Volume 1 of 3 (printer-friendly version)
by Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts
Note: You may download this resource at no cost, for personal use or for use in a Christian ministry, as long as you are not publishing it for sale. All I ask is that you give credit where credit is due. For all other uses, please contact me at mark@markdroberts.com. Thank you.
Download link: http://www.markdroberts.com/htmfiles/resources/gospelsreliableprint1.htm#sep2605
by Brian Auten
Christians consider the Bible to be the Word of God.1 It is revered as the final authority in life and doctrine. Yet what makes this book so special? How can it be considered the authoritative Word of God? How can it be believed to be inerrant? This paper will briefly explore the nature of the Bible, its historical reliability, and its claims of inspiration. The purpose of this paper is not to prove the inerrancy of the Bible, but to show that accepting the Bible as the inerrant and authoritative Word of God is logical and warranted based on the person of Jesus Christ.
The Nature of the Bible
The world’s best-selling book is also the most translated, most published, most quoted, and most influential book in history.2 The word Bible simply means “book.” It is a collection of sixty-six books, written by about forty authors over the course of approximately 1,500 years. Composed of two sections, the Old and New Testaments, it contains a variety of literary genres: law, history, poetry, prophecy, biography, letters, and apocalyptic writings. Despite the diversity of its writings, the overarching theme of the Bible is one central figure in history: Jesus Christ.
It must be understood that the Bible is wholly unique among texts that are considered sacred. The Bible displays a unity and harmony throughout that is distinct. It contains hundreds of specific prophecies that have been fulfilled with complete accuracy—something no other religious book can boast. It is historically verified and supported by archeology. No scientific inaccuracy has ever been found. From a literary perspective, the Bible’s richness, depth, and beauty are unequaled.
The Historical Reliability of the New Testament
Before the claims of the New Testament are examined, an important question must be asked: Can the New Testament be trusted as history? When you question a document’s historicity, you question the document’s authenticity, and ultimately, its authority.
There is much more evidence for the New Testament than for any other ancient writings of comparable date.3 There are over 5,000 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, all of which bear earlier dates than any other ancient works. F. F. Bruce, considered to be one of the greatest of New Testament scholars, said: “The evidence for our New Testament writings is ever so much greater than the evidence for many writings of classical authors, the authenticity of which no one dreams of questioning.”4
According to New Testament scholar Craig Blomberg, “…97-99% of the New Testament can be reconstructed beyond any reasonable doubt, and no Christian doctrine is founded solely or even primarily on textually disputed passages.”5 There are no variant readings among textual critics that affect issues of doctrine or historical fact. For all intents and purposes, the NT as we have it today is the same message and content as the original manuscripts. The highly respected scholar Sir Frederic Kenyon sums it up:
“The interval then between the dates of the original composition and the earliest extant evidence becomes so small as to be in fact negligible, and the last foundation for any doubt that the Scriptures have come down to us substantially as they were written has now been removed. Both the authenticity and the general integrity of the books of the New Testament may be regarded as finally established.”6
Before even evaluating the spiritual claims of the New Testament, one can confidently view it as authentic, reliable, and historically accurate. This is supported by abundant manuscripts, archaeological evidence, and external historical sources. One need not believe in the inspiration or inerrancy of the scriptures to trust the New Testament as a reliable historical record.
The Life of Jesus Christ
From the New Testament documents, one is introduced to the person of Jesus Christ. His authoritative teaching and radical claims of divinity culminated in his crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection from the dead. Christ’s closest followers were eyewitnesses to the events, and their lives were transformed. Many who were unbelievers and skeptics were converted. James, the unbelieving brother of Jesus, was converted and died for his belief in the resurrection. In the same way, Saul, the persecutor of early Christians, was radically converted because he believed in the resurrected Jesus.7 The rise of the early Church in Jerusalem was considerable, as those nearest to these events believed and gave their lives by the thousands.
It is through the New Testament account of Jesus Christ, and the reality of his resurrection, that one comes to faith in the Son of God for salvation. This faith in Christ transforms the life of the believer, and enables him to receive the Bible itself as the Word of God. The point to be made here is that faith in Christ is the prerequisite for the acceptance of the Bible as the Word of God. This belief is not unwarranted or baseless.
