On October 1, 2011 Dr. Bart D. Ehrman and CSNTM's Executive Director, Dr. Daniel B. Wallace, debated the reliability of the text of the New Testament at Southern Methodist University. This was the largest debate over the text of the New Testament in history. A professional film crew recorded the debate, which is now available to you. In this exciting dialogue you have the opportunity to listen to two leading scholars talk about this issue from opposing viewpoints. Can we trust the text of the New Testament? You decide.
The DVD is priced at only $15.50 plus shipping and handling. It is available in both U.S. (NTSC) and international (PAL) versions.
The DVD is copyrighted by CSNTM; please do not replicate or distribute it.
Review of Debate between Daniel B. Wallace and Bart D. Ehrman
19 October 2011
Nika Spaulding and Robert D. Marcello
Saturday, October 1, 2011, at the McFarlin Auditorium on the SMU campus, stately columns reminiscent of the Grecian architecture of old greeted the nearly 1500 guests eager to watch the debate. The sheer numbers guaranteed that this debate would be the largest such event in history. Both the building and attendees—scholars, Christians, seekers, skeptics, atheists, Muslims, Mormons—suggested the magnitude of the subject matter: the reliability of the text of the New Testament. Expectations soared for the two scholars debating—our own Dr. Daniel B. Wallace and Dr. Bart D. Ehrman—and neither would disappoint.
The moderator, Dr. Mark Chancey, a former student of Ehrman’s and chairman of the Religious Studies Department at SMU, did an outstanding job introducing the speakers, fielding the questions, and keeping the audience on track. He was quite neutral, as his reputation had suggested he would be. Dr. Ehrman throughout the evening posited that the text of the New Testament was corrupted beyond repair. His main argument stems from the absence of New Testament manuscripts from the first 200 years after the writing of the New Testament. This “silence” he argued could have resulted in chaos from the scribes; thus, it follows that the text is no longer trustworthy. Conversely, Dr. Wallace asserted that much evidence exists which affirms the reliability of the text—including from the first 200 years: nearly 80 Greek MSS from that period! He compared the New Testament manuscripts to that of even the best Greco-Roman authors. To say the New Testament exceeds this literature in quality and quantity of manuscripts would be a gross understatement. Thus it follows, on the grounds of textual reliability, the New Testament far exceeds other literature of its kind.
Ehrman demanded absolute proof that the New Testament had not been corrupted, as though such proof was to be applied in all areas of life. But he was making unrealistic demands on the text, and demanding absolute certainty for historical materials. Wallace pointed out that skepticism of this sort would mean that we would need to be a thousand times more skeptical about the average Greco-Roman author, and that our knowledge of the ancient world would have to be surrendered, putting us right back in the Dark Ages.
Wallace took a more moderating position, arguing that we can have relative certainty that we can get back to the wording of the autographs.
In Wallace’s final point he argued that every one of Ehrman’s books on the New Testament presupposed that he knew what the autographic text said—even his latest book, Forged, written earlier this year. Wallace mentioned that Ehrman’s belief that Paul did not write the Pastorals depended on a vocabulary argument in which Ehrman knew what the “authentic” Pauline letters said and what the Pastorals said—in virtually every place. Ehrman never could have written that book unless he knew, almost in every detail, what the original text of Paul’s letters said.
Between the scholarly dialogue and lively, even humorous rhetoric of the two men, attendees enjoyed an evening that focused on a significant subject matter. DVDs of the historic debate will be on sale soon. More information about the upcoming DVD can be found on www.CSNTM.org in the coming weeks. An interesting sidenote: When Dr. Ehrman asked the audience how many were Bible-believing Christians, only about 60% of the hands went up. There was a healthy number of atheists, skeptics, Muslims, and Mormons—all fans of Ehrman—at the debate. The professional film crew interviewed several attendees after the debate. They sought out those with “ATHEIST” emblazoned in white on their black T-shirts, and others who were evidently not Christians. But no one who thought that Ehrman had won the debate was willing to be filmed.
