Wildwood Baptist Online

The Final Authority On The Final Authority

By Dr. Ed Moore

Yesterday, I told a man and his wife how to go to heaven. They both bowed their heads and prayed. They did this because I showed them a Bible promise that says; “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13) I showed them the Word of God.

The day before that, I counseled with a man who was about to leave his wife, I showed him what the Bible had to say. He and his wife are now reconciled. The crises has passed. He believed the Word of God.

Last week I comforted the widow and children of a man who had just died. I told them that he was with the Lord. I told them that they would see him again. I showed them this from the Word of God.

Week after week, year after year, I point people to the Bible. Need after need is met by the precious Word of God. I preach today what I preached thirty-five years ago, namely;

Jesus loves me,

This I know,

For the Bible

Tells me so!

But beloved, the doctrines of the Divine inspiration and preservation of the Holy Scriptures are under attack as never before. Ignorance is widespread. Real understanding is rare. Confusion is rampant.

In this little booklet I am going to teach things that Bible seminaries ought to be teaching. I am going to teach you how to know that the Bible is just as reliable and accurate today as it was when God first gave it. I am going to give you the knowledge that many preachers don’t even have. In this booklet, I am going to show you how to be absolutely certain that the Bible is not only Divinely inspired, but Divinely preserved as well. When you finish this little booklet you will have a renewed confidence that the Bible is indeed the very Word of God, and what is more, you will know how to show others this same truth. In short, I am going to show you what Jesus Christ said!

Jesus: The Final Authority!

In almost every orthodox confession of faith there is a line that reads something like this, “We believe that the Bible is the final authority concerning all matters of faith and practice, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct and creeds shall be tried.” But, (and here comes the rub) how do we know what the final authority, the Bible, originally said?

Accepting that it is inspired, how do we know that it didn’t become defiled by men or by time? Or, for that matter, how do we know that it has been faithfully translated for you and me? In other words, given that it has been Divinely inspired, is there any evidence that it has been Divinely preserved as well? And if so, how can we know it when we see it; by what standard is this to be determined? In short, what we are really asking is this: “Is there a final authority on the final authority?”

The answer is yes! Jesus, the “Word Made Flesh” (John 1:14) is the final authority on His Word. He not only gave the Word, He also gave the rules that must govern how we handle it. Concerning Christ, the Bible states, "That in all things he might have the preeminence"! (Col. 1:18) The word preeminence means: "Superior to, or above all others". In nothing, is it more important that Christ have the preeminence than where His Word is concerned. Jesus must never be given a back seat to scholars, translators or Bible publishers! The rest of this booklet will teach you what I mean by this. It will teach you what Jesus Himself taught on the subject.

Inspiration -vs- Preservation

Now as we begin, I am going to make a statement that is vitally important. Here it is: “The doctrine of Divine inspiration is pure folly without the doctrine of Divine preservation.”

The very idea that God would give the perfect Word of God and then allow it to be diluted or destroyed is ludicrous! If this were allowed to happen there would be no foundations and all confidence would crumble for lack of a reliable authority.

If the Bible were corrupted, where would be the final authority concerning sin and salvation, heaven and hell, life and death? For that matter, how would we even know about our Lord Jesus Christ, the crucifixion, or the resurrection? For “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalms 11:3)

Thankfully, this did not happen! The Bible has not been corrupted. It is perfect in every way. It has no errors whatsoever. And this claim should not surprise us, for God Himself has promised to preserve His Word for every generation. Look at this promise:

“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.” (Psalms 12:6-7)

Yes, God has obligated Himself to preserve His Word for every generation! This is why Jesus so boldly stated:

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35)

Originals? What Originals?

Now, let me begin with a little education. When God gave the Word of God, He told certain men exactly what to write. The apostle Peter, put it this way. “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (II Peter 1:21)

From this we see that the Bible was inspired by the Holy Ghost. The Apostle Paul concurs putting it like this: “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.” (II Timothy 3:16-17)

I could of course give many other scriptures but this is not a booklet on inspiration but one on preservation. (To learn more about inspiration, get my booklet entitled. How I Know the Bible Is The Inspired Word Of God!) The point is this, God gave the very words for men to write down! These originating documents are what theologians call the original autographs. However, there is one great big problem. None of them, not so much as one of them is still around today! They are all gone! None of them have survived!

Because of this, we must inevitably come to this conclusion. When God said that He would preserve His Word, He was speaking of the content, the very words themselves and not of the original autographs. Time and technology would simply not allow it.

