29 March, 2024

Five Books About How We Got the Bible

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by | 20 January, 2008 | 0 comments

By William R. Baker

The Journey from Texts to Translations: The Origin and Development of the Bible

By Paul D. Wegner

Baker Academic, 2004

This volume is far and away the most comprehensive, and is one of the only books that covers the issues from both Old Testament and New Testament perspectives. It is the most commonly used introductory textbook on this subject for college students to whom it is geared. It is filled with maps, photos, and charts; the key terms are defined, and all matters are dealt with succinctly. Students are pointed to advanced material in excellent “For Further Reading” sections at the end of each chapter. Detailed appendices found at the end of some chapters aid in discussing poignant issues in more detail.

Appendix 3 of chapter 18, “The Authorized Version of 1611 and its Revisions,” does a particularly excellent job of addressing the touchy matter regarding the well-documented problems with the Greek text that provides the basis for both the King James Version and the King James II Version. This volume covers canonization, transmission, the underlying sources for both the Old Testament and New Testament, early translations, as well as the historical details and brief critique of more than 32 English Bible versions, from the first, the Wycliffe Bible (1380), to the latest, New Living Translation (1996).


 




How We Got the Bible

By Clinton Arnold

Zondervan, 2008

Soon to be published, this volume is sure to become a worthy rival to Wegner”s corner on the market. The marketing blurb promises “the visual story of the origins of the Scriptures in a journey that begins with the most ancient manuscripts and extends to our modern translations.” As editor of the highly successful Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, Arnold has a strong record for producing very readable copy in tandem with compelling visual material.


 




The Making of the New Testament: Origin, Collection, Text & Canon

Arthur G. Patzia

InterVarsity, 1995

For those strictly interested in how we got the New Testament, this slim, paperback volume can”t be beat. In just 120 pages, it covers the key literature current in the world of New Testament. Issues involving theories of transmission for the gospels, the collection of Paul”s writings, and the Acts and the other New Testament writings are all discussed.

Other discussions consider criteria the early church used to determine what would be in the New Testament; matters of writing, copying, and transmitting the original documents; and the basics of how the documents are evaluated to determine the correct textual reading. Five great appendices contain lists of key church fathers and their canonical lists, key Greek manuscripts and what New Testament books they contain, plus a very helpful glossary of terms.

This volume is geared toward novices, but does not shrink from providing all the needed information to get started on this vital topic.


 




Introduction to New Testament Textual Criticism

J. Harold Greenlee

Hendrickson, 1995

For those interested strictly in textual criticism of the New Testament, this volume is the classic. Though it is compact, it will likely come across as too “heavy” for those who cannot read New Testament Greek. Readers get ample documentation of the history of the Greek New Testament, however, and can learn to sift for themselves the variations of readings for specific passages.


 




The English Bible from KJV to NIV: A History and Evaluation

Jack P. Lewis

Baker, 1991 and 1981

For those strictly interested in understanding modern, English translations, this is an excellent volume. Though out of print, a used copy is worth obtaining. Lewis, longtime professor at Harding Graduate School of Religion, a church of Christ (a cappella) institution in the Stone-Campbell tradition, has earned PhDs in both New Testament and Old Testament. He provides experienced and in-depth critique of 14 English versions: King James, American Standard, Revised Standard, New English, New American Standard, Jerusalem, New American, New World, Living, Good News, New International, New King James, Revised English, and New Revised Standard.


 




William Baker is professor of New Testament at Cincinnati (Ohio) Bible Seminary.

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