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The Preservation of God's
Word
Lesson #15 Bibliology
I. THE MEANING OF
PRESERVATION
A. Basic Meaning of Preservation
1. Negative meaning used externally
to keep from harm, injury,
damage, danger, destruction, evil, etc.
2. Negative meaning used internally
to keep from spoiling,
rotting or decaying
3. Positive meaning to keep up, carry on, maintain, uphold, sustain; A to
keep in a sound state@ Webster, 1828
B. Doctrinal Definition
1. The act of God by which He keeps and protects the Word of
God so that every word is exactly of His choosing and completely without
error
2. More simply, the act of keeping scripture inspired (see
II Timothy 3:14-16)
D. Scriptural Confirmation of Preservation
1. Psalm 12:6-7
a. The purity of God's
words (v.6)
(1) As silver tried
(2) Purified seven times
b. The preservation of God's
words (v.7)
(1) Kept
(2) Preserved
(3) For ever
2. Psalm 100:5
a. God's
truth endures
b. To all generations
3. Psalm 111:7-8
a. God's
commandments are sure
b. They shall stand fast
c. They stand for ever and ever
4. Psalm 119:89
a. God's
word is settled
b. It is settled in heaven
c. It is settled for ever
5. Psalm 119:152
a. God's
testimonies are founded
b. They are founded for ever
6. Psalm 119:160
a. God's
righteous judgments endure
b. Every one of His judgments endure
c. His judgments endure for ever
7. Ecclesiastes 3:14
a. God's
word stands for ever
b. Nothing can be added to it
c. Nothing can be taken from it
8. Isaiah 40:8; I Peter 1:25
a. The word of the Lord stands
b. It stands for ever
9. Matthew 5:18; Luke 16:17
a. God's
law will out-survive heaven and earth
b. God's
law will be fulfilled
c. This preservation and fulfillment apply even to the jot
and tittle
10. Matthew 24:35; Luke 21:33
a. Heaven and earth shall pass away
b. God's
word will not pass away
11. Three Sentinels of God's
Word
a. Deuteronomy 4:2
b. Proverbs 30:5-6
c. Revelation 22:18-19
II. THE METHOD OF PRESERVATION
A. By Moving Upon Men
1. Moses and Aaron (Ex.4:10-16,27-31)
a. From God
b. To Moses
c. To Aaron
d. To the people and to Pharaoh
2. Paul and Tertius (Rom.16:22 with 1:1)
a. From God
b. To Paul
c. To Tertius
d. To the Romans
3. Jeremiah and Baruch (Jer.36:1-4,20-24,32)
a. From God
b. To Jeremiah
c. To Baruch
d. To Jehudi B B burned in the fire
e. From God, to Jeremiah, to Baruch all over again (v.32)
B. By Guarding the Word
1. Against corruption (II Cor.2:17; 4:2)
2. Against forgeries (II Thes.2:1-3; 3:17-18)
3. Against editing (Rev.22:18-19)
C. By Accepting Only God=
s Word (Isa.8:16)
1. The form of sound words (II Tim.1:13)
2. The things that are assured (II Tim.3:14)
3. The teaching of the faithful word (Tit.1:9)
D. By taking the collective actions of many fallible men and
moving among them and upon them so as to produce and preserve an infallible
book (Rom.8:28; Isa.46:9-11). If God can use even lost and wicked men to bring
about His perfect will (Ps.76:10; Prov.16:4; Rev.4:11), then He can use saved
sinners to preserve His perfect book!
III. OLD TESTAMENT PRESERVATION
A. Preserved By the Priests
1. They kept the tables of the Law (Deut.31:24-26)
2. They taught the words of the law
a. To the courts (Deut.17:8-13)
b. To the people (Deut.31:9-13)
3. They copied the words of the law
a. Before the king (Deut.17:18-20)
b. By the king's
scribe (II Sam.8:15,17)
(1) First mention of
scribe in the Bible
(2) A scribe was a copier of manuscripts
c. By the men of Hezekiah (Prov.25:1)
d. By Baruch, the scribe (Jer.36:4,17-18,32)
e. By Ezra, the priest (Ezra 7:6,10-12,21)
B. Revivals of the Word
1. Under Asa (II Chron.15:1-15)
2. Under Josiah (II Kings 22:1,8-20; 23:1-7; II
Chron.34:14-21)
3. Under Ezra (Ezra 7:6,10; Neh.8:1-8; 9:1-3)
IV. NEW TESTAMENT PRESERVATION
A. The New Testament Books Were Immediately Accepted as
Scripture
1. The claims of the authors
a. Apostles (Matt.10:20; Luke 12:12; 21:15)
b. Paul (I Cor.2:13; 14:37; II Cor.10:7-13; 13:3;
Gal.1:6-12; Col.4:16; I Thes.2:13; 4:8-9; II Thes.3:6,12-14)
c. Peter (II Pet.3:1-2)
2. The acceptance of other New Testament authors
a. Peter testifies of Paul=
s epistles (II Pet.3:15-16)
b. Paul quotes Luke 10:7 in I Timothy 5:18 along with
Deuteronomy 25:4 and calls them both scripture
3. Early Quotations
a. Clement (c.96) quotes Hebrews as
A the holy word.@ He also
quotes Matthew, Acts, Romans, I Corinthians, Titus, James and I Peter.
b. Polycarp (c.115) quotes Matthew, Luke, Acts, Romans, I
& II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I & II
Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, I & II Peter and I John. He alludes to
Mark, Hebrews, James and II & III John. He speaks of Ephesians 4:26 as
A sacred scripture@ .
c. Many other early quotations are also available but the
point has been made.
B. Warnings Against Textual Corruptions Were Made Immediately
1. In the scriptures themselves (II Cor.2:17; 4:2; II
Tim.4:3-4; II Pet.2:1-2; 3:16; Jude 3-4; Rev.22:18-19)
2. Polycarp (c.115) said,
A Whoever perverts the sayings of the LordY
Y that one is the firstborn of Satan.@
3. Irenaeus (c.180) said about his own writing: A I adjure you who shall copy out this book, by out Lord
Jesus Christ and by his glorious advent when He comes to judge the living
and the dead, that you compare what you transcribe, and correct it carefully
against this manuscript from which you copy; and also that you transcribe
this adjuration and insert it in the copy.@
C. The Making of Good Copies Spread Rapidly
1. The copies were to be circulated (see Col.4:16)
2. Widespread early quotations prove the existence of
numerous copies
3. Justin Martyr referred to the weekly practice of reading
the Scriptures in the churches about 150 (see I Tim.4:13; Luke 4:16)
D. The Rejection of Corrupt Copies was an Early Practice
1. New copies were compared with faithful copies
2. Corrupt copies were rejected
a. Some were destroyed
b. Some were put aside unused (like Sinaiticus)
3. Pure copies were used
a. Used until they were worn out
b. Used to make new copies
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