Manuscripts · Strong consensus
Papyrus 46 and the Early Pauline Letters
P46, a codex of Paul's letters, is dated by many paleographers to the late second or third century, offering very early evidence for how Paul's letters circulated as a collection.
The evidence explained
P46 consists of 86 surviving leaves (originally about 104) held at the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin and the University of Michigan. It contains Romans, Hebrews, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Galatians, Philippians, Colossians and 1 Thessalonians in part. Hebrews is placed after Romans, showing that it was grouped with Paul's letters in Egypt.
Dating has been debated: the traditional range is c. AD 200, with Young Kyoung Kim proposing the late first century, a claim most paleographers reject. A date in the late second or third century is common. Even then, the manuscript is within about 150 years of Paul, a short gap by ancient standards.
The scribe was not careless but not perfect either; textual critics find omissions and several idiosyncratic readings. P46 therefore helps both for confirming that the text of Paul was stable in outline and for studying how scribes made changes.
What it does show
- • Paul's letters circulated as a corpus in Egypt by about AD 200.
- • The text of the major letters was substantially recognizable from an early date.
- • Hebrews was received alongside Paul in some communities.
What it does not show
- • It does not show Pauline authorship of every letter, including Hebrews.
- • It does not eliminate textual variants.
- • It does not prove the content of any letter is true.
Primary sources and literature
- Chester Beatty Library, Papyrus II (P46)Holding institution; digital images available.
- Kim, 'Palaeographical Dating of P46', Biblica 69 (1988)The early-date proposal.
- Eldon Epp and Bruce Metzger, The Text of the New Testament, 4th ed.Discussion of date and textual character.
Where scholars disagree
Scholars accept a second- to third-century range but dispute whether it belongs to the early end; Kim's first-century date is a minority proposal.
For further study
Primary and secondary sources on both sides of this question. Reading the strongest opposing case is part of the work, not a concession.
The Text of the New Testament — Bruce Metzger and Bart Ehrman
The standard textbook on manuscripts, variants, and how critical texts are established.
Misquoting Jesus — Bart Ehrman
The popular skeptical case that textual variants matter more than apologists admit — required reading for anyone answering it.
Myths and Mistakes in New Testament Textual Criticism — Elijah Hixson and Peter Gurry (eds.)
Evangelical textual scholars correcting overstated apologetic claims about manuscript counts and dating.
The Canon of the New Testament — Bruce Metzger
How the canon actually formed, against both conspiracy and instant-consensus stories.
Canon Revisited — Michael Kruger
A theological and historical account of canon formation answering the 'the church created the Bible' objection.