Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions – Page 6

What are the churches from which the four text types of the Greek New Testament (Alexandrine, Western, Caesarean and Byzantine) circulated?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General .

Question: What are the churches from which the four text types of the Greek New Testament (Alexandrine, Western, Caesarean and Byzantine) circulated? Answer: The Western text type will have circulated in the West. Generally, the Western churches are taken to mean North Africa, Spain, Gaul and Italy. The North African churches were very strongly influenced […]

What is the history and the importance of the four text types of the Greek New Testament? Is Bruce M

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, Church History, General, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: My question is can you tell me where specifically did the four text types originate and when they originated and by whom or what local group are most likely to have done so? I understand by Bruce Metzger that using the fathers to locate a certain family of text or reading is also a […]

Please explain the differences between the Septuagint and Masoretic text in relation to your belief in the faithful transmission of Scripture. How does it impinge on your belief in the prophetic element in the OT ?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: Please explain to me the differences between the Septuagint and Masoretic text in relation to your belief in the faithful transmission of Scripture. How also does it impinge on your belief in the prophetic element in the OT ? Answer: I have found in my study that the transmission of the original has been […]

What text type or types do the most early church fathers use? If the Byz. type goes no further than the 4th cent. why then do kjv. only people say that church fathers from the 2nd cent used this type?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, Versions of the Bible .

Question: What text type or types do the most early church fathers use? If the Byz. type goes no further than the 4th cent. why then do kjv. only people say that church fathers from the 2nd cent usedthis type? My second question is what are the text types for the earliest versions of the […]

Bart Ehrman claims the Bible was changed and is unreliable in his book "Misquoting Jesus–The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible." Can you comment on his claims?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: I have just finished reading a book that has caused me to mistrust the truth I find in the Bible. The book “Misquoting Jesus – The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why” by scholar/author Bart D. Ehrman has raised innumerable questions in my mind as to the validity of what Jesus actually […]

What do you think about Barbara Thiering's book Jesus is the man? Is there any basis for truth in her work?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, Church History, General .

Question: In 1996/97 I read Barbara Thiering’s Jesus the Man – I have been re-reading it now as someone who thinks they understand and have read more of the Bible – specifically the New Testament in the 10 years since. However, as a “lay man” , one with not a lot of knowledge on research […]

Richard Dawkins and Derren Brown deny God and the truth of Christianity, and say the stories of Jesus come from more than 200 years after his death. What is your response?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, Church History, General .

Question: I am a Christian in the UK. There are a couple of best selling books in the UK at the moment that deny the existence of God and the truth of Christianity. On is “The God Delusion” by Richard Dawkins and the other is “Tricks of the Mind” by Derren Brown. The latter is […]

What about the Gospel of Barnabas? Who wrote it and why? Was he an apostle?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, Church History, General .

Question: What’s this about a Gospel of Barnabas? Who wrote it and why? Was Barnabas an apostle or not? Answer: The New Testament speaks of a 1st Century Jew named Joseph, a Levitical priest from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, who became a follower of Jesus. He “was a good man, and full of the […]

What about the Gospel of Barnabus? Who write it? For what? Was Barnabus is apostle or not?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, Church History, General .

Question: What about the Gospel of Barnabus? Who write it? For what? Was Barnabus is apostle or not? Answer: My answer will depend on whether you mean the Epistle of Barnabas or the Gospel of Barnabas. Of the two, the more well known is the Epistle (letter) of Barnabas. The question of whether Barnabas was […]

Does Mark 16:16 "those who believe and are baptized will be saved." contradict salvation by grace only?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: Doesn’t Mark 16 where Jesus says, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved” contradict teachings on salvation by grace alone? Also, if you say that Mark 16 was inserted over time then doesn’t the Bible fall short of it’s claim to be inerrant? Answer: First of all, you will not find the phrase […]

How do you resolve the difference between the 23,000 mentioned as killed in 1 Corinthians 10:8 and the 24,000 mentioned in Numbers?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, Supposed Inconsistencies in the Bible .

Question: I had a question about a passage I read recently. It’s the passage in 1 Corinthians 10 that talks about the 23,000 killed for sexual immorality. However, in Numbers, it states that 24,000 were killed. I ‘ve read Paul was referring to Ex 32 and not the passage in Numbers. I’ve also read that […]

Why does Jude quote apocryphal literature? Is he implying that the Book of Enoch is inspired? Is the example of Paul quoting pagan authors a good analogy?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, Supposed Inconsistencies in the Bible .

