In another article we learned that God has promised to preserve His word. Had He failed in this promise then we would not have this privilege of studying His word. We would have no basis to establish our doctrine of perfect preservation. We thank those great men of the past who shed blood to defend the preserved words of God in their generation. We must imitate their great zeal as we face this terrible error sown among the fundamental brethren. In this article I want to share with you the view of the Lord Jesus Christ concerning the word of God. We shall look at Matthew 4:4; 5:18; 24:35 and its corollary passages. Consequently, we shall see how extensive God preserved His written word. Are there biblical passages that teach every word and entire words’ preservation of the Bible? Is essential or partial preservation of God’s word scriptural? If the latter is correct are there passages in support of this?
Matthew 4:4 is a passage so common to all Christians and yet so neglected that people do not see its truth on verbal (every word) preservation. We owe the great exegetical defenders of this doctrine that they diligently studied the Bible and found the clarity of this verse. This verse is also one of Christ’s answers to Satan’s series of severe temptations (v. 1) to Him. See verses 7 and 10 where Christ repeated this truth three times as He defended Himself from Satanic attacks. Indeed, the words of God alone, not history, neither the church fathers, nor the schools could protect us from the onslaught of either the devil or his errors. So Cornerstone children, men and women, we must be people of the book, particularly reading it so as to know by heart the basis of the truth that God preserved His word both in every word as well as in its entirety.
The phrase “it is written“ in the original means “it stands written.” The act of writing every word of God occurred once in the past but its effect is continual. Every written word of God continues to exist. Using this meaning now in the entire verse it will go as ”every word that was once written (in the OT Scriptures),now or still stands forever” (see Lenski as quoted by George Skariah in p.120, The Biblical Doctrine of Perfect Preservation of the Holy Scriptures, FEBC, Singapore, 2005). So Christ affirmed that every word of God (of the OT canon) remains and is passed on from generation to generation until Christ’s generation of the first century. This is what we call verbal preservation. If this is so in the OT Scriptures then did not God do the same in the NT?
The adjective “every” is combined with a singular noun “word” without an article and this emphasizes the entire words of God with focus on individual component. So, both every word and all the words are emphasized by that combination. Hence, every word and all the words are from God which He preserved throughout the generations until they reached Christ in the first century (Ibid, 121-22). Thus we have verbal preservation earlier and here we have verbal and plenary or entire inspiration and preservation. This is the truth taught by this passage.
Matthew 5:18 belongs to the larger context of the Sermon on the Mount of Christ (chapters 5-7). After teaching, when He realized that His critics were about to raise criticism against Him, He uttered verse 17. This verse shows that He came not to destroy but to fulfill the law and the prophets. This law and the prophets refer to the entire OT Scriptures. The evidence of this is found in Matthew’s similar use in 7:12; 11:13; and 22:40 where Christ divided the entire OT Scriptures into two sections. Christ obeyed all the words of God in the OT Scriptures.
Further this verse teaches some truths, namely; the word “for verily I say unto you” is an assertion of Christ that what He will speak is of great significance emphasizing absoluteness of the following statement. “One jot or tittle” refers to the smallest Hebrew letter (not word) or the smallest distinction between two Hebrew letters. This is the extent of smallness of the coverage of preservation. “In no wise” refers to strong negative which means “it (the disappearance or coming to an end) will never happen even once.” These jot or tittle will never even once cease to exist were contrasted with heaven and earth which will pass away as Peter said in 2 Pet. 3:7, 10. So we have here the truth that God’s word down to the smallest letter will endure and never cease to exist. This is absolute enduring preservation of every letter of the Bible. If this is God’s teaching concerning the OT, can we not expect God to do the same in the NT? Fundamental Christians use this as basis of verbal inspiration doctrine but refused to use the same on verbal or letter preservation.
Verse 19 provides a warning to anyone who has a wrong attitude towards any or even the least commandment or portion of the word of God. The consequence of such an attitude is to become the least in heaven. On the other hand anyone who faithfully exalts or regards God’s word shall be greatly honored by the Lord in His kingdom. This must prevent anyone from being suggestive of or pontificating doubts on the veracity of God’s word even in the smallest word. No scientific theory, educational competence, and exegetical skills should allow anyone to suggest that a certain portion of God’s word was not in the autographs or even apographs.
Matthew 24:35 is quite similar in fashion with 5:18. Here Christ described the temporal nature of the physical world that it will cease to exist. Then He affirmed the eternality of the nature of God’s word that it will never cease to exist. “My words” refers to all the words of God and not only those which Christ has spoken. It is right to understand it as referring to all and every word of God. “Shall not pass away” means it will never cease to exist or it will always be available for every generation’s use.
If we take this only on inspiration doctrine and not on perfect enduring entire preservation doctrine then do we have the preserved word of God today? If indeed a few words were lost in the transmission (copyists errors as they say) then there is valid charge that God’s word today is imperfect and these Christological assured promises were unfulfilled or have failed.
Consider also that 24:35 is repeated in the record of Mark 13:31 and of Luke 21:33. Though they are of the same content and context yet we must regard these records as divine emphases on the great significance of this every word and entire words’ preservation of the Bible.
Cornerstone people, God has promised to preserve every word and the entire words of God in the OT dispensation. He also assured us repeatedly in the Gospels that the extent of His act of preserving reaches to the smallest Hebrew letter as well as to the entire words of God. He warned us also not to have an ill attitude towards His word be it the smallest portion or letter of the word of God. So must we accept partial or essential preservation doctrine? Should we listen to a scholar who says that our Bible has transmission or translation errors? Can we validly use a modern Bible version (i.e., NASB. NIV, NKJV, ESV) that was translated from late 19th century corrupt, imperfect copies of the originals? If you do this then you believe that God’s pure and perfect words were not available until that late 19th century discovery!
But as for us Cornerstone people, let us remain in this old doctrine on which we stand. One may not have the ability to read Hebrew and Greek Bible or determine the age of copies of existing manuscripts. But our English KJV Bible is able to show the average Christian reader that God indeed has preserved His word down to the smallest letter. It is old as it has been shown in the above explanation of passages. It does not matter if only a few subscribe to it or that the less scholarly ones believe it or that only recently has it been clearly declared. What matters most is the truth of enduring, perfect verbal and plenary preservation of God’s holy word is a clear OT and NT doctrine. Amen.
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