Rather, it is warranted by one’s acceptance of Jesus Christ and based in the authority of Jesus’ teaching. The New Testament simply provides a fully trustworthy historical account for one to be introduced to Jesus Christ. Then, through Jesus Christ, the Christian can know8 that the Bible is God’s Word, as the Holy Spirit enables him.
This argument may not seem valid for the skeptic. The skeptic may balk at the idea of any “leap of faith,” or “suspension of reason.” However, it has been demonstrated that this in not an irrational jump of logic. The early Church was composed of those who had legitimate reasons to believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead and is who he claimed to be. The same reasons they had, we have today through the historical account of the New Testament. Once one sees that Jesus truly is the Son of God, everything changes.
Jesus’ View of Scripture
Jesus’ view of scripture is central to the Christian view of the Bible. His resurrection confirms His claim as the Son of God, and thus His ultimate authority is established. Therefore, Jesus Christ is the cornerstone for the doctrine of Biblical inerrancy.
First, Jesus considered the scriptures (what we refer to now as the Old Testament) to be historical fact. Throughout the Gospels His view does not change. Jesus refers to Abel, Noah, Abraham, Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot, Isaac and Jacob, manna, the snake in the desert, David, Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, Jonah, Zechariah, and Moses.9 In each of these accounts, Jesus takes the scripture as literal historical fact. Christ also affirms the account of creation in Genesis chapters one and two. Regarding the historical references of Jesus, John W. Wenham said, “the narratives that are least acceptable to the ‘modern mind’ are the very ones that He seemed most fond of choosing for illustrations.”10
Second, Jesus considered every word of scripture to be divine. Contrary to the liberal view of many scholars today, Jesus’ opinion of the scriptures was that they were fully inspired by God—even to the smallest letter: “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished” (Matthew 5:18). Indeed, Christ considered the scriptures fully inspired even in the smallest details.
Third, Jesus considered the scripture authoritative. In John 10:35, Jesus said, “…the scripture cannot be broken…” When tempted by the devil, Jesus appealed to the authority of scripture three times (Matthew 4:4). Also, Jesus lived in full expectation that the prophecies made about him in the Old Testament would be fulfilled. John W. Wenham lists over twenty times that Jesus refers to himself as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.11
In one particularly notable passage, Jesus speaks to his disciples about his own fulfillment of prophecy: He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself (Luke 24:25-27). If Jesus considered the scriptures to be the Word of God, should Christians consider them to be anything less?
The Apostles’ View of Scripture
As Christ’s contemporaries and authoritative heralds of His Gospel, the apostles’ view is important to the study. Like Jesus, they considered the scripture to be the very word of God. Among the New Testament writings, at least ten percent is Old Testament material, composed of some 295 quotations, 1600 citations, and numerous allusions.12
Jesus promised the Holy Spirit, who would lead and guide the apostles into all truth (John 14:26, 15:26, 16:13-15). Therefore, they wrote with the understanding that they had a commission from Christ to fulfill. As professor of theology Edwin A. Blum put it, “As the apostles were commissioned to preach the message of Jesus’ death and resurrection, they were also instructed and enabled by the Holy Spirit to teach these truths to the church.”13
Accordingly, the apostles saw their own writings as inspired scripture. For instance, Peter referred to Paul’s writing as scripture: “. . . His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:16). We have the inspired writings of the apostles today in the letters of the New Testament.
The Biblical Teaching of Inspiration
The Bible itself makes the claim to be the inspired Word of God. When looking at the concept of inspiration, we must define it in the terms the Bible gives. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (NIV)” Other translations of 2 Timothy 3:16, such as the New American Standard Bible, may read, “All Scripture is inspired by God” (emphasis added).
The meaning of the word inspired is literally “God-breathed.” As Bible teacher John MacArthur put it, the word inspired could be more accurately called “expired,” because the scriptures were breathed out by God. The Bible claims to be a divinely authoritative book resulting from a process whereby Spirit-moved men wrote God-breathed words.14
While inspiration is defined as “God-breathed,” it can be described as both verbal and plenary. Verbal means that the words of scripture themselves are inspired, not the writers. Plenary means complete in all respects; the entirety of scripture. So our definition of scripture is that every word of the Bible is God-breathed.
Inspiration does not imply a word-for-word dictation from God. Throughout the scripture, one will find a diversity of authors and their particular writing styles. One will also find figures of speech, various levels of grammar, references to non-biblical documents, and many different literary genres. This does not call into question the inspiration of the Bible. The teaching of inspiration simply states that God spoke His words using human authors and human language.
