The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?

This modern classic in New Testament studies offers a compelling defense of the reliability of the Christian Scriptures. Christianity Today named “The New Testament Documents” one of the top 50 books that have shaped Evangelicals.

“Our object,” says F.F. Bruce, “is to find out what historical research reveals about the origin of the New Testament canon.” Concise chapters explore dates and origin of various New Testament books, the formation of the New Testament canon, and examines the Gospels (including a chapter on miracles), the importance of Paul, of Luke, and evidence supporting the reliability of the New Testament from archaeology, early Jewish writings, and early Gentile writings.

Professor Bruce’s conclusion is that “there is no body of ancient literature in the world which enjoys such a wealth of good textual attestation as the New Testament. The evidence for our New Testament writings is ever so much greater than the evidence for many writings of classical writers, the authenticity of which no one dreams of questioning.”

F.F. Bruce writes as a historian, not as a theologian, and this book addresses the reliability of the New Testament, not its authority.

This edition is a high quality ebook. It is the sixth edition (and latest) edition with an introduction by N.T. Wright, footnotes, and two linked indexes. Thirty-five years after the first publication of this book, Bruce wrote an article on “Are the New Testament Documents Still Reliable?” The article was published in Christianity Today and is also included as part of this ebook.