A Guide to the Textual Criticism of the New Testament

The Work of Edward Miller, M. A. [Associate of Dean John William Burgon]

I have finally finished reading Edward Miller's book "A Guide to the Textual Criticism of the New Testament". It is only 137 pages including the Appendix, but I have at the same time been studying other things as the Lord has put in my way and as described in other posts on this blog. I have often wondered since the first time I read Miller's Guide a few years ago why it is not more popular among Bible believers than what it is. For example, "Why isn't it sold at the Bible Baptist Bookstore in Pensacola, Florida along with the five works of Burgon?" Of course, I'm not condemning the bookstore; they have their own right to chose what books to handle and which not to.


Miller's Guide is a very excellent work which perhaps should be read after Dr. Ruckman's "Manuscript Evidence" and "Biblical Scholarship" and then before Dean Burgon's "Revision Revised", "Last Twelve Verses of Mark", "The Traditional Text", and "Causes of Corruption", the last two of which books of Dean Burgon, Edward Miller collected, edited, finalized, and published since the dean died before they could be finished.

Miller, in fact, recommends "those who may be disposed to enter more deeply into the important subject of it to prosecute further research in "The Plain Introduction" of Dr. Scrivener, the learned works of Dean Burgon, and in other well-known sources of information upon Textual Criticism". [Miller's Guide, 1886, Preface, page vii.]

In our case, today, "other well-known sources" would include Dr. Ruckman's material and some of the other works that I have listed in a previous post. Brother Edward goes on to say "that every Reader who would really understand, and form an opinion for himself upon the great questions at stake, must bestow on the problem which has suddenly emerged into prominence a considerable amount of individual, unprejudiced attention." This shows the reason for such widespread acceptance of corrupt modern Bible versions. The fact is that readers of Bible versions do not bestow the deserved attention on the problem of final authority; or else they would "see with which of the contending parties the Truth must lie". [pages vii, viii.]

"It is the duty of all Christians not to sit still when such concerns are in jeopardy. Yet at the present time there are comparatively few persons, clerical or lay, who have an intelligent acquaintance with the grounds on which this important question rests." [Chapter I, page 4.]

"It will be our duty to deduce the main principles that ought to revise and remodel the Sacred Text." [Chapter I, page 5.]

Modern Christianity has accepted corrupt Bible versions by sitting still instead of fulfilling our duty of ascertaining what the true scriptures are and by what right the modern translators have to change our Holy Bible that reigned as the common Bible from 1611 (or sometime shortly thereafter) until 1881.

There are many other things I could quote from Miller's Guide and show what a great work it is. And perhaps at some later time I will but for now, let this suffice.