The Doctrine of Inerrancy
Inerrancy has to do with truth. It means the Bible is truthful and does not err. Theologian Paul D. Feinberg proposes the following definition of inerrancy:
Inerrancy means that when all facts are known, the Scriptures in their original autographs and properly interpreted will be shown to be wholly true in everything that they affirm, whether that has to do with doctrine or morality or with the social, physical, or life sciences.15
This definition helps to clarify what is and is not implied in the doctrine of inerrancy. Inerrancy applies to the original writings (autographs), not the copies. The Bible teaches that the scriptures were inspired, not the scribes or copyists. Thus, inasmuch as the copies reflect the originals, they are considered inerrant. Any errors in copying, transmission, or preservation do not negate original inerrancy. No human interpretation is infallible, so proper hermeneutics is necessary.
Inerrancy denotes that the Bible is true in all it affirms. For instance, the Bible contains historical record of many evil acts, but it does not condone or teach those evil acts. Finally, inerrancy is not a denial that difficult passages exist within the Bible. But these difficult passages should not be assumed to be errors, contradictions, or discrepancies simply because they have not yet been understood or harmonized. One should be encouraged by the fact that for over 2000 years the Bible has stood the test of time.
Biblical inspiration implies inerrancy because of the nature of who God is. Bible teacher R. W. Glenn presents the following syllogism to describe the derivative nature of inerrancy: 1) God is always truthful in all that He does; 2) God is the author and source of scripture; 3) Therefore, scripture is always truthful.16 It follows logically that if the scripture is inspired by God in all its parts, it is inerrant and therefore authoritative.
Inerrancy, therefore, is not derived from an observation or a survey of the text itself. Inerrancy is not a proven fact; nor can it be proven. Inerrancy is a doctrine derived from the teaching of inspiration, grounded in the person and authority of Jesus Christ. Therefore, Christians believe and accept the Bible to be inerrant ultimately based upon Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we see that the Christian has good reason to believe the Bible to be the inerrant and authoritative Word of God in all matters. The historically reliable account of Christ’s resurrection testifies to his divine identity; Jesus’ authority as the Son of God authenticates the scripture’s claims; and the inspiration of the Bible establishes its inerrancy and ultimate authority for the believer.
1 The words Bible, scripture, and Word of God will be used synonymously throughout this paper.
2 Norman Geisler and William E. Nix, From God to Us (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1974), p. 7. 1
3 F. F. Bruce, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? (Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Fellowship, 1981), p. 10.
4 Ibid.
5 Craig Blomberg and William Lane Craig, Reasonable Faith (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1994), p. 194.
6 Bruce, p. 15.
7 The conversions of James and Paul are accepted as undisputed historical fact by virtually all scholars due to the substantial historical evidence. See Gary Habermas and Michael Licona, The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2004), pp. 64-69.
8 Knowledge can be defined as, “True belief that is warranted or justified.” See C. Stephen Evans, Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics and Philosophy of Religion (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press), p. 66.
9 John W. Wenham, Inerrancy (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1980), p. 6.
10 Ibid., p. 7.
11 Ibid., pp. 19-29.
12 Edwin A. Blum, Inerrancy, p. 41.
13 Ibid., p. 40.
14 Geisler and Nix, p. 21.
15 Paul D. Feinberg, Inerrancy, p. 294.
16 R. W. Glenn, “Bibliology, Part 4: Inerrancy” (Redeemer Bible Church, Minnetonka, MN)
https://apologetics315.com/2008/02/a-case-for-biblical-inerrancy/
Text (ESV):
He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, He will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.
Paul emphasizes that God is perfectly just — He rewards or punishes not based on status, background, or position, but according to each person’s deeds and motives.
There is no partiality — not for Jews, not for Greeks, not for pastors, elders, or members. All will stand before the same holy Judge.
There are only two directions in the moral life:
Those who seek glory, honor, and immortality through perseverance in doing good — who live out faith by obeying God’s truth — will receive eternal life.
Those who are self-seeking and reject truth — who live to advance themselves or their agenda — will face wrath and fury.
Paul isn’t teaching salvation by works, but judgment according to works — meaning our actions reveal the true state of our hearts. A person’s behavior toward the church, God’s people, and His truth shows what kind of faith (if any) truly lives within them.
