This is counterintuitive, but in textual criticism the majority are not always right. It is conceivable that the version rendered in the 462 texts is the better text. Some manuscripts are known to have been corrupted because of scribal mistakes perpetuated in successive copies, while other texts were intentionally changed by scribes to support their errant theology. The number of texts supporting the omission of the word is an important factor, but there are other factors associated with manuscripts that complicate the process. The question has to be resolved there is no choice there is disparity textual analysis and resolution are required. Textual critics study the variance thoroughly and deliberate to determine whether the word is original or not. Assume there are 1387 extant manuscripts and fragments of a Bible passage and 462 include a word the other 925 do not.
Note the term “non-prejudicial scholarship,” which means critics whose presupposition is to provide the best, most accurate, and precise Bible text honoring God’s inerrant original.Īn example of the importance of textual criticism will help. Textual criticism involves examination of available manuscripts from the earliest days of textual history comparing them via honest and non-prejudicial scholarship with copies from succeeding centuries to provide the text most faithful to the autographs.
Textual criticism definition professional#
When a professional golfer hires a putting coach to critique his reading of greens he does so because an improvement in putting is desired and he hopes to approach perfection. When one sees the word “criticism” it is often in negative contexts such as “his criticism is discouraging” or “her critical attitude quells all joy.” However, criticism can be constructive. There have been objections to Warfield’s view even among his seminary colleagues and Presbyterian friends, but behind his teaching was the rock-solid conviction that the Bible is God’s will revealed to His image bearers and He would not fallibly reveal His will inspiration was total even to the jots and tittles of the jots and tittles but accomplished without negating the style and composition of the authors.īut before considering Warfield on textual criticism it is necessary to understand what textual criticism is. Essential to his defense was textual criticism because he believed it was possible through judicious, honest, persistent, excruciatingly tedious work by scholars gifted uniquely for the task to uncover the original Bible texts, which are called the autographs-the sixty-six books as penned by their authors under the inspiration of God in infallible documents. He is known today for his unrelenting defense of the inerrancy of Scripture in the face of escalating opposition. He appears to have loved New Testament studies and his interest continued throughout his life. Warfield was professor of didactic and polemic theology in Princeton Seminary, he was professor of New Testament literature and exegesis in Western Seminary for about seven years.
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