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 | | From: | admin | | Subject: | Preservation or Restoration #2 | | Date: | Mon, 15 Nov 2004 00:06:23 GMT |
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 | The following is a continuing post from the Book "Which Version is the
Bible" by Floyd Nolen Jones. Chapter 1, page 3
Which Version is the Bible?
Copyright 1995 · Floyd Jones Ministries, Inc.
All Rights Reserved. This book may be freely reproduced in any form as long
as it is not distributed for any material gain or profit; however, this book
may not be published without written permission.
THE ISSUE - JUST WHAT IS AT STAKE? God teaches us that the purpose of
Scripture is to lead us to Christ and then to guide our lives (John
5:39-40). God did not give the Scriptures for the purpose of scholarly
intellectual exercise. Yet that is what they are being used for by many.
This is one of the major problems plaguing the Church today. As we enter
this study, we need to consider carefully the following questions:
1. Would God inspire a text and then allow it to become lost?
Within our diverse denominational backgrounds are found various confessions
of faith. These statements of faith concerning the Holy Scriptures,
particularly within conservative evangelical backgrounds, always say
something to the effect that we believe that God gave the original
Scriptures inerrant. We profess to believe in the originals, that they were
divinely inspired by God - God breathed. Now we say that, intending it as a
statement of faith, but we shall soon come to see that it is in reality a
statement of unbelief! This study is designed to bring us to grips with
this issue. But first, the second question:
2. If God did inspire a text, would He not preserve it?
The New Testament was written in Greek whereas the Old Testament was mostly
authored in Hebrew. It may surprise many to learn that there are no
original manuscripts of the Bible available today. The Old Testament
scribes destroyed the scrolls upon which Scripture was written as they
became worn, and "dog eared" from so much handling. When they copied out a
new one, they destroyed the old so that the earliest Old Testament
manuscript now in existence is dated about 900 A.D. This is called the
Hebrew Masoretic Text. It was the earliest witness to the text of the O.T.
that we possessed until the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls which contain
some parts of the Old Testament, especially Isaiah. Likewise, We possess no
"original" New Testament manuscripts - none of the "autographs" which the
apostles wrote have been preserved. This brings us to the third question.
3. Could we expect counterfeits of the originals to be in circulation?
Is there someone who has always hated God's Word, wanted to destroy it, and
has attempted to cloud man's mind and heart about its validity? In other
words, as we read the Bible, is there any evidence that somebody has founded
a "Yea, has God said" society? According to Genesis 3:1, Bible corruption
began with Satan. Satan is the original Bible reviser. When he confronted
Eve in the garden, he added to God's Word, he subtracted, he diluted and
finally substituted his own doctrine for that which God had said. We find
this occurring today. People are trying to add books to the Old and
subtract words from the New Testament. Nothing has changed. We need to
understand that the devil is promoting this continuing attack on the Word of
God. THE ORIGINAL "AUTOGRAPHS" AND "PRESERVATION"
We are expected to believe in the "INSPIRATION" without believing in the
"PRESERVATION" of the Scriptures. We are being asked to believe in the
inspiration of the "originals" without believing in the preservation of the
text of the Scriptures. It is a statement of unbelief when we say that we
only believe that the original autographs were inspired. What we really are
saying is that we do not believe that we have the infallible Word of God on
this planet, or at least in our hands, at this moment. Let us consider that
statement scripturally:
14But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been
assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15And that from a child
thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto
salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is given
by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17That the man of God may be
perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works (II Tim.3:14-17).
Here God tells us His purposes in giving us the Scriptures: "... for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." Do
we actually believe that God allowed them to become lost after giving them?
If so, how could He use them to accomplish these purposes?
Now we know that we do not have an original. The question is has God
preserved His Word - the original text - although not the original piece of
paper or vellum on which it may have been written?
The observant reader will note that in the above cited verses given through
Paul to Timothy no reference is being made with regard to the "ORIGINAL"
Scriptures. Look at verse 15. Paul says to Timothy, "from a child you have
known the Holy Scriptures which is able to make you wise unto salvation."
Paul is obviously not speaking of the "ORIGINAL" New Testament Scripture.
Second Timothy was penned about A.D. 65. Further, Timothy was old enough
to join Paul and Silas c.53 A.D. (Acts 16:1-4). Thus, when Timothy was a
child, there was no New Testament collection of Scripture anywhere. Nor was
Paul speaking of the "ORIGINALS" of the Old Testament for there was not an
original Old Testament piece of paper or vellum extant at that time.
Wrestle with this! Come to grips with it! These are the verses upon which
many of us base our faith and say we believe in the "ORIGINALS". Yet these
very verses are not speaking of the original manuscripts!
But are the copies inspired? The Bible itself clearly teaches that faithful
copies of the originals are also inspired. The word "Scripture" in II
Timothy 3:16-17 is translated from the Greek word "graphé" (grafhV). Graphé
occurs 51 times in the Greek New Testament and at every occurrence it means
"Scripture" - in fact, it usually refers to the Old Testament text.
A perusal of the N.T. reveals that the Lord Jesus read from the "graphé" in
the synagogue at Nazareth (Luk.4:21) as did Paul in the synagogue at
Thessalonica (Acts 17:2). The Ethiopian eunuch, returning home from
worshipping at Jerusalem, was riding in his chariot and reading a passage of
graphé (Acts 8:32-33). These were not the autographs that they were
reading; they were copies - moreover, copies of copies! Yet the Word of God
calls them graphé - and every graphé is "given by inspiration of God" (II
Tim.3:16). Thus, the Holy Writ has testified and that testimony is that
faithful copies of the originals are themselves inspired. Selah!
Therefore, it all comes down to a promise given by God - that He would
preserve the text which He gave us. Timothy never saw an original when he
was a child of either the Old or New Testament, yet in verse 16 God says
that what Timothy learned as a child was given by inspiration of God and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, that the man of God
may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Now if God were
talking about something which had been lost and/or is no longer true and
accurate, why did He give verse 17?
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