Sometimes people confess that they still do not understand the “Bible issue”. They mean Bible translations.
The real issue in Bible translations is not inspiration but preservation.
Conservatives say God’s word was inspired without error in the originals. We do not have the originals any more, and so the original inerrancy is lost.
Liberals say God’s word was never inspired without error in the originals, and we still do not have an inerrant Bible.
Bible believers know that the issue in Bible translation is not inspiration, but preservation.
Without preservation there is no such thing as an inerrant Bible on any bookshelf anywhere.
Has God preserved his words throughout history and languages, or not?
If he has, then we should be looking for the right Bible that is accurate and inerrant in history.
If he has not, then we can never be sure the Bible is completely without error until we find more yet to be discovered evidence.
Preservationists look for an historical text.
Those with a weak view of preservation are inclined to believe that it has been lost, and so give more weight to rare, obscure, and recent discoveries.
I believe God inspired the scripture according to 2 Tim 3:16, and perfectly preserved it to accomplish 2 Tim 3:17 in us that believe.
Once you understand preservation, there is really only one historic text that is accurate and inerrant.
For His glory,
Justin “only one Bible” Johnson
Article Index Published: January 18, 2014
Last Modified: February 3, 2014