INTRODUCTORY THOUGHTS

The purpose of this study is to provide perspective--spiritual perspective. It is not a history lesson, or the recounting of how men conceive the Bible to have been preserved. I have a deep and abiding appreciation for every person that has played a role in the preservation and communication of the good word of God. However, God Himself is the reason for the Bible. It is His Word, given by Him, in order that men may participate in His eternal purpose. The rule of the kingdom is, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord" (1 Cor 1:31). I will take the position that the integrity and accuracy of Scripture have not been excluded from this rule. The fact that we have the Word of God is primarily owing to Divine activity. All other involvements, however significant, have been under His supervision. If the universe is held together by the Word of the Lord (Col 1:17), it is a small thing for His Word to remain in tact. In fact, I affirm that no person is capable of effectively excluding the Word of God from the Sovereignty of our God! If this is not the case, there can be no hope of any person being saved! Our adversary, the devil, is crafty and persistent. We are in a world destined for destruction--one that is filled with distractions and delusions. If we cannot rely upon the Word of the Lord, there is no hope of ultimate triumph!

As simplistic as it may appear, every individual must come to the point where he trusts the Lord in the matter of having an accurate Bible. If we resort to the wisdom of men to establish the integrity of God's Word, we have been presumptuous, and will fall into the grievous transgression. The words of the "sweet Psalmist of Israel" are so appropriate when it come to this subject. "Also keep back Thy servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression" (Psalm 19:13, NASB).

The textual critic will raise questions about the text of Scripture that will appear unanswerable to the sophist. You must not allow such questions to trouble you or cause you to doubt. God has invested everything in His Word. He has informed us that we are to hear it with intensity and devotion, believe it wholeheartedly, and obey it without any reservations. Our association with Him depends upon our relationship to His Word. As a student of Scripture, I am not ashamed to embrace it as the very Word of God. I have no reservations about rejecting any word that presents it as faulty, incomplete, or in a state of corruption. I implore you to have the same attitude. It is no more possible for God to give a Word that loses its integrity, than for Him to provide a Savior that loses His effectiveness. He Who preserves nature, establishing bounds that it cannot pass, will do no less for His Word, upon which our eternal destiny depends! He that comes to God must believe "that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him" (Heb 11:6b, NIV). One of His most significant rewards is providing His Word for those that hunger for it.