Canon and text grew together: the same evidence that preserves the Masoretic Text also confirms a stable Old Testament canon we can confidently trust.
Textual Evidence and Canon Formation: Implications for Trustworthiness
Does the Multiplicity of Manuscripts Enhance or Hinder Trust in the Old Testament Text?
Far from undermining trust, the many Old Testament manuscripts cross-check one another and powerfully confirm the stability of the autographic text.
The Role of the Sopherim in Maintaining Textual Integrity in the Old Testament Text
From Ezra to the Masoretes, the Sopherim guarded every consonant of Scripture, forming a continuous scribal chain that preserved the Old Testament text.
Text Critical Challenges in the Psalms: What They Tell Us About Stability
Despite real textual cruxes, the Psalms manuscripts reveal a remarkably stable text and a fully preserved theology of praise, lament, and hope in Jehovah.
Assessing Textual Confidence in the Old Testament Text: How Many Variants Are ‘Safe’?
Most Old Testament variants are minor and harmless; only a tiny fraction affect wording, and none overturns the theology preserved in the Masoretic Text.
Textual Corruption: Causes, Types, and Remedies in OT Transmission
Textual corruption in the Old Testament is real but limited, classifiable, and almost always correctable, leaving doctrine and message fully intact.
Faithfulness And Error: Theological Assumptions In Old Testament Textual Criticism
Theology always shapes textual criticism. When guided by Scripture itself, it protects us from both skeptical despair and rigid, evidence-blind dogmatism.
Do Textual Variants Affect Theology in the Old Testament Text? A Principled Approach
Variants appear in theological passages, but none create doctrinal uncertainty because the Masoretic Text preserves the original wording with exceptional fidelity.
Is the Masoretic Text Always the Best Witness? Case Studies
A study showing that while the Masoretic Text is the primary witness, the Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint occasionally preserve earlier readings when strong evidence supports them.
The Significance of Harmonization in Evaluating Reliability
Harmonization is limited, identifiable, and ultimately reinforces confidence in the faithfully preserved Masoretic Text.
