Page 487 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

PRESERVATION

Biblical Evangelist in 1983, proposed this view. Kutilek “4. In the last paragraph, he [Kutilek] says that those
claimed that it is not possible that v. 7 could be referring who apply these verses ‘to any doctrine of Bible
to the words of v. 6 because the “them” in v. 7 is preservation’ are guilty of handling ‘the Word of God
masculine, while the “words” of v. 6 is feminine. In early deceitfully and dishonestly, something unworthy of any
1984 I wrote to Bruce Lackey about this. Dr. Lackey, child of God.’ But earlier, he admitted that such
who died December 1, 1988, taught at Tennessee illustrious interpreters as John Wesley, Henry Martyn, G.
Temple in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for nineteen years Campbell Morgan, and Kidner, agreed with the
and was the dean of the Bible school department. He preservation-interpretation. Sounds like a mouse
pastored churches for 20 years. The last few years of his attacking elephants! They might have been wrong on
life he traveled as a Bible conference speaker and some points, but they were certainly not deceitful and
authored several books. He was an accomplished dishonest.
musician, a highly respected Bible teacher, and was “Some other verses which teach that God would
proficient in the Greek language. He was a diligent preserve His Words for all generations are Ps. 33:11;
student of the Greek Received Text. Following is the 119:152, 160; Is. 59:21; Mt. 24:35; and 1 Pe. 1:25.
reply I received in February 1984. Also, a comparison of Mt. 28:20 and Jn. 14:23 shows
“I submit the following reasons for my not being that Christ’s promise of His continual presence with us is
moved away from my conviction that Ps. 12:6-7 does fulfilled as we keep His words; thus His words must be
teach the preservation of Scripture. available to believers ‘alway, even unto the end of the
“1. His [Kutilek’s] admission that ‘there are world. Amen’” (Bruce Lackey).
occasional exceptions to the principle of agreement in There is also the possibility that the antecedent of
the Hebrew Bible (see Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar 135 “them” in Ps. 12:7 refers to “silver” in v. 6. Pastor David
o)’ immediately shows that the preservation- Pitman proposed this view in the Dec. 1993 issue of The
interpretation is not automatically incorrect, Baptist Watchman: “In v. 7 the first ‘them’ is masculine
grammatically, but is definitely possible. A somewhat plural; the second ‘them’ is masculine singular. ‘Words’
similar situation exists in Jn. 15:6, where ‘them’ is each time in v. 6 is feminine plural. ... The word ‘silver’
neuter plural in Greek, and ‘they are burned’ is a is used as another name for the Word of God in this
singular verb. Dana and Mantey, in A Manual Grammar passage. ‘Silver’ is masculine singular. This allows for
of The Greek New Testament, on page 165, give the agreement in gender and may explain why the
following statement: ‘A seeming exception to the above preservation is promised to the words of God (plural)
principle of syntax is the fact that a neuter plural subject and to the Word of God (singular). This interchange
regularly takes a singular verb (Jn. 9:3).’ Therefore, it is between masculine singular and masculine plural
unwise to prove or disprove a position using the (particularly in circumstances where a collective plural
argument of gender and number. Anyone who studies is suggested by the singular) is not uncommon in the
languages knows that there are exceptions. O.T. We believe God has preserved the Bible, but further,
“2. The argument listing various verses in Psalms we believe that He has preserved the very words of the
where ‘keep’ and ‘preserve’ speak of people is not very Bible. ... The great contrast drawn in Psalm 12 is
weighty. Ps. 12:6-7 might be the only place in the whole between the words of evil men and the words of God.
book which uses these words to refer to things [other Wicked men speak perversely; God speaks purely. The
than people], but that would not disqualify the words of the evil will come to nothing; God’s Word
situation. Ps. 110:4 is the only verse in the Old stands forever (1 Pe. 1:25; Lk. 21:33). I believe Psalm
Testament which teaches the Melchisedical priesthood 12:7 does refer to the promise of Divine preservation of
of the Lord Jesus, but He. 4:7 does not hesitate to make God’s Word. It is allowable contextually, grammatically,
much of it! and theologically. This view is not dishonest nor based
“3. The argument from context does not hold water, on ignorance. Those who oppose this view should be
either. He says, ‘The basic thrust of the message of more honest in their assessment of it.”
Psalm 12 is clear: the psalmist bemoans the decimation Dr. Thomas Strouse Defends Psalm 12:7 as a Promise
of the upright and the growing strength of the wicked.’ of Preservation
Thus, he tries to show that verse 7, teaching A recent issue of the Detroit Baptist Theological
preservation, would not fit. If this be true, neither would Seminary Journal contained an article on “The
verse 6. Rather, the context is favorable to the Preservation of Scripture” by Academic Dean William
preservation-interpretation. God’s promise to save the Combs. While gently rejecting the view of some
poor and needy is given in verse 5; verses 6 and 7 are fundamental Baptists, such as Edward Glenny (former
injected to show that His promise of verse 5 will never professor at Central Baptist Seminary), who say the
be broken. Bible nowhere promises the preservation of Scripture,

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