Q: In Php, what is a main point of the book of Philippians?
A: One important point in Philippians is being joyful, for the word "joy" appears 16 times. It is not merely a fair-weather joy that someone has only if everything goes well. It is an "all-weather joy" that is joyful in prison, near-fatal illness, in the face of external opposition, and in triumphs in your personal life. The book of Philippians candidly discusses "thieves of joy".
Circumstances should not diminish our joy (Philippians 1:12,15-18). If a fellow believer tells you she is doing pretty good under the circumstances, ask them what are they doing, living under the circumstances.
People should not take away our joy, as Philippians 2:2-4,14,21 and Philippians 3:2-7 show.
Things, or lack of them, should not take away our joy. Philippians 3:19 and 4:11-12 says our joy should be constant, regardless of what we have. Also, do not think that you will be happier if you have more things.
Worries should not take away our joy, but rather drive us to prayer, as Philippians 4:6-7 shows.
Discord, even among believers, should not take away our joy, as Philippians 4:2-3 show.
As the New Geneva Study Bible p.1873 puts it, "Philippians rings with joy and gratitude for the way God is carrying forward His saving work among the Philippians and for the special bond that exists between Paul and his readers."
For a somewhat different view, the NIV Study Bible p.1801 says Paul's primary purpose was the thank the Philippians. He also wanted to report on his own situation, encourage the Philippians in persecution, remind them of humility and unity, commend Timothy and Epaphroditus, and warn of the Judaizers and libertines.
Q: In Php 1, what do we know about the city of Philippi?
A: It was originally called "Crenides" meaning fountains. Philip of Macedon, Alexander’s father conquered it in 356 B.C. and renamed it after himself. There were gold mines near there. In 42 B.C., Marc Antony and Octavian defeated Brutus and Cassius at Philippi. Marc Antony order some Roman soldiers to live there. In 30 B.C. Octavian (Emperor Augustus) ordered some people in Italy to more to Philippi, while retaining their rights as Roman citizens and being able to call their new land a part of Italian soil.
See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.647-648 for more info.
Q: In Php 1:1, 1 Cor 1:1, Col 1:1, 1 Thess 1:1, and 2 Thess 1:1, are these books from multiple authors as they claim, or just from Paul?
A: As a letter from a team might be composed by just one person, Paul was probably the sole author. See the discussion on Philippians 3 for more on Paul being the author of all of Philippians.
Q: In Php 1:1, does using the term "bishop/overseer" show a late date for Paul’s letters, as some claim?
A: No, because according to the Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.441, the community at Qumran, where the Dead Sea scrolls were found, prior to Christ also had the office of bishop/overseer.
Q: In Php 1:1 and Col 1:2, who are the "saints" Paul is writing to? Can common Christians ignore these books?
A: The Biblical use of "saints" or "set-apart ones", means all believers. See The Complete Book of Bible Answers p.184 and the Believer’s Bible Commentary p.1959-1960 for more info.
Q: In Php 1:4, Rom 1:9, and 2 Tim 1:3, did Paul really pray for people without ceasing and in every prayer he made?
A: He probably prayed for God's people in every prayer for them, which is what this means.
Q: In Php 1:5 exactly how were the Philippians partners with Paul in the Gospel?
A: The Greek word for partner here, koinonia, is a business word. Scripture does not explicitly say how they were partners, but as a business partner shares in monetary investment, time, and rewards, Scripture suggests three things:
Financial giving: The city of Philippi was in Macedonia, and the Macedonian churches were very generous, according to 2 Corinthians 8:1-5. Paul says the Philippian church in particular supplied Paul again and again in Philippians 4:15-18.
Time and people: Epaphroditus, Euodia, Syntyche, Szygygus, Clement and others joined in serving with Paul in Philippians 3:25; 4:2-3.
Rewards: The Philippians, like Paul, could look forward to their citizenship in heaven and future transformation in Philippians 3:20-21. In addition, Paul considered the Philippians part of his reward, his crown in Heaven in Philippians 4:1.
Q: In Php 1:14, how did Paul being put in prison encourage other Christians?
A: Paul did not say they were just encouraged, or that good Christians were happy to see Paul suffer. Rather, they were encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly. Many times Christians do not see an urgency to fulfill their role in spreading the gospel when someone else is around to do a good job.
