As indicated at my Textual Criticism Blog Review of Fundamentals of New Testament Textual Criticism by Stanley E. Porter and Andrew W. Pitts there is a significant difference in weighting Criteria between Skeptical Textual Criticism (STC) and Traditional Textual Criticism (TTC):
- 1) STC places relatively more weight on Internal evidence while TTC usually concludes External evidence is decisive.
2) STC makes a larger distinction regarding what constitutes quality External evidence.
3) STC gives bonus weight to individual witnesses with multiple Difficult Readings.
- 1) The relatively small quantity of comparable credentialed early quality witness to even one early quality witness for a Difficult Reading such as Sinaiticus.
2) The cumulative strength of relatively few early quality witnesses for individual Difficult Readings but the existence of multiple Difficult Readings witnessed by a few early quality witnesses as the primary defense against the Difficult Reading is usually that it is unintentional but the recurring pattern noted indicates it was intentional.
Difficult Reading | Witness | Quality Witness Against | Defense Against | Significant Difference? |
Mark 1:1
| Sinaiticus 3rd century papyrus Irenaeus Origen Serapion Basil Cyril Epiphanius Asterius Severian |
Vaticanus Alexandrinus Bezae Washingtonianus Note that witness here is weakened by its variation |
Manuscript = Homeoteleuton (accidental skipping due to similar near words) Patristic = Abbreviation |
Yes. Since GMark starts with Jesus' supposed baptism and Jesus is explicitly ided as the son of God at the baptism the issue of the timing of Jesus' status was/is a crucial issue for Christianity. Especially with GMark being the original Gospel. |
Mark 1:2 vs. "the prophets" |
Sinaiticus Vaticanus Regius Bezae |
Washingtonianus Alexandrinus Rossanensis Beratinus 064 Basilensis |
Copyists wanted to make a general description (in the prophets) specific (Isaiah). | Yes. Everyone agrees that the related quote is not only from Isaiah but is a combination of quotes (with editing) from multiple Jewish Bible authors. Hence, unlike supposed claims of history in the Christian Bible with no clear documented history to compare to, Christianity considered the Jewish Bible gospel and therefore a contradiction with it in the Christian Bible is a clear error. From a Christian standpoint. |
Note that as we follow The Way of GMark, as Sinaiticus for example accumulates the rare/difficult readings and is vindicated for each reading as the likely original, it improves its credentials in general as having (much) greater weight for the next Difficult Reading in question and like its demonstrated victories does not necessarily need much support to win the current battle.
Joseph
Figures Don't Lie But Liars Figure. A Proportionate Response to the Disproportionate Response Claim (Gaza)