How did the New Testament come to be? The ancient writings that comprise the New Testament are critical for understanding the life, teachings, and impact of Jesus of Nazareth, all of which are central to Christianity. But how were these texts circulated, collected, and given their canonical status? Is the New Testament a trustworthy source for learning about Jesus and the early church?

New Testament scholars Charles L. Quarles and L. Scott Kellum address the most pressing questions regarding the study of New Testament texts, their transmission, and their collection into the canon, such as these:

What happened to the original manuscripts of the New Testament? With all the variants, can we still speak of inspiration and inerrancy? What is New Testament textual criticism and why is it important? How do most scholars decide between the readings of different manuscripts? What are the competing views on canon? Did the apostles recognize contemporaneous books as Scripture? Did the early councils decide the canon?

40 Questions About the Text and Canon of the New Testament uses a question-and-answer format so readers can pursue the issues that interest them most, with additional resources at 40questions.net.