Question: Why does Jude quote apocryphal literature in verse 9 and 14? People often immediatley dismiss this by saying “just because he quotes apocryphal literature doesn’t mean he considers it scripture”, and point out to where Paul quotes other pagan poets. This is true, however what bothers me is that he refers the prophecy directly […]

Should Mark 16:9-20 and John 8:1-11 be considered part of the original books of Mark and John?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General .

Question: Should Mark 16:9-20, and John 8:1-11 (Jesus with the adulterous woman) be considered part of the original manuscripts? Many early manuscripts do not include. If it is not part of the original then is it God’s word? Answer: I am guessing that you are aware of the general issue with these passages. As it […]

Who were the books of the new Testament written by and what was the relationship of these authors to Jesus?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General .

Question: Who were the books of the new Testament written by and what was the relationship of these authors to Jesus? Answer: In some cases, it is hard to prove who wrote which books. Many of the letters of Paul were “signed” by him, making it fairly certain, but even this is not proof. Some […]

How do we know that the early church did not tamper with the Bible or make it into what they wanted, rather than God choosing the New Testament writings?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, Church History, General .

Question: I have read arguments that the church really shaped the Bible for their own purposes.That is implied by the Da Vinci Code. Some of the people I’ve talked to don’t believe in Jesus because they don’t think the Bible is legitimate, but that Jesus was just a teacher andthat the church turned in him […]

What is known about The Leningrad Codex of the Prophets?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General .

Question: What is known about The Leningrad Codex of the Prophets? I have only been able to obtain information such as what books of the Bible it contains, when it was written, and who discovered it. If you could send me any additional information I would really appreciate it. Answer: I do not normally do […]

A Muslim friend told me the original NT word for cross meant stick, and that the meaning changed over time. Is that true?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, Other Religions, Resurrection of Jesus .

Question: I was talking to a Muslim and he told me that the word that was used in the original Hebrew New Testament for the cross actually meant Stick and that the word has changes over time to mean cross, is this true? Also I am readibng your book “Reasons for Belief.” It is very […]

Who added Mark 16:9-20 to the Bible? Did the NT writers make up the story of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey so they could claim he is the Messiah? (etc.)

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, General Apologetics, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Philosophy .

Questions (there are several here): Let us take the final 11 verses of Mark for which the earliest evidence is non-existent. Why and by whom were they later added? Why was Jesus described as riding on a donkey? Because the writer knew it would be seen as the fulfilment of OT prophecy and would therefore […]

How do I know the Bible is accurate, and that it was altered and that it is not biased history?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Archaeology and the Bible, Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, History .

Question: I just recently shared my faith with a man who claimed you cannot trust the Bible as it is just a theory. He also holds that history has been altered and that the stories of the New Testament were most likely alteredt. I told him about the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in […]

How do I know Matthew through Revelation are inspired, and not the many other writings, including the Apocrypha?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, Church History, General .

Question: How can only Matthew through Revelation be considered divine scripture? What about the Apocrypha? What about the thousands of other writings? Besides, it was man who canonized scripture and man is not perfect so that would obvisouly mean that scripture runs the risk of not being perfect right? What I am really struggling with […]

Can you comment on material written by David Icke, whose web site is www.davidicke.net?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General .

Question: I was recently reading material from a conspiracy theorist named David Icke, and tried to look into what he believes and preaches. I ran into a bunch of articles that try to debunk Christianity and the bible. I am highly offended by his work, and although he seems to have put a lot of […]

My professor says I,II Timothy, Titus and 1 Peter were written in the second century. Is he correct, and what would be the implication?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General .

Question: The instructor in my religious class at college (VCU) teaches that 1-2 Timothy, Titus and 2 Peter where written in the early 2nd century. Why do they think that? How do we know the letters really were written by the apostles? What would it mean to us if they were written in the 2nd […]

Were John 7:53-8:11 and Mark 16:9-20 in the original books of Mark and John?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General .

I have a theory regarding the passages in John 8 & Mark 16 not being in the Codex Vaticanus & Sinaiticus I would like you to comment on. Isn’t it possible that the previous version, from which these were copied, had John 8 & Mark 16 torn out, resulting in incomplete manuscript copies?;Maybe younger Codex […]

If the New Testament is now "true," then the OT Torah is no longer "true? How can this work?" Is Christianity the only true religion acc. the Bible?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

1) Christianity holds that at one pointing time, the Old Testament was the truth and the Jews were the chosen people. What changed this? The Torah states 23 times “this is an eternal law for all generations” (to name a few, Exodus 12:14, 12:17, 12:43, 27:21, 28:43). If the Torah was at one point true, […]

Where did the word "Bible" came from?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General .

