The New Testament Documents

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A surprisingly life-changing book! - Rated
I was given this little book last year by a Christian friend of mine as part of his hard slog in telling me the gospel (I was very resistant to evangelism!) I was 30 years old at the time and was an over-opinionated non-Christian. However, most of my objections to the Bible were swiftly quashed by the evidence laid out in this book.

The style is clear and concise, and simple enough for non-scholars but still an academic approach to the manuscripts rather than an emotional defence of the gospel. This makes it ideal for sceptics and seekers as it presents the evidence and allows the facts to speak for themselves. It is equally valuable reading for Christians who want to understand the key arguments for the historical legitimacy of the New Testament documents.

And, importantly for me, a footnote on one of the first pages of the book suggested that readers should have actually read the New Testament documents before trying to assess their reliability. This led me to buy a Bible and start reading it for the first time in my life - and just two weeks later I became a Christian! In today's world of instant gratification, I don't think my attempt to get an answer before reading the full text of the question, as it were, was unique.

This book challenges the sceptic to carry out their investigations seriously and get the real facts rather than rely on their own opinion.

A fascinating window into the NT's formation and accuracy - Rated
This is a well-written and important book. Bruce clearly introduces the reader to the wealth of evidence for the historic accuracy of the New Testament. Although the writer certainly believes the NT's historicity, areas of controversy are identified and addressed.

The book is pitched at an accessible level for an interested non-historian (particularly one with a reasonable head for facts, figures and evidence). Bruce is clearly a Christian, but he lets the facts speak for themselves.

Ideal for interested seekers (zero cringe factor!) as well as members of the flock.

An excellent general introduction to the New Testament. - Rated
Professor Bruce describes the first edition of this book as his 'literary firstborn'. Since that time it has served as an excellent introduction to the New Testament for both the student and general reader. Providing a treasury of useful material Bruce competently draws upon several disciplines to provide authoritative information on subjects as diverse as literary criticism (date, composition and authorship of the New Testament documents), theological interpretation (the miracle stories of the Gospels) and archaeology (in support of the writings of the evangelists and St Paul). As a result this book continues to be a useful resource for the busy reader who is looking for a scholarly, yet brief, introduction to this important subject. The book's title reflects the content well and meets the common assumption of biblical unreliability with an invitation to examine the evidence. The writing is concise, partly because this is Bruce's style and partly because there is a desire to present an overview of a complicated subject in a short space (just over 100 pages). For those who wish to pursue their interest further a useful reading list is included as well as relatively detailed name, subject and scripture index. Given its size this small book contains a wealth of information relative to biblical studies and deserves a place on the bookshelves of scholars, clergy and lay persons alike.