In the last portion of the Mark Ward video to which I’ve referred in this series, he gives his view of the preservation of scripture. It has similarities to Adam in the Garden of Eden after the Fall in Genesis 3:12:
The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
For me to summarize, Ward’s view is that by his observation, God didn’t seem to choose to preserve His Word perfectly. Furthermore, since that’s what he observes God to have done, then that’s also the correct view of preservation of scripture. All those preservation passages in scripture then must conform to the observation and experience. He put it this way (I include this quote again, which was already in part one):
Now I told the pastor who sent me some of these examples that I don’t enjoy having to point out these difficulties and complexities. But let me build another bridge of trust, the one that I myself use all the time in my Bible study travels. Who gave us the situation in which we have incredible well preserved copies of the Hebrew Bible and Greek New Testament, but there are numerous minor uncertainties and difficulties? Who gave us a world in which perfect translation between languages is impossible?
Who inspired the New Testament apostles to quote a Greek translation of the Old Testament rather than make new and doubtless perfect translations of the Hebrew? (And by the way I draw that last question directly from the King James Translators and their preface.) Who chose not to give us inspired translators, yeah, even a pope to give the best translation in each language his official imprimatur, the seal of divine approval?
Ward Continues
Who gave us a Bible that comes in two very different languages, Hebrew and Greek, and actually Aramaic, three, and would therefore require translation in the first place? Who gave us a Bible over the course of 1500 years instead of all at once? Who chose to commit His precious Word to fragile papyrus and sheepskin?
Who gave us the excellent but not perfect situation we’re in? But who told us that one day the perfect would come that we would know even as also we are known? I think you know the answer to my not so rhetorical questions. God did all of these things, and He is good. He is my refuge even when I don’t understand His choices.
Difficulties and Complexities
Ward sees “difficulties and complexities” and he forms his viewpoint based upon those. It is like a creationist saying, “The carbon dating method and the distance light travels from far away stars are difficult and complex for a young earth view.” What is going to be the basis of your faith? Faith is not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Yet, Ward bases his view on observation and experience. I would surmise that he knows he’s doing this, and that’s what bothers him the most about my and others critique of him.
Mark Ward points to circumstances that are a bridge too far for his faith. This is why I often refer to Abraham and Romans 4:20 on this issue:
He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.
Uncertainties
Ward does stagger at the promise of God. These circumstances, his lying eyes, cause him to stagger and then not believe. He lists off his reasoning for not believing. It starts with minor uncertainties and difficulties as a generality. Then, he ticks off the detail in staccato-like fashion, essentially blaming this uncertainty and difficulty on God:
- God gave us a world where a perfect translation is impossible.
- God inspired apostles to quote the Greek Septuagint for the New Testament rather than provide a perfect translation from the Hebrew to the Greek.
- Ward here says that the King James Translators in their preface agreed with his assessment that this is what the apostles did in the New Testament.
- God didn’t form and ordain a pope-like supernatural figure that would give a perfect translation of the Bible into everyone’s language.
- God gave the Bible in three different languages, guaranteeing the need of a translation.
- God used several different human authors to write the Bible spanning fifteen hundred years.
- Ward doesn’t explain what barrier this causes, but he seems to infer that this is another reality that implies the impossibility of a perfect Bible.
- God had his human authors use easily deteriorating writing materials like papyrus and sheepskin to certify that the originals and its copies would not last, becoming impossible again to preserve.
- God gave man an excellent but not perfect situation.
Odd Exegesis and Experience
Ward applies 1 Corinthians 13:10 to the above list, saying that the perfect is still to come, not here yet, which fits the imperfect circumstances and situation. I’ve never heard either this interpretation or application of 1 Corinthians 13:10. Ward is saying that this verse upends the idea of a perfect Bible for today. This is more odd exegesis from Ward. He’s saying, that which is perfect, which includes a perfect Bible, won’t come until we see Jesus Christ face to face. Part of seeing through a glass darkly in this Ward exposition is seeing by means of less than perfect scripture until the believer’s glorification.
Mark Ward ends by admitting his view of preservation, that God planned and then performed many imperfect acts. He made it so we would have a somewhat ruined Bible. Yes, that was God’s plan. How do we know that? Observation. Experience. Also, I would add, opinion. It’s a way that seems right to Mark Ward at least, because I haven’t read that explanation from anyone else. I’d be glad for him to point this view out to me from the Bible or from church history. Know the following: I don’t agree with him.
Assessment of God
I think that others are with Mark Ward on his assessment of God. They just might not say it out loud. It’s an inside voice that became Mark Ward’s outside voice. God said He would preserve every Word of scripture. He could have preserved every Word. But He didn’t. Bill Maher says abortion is murder and he’s fine with that. Ward says God didn’t preserve a perfect Bible and he’s fine with that too.
Apparently at least according to Mark Ward’s explanation, it was God’s intent that we don’t have a perfect text of scripture, based on the above list of reasons. Ward doesn’t have to understand why God didn’t actually preserve every Word. God must not have done that, but it’s not going to shake him, because God is his refuge.
The Knowledge of Refuge and Preservation
Neither do I have any doubt that God is my refuge. I believe that from scripture. It isn’t something I take from experience or observation. I believe God is my refuge because He says He is my refuge. A lot goes along with that, but that is why I would say God is my refuge. It’s because God says in HIs Word that He is my refuge.
For Ward, he can’t say God preserves His word perfectly. Scripture says that, but his experience and his observation betray him. He will say God is His refuge. What basis does He have for that though. It’s a good explanation, but how does he know it with certainty? He trusts what God says. May Mark Ward and others like him trust God on the perfect preservation of scripture.
