XVII. Principles of Bible Preservation

Verbal inspiration of the Scriptures demand verbal preservation. This is the crux of the matter; does God preserve the Words that He originally inspired? If so, to what extent? Is it merely the concepts and basic message that is kept intact; or does preservation, as inspiration, extend to the words themselves? That the Bible declares both the fact and extent of its preservation is made abundantly clear in the following:

"Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD." II Kings 10:10.
"The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD; thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever." Psalm 12:6, 7.
"For the LORD is good, his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." Psalm 100:5.
"For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven." Psalm 119:89.
"Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it." Psalm 119:140.
"Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever." Psalm 119:152.
"Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever." Psalm 119:160.
"Every word of God is pure." Proverbs 30:5.
"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever." Isaiah 40:8.
"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." Isaiah 55:11.
"For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Matthew 5:18.
"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." Matthew 24:35.
"And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail." Luke 16:17.
"The scripture cannot be broken." John 10:35.
"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." I Peter 1:23.
"But the word of the Lord endureth for ever." I Peter 1:25.

We have a strange contradiction today; Christians claim to believe what the Bible says about it's own inspiration but deny or ignore the equally direct statements concerning preservation. The textual theories inherent in the modern versions must by their nature deny what the Bible says about preservation.

1. The Starting Point of Apostasy

The questioning of the Bible's preservation is the starting point of all other kinds of apostasy. Satan in Genesis 3 did not begin his attack by questioning whether there was a God, or whether God created, or whether the doctrine of the Trinity is true. Nor did it begin with the question of whether God's Word was originally inspired. Apostasy began when Satan asked Eve, “Yea hath God said?” “Eve, are you certain that you presently have a full recollection of what God said?” When doubt was given a bridgehead at this point, the other defences soon fell. The same principles apply today: Has God preserved and kept intact the words He originally inspired or not?

2. Preservation Must Be Approached in an Attitude of Faith

Like all Bible truths, the Scripture's teaching on its own preservation is to be in the first instance accepted by faith. Edward F. Hills in his book, The King James Version Defended calls it “the logic of faith”. The facts and evidence of such preservation will then follow.

3. Preservation is Grounded in the Eternal Counsels of God

The words of Scripture are rooted in the eternal counsels of God. Though inspired and breathed out on earth in time, yet these words were in God’s mind from eternity. The words of Scripture therefore are as eternal as God Himself. Are we now to believe that he would let them pass away?

For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89.

4. Preservation is Brought to Pass Through the Priesthood of Believers

The Old Testament text was preserved by the Aaronic priests and the scribes who grouped around them. “Unto them were committed the oracles of God” (Romans 3:2).

In the New Testament dispensation every believer is a priest under Christ. Hence, the NT Text has been preserved by faithful Christians of every walk of life. “Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).

It was not the pronouncements of church fathers or counsels that determined the Text and Canon of the New Testament. Rather, the Holy Spirit guided His own into the acceptance of the true Word of God. Such copies proliferated, while defective ones were ignored. To this very day, God raises up humble believers to defend His Words.

5. Preservation Extends to the Actual Words

Inspiration is verbal. It has to do with the actual Words of Scripture. Preservation must also deal with these same actual Words, not merely the general teaching or concepts. This is made clear in the above list of verses. Advocates of the modern versions commonly say: “There is not a single doctrine missing.” But, what they fail to tell you is that the words that support and develop these doctrines are frequently missing in their versions. The force of the doctrine is diminished. Inspiration and preservation of the Scriptures must both be verbal.

6. Preservation is Operative in the Spread of the Scriptures

Preservation has taken place in the diffusion of God's word, not in it being hidden or stored away. Stewart Custer of Bob Jones University in seeking to somehow equate the use of Vaticanus and Sinaiticus with the doctrine of preservation said: “God has preserved His word in the sands of Egypt”. (Stated in a debate at Marquette Manor Baptist Church, Chicago, 1984).

To take such a position, would mean that believers have had the wrong text for 1800 years, and it has been only with the advent of two liberal British churchmen, and the retrieval of two disused Alexandrian manuscripts that we now have the true preserved word of God. No! The miracle of preservation was operative while the Scriptures were being disseminated. “The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it” (Psalm 68:11). “Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world” (Romans 10:18).

7. Preservation of the Original Inspired Words Will Result in Standard Translations Based on These Words

Note again Points 6 and 7 from Chapter XI, Key Epochs in the Preservation History of the New Testament Text. It is the original Hebrew and Greek Words that were in the beginning given by inspiration. It is the original Hebrew and Greek Words that are preserved across the centuries. If these Words have been prayerfully, faithfully, and accurately translated by Godly translators into another language, then that translation may with full justification be called the Word of God. It is still the Kings speech, though now in a different language.

As with the Authorised Version, a translation that has the blessing of God upon it will manifest this by becoming a Standard. This will take place over a considerable period of time, and among a large number of people. The Latin Vulgate was not a standard. It was the Bible of the priests, not of the people. The NIV, NASV, NKJV are not standards. You cannot have three standards! In their short lives they have undergone frequent changes and revision. Further, and for example, we expect a standard to be memorized, they are not.

