Eternal Approach

This all comes down to what the word of God truly is?

Do we believe that the word of God is the actual words written on a page many thousands of years ago? Or do we believe that the word of God is the essence of truth, or the general idea of truth, or some other phrase that conveys the idea that God meant to convey?

As opposed to the very specific words themselves.

You see, we have a very real problem here. And it is the elephant in the room within the biblical church. The elephant we pretend is not there.

Something Under the Rug

This is the elephant that the church has swept under the rug. Leaving a giant lump, in the middle of the room, that screams for attention during every sermon and every classroom lesson.

As we quote 10 different translations of the Bible. As if this gathering of translations is a sign of scholarship or a demonstration of intellectual openness.

This is the most important question of our generation. In fact, of any generation.

Which is, did God perfectly preserve His specific words in the original languages down through history?

Not just in some spiritual sense in heaven. Not in some ethereal sense of a general protection of the phrases and ideas. Not in the sense that they were kept hidden or protected somewhere out of general church usage.

But by the physical protection of the actual words through the  sovereign management of accurate copies. From the day that those words were first written to this very day.

And should we, therefore, as faithful Christians, stand upon and defend those specific words of God?

Because, the Evangelical church, and even much of the Fundamental church, are no longer doing that. They do not practically teach that any more.

Yes, they give lip service to the perfect inspiration of the originals. But then, they back off of that idea when it comes to what they actually hold in their hands. By accepting that God only preserved the “essence” of truth. That the original words were not perfectly preserved.

That they were “lost” somewhere in antiquity.

The Insufficient Creeds

Look at some of the creeds of the denominations, the Christian institutions, the Christian schools, and individual churches.

Consider how many will stand upon the perfect inspiration of the originals, or autographs; but will say nothing of the perfect preservation of the texts.

What is the point in that? What is the point if we do not, right now, hold the perfect words of God in our hands?

And, Oh yes. The common answer to that is, that the texts are OK. That the texts are close enough. That we don’t have any real problem with so many translations. And that the texts are not that different from each other. 

Which is ridiculously untrue.

The Endless Process of Recovery

There is only one position we can have if we believe that the church lost the perfect copies of the word of God.

We are consigned to the endless process of recovery. To the endless process of waiting for scholars to confirm what are and what are not the words of God.

Making us dependent upon those same scholars to find and confirm which of the words are true. And which are not.

Leaving us all in a strange state of flux. Hoping that the scholars are correct. Trusting in their ability and intellect to assure us of what the truth really is.

And keep in mind, we have supposedly been engaged in this process of recovery since Westcott and Hort introduced their mutated text upon the world. Way back in 1898. Meaning that, for over 120 years we have already been in this process of recovery. 

And, according to some of the scholars who support what Westcott and Hort gave us, we are not getting any closer to knowing for sure if we have the pure words of God. In fact, we are moving away from that certainty, rather than getting closer!

And, what a dangerous place that is for the church.

The Result of Uncertainty

That is exactly why the modern popular church will not be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Because they have lost their foundation.

Which leaves the church wide open for deception by any leader that may arise and lead it astray. Because the church is no longer able to say, “Here is truth”, with biblical authority.

Because it has traded in the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, for a fancy Swiss knife of man’s design.

To Be Continued . . . 

Image by Dmitry Abramov from Pixabay