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Books by Brian J. Wright

Kregel Academic, 2011

"Revisiting the Corruption of the New Testament is the inaugural volume of The Text and Canon of ... more "Revisiting the Corruption of the New Testament is the inaugural volume of The Text and Canon of the New Testament series, edited by Daniel B. Wallace. This first volume focuses on issues in textual criticism—in particular, to what degree did the scribes, who copied their exemplars by hand, corrupt the autographs‌ All but one of the chapters deals specifically with New Testament textual criticism. The other addresses textual issues related to an early apocryphal work, the Gospel of Thomas.

Revisiting the Corruption of the New Testament will be a valuable resource for those working in textual criticism, early Christianity, New Testament apocrypha, and patristics."

Leafwood Publishers an imprint of ACU Press, 2019

Most of us think that if we could simply balance our lives better, we would be happier. But what ... more Most of us think that if we could simply balance our lives better, we would be happier. But what we actually need is to rediscover the rhythm. As Christians, our whole life consists of loving God and loving others, just like Jesus did. In this book, Wright invites us to find true joy as we embrace these two core realities and discover how they are meant to work in tandem. Explore The Rhythm of Christian Life and recapture the joy of life together as God always intended.

Christian Focus, 2019

Inspiring quotes and inspirational stories will always be popular, but they rarely change lives. ... more Inspiring quotes and inspirational stories will always be popular, but they rarely change lives. After reading the quote, hearing the story, and experiencing some feelings, we often go about our business as usual. What we need is a spiritual resource that helps us focus on heart issues, life change, and the rhythm of the Christian life.

This year-long devotional takes 365 questions asked in the New Testament, and shows you how to change your focus, reorder your affections, and reprioritize your loves. It will inspire you to action, not just sweet reflections. It will compel you to love God and others more fervently and selflessly, while weaning your heart off the lies and lures of this world.

Habakkuk's prophesies teach trust and deepen faith, two virtues as essential today as when he fir... more Habakkuk's prophesies teach trust and deepen faith, two virtues as essential today as when he first wrote. Indeed, the minor prophets offer major lessons for believers of all ages! These inspired truths are now shared in story book form for the very first time!

Haggai's prophesies teach obedience and promote courage, two virtues as essential today as when h... more Haggai's prophesies teach obedience and promote courage, two virtues as essential today as when he first wrote. Indeed, the minor prophets offer major lessons for believers of all ages! These inspired truths are now shared in story book form for the very first time!

Obadiah's prophecies teach humility and offer hope, two virtues as essential today as when he fir... more Obadiah's prophecies teach humility and offer hope, two virtues as essential today as when he first wrote. Indeed, the minor prophets offer major lessons for believers of all ages! These inspired truths are now shared in story book form for the very first time!

Zephaniah's prophesies teach repentance and encourage righteousness, two virtues as essential tod... more Zephaniah's prophesies teach repentance and encourage righteousness, two virtues as essential today as when he first wrote. Indeed, the minor prophets offer major lessons for believers of all ages! These inspired truths are now shared in story book form for the very first time!

Academic Articles by Brian J. Wright

Initiated by William V. Harris in 1989, and followed by Catherine Hezser in 2001, the number of s... more Initiated by William V. Harris in 1989, and followed by Catherine Hezser in 2001, the number of scholars operating within the framework of mass illiteracy during the time period of the New Testament is steadily increasing. While these two works are not alone in their assessments, this article will survey some of the counter arguments that remain unaddressed or unjustified regarding their general conclusions, while offering a few additional lines of enquiry for future consideration. The article concludes by arguing for a more balanced presentation concerning ancient literacy in New Testament research by incorporating additional literary, archaeological, epigraphic, and lost evidence.

A detailed study on ancient Rome's daily news publication is currently absent in early Christian ... more A detailed study on ancient Rome's daily news publication is currently absent in early Christian studies. This article seeks to begin filling this lacuna by surveying the history of this Roman news bulletin and highlighting the sorts of data that must be taken into account in order to determine the publication's subject matter, scope of distribution, and possible relevance for early Christian studies.

Due to the antiquity of the Sahidic Coptic version of the New Testament among early versions of t... more Due to the antiquity of the Sahidic Coptic version of the New Testament among early versions of the New Testament, it is a significant resource for New Testament textual criticism, reception history, and the history of interpretation. This article explores the manner in which the Sahidic Coptic version translates the anarthrous nominative singular (AnNS) θεός, and its effect on a key passage regarding the understanding of Jesus’ divinity. It does so by answering two distinct but related questions: (1) Did the Sahidic Coptic translators uniformly translate the AnNS θεός? (2) How can the assessment of the Sahidic Coptic translation pattern inform the discussion of the history, transcription, and translation of John 1:1c?

Kregel Academic, 2011

Revisiting the Corruption of the New Testament will be a valuable resource for those working in textual criticism, early Christianity, New Testament apocrypha, and patristics."

