In recent decades, the traditional definition of the original text of the New Testament (NT) has shifted from seeking one singular text to seeking a number of texts. Instead of one “authorial” text, now it is claimed that it could be one of several different texts based on their locations in the history of transmission: preauthorial, authorial, canonical, and postcanonical. These distinctions were first listed by Eldon Epp in his article “The Multivalence of the Term ‘Original Text’ in New Testament Textual Criticism” as “predecessor,” “autographic,” “canonical,” and “interpretive” text-forms. It is apparent that with such changing definitions of the original text of the NT, text-critics are ambivalent regarding reaching the traditional goal of NT textual criticism. Instead, attention is now given towards hypothesizing regarding the emergence of the variant readings. Furthermore, any attempt towards utilizing text-critical principles to reach the original text is looked upon as being out of date and pointless. All such shifting definitions of the original text and the ensuing claims have far-reaching consequences for biblical faith and praxis. In this work, three different scholars will present their methodologies for retrieving the original text of the NT. No matter how each of the presenters evaluates the text-critical evidence, it is obvious that they all believe in the inerrancy and retrievability of the NT text.

2016 Christian Book of the Year Award Winner in Bible Reference From Moses to Gutenberg, easily find out how we got the Bible we have today and discover why we can trust it with this highly visual and easy-to-understand handbook on the history of Bible! Dive into the fascinating stories of the people who risked their lives to print and distribute the Word of God (Tyndale, Wycliffe, etc). Perfect for personal or small group use. Have you ever wondered where the Bible came from? Who wrote the books of the Bible and how did they end up together? Perhaps you have been asked by a friend or coworker about books that were cut out of the Bible. Through seven dynamic chapters in How We Got the Bible, expert Dr. Timothy Paul Jones will guide you through all the important questions about the Holy Bible to show you why it can be trusted. Filled with dramatic stories and highly visual charts and illustrations, this exciting Bible History handbook will take you from the earliest clay tablets and papyrus copies to the first bound Bible and the various Bible translations that we use today! Discover the following: Three ways the Bible is unlike any other "Holy Book" What it means when we say that the Bible is inspired and inerrant What people did to preserve the text of the Bible over the centuries How we know that the Old and New Testament are reliable The stories behind names like John Wycliffe, William Tyndale, Gutenberg, and King James I 4 Key Features of the How We Got the Bible Handbook 1. Get a Simple Overview of the History of the Bible (Covers More Than 3,500 Years) Enjoy having a concise overview of the Bible's entire history at your fingertips. With this book, you can firmly grasp what biblical reliability means in six engaging and easy-to-understand chapters, packed with key events and people to deepen your understanding of the history of the Bible. Includes the following: Key people including Wycliffe, Tyndale, Gutenberg, and Erasmus The Dead Sea Scrolls, the Vulgate, the King James Bible, and today's modern Bible translations Ancient methods and materials used by scribes to hand copy the Bible accurately Charts and explanation of how we got the Bible in English, and much more! 2. Provides Solid Proofs for Why You Can Trust the Bible Easily compare today's Bible with the Dead Sea Scrolls and many more early church records from past centuries to see how carefully the texts have been translated and recorded. Enjoy getting a simple explanation of the Bible's reliability with basic apologetics. 3. Packed with Fascinating Stories of Key People and Events History can be a dry and tedious subject--but not with the How We Got the Bible handbook! Easily absorb important facts and information in a fun and easy-to-understand way that will have you not wanting to put this book down, such as: The text of the Bible is better preserved than the writing of Plato or Aristotle. There is more than 99% agreement between all of the known manuscripts of the Bible. There are over 5,700 manuscripts of the New Testament compared to 210 surviving copies of Plato. Every book in the New Testament was written down before the eyewitnesses of Jesus passed away. 4. Filled with Visual Charts, Definitions, and Additional Resources Save hours looking up technical terms and searching for extra timelines and charts--it's all here in one easy-to-understand handbook! With the flip of a page, you'll find charts simplifying technical definitions, an English Bible Translations Comparison, and references to give you a complete overview of how the Bible was formed. These related resources are also available (each sold separately): How We Got the Bible Complete Kit (UPC 031809035658 or ISBN 9781628622072) which contains a DVD plus additional resources How We Got the Bible DVD Bible Study (UPC 031809035665 or ISBN 9781628622065) Paperback edition of How We Got the Bible Leader Guide (ISBN 9781628622089, also available as an e-book) Paperback edition of How We Got the Bible Participant Guide (ISBN 9781628622126, also available as an e-book) with session outlines, discussion questions, definitions, and timelines. Buy a copy of the participant guide for each person. How We Got the Bible PowerPoint (ISBN 9781890947460) with dozens of slides providing even more in-depth information.

