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Greek Scholar Daniel Wallace said, “When the King James was done, it was especially based on about a half of a dozen manuscripts. The earliest of which was a thousand years after the New Testament was written. Today we have approximately 1000 times as many manuscripts that we know exist. And our earliest ones go all the way back to the 2nd century. …Within decades of when the New Testament was written.” Why is it significant that we have manuscripts that go back to within decades after the New Testament was written?
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The earlier the written account, the less problems that can/could arise between the actual event and transcription. Other topic lessons have covered that there was a strong oral tradition, but after a few decades it was decided to transcribe their words. Logically the copies would come after the originals, and many early copies were probable transcribed the same way and thus lost too. As the technology changes, looking back now It makes sense that copies would start to appear as they do.
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When I was able to go see the Dead Sea Scrolls, I saw other ancient manuscripts. There are many such manuscripts, which all clearly point to the word being accurately translated over many different times, by many different people. This has little relevance because by the Holy Spirits involvement, we know the translations are accurate. I give my God the glory for ensuring that his holy word is right and true.
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To add validity to their authenticity.
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It makes it much more reliable being written within decades after the New Testament instead of hundreds of years later like the Gnostic Gospels.
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These manuscripts are the first writings of God’s word. They are these for us to look back on, and to make sure the Bible is still being translated accurately.