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AI Friday: Perfect Preservation of Scripture

I asked AI a couple of questions about three verses about the perfect preservation of scripture.  Here’s what it wrote (I didn’t write it — AI wrote it).

Isaiah 59:21 and the Perfect Preservation of Scripture

Isaiah 59:21 states:

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.

Covenant Promise:

The verse begins with God declaring a covenant with His people. This indicates a solemn commitment that God will maintain His relationship with those who are redeemed. The nature of this covenant suggests that it encompasses not just spiritual blessings but also the assurance that His words will be preserved.

God’s Spirit:

The mention of “My spirit that is upon thee” implies that God’s presence and guidance through His Spirit will remain with His people. This aspect reinforces the idea that believers will have access to divine truth and understanding.

Words Not Departing:

The phrase “my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart” emphasizes that God’s words are intended to be continuously present among His people across generations. This suggests an ongoing availability and accessibility of God’s revelation to every generation.

Generational Continuity:

The reference to “nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed” indicates that this preservation extends beyond a single generation. It assures believers that God’s words will endure through their descendants, reinforcing the belief in a faithful transmission of Scripture throughout time.

Eternal Assurance:

The concluding phrase “from henceforth and for ever” underscores the eternal nature of this promise. It signifies that God’s commitment to preserve His words is not limited by time or circumstance.

In summary, Isaiah 59:21 articulates a profound assurance regarding the perfect preservation of Scripture by affirming God’s covenantal promise to keep His Spirit and His words continually accessible to all generations of believers.

Analysis of Matthew 4:4 and 5:18 Regarding Perfect Preservation of Scripture

To understand what Matthew 4:4 and 5:18 say about the perfect preservation of the words of scripture, we need to analyze each verse in its context and consider the theological implications.

Matthew 4:4 Context and Meaning

Matthew 4:4 states:

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.

In this passage, Jesus is responding to Satan during his temptation in the wilderness. The quote references Deuteronomy 8:3, emphasizing that spiritual sustenance is as vital as physical nourishment. The phrase “every word that comes from the mouth of God” suggests a belief in the divine origin and authority of scripture. This implies that all words spoken by God are essential for life and should be preserved accurately.

The implication here can be interpreted as an affirmation of the importance of scripture’s integrity. If every word is necessary for spiritual life, it follows that these words must be preserved faithfully through time. This verse does not explicitly state perfect preservation but strongly supports the idea that God’s words are crucial and should remain intact.

Matthew 5:18 Context and Meaning

Matthew 5:18 states:

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.

In this verse, Jesus emphasizes the enduring nature of God’s law. The reference to “not a jot” or “not a tittle” (the smallest letters in Hebrew) signifies that every part of God’s word holds significance and will remain until its purpose is fulfilled. This statement reinforces the belief in the reliability and permanence of scripture.

The assertion that nothing will pass from the Law until all is accomplished can be interpreted as a claim regarding its preservation. It suggests that God’s word will remain intact throughout history until its intended fulfillment occurs. Thus, this verse can also be seen as supporting the concept of perfect preservation.

Conclusion on Perfect Preservation

Both Matthew 4:4 and Matthew 5:18 contribute to a theological understanding regarding scripture’s preservation:

Matthew 4:4 emphasizes the necessity of every word from God for spiritual life.

Matthew 5:18 asserts that not even a small part of God’s law will be lost until its purpose is achieved.

Together, these verses imply a strong belief in both the authority and preservation of scripture throughout time. While they do not explicitly state “perfect preservation,” they provide foundational support for such a doctrine within Christian theology.

Bold Answer:

The verses Matthew 4:4 and 5:18 imply a strong belief in the necessity and enduring nature of God’s words, supporting concepts related to their perfect preservation through emphasizing their significance for spiritual life and asserting that no part will be lost until all is fulfilled.

The Capitulation on the Biblical Doctrine of the Perfect Preservation of Scripture

Does the Bible suddenly change its meaning?  When God speaks on a certain subject in His Word, do we take what He says as the truth or do we conform it to naturalistic or humanistic presuppositions?  I ask these question especially here about the biblical doctrine of the perfect preservation of scripture.

