VERBAL PLENARY INSPIRATION – PRESERVATION of SCRIPTURE
Purported Bible scholars continue to sully the Scriptures in Jerusalem. Those involved in “The Bible Project” as it is called, began tracking every single evolution of the text of the Hebrew Bible fifty-three years ago. They assert that “the sacred text (then) was not the one we study today”. They also observe that “the transmission” of the text “was messier and more human” than most imagine. These academic lights claim that the differences in the ancient text compared to the current versions are “evidence of the inevitable textual hiccups, scribal errors and other human fingerprints that became part of the Bible.” “The Bible has evolved indeed,” say they. This is all according to an AP press report dated August 12th.
It is no wonder that the authority of God’s Word is evaporating in the wider circle of evangelical Christianity. Even in fundamental Baptist circles the doctrine of verbal plenary inspiration is being turned on its head. Many retreat to the notion of the “as originally written” concept to safeguard their veneer of orthodoxy. But what of the Scriptures TODAY? Do we rest our confidence in sacred writ on the competence and good intentions of the scholar? If we do not preach from the Word of God…inspired by God and preserved by God, we do not preach with the authority of God.
To set a guidepost for our church family so as to assist them in this era of proliferating English translations and sundry versions, we set forth this statement on the Doctrine of the Scriptures.
“We believe that the Holy Bible as originally written was verbally and plenarily inspired and the product of Spirit-controlled men, and therefore is truth without any admixture of error for its matter. We believe the Bible to be the center of true Christian unity and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds and opinions shall be tried.”
“We believe that God has supernaturally preserved His Word in the traditional Hebrew and Greek manuscripts. We believe that the King James version of the Bible is an accurate translation in its entirety. Accordingly, we believe that it is prudent, for the sake of clarity, consistency, and continuity, to insist that all who teach or preach at Grace Baptist Church use the King James Bible for public reading, classroom instruction, or the formal proclamation of the Word.” (2Tim. 3:16-17; 2Pet. 1:19-21; Matt. 4:4; Matt. 5:17-18)
Pastor Daniel Kaminski