|
To
Whom It May Concern Be
it know that this day, November 24, 2005,
that I, Mr. Gary S. Dykes, do herby declare the following
to be my true opinion.
that human rationalism should not be the believer's guide to interpreting
the Holy Writ. Articles of faith are not to be determined by academic
research nor by intellectual analyses; the validity of Scripture is
not to be ascertained solely via canons of reason. The
faithful are told to study the Word, and in time they will/should increase
in their comprehension of it. God's Word is food for growth, as believers
feed and grow so does their understanding. God's Word is designed for the elect/faithful to understand and utilize, and only those possessing this unique God-given faith can truly do so. Parallel to this criterion, is the correct assessment of variant readings in the surviving manuscripts. In both cases:
(1) determining what the Bible means, and
(2) determining which variant is original;
FAITH
is the primary and necessary requirement. Specifically
that faith from God, Hebrews 12:2 - which along with the Holy Spirit resides within the
being of each elect person. God
did not leave us (today) with a known, single, perfect manuscript of
His original Word. Just as faith is required to correctly interpret
the Scriptures, so faith and the Holy Spirit's guidance, are also the
principal ingredients needed to assay the variants. The canons of textual
criticism are not to be the "golden standard", rather they
are to be subsumed under a mature faith. Various interpretations exist, likewise, no two believing
exegetes will always agree as to which variant is original. These blessed
disagreements engender valuable contemplation upon God's Word! This
is intended. Often pagan textual critics and a redeemed critic will
agree, and often they will disagree. Genuine variant resolution, when needed, typically manifests
faith. Textual criticism is a wonderful ministry for a believer, it
allows one to validate and/or reconstruct from the manuscripts, the
original text. Essentially, we
do not lack the original text, the original abounds within the thousands of surviving
manuscripts. However, we do need more divinely trained and chastised
believers who will not bend to the modern Sophists. |