Regarding God Securing His Word to Us

Regarding God Securing His Word to Us
Robert J. Fuller, Jr.

I believe that God has secured His Word to believers for use in ministry and life (Isaiah 40:8; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Peter 1:23-25). By this, I mean that, through the many various texts available to us, the actual rendering is available, though not necessarily in any single text.

First, I acknowledge that nowhere in scripture is there any statement determining or demonstrating the method of this securing. Second, I acknowledge that there are many variant texts and textual traditions available. Third, I find no scriptural authority to exalt one text or textual tradition, or one translation over another. Therefore, I understand that this securing is not accomplished in the same manner as inspiration. I am compelled to accept that, while God miraculously originated the Bible through inspiration, He has chosen to secure it to us through secondary means (see Deuteronomy 17:18 and possibly Jeremiah 36:26-28).

Since God has secured His Word to us in the form of a multiplicity of manuscripts, I acknowledge the need for careful and faithful textual analysis as the means to finding the most accurate representation of the text of the original writings. I acknowledge also, that these representations of the text are compilations done by men. Though biblical interpreters may judge some translations more faithful to the "original text" in general, no one translation, or compiled representation of the “original text”, carries a God-ordained superiority, or a universal biblical mandate, above all others. Consequently, some of the variations in the wording of such translations are interpretive, while others present themselves because of a variance in the text used for translation.

Nonetheless, though no absolute determination regarding the actual text is possible, these variations do not necessarily signify a deviation from God's Word. Because the authority and power of Scriptures derives from the God who gave them, and because God has chosen secondary means to secure the text of Scripture to us, God's authority and power follows through with His chosen means (Deuteronomy 17:18-20) to make available to us translations that are reliable, authoritative, and effective (Isaiah 55:11; 2 Timothy 3:16,17; Hebrews 4:12).

I acknowledge that, when based on careful, normal-literal translation of the best representation of the text of the original writings, today's English (or Spanish, Russian, etc.) translations are reliable, and carry God’s authority and power derived from that of the original writings.

I am sympathetic with the notion that, due to the importance of God’s Word, we need to get this right. I understand that there are opposing theories of textual analysis. However, I find no basis in the explicit statements of scripture, or in the larger teaching of the Scripture, that mandates choosing one theory over another. Recognizing that not all can be 100% right, I am content knowing that all, in some way could be wrong. It is up to me, as a careful student of God’s Word, to give due diligence (2 Timothy 2:15) to both the choice of textual theories I accept, and the method of translation and interpretation I utilize. I must also grant that same freedom and responsibility of diligence to my brother.