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| + | |L=Mormonism and the Bible/Textual criticism |
| − | | {{EarlyChristianityPortal}}
| + | |H=Mormonism and textual criticism of the Holy Bible |
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| | + | |L1=Question: What can textual criticism tell us about the Bible? |
| | + | |L2=Question: Is textural criticism of Biblical texts superior to receiving revelation on that text through a prophet of God? |
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| | + | {{:Question: What can textual criticism tell us about the Bible?}} |
| | + | {{:Question: Is textural criticism of Biblical texts superior to receiving revelation on that text through a prophet of God?}} |
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| − | {{question}}
| + | [[es:El Mormonismo y la Santa Biblia/La crítica textual]] |
| − | | + | [[fr:La Sainte Bible et le mormonisme/La critique textuelle]] |
| − | ==Question==
| + | [[it:La Sacra Bibbia e il mormonismo/La critica testuale]] |
| − | | + | [[pt:Mormonismo e a Bíblia Sagrada/Crítica Textual]] |
| − | What can textual criticism (the scholarly study of ancient texts, such as the Bible) tell us about the doctrines of [[Biblical_inerrancy|scriptural inerrancy]]?
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| − | ==Answer==
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| − | The LDS Church does not take any position on which verses in the Bible are accurate or not. From a point of faith we use the Bible as a spiritual guide and don't try to pick it apart. Textual criticism is the realm of the scholar. The Church is an institute of faith and revelation, not scholarship.
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| − | From the scholarly point of view, the differences in various Biblical manuscripts are well-documented. Some standard references include:
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| − | * Bruce M. Metzger and Bart D. Ehrman, ''The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration'' (Oxford University Press, USA; 4 edition, 2005), ISBN 019516122X. ISBN 978-0195161229.{{an|This is the standard reference. Metzger and Ehrman are the leaders in this field of study.}}
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| − | * {{MisquotingJesus0}} {{An|This is a little more accessible to the layman.}}
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| − | * Bruce M. Metzger, ''A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament'' (United Bible Societies; 2 Revised edition, 2005), ISBN 1598561642. ISBN 978-1598561647.{{an|This a companion publication to the United Bible Societies' 4th edition Greek New Testament. The ''Textual Commentary'' lists 284 variant readings that the UBS committee felt were significant enough to warrant comment.}}
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| − | ===Examples of variant readings===
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| − | A few common, well-known variants include:
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| − | * {{b||John|7|53}}-{{b||John|8|1-11}}, traditionally known as the ''pericope adulterae'', is not contained in the earliest and best manuscripts and was almost certainly not an original part of the Gospel of John. Among modern commentators and textual critics, it is a foregone conclusion that the section is not original but represents a later addition to the text of the Gospel. Metzger summarizes in ''Textual Commentary'': "The evidence for the non-Johannine origin of the pericope of the adulteress is overwhelming." (p. 187).
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| − | * {{b||Mark|16|9-20}} does not exist in the earliest and best manuscripts. Virtually all scholars believe it was a later addition, added by scribes who felt the original ending was unsatisfactory.
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| − | * {{b|1|John|5|7-8}} ("in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth"), the infamous ''Comma Johanneum'', is accepted as a later insertion by virtually every scholar. It is most interesting to me that it is the only explicit reference to the Trinity in the New Testament, yet it is not part of the original epistle, but dates from probably the fourth century.
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| − | * {{b||John|1|18}} is notoriously difficult because various manuscripts read either ''monogenes theos'' ("the only God") or ''ho monogenes huios'' ("the only son").
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| − | * {{b||Hebrews|1|3}} reads "reveals (''phaneron'') all things" in the Codex Vaticanus, while most manuscripts read "sustains (''pheron'') all things". This is particularly interesting because there's a scribe's marginal note in the CV that reads "Fool and knave, leave the old reading, don't change it!", indicating contention over an intentional change in the passage.
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| − | ==Conclusion==
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| − | Latter-day Saints are not interested in searching the Bible for errors, or high-lighting its flaws, though they readily admit that ''no text'' can be perfect or without error when mortals are involved in writing, transcribing, transmitting, or translating it. (See Book of Mormon—[http://scriptures.lds.org/en/bm/introduction Introduction]].)
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| − | The flaws in the Biblical text present a problem to Biblicists—those who believe the Bible is without error—but not to Latter-day Saints.
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| − | Bart Ehrman was a Biblical inerrantist when he entered the study of the New Testament (he started off at the very conservative Moody Bible Institute), but ultimately lost his faith over the 200,000 to 400,000 variant New Testament readings.{{ref|fn1}} As he wrote, "There are more variations among our manuscripts than there are words in the New Testament."{{ref|fn2}}
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| − | Ehrman's slide into agnosticism illustrates the dangers of inerrantism. His inability to have complete confidence that every word of the Bible was correct led to an inability to trust ''any'' of the Bible's witness about Jesus as Lord, Son of God, and Savior.
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| − | Latter-day Saints do not rely on scripture—biblical or otherwise—for their knowledge of Christ. They rely instead upon that which provided the scripture in the first place: revelation by the Holy Ghost. They treasure the scriptural witnesses, but do not require perfection from any mortal or mortal work to have faith in the revelations of God.
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| − | ==Endnotes==
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| − | #{{note|fn1}} The estimate is Ehrman's; see {{MisquotingJesus1|start=89}}
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| − | #{{note|fn2}} {{MisquotingJesus1|start=90}}
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| − | ==Further reading==
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| − | ===FAIR wiki articles===
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| − | {{BibleWiki}}
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| − | ===FAIR web site===
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| − | {{BibleFAIR}}
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| − | ===External links===
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| − | {{BibleLinks}}
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| − | ===Printed material===
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| − | {{BiblePrint}}
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