Manuscripts

Besides the 24,000+ manuscripts mentioned earlier we have more than 15,000 existing copies of the various versions written in the Latin and Syriac (Christian Aramaic), some of which were written as early as 150 A.D., such as the Syriac Peshitta (150-250 A.D.)

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Because Christianity was and is a missionary faith (Matthew 28:19-20), the scriptures were translated into the known languages of that period. It is also for that reason that other written translations appeared, such as the Coptic (early 3rd and 4th centuries), Armenian (400 A.D.), Gothic (4th century), Georgian (5th century), Ethiopic (6th century), and Nubian (6th century).

Indeed the very fact that we have so many translations of the New Testament points to its authenticity, as it would have been almost impossible, had the disciples or Paul or even later followers wanted to corrupt or forge its contents. For they would then have to gather or destroy all the exisiting translations from around the immediate area and from the outlying areas so that there would have been the uniformity which we find witnessed in these translations today. A task of monumental proportions and doomed to fail.

Then we also have the early Church Letters:

These are possibly the strongest verification for the New Testament, for they contain masses of quotations taken from the New Testament pages by the early church fathers. “In fact, there are 32,000 quotations from the New Testament found in writings from before the council of Nicea in 325 A.D.” (Mcdowell Evidence, 1972:52).

So then the manuscript evidence at our disposal gives us ample evidence with which to corroborate the New Testament. The earliest of these manuscripts have now been dated around 60-70 A.D., which places them within the lifetime of the Apostles. Then over all that we have 15,000 early translations of the New Testament, and over 2,000 lectionaries. And finally we have scriptural quotations in the letters of the early Church fathers with which we could almost reproduce the New Testament if we so wished. This indeed is substantial manuscript evidence for the New Testament.

A Rather Interesting Fact;

The earliest New Testament manuscripts as well as the earliest letters from the church fathers correspond with the New Testament which we have in our hands, providing us with some certainty that they have not been unduly added to or tampered with. And most definitely not adulterated to the extent that many prefer to believe.

So once again having compared the facts, examined the evidence, and drawn my conclusion based upon this evidence and the scriptures one must ask the question, whom do we believe? The facts as we find them, or the imaginings of those who wish the writtings said something other than that, which they do?

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