Copies of copies of copies?

What do you do about the fact that the bible has no original manuscripts ?
In a seminary class I asked the fatal question of "where are the original manuscripts of the gospels kept?",and was told that there are no original manuscripts only copies of copies of copies. I was just wondering,with all of these threads of Bible,how do you base all you believe on a book that has no original text to compare this copy to.Perhaps someone knows of an original manuscript that can be used, if so I would like to know where it is.If there is no original then it would seem that we have more proof that mickey mouse is real than we have of the savior of the world,because we at least can read the original autograph from Walt Disney.



P.S.
Don't get your hackles up,this is a fair question that will allow you to defend your faith,or not.

 

It's a very fair question. If the copies all agreed, we'd have a miracle, but as it turns out, they don't. Not to mention the translation problem. Even by the wonders of modern copy machine technology, we know that copies of copies produce distortions. And it's not just Christianity, of course that has this problem. That's another reason why literalism doesn't make sense to me in interpreting the Bible.

 

No original manuscripts exist for any ancient book. Writing materials were too fragile to stand the passage of centuries. This is the case for Aristotle, Plato, Julius Caesar, the writings of Buddha and the Koran just as much as it is for the Old and New Testaments.

However, we possess today some 5,000 ancient Greek copies of the New Testament, and 10,000 copies in other ancient languages. Latin and Coptic copies go back to the second century; fragments of papyrus documents go back to AD 130. Quotations in the writings of early church fathers date to A.D. 100. Complete versions of the Gospels, Acts, Paul's letters and Hebrews date to the early part of the third century; Revelation to the latter half. Complete volumes of the New Testament date to the 4th century.

Now compare these manuscripts with other ancient documents. Of Caesar's Gallic Wars, we have today only nine or ten good manuscripts, none copied earlier than 900 years after Caesar. For the Histories of Tacitus, we have only 4 of his 14 original books, none copied earlier than the 10th century A.D. For Aristotle's works, we possess only five manuscripts of any one volume, none copied earlier than A.D. 1100 (14 centuries after the original).

Manuscript evidence for the New Testament is remarkable, far surpassing that which exists for any other ancient book. And those who work with these ancient copies (called "textual critics") are convinced that they have been able to recover a Greek New Testament which is virtually identical to the original.

It is the sheer volume of copies that ensured that the message of the Bible was preserved because if any person or group made changes it would immediately be obvious that their corrupted version was out of step with everyone elses copies.

If we were dependent on just one set of originals then the risk is they could be lost, destroyed or altered. The best way to preserve an important message is to make as many copies of it as possible and give them to as many different people as possible and in every known language - which was exactly what they did.

 

I'm Catholic...dont need to defend my faith because i dont give a shit what YOU think..if suddenly becoming extra religous on my death bed brings me[and millions of others] some comfort ,who the fuck are YOU to say that is a bad thing

 

That is precisely what you were not supposed to do.

 

Problems,problems,everywhere and not a cure in sight.:juggle:

 

:gossip:

Looks like a very good Bible school answer,but sounds like a lot of gobbledy gook.100 years after that fact,people can't remember their grandparents struggles let alone what happen to some obscure preacher.As time passes stories of feats become overblown.

 

Are cumquats really little oranges ?:biggrinjester:

 

There are very old records, like the dead sea scrolls, that in some cases agree very closely with the previously oldest known copies... Those are very close to original text.

Of course, there are many books, and many copies, including the books of the bible and many other christian books, and the books from the east, and texts from gnostics and other nutjobs. The christian bible is just a collection out of a larger set of books.

 

Yea if ya can't answer a question, then just make a rule against it.Ha
When the catholic black robes came to this land,they had all of the answers,surely you have got more than this,no?:icon_bs:

 

original manuscripts of the Quran do exist until present day, one of them can be found at Topkapi museum in Istanbul, apart from the fact that the arabic form it was originally written in remains as is

 

How do ya know, if you have no original text to compare them with ?

 

The time periods they are from, and the groups that created and/or hoarded them.

*edit* not true about the quran. Unless you're saying there is one in the hand of muhammad. Which would be interesting, because he was an illiterate savage. I don't think there's one we have until about 800? Could be wrong. But there's none for at least 30 years after muhammads death at least, I'm sure.

 

double post

 

there is a reason its called 'faith'

 

when Jesus shows up on the space ship.. i heard hes going to have a Kindle..

 

Do you want to discuss, or even debate--or just write pithy responses to non-answers?


To answer your question, no there are no original manuscripts left. Why am I still Catholic, because I think thet even though there is adisagreement, a good case can be made for which is an authentic compiled text.

 

Right,you would looove Disney World.
Mic...key....Mouse,everybody sing.:guitarist:

 

:chef:

According to the book of Amos Moses "squirrel and dumplings is gooder than grits".

 

You are a riot,I mean (pithy responses)? you do make me smile.
your answer is appreciated,but I am amazed how you always work it into every subject that you are catholic.I think we get it,hey I'll swap ya some pretty pony beads for those black ones with the shiny cross.What do ya say?:gift: