Misquoting Jesus with Bart Ehrman Did Ancient Scribes Alter Jesus' Words? Evidence from the Gospel of Matthew
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Dec 30, 2025 
In this engaging discussion, Bart Ehrman, a renowned New Testament scholar and author, delves into the intriguing alterations of the Gospel of Matthew over centuries of copying. He reveals how scribes’ choices, both accidental and intentional, affected crucial text meanings, including variants that could undermine the virgin birth. Ehrman also examines changes to key phrases and discusses New Testament themes like forgiveness and early Christian preferences for texts like John and Revelation. This insightful exploration sheds light on the complexities of biblical transmission.
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Matthew's Manuscript Landscape
- Matthew has earlier and more numerous manuscript witnesses than Mark, including 2nd-century fragments and complete 4th-century codices.
- These witnesses still leave centuries between autograph and full manuscripts, affecting reconstruction certainty.
Beyond Greek Manuscripts
- Non-Greek witnesses like Syriac, Coptic, and Latin translations help reconstruct Matthew's early text.
- Early church fathers also quote Matthew often, supplying additional textual evidence.
Accidental Versus Intentional Variants
- Scribes made both accidental and intentional changes, with many trivial errors but some deliberate alterations.
- Matthew shows fewer intentional changes than Mark, perhaps because Matthew was more authoritative.