Critical Matters in New Testament Studies
This information comes from Dr. Mike Licona's playlist of 13 videos called, "Critical Matters in New Testament Studies." I took some notes, but this is not an exhaustive collection of everything said. I wanted to share this information for your benefit and edification.
1. When was the Gospel of Mark written?
Most scholars think the Gospel of Mark Mark was written between 65 and 70. The earliest date is AD 33. Fragment 7Q5 of Qumran probably represents 1 Enoch, not GMark. Most scholars think that the Secret Gospel of Mark is a forgery created by Mortin Smith. (see Evans, Fabricating Jesus). Papias is a good argument for the early date of Mark’s Gospel. He claims to have received information about Mark, and that he got his information from Peter.
Plutarch is regarded as the finest biographer in antiquity. The best and earliest evidence we have that he wrote "The Lives" is the Lamprius Catalogue, which scholars date to no less than 100 years after he wrote, to 200 or even longer after he wrote. It is falsely attributed to his son.
2. Who Wrote the Gospel of Mark?
Patristic data says John Mark is the author. Many scholars also hold this view. No other person in history is named as the author. John is his Jewish name, Mark is his Roman name. The evidence for the traditional authorship of Mark is much better than we have for Plutarch's "The Lives." Mark as the author is supported by Papias, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen and Jerome. They also connect Mark with Peter. John Mark is mentioned in 1 Peter 5:13 as his son. Even if Peter didn't write 1 Peter, this verse shows a tradition connecting Peter and Mark. The Mark-Peter connection is also in Acts. Most scholars think the Gospel of Mark was written from Rome. Mark gets his information from Peter. The majority of critical scholars hold to the traditional authorship view.
3. Was Peter Mark's Source for the Gospel of Mark?
Internal evidence for Petrine tradition for Mark: 1 Peter 5:13. Here Peter calls Mark his son, and Babylon is thought to be Rome. This supports patristic data that Mark wrote when he was in Rome. The Jewishness of Mark reflects his source as Peter. There is a lot of attention on Peter in Mark. Vivid details of Peter imply that the author knew Peter personally. Mark records that Peter remembered certain things. This is best explained that this information comes from Peter himself. Mark records Peter's weaknesses and sins. Mark outlines Peter's sermon in Acts 10:36-43. External evidence for Petrine connection: Consistent Patristic testimony: Papias, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Jerome, Origen, Tertullian. We typically don't have mention of sources in a direct manner in ancient biographies and histories. Of those who comment, only 2 of the 98 scholars outright deny Peter as the source. 2/3 of these scholars say Mark used Peter as one of his sources. Not one of the 207 scholars said that Mark got his information from dying and rising god mythology.
4. Greek Manuscripts of the New Testament
Critical Greek New Testaments: (1). Nestle-Aland, (2). United Bible Society (UBS), (3). Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), (4). Tyndale House (Cambridge).
About 5,500 extant Greek manuscripts (Dan Wallace). The official number is 5,800, but some were counted twice, so it's roughly 5,500. (ibid).
The last 6 verses of Revelation (KJB) come from a Latin text, not Greek (Erasmus used the Latin).
253 libraries have Greek manuscripts of the NT. p52 is the oldest Greek manuscript (John 18:31-33 on one side, verses 37-38 on other side). p37 of Mark dates to late second or early third century. There are 12-15 manuscripts from the second century. 1John 5:7 comes from a manuscript created in 1520 by a scribe named Roy. He created the Comma Johanneum. It reached Erasmus. The oldest manuscript for this is from the 11th century, but in a marginal note. Nine manuscripts have been found since 1520 that have it, but sometimes as a marginal note. The KJV and NKJV are essentially based on 8 Greek manuscripts. The oldest of these manuscripts date to the 11th century. Suetonius was the greatest Roman biographer. His Lives of the Caesars is based on 12 manuscripts, but they are all derived from a single manuscript from the 9th century. Tacitus was one of the greatest Roman historians. His Annals (Books 1-6) are based on one manuscript which dates to around A.D. 850. Books 7-10 are missing. Books 11-16 and "The Histories" are based on one manuscript which dates to the mid 11th century. Plutarch was the greatest of ancient biographers, and his "Lives" only has about 50 manuscripts. Most of them are 9th to 15th century. One was written within a century of the autograph.