In some parts of the Bible-Presbyterian movement, the debates over KJV-Onlyism, Verbal Plenary Preservation, and Perfect TR have not only been theological disagreements, but occasions for pride, harshness, and division.
When believers use doctrine as a weapon — exalting themselves as the “true defenders of the faith” while condemning others as compromised — they act not in love or humility but in the self-seeking spirit Paul condemns.
“For those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth… there will be wrath and fury.” (v.8)
Such people may claim to defend Scripture, but in doing so they sometimes deny the spirit of Scripture — love, gentleness, and unity in Christ.
God is not impressed by who can argue best, but by who serves best.
Those who “by patience in well-doing” seek God’s glory (v.7) — that is, those who love, forgive, and work for peace — will be honored by Him.
In a divided church, those who:
Speak kindly instead of cruelly,
Build bridges instead of walls,
Seek reconciliation rather than revenge,
are the ones who show they truly understand and obey the gospel.
Romans 2:11 warns that God shows no partiality — He will not favor those who claim to be more “biblically pure” if their hearts are proud or their actions tear apart Christ’s body.
Likewise, He will reward the humble and faithful who quietly keep the unity of the Spirit, even if they are criticized by others. The Lord of the Church sees both the visible debates and the invisible motives behind them.
Beloved brothers and sisters,
The Word of God warns that division born of pride will never go unexamined by the righteous Judge.
God will reward those who, despite disagreement, pursue peace, humility, and faithfulness.
But He will rebuke those who stir conflict, slander fellow believers, or elevate human ideas above the gospel of grace.
You were called to be a Reformed, Christ-centered people, not a faction defined by a version, a textual theory, or a controversy.
Paul did not preach a “perfect manuscript” — he preached a perfect Savior.
To return to Him is to return to the center of the faith.
“Glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good.” (Romans 2:10)
Therefore, let every elder, pastor, and member examine their own heart.
If you have spoken harshly, repent.
If you have divided the flock, seek forgiveness.
If you have stood apart in anger, return in love.
The church belongs not to one party, but to Christ who bought it with His blood (Acts 20:28).
May the Bible-Presbyterian Church be known not for disputes about the text of Scripture, but for the living truth of the gospel, faithfully lived out in love, holiness, and unity.
Paul’s ministry in Acts was centered on proclaiming Christ crucified and risen, not on defending a perfect text or exclusive translation.
Throughout Acts, Paul’s singular mission was to preach Jesus Christ — to both Jews and Greeks — urging them to repent and believe in Him (cf. Acts 20:21; 17:2–3; 18:5). His ministry was gospel-centered, not text-centered.
He proclaimed the Scriptures as the means by which people encountered Christ, but never made the text itself an object of worship or division.
Paul’s message was clear:
“For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” — 1 Corinthians 2:2
In contrast, the early church did not argue over which manuscript tradition or translation was “perfect.” They rejoiced in the living Word—the person of Jesus—and proclaimed Him through the written Word, faithfully transmitted though copied by human hands.
The Reformed tradition, from Calvin and Knox to the Westminster Divines, has always upheld the sufficiency of Scripture — not the perfection of one human version or manuscript line.
The Westminster Confession of Faith (1.8) teaches that God has “by His singular care and providence kept [the Scriptures] pure in all ages.” This refers to preservation in substance, not an identical letter-for-letter perfection of one text or translation.
To insist that God’s Word exists only in a particular edition of the Textus Receptus or in the King James Version is to go beyond the Confession and beyond Scripture itself. It risks turning a good doctrine (preservation) into an idol of precision, where the means (a translation) replaces the message (Christ).
When Paul warned the Ephesian elders about “men speaking twisted things” (Acts 20:30), he described those who divert attention away from Christ and draw disciples after themselves.
This danger is real today: when discussions about Verbal Plenary Preservation, Perfect TR, or KJV-Onlyism become tests of faith or fellowship, they pull hearts away from the central mission — the gospel of grace.
Instead of drawing people to Christ, these debates can:
Divide sincere believers,
Distract from evangelism and discipleship,
Create pride in “superior knowledge,”
And cause younger believers to stumble, seeing Christians quarrel over issues the apostles never fought about.
Paul commended the elders not to a text tradition, but to “God and the word of His grace” (Acts 20:32).