Being a Standard, and particularly as in the case of the AV, a 400 Year Standard, is the sign that this is the Word of God in English.

8. Preservation Makes It Possible for Copies of The Scriptures to Still be Called “The Scriptures”

Some may assume that the Bible use of the word “Scripture” primarily refers to the original autographs. This is of course not the case. Virtually every time we see the word, it is the copies or even a translation of the Scriptures that is in view. It refers to the copies of the Scriptures that the people then and there had access to. Notice the following examples:

I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth. Dan. 10:21.
Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures. Matt. 22:29.
This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. Luke 4:21.
He expounded unto them in all the scriptures. Luke 24:27.
And while he opened to us the scriptures. Luke 24:32.
That they might understand the scriptures. Luke 24:45.
They believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. Jhn. 2:22.
Search the scriptures. Jhn. 5:39.
The scripture cannot be broken. Jhn. 10:35.
The place of the scripture which he read. Acts 8:32.
And began at the same scripture and preached. Acts 8:35.
Reasoned with them out of the scriptures. Acts 17:2.
That from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures. II Tim. 3:15.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God. II Tim. 3:16.

Here “the Scriptures” clearly refer to what was at hand, what was current, what they could then actually read and hear. The Biblical usage “the Scriptures” is to a great extent to the copies of the Scriptures. Therefore:

These copies are holy. II Tim. 3:15; Rom. 1:2.
These copies are true. Dan. 10:21.
These copies are not broken. Jhn. 10:35.
These copies are worthy of belief. Jhn. 2:22.
The prophecies contained in these copies have been fulfilled to the very letter, while others await fulfilment. Luke 4:21.
These copies are the very voice of God. This can be illustrated by a comparison of the following: Exodus 9:13-16 with Romans 9:17; Genesis 12:1-3 with Galatians 3:8; Genesis 21:10 with Galatians 4:30.

Here, the fact is established that there is no difference between the Scriptures speaking and God speaking. And as the Scriptures refer to that which is current and available, it follows that our copies are as much the voice of God as the original was.

9. II Timothy 3:15-17 and Preservation:

Past Inspiration - Present Profitability

And that from a child thou has known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

There are some remarkable things about this passage. The words “is given by inspiration of God” are translated from the one Greek word, theopneustos (God-breathed), and the words “is profitable” is from ophelimos. These two words are joined by the conjunction kai. All Scripture (graphe) is said to be “God-breathed and profitable”. Therefore, while the Scriptures were inspired in the past, their profitability has to do with the present. This grammatical construction inseparably links past inspiration to present profitability. Such could not be the case if God did not providentially preserve the Scriptures.

10. John 16:13 and Preservation: Guidance into All Truth

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth.

God has promised to guide His people into all truth. This guidance is based upon, and relative to the Scriptures that He has inspired: Never apart from them! “Truth” is defined in the next chapter as the Word of God.

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. John 17:17.

God’s people (at least a number of them) would be guided into all truth concerning the Scriptures to the extent that the Scriptures would be completely preserved.

Through the priesthood of believers, God guided His people into all truth as to the Canon of Scripture. For example they knew that II Peter was to be placed in the Canon whereas the so-called Epistle of Barnabas and Gospel of Thomas where rejected. He guided them into all truth as to the Text of Scripture. They knew that the Text emanating from Antioch was true, but that from Alexandria was corrupt. They multiplied copies of the former and ignored the latter. He guided them into all truth as to the relatively few variations in the Traditional Text manuscripts, thus providing a sound and refined base when the first printed editions of the Received Text appeared, and when the great Reformation Bibles of Europe began to be translated.

From the time of the inspiration of God’s Words to the time of their reception into the great Reformation Bibles and most notably the King James Version, a sufficient number of God’s people have been guided into all truth to enable the complete preservation these Words. God used people; believers, for this process.

Since that time, guidance based on the Scriptures continues as to the guarding of God’s Words. Every period of history has had its defenders who stood their post by God’s once delivered Words (Jude 3). Back in Burgon’s day when the Westcott and Hort juggernaut began to rumble across Europe there were very few. Today there are more. But there will always be a sufficient number, whether in the manuscript period, the early printing time, or these last days, to guard God’s Words.

We urge you to take your stand for every word in the Text and the Translation of the Authorised Version. All indications point to the KJV as the Bible God would have His people use in these last days before the Second Coming of Christ. God has preserved in the Hebrew and Greek Words underlying the King James Version His original work of inspiration. Upon investigation, the AV translation of these Words will be shown to display their fullest expression available in our language. We do not deny that here and there they may need to be explained, but when researched a given word will be shown to be fuller than the modern replacements, and with a much longer and more consistent history in our language. Therefore, if necessary: Explain it, but do not change it!

The flower has not faded! The Sword is as sharp as in the day it was first whetted!

(Isaiah 40:8; Hebrews 4:12).