Philip W. Comfort (1950–2022)

I wasn't too impressed with the book. I was looking for some details on different English versions of the Bible, but there wasn't as much as I'd hoped. The book was published in 1991, so I knew there wouldn't be up-to-date information, but even information before publication was light.

Chapter 8: A Comparative Study of Modern Translations was the most interesting, as it compares John 1:1-18 in several English versions, and describes the strengths and weaknesses the translators chose.

The book FROM SPOKEN WORDS TO SACRED TEXTS: Introduction-Intermediate New Testament Textual Studies by Edward D. Andrews had more useful information.… (más)

A book's value may be judged by other books that it prompts you to read; and by that measure, The Origin of the Bible, edited by Philip W. Comfort, is a valuable contribution to anyone wishing to have a better understanding of how the Bible came into being. Thanks to brief but robust bibliographies that follow each chapter, I plan on reading biographies of Bede, Wycliffe, and Tyndale, and more Erich Auerbach and Northrop Frye (yes, this book is that diverse).

While Origin has an evangelical bent, it is nevertheless quite comprehensive, though falling short of more scholarly texts; there are few if any footnotes or specific references (aside from the very good general ones in the several bibliographies). The book is comprised of five sections: 1) The Authority and Inspiration of the Bible, 2) The Canon of the Bible, 3) the Bible as a Literary Text, 4) Bible Texts and Manuscripts, and 5) Bible Translation. It is a very good introduction and overview.… (más)