Did the Original Bible Manuscripts Claim Jesus Was God?
 |
| STATION II: Jesus accepts his cross (Photo credit: contemplative imaging) |
In response to this book, Dr. Daniel B. Wallace, a New Testament Greek
scholar, says, “Do these authors know anything about history at all?
Diocletian did not destroy all the Christian manuscripts. He did destroy
several, but mostly in the East and South. As far as having no manuscripts
prior to the fourth century— well, we have more than four dozen in Greek alone that are prior to the fourth century. And these manuscripts have numerous passages— John 1:1, 18; 20:28; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8; 2 Peter 1:1— that affirm the deity of Jesus. So it’s nonsense to say Jesus’ deity wasn’t invented until the fourth century when you’ve already got the evidence in earlier manuscripts.
“Besides, we still have lots and lots of quotations by church fathers prior to
the fourth century. Ignatius, in about A.D. 110, calls Jesus ‘our God’ and
then says, ‘the blood of God,’ referring to Jesus. Where does he get this idea
if it wasn’t invented for more than two hundred years? And you have a steady
march from Ignatius right through the rest of the patristic writers— I mean,
you can’t make that kind of a claim and be any kind of a responsible
historian.”
Because Scriptures that affirm the deity of Christ are so numerous and central
to the New Testament, an incredible feat of editing would have been required
to add them. Accepting the claims of Jesus’ deity as part of the original
manuscripts is much more natural and believable. / Adapted from interview with Dr. Daniel B. Wallace
Titus 2:11-14
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. Self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 1who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
