Higher On Historical Criticism

practice as a practice that upholds the dignity of Christianity and Christian virtues. For instance, McGarvey categorically ensures that the church is well guided on how they treat the Bible. He states that the Bible is the key element in guiding Christians to behave responsibly in the churche. Applying higher criticism on the Bible, according to McGarvey’s column, indicated that Christians were losing focus on the Bible’s message. The Bible ought to be a book to guide the church but has been taken as a book to be extensively studied in higher criticism.

McGarvey combats higher criticism in this case through insisting on the reinstatement Bible’s purpose in church rather than using it as a book to study. Christians should therefore, be less concerned with the origins of the Bible but they should put emphasis on its guidance in developing the church.

McGarvey’s column presents a general stand that higher criticism is closely linked to unbelief. Unbelief in Christianity is a great barrier towards ensuring spiritual growth.

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Religious studies indicate that belief in God’s word through the Bible was important towards ensuring the diligence of every Christian. Therefore, McGarvey uses the concept of unbelief in higher criticism to combat its use on the Bible. Higher criticism in Christianity indicates lack of firmness on the faith. In fact, trying to look for the origin of the books of the Bible is an aspect that undermines the Bible’s role in guiding Christians.

Unbelief guides scholars to study the Bible through higher criticism with an urge to fully understand the context under which the Bible was written through identifying the author’s environment and audience reactions Unraveling the history of the Bible will give indefinite answers on its origin which will make us lose touch with the Bible’s teachings.

McGarvey discourages higher criticism sharply through guiding the audience to develop other ways to study the Bible rather than using higher criticism, which shows weakness in one’s faith. In the column, McGarvey uses guidelines on conduct that he give alternatives that would improve Christian belief using the Bible rather than looking behind it. Therefore, J. W. McGarvey’s 1893 to 1904’s column ensured that higher criticism was combated through developing alternatives that would make people shy away from unbelief brought about by higher criticism.

In conclusion, higher criticism is an aspect that establishes study on the origin of ancient texts through analytically assessing the context in which the texts were written. McGarvey strongly disagrees with the application of higher criticism in the Bible since it undermined the Bible. In addition, Biblical criticism created unbelief and mistrust in God’s work, hindering the development of Christians. Disrespect of the Bible has also been used by McGarvey to combat higher criticism. McGarvey offers firm Christian principles that ensure higher criticism is totally combated. Therefore, Christian standards are solid principles that help in defining various aspects in Christianity remain relevant and appropriate in the religion.