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Scribes and Scripture: The Amazing Story of How We Got the Bible
Answers to Common Questions about the Writing, Copying, Canonizing, and Translating of the Bible There are many common questions and misconceptions surrounding the formation and history of the Why is the Bible composed of the current 66 books instead of others? Why are there so many translations? How are we to understand both the human and divine elements of the Bible? In Scribes and Scripture , scholars John D. Meade and Peter J. Gurry answer these questions and give readers tools to interpret the evidence about God’s word. Beginning with the history of the Bible―from the invention of the alphabet to the most recent English translations―the book focuses on three main the writing and copying of the Bible, the canonization of the Bible, and the translation of the Bible. Using Old and New Testament scholarship, Meade and Gurry help God’s people better appreciate the story of the Bible as a way to better appreciate the stories in the Bible.
272 pages, Paperback
Published October 18, 2022
159 people are currently reading
1337 people want to read
About the author
John D. Meade
5 books7 followersJohn D. Meade received his PhD at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is professor of Old Testament and codirector of the Text & Canon Institute at Phoenix Seminary. He teaches courses in Hebrew Language, Old Testament Literature, Greek Language and Literature, and Biblical Theology. His research interests include Origen’s Hexapla, the Septuagint, Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible, the Canon of Scripture, and Biblical Theology. He and his wife, Annie, have four children and are members at Camelback Bible Church.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
November 5, 2025
Outstanding! This is such a useful resource. I will be commending it to my students and fellow church members liberally for years to come.
October 12, 2022
This is an excellent resource on understanding the process through which we possess the Bible in the English language. Meade and Gurry are scholars, professors at Phoenix Seminary who run the excellent Text and Canon Institute. However, despite their academic background, the authors obviously desired to put out a book that would be well-researched and factually accurate, but nonetheless accessible to the average reader. For the most part, they have achieved this goal. The chapters on textual transmission are of necessity a bit technical, but the book as a whole is very understandable to the non-expert.
This book has three major parts. In the first, Gurry and Meade explain the writing, copying and transmission of the ancient biblical texts. The second part delves into the fascinating story of canonization: why do we recognize as Scripture the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament, and not other books like the Apocrypha? The third section is probably the one which caught my attention the most; it focuses on a history of Bible translations, particularly into the English language.
This book is profitable for several audiences. First, those who want to know more about the Bible and perhaps wonder if it can be trusted as reliable will benefit from the research and arguments put forward in this book. Second, pastors and others in Christian ministry will find helpful reminders—and perhaps new information—about how we got the Bible, which will help us explain and teach these things to those with questions. Finally, Christians in general will grow in their knowledge of and confidence in God’s word through this book. I highly recommend it!
This book has three major parts. In the first, Gurry and Meade explain the writing, copying and transmission of the ancient biblical texts. The second part delves into the fascinating story of canonization: why do we recognize as Scripture the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament, and not other books like the Apocrypha? The third section is probably the one which caught my attention the most; it focuses on a history of Bible translations, particularly into the English language.
This book is profitable for several audiences. First, those who want to know more about the Bible and perhaps wonder if it can be trusted as reliable will benefit from the research and arguments put forward in this book. Second, pastors and others in Christian ministry will find helpful reminders—and perhaps new information—about how we got the Bible, which will help us explain and teach these things to those with questions. Finally, Christians in general will grow in their knowledge of and confidence in God’s word through this book. I highly recommend it!
May 29, 2025
Really informative. It made me recognize the messiness of how we got the Bible and God's providential hand behind it over the millennia. Highly recommended!
November 5, 2025
I became keenly interested in this book when I first read through the table of contents. It's divided into three sections: Text, Canon, and Translation. The first section relates details about writing in the ancient world before going on to discuss the transmission of both testaments and how textual scholars reconstruct the original texts. Section two follows the reception history of both testaments. Section three surveys the history of Bible translations, noting some key issues along the way. A book this accessible, yet still broad in scope and deep in detail, is a remarkable resource.
