# Shift in New Testament Textual Criticism?



## rbcbob (May 17, 2012)

I reached a settled position on the CT-Byz debates nearly thirty years ago and have not read much on it in the past 15 years. I was surprised this year in reading RETHINKING NEW TESTAMENT TEXTUAL CRITICISM to find what appears to be a seismic shift in attitude which seems to be an application of “relative truth” to the “science” of text criticism.

Below are some quotations from the book.

Any thoughts?



> “Bart Ehrman … in his Orthodox Corruption of Scripture … demonstrates more than adequately that numerous textual variations were fostered by those supporting orthodox theological views (in surprising contrast to the view at the turn of the last century that only heretics could be accused of such behavior).”






> “Ehrman’s book ‘demonstrates once again that the most reliable guide to the development of Christian theology is the ever changing text of the New Testament.’”





> > “David Parker in The Living Text of the Gospels … describes the text of the four Gospels as one that from the beginning grew freely for ‘sayings and stories continued to be developed by copyists and readers’. … leading him to describe the Gospel text ‘as a free, or perhaps as a living text.’ He says bluntly, ‘the concept of a Gospel that is fixed in shape, authoritative, and final as a piece of literature has to be abandoned.’ ”


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## arapahoepark (May 17, 2012)

Bart Ehrman just loves to sensationalize everything which is probably why so many of his ideas surface on the history channel every now and again. He isn't the only scholar out there and judging by his record and he presuppositions I would take him with a grain of salt. That's what I get out of this article...perhaps I may have misread


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## rbcbob (May 17, 2012)

I was already familiar with Ehrman. The author of the quotes in the OP seems to be Ok with a living, developing NT text and the various and irreconcilable doctrines that such textual variants bring. This approach to the text has abandoned In my humble opinion plenary inspiration.


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## arapahoepark (May 17, 2012)

So in other words this is why we need to go back to the original Greek...??


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## rbcbob (May 17, 2012)

Trent, this squabble is actually about examining ancient Greek manuscripts seeking to ascertain which old readings are authentic. But this latest twist seems to be saying "it doesn't matter".


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## arapahoepark (May 17, 2012)

Oh ok, I misunderstood to a degree. So this is post-modernism coming into 'liberal scholarship' now eh?


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## Herald (May 17, 2012)

rbcbob said:


> I reached a settled position on the CT-Byz debates nearly thirty years ago and have not read much on it in the past 15 years. I was surprised this year in reading RETHINKING NEW TESTAMENT TEXTUAL CRITICISM to find what appears to be a seismic shift in attitude which seems to be an application of “relative truth” to the “science” of text criticism.
> 
> Below are some quotations from the book.
> 
> ...



Higher criticism is alive and well, or so it seems.


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## Herald (May 17, 2012)

rbcbob said:


> I reached a settled position on the CT-Byz debates nearly thirty years ago and have not read much on it in the past 15 years. I was surprised this year in reading RETHINKING NEW TESTAMENT TEXTUAL CRITICISM to find what appears to be a seismic shift in attitude which seems to be an application of “relative truth” to the “science” of text criticism.
> 
> Below are some quotations from the book.
> 
> ...



Higher criticism is alive and well, or so it seems.


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## rbcbob (May 17, 2012)

What astounds me is textual criticism scholars adopting the position that there IS NO AUTHORTATIVE READING TO BE FOUND! All variants are speaking equally as the church's story expands and continues. All variants and resultant implications are living testimony to a living document where the story is in progress!


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## JimmyH (May 17, 2012)

From the introduction to Studies In The Sermon On The Mount, by Reverend D.Martyn Lloyd-Jones, "There is nothing more important in the Christian life than the way in which we approach the Bible and the way in which we read it. It is our textbook, it is our only source, it is our only authority. We know nothing about God and about the Christian life in a true sense apart from the Bible. We can draw various deductions from nature (and possibly from various mystical experiences) by which we can arrive at a belief in a supreme Creator. But I think it is agreed by most Christians and it has been traditional throughout the long history of the Church that we have no authority save this Book. We cannot rely solely upon subjective experiences because there are evil spirits as well as good spirits' there are counterfeit experiences. Here, in the Bible is our sole authority."


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