The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? (F.F. Bruce)

"Does it matter whether the New Testament documents are reliable or not? Is it so very important that we should be able to accept them as truly historical records?" So begins chapter one of this introduction to the topic by renowned scholar F.F. Bruce. He argues, of course, that reliability matters ("the truth of the Christian faith is bound up closely with the historicity of the New Testament," so "it is not irrelevant to look at its foundation documents from the standpoint of historical criticism"), and the New Testament is in fact reliable.

In just over 120 pages, Bruce summarizes:

- The New Testament Documents: Their Date and Attestation

- The Canon of the New Testament (the 27 NT books and why)

- The Gospels (their origins and comparisons of them)

- The Gospel Miracles

- The Importance of Paul's Evidence (as Paul wrote before the Gospels were written down)

- The Writings of Luke (who ties in many historical references)

- More Archaeological Evidence

- The Evidence of Early Jewish Writings

- The Evidence of Early Gentile Writers

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In the foreword to this volume, N.T. Wright says that "history can be enormously stimulating for Christian faith, opening up new lines of fruitful thought, revealing dimensions and depths to familiar texts, goading 'simple believers' into thinking harder and integrating their minds more fully with their beliefs." I agree. Though this work is a summary, it is a good one, full of fascinating observations and intriguing insights. I loved it and want more. (I read his excellent Canon of Scripture years ago and also recommend it highly.)

Rating: A