Lesson 14.2 (Argument to the Best Explanation)

Over the past two weeks we have achieved a deeper understanding of the method of "Argument to the Best Explanation".  In short, this is the logical process we all perform throughout everyday without even realizing it.  Formally, it is the process used by scientists and historians to explain the causes of given effects.  This is a critically important concept to our study as we are performing our historical study, namely the historicity of Jesus' Resurrection.

We could simply approach this by faith alone, and that would be sufficient.  But we are interested to understand the historical case that can be made for the event.  That case depends on the method of "Multiply Competing Hypotheses", also known as "Argument to the Best Explanation".

Last Thursday night we took a look at an overall "diagram" of our study.  (Here's a link to a PDF of the slides and diagram.)  The rest of our study will need to broken into sections, beginning with the missing component of "Transmission".  We will return to this in a few weeks and understand the nature of oral tradition and it's support for the reliable transmission of the text of the New Testament.

In the meantime, we are going to spend a week or two looking at how historians use mathematical probability to help assess their confidence in the truth of historical claims.

Blessings!

Ricky
worldviewstudy@gmail.com

Lesson 14.1 (Justifying Historical Descriptions)

Wow!

If you had told me a year ago I would make a statement like "We are trying to understand the historical justification for belief in the resurrection of Jesus through the use of abductive reasoning, Argument to the Best Explanation and probability calculus.", I would have said you were crazy!  And yet, here we are!  And it's fun!  (The link to the handout is included above.)

Last week began to get into the mind of the historian as he looks to justify the validity of historical truth claims.  Obviously, we will look to apply our new-found knowledge and understanding to the overall historical reliability of the gospels; but our main goal is the central event of our faith; namely, the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus.  And yet, as we continue to love God with all our MIND, we must admit to ourselves that this endeavor, just like our study in science, will only carry us so far.  Once we reach the end of our historical research, there will still be a step of faith required to trust in what God has done in time and space through Jesus and the resurrection.  The difference...that step will be much, much smaller; and your ability to tell others why you trust in God can be more engaging.

This Thursday we will continue our study in Argument to the Best Explanation.  We will cover the criteria for the method of thought and argumentation in more detail.  In addition, we will do some in-class exercises giving you the ability to apply your skills.  I believe this will be a great class!  Don't miss it!

Blessings,
Ricky
worldviewstudy@gmail.com

Lesson 13 - Introduction to Historical (Higher) Criticism

PPT Handout Link

Hello, everyone!

Last Thursday night we began our introduction to Historical Criticism.  During the class I asked you to imagine yourself as one of your children or grandchildren who had just arrived at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for class.  I also asked you to imagine you had chosen to take an elective course called "Introduction to the New Testament" taught by Professor Bart D. Ehrman. (a professing agnostic, if not atheist)

Using the first chapter of Ehrman's book "Jesus, Interrupted", I proceeded to give an opening lecture on the importance and impact of Higher Criticism on the generally naive views of the text of not only the New Testament, but the Bible overall.  As an average, unaware Christian student, I would fully expect you to be taken by surprise by many, if not most, of the content presented.  I think it would be safe to assume that most college students who profess Christianity would be taken by surprise and shocked by the content of the lecture.  Thus, we find ourselves appropriately situated for the study ahead.

Our children and grandchildren, not to mention ourselves, are generally unprepared intellectually to encounter  the strong opposition to the Christian faith that is so readily presented in the university setting.  And just like what we have done through our study of Science and Lower Criticism, we will look deep into the objective evidences available in Higher Criticism which will serve to further solidify our Christian worldview and intellectual case for faith (justified trust) in God.

Next Class

Please make sure you bring your Bible's with you.  We are going to begin studying the parallel passages given in the various gospel accounts.  We will spend time looking at the similarities and differences between them.  We will also take time to make note of any questions or concerns you may have with their respective accounts.  I think it will be a very informative study; one which will better prepare us to understand the defend "...against the arguments set up against the knowledge of God."

I look forward to our time together!

Blessings!

Ricky
worldviewstudy@gmail.com

Lesson 9 - Lower Historical Criticism (Textual Criticism) Wrap-Up

Lesson 9 PPT

On Thursday night we did a wrap-up of our study over the last 5 to 6 months.  And I must say that I was very impressed with your ability to recall and recite the content of our study.

I have included a link (on the left under "Key Documents") to the PPT we used on Thursday night.  For those of you who do not have Microsoft PowerPoint you can download a free office suite suite which will give you the ability to view it.  It is a trustworthy organization.  You should not have any fear with downloading and using the software. (Click the link HERE.)

In short, our conclusion, based on our past 5 months of research, is that there is no rational reason to discard  the text (very words) of the writings which compose the New Testament.  In fact, even the most well-known and vocal textual critic of the New Testament (Bart Ehrman) concedes that we do have, in all essentials, the words written by authors.  He also concedes that no key doctrine of Christianity is undermined by any textual variant when taken in context of all gospel accounts.  Instead, we determined that, according to his own words, the ultimate reason for abandoning his Christian faith is his inability to reconcile God's existence with the presence of pain and suffering in the world.  That is a valid concern which we will pick up at a later time.

As we discussed on Thursday we will now transition to "Higher Criticism" and ask the question, "Are the accounts given in the New Testament historically trustworthy?"  This will be a long and difficult study, but I commend you all on your dedication to this endeavor.  I am seeing incredible fruit being developed as we continue to ask and not shy away from the hard questions of our faith.

