--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have to be careful, however, to…" description: "\"“We have to be careful, however, to distinguish between evidence and artifacts. The testimony of an eyewitness can be properly viewed as evidence, but ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca0/j-warner-wallace-40233_bible_we-have-to-be-careful-however-to-disting_1874765.jpg" --- # We have to be careful, however, to distinguish between… ![“We have to be careful, however, to distinguish between evidence and artifacts. The testimony of an eyewitness can be properly viewed as evidence, but anything added to the account after the fact should be viewed with caution as a possible artifact (something that exists in the text when it…” quote by J. Warner Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca0/j-warner-wallace-40233_bible_we-have-to-be-careful-however-to-disting_1874765.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca0/j-warner-wallace-40233_bible_we-have-to-be-careful-however-to-disting_1874765.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca0/j-warner-wallace-40233_bible_we-have-to-be-careful-however-to-disting_1874765.jpg) > ““We have to be careful, however, to distinguish between evidence and artifacts. The testimony of an eyewitness can be properly viewed as evidence, but anything added to the account after the fact should be viewed with caution as a possible artifact (something that exists in the text when it shouldn’t). The Gospels claim to be eyewitness accounts, but you may be surprised to find that there are a few added textual artifacts nestled in with the evidential statements. It appears that scribes, in copying the texts over the years, added lines to the narrative that were not there at the time of the original writing. Let me give you an example. Most of us are familiar with the biblical story in the gospel of John in which Jesus was presented with a woman who had been accused of committing adultery (John 8:1–11). The Jewish men who brought the woman to Jesus wanted her to be stoned, but Jesus refused to condemn her and told the men, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” When the men leave, Jesus tells the woman, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” This story is one of my favorite passages in all of Scripture. Too bad that it appears to be an artifact. While the story may, in fact, be absolutely true, the earliest copies of John’s gospel recovered over the centuries fail to contain any part of it. The last verse of chapter 7 and the first eleven verses of chapter 8 are missing in the oldest manuscripts available to us. The story doesn’t appear until it is discovered in later copies of John’s gospel, centuries after the life of Jesus on earth. In fact, some ancient biblical manuscripts place it in a different location in John’s gospel. Some ancient copies of the Bible even place it in the gospel of Luke. While there is much about the story that seems consistent with Jesus’s character and teaching, most scholars do not believe it was part of John’s original account. It is a biblical artifact, and it is identified as such in nearly every modern translation of the Bible (where it is typically noted in the margin or bracketed to separate it from the reliable account).”” [J. Warner Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-warner-wallace/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Distinguish between eyewitness evidence and later additions; biblical artifacts may alter original narratives. **In simple terms:** Separate evidence from later edits. Key Takeaway Critically assess historical texts. Themes history critical thinking religion Mood skeptical inquisitive Type analytical educational When to use this quote - scholarly research - faith education - documentary analysis - public lectures Key Concepts textual criticism epistemology Questions to Reflect On - What criteria define an artifact? - How do we balance faith with scholarly findings? A Different Perspective Some may view this as undermining faith, causing resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Account Biblical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/account-biblical-2609716/) [Artifacts Testimony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artifacts-testimony-2609714/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [Biblical Artifact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biblical-artifact-2609715/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Committing adultery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/committing-adultery/) [Gospel of john](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gospel-of-john/) [Gospel Of Luke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gospel-of-luke-222676/) [Gospels Claim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gospels-claim-2609713/) [Shouldn Gospels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shouldn-gospels-2609717/) ## Related quotes > [There is a Wonderful story in the Gospel of Luke (6:12-26). 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It appears that scribes, in copying the texts over the years, added lines to the narrative that were not there at the time of the original writing. Let me give you an example. Most of us are familiar with the biblical story in the gospel of John in which Jesus was presented with a woman who had been accused of committing adultery (John 8:1–11). The Jewish men who brought the woman to Jesus wanted her to be stoned, but Jesus refused to condemn her and told the men, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” When the men leave, Jesus tells the woman, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” This story is one of my favorite passages in all of Scripture. Too bad that it appears to be an artifact. While the story may, in fact, be absolutely true, the earliest copies of John’s gospel recovered over the centuries fail to contain any part of it. The last verse of chapter 7 and the first eleven verses of chapter 8 are missing in the oldest manuscripts available to us. The story doesn’t appear until it is discovered in later copies of John’s gospel, centuries after the life of Jesus on earth. In fact, some ancient biblical manuscripts place it in a different location in John’s gospel. Some ancient copies of the Bible even place it in the gospel of Luke. While there is much about the story that seems consistent with Jesus’s character and teaching, most scholars do not believe it was part of John’s original account. It is a biblical artifact, and it is identified as such in nearly every modern translation of the Bible (where it is typically noted in the margin or bracketed to separate it from the reliable account).”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "J. 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