In the case of either the Gospels or the Epistles the Word was oral well before it was written. We reverse the process today when we read the text of the New Testament out loud and then proclaim and declaim on the basis of it. Thus, it is fair to say that when we tell the story of the New Testament, we are telling the story of a second-order phenomenon, the story of the literary residue of a largely oral movement which grew on the basis of preaching and teaching, praying an praising, and other forms of oral communication. It was not mainly, in the earliest period of Christian history, the texts that spread the Word, but rather the oral proclamation.(Ben Witherington III, The New Testament Story. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2004, p. 5.)
That is a very subtle way of denying inerrancy and inspiration.
ReplyDeleteMaranatha!
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3
Don, as always, thanks for the comment. I hope that this post doesn't lead to this sort of confusion. I don't know exactly where Witherington stands on the inerrancy/inspiration issue, but this excerpt is not a full statement on this issue. Rather, Witherington is looking specifically at the historical side of the composition of the NT texts.
ReplyDeleteLuke 1:1-4 allows for us to understand that much of the materials used in the Gospels had already been circulating in oral forms. I wanted to highlight Witherington's statement here, because he articulates this point well.
Hi Jason,
ReplyDeleteI am not absolutely clear on where Witherington stands either, but I have read some suspect things from him in the past, most recently (I think) in the pages of BAR. BAR is of course not committed to inerrancy.
In any case, I think the statement you quote leaves many doors open to denying inerrancy and authority. The written Word may well have come about as with an oral background in the apostle's preaching, but it is the written Word as written that carries the stamp of enduring apostolic authority and is not to be tampered with or obfuscated in any way.
Maranatha!
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3
I can agree with you on that. I believe that Witherington would position himself in the evangelical "errantist" group. One thing that is clear, so far, is that he is very interested in the historical perspective on the development of the NT. He hasn't spent any time dealing with the divine origins.
ReplyDeleteThis statement caught my attention because it helps to explain the appearance of many hymns, prayers, and creeds that are scattered throughout the NT. These items are presented in a way that seems to indicate some sort of familiarity with them on the part of the original audience. I'm currently studying through Ephesians and keeping this in mind has been helpful in following what Paul is presenting in this letter.
Thanks for helping me think through this!