The strongest part of the book is undoubtedly the first section. While I felt the first chapter, which concerns ancient writing culture, is less important than any of the chapters that follow, it's interesting anyway. But where this section shines is in its two impressive, clear, and concise chapters on the transmission of both testaments and the general contours of textual criticism. This is the best brief treatment of these subjects (an area of special interest to me) that I have ever encountered. The authors are straightforward about the facts of history and the difficulties attending especially the Old Testament, but they balance this very well with confidence in God's providence.
The Canon section seems to me a bit of a mixed bag. The two (!) chapters on the reception of the Old Testament books is remarkable. The authors are sensitive to the complexities of the issues here, yet they demonstrate ably why Jewish and Christian history furnish sufficient proof that the Hebrew Canon is trustworthy (and needn't be supplemented).
The corresponding chapter on the New Testament canon is probably the weakest part of the book. It's too condensed, so the authors seemed to struggle maintaining their balance. I could see laypeople getting confused here. The authors spend a lot of time discussing who accepted certain books and who rejected them, but spend very little time relating why. In the case of the catholic epistles, especially, it might be easy to come away unsure whether their inclusion is historically warranted.
I think what would have solved most of the problems in this Canon section is a brief statement at the front, no more than three or four paragraphs, about what makes a book canonical. One might come away thinking that it's not so much the inspiration of the text but rather the Church's reception that qualifies a book for canonical status. I know that's not what the authors believe, due to a few brief comments in the thick of these three chapters, but the material gives that overall sense. A short word about inspiration and self-attestation would have cleared much of this up.
The third section, dealing with translation, is also helpful. Like section two, the emphasis is on history rather than theology and theory, but the latter does receive some attention. This section does a good job of explaining why so many translations exist, why they've often stirred up controversy, and how interpretation is bound up with the translation process.
I picked this book up because I wanted to know if it would be a book worth recommending to the people who ask me about the Bible and its history. My conclusion, having finished it, is that it certainly is. I have qualms and quibbles here and there, but it's a great resource, on the whole.
The strongest part of the book is undoubtedly the first section. While I felt the first chapter, which concerns ancient writing culture, is less important than any of the chapters that follow, it's interesting anyway. But where this section shines is in its two impressive, clear, and concise chapters on the transmission of both testaments and the general contours of textual criticism. This is the best brief treatment of these subjects (an area of special interest to me) that I have ever encountered. The authors are straightforward about the facts of history and the difficulties attending especially the Old Testament, but they balance this very well with confidence in God's providence.
The Canon section seems to me a bit of a mixed bag. The two (!) chapters on the reception of the Old Testament books is remarkable. The authors are sensitive to the complexities of the issues here, yet they demonstrate ably why Jewish and Christian history furnish sufficient proof that the Hebrew Canon is trustworthy (and needn't be supplemented).
The corresponding chapter on the New Testament canon is probably the weakest part of the book. It's too condensed, so the authors seemed to struggle maintaining their balance. I could see laypeople getting confused here. The authors spend a lot of time discussing who accepted certain books and who rejected them, but spend very little time relating why. In the case of the catholic epistles, especially, it might be easy to come away unsure whether their inclusion is historically warranted.
I think what would have solved most of the problems in this Canon section is a brief statement at the front, no more than three or four paragraphs, about what makes a book canonical. One might come away thinking that it's not so much the inspiration of the text but rather the Church's reception that qualifies a book for canonical status. I know that's not what the authors believe, due to a few brief comments in the thick of these three chapters, but the material gives that overall sense. A short word about inspiration and self-attestation would have cleared much of this up.
The third section, dealing with translation, is also helpful. Like section two, the emphasis is on history rather than theology and theory, but the latter does receive some attention. This section does a good job of explaining why so many translations exist, why they've often stirred up controversy, and how interpretation is bound up with the translation process.
I picked this book up because I wanted to know if it would be a book worth recommending to the people who ask me about the Bible and its history. My conclusion, having finished it, is that it certainly is. I have qualms and quibbles here and there, but it's a great resource, on the whole.
