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Home , Criticism of the Bible, Misquoting Jesus

2NT716 THE TEXT AND CANON OF SCRIPTURE Instructor, C. E. Hill

RTS Orlando Tuesdays 2:00-4:00 Fall 2018 Office Hours: Tue. 10-12; Th. 11-12

Course Description A study of the text and canon of scripture, focusing critically on seminal writings from antiquity and on contemporary research. The course will consist of readings, discussions, some lectures, and student presentations of research.

Required Texts. Note: you may not need to buy them all but you will have some readings from each. We will be reading a number of articles as well, most of which will be posted online. Gallagher, Edmon, and John D. Meade, The Lists from Early : Texts and Analysis (Oxford: OUP, 2017) ISBN-13: 978-0198792499 Hill, C. E., Who Chose the Gospels? Probing the Great Gospel Conspiracy (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010) Holmes, Michael, ed., The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations (hardback) third edn. (Baker, 2007) Hurtado, Larry, The Earliest Christian Artifacts. Manuscripts and Christian Origins (Grand Rapids/Cambridge: Eerdmans, 2006) Kruger, Michael J., Canon Revisited (Crossway, 2012) Kruger, Michael J., The Question of Canon: Challenging the Status Quo in the Debate (IVP Academic, 2013)

Recommended Texts. Consider adding many of these to your library! Aland, K. and B. Aland, The Text of the New Testament. An Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern (Eerdmans, 1995) Auwers, J-M and H.J. de Jonge, eds., The Biblical Canons (Peeters, 2003) Burke, Tony, Secret Scriptures: A New Introduction to the Christian Apocrypha (Eerdmans, 2013) Beckwith, Roger, The Canon of the New Testament Church: And Its Background in Early (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986) Comfort, Philip W., New Testament Text and Translation Commentary (Carole Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008) ______, Encountering the Manuscripts: An Introduction to New Testament Paleography & Textual Criticism (B&H Academic, 2005) Comfort, Philip. W. and P. Barrett, The Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts (Wheaton; Tyndale House, 2001) Ehrman, Bart, : The Story Behind Who Changed the and Why (San Francisco: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006) ______, Lost Scriptures: Books that Did Not Make It into the New Testament (Oxford, 2005) Elliott, J. K., The Apocryphal New Testament: A Collection of Apocryphal Christian Literature in an English Translation (Oxford, 2005) 2

Eusebius of Caesarea, The Ecclesiastical History, 2 vols., tr. Kirsopp Lake, Loeb Classical Library (Cambridge/London: Harvard University Press/William Heinemann, 1926…) Evans, Craig, Ancient Texts for New Testament Studies: A Guide to the Background Literature (Hendrickson, 2005) Evans, Craig, and Emmanuel Tov, eds, Exploring the Origins of the Bible: Canon Formation in Historical, Literary, and Theological Perspective (Acadia Studies in Bible and Theology) Gamble, Harry Y., Books and Readers in the Early Church (Yale University Press, 1997) Hill, Charles E., The Johannine Corpus in the Early Church (Oxford, 2004 [get the paperback, 2006]) Hill, Charles E. and Michael J. Kruger, The Early Text of the New Testament (Oxford, 2012) Hengel, Martin, The as Christian Scripture. Its Prehistory and the Problem of its Canon, with the assistance of Roland Deines, Introduction by Robert Hanhart, Translated by Mark E. Biddle (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004) Köstenberger, Andreas, and Michael Kruger, The Heresy of Orthodoxy (Crossway, 2010) McDonald, Lee M., The Biblical Canon (Hendrickson, 2007) McDonald, Lee and J. A. Sanders, eds., The Canon Debate (Hendrickson, 2002) Metzger, Bruce, The Canon of the New Testament: Its Origin, Development, and Significance (Oxford, 1997) Metzger, Bruce and Bart Ehrman, The Text of the New Testament fourth edition (Oxford, 2005) Parker, David C., An Introduction to the New Testament Manuscripts and their Texts (Cambridge, 2008) Porter, Stanley E., How We Got the New Testament: Text, Transmission, Translation (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013 Porter, Stanley and Andrew Pitts, Fundamentals of New Testament Textual Criticism (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2015) Ridderbos, Herman, Redemptive History and the New Testament Scriptures, Biblical and Theological Studies (P&R, 1988) Stewart, Robert, ed., The Reliability of the New Testament: Bart Ehrman and Daniel Wallace in Dialogue (Fortress, 2011) Swanson, Reuben J., Galatians, New Testament Greek Manuscripts: Variant Readings Arranged in Horizontal Lines against Codex Vaticanus (Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1999) – there are 8 other books in this series: the 4 Gospels, Acts, Romans, 1&2 Corinthians Tov, Emanuel, Textual Criticism of the (Fortress, 3rd edn., 2011) Ulrich, Eugene, The and the Origins of the Bible (Grand Rapids/ Cambridge/ et al.: Eerdmans/Brill, 1999), 99-120. Vaganay, Leon, An Introduction to New Testament Textual Criticism, 2nd edn. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991) Wegner, Paul, A Student’s Guide to Textual . Its History, Methods and Results (IVP Academic, 2006) 3

