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    Understanding Biblical Criticism: What It Is * What It Does * Why It Matters
    Understanding Biblical Criticism: What It Is * What It Does * Why It Matters
    Understanding Biblical Criticism: What It Is * What It Does * Why It Matters
    Ebook173 pages2 hours

    Understanding Biblical Criticism: What It Is * What It Does * Why It Matters

    By F. F. Bruce, David Capes and Graham Hedges

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    The term “biblical criticism” simply means discerning the most accurate text of the Bible (“textual criticism”) and then exploring issues such as who wrote the various books of the Bible, when they were written, and the circumstances of the writing (“higher criticism”). Yet because the word “criticism” can imply fault-finding and because some prominent biblical critics come to their study with a skepticism of the historical value of the Bible, biblical criticism often stirs up suspicion or even hostility. F.F. Bruce assures us that we don’t have to be afraid of biblical criticism. This ebook includes articles originally appearing in Christianity Today, Essential Christianity, Precious Seed, and The Christian Librarian.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBookBaby
    Release dateOct 2, 2017
    ISBN9781912149124
    Understanding Biblical Criticism: What It Is * What It Does * Why It Matters
    Author

    F. F. Bruce

    F. F. Bruce (1910-1990) was Rylands Professor of Biblical Criticism and Exegesis at the University of Manchester. Trained as a classicist, Bruce authored more than 50 books on the New Testament and served as the editor for the New International Commentary on the New Testament from 1962 until his death in 1990.

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      Understanding Biblical Criticism - F. F. Bruce

      Copyright

      PUBLISHER’S INTRODUCTION

      After a pleasant lunch with Sheila Lukabyo (Sheila is the daughter of F.F. Bruce) and Alan and Margaret Millard (Alan is a distinguished archaeologist and Rankin Professor Emeritus of Hebrew and Ancient Semitic languages at University of Liverpool and close friend of Professor Bruce; Margaret is a close friend of Sheila’s), Professor Millard said, "here are some articles that Fred wrote on Biblical criticism for the popular magazine Essential Christianity . They were in his files. Perhaps you could republish them." The collection was not quite complete, but the British Library was able to supply what was missing.

      Essential Christianity was a periodical which presents the Faith free from divisive beliefs and practices, and also relates world trends to biblical revelation. It replaced a non-profit independent periodical called The Morning Star, which was founded in 1894, initially to contain articles on the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus.

      The 21 articles from Essential Christianity became the core of this ebook on Understanding Biblical Criticism. Its theme is simply that both textual criticism and the various forms of higher criticism are proper branches of Bible study even though the idea of biblical criticism often stirs up suspicion or even hostility. Such negative reaction occurs, first, because the word criticism can imply fault-finding and, second, because some prominent biblical critics come to their study with skepticism of the historical value of the Bible. If a scholar sets about the business of criticism with the conviction that divine revelation in the Christian sense has not taken place, explains Bruce, and that the supernatural factors of miracle and predictive prophecy did not in fact operate as the biblical record claims they did, then his critical method and conclusion may well be affected by this conviction of his. In that case the fault lies with the negative presuppositions of a particular scholar, and not with higher criticism as such.

      It is important, continues Professor Bruce, for the study of the biblical books to know something about the original text, the structure of the various books, the date at which they were written, the authors by whom they were written, and so forth—all the realm of Biblical criticism.

      Understanding Biblical Criticism contains

      • Criticism and Faith—an important article from Christianity Today that stresses that the believing scholar should lead the quest for fuller understanding of the Bible, including the use of critical disciplines. He is the last man to be uneasy lest inconvenient facts should come to light.

      • Biblical Criticism—the 21 articles from Essential Christianity grouped into 11 chapters on textual criticism and higher criticism—with its variants of source criticism and form criticism. Bruce discusses examples from the Psalms and the Gospels.

      • Moses and the Pentateuch—articles from Precious Seed in which Bruce demonstrates that it is untenable to state, as many students have been taught, that no well informed person could believe that Moses wrote the Pentateuch.

      • Two Centuries of New Testament Criticism—a fascinating lecture that Professor Bruce gave at the Librarians’ Christian Fellowship Annual Public Lecture in which he outlines a history of biblical criticism and its practitioners. It is tempting to suggest reading this article first for the overview it gives, but the lecture is perhaps best appreciated after becoming familiar with Biblical criticism itself. . . . after reading the rest of the book.

