Adding to and taking away words

The modern text critics tell us that we cannot know—at least cannot be sure—what the words of God are.

In the last chapter of the last book of the Bible, the Lord Jesus, the faithful witness declares, with dire warnings, against adding to or taking away the words of the Book.

For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (Revelation 22:18-19)

God’s warning with consequences inevitably presupposes that we can know what the words of God are—that we can know whether we are adding to taking away from them. If not, how are held accountable?

[Note: Compare “I” in verse 18 with “I” in verse 20. The exhorting “I” is our Lord Jesus Christ., not John the apostle.]