Wachtel, Klaus and Michael W. Holmes, eds., The Textual History of the Greek New Testament: Changing Views in Contemporary Research (Society of Biblical Literature, 2011)

Classroom Procedure Generally, at least half of the semester’s meetings will consist of the discussion of readings, with the occasional lecture/soliloquy by the instructor. The last classes will consist of seminar presentations by the students, presenting papers, approximately 40 minutes in length, and discussion of those papers.

Assignments and Grading COMPONENT % OF GRADE Summary of Reading and Discussion 30 Terminology Quiz 10 Research paper Classroom presentation 20 Final paper 40 100

The Research Paper is to be on some aspect of the textual criticism of the Bible or the canon of the Bible. The particular topic must be approved in advance by the instructor. This could be the study of a selected text critical problem, the study of a particular manuscript or group of manuscripts, the study of the witness of a Father or a text, a synthetic study of a theme or topic in the history of the canon, focusing on Scripture or on post-canonical history. Alternatively, it may be a critical interaction with a modern author on the text or canon of Scripture. Students will be assigned a one-hour slot in class in which to present and then defend their papers. All other students will submit a grade for this presentation (to be considered by the instructor). The papers may then be rewritten and will be submitted at the end of the semester.

Paper Requirements for 2NT716 Text and Canon (Note, these only apply to the final paper which you turn in, not to the paper you present in class.) 1. Length. The paper will have a strict word limit of 8,000 words, footnotes included but bibliographies not included (pictures and captions not included). 2. Format. The body of the paper should be in 12 point font, 1.5 line-spaced. Please use footnotes rather than endnotes. Footnotes may be no smaller than 10 point, single- spaced. 3. Citation. Any consistent system of citation is acceptable, within these parameters: first reference to a source must give full bibliographic information; thereafter simply cite the author, an abbreviated title (if your paper uses only one work by a particular author, you may omit the abbreviated title), and page number. 4. Bibliography. Begin the Bibliography on a separate page. List in alphabetical order (by author’s last name) all works cited in the paper.

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Summary of Reading and Discussion means that two to four times in the semester (depending upon the enrollment) each student will be responsible for summarizing that week’s readings and leading a discussion based on notes/questions from the readings, for the first hour of class. The notes for your presentation must be handed in after the presentation.

Terminology Quiz. In addition, the student will take one quiz over basic terminology relevant to canon and textual criticism.

Course Objectives Related to MDiv* Student Learning Outcomes

MDiv* Student Learning Outcomes Rubric Mini-Justification In order to measure the success of the MDiv curriculum, RTS  Strong has defined the following as the intended outcomes of the  Moderate student learning process. Each course contributes to these  Minimal overall outcomes. This rubric shows the contribution of this  None course to the MDiv outcomes. *As the MDiv is the core degree at RTS, the MDiv rubric will be used in this syllabus. Articulation Broadly understands and articulates Strong Students will prepare and orally deliver a (oral & knowledge, both oral and written, of paper on an aspect of the textual criticism or essential biblical, theological, historical, the canon of the New Testament. written) and cultural/global information, including details, concepts, and frameworks. Scripture Significant knowledge of the original Strong Some of the content of Scripture is studied in meaning of Scripture. Also, the concepts detail in terms of its text and the manuscripts for and skill to research further into the which represent it. The whole subject of original meaning of Scripture and to apply canon is concerned with Scripture. Scripture to a variety of modern circumstances. (Includes appropriate use of original languages and hermeneutics; and integrates theological, historical, and cultural/global perspectives.) Reformed Significant knowledge of Reformed Moderate Stress on the doctrine of Scripture as Theology theology and practice, with emphasis on expressed in the WCF and other Reformed the Westminster Standards. confessional documents.

