Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts

The manuscripts that form the Greek New Testament are scattered throughout the world and are usually only accessible to scholars and professionals. These were the manuscripts read by the earliest Christians, which comprised their "New Testament." In his volumes, Philip Wesley Comfort bridges the gap between these extant copies and today's critical text by providing accurate transcriptions of the earliest New Testament manuscripts, with photographs on the facing pages so readers can see the works for themselves. Comfort also provides an introduction to each manuscript that summarizes the content, date, current location, provenance, and other essential information, including the latest findings. This allows students and scholars to make well-informed decisions about the translation and interpretation of the New Testament.

Volume 1 includes manuscripts from Papyrus 1-72. Volume 2 includes manuscripts from Papyrus 75-139 as well as from the uncials. In addition, it features a special section on determining the date of a manuscript. This two-volume set replaces the previously published single volume Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts, as it contains many new manuscripts, updated research, and higher quality images of all manuscripts previously covered.

"For nearly a generation, Philip Comfort's The Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts (Tyndale House, 2001) has been an almost indispensable tool for the many students and scholars who know biblical Greek but whose only acquaintance with the earliest Greek manuscripts is through the textual apparatus of the Nestle or UBS text. This work provides introductions to all the early papyri, plus the actual texts in readable printed Greek. Who could ask for more? Only the passage of time requires more, and Philip Comfort has now supplied it, with a very welcome update of forty-nine more papyri (published since 2001), as well as papyri and uncials of the fourth century. This is a major achievement giving more and more of us a place at the table."-- J. Ramsey Michaels, Missouri State University

"As a scholar and teacher-preacher, I need to know the evidence for the dating of a particular book and the evidence for the best reading of the text. The compiled Greek New Testaments are handy, but they do not give me enough information. In these present volumes, I get what I want and need for the roughly 190 of the earliest manuscripts rather than relying on cryptic footnotes or chasing around the world to find the actual manuscripts themselves. These volumes include photographs of the manuscripts, discussion of their dating, and transcriptions of their texts. Thank you Philip Comfort and the publisher. I hope the binding is sturdy, for the books will be used." Peter H. Davids, -- Houston Graduate School of Theology

"The first edition of this book filled a very important need in bringing the earliest New Testament manuscripts in a single space. This second edition only enhances the work's usefulness as it includes more than one hundred new manuscripts. The discussion of the dating of the manuscripts will be of considerable value. All those interested in New Testament textual criticism will find this as an essential tool." -- John N. Oswalt, Asbury Theological Seminary

"A life's work, now available for the New Testament exegete. This great work presents clear access to the earliest New Testament Greek manuscripts. A magnum opus by Philip Comfort, these useful volumes of the papyri and uncials, provide beyond what students see in the critical apparatus of the Nestle and UBS texts. This is a must-have resource for New Testament exegesis, giving immediate access to the text of each manuscript dated from AD 100 to AD 400. It is a book every New Testament scholar will grow into, as their skills in New Testament exegesis progress. This is a great bargain." -- Jim Swanson, Tyndale House Publishers

"The earliest manuscripts are a topic of reflection and debate when it comes to the New Testament text. This book gives you the latest, up close look at the first four centuries of manuscripts. This a useful study that reveals the state of the discussion about these important manuscripts."-- Darrell L. Bock, Dallas Theological Seminary

"This book is an indispensable resource for all students of the New Testament, especially those engaged in New Testament textual criticism. All the features that made the first edition an invaluable reference for the study of the Greek New Testament remain in place. The expanded edition of the volume includes the additional papyri and another fifty manuscripts dated from the fourth century AD. Kudos to the author and publisher for collecting all these New Testament Greek manuscripts in a most readable and accessible two-volume format. My high commendation for this edition of the book is only reinforced by the success of its predecessor." -- Andrew Hill, Wheaton College

Philip Wesley Comfort, PhD, has been a senior editor at Tyndale House Publishers for the last twenty-five years. He has written two novels, three poetry collections, and over fi fteen volumes on New Testament studies. He and his wife, Georgia, live in South Carolina.