Master’s Seminary and John MacArthur

I was watching an interview of the leaders of the Master’s Seminary about its founding, including John MacArthur, and I came to a crucial, foundational section of the interview.  A little after the 15 minute mark, MacArthur said:

Obviously I have a very strong commitment to the Word of God and to its accurate interpretation and to sound doctrine. . . . [We needed] to come up with our own exhaustive doctrinal statement. . . . [A] seminary has to have a unified doctrinal statement. . . . We didn’t have any wiggle room.  It was sound doctrine or nothing, and we were going to fight for that at all costs. . . . We tightened everything we could tighten with a very detailed doctrine that to this day is still our statement with some more refinement.

Even now we’re doing some refinement, having it right.  It was in order to maintain sound doctrine and have a solid, unified set of convictions all the way from theology proper and bibliology down to ecclesiology and even eschatology, the whole thing.  And that’s what’s been defining for us.  And here we’ve been doing this since 1986 and nothing has moved.

Bibliology Statement at Master’s Seminary

When I heard MacArthur say this over a week ago, I wondered about the bibliology statement in the seminary doctrinal statement, so I looked it up. Here’s the fundamental part of what it says, the first four paragraphs:

We teach that the Bible is God’s written revelation to man, and thus the sixty-six books of the Bible given to us by the Holy Spirit constitute the plenary (inspired equally in all parts) Word of God (1 Corinthians 2:7-14; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

We teach that the Word of God is an objective, propositional revelation (1 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Corinthians 2:13), verbally inspired in every word (2 Timothy 3:16), absolutely inerrant in the original documents, infallible, and God-breathed.

We teach the literal, grammatical, historical interpretation of Scripture which affirms the belief that the opening chapters of Genesis present creation in six literal days (Genesis 1:31; Exodus 31:17), describe the special creation of man and woman (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:5-25), and define marriage as between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5). Scripture elsewhere dictates that any sexual activity outside of marriage is an abomination before the Lord (Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 18:13; Matthew 5:27-32; 19:1-9; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5; 6:9-10; 1 Thessalonians. 4:1-7).

We teach that the Bible constitutes the only infallible rule of faith and practice (Matthew 5:18; 24:35; John 10:35; 16:12-13; 17:17; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

As you read that, maybe you think it’s a boilerplate, typical orthodox, scriptural, and historical statement of bibliology.  In a statement on bibliology, in the first four paragraphs Master’s Seminary gave a gigantic chunk of space to interpretational philosophy, emphasizing a young earth interpretation and biblical definition of marriage.  I’m fine with including that, but how do you include that and say nothing about the preservation of scripture?

The Bible and the Preservation of Scripture

Does the Bible teach its own preservation?  Does it say anything about that?  Did you notice in the second paragraph on inspiration, it applies verbal inspiration and inerrancy and infallibility to the “original manuscripts”?  After a third paragraph on interpretation, a fourth paragraph then says “the Bible constitutes the only infallible rule of faith and practice.”  According to the statement, the Bible itself is not infallible, except in the original manuscripts, yet it still constitutes an infallible rule of faith and practice.  These types of conclusions do not follow the premises for them.

The physical original manuscripts (autographa) do not exist.  No one can look at them to get a rule of faith and practice.  People can look only at copies of copies (apographa) of the original manuscripts.  Without a doctrine of preservation, one cannot conclude an infallible rule of faith and practice.  Is there no doctrine of preservation of scripture in the Bible?

MacArthur states in the interview that he obviously has a very strong commitment to the Word of God.  Does he have a strong commitment to the Bible’s teaching on the preservation of scripture?  He commits to six day creation based on his scriptural presuppositions.  MacArthur commits to a biblical definition of marriage.  The statement includes nothing about preservation of scripture.  Is he committed to the teaching of the Word of God on its own preservation?  I don’t see it.

Legacy Standard Bible

The same Master’s Seminary faculty took the project of the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB).  Upon its completion in 2021, the editors of the LSB wrote in its preface:

The Legacy Standard Bible has the benefit of a number of critical Greek texts in determining the best variant reading to translate. The 27th edition of Eberhard Nestle’s Novum Testamentum Graece, supplemented by the 28th edition in the General Epistles, serve as the base text. On every variant reading the Society of Biblical Literature GNT as well as the Tyndale House GNT were also consulted. In the end, each decision was based upon the current available manuscript evidence.