Leafwood Publishers an imprint of ACU Press, 2019

Christian Focus, 2019

This article offers a new discussion and proposal toward the pursuit of uncovering and verifying ... more This article offers a new discussion and proposal toward the pursuit of uncovering and verifying Greek sayings of Jesus, namely, that Greek syntax provides another criterion of
authenticity. In order to do so, one syntactical construction is examined in five central Greek corpora, as well as several other critical Greek and Coptic texts. From that examination it is argued that Greek syntax is a viable criterion of authenticity in historical Jesus studies, and that this one syntactical construction might provide verifiable evidence to a Greek stratum of ipsissima verba of Jesus, up to nine sayings (four in the NT; four in the AF; one in the Gos. Thom.).

This study is an examination of a first-century funerary monument. The study begins by describing... more This study is an examination of a first-century funerary monument. The study begins by describing the monument, supplying the bilingual inscription, and offering an English translation. From there, the study examines the monument in relation to the NT by way of lexical parallels. I argue that the broad lexical overlap between this inscription and the NT enhances our understanding of lexicography in the first century C.E., while possibly shedding light on many important words, passages and larger portions of the canonical NT. By offering a modest collection of parallels, this study also highlights the importance of incorporating additional types of evidence for understanding the socio-religious environment during the time of the NT.

The Gospel Coalition, 2019

You can’t get to right answers until you have the right questions—and the greatest questions ever... more You can’t get to right answers until you have the right questions—and the greatest questions ever asked are inspired ones.

T Posted by Peter Gurry at Wednesday, November 01, 2017 • oday I'm happy to introduce a guest pos... more T Posted by Peter Gurry at Wednesday, November 01, 2017 • oday I'm happy to introduce a guest post from Brian J. Wright who is currently an adjunct professor at Palm Beach Atlantic University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He has a forthcoming book on communal reading published by Fortress. I heard Brian present some of his research at ETS last year and thought our blog readers would be interested in his work. I've been a follower of this blog for over a decade, and have benefited from it in numerous ways. I also genuinely appreciate the work you all continue to do and look forward to getting my hands on a copy of the THGNT.

We recently interviewed Wright about his soon-to-be-released book, the implications of his argume... more We recently interviewed Wright about his soon-to-be-released book, the implications of his argument, and the significance of his scholarship for the practice of communal reading today.

Brian, thank you for taking the time to speak with us and our readers today.

Deeply Rooted Magazine, 2020

Crosswalk, 2019

Advent and Christmas are just around the corner. As they draw near, perhaps we should start consi... more Advent and Christmas are just around the corner. As they draw near, perhaps we should start considering a fresh approach to them for our daily devotions and small-group discussions-asking others and ourselves inspired questions.

Christianity Today , 2019

As we intentionally draw attention to the Scriptures, which reveal Jesus's power, presence, minis... more As we intentionally draw attention to the Scriptures, which reveal Jesus's power, presence, ministry, words, deeds, miracles, and wisdom, we should also give concerted attention to the very questions the Holy Spirit inspired for us to read and consider.

Christianity Today, 2019

Asking ourselves questions found in the Bible can transform our spiritual life. BRIAN J. WRIGHT /... more Asking ourselves questions found in the Bible can transform our spiritual life. BRIAN J. WRIGHT / POSTED NOVEMBER 12, 2019 ave you ever been around a child who did not stop asking questions? Do you recall doing the same thing when you were young?

The Gospel Coalition, 2017

Desiring God, 2018

God has given us many good ways to read his word. You may have utilized several of them: studious... more God has given us many good ways to read his word. You may have utilized several of them: studiously, devotionally, reflectively,

The Gospel Coalition, 2015

A white supremacist, a Native American gangster, and a black drug dealer.

In the current scholarly debate, the answer to Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?” has e... more In the current scholarly debate, the answer to Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?” has encountered a few stumbling blocks. For example, Jesus never used the term “God” when referring to Himself, none of the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, or Luke) ever explicitly gives the title “God” to Jesus, no sermon in the Book of Acts attributes the title “God” to Jesus, no existing Christian confession(s) of Jesus as “God” exist earlier than the late 50s and, although there are seventeen texts that are considered to be possible “Jesus-God” passages, only four of them appear in the approximately fifty Greek New Testament manuscripts that predate the fourth century. Also, and perhaps the biggest obstacle in ascribing the title “God” to Jesus, the existing New Testament manuscripts differ in all potential passages that explicitly call Jesus “God.” What is at stake, if these stumbling blocks are not removed, is that the traditional and essential Christian doctrine of the divinity of Christ is undermined.

Many Jehovah’s Witnesses are publicizing new manuscript evidence they claim supports their prefer... more Many Jehovah’s Witnesses are publicizing new manuscript evidence they claim supports their preferred rendition of John 1:1c: “…and the Word was a god.” This evidence—an early translation of the New Testament—comes from the same century as the earliest Greek witness to the New Testament.