July 3, 2023
Do you ever wonder: How did we get our Bible? This book explores the amazing story of today we have Bibles in our hands today in English. It is a fascinating two thousand years plus history in this book, and it covers so much from how Scribes copied the Bible to how translations and manuscripts work and translator’s outlook and textual criticism!
There are nine chapters in the book grouped together in three parts. Part one is about the text of the Bible with the first chapter on writing the Bible (and a discussion about the start of writing in general) and the next two chapters is on copying the Old Testament and New Testament respectively. Part two is on the canon of Scripture with chapter four opening up this section with discussion about canonizing the Old Testament up to the period of the Reformation and chapter five is on the reformation period itself. The next chapter is on the canonization of the New Testament. Part three looks at translation that also consists of three chapters. Chapter seven coves early and Medieval Bible translation while chapter eight is on English translation of the Bible up to the King James version and chapter nine is post-KJV.
This was a fascinating book and I learned a lot from it. I was blown away how multi-facted this book was. For instance there’s discussion about textual criticism. I really enjoyed learning about New Testament manuscript witnesses summarized in a chapter. I always confused majuscules and minuscule and from reading this I was reminded of what I learned in seminary of how Majuscules are manuscripts of the Greek New Testament in capital scripts which stopped around the ninth century AD while minuscules were cursive scripts that began around the ninth century AD (85). There were so many interesting historical facts in the book such as the discussion about Catholic Cardinal Francisco Ximenes deCisneros who was the first to print Bible in the oridingal language and his canon did not include the Apocrapha which is ironic since he was the Grand Inquistor during the Spanish Inquisition and his canon was amathematized a few decades after trent (137). The discussion about New Testament canonization was also interesting to see how the four Gospels and Pauline epistles were accepted early on while the General Epistles had more discsusions. There are two helpful appendixes on canon lists and many helpful pictures, figures and charts along the way. I totally recommend this book!
NOTE: This book was provided to me free by Crossway without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
There are nine chapters in the book grouped together in three parts. Part one is about the text of the Bible with the first chapter on writing the Bible (and a discussion about the start of writing in general) and the next two chapters is on copying the Old Testament and New Testament respectively. Part two is on the canon of Scripture with chapter four opening up this section with discussion about canonizing the Old Testament up to the period of the Reformation and chapter five is on the reformation period itself. The next chapter is on the canonization of the New Testament. Part three looks at translation that also consists of three chapters. Chapter seven coves early and Medieval Bible translation while chapter eight is on English translation of the Bible up to the King James version and chapter nine is post-KJV.
This was a fascinating book and I learned a lot from it. I was blown away how multi-facted this book was. For instance there’s discussion about textual criticism. I really enjoyed learning about New Testament manuscript witnesses summarized in a chapter. I always confused majuscules and minuscule and from reading this I was reminded of what I learned in seminary of how Majuscules are manuscripts of the Greek New Testament in capital scripts which stopped around the ninth century AD while minuscules were cursive scripts that began around the ninth century AD (85). There were so many interesting historical facts in the book such as the discussion about Catholic Cardinal Francisco Ximenes deCisneros who was the first to print Bible in the oridingal language and his canon did not include the Apocrapha which is ironic since he was the Grand Inquistor during the Spanish Inquisition and his canon was amathematized a few decades after trent (137). The discussion about New Testament canonization was also interesting to see how the four Gospels and Pauline epistles were accepted early on while the General Epistles had more discsusions. There are two helpful appendixes on canon lists and many helpful pictures, figures and charts along the way. I totally recommend this book!
NOTE: This book was provided to me free by Crossway without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
July 17, 2025
Very helpful and clear, not oversimplifying the issues, but also not being dramatic or sensational about them. The conclusion was excellent.
December 9, 2024
Look, I know John and I've met Peter a few times so maybe I'm biased... but I don't think so. This book is fantastic. It does everything I want from a updated, one-stop-shop for questions about the history of the English Bible that's aimed at a broad audience rather than specialists (where you'd have to cobble together numerous volumes written at a much more technical level). It's not perfect (for example, I supplemented it myself with numerous other books when designing my class on How We Got the Bible, especially on areas where either I have a good deal of expertise and had access to more technical or in-depth volumes), but it's really, really good. It does everything you can expect it to, and it does it well.