This word of grace is the gospel — the message of Christ’s saving work — which alone builds up the church and gives an inheritance among the sanctified.
A Reformed church must therefore:
Hold high the authority of Scripture,
Rejoice in the gospel it proclaims, and
Avoid dividing over matters the Bible itself does not absolutize.
Let the love of Christ and the centrality of the gospel bind believers together more tightly than any preference for a translation or textual theory can separate them.
Dear brethren of the Bible-Presbyterian Church in Singapore,
Paul’s warning still calls out across the centuries:
“Be alert.” Not to fight over which translation is holiest,
but to guard the flock from anything that shifts the focus away from Christ.
Be faithful to our Reformed heritage — one that exalts sola Scriptura and solus Christus together.
Preach the Word, yes — but let the Word point always to the Savior, not to the page.
The power of God lies not in a perfect edition of the Bible, but in the perfect gospel it contains. The Spirit who inspired Scripture is also the Spirit who unites believers in Christ.
Let your unity, therefore, be found not in the Textus Receptus, not in the KJV, not in VPP, but in the Living Word, Jesus Christ our Lord.
And as Paul commended the elders, so we too say:
“Now we commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up.” (Acts 20:32)
Text (ESV):
“I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”
In this farewell address to the Ephesian elders, Paul speaks with deep pastoral concern. Knowing that his departure will leave the church vulnerable, he warns them of two kinds of dangers:
External threats — “fierce wolves” (v.29): false teachers or destructive influences entering the church from outside, preying upon the flock for selfish gain.
Internal threats — “from among your own selves” (v.30): members or leaders within the church who distort truth and sow division to attract followers after themselves.
Paul emphasizes vigilance (“be alert”) and a reliance not on human authority, but on God and the word of His grace (v.32). This “word of grace” — the gospel of Jesus Christ — is the true source of growth, unity, and sanctification.
Paul’s tears (v.31) reveal that pastoral correction is not harsh judgment but heartfelt love, grounded in the desire to protect the church and preserve its unity in truth.
The Bible-Presbyterian (BP) Church has a rich heritage of faithfulness to Scripture, evangelism, and theological integrity. Yet, as in Ephesus, divisions can arise “from among your own selves.”
In recent years, debates within the BP circles concerning KJV-Onlyism, Verbal Plenary Preservation (VPP), and the notion of a Perfect Textus Receptus (TR) have caused tension and separation. While these issues may stem from a sincere desire to uphold the authority of God’s Word, they risk turning into the very “twisted things” Paul warned about — when secondary matters eclipse the centrality of the gospel and the unity of the body.
Paul warned that false teachers seek to “draw away disciples after them.” The danger is not merely doctrinal error, but spiritual pride — using one’s convictions to gather a faction rather than to glorify Christ.
When allegiance to a translation or a textual theory becomes a test of fellowship, the church has subtly replaced Christ as the center with a human standard of orthodoxy.
Paul’s remedy for division was not more controversy, but deeper trust in “the word of His grace” (v.32) — the gospel that unites all believers in the saving work of Jesus Christ.
The Bible in its preserved and faithful translations — whether KJV, ESV, NKJV, or others — points to the same Savior and the same truth. Unity does not mean uniformity, but shared submission to Christ as Lord and to the Scriptures as our supreme rule of faith and life.
The elders in Ephesus were to “be alert” — not merely to defend their position, but to shepherd God’s people with discernment and tenderness.
So too, leaders in the BP Church must guard both doctrine and hearts. The goal of watchfulness is not to win arguments but to preserve love, peace, and faithfulness among the flock.
The Church’s unity is not built on textual theories, but on the person of Jesus Christ.
“In Him all things hold together” (Col. 1:17).
When the focus shifts from Christ to controversies, division is inevitable. When the focus remains on Christ, differences can be discussed with grace, humility, and mutual respect.
Dear brothers and sisters of the Bible-Presbyterian Church in Singapore,
Paul’s warning still speaks to us today:
Beware of fierce wolves — ideologies or personalities that devour unity.
Beware of men speaking twisted things — teachings that elevate human reasoning above the gospel of grace.
Be alert, but not fearful. Be discerning, but not divisive.
Be united in the one foundation: Christ Jesus our Lord, crucified and risen.
Return to the simplicity of the gospel. Love one another deeply. Let our zeal for the Word be matched by our gentleness toward one another.
