Landmarks of                     ENGLISH BIBLE: Manuscript Evidence A Comprehensive Study in BIBLE INTRODUCTION for use in the training of men for the Baptist ministry Prepared by: Pastor Robert J. Sargent

[CHM note: some info from an old file.] The following lectures are two lectures from the ENGLISH BIBLE: MANUSCRIPT EVIDENCE Lecture notes available from Bible Baptist Church Publications. This study in BIBLE INTRODUCTION fully upholds the Authorized, King James Version as the pure, preserved Word Of God in English. The notes deal with both Biblical and historical reasons for this stand, covering the issues causing much consternation today in a documented, non-inflammatory way. Pastors will be glad to find these notes also maintain the historic Baptist position without having to resort to the 'original Greek' or 'a better translation.' -305 pages of TYPESET Lecture Notes, including CHARTS, STUDY QUESTIONS, and ASSIGNMENTS. -52 pages of Appendices, listing major Papyrus, Unical, and Minuscule manuscripts, PLUS a list of English translations since 1611 A.D. -Spiral Bound. -$25.00 plus shipping and handling (10%) ORDER FROM: Bible Baptist Church 1219 N. Harns Road Oak Harbor, WA 98277 Telephone: (206) 675-8311 Lecture One is the course description Lecture Two is a Lecture on Revelation.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------- MANUSCRIPT EVIDENCE - LECTURE 1 - COURSE DESCRIPTION -------------------------------------------------------------------------- INTRODUCTION Welcome to this series of lectures on the subject of our English Bible. It is hoped these notes will provide a clear, concise, and accurate study of the doctrinal, textual, and historical basis for the Bible we hold in our hands - the Authorized, King James Version. I. AIM OF THE COURSE OF STUDY The objectives of this course entitled "English Bible: Manuscript Evidences" are as follows: A. To acquaint the student with the general history of the Bible as it came from God to man. B. To give the student an understanding of the various kinds of manuscript evidence, their characteristics, and their use in Bible translations. C. To instruct the student in lower (textual) criticism by examining the popular theories held today. D. To give the student an understanding of the issues relating to Bible Versions facing believers today. E. To give the student a firm grasp of the doctrine of the Preservation Of The Word Of God. F. To strengthen the student's confidence in the Authorized, King James Version as the preserved Word of God. G. To equip the student to defend confidently the Authorized, King James Version both Scripturally and factually. H. To foster a greater love and respect for, and to increase the student's faith in, the Word of God; and to enhance his use of the Word of God in preaching, soul winning, and personal devotion. I. To stimulate the student and prepare him for further studies in the Word of God. II. IMPORTANCE OF THE COURSE What we believe about the Bible determines what we believe about all other doctrines. This is because our faith is BIBLE BASED. If we are "off" on the Bible, we will be "off" on all the other doctrines, and, if we have the wrong Bible, we will have wrong beliefs accordingly. CHRIST AND CHRISTIANITY STAND OR FALL WITH THE BIBLE! Psalm 11:3 "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" A. Which Bible? Theological battles have raged throughout most of the centuries of Christendom's history. All the great doctrines taught in the Bible have at some point in time been challenged and defended. Creeds have been written, wars have been fought, and denominations founded as a direct result of passionate controversy. To the twentieth century may rightfully be given the title, "The Battle For The Bible." Of all the issues fought over, that of the Bible ranks foremost. In the earlier decades, the battle-lines were formed over the issues of Authorship (Inspiration) and Authority (credibility), and the outcome was the broad division of Christendom into two camps - the liberal and the conservative. It was at this time that the terms "modernist" and "fundamentalist" came to be used. The last decades of the 20th Century have seen the matter of the Word of God become a great issue within the "conservative camp", to the place that it has now become a point of division amongst fundamentalists. Like all theological controversies, this has raged with much feeling and fire, and at times has been fueled with personal abuse rather than substantive facts. Nevertheless, the burning question facing Bible-believing Baptists in this present day and age is, "Which Bible?" There is a multiplicity of Versions available, each with varying claims and style, and each with significant differences in key doctrinal passages. If truth is narrow, then they all cannot