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The Reading Culture of Early Christianity

**EDWARD D. ANDREWS** (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 180+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).

What are the churchgoers, the Bible college students, and seminary students to do when one Bible scholar says one thing and another Bible scholar says something quite different, or worse still, as is the case with P⁵², several Bible scholars are saying different dates for the time when the Greek New Testament fragment P⁵² was written? P = Papyrus (a plant in Egypt),[1] the material that was used to make sheets of papyrus paper that were written on by scribes to make copies of Bible books. 52 = the number assigned to that discovered manuscript. What makes it even more unnerving is when one is not an expert in the field of study, only having basic knowledge. How can they possibly know who is correct? Worse still, the Christian is put in the embarrassing position on social media of telling an atheist that P⁵² is dated to 100-150 C.E., and then the atheist responds to the Christian with, ‘no your evidence from 1935 is outdated, as recent research points to a date of 200 C.E. or later.’ What is the Christian to do? What will be accomplished here in THE P52 PROJECT can be used at other times when the Christian is faced with two scholars or more offering conflicting conclusions. We are going to use the common sense that God gave us and weigh the evidence from both sides. We are going to treat THE P52 PROJECT like a criminal trial with P⁵² being on trial.

What the churchgoer, serious Bible students, and seminary students, and hopefully all Christians will learn in this short publication concerning P52 will help them in their approach when Bible scholars are offering conflicting information on other issues as well. The tiny Greek New Testament manuscript, P52, is an extremely useful, indispensable artifact of early Christianity. Andrews has made every effort to make this subject easier to understand. THE P52 PROJECT is too important to leave it in the hands of textual scholars, paleographers, and papyrologists.

This appears to be more postmodern skeptical thinking by some of the modern-day textual scholars that are driving or motivating the investigation into redating P52. Here we get a lot of motivation behind why it is supposedly acceptable for ambiguous and uncertain paleographers and papyrologists to redated P⁵². First, let me offer my brief observation that I believe is simply a pattern of behavior that has been going on for more than 150 years. I believe many modern-day Christian textual scholars have gone the way of …

Hermeneutics and higher criticism in (subjective interpretation by the historical-critical method [personal feelings] over the objective interpretation grammatical-historical method [facts]), to the …
Bible translation and dynamic equivalent in Bible translation (interpretive translations of what the translator thinks God said over the literal translation of what God actually said), to the …
New Testament textual scholars seeking to be as skeptical, ambiguous, and uncertain as possible over seeking a position, qualifying anything that may be ambiguous or uncertain.

P⁵² has been on trial for some time now. The new papyrologists, paleographers, and textual scholars have served as the prosecutor, seeking to convict P⁵² of being dated later than the initial dating of 100-150 C.E., and the papyrologists,[2] paleographers,[3] and textual scholars[4] of old as well as some current ones have served as the defense attorney. In many cases, the new scholarship has set standards of proof for dating P⁵² and other early papyri that far exceeds what is reasonable and rational. Since we are going to play out this quest for dating P⁵² as a though it was a court trial, it should be noted that there are three primary standards of proof: (1) proof beyond a reasonable doubt, (2) a preponderance of the evidence and (3) clear and convincing evidence. Since we are playing this out like a mock trial, we have an opening statement before delving into the dating of and redating and redating yet again of P⁵². An opening statement is generally the first occasion that the trier of fact has to hear from a lawyer in a trial. The opening statement is generally constructed to serve as a “road map” for the factfinder. Here it is a measure taken to help the jury of readers to find the ability to look at the evidence objectively. Below, we will use legal terms to define better how we should objectively view Bible evidence.

Examining the Earliest New Testament Manuscripts: The P52 Project

Introduction to P52

In the realm of biblical scholarship, conflicting opinions among experts can often leave churchgoers, Bible college students, and seminary students in a state of confusion. This is particularly true when it comes to the dating of ancient manuscripts like Papyrus 52 (P52), which contains portions of the Gospel of John. Traditionally dated to the early second century C.E., P52 is one of the earliest known fragments of the New Testament. However, recent scholarly debates have introduced new proposed dates, causing uncertainty and raising important questions about how to determine the most accurate conclusions.

The P52 Manuscript

Papyrus 52, or P52, is a small fragment of a larger manuscript, containing John 18:31-33 on one side and John 18:37-38 on the other. It was discovered in Egypt and has been pivotal in discussions regarding the dating of the New Testament texts. The initial dating by C.H. Roberts in 1935 placed P52 in the early second century (100-150 C.E.), but subsequent scholarship has suggested dates as late as the third century (around 200 C.E. or later). This variance in scholarly opinion presents a challenge for those who seek to defend the early dating of New Testament writings.

The P52 Project: Weighing the Evidence

In my book, “THE P52 PROJECT: Is P52 Really the Earliest Greek New Testament Manuscript?”, I address these conflicting scholarly opinions by meticulously examining the evidence for both early and later datings of P52. The goal is to provide a comprehensive analysis that equips Christians to navigate these scholarly debates with confidence and discernment.

