By Glen Caneel- Suncoast Bible Fellowship – St. Petersburg, Florida
LESSON 1
Psalm 11:3 – “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?”
Introduction: This study is designed to be a brief overview of the doctrines of inspiration and preservation. I say overview because it is a subject that even years of study could not completely cover. However, I feel it is necessary to lay down the following goals in writing to provide you with a tool to evaluate this course. Therefore, we will attempt to:
1) Understand the Bible doctrine of inspiration, what it means, why we should study and know about it.
2) Prepare believers with material to defend the Bible doctrine of inspiration against attack by Textual Critics and ignorant brethren.
3) Understand the Bible doctrine of preservation. (This will cover many issues)
4) Demonstrate the History of our English Bible and why the King James Version is an accurate and reliable translation of God’s Word for us today.
Class Guidelines: As we go through this study, please bear the following in mind. It will make our study much more profitable and enjoyable:
1) The human teacher is not the final authority in this subject.
2) You must draw you own conclusions through study and prayer.
3) You must rely on the Holy Spirit not the human spirit to communicate truth to your soul
4) You may question and ask questions regarding the material presented.
5) We will take the Bible believer viewpoint in this class – The Bible is always right and man is always wrong.
Special Thanks: A special note of thanks must be given to Pastor Richard Jordan and Grace School of the Bible. Much of the material used in these lessons was learned through the Manuscript Evidence courses taught by Pastor Jordan through the school. Although there are many fine books now available on this subject, this brother has a talent for gathering and organizing a very complex subject into an understandable format. If you would like more information on this or many other doctrines that are foundations to Christian growth, you can contact Grace School of the Bible at:
Grace School of the Bible
3467 N. Pontiac Avenue
Chicago, IL 60634
A BRIEF STUDY OF INSPIRATION AND PRESERVATION
LESSON 2
The Connection Between the Living Word and the Written Word
There is an undeniable and inseparable link between the Living Word of God and the Written Word of God. This is not a mistake. Most Christians accept the value God places on the Living Word of God but fail to see how He equates the Living Word with the Written Word. God places such a high value on His Word that He gives and describes the Written Word the same attributes He uses for Himself.
| Both: | Living Word | Written Word |
| Called the Word of God | Revelation 19:13 | Hebrews 4:12 |
| Have Two Natures | Son of Man/Son of God | Man Wrote It/God Wrote It |
| Can Save | Hebrews 7:25 | James 1:21 |
| Can Judge | Acts 17:31 | John 12:48 |
| Live Forever | John 12:34 | I Peter 1:23 |
| Can Be Received | John 1:12 | I Thessalonians 2:13 |
| Can Be Rejected | John 12:48 | John 12:48 |
| Are the Way,Truth,Life | John 14:6 | Psalm 119:33, John 17:17
Philippians 2:16 |
| Called Bread | John 6:51 | Luke 4:4 |
| Called Light of the World | John 8:12 | Psalm 119:105 |
| Could Not Be Broken | John 19:36 | John 10:30 |
| Can Beget Someone | I Peter 1:3 | I Corinthians 4:15 |
| Associated With Being Born of God | I John 5:18 | I Peter 1:23 |
| Sanctify and Perfects | Hebrews 10:10 | John 17:17 |
| Give Freedom | Galatians 5:1 | John 8:32 |
Try to find others for yourself. There are many others not included in the list above.
A BRIEF STUDY OF INSPIRATION AND PRESERVATION
LESSON 3
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”
The Bible word Inspiration literally means “God-breathed.” God dictated the words of Scripture through human authors. The words they wrote were the very words God determined they would use. Inspiration means that all the words of Scripture came right out the mouth of God. Inspiration is not what happened to the man. Inspiration is not mechanical dictation.
