising stars of textual criticism who care about the truth and the witness of our apologetics.”
  • Andy Naselli: “Myths and Mistakes in New Testament Textual Criticism is kind of like Carson’s Exegetical Fallacies for text crit. (I’m sure I’m not the only NT prof who was relieved to not get quoted and refuted!) Impressive book. The authors know their stuff.”
  • Peter Head: “Peter Gurry is my favorite American.”*



*This quote may have been inferred.

31 comments

  1. Congratulations on the second printing 🙂

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    1. Just general behavior.

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    2. Dr. Gurry

      I caught your interview with Jorge Gil. I liked a lot of what you had to say and there were some interesting observations, but there were at least two problems. One you seemed to think Ehrman gave up his faith because of TC. Ehrman denies this and it seems more like one of the myths you seek to combat. Similarly, Apologists, in general, and you in particular, seem to
      misunderstand Ehrman's point about the variants. Much of what you said in your interview is pretty much what Ehrman has said about it. When I read
      Misquoting Jesus, my impression was Ehrman discussed the variants because
      the lay public didn't know about them and more importantly, because its a problem to say the bible contains no errors when manuscripts are full of them: In this sense, variants, which he noted are meaningless, like spelling errors, become significant. I understand many have a nuanced view of inerrancy, but you'll find that (much of?)the laity and perhaps many apologists take the claim of inerrancy to mean there are no errors whatsoever and it was this sort of thinking that Ehrman sought to challenge.

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    3. Thanks for the feedback, Sp1ke0kill3r. If I gave the impression that textual criticism led Ehrman away from his Christian faith I apologize as that is not my understanding. My understanding is that it led him away from his evangelical bibliology and then the problem of evil ultimately led him away from Christian faith altogether.

      As to your second point, I would have to know more specifically what you’re referring to. But the equivocation on “error” is part of the problem. Most laypeople are bothered by the idea of God saying things that are untrue or wrong. Since the vast majority of textual variants are not theologically untrue or wrong they shouldn’t be a big problem. Thus spelling variants do not “become significant.” I don’t know anyone (including Ehrman) who thinks they are theologically significant.

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    4. No need for an apology, Dr. Gurry! I do understand this was an interview/casual conversation and not necessarily your considered opinion. Unfortunately, that is a common claim by, at least, some apologists(not that it is your responsibility to catch all the faulty claims!). By the way, any effort to correct apologetic myths and mistakes is, by itself, a nobel effort. Any plans for debating Ehrman on this? It's easier for dilettantes like myself to get an idea
      when you can here the back and forth



      > Thus spelling variants do not “become significant.” I don’t know anyone (including Ehrman) who thinks they are theologically significant.

      Well, sure they do, for those who's view of inerrancy is literal.

      However, Ehrman says

      >> ... My claim is that there are important variations in the surviving manuscripts of the New Testament; some of these variations affect how an entire passage — indeed, in some cases how an entire book — is to be interpreted; some of these variations affect how we understand the theology of this or that biblical author; there are numerous passages where scholars continue to debate what the “original” text of the New Testament said; and there are some places where we will never know. All of that does indeed seem to be significant to me. (https://ehrmanblog.org/my-very-first-post-criticisms-of-misquoting-jesus/)

      For instance he asks, Does the Gospel of Luke teach that Jesus’ death was an atoning sacrifice “for us”?

      In either case, this wouldn't approach being theologically untrue or wrong, but would be significant.
      Only basing my impression on the interview, it doesn't seem like you disagree all that much, if at all.

      > But the equivocation on “error” is part of the problem.

      Assuming you mean Ehrman is equivocating. That's the 64 million dollar question. Is his discussion of variants about them being theologically untrue or wrong?

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  3. Eeli Kaikkonen1/27/2020 9:45 am

    "US shipping only".

    Always a disappointment, and unfair to the rest of the world.

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    1. Fair enough. The problem is shipping. But, if it's not super expensive, I'll ship overseas. I've updated the terms and conditions.

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  4. Great little giveaway to celebrate the second printing! Glad to see the book is being read by many.

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  5. This book will be a great additions to the field. I have used a borrowed copy on my master's thesis, would love to own a copy!

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  6. Congrats on the second printing!

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  7. This book will be very helpful for me, because as person interested in the interpretation of the biblical text and the innerrancy of the biblical text this would be a great tool to help me get deeper in the field. I am very new to this and in my country there is not much interest in academic research. I am from Dominican Republic.

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  8. Alan Bunning1/27/2020 4:51 pm

    Did the second printing make updates to the text, or is it that all the books from the first printing already sold out?

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  9. Sounds interesting. Put me down for an entry.

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  10. Excelente, ya lo quiero, Dios los bendiga

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  11. I want to buy a copy and will donate it to a Bible Seminary. Will you give discounts to developing countries like the Philippines?

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  12. Great book! Helps to clear a lot of hear say and other second hand information.

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  13. Sounds really interesting and helpful

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  14. Always fascinated by textual criticism (as a former KJV/TR onlyist).,, Appreciate the work you all do. Hope to get a copy of this resource!

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  15. Would love this as part of preparing for PhD work! :)

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  16. This book will help me avoid saying silly things from the pulpit or lectern the evidence does not warrant. It looks like one of those books that is a helpful ‘train station’ for textual criticism: the book takes you to places you need or want to go (e.g. further studies), yet its also an excellent final destination.

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  17. > he church and the cause of truth ... We all have a lot to learn from these rising stars of textual criticism who care about the truth and the witness of our apologetics.”

    cant have it both ways, but it would be interesting to see if it gets Ehrman right or just runs through kneejerk misreadings of his work. It would be unfortunate if something called myths and mistakes made its own mistakes and unecessarily propagated myths.

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  18. Congratulations on the book, it looks to be a helpful corrective.

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  19. Would love to develop a teaching series for my adult Bible study class based on this.

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  20. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. p.s. Elijah: I did contact the Lundberg Rice Head Office via email about the incident. I received a reply email saying the office had a good laugh that morning. :-)

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  21. Other than the fact that I would find the book most helpful personally and academically, my main reason for posting in this "giveaway" is: (1) to assuage my guilt over petitioning for a free book, (2) in celebration/remembrance of Elijah’s 2017 SBL presentation of "The Purple MSS," or more likely, (3) to see if perhaps Elijah has a better story/joke to tell. (What follows is true)
    About four years ago, I bought some Lundberg Brown Rice at the local store. Upon arriving home, I was about to open the plastic bag when I caught a slight movement within. Opening the bag, rice spilled out onto the counter. About 20 weevils made their way out of the rice pile in all directions. In an effort to contain the little fellas, I wondered, “which one do I go after first?"
    I determined it was best to go after the lesser of two weevils.
    (Disclaimer: This "account" is not a 'myth,' contains no 'mistakes' (scribal errors), and (in my Scottish dialect) "is pure gospel.")

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  22. Oh a giveaway. I remember when this book was just an idea. I really should get a copy.

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  23. I don't yet to know how to use this book I will win (other than reading it). But I have seen these myths spread and have done it myself, unfortunately. There should be people in each local congregation who know something about textual critcism.

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