And may the grace of God and the Word of His grace build us up, that we might shine together as a faithful, united witness in Singapore and beyond.
The Bible Presbyterian Church (BPC) was founded in 1937 in the United States. Its origin traces back to a split within the Presbyterian Church of America, which itself had broken away from the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. over modernism and liberal theology.
The key founders and early leaders included:
Dr. Carl McIntire – A major figure in the Fundamentalist movement and editor of The Christian Beacon.
Dr. Allan A. MacRae – An Old Testament scholar and later the founding president of Faith Theological Seminary.
Dr. J. Oliver Buswell, Jr. – A well-known Reformed theologian and seminary president.
Harold S. Laird and Roy T. Brumbaugh, among others.
The new denomination sought to combine Presbyterian orthodoxy with a strong separationist and fundamentalist stance, opposing both theological liberalism and ecclesiastical compromise.
No — the founders of the Bible Presbyterian Church were not KJV Only.
In the 1930s and 1940s, the KJV-Only movement did not yet exist in its modern form. That movement arose mainly in the 1950s–1970s, especially under figures like Benjamin G. Wilkinson, Peter Ruckman, and later David Otis Fuller.
The BPC founders respected the King James Version as a faithful English translation — it was the common Bible of the English-speaking church — but they did not teach that it was perfect, inspired in itself, or superior to the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts.
In fact, men like MacRae and Buswell were trained biblical scholars who worked with the original languages and supported responsible textual criticism within a framework of biblical inerrancy.
They believed in the inerrancy of the original manuscripts (autographs) — that the Bible, as originally given by God, was without error and fully inspired.
However, they did not claim that any existing translation or printed text (like the KJV or the Textus Receptus) was itself perfect or infallible.
Their stance can be summarized as:
“The Scriptures, as originally given by God, are without error. Our present copies and translations are reliable and trustworthy witnesses to that Word.”
This position is the classical Reformed and evangelical doctrine of Scripture — not KJV-Onlyism, nor liberal skepticism.
In short, the founders of the Bible Presbyterian Church were Bible-believing Reformed fundamentalists, not KJV-Only traditionalists.
They held to a high view of Scripture, yet maintained humility about human transmission and translation.
Over time, certain Bible Presbyterian churches began moving toward KJV-Onlyism, a position far removed from the balanced scholarship and humility of their founders. This shift did not happen overnight, but grew out of a combination of fear, reaction, and misunderstanding.
After the mid-20th century, theological liberalism and Bible revision movements created deep anxiety among many conservative Christians. New translations like the RSV, NIV, and others were often associated—fairly or not—with the loss of biblical authority. In response, some believers clung tightly to the King James Version as a symbol of doctrinal safety and spiritual certainty.
What began as love and loyalty for the familiar KJV slowly hardened into idolatry of a translation. The desire to defend God’s Word turned into the claim that only one English version was perfect and all others were corrupt.
This reaction was often fueled by:
Fear of modernism and textual criticism, which some confused with unbelief.
Lack of understanding of how the biblical manuscripts and translations actually work.
Emotional attachment to the KJV’s language and heritage.
Influence from external voices in the broader fundamentalist world (e.g., Ruckmanism and certain independent Baptist groups).
In short, reaction replaced reflection. Instead of defending biblical inerrancy in the original inspired texts, some began to defend the translation itself as inspired and perfect.
What began as a fight for the Bible slowly became a fight about the Bible — dividing brothers and damaging the witness of truth.
The tragedy is that this extreme contradicts the very humility the founders modeled — men who believed the Bible wholeheartedly, yet studied it with scholarly care and spiritual reverence.
A faithful Bible Presbyterian position should stand where Scripture itself stands:
Confident in God’s preserved Word, humble in human understanding, and willing to test every claim by truth and love — not pride or fear.
We need a deep and necessary reflection — and a balance that few seem willing to hold today.
In every generation, the people of God face two opposite dangers — extremes that appear to honor truth but in the end distort it. One is the claim of Verbal Plenary Preservation, which insists that a single text or translation is the perfectly preserved Word of God, untouchable and error-free. The other is liberalism, which denies that the Bible is the Word of God at all, treating it as a mere human book, a collection of ancient writings with no divine authority.
Both errors spring from pride — one from the pride of certainty, the other from the pride of skepticism. The first refuses to admit the limits of human transmission and understanding. The second refuses to accept the reality of divine revelation.