If only we could hold the actual words of Luke's descriptive narrative or Paul's outpouring of pastoral pain to the church at Corinth. Now we can. A continuing quest to recover the New Testament text allows Christians to open their Bibles with confidence that the words approximate the writers' Greek quill strokes or the English equivalents. Such thought breaths excitement into Philip Comfort's history of the New Testament text and discussion of the credibility (and limitations) of texts and translations. Comfort challenges the view that early copyists were careless and took editorial liberties. He argues that their accuracy and integrity are indisputable. While this task involves comparing manuscripts, technical facts are framed in historical and cultural color. He assures Christians that even uncovering the paper signed by Paul would not change our understanding of what he said. This introduction to the work of textual criticism challenges students to continue the quest for the original text. It is essentially a sequel to 'Early Manuscripts and Modern Translations of the New Testament.'

Christian History Made Easy summarizes the most important events in the history of the church, from the time of Jesus to modern day. Christian History Made Easy explains early church history, the Church Councils, the Great Schism, the Crusades, Francis of Assisi, John Wycliffe, Martin Luther, the Protestant Reformation, and more. Christian History Made Easy presents key church history events and great Christian leaders everyone should know, along with full-color church history timelines, photos, pictures, and maps. The study guide and worksheets in the back makes this book an excellent Bible Study, adults Sunday school topics, or homeschool curriculum. Author Timothy Paul Jones makes Christian history refreshingly fun while at the same time informing Christians about the history of the Christian faith.Full-color, 224 pages, paperback, 6 x 9 inches. Theologian J. I. Packer says Christian History Made Easy is, "...a beautifully simple, beginner-friendly telling of Christian history, a precious heritage."/strong img src="/Assets/ClientImages/fold/705X_Spreads.jpg" Christian History Made Easy Covers Major Events in Church History Early Church History The Early Church—Peter and Paul, the Age of the Apostles, The Destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem scatters Christians Early Church Fathers Persecution of Christians—Emperor Nero and Domitian, Martyrdom of Peter, Paul, Ignaitius, Polycarp, Justin Martyr Christianity legalized in the Roman Empire, Emperor Constantine, Christianity the official religion in the Roman Empire The Byzantine Era The Council of Nicaea, The Nicene Creed Augustine, Jerome translates the Bible into Latin, St. Patrick Fall of the Roman Empire, rise of the Eastern Orthodox Church Gregory the Great, Rise of Monasticism Rise of Islam and the Islamic Conquest in Europe, Charles Martel, Charlemagne East/West Church Schism (Photian Schism), Leif Ericson converts to Christianity Great Schism, Hildebrand reforms the church, the Crusades, Lateran Councils, Richard the Lionheart Pre-Reformation Church History Middle Ages, Bubonic Plague, John Wycliffe, the Wycliffe Bible The Renaissance, Jan Hus, Joan of Arc, Ottomans capture the Christian city of Constantinople, Johann Gutenberg's printing press The Protestant Reformation Erasmus, Martin Luther, 95 Theses, Ulrich Zwingli, William Tyndale, King Henry VIII, The Geneva Bible, The Matthew's Bible, Church of England history, John Knox, Queen Mary Tudor, Queen Elizabeth I, King James Version Bible Galileo, Pilgrim's Progress, Quaker founded, first Protestant missionary societies The Great Awakening and Church History in America and Europe John and Charles Wesley, George Whitefield, Handel writes the Messiah, Sunday school is developed, John Newton writes "Amazing Grace." Divisions over slavery in Baptist history Abolition, William Wilberforce, Charles Finney leads revivals, George Muller's faith orphanage, YMCA an YWCA founded, Charles Spurgeon, Salvation Army founded Church History in the 20th and 21st Century Amy Carmichael, Irish missionary to India, Azusa Street, Scofield Bible, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Billy Graham, Discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Modern political State of Israel C.S. Lewis, major evangelistic crusades in Latin America and Korea, Roman Catholic church apologizes for lack of leadership during the Holocaust Each Chapter of Christian History Made Easy Includes Key events Key concepts Names you should know Terms you should know Bible maps and time-lines Things to think about Clarification of words At the end of each chapter is a student guide, student worksheet, learning activity and quiz Endorsement for Christian History Made Easy "Rose's product line includes a wonderful collection of high quality, visually attractive materials that lend themselves to learning the basics of the Christian Faith. In most areas where alternative views