If you're looking for an up to date, readable, scholarly approach to a topic where most folks are using very out of date volumes that most anyone can read, understand, and interact with, this is it.
If you're looking for an up to date, readable, scholarly approach to a topic where most folks are using very out of date volumes that most anyone can read, understand, and interact with, this is it.
January 6, 2023
This is an excellent introduction to the question, "How did we get the Bible?" Nine chapters divided equally among three sections: Text, Canon, and Translation. Text deals primarily with the copying of the biblical text, because the oldest copies we have do not go back to the originals. The section on Canon gives two chapters to the Old Testament, since the issue of the Apocrypha was not finally settled until the Reformation. One chapter deals with the development of the NT canon. This is a particularly important chapter for those who have bought in to the fiction that Constantine decided the NT canon in the fourth century as part of a power move to control the church. This view is found in popular form in Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code and probably on any number of YouTube videos. Unfortunately, it is a view espoused by some critical scholars who ought to know better. One chapter is devoted to pre-Reformation translations. Then two chapters bring the issue of English versions up to the present day. Perhaps the most important thing about the book is that it makes clear that God's providential care of his word has been a much messier program than some would like to think. I don't think I can recommend this book highly enough for pastors and interested lay people.
January 23, 2023
Why am I up past 11pm on a work night writing a review, might you ask? It’s because of this incredible and captivating work from Meade and Gurry. Their highly-researched and well-informed survey of the history of the Holy Scriptures is astounding to say the least (although at times too high-level). Their content is very accessible, yet it also pulls on the academic side of my brain, and I’m left with a desire and interest to dive into the world of textual criticism all the more (I guess I should be careful what I wish for).
The complex human history of the Bible often leaves modern readers with the following series of questions:
- “Are too many human fingerprints on the process to trust the Bible as God’s inerrant word today?”
- “Can a book with such a history truly be divine?”
These questions linger throughout many of the chapters and pages preceding the book’s final conclusion. If you actually think through them in light of the Bible’s history, they seem and feel all the more real and troubling to answer. The genius of this book (IMO) is found in the conclusion, and if you want to wrestle through these questions in a way that honors history and elevates Jesus, I suggest you pick up a copy of this book.
The complex human history of the Bible often leaves modern readers with the following series of questions:
- “Are too many human fingerprints on the process to trust the Bible as God’s inerrant word today?”
- “Can a book with such a history truly be divine?”
These questions linger throughout many of the chapters and pages preceding the book’s final conclusion. If you actually think through them in light of the Bible’s history, they seem and feel all the more real and troubling to answer. The genius of this book (IMO) is found in the conclusion, and if you want to wrestle through these questions in a way that honors history and elevates Jesus, I suggest you pick up a copy of this book.
January 10, 2023
It dawned on me that much of my education about the Bible was heavy on inspiration and translation but almost completely neglected the “in-between” period that occupies well over a thousand years of history. I read this book as my first attempt at ridding myself of some of that ignorance.
This book does a stellar job of being a reader-friendly guide of diving into that world. It is accessible enough that you don’t have to be familiar with the nuances of textual transmission to understand it, but is incredibly thorough in referencing primary sources (so much so that it has an “Ancient Sources Index” at the back). Above all, I appreciate the reverence and confidence the authors communicate about the Bible based on its history.
This book does a stellar job of being a reader-friendly guide of diving into that world. It is accessible enough that you don’t have to be familiar with the nuances of textual transmission to understand it, but is incredibly thorough in referencing primary sources (so much so that it has an “Ancient Sources Index” at the back). Above all, I appreciate the reverence and confidence the authors communicate about the Bible based on its history.