See you all Thursday night!

Blessings,
Ricky
worldviewstudy@gmail.com

Lesson 8 – New Testament Textual Criticism

Hello, everyone!

After listening to Bart Ehrman's speech at Harvard University on the manuscript evidence for the New Testament, we spent two of the last three lessons walking through virtually every variant in the book of Matthew. As I expected, it was obvious a number of you became extremely bored with the content; not because the subject is necessarily boring, but because the textual variants for the book of Matthew do not, as Ehrman stated, affect anything of consequence.

As we discussed last week, in order to save you the pain of such detail in the future, I will continue to study the variants for the remaining Gospels, taking special note of those which can/do affect meaning and interpretation. I will continue using Bruce Metzger's A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, the notes section included in the NET Bible, and A Student's Guide to New Testament Textual Variants as the primary sources for my research. You can view my progress by downloading a copy of the Manuscript Variants Excel spreadsheet included on the left side of the blog.

In the meantime, we will begin an argument by argument analysis of the debate between Daniel Wallace (William Wallace!) And Bart Ehrman. It will take us a few weeks to get through it, but it reveals a lot of insight into the reasons for Ehrman's irrational skepticism. Please attend if at all possible. I think you will be blessed. This debate should also put the capstone on our study of Lower Textual Criticism, allowing us to finally begin our target study of the historical person, Jesus Christ.

See you all Thursday night!

Blessings!
Ricky
worldviewstudy@Gmail.com

Lesson 7 - Textual Criticism (PPT)

Hello, everyone!

Thursday night we did two things.

1. We did a recap of the video's we watched over the previous two weeks.  (Here are the links to the video's on YouTube. Daniel Wallace 1, Daniel Wallace 2, Daniel Wallace and Darrel Bock on John Ankerberg Show
2. I explained my direction for the next part of our study in New Testament Textual variants.

So you are aware, I have added a link to my Excel spreadsheet containing a list of all the significant textual variants from the Gospels.  It is contained under the "Key Documents" section on the left side of the blog page.  We reviewed that spreadsheet Thursday night.  Please keep in mind I will be populating the spreadsheet as I complete this part of the study.  I encourage you to download a copy of it for your own use.

Suggested Study Instructions:

1. Download a copy of the spreadsheet.
2. Open the NET Study Bible environment. (NET Study Environment)
3. Open a copy of your favorite translation for comparison purposes. Since the NET translation is relatively new, I encourage you to compare it to the translation you normally use and trust.  There are many resources online if you choose to do so.  Here's one good site. There are many others. Bible Gateway
4. Open the Variants sheet in the Excel workbook.
5. Starting with the first variant, Matthew 1:7, find the verse in the NET.  Look for any superscript numbers or letters within the verse.  If you find one, double-click it.  The pane on the right should scroll to the reference.
6. Make sure you've selected the NOTES tab at the top of the right-side pain.  In the right-side pane, look for any entries beginning with "tc".  These are text-critical notes.  They contain an explanation of the textual variant and the reasoning used by the translation committee for the selected reading.
7. You can record your notes in the spreadsheet.
8. Ultimately, you want to make a determination of whether or not any of the variants undermine any core Christian doctrines.

Please Note: Don't expect there to be a 1 to 1 comparison between my spreadsheet and the NET environment.  If you don't find a corresponding entry, simply move on to the next one.  We are in discovery mode together.  Everything is not always cut-and-dry.  This is going to take a lot of work and time.

Have fun with this!  I expect the results to be EXTREMELY encouraging.

Blessings!

Ricky

worldviewstudy@gmail.com

Lesson 6 - Period of Criticism and Revision (Lower Textual Criticism)

I'm writing this after a long couple of days.  Please understand if it isn't very coherent.

Here is the PowerPoint from class. Lesson 6 (Lower Textual Criticism)

Last Thursday night we did a couple of things.  We;

1. Discussed the logical arguments presented by Dr. Ehrman in his Stanford lecture on his book Misquoting Jesus.
2. Read through just some of the things Dr. Ehrmas says he does believe based on the accounts given in the New Testament.
3. Began a cursory consideration of the purpose of Inspiration.
4. Did a high-level run through of the quantity, types and significance of the manuscript variances.

In short, we saw that;

1. Dr. Ehrman's conclusion that we can not know if God exists based on the failure of the New Testament to meet his imposed definition of inspiration is fallacious.
2. Dr. Ehrman's abandonment of the trustworthiness of the accounts in the New Testament is limited.  He does trust at least some of the historical accounts given, and speaks very confidently about them.  We have yet to determine the source of his agnosticism.
3. Inspiration might not be defined so narrowly by God as to require the preservation of the autographs, nor prevent human hands from influencing its transmission. (I.e. Was God able to communicate his Revelation successfully while allowing human interaction in the process?)
4. The number of variants is great.  However, so is the amount of textual sources.  (I.e. More manuscripts = more variants)  This is not necessarily a bad thing, as we should see in the coming weeks.

This Thursday night we we review some of what was presented last Thursday night in preparation for more in-depth study.

Over the next two weeks we will watch a series of video's over the content thus far.  Here are the links. Daniel Wallace 1, Daniel Wallace 2, Daniel Wallace and Darrel Bock on John Ankerberg Show

God bless you all!

Ricky Chapman
worldviewstudy@gmail.com