Textual Criticism 101: A General Introduction

The very phrase textual criticism conjures up an abstract academic exercise which leads many to remain unconvinced of the need to learn of this science. Pastors are ignore the subject for fear that church members will find it boring, overly technical, impractical, or that their faith (their own and the congregations') may be undermined in the process. Pastors fear the fallout of church members learning of the many variants that exist in the previously understood "golden tablets" of the New Testament manuscripts. While it is true that textual criticism can be technical and can be communicated in such a way as to threaten people's faith (see Ehrman's Misquoting Jesus), it need not be the case. The average church member can grasp the material. Furthermore it is a far more dangerous thing to leave church members uneducated of the history of their Bible. Opponents of the faith know this information; so should the people of faith.