June 22, 2024
Denne boken går innom alle tema som du kan tenke deg om når det kommer til historien av vår Bibel. Den er tung å lese og har mange vanskelige ord, men hvis du vil vite mer om hvordan vi har fått bibelen og om vi kan stole på den så anbefaler jeg fremdeles denne boken sterkt
April 17, 2025
The hype is real! Hadde forventninger på forhånd siden Elias Heggernes skrytte denne boken opp i skyene, og heldigvis leverte den til forventningene. Ganske så faktaorientert, så ikke så lettlest, men svært nyttig lesning. Definitivt en go-to bok for å lære om hvordan Bibelen har blitt til og utviklet seg. Likte hvordan boken var realistisk med tanke på feil i manuskripter og lignende, samtidig som den fikk frem hvor troverdig Bibelen er.
April 26, 2025
Very helpful.
October 23, 2023
Do you ever wonder: How did we get our Bible? This book explores the amazing story of today we have Bibles in our hands today in English. It is a fascinating two thousand years plus history in this book, and it covers so much from how Scribes copied the Bible to how translations and manuscripts work and translator’s outlook and textual criticism! Before this book I simply accepted the bible based on others bias or word that it should be trusted... simply because of the God I know and his integrity...
Incredible outline from the books included in the canon, down to the nitty gritty translations of passages that state “some early manuscripts don’t have this…”
The glossary/ index at the end will be a great source moving forward. As someone that hasn’t spent a lot of time digging into early church history; this book was a bit overwhelming and deep at times. For that reason, I would give it more of a 4.5. Each chapter also references other sources and books to continue any intrigue you may have about that part of the biblical assembly.
"With good reason it has been said that much of the praise for the King James version belongs to its predecessors. "For the idiom and vocabulary, Tyndall deserves the greatest credit; for the melody and harmony, Coverdale; for scholarship and accuracy, the Geneva version. As the preface to the reader in the King James Version explains, the translators had no intention of improving a bad translation. Their goal was simply "to make a good one better, or out of many good ones, one principal good one."
Overall, it is interesting to learn just how many manuscripts and tablets were compiled, arranged, and excluded to create what we know as the Cannon of the "Bible."
Incredible outline from the books included in the canon, down to the nitty gritty translations of passages that state “some early manuscripts don’t have this…”
The glossary/ index at the end will be a great source moving forward. As someone that hasn’t spent a lot of time digging into early church history; this book was a bit overwhelming and deep at times. For that reason, I would give it more of a 4.5. Each chapter also references other sources and books to continue any intrigue you may have about that part of the biblical assembly.
"With good reason it has been said that much of the praise for the King James version belongs to its predecessors. "For the idiom and vocabulary, Tyndall deserves the greatest credit; for the melody and harmony, Coverdale; for scholarship and accuracy, the Geneva version. As the preface to the reader in the King James Version explains, the translators had no intention of improving a bad translation. Their goal was simply "to make a good one better, or out of many good ones, one principal good one."
Overall, it is interesting to learn just how many manuscripts and tablets were compiled, arranged, and excluded to create what we know as the Cannon of the "Bible."
May 17, 2024
Meade and Gurry break their book into three sections: text, canon, and translation. All three seek to provide confidence and clarity for the reader regarding the Bible they currently hold in their hands. While at points I wish they went deeper, this book was excellent at accomplishing its task of being a helpful book to introduce and provide clarity on textual criticism, the canon, and the KJV Bible. The book also provides illustrations and pictures throughout of real manuscripts and canon lists. The appendices help the reader to understand canon lists in early church history. This book would be helpful for churches that want to encourage people to understand their Bible and how they got it.
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September 28, 2025Read this to brush up on issues of manuscripts, transmission, canon, and translation. Nothing particularly new here, but the info is organized well and easy to read. I imagine this is being assigned in a lot of undergrad courses on the Bible and it was useful for me as a reminder.
I do think Meade and Gurry make a good argument that the canon of scripture was not made by councils, per se. They map out how early church fathers viewed canon through their lists of accepted, debated, and rejected books, and how canon can be seen in early collections of scriptural writings. They also do an excellent job of showing how the canon of scripture has gone through different permutations, especially in regard to Catholic and Protestant views of canon.