Sanctifi- Demonstrates a love for the Triune Minimal Although one could be a complete louse and cation that aids the student’s sanctification. be an expert on technical matters of canon and textual criticism, a proper approach and appropriation of this material will of great advantage to the ongoing process of the believer’s sanctification. Desire for Burning desire to conform all of life to the Moderate Understanding the origins of the text and the Worldview Word of God. formation of the Biblical canon is foundational to an informed Christian world and life view. 5

Winsomely Embraces a winsomely Reformed ethos. Moderate What could be more winsomely Reformed Reformed (Includes an appropriate ecumenical spirit than the study of textual criticism? with other , especially Evangelicals; a concern to present the Gospel in a God-honoring manner to non- Christians; and a truth-in-love attitude in disagreements.) Preach Ability to preach and teach the meaning of Minimal No preaching techniques are offered here, Scripture to both heart and mind with only part of the essential knowledge on which clarity and enthusiasm. sound preaching is based.

Worship Knowledgeable of historic and modern Minimal No study of worship forms or construction of Christian-worship forms; and ability to a worship service – only some foundational construct and skill to lead a worship knowledge for the preacher of God’s Word. service. Shepherd Ability to shepherd the local congregation: Minimal The shepherd should be better equipped to aiding in spiritual maturity; promoting use guard and feed the sheep through successful of gifts and callings; and encouraging a completion of this course. concern for non-Christians, both in America and worldwide. Church/ Ability to interact within a denominational Minimal This course should help to keep World context, within the broader worldwide denominational and wider ecumenical church, and with significant public issues. activity on the right foundation.

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Schedule for 2NT716 Text and Canon, Fall 2018 C. E. Hill The assignments are subject to change! KEY  = item on the course website All other items in assigned texts, in library, or on internet

Week Date Topic Readings 1 S 4 Intro. Nehemiah 8-10; Jer. 18.18; Ezek. 7.26; OT Canon Luke 24.44-49; Heb. 1.1-2 1 Maccabees 4:46-47; 9:27; 14:41-45 (Israel lacked a prophet) Prologue to Sirach Josephus, Contra Apionem 1.37–43 (Gallagher/Meade, 57- 65) 4 14 t. Sotah 13.3: “When the latter prophets died, that is, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, then the came to an end in Israel.” Translation by J. Neusner, The Tosefta, 2 vols. (Peabody, Mass., 2002), 1.885.

Philo, Contempl. Life 1.25-28;  Stephen Dempster, “, Torah, Torah: The Emergence of the Tripartite Canon,” Ch. 3 in Evans and Tov, eds, Exploring the Origins of the Bible, 87-127 (41 pp.)

IN CLASS 1st hour: Syllabus/Schedule – Assignment of Discussions. Questions, areas of research. 2nd hour: Discussion of readings.

2 S 11 OT Canon: Letter of Aristeas, at least 308-311 The LXX; Philo, Life of 2.37-40 Apocrypha Josephus, Contra Apionem 1.37–43 (again; see G/M) Melito in Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiastica 4.26.12-14 (G/M 78-83) , Against Heresies 3.21.1-3 (cf. Euseb., HE 5.8) Origen (Eusebius, HE 6.25.1-2, etc.; G/M 83-87)  Correspondence betw. Africanus and Origen (7 pp.)  Augustine, On Christian Doctrine 2.(8).13  Robert Hanhart, “Introduction. Problems in the History of the LXX Text from Its Beginnings to Origen,” in Martin Hengel, The Septuagint as Christian Scripture. (17 pp.) 7

