One thing I took away from Chapter 30 was the realization that the New Testament is not the original but a gathering of old manuscripts that had been passed down and copied. Meaning, words had to be changed, also causing new interpretations to be formed. I am raised Catholic and attended Catholic school since age four and I did not know this until now. This caught my attention because I had to process the idea that the New Testament is not the word for word original copy. Thirty-Thousand variations of the Bible exist and even more. [1] I found it unsettling to know that so many people had gone through the process of copying and rewriting the New Testament over centuries. I was shocked to know that words had been changed and other writers and translators opinions had been put in the bible shaping and my reading of the Bible.
How do I know which version to follow? This knowledge brought upon me was an eye-opener, both scary and satisfying. I know now not to take the Bible literally and it is scary to think of the people that do take the Bible literally, not knowing that the Bible has gone through many alterations and every story should not be taken so literally.
[1] B. D. Ehrman, The New Testament (4; New York; Oxford; 2008), 490.
Bibliography
Ehrman, Bart D. The New Testament. Fourth Edition. New York: Oxford, 2008.
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