Textual Criticism Flashcards
Which non-Christian writers mention Jesus within 150 years of his life?
Flavius Josephus, Tacitus, Pliny the Younger, Phlegon (a freed slave who wrote histories), Thallus (a first century historian), Suetonius, Lucian, Celsus, Mara Bar-Serapion (a private citizen who wrote to his son), and the Jewish Talmud
What are some other languages besides Greek in which the majority of NT manuscripts are written?
Syriac, Coptic, Latin, Arabic
What is the Codex Vaticanus?
A complete New Testament along with the Septuagint
from c. 325 A. D.
Approximately how many times did the early church Fathers quote the New Testament in their writings?
About 36K times
“Converted people are not objective”
Absolutely they can be. A doctor can give an objective diagnosis of a patient even if he has strong feelings for him or her. Bias can actually make someone more careful to report the facts properly
Give two reasons why the New Testament books were written before A. D. 70
The destruction of the temple is not mentioned, which was
1) catastrophic and 2) predicted by Jesus
Why is it likely that many of the NT books were written before A. D. 62?
Because the deaths of Paul and James, the brother of Jesus, are not mentioned (James was executed by the Sanhedrin, who also sentenced Jesus to die)
What is the almost undisputed date of 1 Corinthians?
A. D. 55-56 (Geisler and
Turek, 241)
When do most scholars (even liberals) date the credal passage in 1 Corinthians 15?
Before A. D. 40 (Geisler and Turek, 242)
How do we know that James, the brother of Jesus, was killed in
A. D. 62?
Flavius Josephus
What are the main sources to consult for writing history like that of the Gospels?
- personal memory
- eyewitnesses
- written sources
Why is personal memory a reliable way of documenting history even forty years after the events?
Because memory is influenced by emotional impact, personal devotion and repetition or routine, all of which characterized the NT writers’ experience with Jesus
What is one possible reason why the NT writers didn’t write down what they saw immediately, as opposed to waiting years?
Living in an oral culture, they most likely developed creeds instead of written communication
List the “historical tests” criteria historians use to determine whether a document is reliable
- early testimony
- multiple, independent eyewitness testimony
- trustworthy
- corroborating evidence
- enemy attestation
- embarrassing information
What is important about the information given by the ten
non-Christian writers who mention Jesus within 150 years of his life?
Their collective info provides a story line that is generally consistent with the New Testament
Who are the 4-6 lines of early, independent eyewitness testimony in the New Testament?
Luke, John, Matthew, Mark, Peter, Paul
What are the main lines of evidence they give throughout their testimonies?
- real historical figures
- real contemporary details
- a consistent basic storyline
How do we know the New Testament story is not a legend?
1) the NT documents were written within two generations of the events by eyewitnesses or their contemporaries
2) the storyline is corroborated by non-Christian sources
3) the storyline contains at least thirty historical figures that are confirmed by non-NT sources
What are two major reasons why the New Testament story is not a lie?
1) the disciples preached their message in Jerusalem where their claims could have been easily refuted
2) some were martyred for what would have been a known lie
Where did Jesus teach that the Old Testament was divinely authoritative?
When he used the OT against Satan; also, whenever he used the phrase, “It is written”
Where did Jesus teach that the scriptures were imperishable?
Matthew 5 (“jot or tittle”)
Where did Jesus teach that the scriptures were infallible?
“The scriptures cannot be broken” (John 10:35); “your word is truth” (John 17:17)
Which two OT stories did Jesus affirm as historical?
Jonah and Noah
Who is the founder of the Jesus Seminar and what year was it founded?
Atheist Robert Funk, 1985
How does the Jesus Seminar determine what is historically accurate regarding Jesus?
Majority vote of the radical scholars of the group
What are some sources the Jesus Seminar uses for their conclusions?
The Gospel of Thomas;
hypothetical “Gospel of Q”;
non-existent “Secret Mark”
Does the Jesus Seminar a priori reject the possibility of miracles?
Yes
Does the Jesus Seminar assume that Christianity was influenced by mystery religions?
Yes
What dates does the Jesus Seminar give for the four Gospels?
A. D. 70-100
What two things can be used to explain why the style of the Pastoral letters is different from the undisputed letters of Paul?
• Paul’s use of a secretary
• his use of pre-formed hymns, traditions and teaching pieces
(Capes, OT Yahweh Texts, 7)
What characteristics of the Pastoral letters indicate that Paul was the author?
1) he claims to be the author at the beginning of each letter;
2) each letter contains Pauline features;
3) the pastorals were accepted by several early church fathers
(Capes, OT Yahweh Texts, 7-8)
Did the early church ever envision the return of God the father?
No, there are no references in the New Testament about the Father’s return, only the Son; the only exception would be the maranatha passage, which is unclear
(Capes, OT Yahweh Texts, 44)
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for “name” had what connotation?
Office, rank, or dignity
Capes, OT Yahweh Texts, 158
Where did the Philippian hymn (2:6-11) likely originate according to David B. Capes?
In Palestine in a Jewish-Christian setting
Which Bible did Jesus and the Apostles use?
The Septuagint (Geisler, BECA, 552)
What kind of methodology did Rudolph Bultmann use in his approach to the New Testament?
Anti-supernatural and historical-critical; he separated the faith in the Bible from its historical reliability