5. Dan Wallace's TOP 5 BIBLE TRANSLATIONS
Dan Wallace is Executive Director of the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts.
The NET Bible is a good study and accuracy Bible with 60,000 notes. NIV is good for readability and accuracy. He doesn't care for the NKJV. It keeps the worst feature of the KJV, but not the best. He's doesn’t care for the NASB.
Dan Wallace's Top Five
Study and accuracy: NET
Readability and accuracy: NIV
Understated Elegance: ESV
Rich wording: KJV and REB (1989)
Ecumenical (NRSV)
6. How was the Old Testament Canon Formed?
Lee Martin McDonald is the foremost authority on the topic of canonicity. He wrote the book, "The Biblical Canon."
Melito of Sardis (died 180) had his own biblical canon. Esther was not included.
7. The Apocrypha: The Missing Books of the Protestant Bible
The Apocrypha are in the Septuagint but not the Hebrew OT. Pseudaphygrapha means writings under a false name. St. Athanasius in 367 A.D. identified all the books of the OT except Esther. The first KJV had the Apocrapha. Protestant Bibles variously carried it to the 1800's. The year 1850 may have been the last one with the Apocrapha. It started again with the RSV in 1950. The Anglican Church uses them for value, but not Scripture. Enoch is in the Ethiopian canon. Iranaeus, Tertullian, and initially Origen called the Book of Enoch Scripture. Origen later dropped it. Most of the NT Apocrapha were written between the second and fourth centuries, some in seventh-eighth centuries. Over 80 NT Apocrypha. Lee McDonald considers the Apocrypha valuable, but not Scripture.
8. How was the New Testament Canon Formed? (Part 1 of 2)
p45 is the oldest manuscripts with all four gospels, and dates to about 200. It also has Acts, and was attributed to Luke. The Council of Laodicea 360, Rome 382, Carthage 393, 397, 419 dealt with the canon. No ecumenical council dealt with the biblical canon.
9. How was the New Testament Canon Formed? (Part 2 of 2)
Lee McDonald thinks the Muratorian fragment is fraudulent from the fourth century. Scholars don't think Enoch wrote 1 Enoch.
10. Is the Biblical Canon Closed (and other related questions)?
Tatian's Diatessaron harmonized all for gospels. Second century.
11. Mike Licona and Laura Robinson discuss JESUS, HISTORIANS, & MIRACLES with host Cameron Bertuzzi
The majority of critical scholars believe that the author of the Gospel of John used one of Jesus' minor disciples, an eyewitness, as his primary source. Mark and John are rooted in eyewitness testimony, and both have an empty tomb.
12. Introduction to the Synoptic Problem | Risen Jesus Podcast S2E1
No notes.
13. The Gospels are Historically Reliable: 6 Reasons
Six reasons to think the gospels are historically reliable:
1. We have good reasons to believe that the author intended to write an accurate account.
The gospels are in the biographical and historical genre. The majority of NT scholars today consider the gospels to be ancient biographies.
2. Author chose their sources judiciously.
Most scholars think Luke got his information from Mark as his primary source, and supplements it. Luke also used Paul and other eyewitnesses. The Gospel of John is based on an eyewitness. Most scholars think the Gospel of Matthew used Mark, Q, and at least one other which may have been eyewitness.
3. Author used sources responsibly.
No notes.
4. Author/Sources capable of recalling stories accurately.
Plutarch was the greatest of ancient biographers. He wrote on Caesar, Cicero, Brutus, Antony (+ 140 yrs). Theseus (+ 1,000 yrs). Romulus (+ 800 yrs). The gospels are written 20 to 65 years of Jesus' life. Eyewitnesses were still alive. Memory is generally reliable. The disciples heard Jesus' teachings over and over again, and they taught the message over and over again. Teaching is the best way to learn.
5. We can verify numerous reported items.
We know people and places in the gospels actually existed, as well as procedures.
6. No notes taken.