Customer Reviews

New Testament Greek Manuscripts - Romans

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Reuben Swanson and Bruce Metzger have done a great service to every person interested in the raw data behind the New Testament you read every day. The raw data are the texts of the earliest versions we have of the New Testament. What this series of books provides is a side-by-side comparison of the various versions, all appropriately keyed to the versions, and all appropriately keyed to our modern chapter and verse numbering. At a glance, you can see whether the variations you are scrutinizing are examples of a major split between the earlier Alexandrian versions and the later so-called Majority Text, or if perhaps the variations are randomly sprinkled among the early texts. This book meets the New Testament literally where the pen met the parchment. As I have used these volumes, I have often felt that I was closer to the copying cell -- the texts became more than peculiar ciphers. When I later had the opportunity to examine the Codex Vaticanus copy in the library at Dallas Theological Seminary, I felt that being inside the text through these volumes made the experience much more exciting. Highly recommended if data is your game and the New Testament is a foundation of your life.

Swanson has provided for the textual critic, both professional and layperson alike a much needed resource. Sometimes the format is a little bit awkward (i.e. when there are more manuscripts to list for a reading than can fit on the line in question, thus introducing the arrow system) but it is still quite accessible to the average reader.

I would like to have seen a hardback edition, but that does not detract from the quality and utility of this monumental work.