Many Manuscripts.

Therefore, since there are no original autographs, we must subsequently rely upon copies of the originals. There are thousands and thousands of them. For this we may thank God, for this is the very way He planned it, as we shall see. However, there is much more to it than this, for it is here that Jesus reigns as Lord of His Word! Let me explain what I mean.

The Multiplicity Of Witnesses.

Now we are ready for some real teaching! Allow me to be a bit vain, and to speak as a man, for I do so that you might understand the importance of what I’m about to teach.

Years ago, I served as a State Senator. While at the capital, I served on the Judiciary Committee. This is the committee that makes the laws that govern our courts, lawyers, judges, etc. Therefore, I am not only familiar with law, but the judicial process by which truth is determined. Now, I’m trying to make a point; the same point that Jesus made. Here it is. “Truth, all truth, must first and foremost be determined by multiplicity of witnesses.” This is the first and most important law of jurisprudence (the science of law used to establish truth)

Let us stop and see exactly what Jesus said. In Matthew 18:16b Jesus stated: “That in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.”

In other words, Jesus taught us that the process of determining truth must be based on the multiplicity of witnesses. This is the foundation of all legitimate courts of law. This is what Jesus said we must do to determine truth. This principle is also rooted in the law of Moses. (See Deuteronomy. 19:15, etc.) The Apostle Paul also concurred with this principle, and quoted Jesus in II Corinthians 13:1.

Murder You Say?

Allow me to present a little scenario that will help us to understand how this works. Let us suppose that you have been accused of murder! You have been indicted, and now you are being tried for premeditated murder! You know that you are innocent. You know that you didn’t commit the crime. But, how are you going to convince a jury of this? This is where our illustration comes in.

Here Come The Big Guns!

Let us suppose that the prosecuting attorney calls three old witnesses; three old, but very credible, powerful and well respected witnesses! Let us say that these include:

One: The old mayor of the city,

Two: The old chief of police,

Three: The minister of the largest and oldest church in town.

Things look pretty grim for you as each in turn fingers you as the one who pulled the trigger. The newspapers are having a heyday. Things look very bleak!

One Thousand Witnesses!

However, just when things couldn’t look worse, your attorney stands up to begin your defense. And fortunately for you, he’s a good one! He begins by reminding the jury that the prominence of the three incriminating witnesses must not weigh too heavy on their minds. He reminds them of the rule of the multiplicity of witnesses. He then coolly announces that he is not only willing, but has every intention of producing one thousand witnesses that can verify your whereabouts at the established time of the murder. Then, slowly and methodically, he begins to call one witness after another who faithfully testify that you were in another state speaking to a large group of people at the time of the murder.

The Jury Must Decide.

Now then, all other things being equal, how is the jury to decide? Should they find you guilty or innocent? Should it accept the witness of three old but prominent witnesses or the testimony of a thousand common people? If we follow the rule that Jesus gave; if we follow the first law of jurisprudence, the jury must decide that you are innocent. They must vote for acquittal. Any other verdict would be a gross and inexcusable miscarriage of justice!

Translating the Bible.

This little example illustrates what Bible scholars and translators also face. How can a theologian or translator know what the original autographs said? Actually, it should be very, very easy... if we are willing to follow the rule that Jesus set forth.

Let me give an example. In Isaiah 7:14, the Bible says:

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

This is the way the translators of the King James Bible translated it, and rightly so. However, the translators of the Revised Standard Version chose to translate “virgin” as “young maiden”. Now that is a big difference! For a young maiden to conceive is common place. But, for a virgin to conceive is a miracle! This is very, very important, for Jesus could only be the Son of God if he was conceived by the Holy Ghost in a virgin’s womb, making Him Divine! You see, the immaculate conception (the virgin birth of Christ through Mary) is essential to the very essence of the Christian faith.

So, who is right? Should Isaiah 7:14 say a "virgin" or should it be translated “young maiden” as some claim?

Jesus' Rule Must Be Followed!

To determine this, we must have rules to govern the translating process. Just as in a court of law, we must have rules to determine truth, so likewise, we must have rules to govern manuscript renderings and translations as well. But, who has the right to determine these rules? Must we yield to the learned and often conflicting opinions of “scholars”? Or is there a higher authority, yea a final authority? Who has the right to make this determination?

Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, (John 1:14) whose name is called “The Word of God”, (Revelation 19:13) alone has the right to make the rules! Jesus himself established the rule of multiplicity of witnesses. Therefore, to know whether Isaiah 7:14 should read “a virgin” or “a young maiden” we need only find out which rendering is justified by looking for the majority rendering in all known manuscripts that contain Isaiah 7:14. That is, if we are going to honor Christ! When we do this, it is overwhelmingly agreed that the phrase should read “a virgin”. This same procedure applies to every verse and every word in question, or as Jesus put it, that “every word” be established. (Matthew 18:16)

Thus, by following Jesus' rule, we may know with certainty what the original autographs said. It is just that simple! Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something, usually their own copyrighted “version” of the Bible. (This is the very reason that our newspaper, Country Cathedrals, does not carry advertisement for Bibles which use copyrighted Bible texts. No one can own exclusive rights to the Word of God! Such copyrighting of translations for exclusive marketing purposes is the highly questionable driving force behind most modern translations today.)

Does this Rule Apply to Bible Translations?

Perhaps I hear someone say, “Oh, Jesus was not even referring to translations when he made the statement in Matthew 18.” Yes, and you would be right. In context, Jesus was not talking about the Bible specifically, but rather telling the church how to determine truth in general, anywhere and everywhere. However, in nothing is this principle more important than in determining the truth of the Bible manuscripts themselves. After all, “Thy word is truth.” (John 17:17)

Why Then Did Some Translations Omit "Virgin"?

The next obvious question must then be this: “Why did the translators of the Revised Standard Version use the phrase “young maiden” instead of “virgin?” The answer is simply this. They either ignorantly or arrogantly disregarded the rule of Jesus Christ. Both are inexcusable! Whichever it was, these men replaced the rule that had always been followed, and substituted their own man-made rule. And, to make matters worse, the new, illegitimate rule that they substituted in the place of the one Jesus gave, has become the basis for almost every modern translation since!

What Was This Man-Made Rule?

The rule that most modern translators have embraced; the rule that has led to a whole host of questionable translations is this. Simply: that “older is better”. In other words the new rule states that a translator may give a rendering that is contrary to the collective majority if it can be established that an “older” manuscript contained it.

Three Old But Questionable Manuscripts.

The three oldest and most complete manuscripts in existence today are known as: the Sinaiticus, the Vaticanus and the Alexandrius. However, these three manuscripts often conflict with what the majority of all other manuscripts say; and often on cardinal Christian doctrines! (Such as “virgin” in Isaiah 7:14) The English revision committee of 1881 was the first to give this small family of manuscripts preeminence over the thousands of other manuscripts. It should be noted that the Northern Convocation of the Church of England refused to be a part of this inordinate revision committee, and stated that it “would deplore any recasting of texts”. Nevertheless, the revision committee shamelessly proceeded and its presumptuous usurpation has become the curse of almost every translation committee since. Thus, this slight-of-hand "scholarship" has become the inexcusable dead fly in the ointment, so to speak. (Ecclesiastas10:1)

The next question then is this: “Who gave these men the right to disregard the rule that Jesus gave and to set aside the majority rendering on the basis of three old manuscripts?” This is like taking the word of the three prominent old witnesses over the one-thousand witnesses in our previous illustration. This is wrong! Although we need not exclude these older manuscripts, neither should we give them precedent over the majority. What we need to repudiate is the false rule, not manuscripts for: “What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD.” (Jeremiah 23:28)

The Historical Position of the Church.

The rule of multiplicity of witnesses is the historical position of Christendom. Yea, it forms one of the core arguments for Biblical accuracy and reliability. Look at what Dr. W. A. Criswell, two-time President of the Southern Baptist Convention, had to say on this matter. I quote from his book, These Issues We Must Face. (Page 58)

“It is thus that from every part of the ancient world, from the tombs, from the rubbish heaps, from the libraries, from the writings of the Fathers, from the versions, there comes evidence piled on top of evidence for the authenticity of the text of the Word of God. The multiplication of these ancient manuscripts is unbelievable. They come from every part of the ancient world, and they cover every portion of the New Testament and of the whole Bible.

For example, one scholar estimates that there are 4105 ancient Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. It has also been variously estimated that there are as many as 15,000 to 30,000 Latin versions of the Holy Scriptures. Besides these, there are at least 1,000 other early versions of the Sacred Word. When all those thousands of documents are checked, compared, combined, grouped, studied, we have a certain and final answer regarding the text.

With complete and perfect assurance I can pick up my Bible and know that I read the revealed Word of God. The God who inspired it also took faithful care that it be exactly preserved through the fire and the blood of the centuries.”

Has A Text Been Compiled That Faithfully Reflects

The Majority Rendering?