      F.F. Bruce wrote much that could be classified as Biblical criticism. Moses and the Pentateuch, which addresses issues related to the authorship of the first five books of the Bible, is one example. Others were too detailed to include here.

      In Textual Problems in the Epistle to the Hebrews, an article in Scribes and Scripture: New Testament Essays in Honour of J Harold Greenlee (ed. by David Alan Black, published by Eisenbrauns, Winona Lake, Indiana, 1992), Professor Bruce uses textual criticism to wrestle with issues in twelve passages in Hebrews. This may be accessed at https://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/ffb/textual-problems_bruce.pdf

      Between 1968 and 1972, Bruce gave five lectures at the John Rylands Library of the University of Manchester, which were then published in the Bulletin of the John Rylands Library. They dealt with issues of higher criticism as related to Galatians: Autobiographical Data (see https://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/bjrl/problems-1_bruce.pdf), North or South Galatians? (see http://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/bjrl/problems-2_bruce.pdf), The ‘Other’ Gospel (see http://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/bjrl/problems-3_bruce.pdf), The Date of the Epistle (see https://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/bjrl/problems-4_bruce.pdf), and Galatians and Christian Origins (see http://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/bjrl/problems-5_bruce.pdf) These articles are all archived on a marvelous website, biblicalstudies.org.uk, that makes high quality theological material freely available throughout the world. The site was created and is maintained by Rob Bradshaw.

      Understanding Biblical Criticism is greatly enhanced by two introductions. David Capes, Associate Dean in the Biblical and Theological Studies Department and Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College, Illinois, has written an introduction showing the importance of F.F. Bruce and Biblical criticism. Graham Hedges, Secretary of Christians in Library and Information Services, has added a wonderful personal introduction to Bruce’s lecture on Two Centuries of New Testament Criticism.

      Dr. Capes summarizes Understanding Biblical Criticism perfectly. Taken together, these essays make a compelling case that the church has nothing to fear from biblical criticism. . . . The believing scholar can and should use the so-called ‘critical’ methods when grappling with the texts of the Bible because they open the door to divine revelation in fresh and provocative ways.

      Earle Ellis’s statement, other scholars stand in judgment over the Bible. . . .We allow the Bible to stand in judgment over us, captures the heart of F.F. Bruce, Capes says, and sums up well the contributions of these essays.

      * * * * *

      Understanding Biblical Criticism is published under the Kingsley Books imprint of F.F. Bruce Copyright International.

      When Robert Hicks, a British book publisher, realized that many of the works of F.F.Bruce were not readily available, he wanted to correct that situation. Of the nearly 60 books and hundreds of magazine articles written by the Dean of Evangelical Scholarship, Robert felt many of those not in print could be presented in a visually appealing way for the modern reader.

      After receiving the support of F.F. Bruce’s daughter, Sheila Lukabyo, Robert enlisted the help of Larry Stone, an American publisher. Together they contacted nearly twenty of F.F. Bruce’s publishers. Some of Bruce’s books are being reformatted into printed booklets suitable for evangelism and Bible study in universities and in church groups. Many of Bruce’s printed books as well as collections of articles never before appearing in book form are being made available as reasonably-priced ebooks that can be easily distributed around the world.

      The purpose of F.F. Bruce Copyright International is to encourage an understanding of Professor Bruce’s teaching on the Scripture, to encourage his spirit of humility in approaching the Bible, and encourage academic scholarship among today’s evangelical students and leaders.

      For the latest information on the availability of ebooks and printed books by F.F. Bruce and his friends, see www.ffbruce.com.

      INTRODUCTION

      DAVID B. CAPES

      MANY EVANGELICAL SCHOLARS WHO CAME OF AGE in the 1960s to 1990s cut their teeth on the writings of F.F. Bruce. He was by all accounts the most significant evangelical scholar of his age and continues to influence the church today in quiet, understated ways. He was after all British through and through.

      According to Dr. Carey Newman, the director of Baylor University Press, F.F. Bruce brought the very best of classical sobriety to bear upon the study of New Testament. Bruce married carefully his textual, historical, and archeological work to a respect, and even reverence, for the Bible as God’s and the Church’s book.

      Frederick Fyvie Bruce was born in Scotland on October 12, 1910. His father was a well-educated preacher who served the conservative Christian Brethren or Plymouth Brethren assemblies. According to Peter Davids, a well-known New Testament scholar who studied under Bruce, Fred, as his friends called him, continued to affiliate with the Brethren until his death on September 11, 1990. When asked why he had never joined another church since he differed with the Brethren on a number of important issues (e.g, dispensationalism and women in ministry), Bruce’s honest reply was it never occurred to me [to change churches].