Q: In Php 1:15-18, how is it good for people to preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, not sincerely?
A: Preaching from wrong motives is not as good as preaching from right ones. But having the true Gospel correctly preached from wrong motives is better than not having it preached.
Q: In Php 1:20, why is Paul concerned about not being ashamed?
A: Paul was saying that he hoped that his courage and bravery would not fail him when he underwent sufferings and possibly death for Christ.
Q: In Php 1:21, how was it true that "to live is Christ and to die is gain?
A: Paul was remarking that he was in a win-win situation. If he died, he would gain by going to Heaven and seeing Jesus. As 2 Corinthians 5:8 shows, to be away from the body is to be at home with the Lord.
However, if Paul did remain alive on this earth, Paul would still be able to continue in fruitful ministry and help others, and Philippians 1:22-24 and Romans 1:11-12 show.
Q: In Php 2:6, since Christ had the form of God, how could Christ be God Himself?
A: The word "form" also means nature. Philippians 2:10 is a paraphrase of Isaiah 45:10, except that Isaiah refers to Yahweh.
Jesus is not God the Father, but as part of the Trinity, Jesus is our God (John 20:28), is called God (Hebrews 1:9), is worshipped as God (Hebrews 1:6). He has the fullness of God (Colossians 1:9), of which Jesus needed to by His own power empty Himself. See When Critics Ask p.481 for more info.
Q: In Php 2:6-9, exactly how did Christ empty Himself?
A: An earthly prince can take off his jewels and royal robes, dress as a beggar, and go out into the streets. The prince, without his trappings, is still the prince, though.
This verse only specifically says that Christ voluntarily lowered Himself and did what He needed to become a human, it did not say how. Christ asked the Father to restore to Him to glory He had before the world began in John 17:5. Jesus was still God while He was one earth (Hebrews 1:8-9; John 1:1 + Hebrews 13:8) and worthy of the same honor and worship (John 5:22-23; 9:39).
The Complete Book of Bible Answers p.101-102 says Christ did not "give up" any divine attributes, but merely had a "voluntary nonuse" of some divine attributes. Other Christians disagree and say Christ "gave up" some of the secondary divine attributes, but not in any way that no longer made Jesus God. Either way, the fact remains that He was both God and human. Now That’s a Good Question p.42-43 gives a brief theological history of this issue and emphasizes that God the Son never stopped being God. When Critics Ask p.481 also points out that Jesus was still God, but He emptied Himself of His rights as deity. See also 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.25 for more info.
Q: In Php 2:6-11, was this an early Christian hymn instead of originally being written by Paul?
A: While there is no external evidence of this being an early Christian hymn, the poetic cadence suggests this. Regardless of whether Paul originated this or copied this from a hymn, it was still written in the Book of Philippians under Paul’s authority.
Q: In Php 2:10, why will every knee bow to Jesus?
A: This is a very similar thought as Isaiah 45:23-24, where God swears that every knee will bow to the LORD. Jesus is not just the hope of the world, He is the only hope of the entire world. This will likely occur at the time of the Great White Throne judgment. This verse also shows that by the time this occurs, everyone will have heard the Gospel.
Q: In Php 2:12, why was Paul distinguishing between obeying in his presence versus obeying in his absence?
A: Then as well as now, some people obey well only when their leader or boss is watching them. Paul is commending them for their consistency, in obeying well regardless of whether Paul was there or not. Someone once said that "character" is who you are when no one is looking. Of course, at all times God is looking.
A friend of mine from Mainland China thought long and hard about the following before he became a Christian. If there were no God, why shouldn’t you get away with everything you can when nobody is watching? Unfortunately, I fear that others have thought about this question too, believed there was no God, and … well, high crime rates tell the rest of the story.
Q: In Php 2:12, since we are saved by grace through faith, how do we work out our own salvation?
A: We do not get saved through our own work. However, the fruit, or outworking of our salvation, is a combination of us working and God working in us. See the discussion on Ephesians 2:5-8 and James 2:14-25. See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.645-647 for more info.
Q: In Php 2:14, are we really never supposed to murmur or complain about anything?
A: As Paul suggested in Philippians 4:9, we need to look to Paul’s example. Paul never murmured, complained, or did any useless griping. On occasion, though, Paul did forcefully bring up shortcomings in order to show people how they needed to change, though.
