THE HISTORICAL RELIABILITY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT PB

Questions about the reliability of the New Testament are commonly raised today both by biblical scholars and popular media. Drawing on decades of research, Craig Blomberg addresses all of the major objections to the historicity of the New Testament in one comprehensive volume.

Topics addressed include the formation of the Gospels, the transmission of the text, the formation of the canon, alleged contradictions, the relationship between Jesus and Paul, supposed Pauline forgeries, other gospels, miracles, and many more. Historical corroborations of details from all parts of the New Testament are also presented throughout.

'The Historical Reliability of the New Testament' marshals the latest scholarship in responding to New Testament objections, while remaining accessible to non-specialists.

Reviews

'Craig Blomberg painstakingly defends the historical reliability of Scripture and helpfully equips those who want to do the same. Highly recommended!'
Andreas J. Kostenberger, senior research professor of New Testament and biblical theology, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and founder of Biblical Foundations

'I cannot think of a better person to write a book on the reliability of the New Testament than Craig Blomberg. We do not have the reflections of a novice here but of a seasoned and veteran scholar, one whose work has stood the test of time.'
Thomas R. Schreiner, associate dean of the School of Theology and James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

'When it comes to a fair, accurate and balanced defense of the historical reliability of the New Testament, no one does it better today than Craig Blomberg. . . . Another masterpiece from one of the leading voices in New Testament studies.
Mark L. Strauss, University Professor of New Testament, Bethel Seminary

About the Author
Craig Blomberg is distinguished professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary.

Book review by GLO General Director, Dr. Stephen McQuoid 01/06/2017
'The Historical Reliability of the New Testament' by Craig Blomberg is simply brilliant! This is the fruit of a lifetime of study from this evangelical scholar who began this project many years ago by writing about the historical reliability of the gospels. The book is logically laid out and so reads a little like a textbook on biblical apologetics.

Blomberg begins by working systematically through all the gospels dealing with issues such as authorship, dating, historical background and issues of critical scholarship. He argues both for early dates for the gospels as well as for their eyewitness testimony and internal consistency before dealing with a whole range of debated passages and incidents, providing defence of each gospel’s credibility. His arguments are both logical and well presented.

Next he gives a similar treatment to Acts before turning his attention to the Pauline epistles and the remaining epistles of the New Testament. Much of his focus in the Pauline epistles is to demonstrate that Paul should be credited with the authorship of his epistles rather than them being seen as pseudonymous works. He is quick to point out that Evangelicals have done some excellent work of scholarship on books such as Acts, and by comparison he is encouragingly scathing of liberals such as those in the Jesus Seminar and Acts Seminar whose presuppositions are, in the words of Blomberg, ‘questionable in the extreme’. He also has several digs at Bart Ehrman who he accuses of trying to overturn the previously held academic consensus without any new discoveries from antiquity (p.350).

Blomberg’s conclusions are almost always conservative though he is more than happy to wrestle with some of the complexities that rise their head. For example, when dealing with the authorship of 2 Peter he concludes that there are not just modern queries about the authorship of 2 Peter but ancient ones as well. He leans towards a Petrine authorship though does not close the door to the possibility of the author being a close confidant of Peter, who would have written in a way that Peter would have approved of.

Blomberg finishes the book by dealing with such issues as canonicity, transmission, miracles and the Resurrection. Again he steers a conservative line and once again sharply criticises Ehrman for his questionable attack on the reliability of the textual basis of the New Testament. He concedes to a short ending for Mark and suggests that the story of the woman caught in adultery (John 8) was not part of the original, but was probably a real story associated with Jesus that crept into the gospel. However, he staunchly defends the manuscript base of the New Testament and gives satisfactory arguments for his confidence.

Blomberg has done the church a great service with this momentous 780 page book. It will probably not be widely read because it is such a large volume. However, it is actually an easy book to read because it is well written and Blomberg argues his case clearly. I have no doubt it will become a standard work on the defence of the historicity of the New Testament and is a fine example of a committed and detailed piece of scholarship where the author attempts to nullify every possible objection to the credibility of the New Testament. A must read for anyone going to study theology or biblical studies and very helpful for budding and more mature Bible teachers

Paperback: 608 pages
Publisher: Broadman & Holman Publishers (Nov. 2016)