The primary purpose of New Testament (hereafter NT) textual criticism is to restore the NT. It is necessary because none of the autographs are present and the copies at thousands of places. Fundamental is the methodology engaged to find out the original reading. In deciding which form of the text is original, general scholars in modern era apply an “eclectic” method. The eclectic method appeals, on a case-by-case basis, to a number of different criteria that are traditionally categorized either as “external” (those based on the kinds of manuscripts that support one reading or another) or “internal” (those based on the likelihood that a reading goes back either to the original author or to an error introduced by a scribe).
Deuknam Yoon
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, M.Div & Th.M
Piedmont International University, Ph.D Course