Philip Wesley Comfort (1950–2022) had established himself as a distinguished voice in the field of New Testament textual studies. His scholarly contributions extend across several areas, including New Testament Greek, papyrology, paleography, and textual criticism. Comfort is particularly recognized for his detailed work with the earliest Greek papyri, his commitment to demonstrating the reliability of the New Testament text, and his efforts to make the discipline of textual criticism accessible to students, pastors, and scholars alike. His work emphasizes the importance of the early Alexandrian witnesses and stresses the remarkable textual stability that characterizes the New Testament manuscript tradition.

Academic Background and Teaching Career

Philip W. Comfort earned advanced degrees in theology and New Testament studies, completing his Ph.D. with a dissertation that directly addressed the early papyrus manuscripts of the New Testament. He became a professor of Greek and New Testament, teaching at Wheaton College, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and Coastal Carolina University, among others. His academic roles combined classroom instruction with research and writing, equipping students not only to read the Greek New Testament but also to understand how textual variants impact interpretation. Comfort has also contributed to the publication of Bible reference works, study tools, and translations, serving both academic and lay audiences.

Focus on the Earliest Papyri

Comfort’s work is best known for his concentrated study of the early papyri of the New Testament. He has argued that these manuscripts, dating from 100–250 C.E., are crucial in establishing the text of the New Testament as it was originally written. For example, papyri such as P52 (125–150 C.E.), the oldest known fragment of the New Testament, and P66 (125–150 C.E.), a nearly complete manuscript of the Gospel of John, play a central role in his research. Comfort consistently highlights how these papyri confirm the essential stability of the text.

His book The Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts (co-authored with David P. Barrett) provides transcriptions and textual notes on 69 papyri. This work, intended to place primary sources into the hands of students and scholars, reflects Comfort’s conviction that understanding the papyri is the foundation of New Testament textual criticism. He carefully evaluates each papyrus with attention to dating, textual character, and relationship to later manuscripts. His methodology prioritizes external evidence, giving greatest weight to the Alexandrian tradition while considering Western and Byzantine witnesses as important but secondary.

Emphasis on Alexandrian Stability

Comfort maintains that the Alexandrian textual tradition, represented in papyri such as P75 (175–225 C.E.) and in codices like Vaticanus (B, 300–330 C.E.) and Sinaiticus (א, 330–360 C.E.), most reliably preserves the original wording of the New Testament. He stresses that the close agreement between P75 and Codex Vaticanus demonstrates that the Alexandrian text was not a late recension but reflects a textual form circulating as early as the late second century. The 83% agreement between these witnesses reveals remarkable continuity, undermining theories of radical corruption or uncontrolled transmission.

Comfort’s writings frequently argue against overstated skepticism in textual studies. While acknowledging the existence of variants, he underscores that the vast majority of textual differences are minor and do not alter the substance of Christian teaching. For him, the early papyri provide strong evidence that the New Testament text was copied with care and transmitted faithfully.

Contributions to Textual Criticism Resources

Beyond his papyrological work, Comfort has authored resources designed to aid readers in understanding the New Testament text. His New Testament Text and Translation Commentary provides analysis of significant textual variants across the New Testament, summarizing manuscript evidence and noting how these readings affect translation. This work serves as a bridge between detailed textual criticism and the needs of pastors and students who consult the Greek text for exegesis.

He has also contributed to Bible translation projects, including work with the New Living Translation (NLT), where his expertise in textual criticism informed decisions regarding the Greek base text. His role in such projects illustrates his practical commitment to ensuring that the best available text is represented in modern translations.

Paleography and Manuscript Dating

Comfort has contributed significantly to paleography, the study of ancient handwriting. His careful analysis of letter forms, script styles, and codicological features has provided important data for dating New Testament manuscripts. For instance, his datings for papyri such as P46 (100–150 C.E.), P66 (125–150 C.E.), and P75 (175–225 C.E.) align with scholarly consensus that places these manuscripts within the first two centuries of the New Testament’s composition.

By situating the papyri within their historical contexts, Comfort has highlighted how quickly the New Testament writings circulated and were copied. This early diffusion challenges assumptions that long periods of uncontrolled transmission occurred before textual stability emerged. Instead, Comfort demonstrates that stability is present from the earliest extant witnesses.

Interaction with Broader Scholarship

Comfort interacts critically with other positions in textual criticism. He recognizes the importance of eclectic methods but consistently argues for the primacy of documentary evidence. Unlike scholars who elevate internal criteria such as stylistic or theological tendencies, Comfort insists that manuscript evidence must remain the starting point. He warns against speculative reconstructions that minimize the testimony of early papyri and the Alexandrian tradition.

At the same time, he does not dismiss the Byzantine or Western traditions outright. He acknowledges their historical value and their role in the broader transmission of the New Testament. However, he evaluates them against the earliest evidence, typically finding the Alexandrian witnesses superior in preserving the original wording.

Impact on Evangelical Scholarship

Comfort’s scholarship has had significant influence within evangelical circles. By making papyrological data accessible and readable, he has bridged the gap between technical scholarship and church audiences. His works assure readers that the New Testament text is trustworthy and that claims of radical corruption are unfounded. Comfort consistently emphasizes that while minor textual variations exist, the original wording can be reconstructed with a high degree of certainty through careful attention to the earliest manuscripts.

His insistence on the value of the papyri, particularly those dating within 100–250 C.E., has shaped discussions on the history of the New Testament text. Comfort has played a leading role in countering the view that the New Testament was fluid and unstable for centuries. Instead, he demonstrates continuity from the autographs to the extant early witnesses, confirming the providential preservation of Scripture through faithful transmission.

Published Works

Comfort’s published corpus reflects his lifelong commitment to New Testament textual studies. Some of his most significant works include:

• The Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts (with David Barrett)

• Encountering the Manuscripts: An Introduction to New Testament Paleography and Textual Criticism

• New Testament Text and Translation Commentary

• Early Manuscripts and Modern Translations of the New Testament

• The Complete Guide to Bible Versions

These works collectively aim to provide tools for both specialists and non-specialists. They balance technical data with explanatory material, underscoring Comfort’s goal of making textual criticism accessible without compromising scholarly rigor.

Final Observations

Philip W. Comfort stands as a leading figure in modern New Testament textual scholarship, especially in relation to the papyri. His work highlights the importance of external evidence, the reliability of the Alexandrian textual tradition, and the continuity between the earliest manuscripts and later textual witnesses. By equipping both academic and church audiences with resources on textual criticism, he has fostered greater confidence in the New Testament text as originally written.

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