Bibliology: The Doctrine of Scriptures - Part 2 - Inspiration and Preservation

Temple Baptist Church - 10-26-2025

Exodus 13:18; 32:15-19; 34:1

 

Introduction: 

 

A.  Bibliology is the branch of systematic theology that studies the facts and doctrines concerning the Bible as God’s revelation to man, including its inspiration, inerrancy, authority, canonization, illumination, preservation, and interpretation.

 

B.  This morning, I want to take a biblical look at two things that guarantee our Bible’s authority: Inspiration and Preservation.  These two doctrines MUST always be tied together because Inspiration without Preservation makes the Word of God, we hold in our hands the “word of man,” an imperfect Word of God.  Imperfection and God do not go together!

 

C.  Now, having said that, I want to look at these two words to explain what they are and why they must be used together.

 

D.  So-called “theologians” in our day separate Inspiration from Preservation.  This causes confusion and doubt among many who read their Bibles shallowly.  It is a ploy of Satan as he always tries to divide and conquer God’s people.  I think that everyone knows that “God is not the Author of confusion, but of peace, as in ALL churches of the saints.”

 

1 Corinthians 14:33  For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

 

E.  And please do not say that King James Bible believers are the culprits in confusion.  We still hold to the old Authorized King James Bible of our forefathers.  We follow the Old Paths wherein is the good way.

 

F.  First, we will look at the Doctrine of Biblical Inspiration, which Paul said pertained to “All Scripture.”   Does “All Scripture” apply to Paul’s day, Timothy’s day, and our day?  That question needs to be answered.

 

G.  I believe that we all would agree that God inspired the Original Autographs, but no one owns or has seen one.  I know of no one who owns the two original “Tables of the Law” which were written by the “finger of God.”

 

H.  But, what about the Scriptures that Paul had other than what he wrote?  What about the “holy Scriptures that Timothy was saved by?  What about the King James Bible that we hold in our hands?

 

J. To understand what Biblical Inspiration is, we need to go to the Book of Genesis, often called “The Book of the Beginnings” or “The Seedbed of the Bible.”  Genesis is also the Book of First Mentions.

 

1.  Genesis chapter one.  In the beginning, God spoke or breathed out.  In the first six days of Creation, God spoke everything into existence, and it was “very good.”  What God breathes out is perfectly perfect, no fault at all.  Impeccability is a divine attribute of God alone. 

 

a)  God speaking is expiration or breathing out. We use this term when a person dies; their last act is to breathe out or expire. In fundamentalism, we used this term to explain the Word of God: “God Breathed.” I have seen it printed on the front cover of Bibles.

 

b)  Inspiration means to breathe into something. God breathed out, but also breathed into or infused.  The infusing is both Inspiration and Preservation. 

 

3.  The best illustration is a biblical one.  Genesis 2:7  And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

 

a)  God formed man of the dust of the ground, but he had no life.  God made a body.  God infused the life of God into Adam's body.  The life God infused into Adam was eternal life.  Therefore, we find preservation in the same act.

 

b)  God never had to infuse life into anyone since that day, as that eternal life remains preserved in reproduction.

 

K.  All Original Manuscripts are both Inspired and Preserved.  These original writings did not just “poof” into existence.  God spoke, and men wrote, through divine preservation, His words down.  They were perfect through preservation.  These men, in their humanity, could have made a mistake by altering, omitting, or adding to the Word given, BUT they did not because preservation is God’s work, even though He uses men.

 

Psalms 68:11  The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.

 

What did this great company publish?  The Word that God gave!

 

L.  The first written Scriptures were approximately 3,500 years old and are found in the Book of Exodus, chapters 31-34. 

 

1.  Inspiration and Preservation.  God provided the tables of stone and wrote upon them the perfect Word of God with His finger. 

 

Exodus 31:18  And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God. 

 

(Testimony – Inspiration and Tables written with the finger of God – Preservation)

 

a)  In this verse, we find the First Mention Principle of Bible Interpretation concerning both Inspiration and Preservation: “The first time a word, doctrine, or concept is mentioned in Scripture, it establishes the foundational meaning and usage of that word or truth throughout the rest of the Bible.”