I do think Meade and Gurry make a good argument that the canon of scripture was not made by councils, per se. They map out how early church fathers viewed canon through their lists of accepted, debated, and rejected books, and how canon can be seen in early collections of scriptural writings. They also do an excellent job of showing how the canon of scripture has gone through different permutations, especially in regard to Catholic and Protestant views of canon.
February 12, 2024
I’ve read a handful of books on this topic. Scribes might just be the best one. I can recommend it to those who are just beginning to explore how we got the Bible, and even vets will learn something. Very easy to read and colorful.
April 4, 2024
Great book, and one that developed really well from start to finish. Felt like there was something new with each chapter and the sections: writing, canonization, and translation each built on the previous in a cool way.
I’d recommend this to anyone who’s curious to learn more about how we got the Bible we have today. I think it would shock a lot of people to learn about the incredible complexity of its history.
Really impressed with the amount of nuanced information packed into this little book. The authors did a great job of not letting their own theology get in the way too. Very fair and informative.
I’d recommend this to anyone who’s curious to learn more about how we got the Bible we have today. I think it would shock a lot of people to learn about the incredible complexity of its history.
Really impressed with the amount of nuanced information packed into this little book. The authors did a great job of not letting their own theology get in the way too. Very fair and informative.
December 28, 2024
This is a fantastic popular level introduction to all sorts of issues related to the biblical text. I listened to it on audiobook but will definitely get a hard copy at some point so I can consult it. Meade and Gurry take the evidence seriously and lay it out carefully and clearly. I also appreciate their defense of a conservative view of inspiration.
July 30, 2025
The book covers the writing and copying, canonization, and translation of the Bible. Easy to understand without skipping over the technical issues.
Many Christians assume either that because fallen humans were involved in each step of the process the Bible is unreliable and just a copy of a copy of a copy, or that a complete Protestant Bible came down from the sky and our modern translations have no errors. Meade and Gurry kill those assumptions and give the reader confidence grounded in an honest look at history.
I found the history of the apocrypha very interesting!
Many Christians assume either that because fallen humans were involved in each step of the process the Bible is unreliable and just a copy of a copy of a copy, or that a complete Protestant Bible came down from the sky and our modern translations have no errors. Meade and Gurry kill those assumptions and give the reader confidence grounded in an honest look at history.
I found the history of the apocrypha very interesting!
June 18, 2023
I kept seeing this book described as accessible. I would not describe it that way. I plodded through but mostly it made me wonder if maybe I’m not as smart as my mom says I am. 😵💫
February 29, 2024
I almost quit this book during part 1 because it was way more scholarly and technical than I am. So glad I decided to skim and not quit! Parts 2 and 3 on forming the canon and translations were fascinating.
July 25, 2023
After all the positive reviews, I have to say I was a little disappointed in this one. The authors do a good job of laying out a lot of helpful information on the textual history of the Bible -- covering the different types of manuscripts, versions, and translations, as well as discussing the process of canonization -- and they do it in a concise and readable style.
Unfortunately, while Meade & Gurry don't necessarily hide the parts of that history that present challenges (or at least serious complications) to a traditional Christian view of the Bible's divine inspiration/inerrancy, they consistently gloss over these thorny problems with half-baked traditional answers that don't actually succeed in resolving the issues.
For instance, on p. 42 they try to glide past the subject of anachronisms in the Pentateuch by attributing it to scribal updating, without making a convincing case for why we should view them as such -- especially when there are other cumulative lines of reasoning for dating some or all of the Pentateuch later than the time of Moses.
In Chapter 2 ("Copying the Old Testament"), they acknowledge that the earliest translations of several books of the Old Testament into Greek give evidence of a potentially different Hebrew original than what is reflected in the later MT and Protestant Bibles, but essentially dismiss this fact as if it were no big deal, despite the fact that it means we do not know what the original, "divinely inspired" text was -- we can only make an educated guess.
I also felt they failed to adequately resolve the matter of Jude's citing of the pseudepigraphal book of 1 Enoch as if it were a legitimate, God-inspired prophecy, even though they briefly mention it on p. 119. If one takes Jude's epistle to be divinely-inspired Scripture, does this entail believing (with Jude) that 1 Enoch was also authentic prophecy from God? The question at least needs to be explored if one is going to talk about the nature of Scripture.