 Peter Gentry, Review of The Septuagint as Christian Scripture, Near East Archaeological Society Bulletin 51 (2006), 47-49 (3pp.)  Ed Gallagher, “The Date Criterion” (6pp.) Stephen Dempster, “Canons on the Right and Canons on the Left: Finding a Resolution in the Canon Debate,” JETS 52 (2009), 47-77 (31 pp.)  Canon Debate Appendix C (for reference) b. B. Bathra 14b–15a (G/M 65-69) About 90 pages

Recommended Beckwith, Roger, The Old Testament Canon of the New Testament Church: And Its Background in Early Judaism F.E. Greenspahn, “Why Prophecy Ceased,” JBL 108 (1989): 37–49 R. Glenn Wooden, “The Role of ‘the Septuagint’ in the Formation of the Biblical Canons” Ch. 4 in Evans and Tov, eds, Exploring the Origins of the Bible W. Bredenhof, “Guy de Brès and the Apocrypha,” WTJ 74 (2012), 305-21 R. Meyer, “profh/thv,” TDNT 6.812–819; S. Mason, “Josephus and His Twenty-Two Book Canon,” in McDonald and Sanders, Canon Debate, 110–127; Try to find: b.Yoma 21b; t. Yad. 2.13-14; b. Sota 48b

IN CLASS: Discussion of Readings, Professor Lecture: Hill, “The OT Canon in the Early Church”

3 S 18 OT Text  Peter Gentry, “The Text of the Old Testament,” JETS 52 (2009), 19-45 (27 pp.)  Arie van der Kooij, “The Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible before and after the Qumran Discoveries,” in E. D. Herbert and E. Tov, eds., The Bible as Book. The Hebrew Bible and the Judaean Desert Discoveries (London, et al: The British Library & Oak Knoll Press, 2002), 167-77 (11 pp.)  B. K. Waltke, “How We Got the Hebrew Bible: The Text and Canon of the Old Testament,” in Flint, Bible at Qumran, 27-50. (24 pp.) 62 pages

Recommended Eugene Ulrich, “Multiple Literary Editions: Reflections Toward a Theory of the History of the Biblical Text,” in 8

Eugene Ulrich, The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Origins of the Bible (Grand Rapids/ Cambridge/ et al.: Eerdmans/Brill, 1999), 99-120.

IN CLASS: Discussion of Readings, Student SUMMARY of OT Text and Canon; Paper Ideas

4 S 25 NT Canon Contemporary Views  Robert Funk, “The Once and Future NT,” in McDonald and Sanders, Canon Debate, 541-57 (27 pp.)  Everett Ferguson, “Factors Leading to the Selection and Closure of the NT Canon: A Survey of Some Recent Studies,” in McDonald and Sanders, Canon Debate, 295- 320 (26 pp.) Kruger, Canon Revisited, 15-122. (108 pp.)

161 total pages

Recommended  Harry Gamble, “The NT Canon: Recent Research and the Status Quaestionis,” in McDonald and Sanders, Canon Debate, 267-94 (28 pp.)  Lee McDonald, “Identifying Church and Canon … The Criteria Question,” in McDonald and Sanders, Canon Debate, 416-39 (24 pp.)  François Bovon, “Beyond the Canonical and the Apocryphal Books, the Presence of a Third Category: The Books Useful for the Soul,” HTR 105 (2012), 125-37 (13 pp.)

IN CLASS: Discussion of Readings, Student

5 O 2 NT Canon Foundations and Primary Sources  Hill, “God’s Speech in These Last Days: The New Testament Canon as an Eschatological Phenomenon,” 203- 254 (52 pp.)  David Brakke, “A New Fragment of Athanasius’s Thirty-Ninth Festal Letter: Heresy, Apocrypha, and the Canon,” HTR 103 (2010), 47-66 (22 pp.) Origen (G/M 87-99) Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiastica 2.15; 3.1-4; 3.24-25; 3.39 (G/M 99-110) The Muratorian Fragment Irenaeus, AH 3.praef. through 3.4.3; 3.11.7-9;  Canon Debate Appendix D (for reference) 9

