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The Bearing of Recent Discovery on the Trustworthiness of the New Testament
Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.
- GenresChristian
456 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1915
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August 28, 2024
THE MOST POPULAR WORK OF A FAMOUS CHRISTIAN ARCHAEOLOGIST/TRAVELER
Sir William Mitchell Ramsay (1851-1939) was a Scottish archaeologist and New Testament scholar, as well as Professor of Classical Archaeology at Oxford University. He is now probably most remembered for his studies (in what is now Turkey and Asia Minor) of St. Paul's missionary journeys and of Christianity in the early Roman Empire, and for his endorsement of the historical accuracy of Luke and the Book of Acts.
This 1911 book contains lectures originally given at Union Theological Seminary (!). Ramsay says in the Preface, "I describe no striking discoveries. My aim is to state certain principles that result from modern discovery, and to illustrate their bearing on the New Testament. The method is to show through the examination, word by word and phrase by phrase, of a few passages, which have been much exposed to hostile criticism, that the New Testament is unique in the compactness, the lucidity, the pregnancy and the vivid truthfulness of its expression. That is not the character of one or two of the books that compose the Testament: it belongs in different ways to all alike, though space fails in the present work to try them all." He adds, "I do not follow the prevailing tendency of German criticism of the New Testament. It is wrong because it is narrow, and because it judges from erroneous premises and unjustifiable prejudices; and one welcomes any signs of a return to a saner and better informed judgment."
He makes the assertion, "there is a certain presumption that a writer who proves to be exact and correct in one point will show the same qualities in other matters. No writer is correct by mere chance, or accurate sporadically. He is accurate by virtue of a certain habit of mind." Concerning the Book of Acts, Ramsay says, "The present writer takes the view that Luke's history is unsurpassed in respect of its trustworthiness." He adds, "You may press the words of Luke in a degree beyond any other historian's, and they stand the keenest scrutiny and the hardest treatment, provided the critic knows the subject and does not go beyond the limits of science and justice."
He is not simply dogmatic, however; concerning the birth stories of Jesus (such as the visitation of the Magi), he admits that they "might very well be regarded as a growing and creative idea in the early Church, gradually working itself out in the myth. I do not know at present anything that can absolutely disprove this better form of the myth theory; and the theory is likely to commend itself to many, who are repelled by the fact that Matthew alone mentions the story."
He revisits his explanation of the census of Quirinius (the biblical 'Cyrenius' is the Greek version of his Roman name) reported in Luke 2:2, which he explained in his earlier book, 'Was Christ born at Bethlehem?' A study on the credibility of St. Luke, as due to Quirinius serving as "governor" on TWO occasions. Ramsay notes that the church father Tertullian "corroborates Luke as regards the time of the census during Herod's life, but not as regards the name of the Roman official. He must, therefore, derive from a different source of information independent of Luke, because on one essential point he diverges from him ... It Tertullian had only the authority of Luke to rest on, it is inconceivable that he could have named Sentius as the officer that made the census, for he regarded Luke as a perfect authority. He therefore had access to another good authority.... Luke gives a date after the usual ancient fashion ... Tertullian makes an assertion about the official who took the census."
This book, like all of Ramsay's works, remains in print today as a testimony to its continuing value to students of the New Testament.
Sir William Mitchell Ramsay (1851-1939) was a Scottish archaeologist and New Testament scholar, as well as Professor of Classical Archaeology at Oxford University. He is now probably most remembered for his studies (in what is now Turkey and Asia Minor) of St. Paul's missionary journeys and of Christianity in the early Roman Empire, and for his endorsement of the historical accuracy of Luke and the Book of Acts.
This 1911 book contains lectures originally given at Union Theological Seminary (!). Ramsay says in the Preface, "I describe no striking discoveries. My aim is to state certain principles that result from modern discovery, and to illustrate their bearing on the New Testament. The method is to show through the examination, word by word and phrase by phrase, of a few passages, which have been much exposed to hostile criticism, that the New Testament is unique in the compactness, the lucidity, the pregnancy and the vivid truthfulness of its expression. That is not the character of one or two of the books that compose the Testament: it belongs in different ways to all alike, though space fails in the present work to try them all." He adds, "I do not follow the prevailing tendency of German criticism of the New Testament. It is wrong because it is narrow, and because it judges from erroneous premises and unjustifiable prejudices; and one welcomes any signs of a return to a saner and better informed judgment."
He makes the assertion, "there is a certain presumption that a writer who proves to be exact and correct in one point will show the same qualities in other matters. No writer is correct by mere chance, or accurate sporadically. He is accurate by virtue of a certain habit of mind." Concerning the Book of Acts, Ramsay says, "The present writer takes the view that Luke's history is unsurpassed in respect of its trustworthiness." He adds, "You may press the words of Luke in a degree beyond any other historian's, and they stand the keenest scrutiny and the hardest treatment, provided the critic knows the subject and does not go beyond the limits of science and justice."
He is not simply dogmatic, however; concerning the birth stories of Jesus (such as the visitation of the Magi), he admits that they "might very well be regarded as a growing and creative idea in the early Church, gradually working itself out in the myth. I do not know at present anything that can absolutely disprove this better form of the myth theory; and the theory is likely to commend itself to many, who are repelled by the fact that Matthew alone mentions the story."
He revisits his explanation of the census of Quirinius (the biblical 'Cyrenius' is the Greek version of his Roman name) reported in Luke 2:2, which he explained in his earlier book, 'Was Christ born at Bethlehem?' A study on the credibility of St. Luke, as due to Quirinius serving as "governor" on TWO occasions. Ramsay notes that the church father Tertullian "corroborates Luke as regards the time of the census during Herod's life, but not as regards the name of the Roman official. He must, therefore, derive from a different source of information independent of Luke, because on one essential point he diverges from him ... It Tertullian had only the authority of Luke to rest on, it is inconceivable that he could have named Sentius as the officer that made the census, for he regarded Luke as a perfect authority. He therefore had access to another good authority.... Luke gives a date after the usual ancient fashion ... Tertullian makes an assertion about the official who took the census."
This book, like all of Ramsay's works, remains in print today as a testimony to its continuing value to students of the New Testament.
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