Bible Preservation

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I.                     INFORMATION SOURCES

A.       Introductory Sources

1.     New Age Versions by Gail Riplinger

2.     Final Authority by William Grady

3.     Things That Are Different by Mickey Carter

4.     The Answer Book by Samuel C. Gipp

5.     Which Bible by David Otis Fuller

6.     Believing Bible Study and The King James Version Defended by Edward F. Hills

B.       Advanced Sources

1.     The Identity of the New Testament Text by Wilbur N. Pickering

2.     The Revision Revised  by John W. Burgon

C.       Specialized Sources

1.     Translators Revived by Alexander McClure

3.     The Men Behind the KJV by Gustavus S. Paine

II.                   INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION

A.       This study of Bible Preservation could also be called Manuscript Evidence.  Bible preservation refers to the Biblical doctrine and the historical process by which God has kept His word pure and perfect after giving it to man.  Manuscript evidence refers to the evidence for Bible preservation as found most specifically in the existing manuscripts. The four kinds of manuscript evidence are:

1.     Doctrinal (II Tim.3:16)

2.     Textual (Neh.8:8)

3.     Historical (Eccl.3:14)

4.     Spiritual (Rom.8:16)

B.       Four Levels of Belief in Preservation

1.     Disbelief—even the originals had mistakes in them

2.     Belief in perfect originals but no perfect existing text

3.     Belief in perfect preservation of the Greek text but not in a perfect translation

4.     Belief in a perfect translation—usually in reference to the King James Bible of 1611

C.       Two Truths That Set the Battle

1.     God has promised to preserve His word (Ps.12:6-7; Matt.5:18; Luke 16:17; John 10:35)

2.     Man will always corrupt God’s word (II Cor.2:17; 4:2)

III.                  THE PRINCIPLE OF BIBLE CORRUPTION

A.       The Corruption of God’s Word Began in the Garden of Eden (Gen.2:16-17; 3:1-5)

1.     The word stated (2:16-17)

2.     The word questioned (3:1)

3.     The word altered (3:2-3)  *the M.E.V. or Mother Eve’s Version

4.     The word denied (3:4-5)

5.     Sin (3:6)

6.     Separation (3:7-10)

7.     Judgment (3:11-19)

B.       The Corruption of the New Testament Scriptures Began as Early as 60AD   (II Cor.2:17)

C.   The Causes of Corrupted Scriptures

1.     Corrupted doctrine (II Cor.11:1-4; Gal.1:6-9)

a.       Another Jesus

b.       Another spirit

c.       Another gospel

2.     Tradition (Matt.15:6; Mark 7:13)

3.     Philosophy (Col.2:8)

4.     Science (I Tim.6:20-21)

5.     Scholarship (II Tim.3:7)

D.       Those Who Corrupt the Word Claim to be Correcting It (II Cor.4:2; Jer.48:10; II Pet.3:16; Rom.1:22,25)

E.       Corruptions of the Word Take Three Forms

1.     Subtracting from the word

a.       Deut.4:2; 12:32; Rev.22:19

b.       Found in Alexandria

c.       The result of scholarship

2.     Adding to the word

a.       Deut.4:2; Prov.30:6; Rev.22:18-19

b.       The above verses are called the “Three God-Inspired Sentinels” by J. J. Ray in reference to their placement in the first, middle and last of the Bible.

c.       Found in Rome

d.       The result of tradition

3.     Changing the words of God

a.       Deut.4:2; Rom.1:25

b.       This includes both subtracting and adding

c.       This is the end result of combining Alexandrian scholarship with Roman tradition.

F.        The Projected Plan of the Corrupters

1.     First, they attempt to dilute the authority of the true word by producing many translations and thereby making the pure word only one of many.

2.     Second, they will try to destroy the authority of the preserved word by direct attacks upon it.

3.     Third, when they feel that they have won, they will push to have their own perverted standard become the one bible in common use so that they can entirely the true Bible.

4.     In summary, they will (1) Dilute the authority of the word by making many authorities; (2) Attack the authority of the pure Bible and anyone who defends it; and, (3) Replace the true word with their own bible.

IV.                GENERAL OUTLINE OF THIS COURSE

A.       Early Preservation of the True Text

B.       Early Corruptions to the True Text

C.       Early English Versions of the Bible

D.       Translation of the King James Bible

E.       Modern Corruptions of the Bible

F.        The Study of Textual Transmission

Go to the Bible Preservation Course Page or check out additional College Notes

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