Acts 6:4 – The leader’s first duty

Perfect Bible? Verbal Plenary Preservation? Perfect Textus Receptus?

 

1. Acts 6:4 – The leader’s first duty

Acts 6:4 records the apostles’ words:

“But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

The priority of church leaders is prayer and the ministry of the Word (teaching, preaching, shepherding through Scripture). That means their main role is spiritual devotion and feeding the flock, not administration, arguments, or controversies.

2. Should a leader quarrel over Bible versions and manuscripts?

No. Paul actually warns against “quarreling about words” (2 Tim. 2:14) because it is unprofitable and ruins hearers. Leaders are called to handle Scripture faithfully and accurately (2 Tim. 2:15), but not to waste their energy on endless disputes over manuscripts or translations. The focus is Christ and the gospel.

3. Paul and his parchments (2 Tim. 4:13)

When Paul was in prison, he wrote:

“When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.”

These likely included personal notes, Scripture scrolls, or blank materials for writing. Notice:

• He missed the Word of God and useful writings.

• He wanted them for encouragement, study, and ministry, not to engage in textual fights.

4. Did Paul argue for a “perfect Old Testament manuscript”?

No. Nowhere does Paul (or Jesus, for that matter) insist on a single flawless manuscript. Instead, they freely quoted from:

• The Hebrew text (Masoretic tradition’s precursor)

• The Greek Septuagint (LXX) — even when it differs slightly from the Hebrew.

Paul’s confidence was not in a “perfect manuscript” but in the faithfulness of God’s Word preserved through many manuscripts.

5. Were there variants in Old Testament manuscripts in Paul’s time?

Yes. We know from the Dead Sea Scrolls (1st century BC–AD 1st century) that there were different textual traditions:

• Some closer to the later Masoretic Text.

• Some closer to the Greek Septuagint.

• Some even closer to the Samaritan Pentateuch.

So Paul lived in a time when textual variation was normal, yet he and the other apostles quoted Scripture confidently, without panic.

6. Why wasn’t Paul fighting for a “perfect Old Testament”?

Because his mission was not to defend a manuscript tradition but to proclaim Christ crucified and risen.

• He believed “All Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Tim. 3:16), even though copies varied.

• His focus was the message, not manuscript uniformity.

• God’s Word is living and active (Heb. 4:12), not bound to a flawless manuscript tradition.

Summary:

• Acts 6:4 shows that a leader’s first duty is prayer and ministry of the Word, not quarreling over manuscripts.

• Paul loved Scripture and wanted his parchments, but he didn’t argue for a “perfect copy.”

• Variants existed in Paul’s day, but he trusted God’s Word as a whole and preached Christ.

• Leaders today should follow his example: feed the flock, not fight over paper.

Perfect Bible, Verbal Plenary Preservation, Perfect Textus Receptus = Evil trinity from the Far Eastern Bible College (FEBC). The false teachers said, "We can disagree and quarrel about these things, so why bother living in peace?"