Part One
Inspiration of the Bible: Is the Bible Infallible, Inerrant, and Verbally Inspired?

I. These Words Are from God- A Message Originating with God
 A. Old Testament Writers Claimed Their Message Was from God 
 B. New Testament Writers Claimed Their Message Was from God 
C. Inspired Men Claimed that What Other Writers Wrote Was from God.
 D. The Writers Denied They Wrote by Human Wisdom
 E. The Writers Claimed Inspiration for Everything in Scripture

II. These Are Words of God - God Gave the Words. 
A. The Sayings of God
B. This Does Not Mean There is no Human Element in the Words 
 
III. These Are True Words - No Errors in Scripture
A. These Are True Words
B. If one claims that the Bible errs, then either he must completely reject the Bible 
     as God's will, or else He is saying that God is not infallible.
 
IV. The Consequences of Denying Infallible, Verbal Inspiration
 A. We Are Left without Any Reliable Source of Authority or Guidance in Religion. 
 B. We Begin a Course of Continual Rejection of Bible Teachings. 
 C. We Deny the Claims of the Bible Writers, Necessarily Implying They Are Liars 
      or  False Teachers.
 D. We Deny that Jesus Is God's Divine Son and Make Him too a False Teacher.
 E. We Bring the Curse of God on Ourselves.

Part Two
The Preservation of the Bible: The Transmission, Ancestry, and Canon of Scripture

I. God's Plan and Purpose Require that He Preserve the Scriptures.
 A. God Desires All Men to Know, Believe, & Obey His Will.
 B. God Revealed the Scriptures So Men Could Know His Will.
 C. God Intended the Scriptures to Guide People of Future Generations
 D. Other Inspired Sources of Revelation Have Ceased.
 E. God Promised to Preserve His Word for People of All Ages.

II. The Old Testament Demonstrates God's Preservation of His Word.
 A. Note the Parallels in the Background of the Two Testaments.
 B. The History of the Old Testament Prior to Jesus' Birth
 C. The Attitude of Jesus and His Disciples toward Old Testament Scripture

III. The Fulfillment of God's Promise to Preserve His Word.
A. Modern Evidence for the Original Text of Scripture
B. Variations in the Manuscripts
Part One
Inspiration of the Bible: Is the Bible Infallible, Inerrant, and Verbally Inspired?

I. These Words Are from God- A Message Originating with God
 A. Old Testament Writers Claimed Their Message Was from God 
     Isaiah 1:2 - The Lord has spoken.
     Jeremiah 10:1,2 - Hear the word which the Lord speaks. Thus says the Lord... 
     Ezekiel 1:3 - The word of the Lord came expressly.
     Hosea 1:1,2 - The word of the Lord that came ... the Lord began to speak by Hosea, 
                            the Lord said... 
    Jonah 1:1 - The word of the Lord came to Jonah.
    Micah 1:1 - The word of the Lord that came to Micah.
    Zech. 1:1 - The word of the Lord came to Zechariah. 
    [See also Joel 1:2; Amos 1:3,6, etc; Obad. 1:1; Zeph. 1:1; Hab. 2:2; Deuteronomy 
      30:9,10; Numbers 12:6-8; 23:5,12,16,19; plus see references in other sections.] 

Study Exercises I.A.
1. What practice is it that the Lord condemns and ridicules in Jeremiah 10:1-5?

2. In Micah 1:1-7 who is it that promises to "come" and bring the destruction on Samaria (Israel)? Note especially verse 3.  Note a similar promise made in Luke 21:25-33.

3. Thought Question: Why is there so much emphasis in the Old Testament that these words originated with God and not with the prophet himself and how important is it that we study the Old Testament today? Give some reasons for your answer, and discuss 1 Cor. 15:1-4 in your answer.

 B. New Testament Writers Claimed Their Message Was from God 
   1 Corinthians 14:37 - The things I write are commands of Lord.
    Ephesians 3:3-5 - The things Paul wrote were made known to him by revelation.    
                                 Formerly these things were not known but have now been revealed 
                                 by the Spirit to apostles & prophets.
   1 Thessalonians 4:15 - We say by the word of the Lord.
   1 Timothy 4:1 - The Spirit expressly says.
   [2 Thessalonians 3:12; John 12:48-50; Acts 16:32; Romans 1:16; 1 Thessalonians 1:5] 

Study Exercises I.B.
1. How did Paul and other "holy prophets and apostles" know what to write down as Scripture, according to Ephesians 3:3-5? 

2.  The information we have about the second coming and the resurrection is based on whose word (1 Thess. 4:13-18; note especially vs. 15)?

3. Thought Question: How important should the words of the New Testament be to us if the claims are true? If they are not? Discuss 1 Cor. 15. 12-20 and John 12:48-50  in your answer.

 C. Inspired Men Claimed that What Other Writers Wrote Was from God.
     Matthew 1:22 - A quotation was spoken by the Lord through the prophet.
     Matthew 2:15 - Another passage was spoken by the Lord through the prophet.
     Acts 1:16 - The Spirit spoke by the mouth of David.
     Acts 28:25 - The Holy Spirit spoke by Isaiah ... prophet.
     Hebrews 1:1,2 - God spoke in times past to the fathers by prophets. But now He has  
                              spoken to us by His Son. 
     Matthew 15:4 - Jesus Himself confirmed that Scriptures were from God. He quoted 
                               the Law revealed through Moses and said it was what God 
                               commanded. 
     Matthew 22:29-32 - He said the Scriptures were spoken by God.
     Luke 10:16 - He also confirmed the inspiration of the New Testament for He told the 
                         apostles who wrote it: He who hears you, hears Me; he who rejects you 
                         rejects Me and rejects Him who sent Me 
     John 16:13 - He promised the men who penned the New Testament that the Spirit 
                        would guide them into all truth.  To deny or question that the Bible writers 
                        spoke from God is to deny and reject the truthfulness of their own 
                        statements about themselves, their statements about one another, and 
                       Jesus' statements  about Scriptures. 
  [Matthew 19:4-6; John 10:35; 2 Chronicles 34:14-19; Isaiah 2:1-3; Matthew 22:43;   
   Romans 1:1,2; Hebrews 3:7; 1 Peter 1:10-12; 2 Peter 1:20f; 3:15f; Acts 4:24f] 

Study Exercises I.C.
1. What similarity do we find in how Peter says the prophet David came by his message (Acts 1:16) and how Paul says the prophet Isaiah came by his message
 (Acts 28:25)?

