Discuss the importance of historical criticism.

One of the reasons why there is so much confusion about historical-criticism is that historical-criticism can be applied to several different areas of study in biblical studies. The three most common ones are:

(a) the meaning of the received text;

(b) the history of the composition of the text; and

(c) the historical reality behind what’s being depicted in the text.

When most people think about historical-criticism, especially its critics, they’re thinking of (b) and (c). But historical-criticism cannot be limited to these two fields of study – it can also be applied and is applied to studying the meaning of the received or final-form of biblical texts without a real concern for (b) or (c).

So when someone criticizes historical-criticism or the results of historical-criticism it is important to identify which area of study they are referring to: (a), (b), or (c). I have serious problems with the results and methods of historical-criticism as it is usually applied to (b) and (c) but historical-criticism is absolutely essential when it comes to studying (a), the received or final form of the text. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t think historical-criticism is the only way that we should study the received or final form of the text. I also think that theological interpretation is important, though it is a little bit more subjective. But historical-critical study of the text is indispensable and a lot can be missed and/or misunderstood if the text is not read both historically and critically. One quick example is the book of Ruth. Most evangelical sermons that I’ve seen on Ruth jump to a theological interpretation involving Boaz prefiguring Christ. But because they haven’t read the text historically (or critically) they miss the main point – which is God’s providence in the life of Naomi, rescuing Naomi from her predicament in chapter 1 and working out his sovereign plan for her good and for the good of all Israel.

The Bill of Rights was needed for the ratification of the Constitution because many people feared that the new Constitution would make the central government too powerful, and this Bill of Rights protected the most essential human liberties.