Writing and Preserving the Scriptures

One of the great works of the Holy Spirit is found in the writing and preserving of the scriptures. In 2 Tim. 3:16, 17 we read: 16 “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, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” The phrase, “inspiration of God,” literally means “the inbreathing of God.” The breath of God is identified with the Holy Spirit in the scriptures. Based on the above passage we conclude the following:

1. The scriptures are a gift of God given for the purpose of perfecting (maturing) the man (born again child) of God.

2. All scripture was given by the inspiration of God, i.e., by the inbreathing of the Holy Spirit. The scripture is not just a historical document written by the feelings and thoughts of rational man. Rather the scriptures are authored by the Holy Spirit using men as the penman to pen the words given by the Holy Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit isn’t just the author of the scriptures, but also is the preserver of the scriptures. We read in Ps. 12:6, 7 “6 “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.”

There is a game that most of us have played, whereby we whispered something in someone’s ear and told them to pass it on. Then that person whispered what we said in someone else’s ear and so on for several people. The last person to have the message whispered to him was to speak the message out loud. Most often the final message was different from the original message. There are reasons for this. Sometimes people do not hear the message clearly; other times they add to the message or leave something off the message. Still, others may try to embellish the message so that the final message is different from what was originally said. When we consider how the scriptures were passed down from generation to generation prior to the printing press, it is astounding that we have the scriptures preserved to us in a pure form today as God promised. Yet, that is exactly what God promised. There are several things that God promised us in the above passage:

1. He promised to preserve the words that make up the scriptures.

2. He promised to preserve them in a pure form.

3. He promised that they would be preserved in a pure form in all generations.

4. God did not promise to preserve the original manuscripts. The original manuscripts were not preserved and did not need to be preserved.

Prior to the printing press, the scriptures were copied from one parchment to another. This was a slow and tedious and laborious task often done with poor lighting. Up until the time of the printing press, there were a very limited number of copies in existence at any one time.

The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew and most of the New Testament in Greek. Under the command of King James, the bible was translated into English and this King James Translation has been the predominate translation used by the masses of God’s children ever since.

One may argue that men make mistakes all the time and that the conditions under which the copying from parchment to parchment was done would lead to many errors. While this is the logical conclusion of man, yet God promised the words of the scriptures would be preserved from generation to generation in a pure form. This could only be accomplished if the Holy Spirit was overseeing and guiding the copying. Paul believed this to be true as he taught a great doctrinal truth based on the preservation of a single letter in Gal. 3:15-17: 15 “Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. 16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.”  In all the copies and recopies from the writing of Moses to the time of the Apostle Paul, Paul was convinced that God had preserved the scriptures in a pure form so that a single “s” was never added to the word, “seed,” in the Old Testament text Paul quoted from.

Around the beginning of the 20th century, revisions to the King James translation began to be made by men. Since that time, multiple revisions have been made to the King James translation. All of these revisions have changed many of the scriptural teachings, adding words, leaving out words, changing words, leaving out entire verses, etc. One of the main problems with these revised versions (reversed visions) is that God promised to preserve his word in all generations. There were numerous generations from the time the King James translation was made until the first revised version appeared in the early 1900s. Either, God did not preserve his words in a pure form to all generations as he promised, or else the revised versions are a mockery of God’s promise. The latter is true.

That the prophets and apostles served as the pens for the writings of the Holy Spirit is plainly shown by the following passages:

1. 2 Pet. 1:20 “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

2. John 14:26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

3. 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 show you things to come.”

We make the following observations from the above quoted passages:

1. No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. There have been many men who have arisen and claimed that God had given them a special revelation on some passage of scripture or of some doctrinal teaching that had not been revealed before them. These men according to the above passage are liars.

2. The scripture did not come by the will or choice of man. The ideas and thoughts of men who think something to be true or who are promoting some ideas they espouse are excluded from the text of scripture. Men did not think up the scriptures based on their will.

3. The Holy Spirit moved men to speak and write the scriptures. He didn’t just move upon men to speak and write, but He actually moved the holy men of God to write what he wanted them to write.

4. The Holy Spirit brought to the men who wrote the scriptures the remembrance of those things that He wanted them to write. Consider that the four gospels were written some years after the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. As we all know that over time our memory of events fade and sometimes change. However, the Holy Spirit did not rely upon the memories of men to record the events and sayings of Christ, but actually brought those events and facts to their remembrance and taught them all that they were to write.

5. The Holy Spirit was the guide of the apostles and prophets in writing and is our guide in understanding the things that are written.

6. The Holy Spirit bears testimony of Christ and not of himself. This teaches us that we are not to have a “Holy Spirit” centered gospel, but a Christ centered gospel.

The writers of the scriptures did not always understand the things that they wrote. Sometimes it wasn’t intended for their understanding but for people of a different age:

1. 1 Pet. 1:10 “Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.”

2. Eph. 3:1 “For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, 2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:”

3. Dan. 12:8 “And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? 9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.”

Obviously, if the writers did not understand the things that they wrote, but wrote them anyway, then they must have been writing as the pen of the Holy Spirit. In conclusion, the Holy Spirit is the author and preserver of the scriptures as he has preserved the scriptures in a pure form for all generations. For this we should give praise, honor, and glory to God for such an amazing gift.