WOT 2.3 - Grammatical-Historical Exegesis

Part Two, Lesson Three of the "Word of Truth" Bible study series.
The Grammatical-Historical Method of Biblical Exegesis.

[mevangel]

The problem with the critical text is that it is not stable, and could change in the future depending on new textual "philosophies" and decisions. The critical text 'method' is a method that scholars want to change and alter, and this results in different weighting of manuscripts.

The vast majority of manuscripts are Byzantine, and the Greek text behind the older versions (they have their faults) is by and large reflective of the Byzantine text-type, albeit with some Byzantine minority readings. It was a mistake to discount this text-type: this was the text type of the Eastern Church and Western Roman Church. Western Christianity decided to change to the Alexandrian within the last centuries, with the Roman Catholics initially resistance, but they have changed to the Alexandrian now. The Eastern Church still use the Byzantine text-type.

Personally, I give Byzantine minority readings in the older Bibles the benefit of the doubt, and believe the longer readings and additional verses are authentic, particularly the longer ending of Mark's Gospel. Many works have been written on the subject, but I think more pastors need to acknowledge the rise of the modern Byzantine Priority movement, and the continuation of the Received Text Byzantine tradition.