tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post3249576641119692339..comments2024-03-04T10:47:31.894-08:00Comments on The Textual Mechanic: Faithlife's 'Fragments of Truth': A ReviewTimothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-7324947559273452062018-05-07T14:27:46.992-07:002018-05-07T14:27:46.992-07:00Thank you James. I will edit my review and add a l...Thank you James. I will edit my review and add a link to yours as well.Timothy N. Mitchellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-84909225503085628292018-05-07T09:22:00.225-07:002018-05-07T09:22:00.225-07:00Tim M,
I included your review in a list of review...Tim M, <br />I included your review in a list of reviews embedded in my review, at http://www.thetextofthegospels.com/2018/05/movie-review-fragments-of-truthiness.htmlJames Snapp Jrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09493891380752272603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-81892460871202329742018-04-30T05:32:55.825-07:002018-04-30T05:32:55.825-07:00Thank you for your comments Tim. Overall, I agree ...Thank you for your comments Tim. Overall, I agree with Evans' conclusion, that the transmission of the New Testament writings was relatively stable. I just think there are problems with his arguments propositions, mainly because he fails to define 'autograph' (along with a host of other issues). My main point is really a simple one. Let me explain. <br />Imagine that archaeologists were to unearth a house in Ephesus that was undoubtedly John the Apostle's. And along with the discovery a horde of papyri that John had written. We were able to identify John's scribal hand. Now, imagine that copies of notebooks containing portions of the John's Gospel were discovered in this horde, except that these copies showed extensive line throughs, re-writings, etc, because these were the draft copies of his work. Technically speaking, these copies are the 'autographs' of John's Gospel. And discovering them would actually cause a big stir and some uncertainty on the text of John's Gospel, but only if we are giving weight to these autographic copies. In reality though, these are not what Evans is referring to in his article and in his paper when he mentions 'autograph.' He his actually referring to the version of John that was initially released and is the 'ausgangstext' of all extant copies descended from it today. <br />This is what is taking place in the Michigan papyri mentioned in blog post above. Two versions of the petition were found in the hand of the author. Both are technically 'aurographs.' Unfortunately, we do not have a copy of the petition that was dispatched and released to the intended recipient. Because of this, there is uncertainty as to the final form of this petition. This, of course, is not the case with the New Testament writings. That form of text that was initially released by the author(s) is the one that circulated and is the archetype for all other descendants. It is this version that Evans should be referring to, and he fails to do this in his paper, and in the documentary.Timothy N. Mitchellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-51483984444089945362018-04-30T05:06:12.269-07:002018-04-30T05:06:12.269-07:00Tim,
First, thanks for the review. Second, is the...Tim,<br />First, thanks for the review. Second, is the example you offer common enough to make your point? Even if so, do these edits really equal Textual instability? With all the copying that we actually have of the NT, would you characterize that as textually instable? <br />Maybe your point is that Evans overstates his position, but unless you categorize the entire NT tradition as unstable, you seem to have done the same.<br />To assume that there were multiple editions of or edited copies of the NT writings without evidence to that fact seems less than historical. <br />While I agree that the definition of ‘autograph’ is a necessary function in scholarly circles, for his intended audience, the autograph equals the letter as written/dictated by its author, probably without thinking about corrections, but nevertheless meaning the document sent to the intended readers/hearers. Evans is not the first or only scholar to make the point about the longevity of NT autographs and there is the statement about the original letter to the Ephesians still being in possession of that church in the second century. <br />I am NOT arguing for Evans position, I just don’t see Textual instability in the historical record at any stage we have evidence. <br /><br />Tim<br />Timothy Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06641788186736340533noreply@blogger.com