Craig Blomberg reviews Misquoting Truth
Mood:  chatty
Topic: ::Publicity and Reviews::

An exceptionally fair and evenhanded review of Misquoting Truth, from biblical scholar Craig Blomberg has recently appeared in Review of Biblical Literature,. According to Dr. Blomberg,

"Jones’s conclusion makes it clear that his work is no stereotypic, ultraconservative rant against modern scholarship. He expresses gratitude to Ehrman for having written what he has (!). ... Biblical scholars may learn little new from Jones’s book, but his targeted audience should come away with plenty to challenge their current thinking, whether they are to the 'right' or 'left' of Jones. For this, we are deeply in his debt."

To read the entire review, click here.

Are the Gospels Reliable?
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: ::Learning Resources::

Courtesy of The Coral Ridge Hour. Order the complete video here.

InterVarsity Christian Fellowship event at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: ::Publicity and Reviews::

Many of you have wondered how the event at University of North Carolina went. Alex Kirk---who is a joy to work with, by the way---has blogged about the event at ...

http://piebaldlife.blogspot.com/2008/01/awesome.html

Check out the news there!

Errata in Misquoting Truth
Mood:  d'oh
Topic: ::For Your Information::

TimothyPaulJones and God ... one of the forementioned persons is inerrant, the other is not.

Because one of those persons is not inerrant---it's TimothyPaulJones who makes mistakes, by the way, in case you were confused by that choice---one of those persons, despite every attempt being made to check every fact, occasionally even puts errors into writing.

Even in Misquoting Truth.

I want to make every effort to speak and to write the truth in everything, admitting and correcting any error. That's why I will be maintaining a list of errors here, hoping that persons will correct those errors in copies of Misquoting Truth.

Pages 44-46: The reference to "Codex Bezae" is unintentionally misleading. In the extant Greek text of Codex Bezae, the reading of John 1:6 seems to be, in fact, "from God." (To see for yourself, click here.) However, look carefully at the theta (which would make the reading "from God"), and you will notice that it was originally a kappa (which would make the reading "from [the] Lord"). A later scribe, noticing the error and wishing to preserve the most reliable text, scraped off part of the kappa and inked a theta on top of it. The initial reading---and this is the one to which I'm referring in these pages---was "from [the] Lord."

Pages 52-53: "Warp-drive" should read "hyperdrive."

Page 135: "Hebrews*" should not appear at all in the Codex Claromontanus list.

 

Reformation21 review
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: ::Publicity and Reviews::
Reformation21 has dubbed Misquoting Truth as "a witty, clear, logical, and devastating" critique of Bart Ehrman's Misquoting Jesus. Read the review here.

Review from Larry Shallenberger
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: ::Publicity and Reviews::

For more about Larry Shallenberger, see http://www.larryshallenberger.com/ 

Believe it or not, Christian Doctrine is making resurgence in popularity, not in Sunday School Classes regrettably, but in popular culture. First, Dan Brown's THE DA VINCI CODE creates a popular interest in once arcane topics such as the canon and the Gnostic gospels. Most recently, Ehrman's MISQUOTING JESUS: THE STORY BEHIND WHO CHANGED THE BIBLE AND WHY raced up the New York Times bestseller list after an endorsement from the Daily Show's Jon Stewart. Ehrman claims that all that remains of scriptures are error ridden copies of the original manuscripts; therefore, the Bible cannot be trusted. In short, Ehrman gave new legs to the obscure discipline of textual criticism by stirring up doubt.

MISQUOTING TRUTH, by Dr. Timothy Paul Jones, is a calm and kind response to Ehrman's arguments. Jones methodically walks readers through each of Ehrman's charges against the reliability of the Biblical texts: We don't have the originals; the copyists make many mistakes; significant changes were made; we can't trust oral history; we don't know who wrote these books; and the books of the Bible were chosen due to church politics. Jones doesn't minimize these concerns. He acknowledges Ehrman's evidence (when it's present) and summarizes what's truly at stake. Then Jones uses his pastoral gift to help the average reader navigate these issues and discover satisfactory rebuttals to the Ehrman's arguments.

The strength of this book is Dr. Jones himself. In his introduction, Dr. Jones cites The Dallas Morning News declaration that Ehrman is part of "a need breed of biblical scholar" due to his ability to communicate complex concepts in terms that the average person can understand. Jones is equally credentialed. While holding a doctorate at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Jones brings clarity and humor to a topic once confine to the halls of academia. Jones is like a gifted television football commentator who wades through the countless X's and O's behind the game and some presents the viewer with exactly the information needed to enjoy the game. Dr. Jones wades through the Biblical languages and millennia of scholarship and extracts a readable and understandable discussion of critical Biblical issues that matter to the readers' faith.

MISQUOTING TRUTH offers a respectful tone not found in many "response books." The field of Christian apologetics is filled with too many self appointed watchdog offering up shrill ad hominen attacks against their opponents. Not so with Dr. Jones. He handles Dr. Ehrman and his arguments with civility and accuracy. MISQUOTING TRUTH is an example of how apologetics should be conducted.

MISQUOTING TRUTH is a quick read (144 pages) that takes only a few hours to suggest. As such, this book is designed to be a quick survey of textual criticism. Readers won't have all of their questions answered. However, they will close the book with a firm grasp on the major questions that challenge a belief in the reliability of scriptures. After reading MISQUOTING TRUTH I've found myself recommending it to members of my own congregation. This is a highly useful resource that should find its way into countless adult Sunday School classes, freshman Biblical Studies courses. Most importantly, this book should be read by anyone who has every questioned whether the Bible should be trusted.

New review of Misquoting Truth!
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: ::Publicity and Reviews::
Joel Miller, vice president at Thomas Nelson Publishers, has posted a review of Misquoting Truth on his website. Click here to take a look!

TimothyPaulJones appearing on Hank Hanegraaff's Bible Answer Man
Mood:  accident prone
Topic: ::Publicity and Reviews::
Take a listen as TimothyPaulJones and Hank Hanegraaff discuss the claims of Bart Ehrman's Misquoting Jesus, from 6PM until 7PM on July 31 and August 1. Click here to listen!

Misquoting Truth now in second printing!
Mood:  cheeky
Topic: ::Publicity and Reviews::
Misquoting Truth has sold around 13,000 copies in its first month on the market, necessitating a second printing! Thanks to all of you who have purchased copies of Misquoting Truth.

Mark D. Roberts debate with Christopher Hitchens
Mood:  cool
Topic: ::For Your Information::
Click here to read an excellent, intelligent, irenic debate between Mark Roberts, author of Can We Trust the Gospels?, and the author of god is Not Great. A great resource to read along with your study of Misquoting Truth!