New Testament Text and Translation Commentary
Digital Verbum Edition
Overview
This commentary is especially useful for pastors and teachers who know that the members of their audiences use a variety of different English versions. It is also a helpful tool for serious students of the Bible, including laypeople and seminary students. In addition to this passage-by-passage commentary, the reader is introduced to the art of textual criticism, its importance for studying the New Testament, and the challenges translators of English versions face. Philip W. Comfort surveys and tabulates all the major English translations in a clear, easy to read manner.
In the Logos edition, this volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. Important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.
Get more biblical scholarship from Phillip Comfort with the Select Works of Philip W. Comfort (7 vols.).
- Provides an accessible commentary for everyone from laypeople to seminary students
- Introduces readers to textual criticism in New Testament scholarship
- Surveys all major English translations in a clear, easy to read manner
Top Highlights
“Ehrman’s book is unimaginable unless he can identify an initial form of the text that can be differentiated from a later alteration’ (2002, 149). In short, one cannot speak about the text being corrupted if there is not an original text to be corrupted.” (Page x)
“New Testament textual critics have many early and reliable manuscripts. The time gap between the autographs and the earliest extant copies is quite close—no more than 100 years for most of the books of the New Testament. Thus, we are in a good position to recover most of the original wording of the Greek New Testament.” (Page x)
“In total, there are about 3,000 textual variants noted in the array of contemporary English versions—variants that impact interpretation and exposition. Commentators, preachers, and students need to be aware of these variants and understand them for enriched interpretation, homiletics, and study of the New Testament text.” (Page vii)
“Thus it is the case that neither external evidence nor internal evidence can be given absolute sway in all circumstances. Textual critics must always operate with one eye on the external evidence and one eye on the internal evidence. This method has been called ‘reasoned eclecticism.’” (Page xiv)
“Modern advocates of the superiority of the Majority Text over other text-types are Hodges and Farstad, who produced The Greek New Testament according to the Majority Text. Their arguments are more theological than textual.” (Page xxiv)
Philip W. Comfort (b. 1950) is a noted professor, author, and editor. He is professor of Greek and New Testament at Trinity Episcopal Seminary, visiting professor at Wheaton College, and senior editor of Bible reference at Tyndale House Publishers.
Comfort completed his second doctorate under the noted textual critic Jacobus H. Petzer at the University of South Africa. Comfort has written several journal articles and is also the author of Encountering the Manuscripts: An Introduction to New Testament Paleography and Textual Criticism and coauthor of the Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words in the Holman Reference Collection (13 vols.). He has also edited numerous titles, including The Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts and the Life Application Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Corinthians.
Reviews
11 ratings
Thomas
4/2/2023
BoCharmer
1/19/2018
Ross Purdy
10/2/2016
This work is not up to date as it is still promoting the TR as a result of a recension by Lucian. That has been considered an old wife's tale for at least a decade if not two or three.Jim Darlack
2/14/2016
I've used Comfort's textual commentary since it was first published. It's an excellent resource for a pastor or Bible teacher who wants to get an overview of how the different readings of Greek manuscripts change how different English translations render the New Testament. My main wish for this resource would be that each translation mentioned by abbreviation in the apparatus was hotlinked to the actual text or marginal note of that translation (if the user has access). This would help declutter a user's workspace.
Adam Olean
2/5/2016
Dr. Justin B. Stodghill
1/2/2016