Q: In Php 2:15-16, how and for whom are Christians supposed to shine?
A: Like a star shines regardless of the audience, we are to show forth our character regardless of who on earth is watching. But, God is always watching and the angels and demons are likely watching too. So, go out and do what you feel like doing. Just remember who is watching, and to whom you will have to give account.
Q: In Php 2:20-21, since all sought their own good, not Jesus’, why did Paul thank God for them in Php 1:3?
A: He knew of no other candidates for his team who had the degree of concern for others that Timothy had. Everyone has sins of selfishness to some degree, but despite our faults and sins, we can still thank God for each other, imperfect though we are.
Q: In Php 2:21, can genuine Christians still be self-centered?
A: Unfortunately, yes. We should be God-centered, while recognizing that God wants us to take care of our needs, too. However, just as Christians can forget they were cleansed from their past sins (2 Peter 1:9), Christians are still sinful and self-centered at times.
Q: In Php 2:25, what is significant about Epaphroditus here?
A: Epaphroditus was not addressed as a church leader, an elder, or a deacon. His only title in the church was "one of you". One did not have to be a leader, to come sacrificially to help others.
Q: In Php 2:25, since Paul could heal, why couldn’t he heal Epaphroditus, who almost died?
A: Paul did not have the power to arbitrarily heal: only God has the power to heal. Paul was often an instrument of healing. However, God, who can do things as He chooses, choose not to immediately heal Epaphroditus. For that matter, Paul himself was sick when he spoke to the Galatians. See the discussion on Galatians 4:13 and When Critics Ask p.481-482 for more info.
Q: In Php 2:27-28, why was Paul anxious, since Paul said do not be anxious about anything in Php 4:6-7?
A: Paul never claimed to be sinlessly perfect, and he was honestly expressing his own feelings in Philippians 2:27-28. We are to follow Paul’s example only as he follows Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).
Q: In Php 2:27-28, why was Paul anxious about Epaphroditus’ serious illness, since Paul said to live is Christ and to die is gain in Php 1:21-23?
A: Paul was not anxious for himself, but for Epaphroditus. See also the previous question.
Q: In Php 2:30, why did Paul seem negative toward the Philippians here, saying "to make up for the help you could not give me"?
A: It is fine to be candid, which includes not shielding people from positive or negative things. However, this is not necessarily negative. Paul was extremely appreciative of them sending Epaphroditus to help him, and he pointed out that he knew Epaphroditus was there to give them help they could not do in person.
Q: In Php 3, is there a change in writing style that indicates a second letter by a second author?
A: This was suggested by form criticism, which has now been fundamentally discredited. Before answering the question, first is a fact that is not used in the answer.
Philippians 1:1 says Philippians was written by Paul and Timothy. While Paul could have written one part, and Timothy the other, the change in style is not so great as to suggest this. Paul was likely the sole author.
The Answer: There is absolutely no evidence, except for a change in style, of a different author. The abrupt change from encouragement to rebuke can be for a combination of three reasons.
1. Ancient letter-writing style did not demand transitional sections as much as is required for modern formal documents.
2. The abrupt change is due to a change in topic.
3. Paul might have had an interruption in writing at this point. (Lightfoot first suggested this.)
The Expositor's Bible Commentary volume 11 p.96-96, 137-138 says that no one ever questioned the unity of Philippians until F.C. Baur (1792-1860) and the liberal Tubingen school in Germany in the nineteenth century, and that the multiple author viewpoint for Philippians has never been widely accepted. See The New International Bible Commentary p.1441 and the Believer's Bible Commentary p.1957-1958 for more info.
Q: In Php 3:1, why did Paul emphasize joy here?
A: Scripture does not explicitly say, but we can see four reasons.
Look beyond the circumstances: The Philippians could have been disappointed that Paul was imprisoned. Paul wanted them to be joyful and look to God, not Paul.
Normal for the Christian life: A Christian’s life is to be full of joy, regardless of the circumstances.
For strength: David said "the joy of the Lord is my strength." By realizing and rejoicing in our relationship with God, we can have perseverance to face the trials and temptations of the world, and not be swayed by success in this world.
For encouraging others to press on with Christ: It is hard to be a light for others when you are glum and depressed yourself.