2.  Some say they only accept what Jesus taught and not necessarily what all the apostles taught because they were mere men. Using Luke 10:16 and John 16:13, show that if one refuses to accept the teachings of the apostles, they also are refusing to accept the teachings of Jesus. 

3. Thought Question: What are some of the apostles' doctrines rejected by many today based on the assumption that apostolic doctrine is not as important as the doctrine Jesus taught directly.

 D. The Writers Denied They Wrote by Human Wisdom
   Jeremiah 14:14 - If a man speaks as though he has a message from God when God 
                            really did not speak to him and the message is just his own idea, that 
                            man is a false prophet and deserves to be punished and rejected as a 
                            prophet (23:16,26; Ezekiel 13:2-7,17). 
 Ezekiel 3:26,27 - A prophet was not to speak until God opens his mouth ... When God 
                           did move him to speak it would be a thus says the Lord God.
 Matthew 10:19,20 - It is not you who speaks but the spirit of the Father speaks in you.
 1 Corinthians 2:4,5 - Preaching was not with words of human wisdom. Their faith should 
                                   not stand in the wisdom of men but power of God. Faith is based on 
                                   the message preached (Romans 10:17). 
 Galatians 1:8-12 - The gospel came not from man but was revealed from Jesus. 
 1 Thessalonians 2:13 - The message is not word of men but the word of God.
 2 Peter 1:20,21 - Prophecy never came by will of man, but holy men spoke as moved by 
                            the Holy Spirit. 
Revelation 22:18,19 - If men add their teachings to the book, God will add the plagues 
                                    written 
 [Numbers 22:35; chap. 23 (see below); Deuteronomy 18:18-22; Matthew 15:9] 

Study Exercises I.D.
1. Discuss the following using Galatians 1:8-12 as your text:
How are we instructed to view an angel that brings to us a gospel contrary to the one we already have?  What does "pleasing man" (v. 10) have to do with the development of changed gospels (correlate with 2 Tim. 4:1-5)? Who taught Paul the gospel he proclaimed? 

2.  True faith comes by what?

3. Thought Question: Discuss the meaning of 2 Peter 1:19-21. What event is Peter considering that reinforced the validity of the ancient prophecies concerning Jesus? What are some lessons we learn from that event?

 E. The Writers Claimed Inspiration for Everything in Scripture
  Exodus 24:3,4,7,8 - God's will included all that was written. (Matthew 15:9).     
  Deuteronomy 17:18-20 - The king was to copy the law and keep all that was written. 
  Joshua 1:7,8 - Joshua was to observe all written in the book.
  Matthew 4:4 - Man must live by every word from the mouth of God. 
  2 Timothy 3:16,17 - All Scripture is inspired by God 
  2 Peter 1:20,21 - No Scripture is of private interpretation; for prophecy never came by 
                            will of man, but men spoke as moved by the Holy Spirit. Consider the 
                            significance of "interpretation" here. The context shows the reference is 
                            to the prophets who wrote the Scriptures, not to the readers of the 
                            Scriptures. 

Study Exercises I.E.
1. Who were Timothy's teachers and when did he start being taught? (2 Tim 1:5; 3:15)? Discuss: what Scriptures did Timothy have available as a child?

2. How did the "sacred writings" mentioned in 2 Tim 3:15 give Timothy wisdom which eventually led to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ?

3. Thought Question: Can you give some other references to show other times when the same process using the same means led to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ?

II. These Are Words of God - God Gave the Words. 
A. The Sayings of God
 Revelation 19:9 - These are true sayings ("words" - ASV) of God
 This is exactly what 2 Peter 1:20,21 said. 
 Note other Scriptures. Exodus 4:14-16; 7:1,2 
 Exodus 24:3,4,8 - Moses gave the words the Lord spoke.
 Deuteronomy 18:18-22 - God put His words in prophet's mouth.
 2 Samuel 23:2 - The Spirit's word was on my tongue.
 Isaiah 51:16 - I [God] put my words in your mouth.
 Isaiah 59:21 - My words which I put in your mouth.
 Jeremiah 1:4-9 - I have put My words in your mouth.
 Jeremiah 30:1-4 - Write all the words I have spoken.
 Jeremiah 36:1-4 - Write all the words I have spoken.
 Ezekiel 3:4 - Speak with My words to them 
 Zech. 7:12 -The words the Lord sent by His Spirit.
Matthew 10:19,20 - Given by Spirit what and how to speak.
1 Corinthians 2:4 - Preaching was not in words of human wisdom
1 Corinthians 2:10-13 - The message spoken was given to the men by the Spirit 

Study Exercises II.A.
1. Did God give the prophets and apostles the ideas by inspiration and then allow man to choose the words to express those ideas, or did He give the words themselves? Discuss the difference.  Discuss 2 Peter 1 :20,21 in this regard. 

2.  Discuss both what the gospel is not, and what it is, according to 1 Cor. 2:4,5.  Show from the later context that not only the thoughts, but the very words were given (see verses 6-13 for this, and note particularly verse 13).  

3. Thought Question: Why is it that some cannot understand the message given by the inspiration of God? (Use Paul's summation of the previous point which he makes in 1 Cor. 2:14,15 and relate that to Matthew 13:14-15; John 3:17-21; 8:43,44;  Romans 8:5-8 and James 3:15-18). 

B. This Does Not Mean There is no Human Element in the Words 
 1. This does not mean there is no human element in the words, for God used the men as 
     they were with their human language, human vocabulary, human forms of 
     expressions, and sometimes even the knowledge they had gained by research of 
     personal eyewitness, etc. (Luke 1:1-4; 1 Cor. 15:1-8).
 2. But God then used them as they were and guided them to speak the words that 
     accurately expressed His will. [Exodus 32:15,16; 24:12; 34:1, 27,28; 31:18; 20:1; 
     Numbers 22:35; 23:5,12,16; Ezek 1:3; Hos 1:1; 2 Peter 1:20,21; Jeremiah 25:13] 

Study Exercises II.B.
1.  Thought Question. Luke did research to learn the account of Jesus' life from eyewitnesses (Luke 1:1-4). He compiled the facts as reported by the witnesses and then wrote them down by inspiration.  What would be the advantage of having Luke interview eyewitnesses and then inspiring him to write the message? Why not just inspire him and not bother with the interviews (see also John 20:30-31 and 2 Peter 1:15-16)? 

2.  Show that the apostles accepted Luke's gospel as inspired Scripture. (Hint: The solution is found in Paul's first epistle to Timothy, chapter 5.)

