Sep 2, 2025

The VPP doctrine is a deviation from the principles contained within the Westminster Confession

The VPP doctrine (Verbal Plenary Preservation)—as it is taught by some institutions (e.g., Far Eastern Bible College and others that uphold a "Perfect Text" view, usually equating it with the Textus Receptus or KJV-onlyism)—is a deviation from the principles of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). Here’s why:


1. What the WCF teaches

  • WCF 1.8 says that the Old Testament in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek were "immediately inspired by God, and, by His singular care and providence, kept pure in all ages."

  • The Confession emphasizes the preservation of Scripture in the original languages, not in any one printed edition, translation, or text family.

  • It also recognizes the need for translation so that the Word may be accessible to all nations.


2. What VPP teaches

  • VPP asserts that not only were the words inspired, but that God has perfectly preserved every jot and tittle in a specific printed text (often the Textus Receptus, and by extension the KJV).

  • This leads to claims of a singular perfect text/form of the Bible today, in contrast to the historical reality of multiple manuscript traditions and textual variants.


3. The Deviation

  • The WCF affirms preservation but not in the sense of one perfect edition without variant readings.

  • Historically, the Westminster divines worked with the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts available to them, recognizing the need for careful textual comparison.

  • To claim absolute perfection in one printed text goes beyond the Westminster teaching and imposes a standard the Confession never stated.

  • Thus, VPP represents a narrower, more rigid view than the Reformed confessional stance, and is considered a deviation or innovation.


Conclusion:
The VPP doctrine deviates from the Westminster Confession, because the WCF affirms God’s providential preservation of Scripture but does not teach the existence of a perfectly preserved edition (TR/KJV). Instead, it allows for the recognition of textual variants and the ongoing scholarly work of establishing the best original text.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Guarding the Faith

Guarding the Faith: An Exegetical and Theological Examination of Colossians 2:8 in Relation to Verbal Plenary Preservation Abstract This ess...