At the end of their chapters on canonization, the authors summarize their thoughts on the early churches' use of non-canonical/apocryphal books like the Shepherd of Hermas or the Epistle of Barnabas as authoritative scriptures by saying that: "In some ways, the situation is no different today. Not only do we have the canonical Scriptures, but we also have other useful, authoritative, and edificatory writings that exposit true piety and doctrine found in the canonical books" (pp. 162-163). This answer is only partly satisfying. Deeper reflection reveals that this historical picture really blurs the lines around the biblical canon as uniquely divine, and opens wide the Pandora's Box of how much our view of what constitutes Scripture or divine truth depends on our situatedness in specific faith communities and traditions of interpretation. It's just not as clear-cut as most of us might like it to be.
The reality is that the "amazing story of how we got the Bible" is messy and involves a lot more questions than answers. For those of us who do still find personal reasons to treasure the biblical writings as a source of theological, spiritual, and ethical meaning, we need to be more humble and frank about the challenges facing a rigorous traditionalist approach to the Bible.
That's why the industry standard on this topic remains Lee Martin McDonald's The Biblical Canon, which is more honest with the implications of the historical picture. I was disappointed to see that Meade & Gurry never once interacted with McDonald in this book. Any reader interested in or wrestling with the subject of the Bible's history and the question of canon ought to engage with McDonald's work. This little book by Meade & Gurry can only be recommended for its more concise presentation of the data, not for its conclusions on that data.
Unfortunately, while Meade & Gurry don't necessarily hide the parts of that history that present challenges (or at least serious complications) to a traditional Christian view of the Bible's divine inspiration/inerrancy, they consistently gloss over these thorny problems with half-baked traditional answers that don't actually succeed in resolving the issues.
For instance, on p. 42 they try to glide past the subject of anachronisms in the Pentateuch by attributing it to scribal updating, without making a convincing case for why we should view them as such -- especially when there are other cumulative lines of reasoning for dating some or all of the Pentateuch later than the time of Moses.
In Chapter 2 ("Copying the Old Testament"), they acknowledge that the earliest translations of several books of the Old Testament into Greek give evidence of a potentially different Hebrew original than what is reflected in the later MT and Protestant Bibles, but essentially dismiss this fact as if it were no big deal, despite the fact that it means we do not know what the original, "divinely inspired" text was -- we can only make an educated guess.
I also felt they failed to adequately resolve the matter of Jude's citing of the pseudepigraphal book of 1 Enoch as if it were a legitimate, God-inspired prophecy, even though they briefly mention it on p. 119. If one takes Jude's epistle to be divinely-inspired Scripture, does this entail believing (with Jude) that 1 Enoch was also authentic prophecy from God? The question at least needs to be explored if one is going to talk about the nature of Scripture.
At the end of their chapters on canonization, the authors summarize their thoughts on the early churches' use of non-canonical/apocryphal books like the Shepherd of Hermas or the Epistle of Barnabas as authoritative scriptures by saying that: "In some ways, the situation is no different today. Not only do we have the canonical Scriptures, but we also have other useful, authoritative, and edificatory writings that exposit true piety and doctrine found in the canonical books" (pp. 162-163). This answer is only partly satisfying. Deeper reflection reveals that this historical picture really blurs the lines around the biblical canon as uniquely divine, and opens wide the Pandora's Box of how much our view of what constitutes Scripture or divine truth depends on our situatedness in specific faith communities and traditions of interpretation. It's just not as clear-cut as most of us might like it to be.
The reality is that the "amazing story of how we got the Bible" is messy and involves a lot more questions than answers. For those of us who do still find personal reasons to treasure the biblical writings as a source of theological, spiritual, and ethical meaning, we need to be more humble and frank about the challenges facing a rigorous traditionalist approach to the Bible.
That's why the industry standard on this topic remains Lee Martin McDonald's The Biblical Canon, which is more honest with the implications of the historical picture. I was disappointed to see that Meade & Gurry never once interacted with McDonald in this book. Any reader interested in or wrestling with the subject of the Bible's history and the question of canon ought to engage with McDonald's work. This little book by Meade & Gurry can only be recommended for its more concise presentation of the data, not for its conclusions on that data.
