How Can We Be Sure the New Testament we Have Today is the Same as that penned by the Original Authors?

The Bibliographical Test This test is applied to all ancient historical documents

Questions Raised in This Test: How many copies are available? More copies the better Where are the copies found? From places removed by time & location, collusion unlikely

Questions Raised in This Test: What length of time passed between original & earliest copies? Short interval increases confidence What variances exist between the copies? If the variances are few and minor, the process of copying over the years has been faithful to the original

The Bibliographical Test For The New Testament How many copies of the New Testament manuscripts are now available? Over 24,000 Greek Manuscripts! Homer (Iliad) – 643 Copies Sophocles – 193 Copies Aristotle – 49 Copies Caesar (Gallic Wars) – 10 Copies

The Bibliographical Test For The New Testament Where were these copies found? Various Places Egypt Palestine Syria Turkey Greece Italy Such Varied Locates make Collusion Very Difficult, if not Impossible

The Bibliographical Test For The New Testament What length of time passed between the original & the earliest copies? Several Papyri Fragments have been dated within 50-100 years of the autographs. Several nearly complete N.T. Greek Manuscripts which were copied within 300-400 years of the autograph.

The Bibliographical Test For The New Testament What length of time passed between the original & the earliest copies? Codex Sinaiticus – Mid 4th Century Codex Alexandrinus – 5th Century Codex Vaticanus – 4th Century All Virtually Complete Old and New Testaments in Greek “Unicals”

The Bibliographical Test For The New Testament Compare with Classical Manuscripts- Homer – 900 B.C. first copy 500 years from autograph Sophocles – 496-406 B.C. first copies dated 1000 A.D. Aristotle – 384-322 B.C. first copy in 1100 A.D. Caesar – 58-50 B.C. first copy 900 A.D.

The Bibliographical Test For The New Testament What Variances Exist Between the Many Copies of the New Testament? Only .5 % is in question – compared to 5% for the Illiad “No fundamental doctrine rests on a disputed reading… It cannot be too strongly asserted that in substance the text of the Bible is certain: especially is this the case with the New Testament.” Sir Frederick Kenyon

The Bibliographical Test For The New Testament The New Testament Passes with Flying Colors It does Better than any other Historical Document that has Come Down from Antiquity!

The Bibliographical Test For The New Testament “Evidence for our N. T. writings is ever so much greater than the evidence for many writings of classical authors, the authenticity of which no one dreams of questioning. And if the N. T. were a collection of secular writings, their authenticity would generally be as beyond all doubt.” F.F. Bruce

The Bibliographical Test For The New Testament “After trying to shatter the historicity and validity of the Scripture, I came to the conclusion that they are historically trustworthy. If one discards the Bible as being unreliable, then he must discard almost all literature of antiquity." One problem I constantly face is the desire on the part of many to apply one standard or test to secular literature and other to the Bible. One needs to apply the same test, whether the literature under investigation is secular or religious. Having done this, I believe one can hold the Scriptures in his hand and say, 'The Bible is trustworthy, and historically reliable.'" Josh McDowell

Why Then Would Anyone Question The New Testament Record Concerning Jesus? They Don’t Want To Believe that Miracles Happened What are we to do with the testimony of the New Testament concerning the miracles of Jesus and His resurrection from the dead?

There are Only Two Alternatives EITHER the New Testament is Telling the Truth OR it is a Carefully Orchestrated lie? Why Only TWO Alternatives? 1 Corinthians 15:14,15 2 Peter 1:16-18 We cannot say they might have been sincerely deceived- Acts 10:39-41 1 John 1:1-4 1 Corinthians 15:4-8

Which is More Logical, More Rational to Believe? Implications IF the N.T. is Not True It is a Carefully Orchestrated Lie! Luke 2:1-5 – Confirmed by Archaeology IF the record of Miracles & the Resurrection are False – they are merely intertwined, Fact and Fiction IS it Reasonable to believe that?

Which is More Logical, More Rational to Believe? Implications IF the N.T. is Not True The Authors Suffered Extreme Hardship For What They Knew Was a Lie 1 Corinthians 4:9-13 2 Corinthians 11:24-29 The author of Half the Books of the N.T. (Paul) suffered Extreme Hardship for a LIE! IS it Logical to Believe That?

Which is More Logical, More Rational to Believe? Implications IF the N.T. is Not True The Authors who were Martyred Knew they were Dying For A LIE! James – stoned to death Paul – beheaded Peter – crucified IF the N.T. is a LIE, they went to their Deaths KNOWING they were dying for a LIE! IS it Rational to Believe That?

Which is More Logical, More Rational to Believe? Implications IF the N.T. is Not True Suffering & Dying for a LIE, went against Everything Jesus and they themselves Taught! Matthew 5:37 Ephesians 4:25 1 Peter 2:1 Does it Make Sense To Believe That?

Which is More Logical, More Rational to Believe? Implications IF the N.T. is Not True It would mean that the Book with the World’s Highest Standard & Loftiest Goals was Composed by Liars, Frauds & Deceivers! Matthew Chapters 5-7 1 Corinthians Chapter 13 Can You Believe It?

Those Who Do Not Believe the New Testament Record: Are Those Who- Have Never Read the New Testament Carefully OR Are Not Aware of the Evidence which Supports it as a Historical Document OR Have not Considered the Logical Implications of Simply Regarding it as a Mixture of Fact and Fiction

Those who Read it, I Believe they will find: It has “the Ring of Truth” to it. Romans 10:17; John 20:30,31

Have You Read the New Testament? Have You Obeyed The New Testament?