3. Discuss: Who chose the words of the ten commandments of God's Holy Law that were engraved upon two tablets of stone (Exodus 32:15-16; 24:12; 34:11)? Today, God's Law is far superior to that Law, when we obey His Law it becomes engraved on what kind of tablets? (2 Cor. 3:3)?  Where the Old Covenant is a "ministry of condemnation" the New Covenant, called the "ministry of the Spirit" is what? (2 Cor. 3:9). Which covenant, old or new, has more glory? If the words of the Old Covenant, less glorious than the new, were the very words of God, then whose words make up the more glorious New Covenant?

III. These Are True Words - No Errors in Scripture
A. These Are True Words
Revelation 19:9 - These are true sayings of God. If the men chose the words in the writing of Scripture, some say maybe there are errors in it. But if every word is from God, then there cannot be errors because God is infallible and makes no errors. 
Numbers 22:35,38; 23:5,12,16,19,20 - A prophet must speak what God says. But God does not lie nor repent. He does not deliberately tell things not true, and he cannot make mistakes because of lack of knowledge since He knows everything. So there cannot be anything untrue in what He reveals. 
 Deuteronomy 18:18-22 - The test of a prophet is, if he makes a mistake in prophetic 
                                          utterance, he is not from God. Don't fear him. 
 Psalm 19:7-9 - God's word is perfect, right, true.
 Psalm 33:4 - God's word is right & done faithfully.
 Psalm 119:128,142,160 - All God's precepts are right.
 John 17:17 - God's word is truth.
 Romans 3:4 - Let God be true, though men may lie.
 Titus 1:2,3 - God, who can't lie, manifested the word.
 Hebrews 6:18 - It is impossible for God to lie.
 Revelation 21:5 - The words written are true and faithful.

Study Exercises III. A.
1.  Discuss modern day "prophecies" and "prophets" in light of Deuteronomy 18:18-22. Nostradamus,  Joseph Smith, Jean Dixon and countless mediums and astrologers claim to have the gift of prophecy. Can you find an example of a failed prophecy made by these or others?    

2. The word of God is often characterized as "true" or "truth" (John 17:17; Revelation 21:5.  Pilate asked, "What is truth?" Look up the definition of "truth". Thought questions: "Can truth contradict itself?" Can sincerity or intensity of belief make a false idea true? 

3. Discuss the meaning of Romans 3:4.

B. If one claims that the Bible errs, then either he must completely reject the Bible 
     as God's will, or else He is saying that God is not infallible.
 1. For the Bible says it is all from God, and it says any teacher should be rejected if he 
     says he speaks for God when he doesn't. If the message is in error anywhere, then 
     either the speaker is not from God at all or else God made a mistake! 
 2. Hence, we must conclude that there are no errors at all in the Bible writings. This is 
     sometimes referred to by saying the Scriptures are "infallible and inerrant." To truly 
      believe the Bible is inspired one must believe there were no errors in what the men 
      wrote. [Psa 147:4,5; Job 37:16; 1 Peter 5:12; Galatians 1:20; John 10:35; Jas 1:25] 

Study Exercises III. B.
1.  Later, "Part Two" of this study will deal with the translation of Scripture.  We will see then how we can have confidence in most of today's translations.  But for now, discuss how God's wisdom and power should play a role in our confidence in His ability to deliver the Scriptures to us. Use Psalm 147:4,5 in your answer. 

2.  Did Paul write all his letters received by inspiration of God by his own hand, or did he sometimes dictate them for another to write down (Romans 1:1; 16:22 and 1 Corinthians 1:1; 16:21-23 and Galatians 6:11)? Might Peter have also dictated what he received by inspiration from the Lord to another who then wrote it down? Discuss 1 Peter 5:12 in this regard. Find some other information on the man that Peter mentions.
3.  How long does it take for the word of God to become obsolete or inaccurate? Use Psalm 19:6; Matt. 24:35; 1 Peter 1:24,25.  

IV. The Consequences of Denying Infallible, Verbal Inspiration
 When people say the words of the Bible are not all God's words but some are human in origin, or when they say there may be errors in the Bible, consider the consequences. 

A. We Are Left without Any Reliable Source of Authority or Guidance in Religion. 
 Matthew 22:32 - Jesus claimed the Bible language was so exact we can make arguments 
                            that rely on the tense of verbs
 2 Timothy 3:16,17; John 10:35; Acts 3:22,23; Matthew 28:18-20; John 12:48 -
   Bible writers said the Scriptures were reliable sources of authority and guidance in 
   religion because they were God's will. They said we must accept all that is taught or 
   stand condemned. They said we will be judged by what is taught. They said we must 
   reject all human doctrines that differ from Scripture (Matt. 15:9; Gal. 1:8,9). But if 
   there may be errors in Scripture, then we should obey only the parts that are true. How 
  can we decide what is true and what is not? 

Study Exercises IV. A.
1. Discuss Jesus' use of the Scripture when He reminded the Sadducees of God's statement from the burning bush 1400 years before (Matt. 22:32; see Exodus 3:6).  Explain Jesus' point and also the nature of His confidence in the particulars of Scripture.

2.  Show that the Scripture is not a mixture of God's revelation and man's opinions, but that it is all God's word. Use a Scripture of your choosing to show that this is so. 

3.  What does the phrase Jesus used, "The Scripture cannot be broken", mean? (John 10:35).  

 B. We Begin a Course of Continual Rejection of Bible Teachings. 
When we conclude that the Bible may be in error on some points, we almost invariably begin to question and deny more and more of what it teaches. Disbelief is progressive. Whenever we say, "I know the Bible teaches this but I still cannot accept it as true," we have opened the door for more and more unbelief.  Consider the rejection of Jesus as the messiah in spite of the affirmation of the Old Testament Scriptures (John 5:39-47)

Study Exercises IV. B.
1.  Jesus said, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;" (John 5:39). Is it right or wrong to "search the Scriptures"? 
2.   Jesus said the Pharisees thought  that in the Scriptures they had eternal life. Is this correct, or not, and why?
3.  The Pharisees claimed to believe the Scriptures. What evidence does Jesus provide that shows us that they did not really believe (John 5:45-47)?