Q: In Php 3:2, why does Paul call some Judaizers "dogs" since we are not to judge others in Mt 7:12-5?
A: Paul was not judging their eternal state (reprobate or elect), but his name-calling was a severe rebuke of people who were similar to what he himself once was.
Q: In Php 3:4, who is "Syzygus", or "yokefellow"?
A: There are two views:
1. The Greek word Syzygus could be a personal name. However, we have no record of any Greek using this as a personal name.
2. Paul could have deliberately kept unnamed someone he particularly wanted to help with the dispute between Euodias and Syntyche. Sometimes people who diplomatically bring people back together work better when the attention is not drawn to them.
From a non-Christian perspective, Asimov in Asimov's Guide to the Bible (p.1126-1127) pondered this, and concluded that this was not known.
Q: In Php 3:7-8, what rights do we have as a Christian?
A: We have been given the right to be children of God. All of our use or non-use of rights operate under that. First, here are some hard-and-fast rules, and then general guidelines about defending our rights vs. turning the other cheek.
Hard-and-fast rules
1. The fact that we have a right does not mean we have to exercise it. Paul chose not to exercise the right to take money for preaching the word (1 Corinthians 9:6) or have a believing wife (1 Corinthians 9:5).
2. Sometimes exercising of political rights is OK, as Paul did in Philippi (Acts 16:37-40), in avoiding a flogging (Acts 22:25-29), and in appealing to Caesar (Acts 25:10-12).
3. We do not have the right to sue other believers (1 Corinthians 6:1-8).
4. We do have the right to have disputes with other Christians to be arbitrated by other Christians (1 Corinthians 16:1-8).
5. We do not have the right to try get revenge. (Romans 12:19-21; Deuteronomy 32:35)
6. We do not have the right to hold a grudge. (Ephesians 4:26-27)
7. We do not have the right to defend ourselves in ways that disobey God (Ephesians 5:11-12). We do not have the right to do things outside of the law. (Romans 13:1-7)
General Guidelines
In some cases, Paul defended his rights for the sake of the Gospel, and Jeremiah 22:15-16 shows we are to defend the rights of the oppressed. A person’s first natural impulse is to get mad or get even. However, Jesus also said to turn the other cheek (Luke 6:29).
Choosing when to defend our rights and when not to, should be done in the context of whatever is best for achieving our ultimate goal. But what is our ultimate goal? It should not be protecting our turf or increasing our wealth or power. Rather, our ultimate goal is to glorify God. So defend your rights where it will best glorify God, and turn the other cheek where it will best glorify God.
Remember, defending our rights can be fine, but when our desire to defend our rights is greater than our desire to best glorify God, our desire to defend our rights is a sin.
Q: In Php 3:10, did Paul think he might miss the first resurrection?
A: No. Paul’s hope here was a certain hope, not a wishful one. Likewise, when Paul looked forward to Christ’s return, that does not mean Paul was not sure if Christ would ever return. In both cases, Paul expressing his heartfelt desire should not be misconstrued to mean Paul was denying his assurance that his desire would be fulfilled. See 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.278-279 and Hard Sayings of the Bible p.649-650 for more info.
Q: In Php 3:15 (KJV), are some Christians perfect?
A: Paul said he was not "perfect" in Philippians 3:12, yet he was "mature" in Philippians 3:15. There can be confusion in the King James, since it uses "perfect" for both, but the words are different in the Greek. See When Critics Ask p.482 and Haley’s Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible p.169 for more info.
Q: In Php 3:18, how could people in church live as "enemies of the cross of Christ?"
A: Paul says their "destiny is destruction", so these people are not genuine believers, but people in church who are going to Hell. Paul was not saying this out of either pleasure or anger, but Paul was saying this "with tears" and sadness.
Q: In Php 3:17, Php 4:9, and 1 Cor 11:1, since we are to follow Paul’s example, does that justify authoritarian leadership?
A: No. Three points to consider in the answer.
1. Paul was an apostle, and we are to place his writings of Scripture as a higher authority than any leader or so-called apostle today.
2. 1 Peter 5:3-4 says that leaders are to be good examples to the flock. Presumably, we are to follow those good examples.
3. Hebrews 3:17 says we are still supposed to obey our leaders today. However, 1 Peter 5:3-4 says that leaders are not to lord over the flock.