Design of Inspiration – God’s design in inspiration is to make His Word equal to Himself
Examples of Inspiration:
- Matthew 22:29-31
- Exodus 4:14-15, 28-31
- Exodus 19:25, 20:1
- Numbers 11:24
- Numbers 22:38
- II Samuel 23:1-2
- Mark 12:35-36
- Acts 1:16
- Acts 28:25
- Acts 3:18,21
- Luke 1:67-70
- Jeremiah 1:4-9
- Jeremiah 5:14
- Jeremiah 6:18-19
- Jeremiah 36:1-8
- Ezekiel 2:1-2
- Ezekiel 3:10-11
- Revelation 1:10-11,22:18-19
- Acts 22:12-15
- Galatians 1:11-12
- Ephesians 3:1-3
THE ISSUE IN INSPIRATION IS THE WORDS WRITTEN DOWN ON THE PAGE
A BRIEF STUDY OF INSPIRATION AND PRESERVATION
LESSON 4
II Peter 1:21- “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost”
The Defense of Inspiration
The testimony of the Bible writers – New Testament writers looking at the Old Testament
Acts 1:16, Acts 3:21 – There is no doubt the New Testament writers considered the Old Testament inspired by God
Acts 7:37-38
Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon – The only OT books not quoted in the NT
The New Testament writers view of themselves
I Tim 5:18 – Luke is regarded as Scripture
II Peter 3:15-16 – Peter’s view of Paul’s writings
II Thessalonians 4:8,15 – “By the Word of the Lord”
I Corinthians 14:37
I Timothy 6:3
II Thessalonians 3:3,14
II Peter 3:2
Revelation 22:18
The Testimony of Jesus Christi
Matthew 22:29-32 – The view of Jesus Christ about inspiration
Luke 4:16-21 – Jesus Christ believed the very words on the page
Matthew 4:3-10 – The Lord recognized the power was in the words
Matthew 5:17-18 – He came to fulfill what is said was to be done
John 5:45-46 – He verifies the truthfulness of Moses
Matthew 19:4-5, Luke 17:29-32, – Genesis verified
John 14:26 – Jesus Christ pre-authenticates the record by the time Matthew, Mark, Luke, John start writing
Jesus Christ never questioned the Old Testament
Jesus Christ always quoted Scripture to endorse
Jesus Christ always endorsed the Scripture as verbally inspired
A BRIEF STUDY OF INSPIRATION AND PRESERVATION
LESSON 5
“But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.” – I Corinthians 13:10
The Completion of Our Bible
- The Old Testament Canon Was Fixed At The Time of Christ
“Canon” = a reed or measuring rod. In relation to the Bible, it is a term describing the Books that make up the content of the Holy Scriptures.
Luke 24:44-45 – The content of the Hebrew Scriptures was already determined by the time the Lord Jesus Christ walked on the earth
There are 24 books in the Hebrew Bible. You can see how our Bible parallels the Hebrew Scriptures in content even as early as the time of Christ. The content of the Hebrew Bible is described in this passage as:
Bible Description Hebrew Scriptures and Content
The Law “Torah” – Genesis to Deuteronomy
The Prophets “Nabum” – Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, The Twelve (Minor Prophets Hosea to Malachi)
The Psalms “Kethubim” (also known as The Writings) – Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, Chronicles
The Apocrypha is not located in the Hebrew Bible. The Catholic version of the Old Testament contains the Apocrypha: I & II Esdra, Tobit, Judith, Additions to the book of Esther, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus (The Wisdom of Sirach), Baruch, Song of Suzanna, Song of the 3 Children, Story of Bell and the Dragon, Prayer of Manasseh, I & II Maccabees
Luke 11:51 – The boundary of the Scriptures was already determined by the time of Christ
The “blood of Abel” = Genesis
The “blood of Zacharias” = II Chronicles 24:20-22
II Chronicles is the last book in the Hebrew Bible
The Lord Jesus Christ is noting the boundaries of the Old Testament Scriptures. Attempts to add the Apocrypha contradict this verse and the Lord.
- Revelation Has Ceased
Additional examples of Inspiration – God putting His Word in the mouth of His people:
Exodus 4:12,15; II Samuel 23:2; Ezekiel 2:1-5; Matthew 10:19-20; Luke 21:13-15
All of these are examples of people communicating the Word of God as it was given to them. This is also the same process God used to write the Bible through human authors.
Acts 4:31 – Additional revelation given from God
I Corinthians 13:8-10 – God’s plan for the completion of revelation
NOW THEN
Gifts Done away
Know/Prophesy Done away
Child Man
Dim Vision Clear Vision
Partial Knowledge Full Knowledge
“That which is perfect” the completed Word of God. All the items in the left column are tools used by God or associated with the giving of revelation.
Conclusion: It is a dangerous and common thing today for people to claim God is continuing to give inspiration. This destroys the final authority of the Bible.
The question now becomes: do you believe the Book in your hand is the completed Word of God?
- The Doctrine of Preservation
God has pledged to preserve His Word – Psalm 12:6-7
Why have a written text?
-
- To preserve the original revelation. Oral tradition would distort it.
- A written text groups all the material together.
- A written text is independent of the speaker and writer.