This statement alone reveals a rejection of perfect preservation.  Instead of God preserving His Words perfectly as scripture teaches, it reflects a failed attempt at restoration of the original text God inspired.  This helps explain the doctrinal statement leaving out a doctrine of preservation.  What does the Bible teach about a believers expectations between AD100 and the present regarding the preservation of scripture?

Even if the evidence of modern science says the world is a billion years old, a believer accepts the revelation of the first chapter of Genesis.  He explains the science according to scripture, because scripture is truth.  Even if the evidence of modern science says that there are errors in present printed editions of the original language Bible, a believer accepts the doctrine of the preservation passages.  It also says that men alone have the task of preserving scripture like any other book.  Everyone either begins with a naturalistic or a supernaturalistic presupposition, and no one is neutral.

Preaching on Preservation

When exposing the text in front of him, MacArthur has said the following, first on Matthew 24:35:

Finally, Jesus said this: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words” – what? – “shall not pass away.” That is an unchanging authority. And He closes the parable with an unchanging authority. “My Word shall not pass away.” In Luke 16:17, He said heaven and earth will pass away and it’s easier for them to do that than for one tittle out of the law to pass away. He said not one jot or one tittle in Matthew 5:18 will pass away until all is fulfilled. In John 10:35, He said Scripture cannot be broken. And so if we believe the Word of God, we believe this is going to happen – it’s going to happen.

So in a sermon to people, who sit there thinking that Almighty God will preserve His Words, it sounds like he preaches perfect preservation.  But no, ‘we really don’t believe that.’  ‘We just say that in the texts that say that.’

Master’s Seminary has no statement on preservation of scripture, because it does not believe in the preservation of scripture.  It does not believe that someone can prove the preservation of scripture on exegetical grounds.  It says God inspired every word on exegetical grounds, but it doesn’t say on exegetical grounds that God then preserved every one of those words.  The seminary says that God nowhere in scripture promised that He would preserve His Word.  Historic Christianity writes doctrinal statements that say something different.

Historical Bibliology on Preservation of Scripture

The London Baptist Confession of 1689 says:

The Old Testament in Hebrew (which was the native language of the people of God of old), and the New Testament in Greek (which at the time of the writing of it was most generally known to the nations), being immediately inspired by God, and by His singular care and providence kept pure in all ages, are therefore authentic; so as in all controversies of religion, the church is finally to appeal to them.

Dutch Theologian Herman Bavink (1854-1921) wrote in The Sacrifice of Praise (p. 21):

All scripture was not only once given by inspiration of God but it is also as such continually preserved by God by His Almighty and everywhere present power.

In a book, Fundamentalism Versus Modernism (1925), Eldred Vanderlaan wrote:

Christ guarantees that as a part of the sacred text neither the tittle or the yod shall perish.

In a Chronological Treatise Upon the Seventy Weeks of Daniel (1725), Benjamin Marshall wrote:

And as not one jot or tittle of the former was to pass without being fulfilled, so neither could one jot, or tittle of the latter pass away without being accomplished.  Consequently not one jot or tittle, much less could one word. . . . pass away. . . , without its actual completion, and full accomplishment in the express letter of it.

Believing God’s Promise of Preservation

A multitude of passages in scripture teach in their context the perfect preservation of scripture (see our book, Thou Shalt Keep Them, here and here).  God promised He would preserve every one of His written Words unto every generation of believer.  It’s interesting to me what men, who have been in the same orbit as MacArthur, say about the sovereignty of God.  R. C. Sproul famously wrote and said:

If there is one maverick molecule in the universe, one molecule running loose outside the scope of God’s sovereign ordination, then ladies and gentlemen, there is not the slightest confidence that you can have that any promise that God has ever made about the future will come to pass.

It amazes me that they can believe that every molecule functions under the control of God, but God would not and did not fulfill His promises of perfect preservation of scripture.

AUTHORS OF THE BLOG

  • Kent Brandenburg
  • Thomas Ross

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