Yet Scripture calls us to a better way — the way of humble confidence. We can affirm that the Bible is truly the Word of God, inspired and trustworthy, while also acknowledging that we “know in part” (1 Cor. 13:9). God’s Word is perfect in its message, but our copies, translations, and interpretations are the work of imperfect hands and minds. That should not lead us to despair or disbelief, but to dependence — dependence on the Holy Spirit who leads the Church into all truth.
Faith does not demand blind dogmatism, nor does humility require unbelief. We can love the Word without idolizing a version, and we can study critically without doubting God’s voice within it.
Let us, therefore, reject both extremes. Let us not worship the text itself as though salvation were found in ink and paper. Nor let us dismiss the text as though God never spoke. Instead, let us read, study, and live the Scriptures with reverence and reason — confident that though we know in part, we are known fully by the One whose Word endures forever.
Examine and amend a church's constitution that upholds verbal plenary preservation.
We believe in the divine, Verbal Plenary Inspiration (Autographs) and Verbal Plenary Preservation of the Scriptures (Apographs) in the original languages, their consequent inerrancy and infallibility, and as the perfect Word of God, the Supreme and final authority in faith and life (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:20-21; Ps 12:6-7; Matt 5:18, 24:35);
This section starts well — affirming verbal plenary inspiration (i.e., that every word of Scripture, not just its general ideas, was inspired by God).
However, it introduces a serious theological confusion by pairing verbal plenary inspiration of the autographs (original manuscripts) with verbal plenary preservation of the apographs (copies).
While Scripture is divinely inspired in its original autographs, the doctrine of verbal plenary preservation — that every exact word is perfectly preserved without variation in later manuscripts — is not biblically or historically defensible. God preserved His Word in substance and truth, but not necessarily in identical letter-for-letter form in every manuscript.
We believe that the Scriptures were divinely inspired by God in their original writings (Autographs), that they are fully authoritative, inerrant, and infallible in all they affirm, and that through God’s providence, the Scriptures have been faithfully preserved in all ages so that God’s people still possess His true Word in every generation. The Scriptures remain the supreme and final authority for faith and life (2 Tim 3:16–17; 2 Pet 1:20–21; Matt 5:18; John 10:35).
We believe the Hebrew Old Testament and the Greek New Testament underlying the Authorised (King James) Version to be the very Word of God, infallible and inerrant;
This clause makes the error of equating the Textus Receptus (TR) and Masoretic Text used in 1611 with the infallible originals.
However, the Textus Receptus is a later edition of Greek manuscripts — not the “original” New Testament text, and certainly not identical to it.
Modern textual criticism (using thousands more manuscripts, including much older ones) has shown that the TR is not superior, but merely one historical tradition among others (like the Byzantine and Alexandrian).
To restrict infallibility to the textual base of the KJV is to make a translation tradition rather than the inspired autographs the final authority.
We believe that the Old Testament was written in Hebrew (with small portions in Aramaic) and the New Testament in Greek, and that these original-language texts, as preserved in the total manuscript tradition, are the inspired and authoritative Word of God. We affirm that faithful translations of these Scriptures truly communicate God’s Word to His people.
We uphold the Authorised (King James) Version to be The Word of God – the best, most faithful, most accurate, most beautiful translation of the Bible in the English language, and do employ it alone as our primary scriptural text in the public reading, preaching, and teaching of the English Bible;
This clause confuses translation preference with doctrinal truth.
While the King James Version is a remarkable literary achievement and a faithful translation for its time, claiming it is the most faithful or accurate translation — and therefore to be used alone — is untenable and sectarian.
Language changes; better manuscripts have been discovered; and new translations (like the ESV, NIV, NASB, CSB, etc.) accurately reflect the same inspired message for modern readers.
No single English translation is “perfect.” God’s Word is perfect — not our translations.
We affirm that faithful translations of Scripture, such as the ESV, NIV, NASB, and others, accurately communicate God’s inspired Word to English readers. While we respect the historical value of the King James Version, we do not regard any one translation as uniquely inspired or superior in authority. All faithful translations serve the Church in making God’s Word known.
To “possess” a Bible is not merely to own a physical book, but to have in one’s hands God’s living Word — the revelation of Himself, His redemptive plan, and His will for humanity.