- A written text is mobile.
- A written text makes everyone responsible.
A BRIEF STUDY OF INSPIRATION AND PRESERVATION
LESSON 6
DID OUR INSPIRED BIBLE EXPIRE?
- 4 Popular Views
- The Roman Catholic View – The Holy Mother Church and tradition define what is in the Scripture
- The Liberal View – The Bible is full of myths and legends
- The Neo-Orthodox View – The real issue is what the Bible teaches, not its historical accuracy
- The Fundamentalist View – All of the fundamentals of the faith are in the Bible in spite of its mistakes and errors
All these views have one point in common: you don’t actually have the Word of God in your hands. The Bible merely contains the Word of God.
- The Bible Believer’s View – We do have the inspired Word of God in our hands
II Timothy 3:15-17 – The example of Timothy
- The Promise of Preservation
Verses that contain the promise of preservation:
Psalms 12:6-7 I Peter 1:23-25
Psalms 33:11 Isaiah 40:8
Psalms 119:89, 152, 160 Isaiah 30:8
Matthew 5:18 Isaiah 59:20-21
Luke 16:17
Luke 21:33
A BRIEF STUDY OF INSPIRATION AND PRESERVATION
LESSON 7
WHAT ABOUT THE ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS?
(The Process of Preservation Part I)
I. The Opinion of God Expressed In Scripture
Exodus 31:18 – 32:19 – Moses destroys the original manuscripts
Exodus 34:1-28 – God tells Moses to make a copy of the original
Jeremiah 36:1-8 – The Word of God is written and read in public
Jeremiah 36:14-23 – The original manuscript is destroyed
Jeremiah 36:24-28 – God charges Jeremiah to make a copy of the original
God’s design is not to preserve His Word in the originals. His design to preserve His Word in a copy of the originals. The copies are made to be just as authoritative as the originals.
II The Testimony of the Old Testament Writers
Exodus 34:1-4, 27-30; Deuteronomy 10:1-5; Deuteronomy 31:24-25 – The Word of God is preserved in the Ark
Deuteronomy 17:14-20 – The king is to make a copy
II Kings 11:12 – The king received a copy of the Word of God
Psalm 19:7-9 – David is writing about copies he possesses
Psalm 119:97-101 – The writer did not have the originals when writing about the Word of God
Proverbs 25:1 – The proverbs are written from copies
Daniel 9:1-2,11-13; 10:1,18-21 – Daniel had copies and assumed they were God’s Word
III. The Testimony of the Earthly Ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Apostles
Matthew 24:15-16 – This copy is assumed to be as authoritative as the originals
Luke 4:17-21 – The Lord regarded the copy as Scripture
Acts 8:26-35 – The copy is regarded as Scripture
Acts 15:21 – Copies of God’s Word are scattered all over the world
Acts 17:2 – The Scripture is in Europe
Acts 18:24 – The Word of God is in North Africa
II Timothy 3:14-17 – Timothy has copies that are regarded as Scripture
CONCLUSION: After examining the Scriptures above, it is obvious that God wants two things:
To have His Word copied and published abroad
To preserve His Word in copies
A BRIEF STUDY OF INSPIRATION AND PRESERVATION
LESSON 8
THE PEOPLE GOD USES
(The Process of Preservation Part II)
- The Old Testament
- Who
Romans 3:2 – God used His chosen nation (Israel) as a vehicle to preserve His Word
Deuteronomy 10:1-9 – The tribe of Levi was chosen by God to take care of the Ark
Deuteronomy 31:9-12 – The Levites were chosen by God to teach the Law to the people
Deuteronomy 31:24-26 – The Law was placed inside the Ark for the purpose of preservation
Malachi 2:4-7 – The function of the Levitical priesthood was to keep the knowledge of the Law in order to preserve it for those who sought it
Conclusion: God set up the tribe of Levi within the nation of Israel. This tribe was charged with preserving and teaching the Word of God
-
- How
Ezra 7:6-27 – The scribes were a subgroup within the Levitical priesthood (see also II Chronicles 34:13)
Jeremiah 8:4-8 – The “pen of the scribes” describes the copiers of the Law
Micah 3:8-11 – The priesthood became corrupted. Some were teaching for the purpose of financial reward
Isaiah 36:22-37:2 – Even though the nation was in idolatry, there were still some faithful scribes
Conclusion: Within the tribe of Levi, God used the scribes to make copies of His Word. In spite of the unfaithfulness of the religious system, reliable accurate copies of Scripture were still being made.
