Happy New Year to you!
As I write this, I’m finishing the final edits on my new book, The Jesus Discoveries, sitting next to my triplets while they watch Around the World in 80 Days. This is dad life—and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Working carefully through these edits—on a book I hope many of you will use with skeptics to demonstrate just how unshakable the historical evidence is for our shared Christian faith—it struck me how much I’ve had to learn myself along the way. Much of this I learned the hard way, including on-site study in places like Oxford, where precision is not optional and credibility is earned line by line.
So I want to offer you a brief, practical guide—one I wish I’d had years ago. If you love the Bible, care about getting things right, and want to speak with confidence about manuscripts and ancient texts, save this email. Consider it a scholarly shortcut, learned through experience. Save this! Speaking Correctly in 2026: A Practical Guide for Biblical Studies, Manuscripts, and Ancient Texts
Spell It Correctly
Some errors undermine credibility instantly: Oxyrhynchus is the heaven of biblical manuscripts. Oxyrhynchus was a major city in Roman Egypt; the Oxyrhynchus papyri are named after the city where they were discovered. This "dump" in Egypt is a treasure-trove for our Bible manuscripts. PLEASE spell it right!
Also, as a reminder, my last name has a "t" in it. Over 100 times this year I was introduced as Jeremiah Johnson. Once a year I just have to send the message out to the world that my name is Jeremiah Johnston, not Jeremiah Johnson. And Yes, I have seen the movie.
Use Greek and Latin Terms Properly
Also, as a reminder, my last name has a "t" in it. Over 100 times this year I was introduced as Jeremiah Johnson. Once a year I just have to send the message out to the world that my name is Jeremiah Johnston, not Jeremiah Johnson. And Yes, I have seen the movie.
Use Greek and Latin Terms Properly
Singular and plural forms are not interchangeable. Accuracy here signals serious scholarship and love for the Bible. I hear people mis-use these terms all the time.
Singular → Plural, are as follows:
• Papyrus → Papyri
• Ostracon → Ostraca
• Codex → Codices
• Criterion → Criteria
• Phenomenon → Phenomena
• Exegesis → Exegeses
• Siglum → Sigla
Know the Major Codices (Books) - (By Number and Siglum)
These manuscripts are foundational and should be instantly recognizable.
• Codex 01 (ℵ / Aleph)
Codex Sinaiticus — 4th century — British Museum
• Codex 02 (A)
Codex Alexandrinus — 5th century — British Museum
• Codex 03 (B)
Codex Vaticanus — 4th century — Vatican Library
• Codex 04 (C)
Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus — 5th century — Paris
• Codex 05 (D – Gospels & Acts)
Codex Bezae — 5th century — Cambridge
• Codex 06 (D – Pauline Letters)
Codex Claromontanus — 6th century — Paris
Know the Major Papyri
Singular → Plural, are as follows:
• Papyrus → Papyri
• Ostracon → Ostraca
• Codex → Codices
• Criterion → Criteria
• Phenomenon → Phenomena
• Exegesis → Exegeses
• Siglum → Sigla
Know the Major Codices (Books) - (By Number and Siglum)
These manuscripts are foundational and should be instantly recognizable.
• Codex 01 (ℵ / Aleph)
Codex Sinaiticus — 4th century — British Museum
• Codex 02 (A)
Codex Alexandrinus — 5th century — British Museum
• Codex 03 (B)
Codex Vaticanus — 4th century — Vatican Library
• Codex 04 (C)
Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus — 5th century — Paris
• Codex 05 (D – Gospels & Acts)
Codex Bezae — 5th century — Cambridge
• Codex 06 (D – Pauline Letters)
Codex Claromontanus — 6th century — Paris
Know the Major Papyri
These early witnesses are essential for textual history and dating.
• P45 — Gospels & Acts — early 3rd century — Dublin
• P46 — Pauline Letters — c. AD 200 — Dublin
• P47 — Revelation — late 3rd century — Dublin
• P52 — John 18 — early 2nd century — Manchester
• P64 + P67 — Gospels — late 2nd century — Oxford
• P66 — Gospels — c. AD 200 — Switzerland
• P72 — General Letters — late 3rd century — Switzerland
• P73 — Gospels — 7th century — Switzerland
• P74 — Acts & General Letters — 7th century — Switzerland
• P75 — Gospels — early 3rd century — Switzerland
• P90 — Gospels — 2nd century — Oxford
Research Awareness
• P45 — Gospels & Acts — early 3rd century — Dublin
• P46 — Pauline Letters — c. AD 200 — Dublin
• P47 — Revelation — late 3rd century — Dublin
• P52 — John 18 — early 2nd century — Manchester
• P64 + P67 — Gospels — late 2nd century — Oxford
• P66 — Gospels — c. AD 200 — Switzerland
• P72 — General Letters — late 3rd century — Switzerland
• P73 — Gospels — 7th century — Switzerland
• P74 — Acts & General Letters — 7th century — Switzerland
• P75 — Gospels — early 3rd century — Switzerland
• P90 — Gospels — 2nd century — Oxford
Research Awareness
(Where These Materials Matter)
Serious manuscript work involves on-site familiarity, not merely secondhand citation.
• Oxford: P.Oxy. 2949, P.Oxy. 4009, P64+67, P90
• Manchester: P52 (Rylands Library)
• London: Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus, Egerton Papyrus 2
• Vienna: Vindobonensis Papyri (possibly linked to the Gospel of Peter)
A Final Word heading into 2026
Using the right terms, forms, and references is not academic pedantry—it is scholarly and Biblical integrity. Precision communicates respect for the sources and builds trust with students, readers, and colleagues.
Words matter.
Forms matter.
Accuracy matters.
As we step into 2026, let’s model the kind of careful, responsible scholarship that honors both the texts we study and the people we teach.
Plus, I just saved you a trip to Oxford. Carry on for Christ!
Serious manuscript work involves on-site familiarity, not merely secondhand citation.
• Oxford: P.Oxy. 2949, P.Oxy. 4009, P64+67, P90
• Manchester: P52 (Rylands Library)
• London: Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus, Egerton Papyrus 2
• Vienna: Vindobonensis Papyri (possibly linked to the Gospel of Peter)
A Final Word heading into 2026
Using the right terms, forms, and references is not academic pedantry—it is scholarly and Biblical integrity. Precision communicates respect for the sources and builds trust with students, readers, and colleagues.
Words matter.
Forms matter.
Accuracy matters.
As we step into 2026, let’s model the kind of careful, responsible scholarship that honors both the texts we study and the people we teach.
Plus, I just saved you a trip to Oxford. Carry on for Christ!
Jeremiah J. Johnston, PhD, is an elected member of the preeminent New Testament scholarly guild Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas (SNTS) and ministers internationally as president of Christian Thinkers Society. Jeremiah loves the local church, and also serves as pastor of apologetics and cultural engagement at Prestonwood Baptist Church and Senior Fellow of Christian Origins, Dallas Baptist University.
