Psalm 145:13b: A Case Study in Old Testament Textual Criticism (Part 1)
Psalm 145 is an acrostic psalm, that is, the author chose to construct the psalm using the literary device of following the order of the Hebrew alphabet from aleph to tav for each successive verse. Such acrostics are rather common in the Hebrew Bible, the most famous being Psalm 119, where each successive group of eight verses begins with the same Hebrew letter. Several other Psalms follow the acrostic pattern, as do four of five chapters in Lamentations, and the final 22 verses of Proverbs 31, in praise of the “virtuous woman.”
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Why I Preach from the Received Text
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“according to Myers, this very day I carried, heard, and preached from translations based on Satan’s Bible. The Bibles I read—that is extremely similar to his—are part of a corrupt stream deriving somehow from gnostic heretics.” - Mark Ward
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Is the Textus Receptus Perfect in Every Jot and Tittle? Ambrose vs. Scrivener
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“Scrivener carefully noted 111 passages in which the KJV translators chose to follow Beza against Stephanus, 59 in which they did the opposite, and 67 in which they differed from both texts and went with some other reading.” - Mark Ward
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How much should a pastor talk about textual variants when preaching through books of the Bible?
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“…ministers can err in one of two directions….such specificity that we run the risk of undermining the confidence God’s people should have in the English translations of Scripture. Or…we can gloss over important textual variants and confuse believers as to what to do with them.” - C.Leaders
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Answering a Question I Get All the Time: The Places to Start in Studying New Testament Textual Criticism
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“…if you want a popular level introduction to the topic written by me, I’ve got that. But I’d like to be more detailed—and (kind of!) evenhanded. I’d like to make some reading recommendations on both sides.” - Mark Ward
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Text Criticism and the Pulpit: Should one Preach on the Woman Caught in Adultery?
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“While there are many ways to consider this topic, this study will look at the issue through the lens of one highly debated passage, the pericope adulterae (John 7:53–8:11).
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An Evaluation of the Work of Charles Surrett on the New King James Version
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“I’ve had several brief correspondences with Surrett, and in each case he has been gracious, clear, and straightforward (Ambassador students who have mentioned him to me always speak of him with respect). He has made key distinctions between his viewpoint and a truly KJV-Only viewpoint. To him, the text is the issue.
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Why I Won't Preach Mark 16:9-20
Textual criticism is a highly technical discipline. Ordinary pastors can’t hope to know everything about the subject. But, they can pay attention in Seminary and read enough to be familiar with the basic issues. The congregation has notes in their margins or footnotes, telling them all about Acts 8:37, John 7:53 - 8:11, John 5:7-8 and Mark 16:9-20. A pastor needs to know enough to answer the more obvious questions these footnotes will generate.
In my opinion, these are some very useful tools to help:
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