that's a really weird assertion cos Jesus' deity is not only asserted in the OT (Isaiah records Him being called "Mighty God"), which predates the NT by quite a bit, but the NT book with the oldest extant MSS (P52 goes back to 125 or so; although not necessarily the earliest written), John, affirms Jesus' deity in more than one place--"the Word was God," "my Lord and my God," etc.

i don't have access to P46 or P66, but i suspect there's NO textual question on Christ's deity when u finally dig them up. furthermore, it wld be hard to prove--going by antiquity of MS evidence alone--whether or not the doctrine emerged in the 4th century.

so, both historically n methodologically ur friend's quest is flawed.

Tatermonkey wrote:

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I have a source in Greek as I haven't found them in English. But hey, its got pics .

http://chrles.multiply.com/photos/album/82/Bible_Papyrus_p46

http://chrles.multiply.com/photos/album/62/Bible_Papyrus_p66

Thx! a gt resource!

from p46:

Heb 1 2 επ εσχατου των ημερων τουτων ελαλησεν ημειν εν υιω ον εθηκεν κληρονομον παντων δι ου εποιησεν τους αιωνας 3 ος ων απαυγασμα της δοξης και χαρακτηρ της υποστασεως αυτου φερων τε τα παντα τω ρηματι της δυναμεως δι αυτου καθαρισμον των αμαρτιων ποιησαμενος εκαθισεν εν δεξια της μεγαλωσυνης εν υψηλοις

Php 2 6 ος εν μορφη θυ̅ υπαρχων ουχ αρπαγμον ηγησα̣το ειναι ισα θω̅

from p66:

Jn 1 1 εν αρχη ην ο λογος· και ο λογος ην προς το[ν] [θν̅] και θς̅ ην ο λογος· 2 ουτος ην εν αρχη προς τ[ον] [θν̅] 3 παντα δι αυτου εγενετο· και χωρις α[υτου] εγενετο ουδεν ο γεγονεν
....
18 θν̅ ουδεις εωρακεν πωποται· μο̣νογενης θς̅ ο ων εις τον κολπον τ[ου] πρ̅ς εκινος εξηγησατο·

Jn 20 31 ταυτ̣α̣ δε γεγραπται̣ [ινα] [πισ]τ̣ε̣υ̣ητ̣α̣ι οτι ις̅ ε̣[στιν] [ο] [χς̅] [ο] [υς̅] [του] [θυ̅] κ̣αι ι̣ν̣α̣ π̣[ιστευοντες] [ζωην] [εχητε] [εν] [τω] [ονο]μα[τι] [αυτου] <== it being dilapidated yet speaketh!


for the English equivalent, look up just abt ANY modern English translation of those verses.

cool! so it looks like the guy's got his answer fr the papyri after all!