March 15, 2023
This book is packed with a lot of useful information. I started this book because I was really interested in the early history of scripture. Unfortunately, I was left with more questions than answers. There were several times I had to look outside the book for additional context or more info on particular time periods. Not a bad book but not as accessible as I hoped for.
April 27, 2023
Brilliant!
This is a wonderful, scholarly and yet easy to read recounting of the history of the Bible and particularly the Bible in the English language. This should be read in every church by every believer.
This is a wonderful, scholarly and yet easy to read recounting of the history of the Bible and particularly the Bible in the English language. This should be read in every church by every believer.
October 12, 2023
In the first section on copying the text, the authors arent afraid to present all the evidence we have from several manuscripts about the content of the “original” text, even that which is conflicting or inconclusive, which might be difficult for those who already have trouble accepting the authenticity of the text passed down to us today. The chapters on canonization are particularly interesting and my favorite to read, and I felt the case for distinguishing the apocrypha from the rest of the canon, as was the case up until the council of Trent, was convincing. The section on the different translations is the Bible throughout church history was very informative and helpful in distinguishing the different source text and interpretive style of each. The book’s conclusion provides a final word of confidence: Gods sovereignty and the authority of his Word is not diminished by the ways he advanced and fulfilled it through ordinary human means. I finished having more questions, but with a deeper understanding of the historicity of the Bible. Get ready to feel like an expert in the field of textual criticism but also extremely humbled after finishing.
February 15, 2023
This is a really strong book. Definitely recommend for anyone with questions or an interest in the Bible. While Meade and Gurry are scholars, this work is accessible and even fun, which is an achievement for “textual critics” on an otherwise dusty academic subject.
The subtitle is helpful as is this description of the Bible from the author’s concluding thoughts. “The Bible is a set of book written in multiple languages by dozens of authors across thousands of years.” What an amazing subject to dive into.
Finally, on why we should take the Bible seriously, the authors point out that Jesus took the Bible seriously, quoting an exchange between Jesus and his opponents in John 10:35. “Scripture cannot be broken.” Now Meade and Gurry: “Since we believe his [Jesus’s] extraordinary claim to be God, how could we deny his less extraordinary claim about scripture?”
The subtitle is helpful as is this description of the Bible from the author’s concluding thoughts. “The Bible is a set of book written in multiple languages by dozens of authors across thousands of years.” What an amazing subject to dive into.
Finally, on why we should take the Bible seriously, the authors point out that Jesus took the Bible seriously, quoting an exchange between Jesus and his opponents in John 10:35. “Scripture cannot be broken.” Now Meade and Gurry: “Since we believe his [Jesus’s] extraordinary claim to be God, how could we deny his less extraordinary claim about scripture?”
March 15, 2023
I did enjoy this I found it very useful. Downside is all related to the audio format. So many names that I loose count and so many tables that are read aloud that get confusing
I recommend this book a great concise way to understand how we got the Bible. Enjoyed the author did not say away from saying the phrase “I don’t know” not in terms of a cop out but leaning into a little of the mystery of how we got the Bible. But also being very respectful in the process
I recommend this book a great concise way to understand how we got the Bible. Enjoyed the author did not say away from saying the phrase “I don’t know” not in terms of a cop out but leaning into a little of the mystery of how we got the Bible. But also being very respectful in the process
August 3, 2024
Overall helpful book. The first few chapters on copying the OT & NT were less enjoyable and required more sloughing along, but still good information. The part of the book I really enjoyed was reformation and on, including canonizing the NT, how we got the English Bible, and info on various English translations.
April 1, 2025
Good information on the history of keeping history, from papyrus to books - also talks about things like canon and the how we chose what is in the Bible. Does have its blande pages but good information. Would recommend choosing another book if wanting to learn more about the formation and history of the Bible, this books has its moments when it doesn’t necessarily explain terms and can be hard to follow.
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