How We Got the Bible

Coming from a position of knowing little about the manuscripts behind the Bible, this book was most helpful in presenting a balanced and readable account of the key issues. It includes the different physical types of manuscripts, a survey of all the significant manuscripts, an introduction to techniques of textual criticism for resolving uncertainty in the text, evidence on how and when the canon was established, and short considerations of the most English translations of the Bible. The presentation is strong on fact and low on rhetoric, and yet very readable - an ideal combination. Naturally I found myself wishing the book would go into more detail on many a subject: but I suppose that is actually a mark of its success in getting to the heart of the key issues. So then I moved on to what I thought were more in-depth books, such as that by FF Bruce. What surprised me was that I found time and time again that Lightfoot actually gave more *facts* per square inch than any other comparable book. I can hardly think of one significant fact I learned from the other books which wasn't already in Lightfoot's. So don't be put off by suggestions that it might be a bit light, superficial, and basic. There is more in it than many books twice the size. There are one or two points which could usefully have been addressed without adding too many pages. For example, Lightfoot tends to assume implicitly that older manuscripts are better, almost by definition. In view of the hot debate on this issue, a short, factual contribution would have been welcome. Also, a more factual rebuttal of critics who erroneously claim that the texts are unreliable, rather than just a few important quotes and statements, would have been helpful. One of the legacies of reading this book is that I find that I can now make sense of - and take an interest in - a lot of the debates and arguments which rage over the text and its translation. In my opinion, it is the best book out there for someone wishing to learn the key facts about the Bible manuscripts in as short a time as possible.

Straightforward and easy to read, How We Got the Bible is most helpful because it so important to know the background and historicity of the Bible. If we are to defend the truths we learn in Scripture, we have to know why Scripture is credible. I will return to this text, because, although I highlighted the heck out of it, I still find myself struggling during conversations with skeptics,--nable to remember when the Sinaitic manuscript was made, and the exact chronology of the canon's development. Lightfoot's work has whet my appetite for the history of the Bible. I will soon go back through the book, making notes of some of the most important points made. Items such as: "The Massoretes...sought ways and methods by which to eliminate scribal slips of addition or omission. This they achieved through intricate procedures of counting. They numbered the verses, words and letters..." "Copies of Thucydides are thus about 1,300 years later than the date of their original composition, yet no effort is made to discount these copies in spite of such a wide interval of time." Also, Lightfoot's sound explanation of the weaknesses of the King James Version was quite timely. I recall a recent conversation with a fellow who is of the "KJV only" persuasion. While I was initially sympathetic to him, assuming it to be simply a matter of taste, I have come to realize that the profound shortcomings of the KJV make it inappropriate for regular use in worship and instruction. And, worse, some people even seem to use the KJV as a form of legalism and fencing of the Scripture, keeping anyone who speaks modern English from a true understanding of the text.

This book focuses on the manuscripts that have been used as sources for the Biblical text and the textual criticism process that is used to make the best reproduction of the original texts. There are also brief discussions of canonization, apocryphal literature, and the origins of recent English translations. I was hoping for a longer discussion on canonization and the councils involved, which are not mentioned at all. Overall, I enjoyed the book because it is brief and yet thorough for a non-academic reader. For the reader who wants to do more study, many additional references are mentioned throughout the book.

How We Got the Bible is an excellent overview of the process by which we have received the text of the Bible. It is highly readable, and at the same time, remarkably complete in its overview of the subject. This thin book is supported by the deep knowledge and research of a recognized scholar in the field.