Tue Apr 30 01:45:18 1996

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From: Maurice Robinson 
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Subject: Re:UBS 4
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On Mon, 29 Apr 1996, Robert B. Waltz wrote:

> I see two sides to this question. Since I often disagree with UBS, I
> don't see much inherent value in the certainty grades. But they *do*
> give insight into the minds of the editors. 

This much I agree with.  The remainder of Waltz' statement I will take 
issue with:

> You can usually accept
> their reasoning on "A" grades. Their "B" class is terrible; it ranges
> from readings that are certain to readings that are flat-out wrong.
> (IMHO, of course.) "C" and "D" a little bit better; these readings
> generally DO require you to stop and think a while.

It all depends on whether you initially accept their text-critical premise
before you can automatically accept any of their reasoning.  For those of
us who hold to a different methodology of textual criticism, many readings
which the UBS committee rate "A" are easily rejected by us, while many
other readings with a "C" or "D" rating are those which we accept almost
without question.  So the problem with the ratings is that they intend to
commit the reader beforehand to a certain way of looking at the text.  It
may be helpful to know why there might be dissent among various eclectic
critic who comprise a single committee, but no one should automatically
accept their evaluations unless his of her own view of textual criticism
happens to concur with that of the UBS editors.  Just a fair warning.


_________________________________________________________________________
Maurice A. Robinson, Ph.D.           Assoc. Prof./Greek and New Testament
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary     Wake Forest, North Carolina
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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