Where did the word “Bible” came from? The English word Bible comes from a Greek word which transliterates as biblios. The Greek word biblios means “book.” So when you are reading your Bible, you are reading your book. The Bible is The Book. John Oakes

Can you explain a number of supposed historical errors in the Bible I heard about in my Comparative Religion class? (see list)

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Archaeology and the Bible, Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, History, Supposed Inconsistencies in the Bible .

Note: This is a very long question. The answer is several paragraphs down the page. I am presently taking a Comparative Religion course on the New Testament and have been struggling with some of the themes that have surfaced so far. Our course text is “The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to Early Christian Writings” […]

What is the evidence for if Luke was a good historian? (for example about Mary, Joseph and Quirinius)

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Archaeology and the Bible, Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, History .

Could you make a good summary for the evidences to support the Luke 2 account of the census decreed by Caesar while Quirinius was ruling that would have forced Joseph and Mary to go to Bethlehem from Nazareth? I have read so much about the topic. I do see support that it could have happened, […]

Was Revelation written before or after AD 70? How does this relate to whether most of this book has already been fulfilled?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy .

Someone told me that most scholars say that Revelation was written after AD 70. Where can I find what scholars say regarding the date of Revelations? If it’s after AD 70, is it possible that most of Revelation has not happened, which is this individual’s view? From what I understand it was written more so […]

What is the earliest proven evidence for the date Daniel was written? Are the Dead Sea Scrolls relevant?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, Daniel, General .

How much of the book of Daniel was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls & what is the agreed dating for it? What is the latest it has been dated? The reason I am asking is to know of the earliest proven evidence for Daniel, relative to the date of his 2 prophecies in the […]

Why is the word yahweh not written in the NT? Is it because Yahweh refers to the whole Godhead?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, Other Religions, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Why is the word yahweh not written in the NT? Is it because Yahweh refers to the whole Godhead? The reason YHWH (I use YHWH rather than yaweh, as it is closer the the Hebrew original) does not appear in the New Testament is that the New Testament was written in Greek. YHWH is a […]

What about when words of Jesus in one gospel do not match words of a parallel account in another gospel?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, Supposed Inconsistencies in the Bible .

What about when the words of Jesus in red in one Gospel, describing a one-time event do not EXACTLY match other accounts? The temptation of Christ, for example. I am not upset about this for some reason, and it doesn’t shake my faith in Christ, but is there a reasonable answer? Just different ways the […]

Who wrote the book of Hebrews?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, Church History, General .

Who wrote the book of Hebrews? That is an easy question. The answer is that no one knows who wrote this book. It is one of my three or four personal favorite books in the Bible, but, bottom line, the book is not signed. We can assume that the very early church considered it to […]

Were the sayings of Jesus (the Lord's, prayer for example), borrowed from earlier manuscripts?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Archaeology and the Bible, Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General .

There is increasing argument that many of the sayings of Jesus (the Lord’s, prayer for example) had already been recorded in early historical manuscripts. They suggest that Jesus simply borrowed them. Is this true? In order to answer this question, I would need specific examples. If you have some specific claims about Jesus repeating the […]

When did Christianity begin?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, Church History, General, History .

When did Christianity begin? Public Christianity began on the day of Pentecost, as described in Acts Chapter two. One could debate this date. For example, one could say that Christianity began the day Jesus rose from the dead, or one could say that Christianity began the day Jesus was born, or the day he began […]

What is the chronological order of the New Testament books?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, Church History, General, History .

I was wondering if you could provide me with a list of the New Testament books in chronological order. I’m trying to prepare for an upcoming discussion about the reliability of Bible texts so if you could point me in any specific direction…that would be great Do you mean chronological order of when they were […]

If the bible is a book written by humans, using it to explain God is invalid, right?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, General Apologetics .

I was just reviewing that article you wrote about people believing God isn?t real. When you try to explain how God is or isn?t real, you can’t use the Bible because the Bible is a human written book. There is absolutely no proof that any of these actions occurred, well little if any. There is […]

Could give me advice on helping people who argue that the Bible we have today cannot possibly be the original Bible?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, Church History, General, General Apologetics .