The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (CSNTM) is proud to announce the SMU Debate between two noted New Testament scholars, Dr. Bart D. Ehrman and Dr. Daniel B. Wallace. The debate will be held on Saturday, October 1, 2011 at 7 PM in the McFarlin Memorial Auditorium at Southern Methodist University. This debate will feature a dialogue on the reliability of the text of the New Testament. Though Ehrman and Wallace have held public debates in the past, this one will focus on providing a general audience with insider information regarding one of the most significant pieces of literature ever written. Dr. Ehrman, the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, is a New York Times bestselling author who has published over 20 books. His book, Misquoting Jesus: The Story behind Who Changed the Bible and Why, questioned the reliability of the New Testament text, arguing that Christian scribes have corrupted it beyond repair. Dr. Wallace, director of the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts and New Testament Professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, has spent his life studying and digitizing ancient copies of the New Testament. He has authored and edited numerous books; most recently he has edited and contributed to Revisiting the Corruption of the New Testament: Manuscript, Patristic, and Apocryphal Evidence. He asserts that we have good reason to believe that the New Testament text is reliable. If you are interested in the New Testament or in its reliability, this is sure to be an event you will not want to miss. For more information on the debate and to purchase tickets, please visit www.SMUDebate.com
Free Audio & Video Now Available around the World on iTunes U
Robert D. Marcello
July 1, 2011
Today the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (CSNTM) announces that it is now available on iTunes U, a dedicated area of the iTunes Store (www.itunes.com) that offers free audio and video content from leading educational institutions.
The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (CSNTM) has always been committed to helping others understand the reliability of our New Testaments, the history of translations, the study of the text, and significant figures who have made this possible.
Beginning today, CSNTM is making a series of videos concerning New Testament manuscripts, textual criticism, history of the New Testament, and expert commentary on key verses available as a free download on iTunes U.
Featured in the videos are interviews and footage shot around the world of important people involved in the work of the Center. Dr. Daniel B. Wallace will also be featured as he explains important aspects in the study of the text of the New Testament.
Blog
A Visit from Father Justin
Robert Marcello
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
3 January 2012
With a lengthy beard and ponytail to match, Father Justin easily stands out in a crowd. After hearing about his journey that led him into becoming a Greek Orthodox priest and eventually to St. Catherine’s Monastery on Mt. Sinai, Egypt, one becomes convinced of the uniqueness of this priest.
Born in El Paso, TX into a Baptist home, Father Justin later discovered the world of Greek Orthodoxy in college at the University of Texas. After serving twenty years at a monastery in Brookline, MA, he became the first non-Greek to live in St. Catherine’s Monastery. As he put it, he “just showed up hoping they would allow me to stay”! After serving faithfully at Mt. Sinai for many years, Father Justin was recently appointed the position of librarian at the monastery.
It is due to this recent appointment as the librarian that the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (CSNTM) gained the privilege of hosting Father Justin for two days in November. Father Justin’s duties at the library include photographing the 1,200 manuscripts that were discovered in 1975 in a hidden compartment at the monastery. This number increased St. Catherine’s holdings to 3,300, making its collection of ancient manuscripts the second largest in the world, behind only the Vatican.
Due to the large costs that inevitably arise when setting out to digitally preserve manuscripts, Father Justin has been touring the country aiming to raise funds for this great endeavor. Consequently, CSNTM jumped at the opportunity to partner with Father Justin and St. Catherine’s, and on November 8–9 Father Justin shared about the past, present, and future work concerning the texts housed at St. Catherine’s at the Center’s headquarters in Plano, TX. Attendees were both entertained and encouraged by the work already taking place at Mt. Sinai.
Among the 3,300 manuscripts housed at St. Catherine’s Monastery, the most important and well known is Codex Sinaiticus—the oldest complete New Testament in existence. The history of this manuscript is wrought with mystery, politics, and perhaps even some deception as the bulk of it was taken from the monastery in the mid-1800s. With this codex, along with the thousands of others, it becomes difficult to overestimate the value of St. Catherine’s Monastery to textual research.
The humility and reverence Father Justin practices in his efforts to preserve the ancient texts are admirable to say the least. Therefore, it is with great enthusiasm and honor that CSNTM hopes to continue to partner with Father Justin and St. Catherine’s Monastery in the work of digitally preserving the text of the New Testament.
, written earlier this year. Wallace mentioned that Ehrman’s belief that Paul did not write the Pastorals depended on a vocabulary argument in which Ehrman knew what the “authentic” Pauline letters said and what the Pastorals said—in virtually every place. Ehrman never could have written that book unless he knew, almost in every detail, what the original text of Paul’s letters said.
(Kregel), a book he edited and contributed to, along with five former interns of his. This is an outstanding work that offers a significant critique on Ehrman’s 
. Autographed copies of Revisiting the Corruption of the New Testament are available at 