 

b)  Simply stated: When God introduces a subject in His Word, He does so in a way that reveals its basic, essential meaning. Later mentions of that subject will build upon, expand, or illustrate that first introduction — but never contradict it.

 

2.  The Man of God’s Mission.  Again, a First Mention of the work of the Man of God concerning the Scriptures.  Moses then carried the perfect Word of God down to the people. 

 

Exodus 31:18  And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

 

Exodus 32:15-16  And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.  (16)  And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.

 

3.  The Destruction of the Original.  In anger, Moses broke the tablets.

 

Exodus 32:19  And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.

 

4.  The Preservation of the Word of God.  Moses hewed the tables of stone but God wrote upon These tables the exact words as the first!

 

Exodus 34:1  And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.

 

5.  What God Inspired, God Preserved!  He did not leave either inspiration or preservation in Moses' hands.

 

M.  The New Testament confirms that inspiration and preservation are both simultaneous acts of God. 

 

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.  (24)  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:  (25)  But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

 

a. The Apostle Peter declares that the same principle holds true today:

 

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... But the word of the Lord endureth for ever.

 

“Incorruptible” – Not subject to corruption, decay, or death; enduring forever.

 

1 Corinthians 9:25 – “Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.”

 

1 Corinthians 15:52 – “...for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

 

b. Just as God breathed life into Adam, so He breathed His Word into writing — and that Word still lives and abides forever.

 

c. Therefore, the Scriptures we have today — preserved in the Authorized King James Bible — are as living and incorruptible as the day God first gave them.

 

Conclusion:  Men may reject the truth of what God said in these last verses, but I thank Him every day for His precious Word that saved my soul many years ago.  Believe what you want, but I still believe the Bible is the inerrant, infallible, inspired, preserved Word of God in the King James Bible for English-speaking people.

Biblical Inspiration – Part 3 - Why Do We Need a Perfect Bible?

Temple Baptist Church - 2-9-2025

1 Peter 1:18-25

Introduction: 

 

A. You might wonder, "Why so much preaching about the Bible?" This morning, I want to address that. Why do we emphasize a perfect Bible?

 

B.  Are we Biblicists overly protective of our King James Bible? I think not, as we are to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered, especially in light of the subtle, and sometimes not so subtle, attacks by false teachers.

 

C.  Look at our two verses and you will see the emphasis that I have concerning the Bible.

 

1 Peter 1:23  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

 

1.  The word “seed” is found 6 times in Genesis, chapter 1, with each mention the seed had to be right in order to bring about the proper fruit and has continued to do so to this day.  It was a perfect seed.s

 

Genesis 1:11-12  And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.  (12)  And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

 

2.  In Genesis, we find the word “seed” mentioned twice with one “seed” being the seed of the serpent which was corrupt seed and continues to be corrupt to this day as the seed of Satan is an ungodly one.  I thank God that the “seed of the woman” came in all of His perfection.

 

Genesis 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

 

a)  The “seed” of the serpent speaks of those people who choose to follow the ways of Satan and their ways are ungodly because their seed is corrupt.

 

b)  The second mention of “seed” in Genesis, chapter 3, is the seed of the woman which is the first prophecy of the coming of the Son of God, Jesus Christ:  Israel’s Messiah and our Saviour.

 

3.  In Matthew, chapter 13, we find the word “seed” in the parables of the Sower and the Wheat and the Tares.  We find that the “seed” is the “Word” which bears good fruit in both instances.

 

Matthew 13:24  Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

 

D.  How important is our verse for this morning?

 

1 Peter 1:23  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

 

1.  How important is our salvation?  “Being born again”  The most important decision that we will ever make is to repent of our dead works and place our faith in the Gospel!

 

2.  How important is an incorruptible seed?  “not of corruptible seed”  Corrupted seed will not produce good fruit.  Bad seed needs to be thrown away, not planted.

