Not one word is mistaken

Comments on Psalm 12:6-7 by Carl McIntire, from the sermon “Help, Lord” November 1, 1992. (Comments on these verses start about 10:54)

Now we come to verse 6—“The words of the Lord are pure words.” Not a one of them is mistaken. “As silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” All the dregs are out. Here is a marvelous affirmation and vindication that God’s word is perfect. “The words of the Lord are pure words” and that’s the big issue that you and I have in the Christian world today, it’s everywhere—it has to be the line, that you and I have strongest belief that can possibly be, that this book is from God. There is no greater thing that a church can have, than to have the word of God presented to them, held up before them, as it is. …

Then Verse 7—how I love this. “Thou shalt keep them, O Lord;” that is keep his words. “Thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.” No matter what happens, one generation comes and another passes away, God is going to preserve these words and they are going to carry their power that he attends with them when they come. From one generation to another the words of God will be preserved throughout all the generations. Now I am very happy that in the great Confessions of the Christian world, our Confession—the Westminster Confession—has its Chapter One on the Word of God. … Now the Lord says here, I am going to keep my word—it is like silver that has been tried. I am going to keep that to all generations—all generations. That means that no matter what the conditions are, God is going to have on this earth some churches and some pastors until the last generation and we’re taken away, who will maintain this word like we are doing here, and like we’re seeking to do throughout the whole Christian world...

Charles Curtis “Carl” McIntire, Jr. (May 17, 1906–March 19, 2002), founding member and minister in the Bible Presbyterian Church. He followed J. Gresham Machen from Princeton and attended the Westminster Theological Seminary. McIntire was also founder and long-time president of both the International Council of Christian Churches and the American Council of Christian Churches – bodies organized because of and in distinction from the liberalism in the Federal Council of Churches.