Addressing the Conflicting Dates

One of the key issues addressed in “THE P52 PROJECT” is the methodology used to date P52. Paleographic dating, which compares handwriting styles with other dated documents, has been the primary method. However, paleography is not an exact science and often allows for a range of possible dates. My book critically examines the strengths and limitations of paleographic analysis, as well as considering other factors such as the historical and archaeological context of P52’s discovery.

By treating the dating of P52 like a criminal trial, we weigh the evidence presented by various scholars. This involves looking at the original analysis by C.H. Roberts and comparing it with more recent studies. For instance, recent advancements in papyrology and a re-examination of similar manuscripts have led some scholars to propose a later date. “THE P52 PROJECT” evaluates these claims, presenting the evidence in a balanced and systematic manner.

Implications for New Testament Studies

The dating of P52 has significant implications for the reliability and transmission of the New Testament texts. An early date for P52 supports the traditional view that the Gospel of John was written by the end of the first century C.E., reinforcing the idea that the New Testament writings were in circulation shortly after the events they describe. Conversely, a later date might suggest a longer period of textual transmission before the extant manuscripts were produced.

Equipping Christians with Knowledge

One of the primary goals of “THE P52 PROJECT” is to equip Christians with the knowledge and tools needed to engage in informed discussions about New Testament manuscripts. By providing a thorough analysis of P52, the book aims to build confidence in the historical reliability of the New Testament and help believers respond to skeptical challenges effectively.

For example, when faced with an atheist who cites recent research suggesting a later date for P52, Christians can refer to the evidence and arguments presented in “THE P52 PROJECT.” This approach allows them to present a well-reasoned defense, acknowledging the complexities of the issue while also highlighting the strong evidence for an early date.

The Broader Context of Manuscript Evidence

In addition to P52, “THE P52 PROJECT” places the discussion within the broader context of early New Testament manuscript evidence. By comparing P52 with other early papyri and examining the consistency of textual transmission, the book demonstrates the overall reliability of the New Testament text. The meticulous care with which these texts were copied and preserved over centuries is a testament to their enduring significance and authenticity.

Conclusion

“THE P52 PROJECT: Is P52 Really the Earliest Greek New Testament Manuscript?” provides a comprehensive examination of one of the most critical fragments of the New Testament. By addressing conflicting scholarly opinions and weighing the evidence like a trial, the book equips Christians to navigate these debates with confidence. It reinforces the reliability of the New Testament and offers a robust defense against skeptical challenges.

For churchgoers, Bible college students, and seminary students, “THE P52 PROJECT” serves as a valuable resource for understanding the complexities of New Testament textual criticism. It encourages a thoughtful and informed approach to studying early Christian manuscripts, ultimately strengthening faith through a deeper understanding of the historical foundations of the New Testament.

Why should every Christian buy THE P52 PROJECT book? There is a course of action in the dating and redating of the earliest Greek New Testament papyri that will inevitably lead from one action or result in the unintended consequence of undermining the actual trustworthiness of the New Testament. Christians need to be able to defend against this trend. Much effort was put into THE P52 PROJECT book so that we could understand it and the issues at hand.

[1] Papyrus, Papyri: named for the Egyptian plant from which it is made, in the proper climate this is a very durable writing material that was made by bonding vertical strips of the papyrus pith to horizontal strips. Writing could easily be done on the side with the horizontal strips, and with some difficulty on the other side (called an “opisthograph” when written on both sides). The oldest manuscripts of the NT were written on papyrus; some of them are as early as the second century.

[2] Papyrology is the study of ancient literature, correspondence, legal archives, etc., as preserved in manuscripts written on papyrus, the most common form of writing material in the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece, and Rome. A papyrologist is also a textual scholar. But not all textual scholars are papyrologists.

[3] Palaeography or paleography is the study of ancient and historical handwriting. The discipline includes the practice of deciphering, reading, and dating historical manuscripts and the cultural context of writing, including the methods with which writing and books were produced and the history of scriptoria. A paleographer is also a textual scholar. But not all textual scholars are paleographers.

[4] Textual Critic (Scholar): a scholar whose goal is to reconstruct from extant manuscripts either the autograph or the initial text of the NT from which all existing copies originated. The methodology is the same in either case. The critic uses mental, and computer-based toolsets to decide between variant readings among the manuscripts. Different schools of thought tend to prefer either the early manuscripts with more difficult readings or the later manuscripts exhibiting what has been called the Majority Text.

Textual Criticism: the art and science (some would say only art) of determining the original text from variant readings exhibited by extant manuscripts. Currently, a good deal of scientific methodology seems to be used as statistics, and computer processing is heavily employed. At the same time, TC is also faith-based (at least among conservative theologians), and the results are arguably impossible to verify. Faith plays a role in the belief by many that God has preserved His word somewhere among extant Greek manuscripts, which makes conjectural emendation unnecessary and unacceptable. As to verification, logic and the genealogical relationships between texts than can be constructed are often very convincing, but sometimes a decision is somewhat tenuous. Some critics would claim that no decision can really be verified, but many theories are accepted today without physical verification, on the strength of reasonable probability.