Question by Tom to Chat GPT:
Based on your previous conclusion, how can one know that a given English text is “given by inspiration”?
Answer:
To understand how one can know that a given English text is “given by inspiration,” let’s examine the principles drawn from the Bible itself:
**1. The Nature of God’s Word:
Psalm 12:6-7 (KJV): “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.”
This passage emphasizes that God’s words are pure and that He promises to preserve them. This implies that God’s Word remains reliable and authoritative through time, including in translations.
Isaiah 55:11 (KJV): “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
This indicates that God’s Word is effective and will achieve His purposes, further supporting the belief that His Word, even in translation, retains its divine power and authority.
**2. Scripture’s Use of Translations:
Acts 8:32-35 (KJV): When Philip encounters the Ethiopian eunuch, the eunuch is reading from the book of Isaiah in a translation (likely the Greek Septuagint). Philip explains the gospel to him using this translation, demonstrating that it was regarded as authoritative and inspired.
Matthew 4:4 (KJV): Jesus quotes the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 8:3) during His temptation in the wilderness. The Old Testament Scriptures He quoted from were in Hebrew, but the New Testament was written in Greek, indicating that the truths of God’s Word are preserved and inspired even in translation.
**3. The Process of Translation:
Nehemiah 8:8 (KJV): “So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.”
The Levites translated and explained the Law to the people, ensuring they understood it. This shows that translation and explanation of God’s Word were necessary and authoritative.
**4. Historical Precedent and the Role of Faith:
The Bible’s Transmission: The Bible has been translated into many languages throughout history. The King James Bible (KJV), in particular, has been revered by many Christians as a faithful and inspired translation due to its careful scholarship, linguistic accuracy, and the belief that God guided its translation process.
The Role of the Holy Spirit: John 16:13 (KJV): “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth.”
The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in guiding believers into the truth, helping them recognize and understand the inspired Word of God.
**5. The Fruit of the Text:
Matthew 7:16-20 (KJV): Jesus taught that “by their fruits ye shall know them,” a principle that can be applied to translations of Scripture. A translation that faithfully conveys the doctrines of the Bible, leads to godly living, and produces spiritual fruit can be seen as given by inspiration.
James 1:21-25 (KJV): The Word of God is described as a “mirror” that reflects truth. If a text consistently reveals and aligns with the truth of Scripture as confirmed by the whole counsel of God, it can be trusted as inspired.
Conclusion:
A given English text can be known as “given by inspiration” if it meets the following criteria:
Faithful Representation of Original Texts: It accurately and faithfully conveys the original meaning and message of the Scriptures, as God has preserved His Word through time.
Doctrinal Integrity: It upholds and clearly presents the core doctrines of the Christian faith as taught throughout the Bible.
Historical and Providential Acceptance: It has been historically accepted and used by the church, with a clear sense of God’s providential hand in its translation and preservation.
Spiritual Fruitfulness: It leads to genuine spiritual growth, godly living, and aligns with the truths revealed by the Holy Spirit.
For many, the King James Bible meets these criteria and is believed to be the divinely inspired and preserved Word of God in English.
I would say that this edition of an AI answer is still just enough ambiguous in its doctrine to satisfy more than one view on inspiration. The question can likely be fine-tuned to show that.
KB
That’s the problem. You want to fine tune it rather than ask it simply and in a general format. You want to lead it to a conclusion based on your presuppositions. You want to say that inspiration has different meanings by adding adjectives (derivative inspiration).
As I have told you before, the phrase “given by inspiration” in context to scripture has nothing to do with it being “originally” given, but rather that which is written been accepted by God’s people? There were many letters written, even by Paul, that were rejected by the body of Christ as scripture.
Tom
Since the originals were inspired and God preserved them then that is what remains inspired. Accurate translations are also inspired, as long as they’re from the same text. It’s what I believe. You believe something different than that. Yours is an addition to the word of God and that’s the problem.
Chat GPT conclusion:
“For many, the King James Bible meets these criteria and is believed to be the divinely inspired and preserved Word of God in English.”
AMAZING!
Tom
I would call the King James divinely inspired and the inspired Word of God, but that’s different than, ‘it was given by inspiration of God.’ Those are two different ideas.
Really? I had a Muslim tell me that your Bible is not inspired as is the Koran (of course that is a lie). I showed him 2 Timothy 3:16 applied to the Bible in my hand which Bible believing Christians have accepted to be the very words of God as final authority on all matters of truth. He told me that the English Bible is corrupted because it is not in the original languages and all the translations are different therefore cannot be inspired. Of course, I told him that was a lie by confused Christians who follow men rather than the scriptures.
And you wonder why Christians and Christianity have no power over even the Muslim devils who are now all over America! They fear them and the devil Allah rather than the Lord God because we divide over semantics!
Tom
I don’t know who you’re talking to Tom.
That’s it on this subject. No more comments on Ruckmanism.
PS: The reason I used Chat GPT is because you never want to discuss “all scripture is given by inspiration”. I figure, why not get challenged by an AI bot.
Also, most of your comments about Dr. Ruckman are conflated and even wrong. You missed the best true quote that he used often: “The King James Bible is superior to all the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts”.
I agree with that without hesitation because it is absolutely true based on 350 years of the body of Christ confirming that truth by the Holy Ghost.
Tom,
You’re right. It makes Ruckman more clear. I grant you that. It serves to show the contrast between the positions. Mark Ward, take note.
KB
“Uncertainties
Ward does stagger at the promise of God. These circumstances, his lying eyes, cause him to stagger and then not believe…”
“Assessment of God
I think that others are with Mark Ward on his assessment of God. They just might not say it out loud…”
The Lord said it best when answering the Sadducees: “…ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.” (Matt. 22:29).