 C. We Deny the Claims of the Bible Writers, Necessarily Implying They Are Liars 
      or  False Teachers.
 1. We have seen that the writers said they did speak from God, they did not speak their 
      own ideas, all they said was from God, and therefore it could not be in error. To deny 
      these claims is to say they were lying or insane. (1 Cor. 15:12-20)
 2. The claims of the Bible writers are such that they will not let us take a middle ground, 
     as modernists try to do. Either we must accept the Bible as completely God's word - it 
     is not the word of men, but every word was given by God with no possible errors - or 
     else we must completely reject it as having no authority in religion at all. In that case 
     we must conclude that the Bible is the product of evil, hypocritical men. We cannot 
     say the Bible is a good book but may teach error sometimes. 

Study Exercises IV.C.
1.  In discussing the resurrection of Jesus, Paul affirms that if it did not really happen as told by the witnesses and written in the Scriptures, then there are several ramifications. What are they (1 Cor. 15:12-20)?
2.  How many of the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament Law did Jesus say would be left unfulfilled (Matthew 5:17-18)? Until that Law was fulfilled by Jesus, how many of its commandments could be set aside (Matthew 5:19)?  Thought question: Why was the "righteousness of the Pharisees" (only accepting a some of the commandments) inadequate (Matthew 5:20)?  
3.  Of what did those who rejected Jesus accuse Him (John 8:48; 7:20)? What does Jesus say is one prerequisite for knowing that the teachings are really from God (John 7:16,17)? Thought question: If someone today reject some of the things taught, how is he any different from the Pharisees?

D. We Deny that Jesus Is God's Divine Son and Make Him too a False Teacher.
 Some want to say they believe in Jesus, but don't necessarily believe that everything in 
 the Bible is true. 
 1. But the Bible is the only way to know anything about Jesus' life and teaching - John 
    5:46,47; 20:30,31; Acts 17:23; 18:28; etc. 
 2. We have seen that Jesus claimed the Bible was from God, and that both Old and New 
     Testament writers spoke God's will. 
 3. Luke 10:16 - Further, Jesus said that, if we receive His apostles and prophets we 
     receive Him, but if we reject them we reject Him and His Father. 

Study Exercises IV. D.
1.  What does the promise made by Jesus to those who would be his apostolic witnesses tell us about the things they taught (John 14:25-26; 16:13)? 
2.  Can one reject the things taught by Jesus' apostles and prophets without rejecting Him (Luke 10:16)?
3.  Discuss some of the points about Paul's integrity as one who proclaimed the gospel as an apostle (1 Thess. 2:1-13). 

E. We Bring the Curse of God on Ourselves.
1. To claim there are errors in Scripture is to reject the claims of the Bible writers and the 
    claims of Jesus Himself. We cannot disbelieve those teachings and yet have the 
    blessings those teachings offer.
2. Galatians 1:8,9 - If we preach a different gospel, we are accursed. But the gospel says, 
    even in the context of this passage (vv 11,12), that the message is from God not man, 
    therefore it is infallible, etc. If we say this is not so, we preach a different gospel and 
    we are accursed. 
3. 1 Thessalonians 4:8 - To reject what the inspired men said is to reject, not men, but 
    God, because God guided the men by the Holy Spirit. The men said what they wrote 
     was God's word, not their own. If this is true and you reject, then you have rejected 
     the word of God Himself. 

Study Exercises IV.E.
1.  If an angel came with another gospel, should we accept it? If Paul had came back through on his second missionary journey and taught a different gospel from that which he had preached on his first, were the hearers to accept it? Prove your answers (Gal. 1:6-9). 
2.  Discuss the following: (1 Cor 11:23; 15:3; Gal 1:1; 11-12; Eph 3:3). What do these passages tell us about the things written by Paul? 
3.  What are some of the terms used to describe those who would advocate different doctrines than those revealed in the Scriptures (1 Tim 6:3-5)?

Part Two
The Preservation of the Bible: The Transmission, Ancestry, and Canon of Scripture
Has the Bible been accurately preserved and transmitted to us over the centuries? Have we accepted the proper books in the canon of Scripture, or have books been lost or added improperly? What about the apocrypha? Do ancient manuscripts contradict one another? A study of the preservation, transmission, ancestry, and accuracy of the Bible: textual criticism. 

I. God's Plan and Purpose Require that He Preserve the Scriptures.
 A. God Desires All Men to Know, Believe, & Obey His Will.
 Consider the following principles: 
  1. All men are guilty of sin and need forgiveness - Rom. 3:23; 6:23; I John 1:8,10. 
  2. God desires to have all men turn from sin and be saved - I Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9; 
       Tit. 2:11,12. 
  3. Jesus died to make salvation available to all men - I Tim. 2:6; Heb. 2:9; John 3:16; 
       Matt. 11:28-30. 
  4. To be saved, men must hear, believe, and obey the gospel - John 6:44,45; 8:24,32; 
      Heb. 5:9; 2 Thess. 1:8,9; I Pet. 1:22; Rom. 6:17,18; 1:16; 10:14,17. 
  5. So God desires to have all men learn the gospel so they have the opportunity to 
      believe and obey it - I Tim. 2:4; Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15,16; Acts 2:38,29; 
      17:30,31; Lk. 24:47; Col. 1:28. 
  6. The gospel, revealed in the first century to the apostles, is complete, providing all that 
       is good and all that we need to please God - John 14:26; 16:13; 2 Pet. 1:3; 2 Tim. 
       3:16,17; Acts 20:20,27; Matt. 28:18-20; Jas. 1:25. 
From these passages we conclude that all people need the gospel, God wants all to have the gospel, so the gospel was completely, accurately, and adequately revealed in the first century. Since all men need that gospel, people today need it too. And since God wants all to know it, we can be sure He will make it available to people today. The question then is: how does the gospel come to us today? 

Study Exercises I. A.
1.  Summarize in your own words the method God used to assure that His word would be delivered to the world without flaw.  
2. If God meant for people on earth in the 21st century to have His gospel available in an accurate and adequate form, then discuss: Why should we be confident that our Bibles are accurate? Use Isaiah 55:11, 46:10 and Ephesians 1:9-11 in your answer. 
3.  What is God's intended purpose of the gospel (Romans 1:16; 10:13-17)? Show that the gospel is always adequate to do what God intended for it to do and does not need to be updated for our time. Use Psalm 33:11; 2 Peter 1:2,3 and 1 Peter 1:23-25 in your answer. 

