Bible: Textual Criticism

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Textual Criticism is the field of biblical study that conceptually follows the development of the Biblical canon. It attempts to ascertain the original wording of the text in situation when the very original manuscripts (autographs) were lost and only their copies are available, whereas there are variations among them.[1] These discrepancies are assumed to result from copyists' errors.[2]

Textual criticism is strongly opposed by those in the King James only movement, based on their view that the only true line of original Scripture is found in the Masoretic Hebrew and Textus Receptus Greek, and that other lines, such as Codex Sinaticus and Codex Vaticanus, are corrupt (along with the more radical Ruckmanite position that the King James is advanced revelation over the Hebrew and Greek texts). Their view is that textual criticism is actually an attempt to undermine Biblical inerrancy by claiming that only the "Originals" were inspired, thus allowing the use of non-Masoretic/TR texts in an attempt to "discover the original text".

See also: Historical-critical method (Higher criticism)

References

  1. Henry A. Virkler and Karelynne Gerber Ayayo [1981] (2007). "1:Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics", Hermeneutics: Principles and Processes of Biblical Interpretation, 2, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Bacer Academic, 17, 40. ISBN 978-0-8010-3138-0. 
  2. Craig L. Blomberg (1986 (Zondervan), 2005). "Four: The Legitimacy and Limits of Harmomnization", in D.A. Carson and J.D. Woodbridge: Hermeneutics, Authority, and Canon. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 141. ISBN 1-59752-118-3. 

External links

The King James Verson Defended, Dr. Edward F. Hills (standardbearers.net) pdf