Biblical
Support For The Doctrine of Verbal Plenary Preservation (I)
Lesson 3
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REVIEW
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A.
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Meaning
of Verbal Plenary Preservation
“Verbal”
= words
“Plenary” = total, complete, 100%, all (to the minutest jot and tittle)
“Preservation” = kept free from corruption, safeguarded
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B.
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What
“words”?
The “words” of God
that are being preserved by
God refer to the words in the original languages that were inspired by
God (2 Tim 3:16, 2 Pet 1:21).
The “words” are the
Hebrew
and Greek words that God took upon Himself not just to inspire holy men
of God to write down but also to preserve.
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| II. |
THE BASIS
OF THE DOCTRINE OF VPP
Read
2 Timothy
3:1-2, 7-9, 13-17.
This passage warns us that as we live in these last days, we are living
in perilous times (2 Tim 3:1), i.e. DANGEROUS times.
One of the many dangers the Church faces in these last days is that men
(pastors, church leaders included) “shall be lovers of their own
selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents,
unthankful, unholy…,ever learning, and never able to come to the
knowledge of the truth…evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse,
deceiving, and being deceived.” (2 Tim 3:2, 7, 13).
Before we point our fingers at others, let us first check ourselves
that we DO NOT fall into this category. Let us examine ourselves
honestly before our omniscient God. “If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
While Paul warns Timothy of the dangers, he also gave Timothy the
shield against these dangerous men in 2 Tim 3:14-15: “continue thou in
the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of
whom thou hast learned [them]. 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.”
The shield
against
them is the SCRIPTURE, the Word of God, the Bible.
The scripture made Timothy “wise unto salvation through faith” (v 15),
that is the Bible gave Timothy the good news of salvation and Timothy
was saved. BUT, he is not to throw out the scripture once he is saved.
Paul instructed Timothy to “continue thou in the things which thou hast
learned” (v 14), that is Timothy is to continue to know the Word of God
and be guided by the Word of God. In other words, the Bible is given to
us NOT only to show us the way to heaven.
Paul goes on to describe scripture and what it is given to us for.
“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 Tim 3:16-17)
That is, God’s Word is given to:
-- let us know God’s teachings
-- admonish us when we have failed to do right
-- correct us when we have done wrong
-- instruct/direct us in the right path to take.
And all these are for the purpose that the believer (having received
salvation) will grow/ mature in his faith and be equipped to serve God,
to live for God.
So, be very careful about people who say: “We are all going to end up
in heaven, and that is enough. Never mind about the other teachings in
the Bible.”
Brethren, it is not enough that we are all heading for heaven. Yes,
scripture shows us the way to heaven, BUT scripture is given also to
show us WHAT God wants to us to know and HOW we are to live on earth
while we are on the way to heaven and that we are to GROW in maturity.
“All scripture [is]… profitable
for DOCTRINE….” So, what does scripture say about the
Doctrine of the PRESERVATION of the inspired Word of God?
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III.
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AN OVERVIEW OF THE
BIBLE’S TEACHING ON VPP
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A.
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The Bible teaches the Doctrine of Preservation
Psalm
12:6–7 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
33:11 The counsel of the LORD standeth
for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
Psalm
78:1–7 Give ear, O my people, [to] my law: incline your ears to the
words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark
sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have
told us. We will not hide [them] from their children, shewing to the
generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his
wonderful works that he hath done. For he established a testimony in
Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers,
that they should make
them known to their children: That the generation to come
might know [them, even] the children [which] should be born; [who]
should arise and
declare [them] to their children: That they might set
their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his
commandments.
Psalm
100:5 For the LORD [is] good; his mercy [is] everlasting; and his
truth [endureth] to all generations.
Psalm
105:8 He hath remembered his covenant for
ever, the word [which] he commanded to a thousand
generations.
Psalm
111:7–8 The works of his hands [are] verity and judgment; all his
commandments [are] sure. They stand
fast for ever and ever, [and are] done in truth and
uprightness.
Psalm
117:2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of
the LORD [endureth]
for ever. Praise ye the LORD.
Psalm
119:89 For
ever, O LORD, thy
word is settled in heaven.
Psalm
119:152 Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded
them for ever.
Psalm
119:160 Thy word [is] true [from] the beginning: and every one of thy
righteous judgments [endureth]
for ever.
Isaiah
40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God
shall stand
for ever.