 B. God Revealed the Scriptures So Men Could Know His Will.
 1. The Old Testament was inspired by God to teach men his will.
      Exodus 24:3,4,7 - Moses wrote in a book all the words and ordinances of God that the 
                                     people were to obey. 
      Deuteronomy 28:58,59; 30:9,10 - If the people obeyed the commands written in the 
                                                            book, they would be blessed. If not, they would  
                                                            suffer. 
      Deuteronomy 31:9-13,24-29 - Moses wrote the law and placed it where the people 
                                                       could read it in the future and learn to fear God and to 
                                                        observe all the words of that law. 
     Jeremiah 36:1-4 - God commanded Jeremiah to write in a book all the words God 
                                   gave him to teach Israel to repent. 
     2 Peter 1:21 - Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. 
2. The New Testament was likewise inspired by God to teach men His will.
 1 Corinthians 14:37 - What Paul wrote were commands of the Lord. 
 John 20:29-31 - John wrote so people would have an eyewitness record of Jesus' 
                           miracles and thereby could believe in Jesus and have life in His name, 
                            even though they did not personally see Him (cf. 21:24,25). 
 1 John 1:1-4; 2:1-17 - John wrote so people could have his eyewitness testimony 
                                     regarding Jesus, could have fellowship with God, could know we 
                                     should not sin, and could be told God's commands we should 
                                     obey. 
 Revelation 1:1,2,10,11,19; chap. 2 & 3 - John was instructed by Jesus to write a message 
                                           from Jesus and the Spirit to instruct the churches of Asia 
                                           regarding Jesus' will for them (cf. 14:13; 19:9; 21:5). 
 Ephesians 3:3-5 - What Paul received by revelation from the Spirit, he wrote so others 
                               could understand what he had received. 
 Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1,2 - Luke wrote so the reader might know the certainty of the things 
                                        he had been taught about Jesus' life and the early church. 
 Jude 3 - Jude wrote about salvation and exhorted people to earnestly contend for the faith 
               despite the danger of false teachers. 
 1 Timothy 5:18 - That which is properly called "Scripture" includes quotes from New 
               Testament writing (Luke 10:7) right along with Old Testament writings 
 2 Peter 3:15,16 - Peter classifies Paul's epistles right along with "other Scripture." Hence, 
                             they should be treated with the same respect as any other Scripture. 
 2 Timothy 3:14-17 - All Scripture (both old and new) is inspired by God and was given to teach and instruct men so they could know all good works. Just as Old Testament writings were given to be a guide that people must follow to please God in their day, so the New Testament serves as an inspired guide in this age. 

Study Exercises I. B.
1.  What has God done so we can know His will for us today? Discuss why it is impossible to know the mind of God on our own without His informing us through the Scriptures (Use Romans 11:33-36 in your answer).  
2. Through whom does God speak to us in these last days so that we can know what He wants of us and about what He has done for us (Hebrews 1:1,2)? 
3. Can one know God and His plan and love apart from Jesus? Name some things we learn about God through Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:2-4; Ephesians 3:16-20). 

 C. God Intended the Scriptures to Guide People of Future Generations
The spoken word benefits only people who immediately hear it. It cannot be repeated to others except by memory (with all the fallibility and weaknesses that the human memory involves). One reason God had the Scriptures recorded as written word was so the message could be copied, circulated, and made available to other people in addition to those to whom it was immediately addressed.  In particular, God intended for the written word to be used to guide and instruct future generations of people, even after the generation in which it was written. This made it necessary to preserve the word in an accurate form. 
1. Old Testament Scriptures were to benefit future generations.
 Deuteronomy 17:18-20 - Future kings of Israel were to copy God's law, study it, and 
                                         obey it strictly without variation. But note that Israel did not 
                                         even have a king until several generations after this was spoken 
                                        (v14). 
Deuteronomy 31:9-13,24-29 - The words of the law were written down and placed where 
                                                 they would be available to the people. Every seven years, 
                                                  after Moses died, the laws should be read to the people so 
                                                   they could remember them, their children (who did not 
                                                   know the laws) could learn them, and all would obey. 
 Psalm 102:18 - The psalmist wrote "for the generation to come." 
2. New Testament Scriptures were also to benefit future generations.
 John 20:29-31 - John wrote so people, who had not seen Jesus or witnessed His miracles, 
                            could read the eyewitness record of them and so could believe on Jesus 
                            and have eternal life. But this means that the record was written 
                            especially for people like us today. 
 2 Peter 1:12-15 - Peter expressly states that he wrote what he did so that people could 
                             have the written record of his teachings to remind them in the future, 
                             even after Peter was dead. 2 Peter 3:1,2 - 2 Peter 3:15,16; 1 Timothy 
                             5:18. 

Study Exercises I. C.
1.  Research question. For many centuries copying written materials had to be done by hand, making the process laborious and time consuming. What invention of the Middle Ages changed forever the nature of producing a written document so that duplicates could be printed relatively easily? What was the very first document to be printed this way?
2. What was one of the reasons that John gave for writing his message about Jesus (John 20:29-31)
 3. What blessing does Peter say is in store for those who believe in Jesus though they have not seen Him but have believed the gospel (1 Peter 1:8,9)? 

 D. Other Inspired Sources of Revelation Have Ceased.
God chose to reveal His will, not all at once, but gradually over a period of 1500 years from Moses to the end of the first century. During that time, certain men were guided directly by the Holy Spirit, as we have studied, to both speak and write God's will. 
But it was God's plan that, when all His will had been revealed and recorded, He would bring to an end the miraculous powers by which the Holy Spirit delivered the message. At that time, the written word would become the only inspired means the people would have to know God's message. 
1. 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 - Spiritual gifts would cease.
Prophecies, tongues, and miraculous knowledge are three of the miraculous gifts that the Holy Spirit used to deliver God's will to men (12:7-11). But there is something more important or "more excellent" than these gifts (12:31), and that is love (chap. 13). Love is greater than the spiritual gifts because love, faith, and hope would continue to abide (v13) even after the spiritual, miraculous gifts had ceased (v8). These gifts would cease because they were “in part” (v9), and they would cease when that which is perfect or complete would come (v10). Note: “that which is perfect” is contrasted to the gifts that were “in part.” In some sense the gifts were partial and would cease when their partial nature was made complete or was replaced by that which was not partial. In what sense were the gifts "in part"? The only explanation that harmonizes with Scripture is that the gifts, at the time Paul wrote, had only partially completed their purpose of revealing God's will. The revelation was delivered by means of these gifts, and that work was not yet completed. But when the work was completed, the gifts would have fully accomplished their task and would no longer be needed, so they would cease. "That which is perfect" must, therefore, refer to the completed revelation of God's will, and when it had all been completely and adequately revealed, the spiritual gifts would cease. But we have already learned from verses previously listed that all the truth was revealed to the apostles in the first century, and they recorded it in the Bible. 

