How to Read Bart D. Ehrman

Bart D. Ehrman is an American New Testament scholar focusing on textual criticism of the New Testament, the historical Jesus, and the development of early Christianity. His works have been both influential and controversial, provoking thought and debate among scholars and the general public alike.

1. Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why (2005): In this book, Ehrman delves into the world of New Testament textual criticism, illustrating how the Bible has been altered over centuries by scribes.

Review: A fascinating and accessible exploration of how the New Testament has evolved, shedding light on its countless variations and inconsistencies.

Reason to Read: To gain a new perspective on the Bible’s reliability and the historical contexts that have shaped it.

In a Nutshell: An eye-opening journey into the historical alterations and discrepancies in the New Testament.

Key Quotes:

• “Not only do we not have the originals, we don’t have the first copies of the originals. We don’t even have copies of the copies of the originals, or copies of the copies of the copies of the originals.”
• “The Bible began to appear to me as a very human book. Just as human scribes had copied, and changed, the texts of scripture, so too had human authors originally written the texts of scripture.”

2. How Jesus Became God: The Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee (2014): This book explores how Jesus of Nazareth became the Jesus Christ we know today, focusing on the historical aspects rather than theological ones.

Review: This book is an enlightening and well-argued look at the historical transformation of Jesus from a human preacher to a divine entity.

Reason to Read: To understand the historical and social contexts that led to the deification of Jesus.

In a Nutshell: A thorough examination of the historical evolution of Jesus’ divinity.

Key Quotes:

• “During the first four hundred years, different Christian groups had different views of Jesus.”
• “The more I studied the New Testament and the historical Jesus, the more I became convinced that Jesus of Nazareth did not claim to be God.”

To read Bart Ehrman is to enter a world of scholarly exploration and religious critique. His works invite us to reconsider our understanding of early Christianity and the New Testament.

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