Featured Preservation passages

Next from the list above: John 10:35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;

A little more context, John 10:34-36 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

In the statement "the scripture cannot be broken" Jesus points to the scriptures (here the Old Testament) as the final authoritative appeal to truth. What the scriptures say cannot be dismissed (broken, loosed, in the sense of breaking free of something binding; cf. John 1:27 and John 11:44). Jesus uses this as sound argument against their accusing him of blasphemy. "If he called them gods (which he did in Psalms 82:6) and if the scripture cannot be broken (which you profess to believe, and which is true), then it follows..."

There is no direct statement here about preservation, but a plain implication that the Old Testament scriptures which they have (preserved down to them) is God's word and authoritative. Compare, for example, John 5:39, the writings available in 33AD-ish are trustworthy and sufficient, and searchable for them to find Christ.

 

Have touched on 1 Peter 1:23–25, so will now move to Jude 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

While this text may has some application to the overall theme of the immutability of the Bible, it doesn't speak directly to a doctrine of preservation. The point is that the truth was once for all delivered to them and had not (and would not) change. It would not need to be done again or done over, so those who brought some other doctrines and practices could be judged by what they had already received. They were to contend for this delivered faith against "certain men crept in unawares." We could wonder, though, why God would not preserve what he has delivered that is so important to the keeping of the faith?

 

The last text in the list in the OP is Revelation 22:18-19 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Not sure who was using this text regarding preservation. It seems to me more about the character and truthfulness of God's Word. We can take this as a specific statement about the book of Revelation -- "the words of the book of this prophecy." But there is no violence done to understand it of God's word in general. Compare Deuteronomy 4:2, Deuteronomy 12:32, and Proverbs 30:6, for examples. Perhaps we see some connection to preservation in this regard -- there are those who will add to and take away, but God takes interest in and defense of his word. Even then, though, this is more of a "big picture" statement rather than something that applies to written text of scripture. Philip Doddridge's observation is good at this point, "It is true, this particularly refers to the Book of the Revelation; but the parity of reason extending to other books, I doubt not the terror of the threatening does so too. God forbid we should imagine every honestly mistaken criticism, where there is a question respecting receiving or excluding any particular verse, should affect a man’s salvation, in consequence of what is here said. Such a passage, however, should make men very cautious, that they may not rashly incur any censure on this account; though, undoubtedly, the terror of the threatening is planted against any designed erasement or addition." (As found in The Family Expositor, and also most of which is quoted in The Book of Revelation Explained by Joseph Benson, page 134)

 

Earlier I skipped over the other Psalm passages on the OP list (Psalms 119:89; Psalms 119:150-152; Psalms 119:160), saying that they all seemed somewhat in the same vein as the previous Psalm passages I had mentioned.

89 For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.
152 Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever.
160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

Interestingly, while W. W. Combs in his journal article The Preservation of Scripture says Psalm 119:89 "has no direct application to the doctrine of preservation, he thinks Psalm 119:152 "appears to be a fairly direct promise of preservation" and Psalm 119:160 "strongly impl[ies] a doctrine of preservation."

 

Preservation of the Bible is necessary to its purpose.

Removing the doctrine of preservation removes the vitality from many biblical passages and limits their meaning to the moment. The abiding and enduring purpose of the Scriptures calls for abiding and enduring Scriptures. Some of those purposes are:

The scriptures testify of Jesus Christ and his salvation (John 5:39). The Bible gives or teaches the knowledge of salvation. John, the apostle, said, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:13) John addresses his written scripture, and its purpose. It follows that preservation of the writing is a necessary part of God accomplishing his purpose. In his Gospel, John says that everything Jesus said and did were not written, supposing “even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written” about him, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” (John 20:30-31; 21:25) God was not aimless in giving his words. Neither is he careless in preserving them, that they may accomplish their purpose.

The scriptures give spiritual guidance, practical and theological. The churches are exhorted to preach the gospel, baptize the believers and teach the baptized. How shall we proceed? By the teachings of the word of God. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105). We are to follow his steps, but we do not know his steps apart from the God-inspired written word that has been passed down to us. A purpose of giving the scriptures by inspiration was that it might stand as a standard – the standard whereby we know doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. It stands to provide a complete standard “unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) It stands to reason that its preservation is necessary to fulfill that purpose.

The scriptures are a standard of judgment. God is judge and a basis of his judgment will be the words he gave (Psalm 75:7; Acts 10:42-43; 2 Timothy 4:1-2). Because he is judge, we are to preach the word. Commenting on Matthew 5:17-19 in The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, Craig S. Keener writes, “In this passage Jesus also warns that teachers who undermine students’ faith in any portion of the Bible are in trouble with God. This text addresses not only obedience to the commandments but also how one teaches others (and teaches others to do the same; compare Jas 3:1).” Matthew Poole, commenting on John 12:48, writes, “Nay, the word that I have spoken shall rise up in judgment against him at the last day, and prove that he hath judged himself unworthy of everlasting life.” Like many, Poole believes the Scriptures are part of the books that stand in judgment in Revelation 20:12: “What books? The book of God’s law; the book of God’s omniscience; the book of men’s consciences. In the former is contained what all men should have done; the two latter will discover what they have thought, spake, or done in the flesh.” If the spoken words are not recorded and preserved, they afford no standard for mankind to either guide or judge their actions.

 

Preservation of the Bible is a necessary conclusion from its teachings.

The words of Scripture were not just written to or for the immediate recipients of its message. Over and again the Bible notes its own forward look to future generations. For example, Psalm 102:18 in “the prayer of the afflicted” is written with consideration of the generation to come. “This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord.”

• Mark 10:5 Referring to something written in the Law of Moses, Jesus said, “For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.” If it is true that something written by Moses has a purpose of instructing Jews in the first century, it is a necessary conclusion that God intended to preserve what was written.
• Romans 4:23 “Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;” If Genesis 15:6 was not for the benefit of Abraham alone, but for others to whom righteousness is imputed, then it follows that God intended to preserve what was written for others to whom righteousness is imputed.
• Romans 15:4 Paul quotes from the latter part of Psalm 69:9, then says, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” If it is true that something written by David the king has a purpose of instructing Christians in Rome, it is a necessary conclusion that God intended to preserve what was written.
• 1 Corinthians 10:11 “Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. If the events of the Exodus referred to were written for the admonition of Christians in Corinth, it is a necessary conclusion that God intended to preserve what was written.

The preceding texts are exemples of how scripture can be denuded of its force when the doctrine of preservation is abandoned.

 

God promised he would make his words generally available to future believers (Cf.Deuteronomy 29:29). We know the words that proceed from God because they are written and have been preserved (Cf. Matthew 4:4). The churches of Jesus Christ received the words of Jesus and were built upon them (Cf. Matthew 16:16-18; John 17:8; Ephesians 2:20), in turn becoming a pillar and ground of that truth, guarding and keeping the words entrusted (e.g. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Timothy 6:20-21).

God gave the Scriptures by inspiration (2 Timothy 3:15-17). The first under consideration is the Old Testament, then “all scripture.” All scripture, the Old Testament already concluded and the New Testament still being written, stands as the source of everything we need for faith and practice. If the churches are to teach all things Christ commanded during the time he would always be with them, then they must have access to these teachings. We must, and we believe we do! (Matthew 28:18-20)

The truth in Jesus Christ makes us free, and it is mediated to us through the Scriptures. (John 8:31-32) May we know the truth!