See When Cultists Ask p.229-230 for a more extensive answer.
Q: In Php 3:20 (KJV), what does our "conversation is in heaven" mean?
A: This King James Version expression should have been translated our "citizenship is in heaven". See Bible Difficulties and Seeming Contradictions p.21 for more info.
Q: In Php 4:4, should Christians rejoice, since Jesus said those who mourn are blessed in Mt 5:4?
A: You have to mourn and repent of your sins before you can rejoice as a child of God. Even as Christians, we mourn over things that break God’s heart, but even through our mourning we rejoice in our relationship with God. When Critics Ask p.482-483 emphasizes that mourning is a condition, and our rejoicing is a result of a proper relation to God.
Q: In Php 4:5, how was the Lord near 2,000 years ago?
A: Now as well as then, the Lord is near in not just one but three ways.
1. Given our variations in life, we may die and meet the Lord at any time.
2. Nobody knows the day or hour of Christ’s return (Matthew 24:36), or if it is near or far away in time. Yet it is imminent in that the required preconditions of Christ’s return can be fulfilled quickly.
3. Christ is near and indwelling all believers (John 14:23; Romans 8:9)
See the discussion on 1 Thessalonians 4:15, 1 Peter 4:7, Revelation 22:6-20, When Critics Ask p.483-484, and 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.265-266, 277-278 for more info.
Q: In Php 4:19, does God really meet all our needs, such as when Paul went hungry in Php 4:12?
A: When we let Him, God does meet all our needs. Never going hungry is a want, not a need. Life is not always so rosy for Christians on this earth, as Paul noted in 1 Corinthians 15:19. However, as Romans 8:18 and 1 Peter 4:12-14, our earthly sufferings are nothing compared to our future glory.
Q: In Php, how do we know Paul really wrote this book?
A: Philippians 1:1 says so, and the early church never questioned this. Polycarp (110-155 A.D.) in Letter to the Philippians chapter 3, says Philippians was by Paul. See the discussion on Philippians 3 for more on why Paul wrote all of Philippians.
Q: In Php, what evidence do we have that this book should be in the Bible?
A: There are at least four reasons.
1. Paul wrote it, and he was an apostle. Peter attested that Paul’s words were scripture in 2 Peter 3:15-16.
2. Paul himself said he was apostle in 1 Timothy 1:1; 2:7, Romans 1:1; 1 Corinthians 1:1; 9:1, 2 Corinthians 1:1, 11:5; Galatians 1:1, Ephesians 1:1; Colossians 1:1; 1 Timothy 1:1; 2 Timothy 1:1; Titus 1:1.
3. Early church evidence
Letter of Polycarp to the Philippians mentions Paul writing to the Philippians 110-155 A.D.
Letter of Mathetes to Diognetus 130 A.D.
Shepherd of Hermas 115-140 A.D.
The Muratorian Canon (c.170 A.D.) mentions Philippians
Irenaeus 170-202A.D.
Tertullian 200-240 A.D.
Clement of Alexandria wrote 193-217/220 A.D.
Cyprian was a bishop of Carthage from 248 to his martyrdom in 258 A.D.. He quotes from "the second epistle to the Corinthians" in Treatise 12 The Third Book 26.
Chrysostom 396 A.D. wrote down 15 sermons on Philippians, which we still have preserved today. He said it was by Paul the apostle (Homily I and other places).
Hippolytus 222-236 A.D.
others
4. Tertullian said Paul wrote to the Philippians in Tertullian Against Marcion Book 14 chapter 5 (207 A.D.). It was a book "that comes down from the apostles, which has been kept as a sacred deposit in the churches of the apostles."
Q: How do we know that Php today is a reliable preservation of what was originally written?
A: There are at least three good reasons.
1. God promised to preserve His word in Isaiah 55:10-11; 59:21; 1 Peter 1:24-25; Matthew 24:35.
2. Evidence of the early church. See the previous question for a few of the writers who referred to verses in Philippians.