be right! A secondary question is, "Do we really have the Word of God available to us today?" After all, it has been over 1,890 years since the ink dried on the Book of The Revelation, and are we not taught that the Bible was a "lost Book" for the best part of 1,000 years? B. Our God Is At Stake. What kind of God do we have anyway? When He speaks, is His voice so "fuzzy" and His words so "garbled" that we can hear Him out of any Version of the Bible we choose? When He gives us His Word in writing, is He so inept as to lose it for so long? Or can it be that we do in fact have a clear, authoritative Word of God available to us today - the same Bible as had the early Christians? If God is truly the God of Heaven, all powerful, all knowing, all loving, then we can be assured the answer is a resounding "yes!" This course of study is mainly concerned with the more recent of the above issues - that of Authenticity. Which Bible is the Word of God, if indeed we do have it? The story of our English Bible is fascinating, amazing, and humbling. It is the story of how the very words of the living God were transmitted from the throne-room of glory into our frail, trembling hands. Holding the Bible is like standing in the presence of Almighty God; like sitting at the feet of Jesus; like watching the workings of the Holy Ghost. It is THE WORD OF GOD! III. OUTLINE OF THE LECTURES. Lecture 1: INTRODUCTION I. Aim of the Course II. Importance of the Course III. Outline of the Lectures IV. Overview of the Course V. Grading of the Course VI. Bibliography & Helpful Texts Lecture 2: REVELATION I. Revelation Defined II. Revelation Explained A. General revelation B. Special revelation III. Revelation Contrasted Lecture 3: INSPIRATION I. Biblical Statements of Inspiration II. Inspiration Defined A. Confluent B. Verbal C. Plenary D. Inerrant E. Infallible III. Theories of Inspiration IV. Old Testament Inspiration V. New Testament Inspiration VI. Evidences of Inspiration Lecture 4: COMMUNICATION I. Development of Languages and Writing. II. Development of the English Language III. Biblical Languages & Writing IV. Transmission of the Biblical Text A. Manuscript Types B. Manuscript Materials C. Manuscript Terminology Lecture 5: CANONIZATION I. The Meaning of Canon and Canonicity II. The Standards or Tests of Canonicity III. Terms Used in the Canonical Process A. Homologoumena B. Antilogoumena C. Apocrypha D. Pseudepigrapha IV. The Old Testament Canon V. The New Testament Canon Lecture 6: PRESERVATION I. The Doctrine of Preservation II. The Logic of Preservation III. The Extent of Preservation IV. The Various Views of Preservation V. The Nature of Preservation A. Physical perpetuity B. Textual purity VI. The Preservation of the Old Testament A. Jewish Witness to the Hebrew Text B. Samaritan Witness to the Hebrew Text C. Christian Witness to the Hebrew Text VII. The Preservation of the New Testament A. The Old Latin Bible B. The Old Syriac Bible C. The Gothic Bible Lecture 7: DESECRATION I. The Nature of Textual Corruption II. The Background of Textual Corruption III. The Great Center of Textual Corruption IV. The Great Agent of Textual Corruption V. The Products of Textual Corruption A. The Eusebio-Constantine Bible B. The Latin Vulgate VI. The Septuagint Question Lecture 8: EMANCIPATION - I I. Foundations of the Reformation II. Desiderius Erasmus A. The Life of Erasmus B. The Works of Erasmus C. The Criticisms of Erasmus D. The Johannine Comma III. The Textus Receptus Lecture 9: EMANCIPATION - II I. The Period of Manuscript Collection A. Polyglot Bibles B. Critical Editions of the Received Text C. The Work of Tischendorf II. The Major Uncial Manuscripts III. The Major Minuscule Manuscripts IV. The Major Papyrus Manuscripts Lecture 10: TRANSLATION I. Preliminary Considerations Concerning Translation II. Old English Translations III. Middle English Translations IV. Wycliffe's English Version V. Tyndale's English Version VI. [Etc.] Lecture 11: CORONATION -- The Authorized, King James Version I. Its Historical Setting II. Its Proposal III. Its Translation IV. Its Translators V. Its Textual Basis VI. Its Language Lecture 12: PUBLICATION I. Editions of the Authorized Version II. Revisions of the Authorized Version III. Reception of the Authorized Version IV. Excellence of the Authorized Version V. Influence of the Authorized Version Lecture 13: DISCRIMINATION I. Scientific Biblical Criticism Defined II. The Historical Background of Scientific Biblical Criticism III. An Examination of Higher Criticism IV. An Examination of Lower (Textual) Criticism V. The Westcott and Hort Theory VI. The Westcott and Hort Theory Refuted VII. Major Differences with Critical Texts Lecture 14: PROLIFERATION I. Early Revisions of the Authorized Version II. Early 20th Century Perversions III. Late 20th Century Perversions IV. Modern Methods of Translating V. Testing Modern Perversions Lecture 15: ALTERCATION I. An Overview of the "KJV Issue" Today II. Arguments Leveled Against the KJV III. Arguments Defending the KJV AN OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE. The diagram on the following page shows the rationale of this course of study, and depicts the historical basis of how we came to receive our Bible.   Such an outline may be termed, "From God To Us," since we begin with the supernatural revelation of the Word of God to holy men of God, and conclude with the printed Word of God we hold in our hands each day. Page 7

