Ancient Quote by Daniel B. Wallace
“At bottom, textual criticism for virtually all other ancient literature relies on creative conjectures, or imaginative guesses, at reconstructing the wording of the original. Not so with the New Testament.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Introduction to the New Testament, 1995
Scholars must guess the original wording of most ancient texts, but the New Testament has more reliable evidence.
In simple terms: New Testament text is better supported than most ancient works.
Key Takeaway
Rely on solid evidence when studying ancient texts.
Themes
scholarship
textual criticism
reliability
Mood
analytical
thoughtful
Type
academic
informative
When to use this quote
- academic research
- biblical studies
- teaching
- translation
- faith communities
Key Concepts
historical method
manuscript evidence
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we balance conjecture with evidence?
- What methods improve textual reconstruction?
A Different Perspective
Even the New Testament has gaps and textual variants that require careful judgment.