3. Earliest manuscripts we have of Philippians show there are small manuscript variations, but zero theologically significant errors.
p16 Php 3:10-17; 4:2-8 (late 3rd century) The Complete Text of the Earliest New Testament Manuscripts has a picture of p16 on p.86.
p46 Chester Beatty II 200 A.D. Php 1:1,5-15,17-28; 1:30-3:12; 2:14-27; 2:29-3:8; 3:10-21; 4:2-12; 4:14-23 and other parts of Paul's letters and Hebrews. The Complete Text of the Earliest New Testament Manuscripts has a photograph of part of p46 on p.192. It also says on p.197-198 that the quality and the stichiometric marks show that a professional scribe wrote this.
Vaticanus 325-350 A.D.
Sinaiticus 340-350 A.D.
Bohairic Coptic 3rd/4th century
Sahidic Coptic 3rd/4rth century
Gothic 493-555 A.D.
Q: In Php, what are the manuscript variations with the Textus Receptus, the basis for the KJV?
A: Jay P. Green, Sr. in the Interlinear Bible records variations in approximately 12 words between the Textus Receptus and the majority text. These are in 12 places (Philippians 1:6,7,23; 2:1,21,27,27; 3:3,8,13; 4:3,23). He does not record any additional alternates.
Q: In Php, what are the manuscript variations?
A: The Letter to the Philippians has a total of about 1,621 Greek words and a word-for-word accuracy of 97.9%, with only 34 words in question. These are in 21 verses (22 places), out of 104 total verses. Below are the variations with the primary choice and the top alternate choice. Aland, from which this primarily is based, also gives a judgment of the degree of certainty for each variation. Many of the differences are due to the Chester Beatty Papyrii saying one thing and the Byzantine Lectionary and other manuscripts saying another. Some think the Chester Beatty Papyrii was somewhat of a paraphrase.
Php 1:11 "and praise of God" vs. "and praise of Christ" (Bezae Cantabrigiensis) vs. "God and our praise" (Chester Beatty 200 A.D.) (2 words)
Php 1:14 "speak the word" vs. "the word of the God" (2 words)
Php 1:16,17 Reverse the order in some later manuscripts. (However, no major manuscripts have this, so this is not counted in the totals)
Php 2:2 "in you think" is "the same you think"
Php 2:4 case of the Greek word "each"
Php 2:5 "this" vs. "this for"
Php 2:9 "which name which" vs. "name which"
Php 2:11 "should confess" vs. "shall/will confess"
Php 2:11 "Lord" vs. "Lord Jesus"
Php 2:12 "as in" vs. "in" (Vaticanus, Bohairic Coptic, Sahidic Coptic, Chrysostom)
Php 2:26 "longing for" vs. "longing to see"
Php 2:30 "Christ" vs. "the Christ" vs. "[the] Lord" (2 words)
Php 3:3 "in the Spirit of God" vs. "God in Spirit" (2 words)
Php 3:12 "already been perfected" vs. "already been apprehended/received" or "already been perfected". As to whether it should be "been perfected" or "been made perfect", this is an English translation issue. (4 words)
Php 3:13 "my own" vs. "my own yet"
Php 3:16 changes the case of two words and changes "basic principles" to "thoughts" (2 words)
Php 3:21 accent marks of the Greek word for "him". A third variant is "himself"
Php 4:3 "the rest of the fellow workers of mine" vs. "the fellow works of mine and the rest" (4 words)
Php 4:8 "praise" vs. "praise these things consider" (2 words)
Php 4:13 "[He] whom empowers/strengthens me" vs "Christ whom empowers/strengthens me"
Php 4:16 "unto/to the need" vs. "the need"
Php 4:19 "will fill up all" (different conjugation)
Php 4:23 "amen" at the end is absent
Some manuscripts have the postscript, "To Philippians written from Rome, by/of/through/via Epaphroditus"
Bibliography for this question: The Greek New Testament Third Edition by Kurt Aland et al., The Greek New Testament Fourth Edition by Kurt Aland et al., Interlinear Greek-English New Testament by George Ricker Berry, the Interlinear Bible by Jay P. Green, The Expositor's Bible Commentary volume 8, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament 2nd edition by Bruce M. Metzger, The Complete Text of the Earliest New Testament Manuscripts edited by Philip W. Comfort and David P. Barrett, The Expositor's Greek Testament edited by W. Robertson Nicoll, and footnotes in the NASB, NIV, NKJV, and NRSV Bible translations. Manuscripts of the Greek Bible : An Introduction to Paleography by Bruce M. Metzger also has interesting information on the characteristics and quality of the copying of each manuscript.