Yes! The historical text, comprised of the majority rendering, is available to anyone who wants to go back to the original languages. This text is known as The Textus Receptus, (or Received Text) so called, because it has been received and embraced by the church down through the centuries. This text faithfully reflects the majority rendering of the thousands of manuscripts in existence today. Even when you add in the evidence of the questionable manuscripts that we have discussed, it changes absolutely nothing! This is because the sheer weight of the majority texts, swallows these up, just as Moses' rod swallowed the counterfeit serpents of Egypt!

What About Modern Translations Of Today?

The Authorized King James Version of the Bible, which was translated in England in 1611 is the last major translation to follow the multiple witness rule that Jesus gave. Nearly all other translations to date have followed the new, unbiblical rule in general and especially where matters of controversy are concerned.

While some translations have paid lip service to the majority text rule, they fall far short, by not only failing to repudiate the illegitimate rule, but by adding thousands of footnotes that call the authenticity of words, phrases, verses and even whole passages into question based solely upon these questionable minority manuscripts. The New King James Version (New KJV), The New International Version (NIV), and The New American Standard Version (NASV), are some of the worst offenders in this regard. The New KJV's footnote-listing of nearly every minority text disagreement, is a pandering to the false rule that is especially irksome in that it was marketed as a Textus Receptus translation. This undermines the majority rendering on page after page! Remember, "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." (I Corinthians. 5:6)

Test Verses On Cardinal Doctrines.

In Scripture, there are many verses that we call “Proof-Texts”. By this, we refer to many powerful, key verses that prove or defend the essential doctrines of the faith.

Here is an example. In Acts 20:28 we read; “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”

Now, this verse is what we call a “proof-text”. It proves that Jesus' blood, the blood shed upon Calvary’s cross was indeed the very blood of God Himself, thus proving that Jesus was God! Notice the King James correctly translates “the Church of God,” and then states that this church was purchased by “his own blood”. Who’s blood? God’s blood! We know this because the pronoun “he” refers back to the antecedent, “God”. Now, to replace the word “God” with any other word, including the word Jesus or Christ, destroys this verse as a proof-text for the deity of Christ. We all know that it was Jesus Christ’s blood that was shed upon the cross. The point however, is that Christ’s blood, was also God’s own blood! To change the wording from the way that the King James correctly translated it, destroys this verse as a powerful proof-text of the Deity of Jesus Christ. Do you see what I mean?

This is just one example, but there are many, other verses that suffer at the hands of dishonest translators who do not follow Christ’s own rule. Often these changes are subtle, but none-the-less devastating to the essence of many cardinal Christian doctrines.

It is for this reason that we have included a pullout, reproducible test sheet whereby the reader can compare the King James Version’s rendering of many of these important proof-texts of the Bible with other translations. You will find this as a centerfold, complete with instructions, etc. It is our prayer that this comparison sheet will help many to see how important it is to correctly translate the Bible.

Remember also that it is not just these many vital proof-texts that suffer, the general reliability of the overall translation itself is also effected. Very often, the total disregard for accuracy adversely effects the Divine weave of Scripture itself, effecting even the spiritual and mystical ability of Scripture to agree with itself.

Beloved, we must not handle the Word of God flippantly and carelessly! Taking liberties as if it was just any old book is a sin. The Bible is the very Word of God! We must be careful to embrace the holy attitude of the Apostle Paul who said: “For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” (II Corinthians 2:17)

Can A Translation Be The Very Word of God?

At this point, I feel we should pause to address the first of several obvious questions. Can any translation be considered the very Word of God? Let me begin my answer by saying that if no translation could be considered the very word of God, then none but the fewest of language scholars could have access to it! (And of course this is the very position that the Catholic church took in the dark ages.)

Furthermore, if "the revealed Word of God" is not available in our own tongue, then according to I Peter 1: 23, no one but those who understand "coin A" Greek or ancient Hebrew could be saved at all! Peter wrote: "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."

Again, I ask you to listen to Jesus' own words. In Matthew 7:17-18 he taught us this principle: "Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit." When this principle is applied to translating the Bible, we can know that the good manuscripts when faithfully adhered to, will produce a faithful translation in any language. Of course the opposite is also true, and this is the problem with translations that have embraced the spurious texts at the expense of the majority.