 

3.  Now, in the same verse, how important is the Word of God?  “by the word of God” 

 

4.  How important is inspiration?  “which liveth”

 

5.  How important is preservation?  “and abideth for ever”

 

E. Over the past 100 years, there's been significant division over the Word of God due to the introduction of the Westcott-Hort manuscripts and the subsequent translations based on that text. We know that God is not the author of confusion, so this controversy is not from Him.

 

F. What led to this controversy? It certainly wasn't the King James Bible, which had been in use for approximately 270 years—during which time the greatest revivals and missionary outreach in church history occurred—before the newer translations appeared. True Bible believers reject the Westcott-Hort line of manuscripts (a critical text, not a complementary one) and the new "Bibles" translated from them.

 

G. Another problem Bible believers face is the ridicule for their firm stand on the inerrancy of Scripture. Statements like "Majoring on a minor" and "You are divisive" are often used to mock Bible believers. We need not be bothered or offended by such attacks; we stand firmly where the Bible stands.

 

H. In 1 Peter, the Word of God says we are born of incorruptible seed, the Word of God. "Incorruptible" means that which cannot corrupt or decay. Both "uncorruptible" and "incorruptible" are used in the Bible, and most people do not dispute these usages.  “Uncorruptible” means free from corruption or dishonesty.  “Incorruptible” means immune to corruption or dishonesty.

 

1.  An uncorruptible God - Romans 1:23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

 

2.  An incorruptible crown - 1 Corinthians 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

 

3.  An incorruptible body - 1 Corinthians 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

 

4.  In incorruptible inheritance - 1 Peter 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

 

6.  BUT, some have a problem with an incorruptible Word - 1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

 

WHY do I need an inspired, inerrant Bible?

 

1.  Our salvation depends upon it.  How do we know that we are saved?  BECAUSE the Bible tells us we are!

 

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

 

James 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

 

James 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

 

1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

 

2 Timothy 3:15 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.

 

John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

 

Psalms 119:50  This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.

 

Psalms 119:130  The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.

 

2.  Sound, correct doctrine demands it.  How do we know that our doctrine is right?  Because our doctrine agrees with the Bible.  We do not make the Bible agree with our doctrine!

 

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: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

 

2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

 

1 Timothy 1:3 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,

 

1 Timothy 1:9-10 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

 

1 Timothy 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

 

1 Timothy 6:1-5  Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and [his] doctrine be not blasphemed. 2  And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort. 3  If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; 4  He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, 5  Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

 

3.  My Christian maturity necessitates it.  How can we grow spiritually without it? 

 

Acts 20:32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

 

1 Peter 2:1-2  Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

 

2 Peter 3:15-18 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16  As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 17  Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 18  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

 

  4.  My daily walk counts on it.  How do we know how t walk in the light?

 

Colossians 2:6-8 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7  Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

 

John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

 

Psalms 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed [thereto] according to thy word.

 

Psalms 119:11   Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

 

Psalms 119:104  Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.

 

Psalms 119:105  Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

 

Psalms 119:133  Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

 

Psalms 119:165  Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

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.

 

  5.  The exposing of false teachers requires it.  How do we identify wolves in the church?  By how they line up with the Bible, which is God’s standard.

 

Isaiah 8:19-21 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? 20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. 21 And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.

Romans 16:17  Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

 

Romans 16:17-18  Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.  (18)  For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

 

2 Thessalonians 3:14 And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.

 

1 Timothy 6:3-5 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, [even] the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; 4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, 5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

 

1 John 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

 

  6.  The only proof that I love my Saviour is found in the keeping of God's words. 

  

John 14:21-24 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

1 John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

 

How can I be certain that my Bible is perfect? It is through the divine inspiration and preservation of the Bible by God, rather than by human effort.

 

1.  Because of Who God is!

Psalms 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

 

2.  God has committed to Himself the task of preserving His Word!

 

       Psalms 119:89  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

 

Psalms 12:6-8 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. 7  Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. 8  The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.

 

Psalms 119:90 Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.

 

Psalms 119:152  Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever.

 

Isaiah 59:20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.

 

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 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

 

3.  The power and perfection of God guarantee it!

 

2 Peter 1:1-4  Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: 2  Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.