The power of Scripture does not depend on ink, manuscript tradition, or translation; it depends on the Spirit who inspired it and illumines the reader’s heart (1 Cor 2:12–14; Heb 4:12).
The Church’s confidence is not in a particular version of the Bible but in the God who speaks faithfully through His Word.
Thus, to possess a Bible — in any faithful translation — is to hold the voice of God, able to make one wise unto salvation (2 Tim 3:15).
Both the NIV and ESV are accurate, faithful, and trustworthy translations based on the best available Hebrew and Greek texts.
The NIV uses dynamic equivalence: it seeks to express the meaning of the text in natural modern English, prioritizing clarity and readability.
The ESV uses essentially literal or formal equivalence: it stays close to the wording and structure of the original languages, prioritizing precision and word-for-word faithfulness.
Both approaches have merit.
A healthy approach is to read both — using the ESV for study and the NIV for devotional reading or evangelism — understanding that both convey the same inspired truth.
We believe that the Scriptures, as originally given, are the divinely inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God. God has faithfully preserved His Word through the manuscript tradition, so that His truth is accessible in every generation. The Bible, rightly translated, remains the supreme authority in faith and life. We honor faithful translations such as the KJV, ESV, NIV, and others as true witnesses to God’s Word, recognizing that no single translation holds exclusive authority, for the authority belongs to the inspired Word itself, not any one version.
If even the inspired apostles — men who spoke and wrote under the direct influence of the Holy Spirit — confessed, as Paul did, “we know in part and we prophesy in part” (1 Corinthians 13:9), then how can any of us claim to know fully what even they said they only knew in part?
If Paul, Peter, John, and the rest humbly admitted their partial understanding, what does it say about us when we claim complete knowledge of the original text, or perfect certainty about one translation?
Some boast, “We have the perfect Bible,” or “The KJV is the only true Word of God,” while condemning all other versions as corrupt. But isn’t that the very spirit of pride the Bible warns us against?
When we turn love for Scripture into rivalry — when we wage war over words and translations — we become like warmongers in the household of faith. We turn the Bible, meant to be the sword of the Spirit, into a sword of division among brethren.
The truth is this: no manuscript, translation, or human interpretation is perfect. Only God’s Word — the living Word, Christ Himself — is perfect. The written Word points to Him; it is not meant to be an idol we use to strike others.
So let’s walk humbly. Let’s seek truth with reverence, not arrogance. Let’s remember: to know in part is not a weakness — it is a reminder of our dependence on the One who knows all.
What does "in part" mean?
The Greek word is ἐκ μέρους (ek merous), which means "partially," "imperfectly," or "in fragments." Paul is comparing our current, earthly knowledge to a puzzle with most of the pieces missing. We have genuine knowledge and genuine prophecy, but it is:
Applying "We Know in Part" to the Claim of a "Perfect" Bible
The claim that we possess a "perfect" Textus Receptus (TR) or a "perfect" King James Version (KJV) runs into the sobering reality of 1 Corinthians 13:9.
To claim the TR is "perfect" is to claim that 16th-century scholars, with their limited manuscript evidence, achieved a level of textual certainty that transcends the "partial" nature of human knowledge Paul describes. It places a human work (as excellent as it is) on the level of divine perfection reserved for the original autographs and for God Himself.
Conclusion
The declaration "we know in part" is a divine check on human pride. It applies to theologians, pastors, and every believer.
When a church or group claims to have exclusive possession of the "perfect" Bible in the form of the TR or KJV, they are, perhaps unintentionally, violating the spirit of 1 Corinthians 13. They are claiming a level of final, exhaustive knowledge that Paul reserves for eternity. This can lead to the very arrogance and division that Paul was correcting in Corinth.
A truly high view of Scripture acknowledges two things simultaneously:
God's Word is perfect, powerful, and eternally true.
Our grasp of it, through textual transmission, translation, and interpretation, is and will always be "in part" until we see Christ face to face.
Therefore, we hold our Bibles with deep reverence and confidence, while simultaneously holding our interpretations with humility and grace, always ready to learn and be corrected by the very Word we seek to defend. We have everything we need for life and godliness in Scripture, but we do not know everything about Scripture itself.
Without Grumbling or Arguing: Divine Cooperation and the Integrity of Scripture Introduction In Philippians 2:12–18, the Apostle Paul exhort...