Quote sourced from Ijaz Ahmed
“One final note is due concerning the Gospel of Mark. Ironically, the earliest gospel has not been preserved in very many early manuscripts. And to add to the irony (and mystery), Mark is traditionally said to have taken his gospel with him to Egypt (Eusebius, Hist. eccl. 2.16)—and yet there are hardly any early extant copies of Mark among the many discoveries of manuscripts in Egypt. The earliest copy of Mark is preserved in 𝔓45, but it is not a very faithful copy.
In the book of Mark especially, the scribe of 𝔓45 exerted many personal liberties in making a text that replicated more the thought of his exemplar than the actual words. As is well known, 𝔓45 has marked affinities with the fifth-century manuscript, W. The more ”normal” text of Mark is preserved in one early fourth-century manuscript, 𝔓88, and two later fourth-century manuscripts, א and B. Until there are more discoveries of early copies of Mark, it is difficult to reconstruct the early history of the text.” – New Testament Text and Translation Commentary, Philip W. Comfort, xviii.
Categories: Islam
Blogging Theology 
” Until there are more discoveries of early copies of Mark, it is difficult to reconstruct the early history of the text.”
could there have been earlier textual traditions eclipsed by sea of copies which became popular later on ?
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Why is the alleged Word of God in such a terrible mess? Even if it is ”only the inspired word of God” still it should be in better shape. Much better shape than the Qur’an, which Christians maintain is Demonic Aouzubillah. Why is the preservation of the Qur’an superior? Because it is the real Word of God!
Trump’s Presidency is Proof that God Hates America and Christianity!!!
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There are some early church father’s quotes from the Gospel of Mark that are earlier than Manuscript P-45.
I Clement (96 AD) and Justin Martyr (died 165 AD) and Irenaeus (wrote about 180-200 AD) quoted from the Gospel of Mark, and they are earlier than P-45. (250 AD)
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Also Tertullian (died around 220 AD, a lot of his writings are around 190-200 AD) quoted a lot from the gospel according to Mark.
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how do you know they weren’t doctored by scribes to make them match with the reading available in the scribes time? scribes doctored church father writings too.
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since more than 50 % of mark is reproduced in matthew, how do you know which text the church fathers were referencing ? was it the doctored one in matthew or the one in mark?
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Also Clement of Alexandria (died in 215 AD) quoted a lot from the gospel according to Mark. (older than the P-45 Manuscript is dated, around 250 AD)
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No one can refute those truths / historical facts I put up.
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