This message is written out of an urgency from a devastating teaching that has permeated Christianity, the Church, and our Christian Colleges and Universities. It has caused great doubt in the Bible as the word of God which causes people to not read it, study it, share it, preach it, let alone live by it. People will never place their life trust into something they truly can't believe in. This doubt in God's word has been happening ever since the very beginning and it is the primary attack from the enemy of our souls. "Yea, hath God said,..." Genesis 3:1b These words were the first words of doubt spoken to man from the enemy and they carry on even in the church today. Most, will not take time to research the most important thing besides salvation. More people put more time into choosing a car, cell phone, or even internet service, than in researching what they even believe about the Bible - the word of God. Here is the lie from the enemy - "Only the original autographs were inspired by God." So let's take that statement alone and understand the ramifications of it - if it were true.
No matter how you look at it, if only the originals are inspired and God didn't preserve that inspiration - the above is true. So instead of just taking that statement as truth (because it was handled down by professors), then sticking your head in the sand, let's take a look at what Scripture says about the originals and faithful copies of itself. Truly, I could only use one passage of Scripture to refute that complete statement and prove it false, but I will use a lot of Scripture, so you can solidify it in your heart and life. We first have to establish a truth that will carry on throughout the entirety of Scripture. 1. The phrase "word of God" and the word "scripture" are synonymous and always mean His inspired word. Now, let's see what the word of God declares about this lie given that "only the originals are inspired," and that the inspiration isn't preserved. So first, how did the word of God and scripture come about? "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 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." 2 Peter 1:20-21 This is God's verbal plenary inspiration - meaning that God directed the very words in its entirety while using the personality and style of the writer. Now, what we have to remember is that we no longer have the original autographs (scripture) of the Old Testament or the New Testament. In the NT times they didn't have the originals of the OT, but faithful copies of copies. So, knowing this - here is the first passage that displays that the faithful copies is inspiration preserved. "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, throughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Timothy 3:15-17 Now many will take the word "scripture" in verse 16 and declare that it's only the original autographs that are inspired and that it wasn't preserved. Here is where the utter fallacy of that logic is found. At this time of writing the OT original autographs had already gone; Paul is talking about the faithful copies of the originals. Even if some originals did exist at this time that Paul wrote this, it would be void since most people would not have access to those. Therefore, how could they read and study it, if it no longer existed or that they could not access it. So what scripture is Paul speaking of that are inspired? The same scriptures that Timothy had known as a child. We need to realize that Timothy was taught the things of God from his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5). These women had genuine faith and they shared that faith and scripture with Timothy. Now the question is posed then that has to be answered. Did Timothy, his mother and grandmother have the original autographs? Were they the sacred keepers of these original autographs? No, of course not. So what did they have? They had faithful copies of these scriptures to which the Holy Spirit inspired through Paul to declare - "inspired of God" - inspiration preserved! Before we go into other passages of how God promised to preserve His inspired word, let's go over the fact that the Bible calls the autographs and faithful copies inspired since hardly anyone would be in possession of the original autographs. When God uses the word "scripture" once again, He is always talking about His inspired scripture. Let's look at some more very important examples of this - "Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?" Matthew 21:42 These "scriptures" are the ones that the people had that they could actually read - the faithful copies - inspiration preserved. Luke 4:16-21 but I will concentrate on three verses from this passage. (Vv. 16-17) "And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written," (V. 21) "And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." Once again, this was Nazareth, even a despised place where the people didn't believe that anything good could come from (John 1:46). What was in that synagogue was a faithful copy of the Book of Esaias (Isaiah) - the faithful copies - inspiration preserved. "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me" John 5:39 These were the faithful copies - inspiration preserved. How could He give them this command since they didn't have the inspired originals anymore? It would be a total lack of meaning in the command if they just had to guess and conjecture as to the authenticity of the copies that they had. The reason that Jesus Christ could say this was that it is based on His promise, that we will see a little further - His word is inspiration preserved. "Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus." Acts 8:35 The scripture was a copy of the Book of Isaiah - a faithful copy - inspiration preserved. "And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." Acts 17:2, 11 Once again, not the original autographs, but faithful copies - inspiration preserved. "And a certain Jew names Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ." Acts 18:24, 28 Once again, not the original autographs - faithful copies - inspiration preserved. 2. God Promises To Preserve The Inspiration Of His Word! The importance of God preserving the inspiration can not be over emphasized. It is actually a matter of spiritual life and death. The reason is because how much you trust in God's word is how much you will live it. Let's look at a couple of passages that show the importance of the word of God besides (2 Timothy 3:16-17). "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word." Psalm 119:9 Well, how can a young man or young woman do that if we don't have the word of God today? "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might now sin against thee." Psalm 119:11 Once again, a very empty promise we have in the power of the word of God if we don't have it anymore. "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Ephesians 6:17 Once again, impossible to do if we no longer have the inspired word of God. We couldn't trust in anything less for our weapon of offense against the enemy. "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper then any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:12 Once again, an empty declaration of the word of God, unless we can read and study what God inspired! Now, real quick for those that don't believe the NT is to be declared the word of God and scripture, you need to read what Peter wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. "And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." 2 Peter 3:15=16 So we see that knowing the Scriptures and the very teaching of Scripture in all of its fullness is of the extreme importance. "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." 1 Timothy 4:16 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 It saves us and those that hear us because we can declare correct biblical doctrine. Also God wants us to study it so that we can know it, apply it to our lives and live it. We have to believe it is the word of God before we can do that though. Now we all believe that the Name of God is very high and there is no other name higher than the name of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:19-23). So let us see how important of emphasis that God Himself puts on the word of God. "I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise they name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name." Psalm 138:2 We can see, that God Himself puts a very high view onto His word and it is extremely important that we do as well. So now let's look at God's promise to preserve His word and the inspiration of it forever. "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." Psalm 12:6-7 What is really nice about this passage is that God didn't mince words. Now some say that the word "them" is only the "poor" mentioned in (v. 5), but we have to remember that the "them" in (v. 7) refers back to the last noun in verse (v. 6 "pure words") the antecedent. Now it could be a double reference to His "pure words" and to His people - which could be taken. Even if a double reference is taken though, it doesn't negate the promise to preserve His word, since it is found in other passages of Scripture as well. "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Matthew 5:18 "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away." Mark 13:31 "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereith, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is peached unto you." 1 Peter 1:23=25 Plain and simple - God's word is inspiration preserved from the original autographs to the faithful copies. Another blog will be dedicated to the faithful copies sometime. The point is this though - we do have the word of God today and you can trust it for all authority in faith and practice. He had the power to inspire His word and the ability to preserve it! Do not listen to those that say that only the originals were inspired and we no longer have the word of God today. You have to ask yourself who you believe; the "Yea, hath God said," or "My words shall not pass away." The Devil or Christ Himself. I chose to believe Christ. - Pastor Aaron
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