GOD REVELATION INSPIRATION COMMUNICATION CANONIZATION PRESERVATION DESECRATION EMANCIPATION TRANSLATION CORONATION PUBLICATION MAN DISCRIMINATION PROLIFERATION ALTERCATION Page 8

V. GRADING OF THE COURSE. A. Quarterly Grade This will consist of the following: 1. Average Grade Of Assignments......... 50% 2. Quarterly Examination................ 50% B. Course Grade This will consist of the following: 1. Average Of Quarterly Grades.......... 70% 2. Course Paper......................... 30% C. Grading System A+ 97 -100% A- 94 - 96% Excellent work B+ 90 - 93% B- 87 - 89% Very Good work C+ 82 - 86% C- 79 - 81% Average work D 70 - 78% Below Average work F Below 70% Fail I Incomplete (Return in 1 week for credit) Grades will be reduced for the following reasons: Late assignments (unless Providentially hindered). 2 points per day late. Inexcusable absence from regular lectures. More than 3 such absences per quarter will result in automatic quarterly grade of F. Careless spelling and grammar. (Pastors need to exhibit skill in this area.) Page 9

HELPFUL TEXTS. The following texts are presented for the information of the student.   These, and other books pertaining to the subject, have been consulted or referred to in the preparation of these lecture notes.   They are not necessarily endorsed as "recommended," and students should be aware that doctrinal errors and un-Christlike attitudes are likely to be found -- even in books defending the Authorized Version. For a guide to purchasing any of the books listed below, the student is directed to his pastor. GENERAL BIBLICAL INTRODUCTION: Beale, D. A Pictorial History of Our English Bible. Greenville, South Carolina: Bob Jones University Press, 1982 [?] Bruce, F. F. History of the Bible in English. New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 1978 [Info only: W&H, pro- RCC.] Bruce, F. F. The Books and the Parchments. Old Tappan, New Jersey: Revell, 1984 [Info only: heresy?] Ewert, D. From Ancient Tablets to Modern Translations. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1983 [?] Geisler, N. L. & Nix, W. E. From God to Us. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1981 [Info only: non-KJV refs.] Grant, F. W. Translating the Bible. Edinburgh: Nelson, 1961 [?] Kenyon, Sir F. The Story of the Bible. London: John Murray, 1944 [Info only: heresy?] Lewis, J. P. The English Bible from KJV to NIV. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker, 1981 [?] Miller, H. S. General Biblical Introduction. Houghton, New York: Word Bearer Press, 1960 [Info only: W&H.] Vance, L. A Brief History of English Bible Translations. Pensacola, Florida: Vance Publications, 1993 [?] BIBLICAL TEXTS AND TEXTUAL CONSIDERATIONS: Burgon, J. W. The Revision Revised. Collingswood, New Jersey: The Bible For Today (Classic reprint), 1984 [ok] Fuller, D. O. Which Bible? Grand Rapids, Michigan: Grand Rapids International Publications, 1975 [B] Fuller, D. O. True or False? Grand Rapids, Michigan: Grand Rapids International Publications, 1973 Hills, E. F. Believing Bible Study Des Moines, Iowa: The Christian Research Press, 1977 [ok] Letis, T. P. (Ed.) The Majority Text: Essays and Reviews. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Institute for Biblical Textual Studies, 1987 [?] MacLean, W. The Providential Preservation of the Greek Text of the New Testament. Gisborne, New Zealand: Te Rau Press, 1977 [?] Maynard, M. A History of the Debate over I John 5:7-8. Tempe, AZ: Comma Publications, 1995 [ok] Pickering, W. N. The Identity of the New Testament Text. Nashville, Tennessee: Nelson, 1977 [?] Robertson A. T. An Introduction to the Textual Criticism of the New Testament. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Doran & Company, 1925. [Info only: ok if KJV.] Ruckman, P. S. The Christian's Handbook of Manuscript Evidence. Palatka: Pensacola Bible Press [?] Ruckman P. S. The Christian's Handbook of Biblical Scholarship. Pensacola, Florida: Bible Baptist Bookstore, 1988 [?] Sturtz, H. A. The Byzantine Text-Type and New Testament Textual Criticism. Nashville, Tennessee: Nelson, 1984 [?] Van Bruggen, J. The Ancient Text of the New Testament. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada: Premier Printing, 1983. [?] Waite, D. A. Burgon's Vindication of the Last Twelve Verses of Mark. Collingwood, New Jersey: Bible For Today, 1994 [B] THE KING JAMES VERSION: Brandenburg, Kent (Editor). Thou Shalt Keep Them. El Sobrante, California: Pillar & Ground Publishing, 2003 [B] Bridges, R. & Weigle, L. A. The King James Bible Word Book. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, 1994 [?] Cloud, D. W. Myths About the King James Bible. Oak Harbor, Washington: Way Of Life Literature, 1993 rev. [B] Cloud, D. W. For Love of the Bible. London, Ontario, Canada: Way of Life Literature Cloud, D. W. Testimonies of King James Bible Defenders. London, Ontario, Canada: Way of Life Literature Cimino, D. The Book. Harlingen: Wonderful Word Publishers. [?] Grady, W. P. Final Authority. Schereville, Indiana: Grady Publications, 1993 [?] Hills, E. F. The King James Version Defended. Des Moines, Iowa: The Christian Research Press, 1979 Lackey, B. Why I Believe the Old King James Bible. Chattanooga, Tennessee: Personal publication [B] McClure, A. W. Translators Revived. Worthington: Maranatha Publications [ok] Paine, G. S. The Men Behind the King James Version. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker, 1977 [ok] Reagan, D. F. The King James Version of 1611. The Myth Of Early Revisions. Knoxville: Trinity Baptist Temple] [?] Van Bruggen, J. The Future of the Bible. Nashville, Tennessee: Nelson, 1972 [?] Waite, D. A. Defending the King James Version. Collingswood, New Jersey: Bible For Today, 1992 [omit 1.] 1995 EXAMINATION OF PERVERSIONS: Cloud, D. W. Unholy Hands on God's Holy Book. Oak Harbor, Washington: Way Of Life Literature, 1985. Cloud, D. W. The Bible Society, The Good News Bible and the Apocrypha. Oak Harbor, Washington: Way Of Life. Cloud, D. W. Dynamic Equivalency -- Death Knell of Pure Scripture. Oak Harbor, Washington: Way Of Life Cloud, D. W. Rome and the Bible. London, Ontario, Canada: Way of Life Publications. Cloud, D. W. Myths of Modern Bible Versions. London, Ontario, Canada: Way of Life Literature. Cloud, D. W. Examining James White's "The King James' Only Controversy". London, Ontario, Canada: Way of Life Literature. Cloud, D. W. What About Ruckman? London, Ontario, Canada: Way of Life Literature. Countess, R. H. The Jehovah's Witnesses' New Testament. Phillipsburg: Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing, 1987. [?] Coy, G. H. The Inside Story of the Anglo American Revised New Testament. Personal publication, 1973 [?] Fowler, E. W. Evaluating Versions of the New Testament. Watertown, Wisconsin: Maranatha Baptist Press, 1981 [Info only: ok if KJV.] Moser, M. L. Jr. Good News for Modern Man: The Devil's Masterpiece. Little Rock, Arkansas: Challenge Press, 1970. [B] Moser, M. L. Jr. The New English Bible, Satan's Polluted Translation. Little Rock, Arkansas: Challenge Press, 1971. Moser, M. L. Jr. The Case Against the Living Bible. Little Rock, Arkansas: Challenge Press, 1973. Nowlin, G. The Paraphrased Perversion of the Bible. Collingswood, New Jersey: The Bible For Today, 1975 [?] Ward, N. Famine in the Land. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Which Bible Society. [?]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------- MANUSCRIPT EVIDENCE - LECTURE 2 - REVELATION -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The word "revelation" simply means a revealing, and in theology is applied to God's revealing of Himself to mankind. Without revelation, we wouldn't know anything about God - or even that there was a God. Thus we begin this study with the premise that God desires to make Himself known to man, and has revealed Himself at various times and in different ways - Hebrews 1:1,2; 2:1-4. I. REVELATION DEFINED "Revelation is the unveiling of something previously hidden so that it may be seen for what it is." All revelation is supernatural in that it has God for its source and truth as its end. See: Deuteronomy 29:29. II. REVELATION EXPLAINED The revelation of God to man falls into two basic categories: GOD GENERAL T SPECIAL REVELATION O REVELATION MAN A. General Revelation. General (or Natural) Revelation is that knowledge of God derived from the light of natural things. General Revelation is accessible to all men and is addressed to all intelligent creatures. It is the revelation of God to man in: 1. Creation. See: Psalm 19:1-6; Isaiah 40:12,26; Acts 14:17; Psalm 8:1; 104:24. 