I have a question for you. I was wondering if you could give me advice on helping people who argue that the Bible we have today cannot possibly be the original Bible. I obviously cannot tell them that I believe by faith that it is the inspired word of God and that He protects His […]

Do you have information on the changing of the Sabbath Day by Constantine?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, Church History, General .

Do you have information on the changing of the Sabbath Day by Constantine? I have no information on this because it never happened. One of the most persistent false claims about the early history of the church is that somehow Constantine was able to change Christian doctrine of even the scriptures of the New Testament. […]

How can we claim apostolic authority for all of the books in the New Testament?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General .

The way I understand the compilation of the NT Canon is that the books that were accepted by the church and said to have apostolic authority, were the books put into the canon. However, this doesn’t make sense to me, because some gospels were not written by apostles… likewise we have no idea who wrote […]

In "three days and three nights," was "three nights" a later editorial insertion, or is there some other explanation?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, Supposed Inconsistencies in the Bible .

I’m writing to ask if you have any explanation for one apparent discrepancy that I have often wondered about: “three days and three nights”. I have read that the “days” part of that statement was due to the Jewish tradition of counting any part of a day as a whole day in the description of […]

When do you think John wrote Revelation and what makes you think that?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, Church History, General .

It’s been a while since I posed any questions however I’m currently reading several of your articles and in your article Biblical Prophecies Fulfilled you state the following: While the writings of John preceded the persecutions of Domitian and his successors by less than a generation, they nevertheless show the continuity of the New and […]

Who was the author of Ecclesiastes?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General .

Who was the author of Ecclesiastes? The general consensus of conservative scholars is that King Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes. The introduction certainly implies this. It describes the author of the book as “the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem.” There is only one person who we know was described in his own time as the […]

Did the Council of Nicea determine the New Testiment canon?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, Church History, General .

My question revolves around the true role of the Council Of Nicea. Some have argued that the council canonized certain texts to fit their purposes. I have heard the counter argument that the council merely canonized what was already widely accepted as Inspired Word, but even this wide acceptance does little to guarantee that the […]

How can a perfect Bible be created by imperfect human writers?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, General Apologetics, Supposed Inconsistencies in the Bible .

The Bible is generally used as the primary reference for Christians. Even if I accept that the Bible is actually God’s word, you have to admit that it was put on paper by humans. And since humans are imperfect, how do you put such faith in the Bible? Also, what about the books of the […]

What evidence do we have that the stories on Christianity are real?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Archaeology and the Bible, Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, History .

What evidence do we have that the stories on Christianity are real? Unfortunately, this is a rather vague question. I will give a fairly vague answer in response. If you have a more specific question in mind, please send me another question. I am not sure what you mean by “stories” in Christianity? Do you […]

Can I trust the council of Nicea? How can I trust the New Testament books are without error?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, Church History, General .

My question revolves around the true role of the Council Of Nicea. Some have argued that the council canonized certain texts to fit their purposes. I have heard the counter argument that the council merely canonized what was already widely accepted as Inspired Word, but even this wide acceptance does little to guarantee that the […]

Since human beings wrote the Bible, how can we trust it? How do we know the right books ended up in the Bible?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, Church History, General, General Apologetics .

The Bible is generally used as the primary reference for Christians. Even if I accept that the Bible is actually God’s word, you have to admit that it was put on paper by humans. And since humans are imperfect, how do you put such faith in the Bible? Also, what about the books of the […]

What was the affect Constantine had on the church? Did he eliminate certain groups of Christians?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, Church History, General .

The Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity and is credited (by some) as being responsible for Christianity flourishing. But, Constantine chose one form of Christianity and killed anyone who practiced any of the other forms. What about these other forms? Combine this with the crusades and we get the classic line “history is written by the […]

What does the word Amen mean? Is it related to the Egyptian God Amen?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, Other Religions .

I have studied the word Amen. What does it mean and what is the origin of the word? I have read it in the Egyptwebsite that Amen is the ancient name of their god Please Check if it is true. The word amen simply means, so be it or I agree. The etymology of the […]

The story of the woman caught in adultery (John 8) is not in the Codex Sinaiticus. How does this relate to biblical infallability?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General .

In the story in the gospel of John, Jesus with the adulterous woman was not found in the most reliable sources such as Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus. Why is the story in our Bible’s today if it was not in what is considered the most authoritative documents on biblical manuscripts? It kind of bugs […]