Isaiah
59:21 As for me, this [is] my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My
spirit that [is] upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth,
shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed,
nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from
henceforth and for ever.
Matthew
4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by
bread alone, but by
every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Matthew
5:17–18 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I
am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 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
24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall
not pass away.
John
10:35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the
scripture cannot
be broken;
1
Peter 1:23–25 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 withereth, 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
preached unto you.
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B.
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The Bible teaches the preservation of all the
words (not just doctrines) of God
Psalm
12:6–7 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
119:89 For
ever, O LORD, thy
word is settled in heaven.
Isaiah 40:8 The grass
withereth, the flower fadeth: but the
word of our God shall
stand for ever.
Matthew
4:4 But he answered and said, It is
written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Matthew 5:17–18 Think
not that I am come to
destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to
fulfil. 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
24:35 Heaven
and earth shall pass away,
but my
words shall not pass away.
1 Peter
1:24–25 For all flesh [is] as grass,
and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth,
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 preached unto you.
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C.
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The Bible reveals that the purpose of the
Verbal Plenary Preservation of God’s words is to sanctify God’s
children when they obey His Word
Deuteronomy
4:2 Ye
shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye
diminish [ought] from it, that ye may keep
the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
Deuteronomy 29:29 The
secret [things belong] unto the LORD our God: but those [things which
are] revealed [belong] unto us and to our children for ever, that [we]
may do
all the words of this law.
Joshua 1:8 This book
of the
law shall not
depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate
therein day and night, that thou mayest observe
to do according to all that is written therein: for then
thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good
success.
Psalm 78:1–7 Give
ear, O my
people, [to] my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will
open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we
have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide
[them] from their children, shewing to the generation to come the
praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he
hath done. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law
in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them
known to their children: That the generation to come might
know [them, even] the children [which] should be born;
[who] should arise and declare [them] to their children: That they might
set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his
commandments.
Proverbs 5:7 Hear me
now
therefore, O ye children, and depart
not from the words of my mouth.
Matthew 4:4 But he
answered
and said, It is written, Man shall not
live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out
of the mouth of God.
John 20:30–31 And
many
other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are
not written in this book: But these are written, that ye
might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God;
and that believing ye might have life through his name.
Romans 10:17 So then faith
[cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
John 17:17 Sanctify
them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
2 Timothy 3:16–17 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.
Revelation 22:7
Behold, I
come quickly: blessed [is] he that keepeth
the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
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IV.
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OUR STARTING POINT
Want to know
whether the doctrine of the 100%
preservation of the God-breathed Hebrew and Greek words is true or
false? Check it out in the Bible. We will never go wrong when we look
first to the Word of God. And the Bible teaches that God Himself will
ensure the preservation of His own inspired words as we saw above.
THE WAY
THAT PLEASES GOD
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THE WAY
THAT DISPLEASES GOD
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Start with: What the
Bible says
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Start with: What
men/scholars say
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God’s wisdom
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Man’s wisdom
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Faith
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Facts
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(“subjective
interpretation”)
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Inspiration
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Inspiration
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Preservation
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Deny Preservation
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(Preserved with
mistakes/No preservation/Ltd
preservation/Only autographs are preserved but don’t have it today)
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Inerrant Bible
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Errant Bible
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Infallible Bible
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Fallible Bible
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End with: Perfect
Bible today
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End with: Imperfect
Bible today
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V.
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CONCLUSION:
OUR RESPONSE
The
Bible is certainly NOT silent about the verbal, plenary preservation of
God’s Word. And therefore we must by faith believe what it says.
Read Luke 1:34-38.
Let us respond with the faith of Mary (Lk 1:38) and say “Be it
according to Your Word, O Lord.”
Hebrews 11:6: “But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]:
for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a
rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
With God nothing is impossible. If God says He will preserve His words,
He is ABLE to keep His promise and He WILL preserve His words.
Pray for faith to believe.
Application
Question:
How will you
respond to those who attack the Verbal Plenary Preservation of God’s
Word by saying “VPP is a new teaching” or “VPP is a theory” ?
“The devil
and his
agents have been blowing at Scripture light, but could never blow it
out; a clear sign that it was lighted from heaven….The letter of
Scripture has been preserved, without any corruption, in the original
tongue.” 1
[1]
Thomas Watson, “A Body of Divinity” (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth
Trust, 1965, First published in 1692), 27.
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