A BRIEF STUDY OF INSPIRATION AND PRESERVATION
LESSON 9
How We Got the New Testament Canon
(The Process of Preservation Part III)
- Human Viewpoint – The “Church Fathers” identified and collected what they considered canon
40 – 170 AD – The time of the Apostles
170 – 220 AD – Writings and discussion about the canon
220 – 400 AD – The canon is “settled” by the “Church Fathers”
- II. Bible Viewpoint – During the lifetime of the Apostles, the New Testament was
being written, collected, and identified, and distributed as Scripture.
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- II Peter 3:15-16 – Peter’s estimation of Paul’s writings
- I Timothy 4:13-16 – What is the preacher to read from, exhort from, base doctrine upon?
- I Timothy 5:17-18
- II Timothy 4:1-2 – How were they to “preach the Word” if they did not have it?
- Acts 20:32 – How are they to know about this grace?
- Colossians 3:16 – What is the “Word of Christ?”
- Ephesians 3:1-4 – Paul had already written previously about “the mystery.” Thus, the Ephesians had copies of his writings already.
- I Thessalonians 5:27
- Colossians 4:16 – This epistle was to be read in other places as well as where he sent it.
10. Galatians 1:2 – This was a “circular letter” intended to be passed amongst the brethren
Conclusion: God’s process of preserving the New Testament was exactly the same as how He preserved the Old Testament. God used a multiplicity of reliable, accurate copies to pass the New Testament from generation to generation. This process was well established and in place by the time the book of Acts closed. The difference between the preservation of the Old Testament and the New Testament is whom God used to do it.
Old Testament – Responsibility for preservation given to the nation of Israel, primarily tribe of Levi
New Testament – Responsibility for preservation given to the Body of Christ
A BRIEF STUDY OF INSPIRATION AND PRESERVATION
LESSON 10
Why All the Confusion??
- The Satanic Policy of Evil Against the Word of God – Genesis 3:1-6
- Questioning the Word of God
- Subtracting from the Word of God
- Adding to the Word of God
- Watering Down the Word of God
- Denying the Word of God
All attacks against God’s Word will usually follow one of the tactics used in Genesis 3.
- The Many Versions Available On the Market
1833 WEB Webster Bible 1958 AMP Amplified Bible
1889 DBY Darby Translation 1962 LIV The Living Bible
1898 YLT Young’s Literal Translation 1963 NAS New American Standard
1901 ASV American Standard Version 1966 TEV Today’s English Version
1912 WEY Weymouth New Testament 1971 NAB New American Standard Bible
1917 JPS Jewish Publications OT 1973 NIV New International Version
1946 RSV Revised Standard Version 1982 BBE Bible in Basic English
1982 – NKJ New King James Version 1985 – NJB New Jerusalem Bible 1988 – GWV God’s Word Version 1990 – NRS New Revised Standard Version 1991 – CEV Contemporary English Version 1992 – 21C 21st Century King James Version 1993 – MSG The Message 1996 – NIRV New International Reader’s Version
- What’s the Difference? (An Introductory Set of Comparison Verses) – Compare the verses in the modern versions below with the verses in the King James Version
- Matthew 1:25 (NASB, NIV) G. Luke 2:14 (NASB, NIV)
- Matthew 6:13 (NIV) H. Matthew 24:36 (NASB)
- Matthew 17:21 (NIV) I. Acts 18:7 (NASB)
- Matthew 23:14 (NIV) J. Acts 9:5 (NIV)
- Matthew 27:35 (NIV) K. Romans 8:1 (NASB, NIV)
- Matthew 16:19-20 (NIV footnote) L. Acts 4:25 (NIV)
The NASB and NIV are two of the most widely used translations on the market today. The NASB is owned by the Lockman Foundation. Zondervan Publishing House publishes the NIV. How wide spread are these versions?
“Since its completion in 1971, the New American Standard Bible® has been widely acclaimed as “the most literally accurate translation” from the original languages. Millions of people, students, scholars, pastors, missionaries, and laypersons alike, have trusted the NASB®” – The Lockman Foundation
“ZPH holds exclusive publishing rights to the NIV, the most popular Bible translation (it surpassed the KJV in 1986 to become the #1-bestselling Bible translation), critically acclaimed for its accuracy, clarity, and readability. More than 100 million copies of the NIV Bible have been distributed since it was first published in 1973.” – ZP
CONCLUSION: Is there any wonder why people don’t know where to find God’s Word?