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Answer
Redaction criticism and higher criticism are just a couple of the various forms of biblical criticism. Their purpose is to examine the Scriptures and assess their authorship, historical accuracy, and date of writing. Unfortunately, many of these approaches ultimately aim to undermine the integrity of the Bible.
Biblical criticism can be categorized into two main types: higher and lower criticism. Lower criticism seeks to determine the original text since the original manuscripts are no longer available. Higher criticism focuses on the authenticity of the text, raising questions like: When was it truly written? Who was the actual author of this text?
Several redaction critics and higher critics do not uphold the belief in the divine inspiration of Scripture. Consequently, they use these inquiries to discredit the influence of the Holy Spirit on the authors of Scripture. They argue that the Old Testament was merely a collection of oral traditions and was not transcribed until after the Babylonian captivity in 586 B.C.
However, the Scriptures clearly indicate that Moses penned the Law and the initial five books of the Old Testament (known as the Pentateuch). If these writings were not authored by Moses and were composed many years after the establishment of Israel, these critics could challenge the accuracy of the content, undermining the authority of God’s Word. Yet, this assertion is unfounded. Redaction criticism suggests that the Gospel writers were merely compilers of oral traditions and not the direct authors of the Gospels themselves. Redaction critics argue that their analysis aims to uncover the “theological motivation” behind the author’s selection and arrangement of traditions or other written sources within Christianity.
Essentially, what we observe in all these forms of biblical criticism is an effort by certain critics to scrutinize the Scriptures in a way that undermines their credibility.
Separate the Holy Spirit’s role in the creation of an accurate and trustworthy written account of God’s Word. The authors of the Scriptures detailed the process of Scripture formation. “All scripture is inspired by God” «All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: », (2 Timothy 3:16). God is the one who imparted the words He desired to be inscribed. The apostle Peter stated, “No prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of the human will” «knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. », (2 Peter 1:20,21) «For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.», (2 Peter 1:20,21). Here, Peter clarifies that these writings were not products of human imagination, concocted by individuals seeking to document something. Peter further explains, “But men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” «For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.», (2 Peter 1:21). The Holy Spirit revealed to them what He wanted them to write. There is no basis for questioning the genuineness of the Scriptures when we understand that God was orchestrating and guiding men in what to document.
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and BRING TO REMEMBRANCE ALL THAT I SAID” «But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all thi
Jesus said, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”, (John 14:26). Here Jesus informed His disciples that He would soon depart, but the Holy Spirit would aid them in recalling His teachings on earth so that they could later document them. God was the force behind the writing and preservation of the Scriptures. Redaction criticism and higher criticism attempt to impose human limitations on the God who has none.
