Verses and principles relevant to the doctrine of
preservation of Scripture
I. Preservation of the Bible is implicit in its nature.
God’s words are eternal and immutable (e.g. Psalm
33:11, Psalm
119:89; Matthew
24:35). Every reference to “God’s words,” “the word of God” or “the
words of God” is not a reference to the written Scriptures. The clear teaching
throughout the Scriptures is that “God’s words” are both eternal and immutable.
When written, God’s words are not less so. We should not expect God’s written
words to be subject to the same vagaries of transmission and preservation as
any other book – though this is exactly what Wallace and other
“anti-preservation doctrine” writers are advancing.[i]
The scriptures are inspired and inerrant. Preserved
Scripture is a necessary consequence. W. W. Combs states, “…to say that
preservation is the corollary of inspiration means that preservation is a
doctrine that can be ‘inferred immediately’ from the ‘proved proposition’ of
inspiration; preservation ‘naturally follows’ or ‘parallels’ inspiration…The
purpose of inspiration was to produce γραφή
(2 Tim 3:16), a written record, a deposit of divine truth for the readers, not
the writer. Without preservation the purpose of inspiration would be
invalidated.”[ii] If God’s presence in
inspiring Scripture was significant, his presence in preserving it would not be
trivial.
The scriptures are beneficial and authoritative.
All authority belongs to God (Cf. Matthew
28:18-20). A necessary corollary is that God’s word is authoritative –
it is a place where God has vested his authority. Or, stated another way, the
Bible derives its authority from God. God has the right to set rules, command
belief, and expect obedience. These are some matters he has relayed to us
through his word. Further, the authoritative word has a purpose and is beneficial
to mankind (e.g. Isaiah
55:10-11). Specific points of purpose and benefit will be addressed
below.
II. Preservation of the Bible is necessary to its purpose.
Removing the doctrine of preservation removes the vitality from many biblical passages and limits their meaning to the moment. The abiding and enduring purpose of the Scriptures calls for abiding and enduring Scriptures. Some of those purposes are:
The scriptures testify of Jesus Christ and his
salvation (John
5:39). The Bible gives or teaches the knowledge of salvation. John,
the apostle, said, “These things have I written unto you that believe
on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and
that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:13) John
addresses his written scripture, and its purpose. It follows that preservation
of the writing is a necessary part of God accomplishing his purpose. In his
Gospel, John says that everything Jesus said and did were not written,
supposing “even the world itself could not contain the books that should be
written” about him, “But these are written, that ye might
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might
have life through his name.” (John 20:30-31; 21:25) God was not aimless in
giving his words. Neither is he careless in preserving them, that they may accomplish
their purpose.
The scriptures give spiritual guidance, practical
and theological. The churches are exhorted to preach the gospel, baptize the
believers, and teach the baptized. How shall we proceed? By the teachings of the
word of God. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path.” (Psalm
119:105). We are to follow his steps, but we do not know his steps apart from
the God-inspired written word that has been passed down to us. A purpose of
giving the scriptures by inspiration was that it might stand as a standard –
the standard whereby we know doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in
righteousness. It stands to provide a complete standard “unto all good works.”
(2
Timothy 3:16-17) It stands to reason that its preservation is
necessary to fulfill that purpose.
The scriptures are a standard of judgment. God is
judge and a basis of his judgment will be the words he gave (Psalm
75:7; Acts
10:42-43; 2
Timothy 4:1-2). Because he is judge, we are to preach the word. Commenting
on Matthew
5:17-19 in The
IVP New Testament Commentary Series, Craig
S. Keener writes, “In this passage Jesus also warns that teachers who
undermine students’ faith in any portion of the Bible are in trouble with God.
This text addresses not only obedience to the commandments but also how one
teaches others (and teaches others to do the same; compare Jas 3:1).”[iii]
Matthew
Poole, commenting on John
12:48, writes, “Nay, the word
that I have spoken shall rise up in judgment against him at the last day,
and prove that he hath judged himself unworthy of everlasting life.”[iv]
Like many,
Poole believes the Scriptures are part of the books that stand in
judgment in Revelation
20:12: “What books? The book of God’s law; the book of God’s
omniscience; the book of men’s consciences. In the former is contained what all
men should have done; the two latter will discover what they have thought,
spake, or done in the flesh.” If the spoken words are not recorded and preserved, they afford no standard to men either to guide or judge their actions.
III. Preservation of the Bible is a necessary conclusion
from its teachings.
The words of Scripture were not just written to or
for the immediate recipients of its message. Over and again the Bible notes its
own forward look to future generations. For example, Psalm 102:18 in “the
prayer of the afflicted” is written with purpose for the generation to come. “This
shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be
created shall praise the Lord.”
- Mark 10:5 Referring to something written in the Law of Moses, Jesus said, “For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.” If it is true that something written by Moses has a purpose of instructing Jews in the first century, it is a necessary conclusion that God intended to preserve what was written.
- Romans 4:23 “Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;” If Genesis 15:6 was not for the benefit of Abraham alone, but for others to whom righteousness is imputed, then it follows that God intended to preserve what was written for others to whom righteousness is imputed.
- Romans 15:4 Paul quotes from the latter part of Psalm 69:9, then says, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” If it is true that something written by David the king has a purpose of instructing Christians in Rome, it is a necessary conclusion that God intended to preserve what was written.
- 1 Corinthians 9:10 “Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.” If something written by Moses about oxen was also written to instruct Christians in the first century, it is a necessary conclusion that God intended to preserve what was written.
- 1 Corinthians 10:11 “Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” If the events of the Exodus referred to were written for the admonition of Christians in Corinth, it is a necessary conclusion that God intended to preserve what was written.
- 1 Corinthians 11:26 “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.” If the Lord’s supper is a perpetual ordinance of the churches “till he come” it is obligatory on God’s part to preserve the instructions of it “till he come.”
The preceding texts are exemplary of how scripture can be denuded of its force when the doctrine of preservation is abandoned.
Next Preservation: Concluding
thoughts (d.v.)
[i] Compare Edward F. Hills:
“...the New Testament textual criticism of the man who believes the doctrines
of the divine inspiration and providential preservation of the Scriptures to be
true ought to differ from that of the man who does not so believe.” (Hills, The King James Version Defended, Des
Moines, IA: Christian Research Press, 1984, p. 3) versus W. W. Combs: “...the
preservation of Scripture is not different in
method from any other ancient book God has determined to preserve...”
(Combs, “The Preservation of Scripture,” pp. 9-10)
[ii]
Combs,
pp. 27-28; Even Ed Glenny, an opponent of the doctrine of preservation, has to
admit, “An obvious truth is that a document that is to be included in the canon
must be preserved.” (“The Preservation of Scripture,” in The Bible Version Debate: The Perspective of Central Baptist
Theological Seminary, Minneapolis, MN: Central Baptist Theological
Seminary, 1997, Chapter 5, Footnote 36)
[iii]
As an editor of the NIV
Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible Keener is not a MT, TR or KJV
partisan. Holding the Bible as a standard of judgment is not an uncommon belief
among those who hold the Critical Text in esteem, and therefore it should not
be charged as if it is a MT, TR or KJV argument. Keener titles his commentary
on verses 17-18 “Jesus’ High View of Scripture.”
[iv] John 12:46-48 “I am come
a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in
darkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I
came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and
receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken,
the same shall judge him in the last day.” Unless this was only true for those
who visibly saw and audibly heard Jesus during his time on earth, preservation
of those words are necessary. The only way we receive not his words is through
hearing them as preserved in the Bible.
No comments:
Post a Comment