Study Exercises I. D.
1.  What does the word "perfect" mean in such passages as 1 Corinthians 13:10 and James 1:25? 
2. Did God reveal all the truth He was going to reveal through the apostles and prophets of the first century, or did He intend to reveal more truth through continuing to inspire men through the centuries?  Use Jesus' promise as given to the apostles in John 14:26 and 16:13.
3. God had "built up" the mystery of Christ" throughout the ages through His prophets. Using Ephesians 3:4-7, answer the following questions: 
In what generation did God choose to reveal the mystery of Christ He had built up in the past? 
Was it His purpose to reveal the mystery of Christ over several generations, or in one generation?  
Who did God reveal these things to "in the spirit"?
What is one of the things we learn about Gentiles and the gospel? 

 E. God Promised to Preserve His Word for People of All Ages.
By studying God’s purpose for the Scriptures, we have concluded that God must have intended to preserve His written word as an accurate revelation of His will for future generations. Now consider some passages that directly state that indeed this was His intent. 
1. God intended to preserve the Old Testament Scriptures.
 Psalm 119:160,152 - Every one of God's ordinances endures forever. 
 Isaiah 40:8 - God's word is not like a flower that blooms and then dies. God's word will 
                      stand forever. 
 Isaiah 30:8 - God's words were to be written in a book that it may be for the time to 
                      come for ever and ever. 
2. God also intended to preserve the New Testament Scriptures.
 John 12:48 - Jesus' words will judge us at the last day. It necessarily follows that they 
                      must endure till the judgment and must be available to men, so we can 
                      know what to do to prepare for the judgment.. 
 2 John 2 - The truth will be with us forever. 
 2 Peter 1:15 - Peter wrote so that, after he died, people would be able to remember these 
                        teachings "always" (KJV, NKJV) or "at every time" (ASV). 
 1 Peter 1:22-25 - We must obey the truth in order to be cleansed from our sins and be 
                              born again. That truth will live, abide, and endure forever. It will not 
                              be like grass or a flower that springs forth then dies. This is exactly 
                              what Isa. 40:8 said, but it is here applied to the gospel. God will 
                              preserve the New Testament just like He did the Old Testament. 

Study Exercises I. E.
1.  Once, during a faithless period of Judah's history, people had no knowledge of the Scriptures, and no one had even seen a written copy of God's Law in that generation. Wanting to reinstitute worship of Jehovah, workmen were assigned to clean up the abandoned temple at Jerusalem. Summarize the events surrounding finding an old copy of the Law of God in the temple (2 Chronicles 34:8-30).
2.  In what century were the words spoken that will judge us on the last day (John 12:47-48)? 
3.  The last book of the Bible written was the Book of Revelation. What warning is given at the end of it that precludes taking anything away from it or adding anything to it? Does this show that it is God's purpose that His word would remain the same through the subsequent centuries without addition or subtraction (Revelation 22:18,19)?

II. The Old Testament Demonstrates God's Preservation of His Word.
 God has not just promised to preserve the Scriptures for future generations, He has also given a convincing demonstration to prove that He has kept and will keep this promise. This demonstration is the Old Testament. 

A. Note the Parallels in the Background of the Two Testaments.
1. Both testaments were given by inspiration of God.
For both Old and New Testaments, we have already cited Scriptures showing that the Holy Spirit gave inspired men the very words they should write down. 
2. Both testaments were collected, copied, circulated, studied, and translated over a period of year.
Some critics have questioned the accuracy of the New Testament, because it was written by different men in different places. The writings were gradually collected and determined to be canonical, then they were translated to other languages. Some say we cannot be confident all this was done accurately, since uninspired men were involved. 
But the same can be said for the Old Testament as for the New. Both testaments were gradually written, collected, copied, and lists of canonical books were developed. Both were translated so people of other languages could know them. For example, a version called the Septuagint is a translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew to Greek, which was made several centuries before Jesus' time. 
If it turns out that the Old Testament was accurately preserved though these methods were used, who can doubt that the New Testament has been accurately preserved when the same methods were used for it? 
3. Both testaments were intended to serve as a standard of authority even for future generations.
We have cited Scriptures showing that God intended for people to keep the inspired writings, study them, obey them, and pass them on to future generations. The very reason why people copied, circulated, and translated the Scriptures was so that they would be available to the people who needed them. 
4. Both testaments passed through generations in which no new revelations were added, and generations in which people neglected the Scriptures.
Some people say we cannot be sure we today have accurate New Testaments, because it has been so long since inspired men were alive to confirm it. Others claim that parts of the New Testament may have been perverted or lost during the generations when people generally neglected the Bible or were guilty of widespread apostasy. 
But the Old Testament also passed through many generations when God’s people neglected it and were guilty of wholesale apostasy. Many generations passed in which no prophets lived and no new Scriptures were written. Specifically, there were over 400 years from the time the last Old Testament book was written till the birth of Jesus. 
If it can be shown that the Old Testament was accurately preserved despite these problems, who can doubt that the same would be true of the New Testament? 
5. Both testaments contain promises that God would preserve them.
We have already cited passages where God promised, both for the Old Testament and for the New Testament Scriptures, that He would preserve them forever. What He promised for one Testament, He also promised for the other. In this sense, the New Testament is as fully “Scripture” as is the Old Testament. 
Now if we can clearly demonstrate that God did in fact keep His promise and accurately preserved the Old Testament for multiplied centuries, surely we must conclude that He has and will likewise keep His promise to preserve the whole Bible, including the New Testament. So let us consider the evidence for God’s preservation of the Old Testament. 

Study Exercises II.A.
1.  What are the five similarities between the Old Testament and the New Testament that give evidence that if God preserved the Old Testament Scriptures then we can be sure that He preserved the New Testament Scriptures as well?
2. Give two references in Scripture where God promised to preserve the Scripture for future generations after the one in which it was written.  Give one reference from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament.
3.  The Old Testament was translated from its original language into Greek at least two centuries before Christ. What is this Greek translation called? What was the original language in which the Old Testament was written? To what does the name of this translation refer?

