Scripture -- the Doctrine of Preservation

I suppose we have all seen a quote comparable to the following: The Bible is God’s Word to us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it has salvation for its end and is truth without any mixture of error.

While I would agree with this statement, one can clearly see the Doctrine of Preservation is missing. Does the Scripture support the teaching of Preservation? Clearly it does. This post will examine what the Bible has to say about this important doctrine.

Would God inspire a text and then allow it to become lost?

This is a fair and good question. God is sovereign and able to watch over His Word – i.e. preserve it forever. The Bible actually has much to say about this and we will examine several clear passages that teach this doctrine. Many will say they believe that God gave the original Scriptures and they were divinely inspired by God. That statement is perceived to be a statement of faith, but sadly it is a statement of unbelief if we don’t couple it with preservation.

If God did inspire a text, would He not preserve it?

Again, this is a question that must be asked. This post will attempt to examine the doctrine of preservation. The New Testament was written in Greek and the Old Testament was recorded primarily in Hebrew with the exception of a portion of Daniel written in Aramaic. For all of the scholarship around this issue, it might be of interest to the reader to know there are no original manuscripts of the Bible today. The Old Testament scribes destroyed the scroll upon which Scripture was written as they became worn from much use. When they copied a new Scripture or graphe, the old text was destroyed. The point is we possess no “original” manuscripts. The same is true regarding the New Testament texts. None of the ‘autographs’ the apostles wrote have been preserved.

Could we expect counterfeits of the originals to be in circulation?

According to the Bible in Genesis 3:1, Bible revision efforts can be found back in the Garden of Eden with Satan in questioning God’s word when he said, “Yea, has God said?” An attack of God’s Word began back in the beginning of recorded history and it continues to this day. 2 Cr 2:17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

So again we ask, has God not preserved His Word – the original text – although not the original piece of paper or vellum on which it may have been written? Let’s examine the following passage in II Timothy 3:14-17: But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned [them];And 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. All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Here God tells us His purposes in giving the Scriptures:

• For doctrine
• For reproof
• For correction
• For instruction in righteousness

We must ask ourselves again; do we really believe God allowed original Scripture to become lost after giving them? If He did, how could He use them to accomplish these purposes? By reviewing the passage in II Timothy 3:15, we see no reference to the “original” Scriptures. In verse Paul tells Timothy, “from a child you have known the Holy Scriptures which are 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). So, 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. Therefore, these are the verses upon which many of us base our faith and say we believe in the “originals.” Yet these verses are not speaking of the original manuscripts.

So can we have faith and confidence that the copies are also inspired? The Bible 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 “graphe.” The word graphe 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. We have the Holy Writ testifying that faithful copies of the originals are themselves inspired.

It simply 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?

The following verses clearly teach God’s promises of both giving and protecting His Word.

Jer 1:12 Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.

Mar 13:31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

Mar 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

1Pe 1:25a But the word of the Lord endureth for ever.

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

Psa 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

Jhn 10:35b and the scripture cannot be broken;

Psa 12:6 - 7 The words of the LORD [are] pure words: [as] silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

In closing, the Scriptures demonstrate that faith in the preservation of the text is a basic Bible doctrine. The context of these many promises is not that God’s Word is to be preserved in a jar somewhere in a cave or desert, lost for hundreds of years waiting to be found and restored to the believing remnant of the Church. The context is very clear in II Timothy 3:16-17 that the inspired Word was given by God as a deposit to the Body of Christ “that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” Therefore for God to accomplish this stated purpose for His having given us His Word – it must remain accessible to the disciples of the Lord Jesus through time.

My thanks and gratitude to Dr. Floyd Jones and his book Which Version is the Bible? Most of this post is closely adapted and quoted from his book, pages 4-10.

In Him,

Eye