1 BACAW! James Patrick Holding Tekton Apologetics Deceit and Cunning in Chapel Hill The Three Mythologies of Bart Ehrman

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3 To be sure…he’s no dummy… …but he’s definitely a man on a mission! Doctorate from Princeton Distinguished Professor at UNC Widely published

4 From fundamentalist… …to fundamentalist agnostic?? A Big Change?

5 What is textual criticism? The art and science of using copies of an ancient text to decide what the original text said Used on the Bible, as well as secular works MJ: A great intro…with flaws

6 BACAW!

7 Lastnightatdinnerisawabu ndanceonthetable or ? “abundance”

8 BACAW! Lastnightatdinnerisawabu ndanceonthetable therewerebreadsandmeatsandc heeseseverywhere unclehenrytriedtostabotwithh isforkwhileitdidthewatusi

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10 SORRY! Adam and Jamie couldn’t make it…so…

11 Withholding the Whole Truth: Myth #1 There are no originals of the NT left today – BIG PROBLEM!

12 BUSTED! Yes, we have no NT originals…but the same is true for all ancient documents, and secular historians aren’t worried!

13 Tacitus (all works) New Testament Date of Earliest Copies (Years After Written) Number of Copies

14 Withholding the Whole Truth: Myth #2 There were significant changes made to the NT records – BIG PROBLEM!

15 BUSTED! Yes, we have evidence for both accidental and even a few intentional changes…but they’re not a problem.

16 Mountains from Molehillls: Digging Out the Facts Variants!!!

17 Knocking Down Spelling mistakes, slips of the pen = 70%

18 Types of Manuscript Variants Spelling or “typographical” errors. “That hat is too bug for my head.”

19 Knocking Down Use of synonyms or other word use switches = 20%

20 Types of Manuscript Variants Word Use Variants. “Fred loves Wilma.” “Wilma loves Fred.” “He stood on the shore.” “Peter stood on the shore.”

21 Knocking Down Important, but not likely = 9%

22 Types of Manuscript Variants Important but not likely. “The Gospel of ____” “Why does your master eat (and drink) with sinners?”

23 Knocking Down Significant = 1%

24 Types of Manuscript Variants Significant Errors or Changes 1 Thess. 2:7 Mark 16:9-20 John 8

25 Total significant copying errors:

26 Withholding the Whole Truth: Myth #3 Some of the changes made seriously affect Christian belief.

27 BUSTED! Not one change or variant affects any Christian doctrine…unless you don’t know much about doctrine… or don’t tell the truth about it.

28 vs.

29 “Always Gay!”

30 “Who’s your Daddy?” Luke 2:33 The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him.

31 Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but my Father only Fact: Motive for omission makes no sense Fact: It was not left out of the Markan parallel (13:32)

32 Mark 1:41 The Angry Jesus Fact: Jesus had every right to be angry in this passage 1 John 5:7-8 “Trinity Text” Fact: This passage is NOT essential to the doctrine of the Trinity…and is widely known to not be authentic

33 “The Sky is Falling! The Sky is Falling!”

34 For Further Reading