An Introduction to the Greek New Testament Produced at Tyndale House, Cambridge. Dirk Jongkind, Crossway, 2019. 124 pp. Reviewed by William Varner, The Master’s University.
In 2017 Crossway published the Tyndale House Greek New Testament (THGNT), under the leadership of scholars at Tyndale House in Cambridge, England. I was privileged to serve as a proofreader for sections of the work. At the end of the edition was a thirteen page “Introduction” that explained the basics of the critical edition, including the textual philosophy behind the choices made and the reasons for utilizing the smaller number of manuscripts compared to the many cited in the apparatus of the Nestle-Aland (NA) and the United Bible Society (UBS) New Testament editions.
The chief editor of that THGNT, Dirk Jongkind, has now written a more complete Introduction to the Greek New Testament with the subtitle: Produced at Tyndale House, Cambridge. For this edition, two of my Greek students, Caleb Fisk and David Lunceford, worked with the manuscript as proofreaders. The Masters University, therefore, is heavily vested in both these publishing projects.
This 124 page volume is more than a guide to the THGNT since it is intended to serve as a guide to NT textual criticism in general. Due to its length, it is not intended to replace the substantial works on the subject by such scholars as Bruce Metzger (The Text of the New Testament, 4th ed. with Bart Ehrman) and the Alands (The Text of the New Testament, 2nd ed.). Jongkind introduces the reader to the manuscripts themselves, various textual theories, and the actual praxis of text criticism. He also surveys the major textual problems and even suggests some theological reflections on the reality of textual variants, something not normally attempted in such guides. One of the leading evangelicals working in this field, Daniel B. Wallace, remarks on the cover that “it is no easy task to render this field of study within the grasp of any interested reader, and Jongkind has done so in a remarkably disarming manner.” This reviewer is in hearty agreement with this assessment.
After a brief chapter explaining why there is a need to do textual criticism (17-26), the second chapter deals with some very practical issues like using your Greek New Testament and reading the apparatus at the bottom of the page. As a professor myself, I know how bewildering a textual apparatus can be, even for an advanced student. He also explains some of the peculiar characteristics of the THGNT such as different book order (one that actually follows the order of the books until the 16th century). The paragraphing and spelling features of the THGNT are also clearly explained and justified. In chapter three (41-63) Jongkind describes the major manuscripts, namely the larger papyri codices and the early majuscule texts such a Sinaiticus and Vaticanus.
Following a good review of the basic materials of textual criticism, chapter four (65-85) then explains how textual decisions are made. Some important variants are discussed, such as the ending of Mark, the woman caught in adultery (John 7:53-8:11, “the sweat like drops of blood” (Luke 22:43-44), and Jesus’ prayer of forgiveness on the cross (Luke 23:34a). Two valuable chapters then follow that explain why Jongkind and the majority of text critics do not favor the Textus Receptus (chapter 5) and the Byzantine text (chapter 6). The author is irenic but firm as to why these textual traditions are later and do not represent the earliest form of the NT texts.
A unique contribution is the chapter, “Biblical Theology and the Transmission of the Text” in chapter 7 (101-108). This is especially valuable since advocates of the Textus Receptus and Byzantine texts often argue for the priority of these traditions from a theological viewpoint. Jongkind has offered a theological perspective on these issues that should be received well by evangelical theologians. It should be of great interest to readers with a high view of Scripture that we now have a volume explaining textual criticism by one who also shares the same approach to the infallible word.
Recognizing that his work is not the final word on this subject, Jongkind concludes with a chapter, “Where Do We Go from Here?” (109-10) that explains how wide open this field is because of the abundance of the manuscripts now available in digital editions, a blessing not known to the Metzgers and Alands of the past. A helpful glossary of technical terms (113-16) concludes the volume.
One can see from the brevity of this work that it could be very helpful to the beginner in sorting out and simplifying the often confusing field of Greek manuscripts and textual theories. Because of the fresh “documentary” approach of the THGNT, it is vital for all scholars to understand that edition better, whether one uses it or not. Not only is this little book a very helpful guide to using the THGNT, it is invaluable to anyone who uses other editions of the GNT. Many readers of this review may have forgotten some of the intricacies of textual criticism studied so hurriedly in seminary. This book can help the reader to review an old subject and it can also introduce you to some new approaches. I can offer no better recommendation than affirming that I am already requiring it in my own Greek courses.
