1: Textual Criticism

Question 1

What are autographs?

Answer 1

the original documents

Question 2

What are manuscripts?

Answer 2

hand-written copy of the originals

Question 3

What is the need for textual criticism?

Answer 3

Sometimes, the copies do not agree with each other.

Question 4

What is textual criticism?

Answer 4

The practice of comparing the various copies of a work in order to determine, as best as possible, the exact wording of an original text that is either undiscovered or no longer exists.

Question 5

What are the types of Ancient Documents we have?

Answer 5

1. Greek Manuscripts
   
   • Papyri
   • Majuscules (uncials)
   • Minuscules
2. Ancient Translations
   
   • Latin (esp. Vulgate)
   • Syriac
   • Coptic
   • Armenian
   • others
3. Patristic Citations
   
   • Irenaeus
   • Clement of Alexandria
   • Origen
   • Athanasius
   • others

Question 6

What is a papyrus?

Answer 6

An ancient form of paper-like material.

Comprise some of the oldest manuscripts available for scrutiny.

Question 7

What are majuscules (uncials)?

Answer 7

The earliest codices (pages bound into books).

Were written in capital letters, with no spacing, division or punctuation.

Question 8

What are minuscules?

Answer 8

Manuscripts written in lowercase, cursive style developed in the eighth or ninth century.

Collected in families.

Question 9

What are the most important uncials?

Answer 9

Codices:

• Sinaiticus (א/o1)
• Alexandrinus (A/02)
• Vaticanus (B/03)
• Ephraemi Rescriptus (C/04)
• Bezae (D/05)
• Washingtonianus (W/032)

All these are from the fourth or fifth century.

Question 10

What are the most important families of minuscules?

Answer 10

Families 1-13

Question 11

Why is the Syriac translation important?

Answer 11

Syriac vocabulary and syntax are close to Aramaic. Its rendering may give us a nuance of Jesus’s words that the Greek might not.

Question 12

Why are the citations of the church fathers limited?

Answer 12

Because we do not always know how literally they were “quoting” the Bible, and they were not based in what we would consider “reliable” manuscripts of their day.

Question 13

What are textual variants or variant readings?

Answer 13

A change in a letter, word, phrase, or even additions or omissions of whole sentences and paragraphs (although these are rare).

Question 14

What are the two places where textual variants affect whole paragraphs?

Answer 14

1. The longer ending of the Gospel of Mark (Mark 16:9-20)
2. The account of the woman caught in adultery (John 7:53-8:11)

Question 15

What are the different dimensions of originality?

Answer 15

1. Precanonical original
2. Author’s original
3. Canonical original
4. Interpretive original

Question 16

What is the precanonical original?

Answer 16

The earliest stages in the composition of what later would become the canonical text.

Question 17

What is the author’s original?

Answer 17

The text as it was was when it left the hands of the author and was delivered to the recipients.

Question 18

What is the canonical original?

Answer 18

The text when it was recognized as authoritative or its canonicity was established.

Question 19

What is the interpretive original?

Answer 19

Scripture as it came to be known and used in the life, instruction and worship of the church throughout its history.

Question 20

Which original are we trying to find in the textual criticism?

Answer 20

The second one, the author’s original.

Question 21

In what three ways is biblical textual criticism distinguished from other textual criticism?

Answer 21

1. The wealth of copies available for scrutiny is far greater for the NT.
   
   • Although a blessing, this creates complexity
2. Even when there are multiple manuscripts, there is a considerable time gap between the autographs and the manuscript.
3. The conviction that the Bible is the very word of God.

Question 22

What are the three types of textual variants?

Answer 22

1. Insignificant variants that do little to change the meaning of the text.
   
   • Scribal errors of omission, additions of letters, misspellings, etc.
2. Variants that affect the meaning of the text but are unattested or poorly attested in the best manuscripts.
   
   • scribal decisions to add or omit words in order to make certain texts harmonize more easily.
3. Variants that significantly affect the meaning of the text and are well attested.

Question 23

What are the three major Text Types?

Answer 23

1. Alexandrian
2. Western
3. Bizantine

Question 24

What are the characteristics of the Alexandrian?

Answer 24

1. Copied with meticulous care and accuracy
2. Earliest exemplars are dated to the second century.
3. Preferred over Western and Bizantine for reason #1

Question 25

What are some examples of the Alexandrian?

Answer 25

1. 𝔓 ^{45, 46, 47, 66, 72, 75} 2. Codex * Sinaiticus * Vaticanus * Alexandrinus * Ephraemi Rescriptus * Washingtonianus 3. Various Coptic Translations 4. Minuscules * 33 * 81 * 892

Question 26

What are some characteristics of the Western?

Answer 26

1. Early dating (some as early as second century) 2. Use of **loose paraphrase**, **harmonization** with other NT texts 3. Inclusion of extra or **explanatory material**

Question 27

What are some examples of the Western?

Answer 27

1. 𝔓 ^{37, 38, 48, 69} 2. Codex Bezae (D) 3. Old Latin or italic manuscripts

Question 28

What are some characteristics of the Byzantine (Majority Text)?

Answer 28

1. Continual development from the third century through the Middle Ages 2. Clarity and completeness 3. Conflated preexistent divergent readings by expanding the text and smoothing out word difficulties 4. Became the dominant Greek text type from the seventh century onward 5. Represent 80% of existing manuscripts today

Question 29

What are some examples of the Byzantine type?

Answer 29

1. Over 80 % of minuscules 2. Textus Receptus

Question 30

What is the Textus Receptus?

Answer 30

A collection of very similar Byzantine manuscripts on which Reformation-era translations were largely based. * King James * Reina Valera * Lutherbibel

Question 31

What are the Guidelines for Evaluating External Evidence?

Answer 31

1. Prefer the reading * attested by the **earliest reliable manuscript** * occurs across a **wide geographical spread** * in a number of **different types** * that originates from the more accurately **preserved textual traditions**.

Question 32

What are the Guidelines for Evaluating Internal Evidence: Transcriptional Principles?

Answer 32

1. Prefer the more difficult reading as the original. 2. Prefer the shorter reading.

Question 33

What are the Guidelines for Evaluating Internal Evidence: Intrinsic Principles?

Answer 33

1. Prefer the reading * that most easily fits with the **author's style and vocabulary** * that best fits in the **context** * in the author's overall **theological and narrative framework** * **less harmonious reading** in parallel passages.

Question 34

What are the three ways in which the exegete can weigh between the external and the internal evidence?

Answer 34

* Rigorous or Thorough Eclecticism * Reasoned Eclecticism * Radical Conservatism

Question 35

What is reasoned eclecticism?

Answer 35

It gives equal consideration to both external and internal evidence and seeks to answer which one, or a combination of both, accounts for the rise of the others.

Question 36

What is rigorous eclecticism?

Answer 36

Prefers to determine the probable original by giving almost an exclusive consideration to the contextual demands and style of the author.

Question 37

What is radical conservatism?

Answer 37

Also called Majority Text/Byzantine Priority approach, they consider only external evidence and give preference to the Byzantine text type, arguing that the text should be established by the support of the majority of the manuscripts.

Question 38

What is the weakness of the Majority Text/Byzantine approach?

Answer 38

They base their arguments on a theological presupposition that the inspiration of Scripture demands not only inerrant originals but also providentially preserved, inerrant copies. The interpreter must do his best to arrive at conclusions not predetermined by presuppositions.

Question 39

What is the weakness of Rigorous Eclecticism?

Answer 39

* Can be highly subjective where it remains unbalanced by a good measure of external evidence * The original author could have used something contrary to his usual style to emphasize a point.