 B. The History of the Old Testament Prior to Jesus' Birth
The Old Testament writings began approximately 1400 years BC. (all dates in this section are approximate). We can trace the history of these Scriptures throughout the rest of the Old Testament period and into the time of Christ and His apostles. We can see whether or not they were accurately preserved, and whether or not people were expected to continue to use them as inspired authority. 
  Joshua 1:7,8 — About 40 years after Moses wrote, God commanded Joshua to meditate day and night on Moses’ words, and to observe and obey them without variation. The writings had been preserved accurately, and should be studied and obeyed as an authoritative standard. 
  Joshua 23:2,6 — About 60 years after Moses wrote, Joshua died. But just before he died, he charged Israel to exactly keep all Moses wrote. The Scriptures still were accurately preserved and were to be studied and obeyed as God’s law. 
  1 Kings 2:3 (about 960 B.C.) — About 400 years after Moses wrote, David charged Solomon to keep God’s commands as written in the law of Moses. The Scriptures were still accurate and authoritative. 
  2 Chronicles 34:14-19,29-31 (about 605 B.C.) — About 800 years after Moses, Josiah found Moses’ book of the law. He restored the worship and service of God by performing the commands he found written there. Note that the Scripture was still accurate and authoritative, even though it had been preserved for centuries and though God’s people had neglected it and been in apostasy for years. Yet all that was needed to restore faithful service to God was simply to practice what was written in the book. [Cf. chap. 35; 2 Kings 22,23.] 
  Nehemiah 8:1-3,8 (about 450 B.C.) — Perhaps some 900 years or more after Moses, the people of Israel again re-established the service of God in Palestine. This occurred following an apostasy so great that it led to the Babylonian captivity. Yet the Scripture was still so accurately preserved that it could be understood and obeyed as authority [cf. v13-18; 9:3]. 
Clearly God was keeping His promise to preserve the written word. Furthermore, He continued to expect people to study it and honor it as an inspired revelation showing how they should pattern their lives.

Study Exercises II.B.
1.  How many centuries did it take for the Old Testament to become so full of mistakes that God no longer considered it His word and did not want the people to live by it any longer?
2.  The Scriptures would sometimes be ignored and even lost for a generation during the Old Testament era when the people fell away. Again, notice the spiritual recovery that took place during Josiah's time (2 Chronicles 34:8-30). Which came first? Repentance and seeking God, or finding the Scriptures that had become lost? Discuss the principle of seeking and finding.
3. Discuss the reaction of King Josiah at finding a copy of the Sacred writings. Why do you suppose he reacted this way?

 C. The Attitude of Jesus and His Disciples toward Old Testament Scripture
 1. In the first century, copies of the Old Testament were widely circulated and studied as 
    revelation from God.
 Luke 4:16-21 - In the synagogue in Nazareth Jesus read from the prophet Isaiah, and said 
                         the passage was fulfilled in Jesus Himself. 
 Acts 8:28-35 - The Ethiopian treasurer was reading Isaiah. Philip used it as authority to 
                         teach about Jesus. 
 Acts 15:21 - For many generations, every city had a copy of the Scriptures (of Moses), 
                      and they were read in the synagogue every Sabbath 
2. Inspired men quoted Old Testament Scriptures, and expected people to study and respect them as accurate, authoritative revelation from God.
 Matthew 4:4,7,10 - Jesus quoted Scripture to defeat Satan's temptations. 
 Matthew 15:1-9 - Jesus quoted the Old Testament as being the commandment of God, 
                              and He rebuked those who did not obey it. 
 Matthew 22:29-33 - Jesus rebuked people for not knowing the Scriptures. 
1 Corinthians 10:11; Romans 15:4 — Paul said the Old Testament Scriptures were 
                                  written for the learning and admonition of people in his day, even 
                                 though they lived many centuries after the passages were written. 
 Acts 17:11 - The Bereans were noble-minded 
3. Inspired men appealed to Old Testament authority to confirm their own teaching.
 Luke 24:27,44-46 - Jesus claimed He fulfilled Moses, all the prophets, and the psalms.   
 Acts 17:2,3 - Paul demonstrated that Jesus was the Christ by reasoning with people from 
                       the Scriptures. 
 John 5:39,45-47 - Jesus said that Moses and the Scriptures testify of Him. 
(Note that Jesus and His apostles taught that the gospel would replace the Old Testament as God's commandments for His people, but this was because the Old Law had fulfilled its purpose and God had intended all along to replace it - Heb. 8:6-13; 10:1-10; Rom. 7:2-7; Col. 2:14,16; Gal. 3:23,24; etc. At no point did they imply that the reason the law should be replaced was that the written record of it had become lost or perverted in content.) 
4. Inspired men used evidence based on minute details of the Scriptures.
Matthew 22:31,32 — Having rebuked men for being ignorant of the Scriptures, Jesus proved the resurrection because God said, “I am the God of Abraham …” [Cf. Gal. 3:16.]
Jesus’ proof was based on a quotation from Moses — the oldest part of the Scriptures. Had there been any error in the Jews’ Scriptures, these inspired men would surely have told them so. Instead, they quoted the Scriptures and respected them as authority from God. 
But the New Testament was written, copied, circulated, collected, translated, and preserved in exactly the same way as the Old Testament had been. God described the New Testament as “Scripture,” just like He did the Old Testament. He clearly stated that the New Testament should be used as written proof of His will for man, just as the Old Testament had been. He promised to preserve the New Testament, exactly as He had promised to preserve the Old Testament. 

Study Exercises II.C.
1. During the generation in which Jesus lived, what did Jesus and the inspired apostles and prophets think of the Old Testament Scriptures? Did they trust them to be accurate? Did they respect them?
2. Cite a passage that shows Jesus or one of His inspired apostles accepted the copies of the Old Testament Scriptures as the word of God.
3.  When the ideas of man and the teachings of Scripture are in opposition, even if the Scripture is over one thousand years old, who, according to Jesus, is in error - man or Scripture (Matthew 22:29)? 

III. The Fulfillment of God's Promise to Preserve His Word.
 We accept our modern Bible as being an accurate record of God’s word because of our faith in God’s power and His promises to preserve His word. The actual fulfillment of these promises regarding the New Testament, however, had to occur after the writings that became the New Testament were completed. By examining ancient copies of the Scriptures, we can appreciate how thoroughly God has fulfilled His promise to preserve His word. 

A. Modern Evidence for the Original Text of Scripture
We today do not have any of the “autographs” — the original manuscripts of the Bible in the very hand-writing of the authors. But as mentioned earlier, men carefully copied, quoted, circulated, and translated God’s word through the years. As a result, we today have volumes of evidence to establish what the original texts said. 