exist, they are faithfully presented leaving the reader to decide which best fits their understanding of scripture....I have used Christian History Made Easy for my Sunday school class and found it to be very well done. This book has a great collection of auxiliary Study Guide questions. The author, Timothy Paul Jones is obviously a practiced teacher. I used an early edition. The recent upgrade of this package looks even better..." —Dr. Gene A. Stringer, Elder, Christian Church of Ashland, Oregon Endorsements and biography for Author Timothy Paul Jones "Dr. Timothy Paul Jones is a brilliant young biblical scholar who helps simplify the complex. His [resources] are great and sorely needed during our time when many are biblically illiterate and know even less about Church history." —Dr. Jerry Newcombe, author, TV host, and spokesperson for Truth that Transforms with Dr. D. James Kennedy (formerly The Coral Ridge Hour) About the Author: Dr. Timothy Paul Jones img src="http://www.rose-publishing.com/Assets/ClientImages/timothy-paul-jones.jpg" alt="Dr. Timothy Paul Jones" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 10px 0" Timothy Paul Jones serves as a professor of Christian ministry and as associate vice president at the Southern Baptist Theological seminary, where he teaches courses in applied apologetics and family ministry. Before teaching at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, he led churches in Missouri and Oklahoma as pastor and associate pastor. Dr. Jones has authored or contributed to more than a dozen books, including PROOF; Conspiracies and the Cross; and, Christian History Made Easy. In 2007, Charles Colson listed him as one of “four names you need to know” when responding to the new atheists and in 2010, Christian Retailing magazine selected Christian History Made Easy as the book of the year in the field of Christian education. He is married to Rayann and they have three daughters. The Jones family works in SojournKids and community group ministry at Sojourn Community Church. A Message from Timothy Paul Jones, author of Christian History Made Easy My name is Timothy Paul Jones, and I love living in the city of Louisville with my wife and daughters. Over the past two decades, I've had the privilege of leading several congregations as a pastor and in associate ministry roles. Now, I serve as associate professor of leadership and as associate vice president at one of the largest seminaries in the world, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Here, I invest my time in mentoring a rising generation of God-called ministers of the gospel. I also edit The Journal of Discipleship and Family Ministry and write books in the fields of history, apologetics, and family ministry. I enjoy spending time with my family, meandering along city streets, visiting baseball parks, drinking French-pressed coffee, eating locally-produced foods, and cooking for friends. My family is involved in children's ministry at the east campus of Sojourn Community Church. img src="/Assets/ClientImages/rca.jpg" border="0" margin="2px" align="left" Christian History Made Easy WINNER of the Christian Retailers' Choice Awards 2010 for the "most significant new life-changing products in the Christian retail industry" in the Christian Education category See this press release from Southern Baptist Seminary: http://news.sbts.edu/2010/04/27/jones-book-receives-christian-retailers-award/ Note to professors: For exam or desk copy policy click HERE. Notification About Prior Edition This book is the deluxe full-color edition of the original black-and-white edition. The first edition was ISBN 1890947105 or ISBN 13: 9781890947101 (Product code 416X) !-- Preview -- Look Inside: Sample Pages of RBB: Christian HIstory Made Easy !-- Insert issuu script -- !-- End issuu script -- !-- End Preview --

This volume highlights points of agreement and disagreement between two leading intellectuals on the subject of the textual reliability of the New Testament: Bart Ehrman, James A. Gray Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Daniel Wallace, Professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary and Executive Director of the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts. This book provides interested readers a fair and balanced case for both sides and allows them to decide for themselves: What does it mean for a text to be textually reliable? How reliable is the New Testament? How reliable is reliable enough?

This book is about the transmission of the New Testament text in the second and third centuries of early Christianity. It explores the world of manuscripts, scribes, and early Christian textual culture.

Perspectives on New Testament Textual Criticism, Volume 2, with articles published during 2006-2017, treats many aspects of New Testament textual criticism, emphasizing the criteria for constructing the earliest attainable text, and extracting stories told by “rejected” variants that illuminate issues in the early Christian churches.