How Can We Trust the New Testament in Light of Bart Ehrman’s Claims?

The reliability of the New Testament is a frequent topic of debate among scholars, laypersons, and skeptics alike. Bart D. Ehrman, a prominent textual critic and former Evangelical Christian, has popularized the view that the New Testament manuscripts are riddled with errors, casting doubt on the authenticity and reliability of the text. This article provides a conservative Evangelical response, demonstrating why Ehrman’s conclusions fail to undermine the reliability of the New Testament. It will draw on extensive textual criticism, ancient manuscript evidence, and a proper understanding of divine providence.

The Inspiration of the Originals and the Role of Copyists

Did God Inspire Only the Originals?

The doctrine of verbal plenary inspiration teaches that the original autographs of the Bible were directly inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16). These autographs, penned by men “carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21), were inerrant in their wording. However, this inspiration did not extend to the copyists who later reproduced these texts. Critics like Ehrman argue that the lack of inspiration for copyists undermines the integrity of the text. Yet, such a conclusion overlooks the role of divine providence in preserving Scripture through fallible human agents.

While God did not promise error-free transmission, He provided an abundance of manuscript evidence to ensure the text’s reliability. As Isaiah 40:8 states: “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”

Copying Errors and Their Nature

Errors in the copying process are inevitable when human scribes are involved. However, the types of errors observed in New Testament manuscripts are overwhelmingly minor and easily identifiable. These include:

1. Spelling Differences (Orthographic Variants): Such variations, like “John” versus “Johannes,” do not affect the meaning of the text.
2. Parablepsis (Eye-Skip Errors): Scribes sometimes skipped lines due to similar endings (homoioteleuton), but these omissions are easily corrected through textual comparison.
3. Dittography (Accidental Repetition): A scribe might duplicate a letter or word, a mistake rectified by examining other manuscripts.

These errors are far from theologically significant, as Ehrman himself concedes in Misquoting Jesus: “Far and away the most changes are the result of mistakes, pure and simple—slips of the pen, accidental omissions, inadvertent additions, misspelled words, blunders of one sort or another” (p. 55).

The Extent of Manuscript Variants

400,000 Variants: Misleading Statistics

Ehrman frequently cites the figure of 400,000 variants in the New Testament manuscripts to emphasize the unreliability of the text. However, this statistic is misleading without context. With over 5,800 Greek manuscripts, 10,000 Latin manuscripts, and thousands more in other languages, the sheer volume of manuscripts naturally results in a high number of variants. Importantly:

1. Most Variants Are Insignificant: The vast majority are trivial, such as spelling differences or word order changes that do not alter the meaning of the text.
2. Redundancy Preserves Accuracy: The abundance of manuscripts allows textual critics to cross-check variations and restore the original wording with remarkable accuracy.

As Daniel Wallace has noted, over 99% of the New Testament text is unaffected by meaningful variants. Of the remaining 1%, no essential doctrine of the Christian faith is at stake.

Comparative Reliability of Ancient Texts

The New Testament surpasses all other ancient works in textual attestation. For instance:

• Homer’s Iliad: Approximately 1,800 manuscripts exist, with a time gap of about 400 years from the original.
• Caesar’s Gallic Wars: Fewer than 10 manuscripts survive, with a gap of nearly 1,000 years.
• New Testament: Over 5,800 Greek manuscripts exist, with fragments like P52 dating to approximately 125 C.E., within a few decades of the originals.

This unparalleled manuscript evidence ensures that we can reconstruct the original text with extraordinary precision.

Examining the Claims of Scribal Corruption

Were Early Scribes Untrained?

Ehrman often portrays early scribes as untrained amateurs who introduced widespread errors. While some early copyists may have been less experienced, many were highly skilled. For example:

1. Professional Scribes: By the second century, professional scribes were employed to copy Christian texts with meticulous care.
2. Christian Schools of Copying: By the fourth century, scriptoriums ensured standardized copying practices, reducing errors significantly.

Moreover, the communal nature of early Christian communities ensured that errors were quickly identified and corrected, as seen in the distribution of Pauline letters (Colossians 4:16).

Intentional Changes: Rare and Identifiable

Ehrman also alleges that some scribes intentionally altered texts for theological reasons. While intentional changes did occur, they are rare and often obvious to textual critics. For example:

• John 1:18 (Variant Reading): Some manuscripts read “the only begotten Son,” while others have “the only begotten God.” Textual scholars can trace these variants and assess which reading aligns with the author’s original intent based on external and internal evidence.

Intentional changes, therefore, do not pose a serious threat to the integrity of the New Testament text.

The Preservation of the New Testament Text

Textual Criticism Restores the Original

Textual criticism employs rigorous methodologies to evaluate manuscript evidence and restore the original text. Key principles include:

1. Prefer the Older Reading: Earlier manuscripts are closer to the original and less likely to include later corruptions.
2. Prefer the More Difficult Reading: Scribes were more likely to simplify challenging texts, so the harder reading is often original.
3. Context and Style: The critic considers the author’s known vocabulary and style to determine the authentic reading.

These principles, combined with the vast manuscript evidence, allow scholars to reconstruct the New Testament text with remarkable fidelity.

Critical Texts and Their Reliability

Modern critical editions, such as the Nestle-Aland 28th Edition and the United Bible Societies’ 5th Revised Edition, represent the culmination of centuries of scholarship. These texts provide a highly accurate representation of the original New Testament.

Theological Implications of Textual Variants

Does Divine Inspiration Require Perfect Preservation?

Ehrman’s critique assumes that divine inspiration necessitates perfect preservation. However, this expectation misunderstands the nature of inspiration and preservation. While God inspired the original authors, He allowed human agency in the transmission process. The abundance of manuscript evidence reflects His providence, ensuring that errors could be identified and corrected.

Psalm 119:89 declares, “Forever, O Jehovah, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.” The preservation of Scripture is evident not in the absence of scribal errors but in the ability of textual criticism to uncover and rectify those errors.

Do Variants Undermine Doctrine?

No essential doctrine of the Christian faith is jeopardized by textual variants. Core teachings, such as the deity of Christ (John 1:1; Titus 2:13), salvation by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), and the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-4), are affirmed across all manuscript traditions.

Conclusion

Bart Ehrman’s criticisms fail to withstand the weight of evidence supporting the reliability of the New Testament. While scribal errors exist, they are minor, identifiable, and do not affect the core message of Scripture. The abundance of manuscript evidence, combined with the rigorous discipline of textual criticism, ensures that the New Testament we have today is a faithful representation of the inspired autographs. As Jesus affirmed in Matthew 24:35: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

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