With this in mind, I again quote Dr. W. A. Criswell's concluding remarks quoted earlier on page 13. Can a translation be considered the perfect Word of God? I quote: "With complete and perfect assurance I can pick up my Bible and know that I read the revealed Word of God! "

The one thing that we must remember however, is that no one should seek to set any translation up over the majority text of the original languages. To do so would be to become guilty of doing the very thing that we accuse others of doing, namely the disregarding of Jesus' own rule. We who love the King James Version as the very Word of God, in the English tongue, must also play by the rules of Jesus Christ. A man should always have the liberty of referring to the original languages provided he appeals to the majority text.

What About Future Translations?

Is it possible to make a new translation today that would preserve both the spiritual majesty and accurate reliability of the King James Version. I doubt it, for the atmosphere of holy reverence does not exist today as it once did. This, coupled with a misguided pandering to so called scholars and critics who embrace the wrong rules of textual evidence, make it nearly impossible for a reliable new translation.

Well then, could an updating of the King James Version be made that addresses only the issue of the Old English vernacular? After all, even the KJV itself was translated out of a desire "To deliver God's book to God's people in a tongue which they understand." (A direct quote from the translator's introduction to the first 1611 edition.) Certainly, there is nothing wrong with this motive, if indeed it is the only motive.

I will only say that if such a project were to be undertaken, it would have to be overseen only by those who whole-heartedly embrace "the supremacy of multiplicity" and who utterly reject the erroneous “older is better” notion. Such a revision should not change the wording of the King James Version unless there is an easily understood equivalent word that remains faithful to the majority text.

However, until then, God's people are well advised to repose their confidence in the King James Version of the Bible, to the present exclusion of all other English translations.

What Should Our Attitude Be To Those

Who Are Unlearned On the Subject?

Finally, let me address the attitude that Christians who are educated on the subject, should have toward those who are uneducated and unaware of what is at stake on this important subject. Here, our attitude should reflect the teaching of the Bible when it says:

“And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;” ( II Timothy 2:24-25)

To belittle or to be belligerent to those who do not have proper training on the subject is to be unkind and unChristian. On the contrary, we should do all in our power to help these to come to a place of rational Biblical understanding. This attitude honors Christ, for “A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.” (Proverbs 18:19)

Let me give you a brief example of what I mean. Years ago, as a student at the newly established Hyles-Anderson College, (My Alma Mater) several of us students took a strong stand for the Textus Receptus, (The name given to the Majority Text.) Dr. Robert Billings, the president of the college, called five of us in, one at a time and proceeded to expel us over the matter! We were neither disrespectful nor unkind to him nor to any of our professors. However, we did take a stand. As the ringleader, I appealed to Dr. Jack Hyles, the founder of the college. To his personal credit, Dr. Hyles overruled the president of the college, reinstated the expelled students, and made a declaration that the college would use none but the King James Bible. Now, if we had been belligerent and self-righteous in our attitude, this might never have happened. The truth is that in those days, not many understood that the translation rules had been switched. Back then, good men were busy fighting bad translations. Today, we are going to the very root of the problem itself. Thankfully, many are now coming to a full understanding of the facts.

If you have a friend who does not understand the issues, and what is at stake, I encourage you to give them a copy of this little booklet.

What Should Our Attitude Be To Those Who

Consciously Reject Christ’s Rule?

This is a different matter altogether. While gentleness is always preferred, we must not yield one inch of ground to those who seek to undermine the Bible with false rules which usurp the preeminence of Christ over His Word. We must not only be prepared to present the reasons for our conviction on the subject, but to also earnestly contend for the faith at any cost.

A Final Word to Ministers and Teachers.

Brethren, in conclusion let me underscore this conviction: If we, who are charged with the defense of the faith, are unwilling to defend the Divine inspiration and preservation of the Scriptures, who then will? Some say we are quibbling over nothing and making mountains out of mole hills. Perhaps those who say such things have bought into the older is better theology. It may well be that they do not really believe in the verbal inspiration and preservation of Scripture. Today, there are those who say that we dabble with trifles. Is it a trifle to contend for the reliability of the Bible, the Deity of Christ, and the blood atonement? May I remind such men of what Michelangelo once said, "Trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle!" The infallibility of the Bible is not a trifle. Such men would themselves be well advised to stop trifling with the Word of God!

I know that many good brethren who are sound in the faith have not thought these things through. They are not my enemies. However, I will continue to take a stand and try to give them the facts with the prayer that they will come to an intelligent understanding of the issues before us.

Preachers and laity alike must be taught sound doctrine. Something as simple as making this little booklet available to your people, will provide the knowledge and understanding to direct them in the right path. This done, we can then stay on the main path of using our incorruptible Bible to win many precious souls to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!