Slide 12 of 22
Notes:
Alternative readings can also be evaluated or assessed on the basis of how they relate to matters of style or content:
- How does the reading fit with the author’s style, vocabulary, or flow of thought?
- Are there issues raised by the context that favor one reading over another?
- Does a reading seem to be a harmonization from another work (this is especially applicable in the gospels)?
- Is there possibility that theological concerns perhaps belonging to a later period of the church (such as creedal controversies) have influenced the text (cf. I John 4:7-8)?
Evaluating such matters can often be somewhat subjective, especially when more than one reading has stylistic or vocabulary parallels in the same author. Nevertheless, when used to supplement other data, these considerations can be helpful.