1. We have more than 5000 hand-written copies of the Bible in the original languages. 
Some of these manuscripts are complete, others are partial or fragments. Some of them are dated to within a few centuries of the time of the New Testament writers, and a few are dated to within a few decades of their time. Some estimates even place some of them within the lifetimes of the last surviving apostles. Here are some examples:

a. Papyrus Bodmer II (around 200 AD) - contains most of John's Gospel:  1:1--6:11; 6:35--14:26, 29-30; 15:2-26; 16:2-4, 6-7, 16:10--20:20, 22-23, 20:25--21:9. This manuscript consists of 75 leaves as well as some fragments.
b. Chester Beatty manuscripts,  so named in honor of their discoverer who found them in Egypt in 1930. They also date from around 200 AD. They are: 
  P 45 was originally a codex which contained all Four Gospels and the Book of Acts. Unfortunately, what has survived  are two leaves of Matthew, seven of Luke, two of John, and thirteen of Acts. 
  P 46 consists of eighty-six nearly perfect leaves, out of a total of 104, which contain Paul's epistles. Philemon and the Pastoral Epistles (I & II Timothy, Titus are missing, but Hebrews is included. 
  P 47 contains Revelation 9:10 to 17:2, except one or more lines is missing from the top of each page. This constitutes a little under half of the book of Revelation. 

2. We have many ancient translations of the Bible into other languages. 

3. We have thousands of Scripture quotations found in ancient non-inspired writings. 
In fact, all but a few verses of the New Testament could be reproduced just from these uninspired quotations. There are also many references to these Scriptures that are not quotes. Irenaeus (180 AD) wrote, for example, the following about the number of gospel accounts that made up the Scripture, and reasons why he believed that there were preciselty that many. Whether you agree with his reasoning or not, this still affirms how many New Testament Books made up the gospels in the second century:  

"The gospels could not possibly be either more or less in number than they are. Since there are four zones in the world in which we live, and four principle winds, while the church is spread all over the earth, and the pillar and foundation of the church is the gospel, and the Spirit of life, it fittingly has four pillars, everywhere breathing out incorruption and revivifying men" 

Compared to the writings of other ancient authors, our evidence for the Bible’s content is overwhelming. For other writings, “convincing evidence” may consist of just a few manuscripts dated less than 1000 years from when the men lived. But with the Bible we have thousands of manuscripts dated less than 1000 years from when Jesus lived, and many manuscripts dated within just a few centuries. And some less than two centuries from His death, and a few within the century following His death. 

Study Exercises III.A.
1. When was the "Papyrus Bodmer II" manuscript originally written? Of what New Testament book is it a copy of? What is taught in the first three verses of this book?
2. Though ancient manuscripts of the Scriptures themselves are preferred, we can also discover in the personal correspondence of early Christians references and quotes from New Testament Scripture which they used.  How many gospel accounts were there in the New Testament Scriptures according to Irenaeus in 180 AD? 
3.  Peter once said "So we have the prophetic word made more sure…" (2 Peter 2:19) by referring to the fact that what he had seen and heard backed up what he had read in the Scriptures. Think: What promise does God make to us regarding His word enduring, and how is this promise "made more sure"  by what we see when we look at these ancient manuscripts and compare them to our Bibles today?

 B. Variations in the Manuscripts
But what are the “thousands of errors” critics claim exist in the text? These are differences or variations that can be found when ancient manuscripts are compared to one another. With all these hand-written copies, one would naturally expect some variations to have crept into the text, despite the copyists’ best efforts. 

But the main reason we have so many variations is that we have so many manuscripts to work with. For example, if 2500 manuscripts spell a word one way and 2500 others spell the word a little differently, that is counted as “thousands of variations.” 

So the very volume of evidence we have is what leads to the large number of variations. This should be taken as evidence supporting the preservation of the Bible, instead of evidence against it. Would critics be better satisfied if we had far fewer manuscripts and therefore far fewer variations? 

What is the nature of these variant readings? 

1. Different spellings which in no way affect the meaning of the text
These account for fully one half of the variant readings! This would be like the difference between “Elias” and “Elijah” in our English versions. No diligent student could ever misunderstand God’s word because of such variations. 

2. Differences in word order which in no way affect the meaning
Examples might be “the Lord Jesus Christ” as compared to “Jesus Christ the Lord.” No one could be misled by such instances. And due to the grammatical structure of the languages, such variations in word order are of enormously less significance in Hebrew or Greek than they are in English. 

3. Insertion or omission of a word, or use of a different word, but the meaning is not affected
Examples might be "God your Father" compared to "God the Father," or simply "the Father." 

4. Variations in which whole phrases or sentences are inserted or omitted.
These may seem to be real problems. But in fact none of these variations affect our understanding of God's word, because the teaching in the questionable texts can be found clearly taught in other passages which are unquestioned. Often a questionable phrase (for example, perhaps a phrase in Matthew's account) can be found word-for-word in a parallel account which is beyond question (such as perhaps in Mark's account). 
In other cases, the teaching may not be found word-for-word elsewhere, but the concept is unquestionably taught elsewhere. Men who study these problems say these "significant variations" make up less than 1/1000 of the text of the New Testament. If all of them were put together, they would take up less than half a page. And none of them affect the total content of teaching of God's word! 

Study Exercises III.B.
1. Explain how one difference in the spelling of a single word in a single passage in ancient manuscripts can be counted as "thousands of discrepancies" by those who wish to cast doubt on the accuracy of our Bible.
2. Many differences have to do with different word order in a sentence. Word order in a sentence is very important grammatically in English. Is it as important in Greek? 
3.  Inevitably, some copyist miscopied and another copied his mistake and passed it on.  But at the same time, other copyists were also making copies without the mistake. Discuss how and why errors such as this, while bothersome, do not affect at all our understanding of God's word. 

Sir Frederic Kenyon, who served 21 years as Director and Principal Librarian of the British Museum (which houses many significant ancient manuscripts of the Bible) said: "The Christian can take the whole Bible in his hand and say without fear or hesitation that he holds in it the true word of God, handed down without essential loss from generation to generation throughout the centuries." Many similar statements can be quoted from other such men. 
(Material in this section is gathered mainly from: How We Got the Bible, by Neil Lightfoot; The Theme of the Bible, by Ferrell Jenkins; and A Book about the Book, by John Jarrett.) 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This outline and these study questions have been prepared by Jon Quinn and is based on material by David Pratte. The full articles upon which this study guide is based are available at his web site. His copyright notice is as follows:

(C) Copyright 1998, 2000, David E. Pratte 
Local churches and individuals may, within limits, distribute this Bible study guide for free, but not for sale

His web site address is:
http://www.biblestudylessons.com/

Permission to use his material has been requested and he has graciously given it.