Recommended Didache; 1 Clement; Polycarp, To the Philippians; Ps. Barnabas; Epistle to Diognetus; Shepherd of Hermas; Epistula Apostolorum,

IN CLASS: Discussion of Readings, Student

6 O 9 NT Canon Gospels Hill, Who Chose the Gospels?

IN CLASS: Discussion of Readings, Hill, or Student

O 16 READING WEEK

7 O 23 NT Canon Dealing with Primary Sources Fragments of Papias Ignatius’ Letters (skim) Read at least a smattering of pages from: Gospel of Thomas; Gospel of Peter; Gospel of Judas. All can be found online. Choose either:   Hill, “Ignatius and the Apostolate,” Stud. Patr. 36, 226-48 and   Hill, “Ignatius, the Gospel, and the Gospels,” Trajectories, 267-85 Or  Hill, “What Papias Said about John (and Luke). A ‘New’ Papian Fragment.” JTS NS 49 (1998), 582-629

Recommended Oskar Skarsaune, “Justin and His Bible,” in Sara Parvis and Paul Foster (eds.), and His Worlds (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007), 53–76

IN CLASS: Discussion of Readings, Student

8 O 30 NT Canon Final Overview Kruger, Canon Revisited, 125-295

Recommended:  Hill, “Deconstructio ad Absurdum?” JETS 52 (2009), 101-19 Herman Ridderbos, Redemptive History and the New Testament Scriptures, tr. H. De Jongste, revised by R. B. Gaffin, Jr. (Phillipsburg; P&R, 1988) 10

IN CLASS: Discussion of Readings, Student Possibly, Hill, “The Truth above all Demonstration” or Hill, “Irenaeus, the Scribes, and the Scriptures”

9 N 6 NT Text Introduction/Overview Review the basics in Aland and Aland from Greek Exegesis! Hill, RTS Introduction on Text Criticism  Hill-Kruger, “Introduction: In Search of the Early Text of the New Testament” 1-18 (18 pp.)  Köstenberger and Kruger, Heresy of Orthodoxy Chs. 7-8, pp. 179-231 [53]  Daniel Wallace, “Challenges in New Testament Textual Criticism for the Twenty-First Century,” JETS 52 (2009), 79-100 [21] 92 total pages

Recommended B. Ehrman, Misquoting Jesus; Robert B. Stewart, ed., The Reliability of the New Testament. Bart Ehrman and Daniel Wallace in Dialogue H. Koester, ‘The Text of the in the Second Century,’ in Gospel Traditions in the Second Century. Origins, Recensions, Text, and Transmission, ed. W.L. Petersen (Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1989), 19-37.  “Top Ten Essential Works in New Testament Textual Criticism” – Tommy Wasserman

IN CLASS: Discussion of Readings, Student ; INTF website

10 N 13 NT Text Methods Eldon Jay Epp, “Traditional ‘Canons’ of New Testament Textual Criticism: Their Value, Validity, and Viability – or Lack Thereof” in Klaus Wachtel and Michael W. Holmes, eds., The Textual History of the Greek New Testament: Changing Views in Contemporary Research (Society of Biblical Literature, 2011), 79-127 (39 pp.) Gerd Mink, “The Coherence-Based Genealogical Method – What is it about?” http://www.uni- muenster.de/INTF/Genealogical_method.html and download and view the presentation by Mink at http://egora.uni- muenster.de/intf/service/downloads_en.shtml 11

Recommended D. C. Parker, New Introduction, various parts: 151-54 (theological changes); 171-74 (what is a text-type?); 183- 190 (exegesis, theology); 191-93 (corrections in P66, with photos) [19]; 227-82 (Rev., Paul) [56];

IN CLASS: Discussion of Readings, Student

11 N 20 Paper Writing (Professor gone)

12 N 27 NT Text Manuscripts Hurtado, Artifacts, Chs. 1-3 (15-134 [120]), 5 (155-89 [35]) 155 total pages

Recommended Hurtado, Artifacts, rest of book Parker, New Introduction, various portions, 283-347

IN CLASS: Discussion of Readings, Student Lecture: Hill, “A Four Gospel Canon in the Second Century? Artifact and Arti-fiction” ??

13 D 4 Student Papers