What is Textual Criticism (TC) as regards the Bible and namely the New Testament? Is it good or bad? Is it important? If so, should it be practiced? These are questions and are worthy of answers. Much has been said and written of TC over the past 60 years, though today much clarification is needed. TC is far too often spoken of and thought of in a negative light. It is commonly viewed as a dangerous and skeptical practice to be avoided. This could not be farther from the truth. It is true that TC tends to make people nervous, possibly because some Christians do not want to think about the "human side" of the Scriptures. So what do we mean when we speak of New Testament Textual Criticism?

In the words of Daniel B. Wallace, Textual Criticism is:

• The study of the copies of any written document whose original (autograph) is unknown or non-existent, for the primary purpose of determining the exact wording of the original.

When it all comes down to it, we do not have the original manuscripts or autographs of any New Testament document today. If the original text of the NT still existed, if we had them with us today, then there would be no need for textual criticism, but since we do not have the original autographs, it is a very necessary practice. If all of the many copies and fragments of NT manuscripts which we do have today were exactly alike, textual criticism would not be possible.

But as we have it, there are around 5,700 copies and fragments of New Testament Greek manuscripts which we do have today, none of which are completely identical. Then there are also thousands of manuscripts which have been translated into other languages, as well as quotes and citations from Greek to Greek or Greek to other languages. The total of all known manuscripts today, both of Greek and translations of Greek, is around 25,000. There are an estimated 400,000-500,000 Textual Variants-Differences between all of these manuscripts available to us. That seems astounding. Many of them though are small errors/differences such as spelling mistakes, though others are quite significant. TC is the practice of sifting through all of this and carefully deciding what is the closest to the actual wording of the original text. We have Greek New Testaments today because of the careful work of many scholars who have labored diligently to find out what the closest thing to the exact reading of the original autographs is. And so we today, as a result, have our English Bibles. God has preserved His Word for us over many years and through a diversity of means, but this does not mean that TC is no longer needed.

Since TC is sometimes looked down upon, there are several common misunderstandings-objections to this practice that should be mentioned and responded to.

The following are misunderstandings which I have learned are quite common regarding NTG, especially for those who do not know the language. I admit, that before beginning to study the language, I innocently believed some of these. This article and these explanations are not meant to be negative, belittling, or attacking in any way. However as the study of Greek is so often attacked and misunderstood, the following is an attempt to bring clarity and closure on these common objections and misunderstandings, and inform the Body of Christ of the truth. There will be some overlap in several of these points, therefore it is best to read the article as a whole:

1. All somebody needs to do is learn enough Greek to be able to use study tools and look the word up in a dictionary/lexicon or on the computer, find its definition, and apply it to the verse in question. Therefore, we only really need to know enough Greek for Word Studies. If we can do that, then there is no real other need to go deeper.

This belief results from the assumption that Greek words typically have one meaning which can be found by looking in the dictionary, then applying it to the passage. Most Greek words do not have just one meaning. There are several factors which determine the final outcome of the meaning of the word, namely context. Yet, how often do we hear in a sermon, “This word in the Greek means…”? or "In the original text it says" "In the original this word means". When you hear these words it's often time to be wary. Those words often provide the introduction to misleading information. It would be more accurate and truthful to say, “This word in the Greek/original translates here as…”

In the words of David Alan Black, "Most Greek words are “polysemous”, that is, they have many possible meanings, only one of which is its semantic contribution to any passage in which it occurs. (In case you were wondering: Reading all of the meanings of a Greek word into any particular passage in which it occurs is called “illegitimate totality transfer” by linguists.)”

It can be then, very dangerous to define a word simply based on looking in a lexicon and then applying what you find there or clicking a button in a computer program and getting a quick answer, without actually knowing the language and its grammar and correct function. While word studies can be profitable if done correctly, for the above mentioned reasons, they can also be highly dangerous if the user does not know what they are doing. It can be just a matter of moments before a detrimental exegetical fallacy is committed that does no justice to the text, but only harms it and its hearers. Even more so, Greek is useful for far more than just word studies. It is such a rich and deep language in which many treasures are found. Why settle for a translation, second hand knowledge, when we can go to the original source?

For info about correct word studies see this page: Functional Greek
Also see this blog post about Common Exegetical Fallacies

2. Greek is a very difficult language to learn. Only those with special language learning abilities or language gifting can learn it. The average Christian probably could not learn Biblical Greek.

In the previous post, Which Greek New Testament?, I mentioned and recommended several different GNTs for those who are just starting out with NTG. This is just a short note to update and mention some exciting development on the topic.

Often, it is the case that when your English Bible becomes good and broken in, right when you begin to feel comfortable with it, you find that it is also time to replace or rebind it. Many of us want a Bible that will last for years, one to write in, underline in, one that you grow to love and know like the back of your hand. For those who study NTG, this is no different. One of the very things which is often greatly desired by us is a durable, long-lasting, genuine leather-bound Greek New Testament; something that will endure the test of time and not have to be rebound or replaced every few years. This has for some time been nothing more than a far-fetched dream, but now, it is available!

I learned recently that Crossway is publishing two UBS Greek Reader NTs. One will be in Genuine Leather Burgundy, the other in Black Calfskin.

You can find them here: Black Cowhide & Genuine Leather Burgundy.

UPDATE

Since being released at the end of November 2011, these genuine leather GNTs have not lived up to expectations:

Pros: The thicker paper in these editions means there is less bleed through, something which is common in Crossway Bibles. The binding is solid and should last a long time.
Cons: The paper is very thick, making these GNTs 1/3 inch thicker than the original hardcover version. They are also a bit heavier due to the increased paper thickness.
Conclusion: I have not and do not plan to purchase either of these, but will stick with the hardcover edition.

You can find reviews of these leather editions here at amazon.