tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3766709123526608927.post5215479494390514240..comments2008-05-08T13:53:51.784-04:00"zeus"noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3766709123526608927.post-54789149069430615792008-05-08T13:53:00.000-04:002008-05-08T13:53:00.000-04:00Textual critics are aware of the variants, or the differences in the manuscripts, yet they are confident in the Bible that we possess today. One of the proofs, as stated in the post, are the DSS which show little to no differences to our present documents. Also, the variants that we have can be discovered and corrected through the process of textual criticism. Finally, despite this all, none of the variants dispute any foundational Christian belief. For example, even if we do have some differences in manuscripts, they are insignificant to what really matters in what we believe. The variants never dispute the fact that Christ is the only way or that he has commanded us to trust in his word, which leads to life.JM Bayonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08029538280389361997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3766709123526608927.post-70095417710759565362008-05-08T10:23:00.000-04:002008-05-08T10:23:00.000-04:00<I>But, taking further research into the topic, we can discover that the process of transmission was actually a very reliable one. The Scribes considered that what they were copying was actually the word of God and would be terrified in committing any errors.</I><BR/><BR/>Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of the manuscript evidence for the New Testament comes from the period after Constantine when orthodox Christianity had become the official religion of the Roman Empire. We have very little manuscript evidence from the earlier period when Christianity was a persecuted minority religion composed of a number of competing sects. There are a number of reasons to doubt that the process was as reliable in the earlier period as it was in the later one including Origen’s complaint: “The differences among the manuscripts have become great either through the negligence of some copyists or through the perverse audacity of others; the neglect to check over what they have transcribed, or, in the process of checking, they make additions or deletions as they please.”Vinnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955726889682177434noreply@blogger.com