Such an understanding of John 1:1c flies in the face of what all major branches of the Christian tradition have testified about Jesus since the Nicene Creed: “true God from true God.” Therefore, if Jehovah’s Witnesses are correct concerning what this new evidence supports, it would radically alter how Christians understand Jesus’ divinity.

But are Jehovah’s Witnesses correct in how they understand this new evidence?

In the following article, Brian Wright and Tim Ricchuiti suggest they are not. Wright and Ricchuiti demonstrate that the best interpretation of this new evidence indicates that the subject of John 1.1c (“the Word”) possesses all the qualities of God (capital-G). Not only is such an understanding well-supported by existing scholarly work, it also applies best to other, similar passages in the New Testament, fits what we know the remainder of Scripture testifies to concerning Jesus, and accounts for the early Christian worship of Jesus.

Coalición por el Evangelio, 2018

Aprendí a leer cuando tenía 25 años. Por lo menos es cuando realmente aprendí a leer en comunidad... more Aprendí a leer cuando tenía 25 años. Por lo menos es cuando realmente aprendí a leer en comunidad. Empecé a participar semanalmente en un grupo de lectura donde discutíamos a Agustín, Calvino, Edwards, Lewis, y otros en una discusión interactiva, en un ambiente que impulsaba el diálogo. Podría haber leído esos libros solo, pero no hubiera podido entenderlos a profundidad, ni me hubieran formado tan dramáticamente.

Dios nos ha dado muchas buenas maneras de leer su Palabra. Posiblemente hayas utilizado varios mé... more Dios nos ha dado muchas buenas maneras de leer su Palabra. Posiblemente hayas utilizado varios métodos: con motivo de estudio, devocional, reflexivo, cristológico. ¿Pero qué hay de leerla en comunidad?

""Muchos Testigos de Jehová están publicando nueva evidencia de un manuscrito que ellos mantienen... more ""Muchos Testigos de Jehová están publicando nueva evidencia de un manuscrito que ellos mantienen apoya su traducción de Juan 1:1c: “y la Palabra era un dios.” Este elemento de juicio – que es una traducción temprana del Nuevo Testamento – data del mismo siglo que el manuscrito griego más antiguo en existencia del Nuevo Testamento.

Tal interpretación de Juan 1:1c está en contradicción directa con lo que todas las mayores ramas de la tradición cristiana han testificado sobre Jesús desde el Credo Niceno: “Dios de Dios.” Por tanto, si los Testigos de Jehová están en lo correcto en cuanto a lo que apoya esta nueva evidencia, esto alteraría radicalmente cómo los cristianos entienden la divinidad de Jesús. Pero, ¿están acertados los Testigos de Jehová en cuanto a cómo entender esta evidencia?

No lo están. La mejor interpretación de esta nueva evidencia indica que el sujeto de Juan 1:1c (“la Palabra”, o, “el Verbo”- según la traducción) posee todas las cualidades de Dios (con D mayúscula). No sólo esta interpretación está muy bien apoyada por trabajos de especialistas, sino que también se aplica a otros pasajes similares en el Nuevo Testamento, concuerda con lo que sabemos que el resto de la escritura testifica concerniente a Jesús, y explica la adoración de Jesús por parte de los primeros cristianos.""

and, 1 and 2 Peter, then they ask how these later NT documents interpreted and appropriated those... more and, 1 and 2 Peter, then they ask how these later NT documents interpreted and appropriated those Jesus traditions, and finally they conclude by offering suggestions about the social and historical contexts in which the Jesus traditions were reused. This volume sometimes casts a broad net, even dealing with the Shepherd of Hermas and 1 Enoch at length, but the analyses are fresh and original; the conclusions, though certainly not beyond dispute, are cogent and worthy of scholarly consideration. This volume is highly recommended for scholars with interests in reception criticism, in the history of interpretation or in these particular NT books. The comprehensive index adds to the usefulness of the volume.

Citation techniques existed in antiquity. This fact is confirmed by Jewish, Christian, and Greco-... more Citation techniques existed in antiquity. This fact is confirmed by Jewish, Christian, and Greco-Roman sources. Just a sampling of such evidence makes clear that there was a broad spectrum of citation practices. Over the years "ancient citation techniques" have been investigated and have stayed on the international scholarly agenda. "Composite Citations in Antiquity" has not had quite the same ring or academic attention. Only a few short studies have explored them in any detail. It is, nevertheless, the title of this new volume, which specifically examines composite citations (i.e., two or more passages from the same or different authors fused together and conveyed as though they are only one) from nearly a dozen ancient authors writing roughly between 350 BCE to 150 CE, such as Plato, Plutarch, Philo, Pliny, and Justin Martyr.