Modern textual criticism, in the opinion of some of its leading minds, has given up its so-called search to recover the words of the original text or autographs. They are satisfied they cannot recover it, and seek now for the Ausgangtext (or texts), “a hypothetical, reconstructed text, as it presumably existed, according to the hypothesis, before the beginning of its copying.” Some more conservative (relatively speaking) text critics have pushed back against this. In the “Conclusion” of the book Can We Recover the Original Text of the New Testament (p. 87), editors Abidan Paul Shah and David Alan Black write:
“Lack of a settled original text only leads to a lack of a settled biblical theology which only leads to uncertain Christian doctrines and practice.”
This is most certainly true. No settled text = no settled theology = no settled faith and practice for modern Christians. Unfortunately, these authors’ solution is “to continue to practice a scientific approach to retrieving the original text of the New Testament.” What is the fruit of the scientific approach or method? The same kind of fruit against which they complain. Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the text leads to Christians tossed about by every wind of doctrine.
Let us look for a more stable foundation, a settled text that has been preserved and in the hands of the churches and Christians all along. Why go look for something you already have?
2 comments:
does it not make you wonder, in between the waves of perplexity, what drives this zeitgeist of achieving the "ausgangtext" - is it just the thrill of the chase? is it the belief in finding some hidden key that will tell us we have been doing it wrong all the this time? is it fun? is it truly believing that the words were lost and it is up to them to find them? is it a DIVERSION from doing what you 'SHOULD BE DOING' for the Lord? is it JOB SECURITY?
and I am sure there is a plethora of other possibilities.
what is damning is the effect it has on the body of Christ as this poisonous thought process continues to drip, saturate and flood the modern Christian mind.
Sound words anyone? and Faithful words? and the form thereof? I believe that was what Paul instructed the body of Christ to hold fast to. As you stated in your conclusion, I believe the body of Christ did hold on to the sound words, in order to hold sound doctrine, so we can all speak the same thing.
That is a very good question. Just what is it that drives the text critics to try to “recreate” that they don’t think they can know if they ever did!
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