2. History. See: Psalm 9:16a 3. Conscience. See: Romans 2:15 General Revelation bears witness to the existence of God, the power of God, and the need for God. However it does not testify to the personality of God or the plan of salvation. According to Romans 1:18-20, the effect of General Revelation is to condemn man. Why? See: Romans 1:21. General Revelation alone is inadequate to save man for two reasons: a. Creation has been affected by the entrance of sin. See: Genesis 3:17; Romans 8:22. The witness is marred and blurred, and is now a monument to God's curse upon sin. b. Man himself has also been affected by sin, to the extent that he is not able to read the evidences of God afforded in nature aright. B. Special Revelation. Special Revelation is direct, divine intervention in the affairs of this world, and is God revealing Himself through special acts done by His Person. This kind of revelation has come to man by various means - Hebrews 1:1: 1. Through Dreams. See: Genesis 37:5-10 2. Through Visions. See: Daniel 8:1 3. Through Urim And Thummin. See: Numbers 27:21 4. Through Audible Voices. See: I Samuel 3:1-10 5. Through Animals. See: Numbers 22:28 6. Through Angels. See: Luke 1:26-37 etc. The "crown" of God's special revelation of Himself to man was in the coming to earth of the Lord Jesus Christ. See: John 1:14; 14:9. The "completion" of God's special revelation of Himself to man is the BIBLE. According to Psalm 19:7-14, the effect of special Biblical revelation is to save man. Thus this kind of revelation is redemptive and remedial. Special Revelation is necessary because of: a. The effects of sin (as outlined above). b. The transcendence of God (the fact that He is so separated, holy, that man could not find Him). c. The Personality of God (the fact that He is a God of love Who desires fellowship with man). "Without special revelation, general revelation would be for sinful men incomplete and ineffective, and could issue, as in fact it has issued wherever it alone has been accessible, only in leaving them without excuse (Romans 1:20). "Without general revelation, special revelation would lack that basis in the fundamental knowledge of God as the mighty and wise, righteous and good, Maker and Ruler of all things, apart from which the further revelation of this great God's interventions in the world for the salvation of sinners could not be either intelligible, credible, or operative." Warfield B. B. Inspiration And Authority Of The Bible. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Baker, 1948 III. REVELATION CONTRASTED Several terms are often associated with any discussion on the doctrine of the Bible. As an aid to understanding what is meant by "Revelation," these terms are contrasted below: A. Revelation vs. Inspiration. 1. Revelation makes truth known. Inspiration provides for its inerrant recording. 2. The Bible contains Revelation. The entire Bible is Inspired. The writers of the Bible drew from two different sources for their narrative: a. Special revelation - i.e. things that only God could make known. e.g. the account of Creation, the fall of Satan, etc. b. Personal observation - i.e. known facts that resulted from what the writer saw, e.g. the crossing of the Red Sea, or, from existing documents, e.g. Ezra 6:1-12. Both kinds of narrative are recorded for us in the Bible. Inspiration ensures both are recorded without error. 3. Revelation Is Progressive. Inspiration is plenary. God did not reveal all truth at the beginning. Much truth was revealed progressively over centuries - I Peter 1:9-12. Some examples of this would be: a. The Name of God. b. The Coming of Messiah. On the contrary, there is NO SUCH THING as progressive inspiration. All parts of the Bible were inspired of God, and equally inspired. B. Revelation vs. Illumination. Illumination is the Holy Spirit-given understanding of revelation or revealed truth. The believer enjoys this blessing today as he studies the Word of God. See: I John 2:20,21,27. The presence or absence of illumination with the writers of the Word of God had no bearing on the inspiration of the Bible. 1. Sometimes the words of the Biblical writers were the result of careful research. e.g. Luke 1:1-4, where Luke had full understanding of what he was writing. 2. Sometimes the Biblical writers both understood what they were writing and recognized the words they were penning as coming directly from God. e.g. II Samuel 23:2. In such cases, the writers had full illumination of what was being written. 3. Sometimes the Biblical writers did not know the importance of the words they penned, recognizing them as divine, but not understanding them. e.g. Daniel 12:8,9. 4. Sometimes, the source of the words neither understood the words nor recognized them as divine. e.g. John 11:49-52. The point is, whether the writer had illumination or not, inspiration provided that God's exact message was truthfully recorded. I Corinthians 2:9,10 - REVELATION - "Disclosure" I Corinthians 2:12 - ILLUMINATION - "Discovery" I Corinthians 2:13 - INSPIRATION - "Documenting"

[For Lecture 3 here, see theol1b.htm#Bible .]

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