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The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture: The Effect of Early Christological Controversies on the Text of the New Testament

by Bart Ehrman

ISBN-10: 9780195102796
ISBN-10: 0-19-510279-7
ISBN-13: 9780195102796
ISBN-13: 978-0-19-510279-6
Paperback
1996-02-29
Oxford University Press, USA


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Editorials


Product Description
The victors not only write the history, they also reproduce the texts. In a study that explores the close relationship between the social history of early Christianity and the textual tradition of the emerging New Testament, Ehrman examines how early struggles between Christian "heresy" and "orthodoxy" affected the transmission of the documents over which, in part, the debates were waged. His thesis is that proto-orthodox scribes of the second and third centuries occasionally altered their sacred texts for polemical reasons--for example, to oppose adoptionists like the Ebionites, who claimed that Christ was a man but not God, or docetists like Marcion, who claimed that he was God but not a man, or Gnostics like the Ptolemaeans, who claimed that he was two beings, one divine and one human. Ehrman's thorough and incisive analysis makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the social and intellectual history of early Christianity and raises intriguing questions about the relationship of readers to their texts, especially in an age when scribes could transform the documents they reproduced to make them say what they were already thought to mean, effecting thereby the orthodox corruption of Scripture.

Reviews


Whos Cheating Who?
Most of this book is opinion, Mr.Ehrmans, the other part is filled with misconceptions and misunderstanding. Christ says "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Matthew 16:17-19 which is very simple, that His church founded by His apostles will not falter, so if what Mr.Ehrman suggests is true than he is also suggesting that Christ lied when he spoke those words, which we all know Christ didnt. Mr.Ehrman's book is a perfect example of an apostasy, for he is doing for his own will and not God's.

A wasted effort
Goethe's defeated devil in Faust complains "Ein grosser Aufwand schmaehlich ward vertan" which may be rendered in Latin " Magnus sumptus frustra est consumptus" Professor Ehman tries to do what dozens of Bible specialist ever since Harnack and before have tried to do and which is represented in Nestle's more or less final edition of the New Testament. Now Dr. Ehman should give us his "orthodox" final version of this text after debating from an apparently corrupted "orthodox" text which has been falsified by "orthodox" writers. Ehman's book is is a wild circle.



Just give me the facts please.
Looking at bilblical history somewhat forensically is a refreshing way to examine the Bible. Cultural, social, and political, in other words, human perspective lead to an evolving understanding of religion, in general, not just Christianity.

For Professors only?
This book is very difficult to understand, and not for the average reader. Like most textual critics, he only shows 1 side--his. Also, he is from the school that the most improbable, the most unlikely, the most outlandish, is probably the original reading of the text; thus leaving us with some 1600 years of no inspired Bible.

An Excellent Presentation
I meant to read this book by Ehrman long ago, but the wait was well worth it. This is an excellent review of the historical Christological controversies that shaped some portions of New Testament textual transmission. Dr. Ehrman is thorough in his research, and presents many examples to back up his thesis.

This book more than ably explains some of the interruptions in the flow of certain writings, and why some verses are incongruous in their settings and theology. It is a fine historical and theological presentation.

I highly recommend this book.


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