Table of Contents

Figures:
Preface:
Preface to the First Edition:
PART I. THE MATERIALS FOR THE TEXTUAL CRITICISM OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
Chapter 1. The Making of Ancient Books
I: The Materials of Ancient Books
1: Papyrus
2: Parchment
3: Ink Making
II: The Forms of Ancient Books
III: Ancient Scribes and Their Handiwork
Added Note on Colophons
IV: "Helps for Readers" in New Testament Manuscripts
1: Chapter Divisions
2: Titles of Chapters
3: Eusebian Canons
4: Hypotheses, Bioi, Euthalian Apparatus
5: Superscriptions and Subscriptions
6: Punctuation
7: Glosses, Scholia, Commentaries, Catenae, Onomastica
8: Artistic Adornment
9: Cola and Commata
10: Neumes
11: Lectionary Equipment
V: Statistics of Greek Manuscripts of the New Testament
Chapter 2. Important Witnesses to the Text of the New Testament
I: Greek Manuscripts of the New Testament
1: Important Greek Papyri of the New Testament
2: Important Greek Majuscule Manuscripts of the New Testament
3: Important Greek Minuscule Manuscripts of the New Testament
4: Other Noteworthy Manuscripts
II: Ancient Versions of the New Testament
1: The Syriac Versions
2: The Latin Versions
3: The Coptic Versions
4: The Gothic Version
5: The Armenian Version
6: The Georgian Version
7: The Ethiopic Version
8: The Old Slavonic Version
9: Other Ancient Versions
III: Patristic Quotations from the New Testament
PART II: THE HISTORY OF NEW TESTAMENT TEXTUAL CRITICISM AS REFLECTED IN PRINTED EDITIONS OF THE GREEK TESTAMENT
Chapter 3. The Precritical Period: The Origin and Dominance of the Textus Receptus
I: From Ximenes and Erasmus to the Elzevirs
II: The Collection of Variant Readings
Chapter 4. The Modern Critical Period: From Griesbach to the Present
I: The Beginnings of Scientific Textual Criticism of the New Testament
II: The Overthrow of the Textus Receptus
PART III: THE APPLICATION OF TEXTUAL CRITICISM TO THE TEXT OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
Chapter 5. The Origins of Textual Criticism as a Scholarly Discipline
Chapter 6. Modern Methods of Textual Criticism
I: The Classical Method of Textual Criticism
II: Reactions Against Classical Textual Criticism
1: Joseph Bédier
2: Albert C. Clark
III: Local Texts and Ancient Editions: Burnett Hillman Streeter
IV: Alternative Methods of Textual Criticism
1: The Majority Text
2: Thoroughgoing Eclecticism
V: Conjectural Emendation
VI: Methods of Determining Family Relationships Among Manuscripts
1: The Claremont Profile Method
2: The Alands' Use of Teststellen
3: The Comprehensive Profile Method
VII: The Use of Computers in New Testament Textual Criticism
1: The Collection, Recording, and Storage of Data
2: The Presentation of the Data
3: Statistical Analyses
4: Hypertext Possibilities
VIII: Significant Ongoing Projects
1: The Institut fur neutestamentliche Textforschung
2: The International Greek New Testament Project
Chapter 7. The Causes of Error in the Transmission of the Text of the New Testament
I: Unintentional Changes
1: Errors Arising from Faulty Eyesight
2: Errors Arising from Faulty Hearing
3: Errors of the Mind
4: Errors of Judgment
II: Intentional Changes
1: Changes Involving Spelling and Grammar
2: Harmonistic Corruptions
3: Addition of Natural Complements and Similar Adjuncts
4: Clearing up Historical and Geographical Difficulties
5: Conflation of Readings
6: Alterations Made Because of Doctrinal Considerations
7: Addition of Miscellaneous Details
Chapter 8. History of the Transmission of the Text of the New Testament
I: Complications in Establishing the Original Text
II: Dissemination of Early Christian Literature
III: The Rise and Development of the New Testament Text Types
1: The Western Text
2: The Alexandrian Text
3: The Byzantine Text
IV: The Use of Textual Data for the Social History of Early Christianity
1: Doctrinal Disputes of Early Christianity
2: Jewish-Christian Relations
3: The Oppression of Women in Early Christianity
4: Christian Apologia
5: Christian Asceticism
6: The Use of Magic and Fortune-Telling in Early Christianity
Chapter 9. The Practice of New Testament Textual Criticism
I: Basic Criteria for the Evaluation of Variant Readings
II: The Process of Evaluating Variant Readings
1: External Evidence
2: Internal Evidence
III: The Textual Analysis of Selected Passages
Bibliography:
General Index:
Index of New Testament Passages:

Reviews

Praise for the previous edition: "Professor Bruce M. Metzger. . . remains the dean of New Testament textual criticism. For more than thirty years his encyclopedic knowledge and prolific pen have kept New Testament scholars current in manuscript studies. . . . Other manuals in textual criticism are now available, but none is more serviceable than Metzger's."--Southwestern Journal of Theology
"The fourth edition may be declared an unqualified success. The authors have evidently gone over every line of text with great care, [and] those paragraphs that have been rewritten seem to be genuine improvements. The appearance of this revised edition is a delight, and it assures that The Text of the New Testament will continue to serve students and scholars for a long time to come."--Westminster Theological Journal
"Well-researched and expressed, with that rare elegance of style that graces the English language. It is a model for scholarly endeavor, as well as the definitive text in English on the subject."--Louis I. Hodges, Columbia Bible College and Seminary
"The best in its field. Indispensable!"--Jarl Fossum, University of Michigan
Praise for the previous edition: "Professor Bruce M. Metzger. . . remains the dean of New Testament textual criticism. For more than thirty years his encyclopedic knowledge and prolific pen have kept New Testament scholars current in manuscript studies. . . . Other manuals in textual criticism are now available, but none is more serviceable than Metzger's."--Southwestern Journal of Theology
"Well-researched and expressed, with that rare elegance of style that graces the English language. It is a model for scholarly endeavor, as well as the definitive text in English on the subject."--Louis I. Hodges, Columbia Bible College and Seminary
"The fourth edition may be declared an unqualified success. The authors have evidently gone over every line of text with great care, [and] those paragraphs that have been rewritten seem to be genuine improvements. The appearance of this revised edition is a delight, and it assures that The Text of the New Testament will continue to serve students and scholars for a long time to come."--Westminster Theological Journal
"The best in its field. Indispensable!"--Jarl Fossum, University of Michigan
"Undoubtedly, the practical steps for using textual criticism presented in this book would be beneficial for all who engage in biblical exegesis and interpretation." --Review and Expositor