Historical criticism, also known as the historical-critical method or higher criticism, is a

branch of criticism that investigates the origins of ancient texts in order to understand "the world
behind the text". The historical critical study is based on sound conviction that in order to
understand the meaning of Scripture, one must first understand its meaning for the original
readers.
The Bible is a historical book; it records the history of Israel and their neighbors in the words of
human who were inspired by God. Because it is an historical work which comprises ancient text,
it is subjected to historical investigation and the results of historical research. 1 Thus the overall
purpose of historical-critical method is to investigate what actually had happened in the events
described in the text or what the author alluded to in the main context of the text. 2 Gerald Bray
notes that ‘the historical critical methods start from the belief that any text or religious movement
must be understood in its original context. Supporting Bray, Oeming remarks that ‘the goal of
historical-critical method is the recovery of the original meaning each text had at the time when
it was written’. The historical critics seeks to understand the intention of the author within its
own world using tools common to academic disciplines outside of theology3
The primary goal of historical criticism is to discover the text's primitive or original meaning in
its original historical context and its literal sense or sensus literalis historicus. The secondary
goal seeks to establish a reconstruction of the historical situation of the author and recipients of
the text. That may be accomplished by reconstructing the true nature of the events that the text
describes.
St. Louis, the president of Concordia Seminary writes, “Since the scriptures were written by men
in particular historical situations, the scriptures can be studied and researched like other human
writings”.
Historical criticism began in the 17th century and gained popular recognition in the 19th and
20th centuries. The perspective of the early historical critic was rooted in Protestant
Reformation ideology since its approach to biblical studies was free from the influence of
traditional interpretation. Where historical investigation was unavailable, historical criticism
rested on philosophical and theological interpretation. With each passing century, historical
criticism became refined into various methodologies used today: source criticism, form
criticism, redaction criticism, tradition criticism, canonical criticism, and related methodologies.

The relation of mission to history: The mission of God has the world at the center of its focus,
because God intends to save the world he has created. The fundamental biblical witness to the
eschatological saving action of God in Jesus cross and resurrection are not merely reports of past
events but instruments in the transmission of the present history of God with the world. We need
history to interpret the present and prepare ourselves for the future. Regarding mission in
particular, history reveals a variegated picture of mission. Sometimes mission was nothing less
than the entire church en-routes towards the world, and other time it was a special and isolated
enterprise of small groups alongside the institutional church. Sometimes mission went hand in
hand with the suffering and self sacrifice of the missionary witness, and at other times with

1
Krentz E. The Historical-Critical Method (Fortress Press, Philadelphia, 1975), 1.
2
Black & Dockery, New Testament Criticism and Interpretation, (Zondervon, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1991), 73-74.
3
Manfred Oeming, Contemporary Biblical Hermeneuetic:An Introduction (Aldershot, Englalnd:Ashgate Publishing
Company, 2006), 32.
violence and even the power of the sword. Mission was sometimes regarded as the spread of a
Christian counter-culture, and at the other times as the ideal vehicle for the spread of a ‘Christian
civilization.4 R. E. Clements rightly opines that, “the primary goal of the historical critical
scholarship was a historical one, concerned with the recovery of the knowledge of the history of
ancient Israel and its religion.5 The patient endurance of the Christians under persecution and the
triumphant faith of the martyrs facing death constitute one of the most glorious pages in church
history.

In mission we deals with the people for whom their history, culture and worldview is
fundamental. In this regards historical criticism or historical critical method plays a very
significant role in helping us understands the context of the writers, the intention of the writers,
the context of the original readers and what the message means to them, and how does it applies
to us today and to our hearers.

4
David J. Bosch , Witness to the World, ( Britain: Marshall, Morgan & Scott a Pentos company, 1980), 88.
5
Daniel Jones Muthunayagom, “Contemporary Approaches to Old Testament Interpretation” in Methodological
Issues in Theological Research: An Exploration, edited by H. Vanlalauva (Kolkata: Department of Research,
SATHRI 2013), 130.