As I mentioned in a prior post, my new book with Oxford University Press is now out in both the UK and US: Miniature Codices in Early Christianity. It’s part of Oxford’s long-standing Early Christian Studies series. I have been working on the subject of miniature codices for more than twenty years now, ever since doing my thesis a while ago under Larry Hurtado on the apocryphal gospel fragment, P.Oxy. 840. I have also written on the miniature codex P.Ant. 12 (0232) which contains 2 John (...| Canon Fodder
“There is no second-century manuscript evidence.” —Helmut Koester When it comes to the transmission of the New Testament text, the second century has been long recognized as a critical time period. And it is not hard to see why. If the New Testament books were written (more or less) in the first-century, then the extant […]| Canon Fodder
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For a number of years now, Queens University of Charlotte has hosted the Tarwater Lectures, an annual event focused on the intersection of faith and science or the social sciences. Named after RTS Charlotte alumna, Ann Tarwater, the lecture is normally delivered by a professor at Reformed Theological Seminary. Over the years, I have had […]| Canon Fodder
As Christian parents, we pray many things for our children. When they’re younger we tend to pray for their health and safety. As they get older we pray for the education, friendships, and social pressures. And, most of all, we pray that they would know and love Jesus Christ. In short, as Christian parents we want to entrust our child into God’s hands completely. After all, what is safer than God’s hands? But, sometimes that’s easier said than done. Sure, God’s hands are the best pla...| Canon Fodder
In the modern church, there’s little doubt that the Gospel of John is one of the most—if not the most—beloved Gospels. If forced to pick just one Gospel, many would prefer the Gospel of John. On the rare occasion when a singular Gospel is published as a stand-alone book (or booklet), it is almost always […]| Canon Fodder
One of the benefits of studying the history of early Christianity is that we quickly realize that what we are facing in the modern day is far from new. Each challenge to the faith might seem new—sometimes leading to an unnecessary panic among some—but the early church faced similar (and often much worse) things before. […]| Canon Fodder
Exploring the Origins of the New Testament Canon and Other Biblical and Theological Issues Explore Resources κανών, kanōn: rule or standard; collection of biblical books. Learn More FEATURED ARTICLE How to Have Healthy Disagreements in the Church I have to say that I can’t imagine many topics more timely than this one. It was encouraging […]| Canon Fodder
During the TGC National Conference this past April, I was part of a panel discussion with Alistair Begg, Gavin Ortlund, and Jen Wilkin on the topic of “How to Have Healthy Disagreements within Your Church.” The panel was hosted by Carl Laferton of the Good Book Company. I have to say that I can’t imagine […]| Canon Fodder
In the first century, we learn of one of the most remarkable men that has ever lived. Before he was born, his mother was told he would not be like other men, but would be divine. As an adult, he traveled around delivering his message and performing miracles. He healed the sick, cast out demons, […]| Canon Fodder
Well, we are coming up on Easter. And while Christians will be celebrating the resurrection, others will doubt it. Our world’s skepticism over miracles is nothing new. Ever since David Hume, philosophers and scholars have been making the case against the possibility of miracles. But, now things have shifted. Hume has been roundly (and decisively) […]| Canon Fodder
The lovable Disney film Moana, tells the story of a young girl who lives on a Polynesian island and is the daughter of the chief. Like many fathers, the chief is overly protective of his daughter, and also of the people he rules. As a result, the people of Moana’s village are in a bit […]| Canon Fodder
One of the classic, and seemingly never-ending, debates among New Testament scholars is whether Jesus’s earliest followers viewed him as fully divine, and (perhaps more importantly), whether Jesus viewed himself as fully divine. Some scholars say yes to both, some say no to both, and some are mixed. In fact, I will be speaking on […]| Canon Fodder
The other day I was telling my kids about how, many years ago, I used to sit in a pub named the Jolly Judge on cold winter days in Edinburgh, Scotland, tucked up close to a coal-burning fire and talking with my doctoral advisor Larry Hurtado about ancient Christian manuscripts. We used to spend hours […]| Canon Fodder
In the study of the New Testament canon, scholars like to highlight the first time we see a complete list of 27 books. Inevitably, the list contained in Athanasius’ famous Festal Letter (c.367) is mentioned as the first time this happened. As a result, it is often claimed that the New Testament was a late […]| Canon Fodder
Last week I began a new 6-part series helping Christian students think through how to prepare for life at a big university. The series is based on a recent lecture I gave to the Regents School in Austin, Texas, where I laid out 6 principles designed to help rising college students think more clearly about […]| Canon Fodder
