THE PRESERVATION OF THE SCRIPTURES--LESSON 2

THE PRESERVATION OF THE SCRIPTURES
LESSON 2


Memory Verse: Isa.40:8, “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”

In our last lesson we found that the Bible is the verbally inspired Word of God, without any error, and infallible.

In this lesson we are studying the providential preservation of this Word of God, so that we can say that the King James Version is God's Holy Word!! Read: Matt. 5:17,18.

I. THE DIVINE PRESERVATION OF THE SCRIPTURES IS NOT A NEW DOCTRINE.

A. Historic Confessions Of Faith Confirm It.

1. The Westminister Confession of Faith was adopted by the Presbyterians in 1646. It said: "The Old Testament in Hebrew, and the New Testament in Greek, being immediately inspired by God, and, by His singular care and providence, kept pure in all ages, are therefore authentical, so as, in all controversies of religion, the Church is finally to appeal unto them." "Counterfeit or Genuine" by David Otis Fuller, p. 214.

2. The Swiss Declaration of 1675 said: "God saw it that His word, which is with power unto salvation to everyone who believes, was entrusted to writing not only through Moses the prophets and apostles but also He has stood guard and watched over it with fatherly concern to the present time that it not be destroyed by the cunning of Satan or by any other human deceit." "Counterfeit or Genuine", p. 181

3. The Second London Confession of Faith was issued by the Baptists in 1677 and it said: "The Old Testament in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek....being immediately inspired by God, and by His singular care and Providence kept pure in all Ages.... "Baptist Concessions of Faith", by Lumpkin.

B. Historic Bible Teachers Declare It.

1. John Calvin (1509-1564) said: "But since we are not favored with daily oracles from heaven, and since it is only in the Scriptures that the Lord hath been pleased to preserve his truth in perpetual remembrance; it obtains the same complete credit and authority with believers, when they are satisfied of its Divine origin, as if they heard the very words pronounced by God himself." "Counterfeit or Genuine", by David Otis Fuller, p. 178.

2. John Owen (Puritan) said: "The providence of God hath manifested itself as no less concerned in the preservation of the writings, than of the doctrine contained in them. . . " "The Divine Original", Trinitarian Bible Society, cover.

3. John Burgon (1813-1888) said: "There exists no reason for supposing that the Divine Agent, who in the first instance thus gave to mankind the Scriptures of truth, straightway abdicated His office; took no further care of His work; abandoned those precious writings to their fate."Counterfeit or Genuine" by David Otis Fuller, p. 178.

II. DIVINE PRESERVATION IS TAUGHT BY THE SCRIPTURES.

A. The Bible Warns Of Attempts To Corrupt It.

1. Satan said: "Yea, hath God said?" Gen. 3:1

2. “.... we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God.... " 2 Cor. 2:17

3. The Old Testament warns about adding to or taking from the Word of God. Deut. 4:2

4. The NT contains a similar warning. Rev. 22:18-19

B. The Bible Infers Preservation Of The Scriptures.

1. Peter says that we have a "more sure word of prophecy. . ." 2 Pet. 1:19-21. Part of the prophecies were over 1500 years old, but still "sure". Why? God preserved.

2. Every word of God is pure. Prov. 30:5-6. Parts of the Bible were over 500 years old when this was written.

3. Other Scriptures declare the same. 2 Psa. 19:7-11; John 5:45-47

4. It is inferred in the Great Commission and in other places. Matt. 28:18-20. Notice that the message of the church shall remain the same to the end of the world.

C. The Bible Declares The Preservation Of The Scriptures.

1. God's Word is settled forever. Psa. 119:89

2. The Word of God shall stand forever. Isa. 40:8

3. Not one letter to pass away. Matt. 5:17-18. The Law was then 1500 years old.

4. The Scripture cannot be broken. John 10:35

5. The Word of God is incorruptible. 1 Pet. 1:23-25

6. The words will not pass away. Matt. 24:35. See also: Luke 4:4; 16:17; 21:33; and John 16:12-13.

III. WHICH BIBLE IN ENGLISH IS THE WORD OF GOD?

There are only two streams of Bibles that have come down to us today. One is the pure stream, the other is corrupt.

A. The KJV Is Of The Pure Stream And Is Based On The Right Texts.

1. We know that 85% to 95% of all Greek manuscripts are of the same type that the KJV was translated from.

2. This text type was the Bible of the Greek and Byzantine churches.

3. This was the text type of the Italic churches (not Roman); of the Gallic churches of Southern France; and of the Celtic churches of Great Britain.

4. This was the text of the Waldensian churches (Baptist) going back to the First Century. (See pages 194-215 of "Which Bible?" by David Otis Fuller, 5th edition)

5. It was the text of the Reformers. Luther, Calvin, etc.

6. It was the text of Tyndale and other English versions.

7. It was the Bible used by the revivalists, fundamentalists and church builders of the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th Centuries.

B. The Stream Of Corrupt Bibles.

1. Origen and a few others corrupted some manuscripts.

2. The two leading survivors of this corrupt stream.

a. Vatican (Codex B) became available in the 1860's to scholars. Catholics claim to have had it for over 500 years. It was supposedly made in the 4th Century.

b. Codex Sinaiticus (Aleph) was found by Tischendorf in a waste basket that was about to be burned in the convent of St. Catherine near Mt. Sinai. (Both of these are a part of the 5% to 15% of manuscripts that do not agree with the 85% to 95%. They also do not agree among themselves).

3. The Latin Vulgate was based on these types.

4. The Jesuit Bible of 1582 and latter Roman Catholic Bibles agree with these.

5. The New Word Translation produced by the Jehovah's Witnesses agrees with these.

6. All of the modern versions are based on these, including the Westcott & Hort Revised Version of 1881; the American Standard of 1901; the Revised Version of 1952; the New English Version; The Living Bible; the Good News Bible; the New International Version; and the New American Standard Version.