      For a number of years Bruce taught Greek at the University of Edinburgh. He went on to serve on the faculties of the University of Leeds and the University of Sheffield. In 1959 he moved to his post as the Rylands Professor of Biblical Criticism and Exegesis at the University of Manchester. It was from Manchester that Bruce wrote many of his best known books, articles, and commentaries and to influence more students than any evangelical scholar of his generation.

      Professor Bruce moved against the stream of many historians and theologians of his day by claiming that the New Testament was historically reliable and could be trusted as the foundation of faith. As the essays that follow show, this did not mean he was unaware of other viewpoints in biblical research or refused to use critical methods. Pick up any commentary by F.F. Bruce and you will see a churchman who is well-versed in the primary (ancient) sources as well as the most significant secondary literature. His footnotes alone are worth the price of many of his books.

      His students recall that he was reserved but not unfriendly. He would occasionally accept invitations from students to supper and return the favor. One of my favorite F.F. Bruce stories comes through a long-time friend, Dr. Peter Davids. Peter did his PhD at the University of Manchester and got to know Fred and his wife, Betty. One day Peter was eating a meal at Tyndale House (Cambridge) during a New Testament study session. He was seated at a long table. On one side was F.F. Bruce. On the other was noted New Testament scholar Ralph Martin. Ralph, said Bruce seemingly out of the blue, do you think that anyone can really learn Greek if he has not started it by the age of 14? No, Fred, said Martin, I agree with you. He can’t. Despite this, both Bruce and Martin were gracious toward students and colleagues who did not fit this profile. By and large, this meant American professors and their students. There was a rumor about that there was a type of American pass, in that American students would be forgiven Greek errors in their theses that would not be overlooked in students from the UK. Students from Britain began their studies in ancient languages—Greek and Latin—at a much earlier age than their North American counterparts.

      My first exposure to Bruce was his magnificent book, Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free (Eerdmans, 1977; the British title was Paul: Apostle of the Free Spirit). Bruce had a breadth of knowledge and command of the languages that outpaced every other scholar I read. While others wanted to discount the Acts of the Apostles as a reliable source to the life of Paul, Bruce used Acts seamlessly with the apostle’s own letters to create one of the best and most coherent accounts of his life I had ever read.

      From there I picked up Bruce’s The Books and the Parchments (Pickering & Inglis, 1950; revised in 1963 and 1971). The subtitle of the book tells it all: Some Chapters on the Transmission of the Bible. This is a book about the material culture, the ancient versions, the copying of manuscripts, the formation of the canon, and the manuscripts that survive and are used by modern textual critics to give us the Greek versions that are the basis of our modern English translations. Like many of Bruce’s books, this book is informed by the best in biblical scholarship at the time, but it is on a shelf that most lay people and students can reach.

      F.F. Bruce may be best known for his commentaries on books of the New Testament. Over his illustrious career he wrote commentaries on Acts (1951/1954), Colossians and Ephesians (1957), Romans (1963), Hebrews (1964), the Johannine Epistles (1979), 1 & 2 Corinthians (1980), Galatians (1982), 1 & 2 Thessalonians (1982), the Gospel of John (1984), and Philippians (1989). On some of the New Testament books he wrote multiple commentaries (e.g., Acts of the Apostles and Hebrews). As before, these commentaries have a wide audience in view. Bruce did not write just for his academic colleagues; he wrote for the church and its constituents—pastors, scholars, interested lay persons, and students. Bruce’s works are accessible and readable by nearly everyone.

      The heart of this book is essays published from 1960 to 1963 in Essential Christianity, a popular Christian magazine in Britain. To them are added an important article on Criticism and Faith, published in Christianity Today in 1959, two articles from Precious Seed, another British magazine, and The Librarians’ Christian Fellowship Annual Public Lecture Bruce gave in 1982 on Two Centuries of New Testament Criticism. Most of these come from the early 1960s when the whole concept of biblical criticism was deeply suspect by most evangelicals. At the time, even the phrase itself conjured up academic silos where biblical critics sat around university classrooms harping on the Bible and attempting to undermine it. But Bruce knew better. As he explains throughout these essays, the term criticism had nothing to do with disparaging the Bible; in fact, those who understood

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