Scribes, Scrolls, and Scripture: A Student's Guide to New Testament Textual Criticism

by J.Harold Greenlee

Paperback

Published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Mark D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read this book in the past. I wanted to read it again to refresh my understanding of the translation of the Scripture. This book gives good basic instruction for someone who knows nothing of the process of textual criticism. I suggest this book for anyone who wants to learn more about how the Scripture came to us through the centruies.

[Todd Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better books for non-scholars I have read on the subject of New Testament textual criticism. Disclaimer: The author clearly favors the Alexandrian text type. However, he does not discount the other families of texts including the Byzantine family.

All that said, this will explain many important facts relative to textual criticism with elementary explanations that non-Greek speakers can understand. This book is for the layperson, clearly.

This book can be read in just a few sittings and the reader will know more about how we have received the underlying Biblical transcripts and how they are viewed. Whether one agrees with the author about text types or not, this book gives good information.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great introduction to New Test. Textual Criticism. Many Christians have no idea how we got the Scriptures, let alone understand that certain passages in certain Bible versions are actually not inspired but were added in later. This can lead some to doubt the integrity of the Word of God, but it shouldn't, and this is the book to explain why.

[Lily-joseph Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction book to NT textual criticism. Easy to read. The author prefers the Alexandrian textform and gives some sound explanations why he does.

Yet he does not exclusively support the A-textform and offers some erronous readings in the textform's manuscripts.

It would help readers to have a substantial understanding on extant Greek mauscripts and variants in them.

Bottomline is this:
God truly has preserved His written revelation through the extant Greek manuscripts. And the variants in the NT Greek manuscripts do not weaken any doctrine or message of the Bible.

[Paul Dubuc · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent, short introduction to New Testament textual criticism. This is the least anyone who studies or teaches the Bible should know about the history of the biblical text, how the ancient manuscripts are compared and corrected. This book is older (1985) but not really out of date. For an updated and expanded version of this book, see the author's The Text of the New Testament: From Manuscript To Modern Edition (2008).