VERBAL PLENARY PRESERVATION
VPP is Not “Double Inspiration” or “Post-Canonical Inspiration”
VPP concerns preservation, not inspiration. VPP is distinguished from VPI (Verbal Plenary Inspiration). VPI is the one-time act of God in the past when He breathed out (theopneustos) the original language words in the autographs of the Holy Scriptures. VPP, on the other hand, is the continuous act of God in preserving the very same original language words in the apographs (or copies) of the Holy Scriptures we have in our hands today. In the VPP doctrine, we are dealing with inspired words of’ the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek Scriptures, and not inspired men or methods, versions or translations.
Much as VPP believers hold the KJV in very high esteem, they do not believe in an “inspired KJV.” As such, they do not embrace a “doubly inspired” or “separately inspired” KJV. As a matter of fact, the Dean Burgon Society which believes in VPP and defends the KJV frowns upon any reference to the KJV as “inspired” or “given by inspiration.” The Dean Burgon Society clearly states its official position on the Bible’s “Inspiration” thus,
Whereas, in all of the official documents of the Dean Burgon Society, the terms “God breathed,” or “inspired” are never used when referring to the King James Bible, but, on the contrary, there is a clear avoidance of calling the King James Bible “inspired,” and
Whereas, in all of the official documents of the Dean Burgon Society, the terms “breathed out,” “inspired,” or “inspiration” are reserved exclusively for the Words of the original Hebrew/Aramaic and Greek manuscripts or for the exact copies of those Words that God has been [sic] preserved for us today, and
Whereas, in all of the official documents of the Dean Burgon Society, the terms used for the King James Bible (or Authorized Version) are as follows: (1) a “true, faithful, and accurate translation,” (2) a translation that “has no equal among all of the other English translations,” (3) “the Word of God,”(4) “an accurate translation of the true, inerrant, infallible Word of God,” (5) the “true Word of God” in a faithful language translation, (6) “the God-honored, most accurate, and best translation,” (7) a translation that occupies an “honored position,” (8) a translation that has our “confidence,” and (9) we “continue to recommend its continued use in Bible believing church pulpits, Pastors’ studies, home, Bible School classes, and formal classes in Bible Institutes, colleges and theological seminaries,” therefore
Be It Resolved, that all members of the Dean Burgon Society and members of the Executive Committee and Advisory Council particularly follow the teachings and references found in our official documents when referring either to the original language texts of Hebrew/Aramaic or Greek or to the King James Bible, especially regarding the technical distinctions that are made therein with regard to “inspire,” “inspiration,” and other terms.2
The allegation that VPP means an “inspired KJV” is blatantly false. Why cannot Anti-VPPists deal with the fact that VPP means a present infallible and inerrant Scripture in the original languages-the Hebrew Masoretic Text and the Greek Textus Receptus-on which the KJV is based? Is it because they cannot deal with the truth? Or is it because they have not the faith to believe that God has indeed preserved His word infallibly to the jot and tittle (Matt 5:18)?
[Taken from Burning Bush January 2007 page 50&51]
Based on what VPP proponents are telling us, the words in the King James Bible are not inspired nor are they given by inspiration. However, they claim God does preserve the inspired words from the original autographs to the apographs in the original languages. That means inspiration of Scriptures can only be applied to the original languages. Translations from these inspired Scriptures in the preserved apographs cannot be said to be inspired nor are they given by inspiration. So what are the implications of such a position?
The English words in the King James Bible are not Scriptures. If they are Scriptures, then they are uninspired Scriptures. When they quote verses from the King James Bible, they are not quoting Scriptures or Scriptures given by inspiration. When they read the English words in the King James Bible, they are not reading Scriptures. Perhaps, the closest one can get is that they are only reading uninspired Scriptures since those words in the King James Bible are not inspired Scriptures or Scriptures given by inspiration. In that case, they have never read, heard, wrote or quoted any English inspired Scriptures before. It will never happen now nor will it ever be possible in the future. What an unspoken confession! Is this a biblical position?
Are we to believe that only Scriptures in the original languages from the original autographs and now found in the preserved apographs are inspired Scriptures and Scriptures given by inspiration? If this is the case, the original languages must be pure languages. If not, how can Scriptures in these languages be inspired or given by inspiration? Does it mean that God gives His inspired words in impure languages? If the original languages are pure languages where God only delights in giving His inspired words, then Zephaniah must be mistaken.
For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent. (Zephaniah 3:9)
So which language is a pure language? Is it Hebrew? Or is it Greek? Which is which? It cannot be both as there is only one pure language and not many pure languages. If Zephaniah is telling us that this pure language is something to expect in the future, then Hebrew is not a pure language. Perhaps Greek is. But then, Scriptures in Hebrew were given in an impure language. In addition, if Greek is the pure language, then why koine Greek is no longer in vogue in our day and age? Why koine Greek is not the preserved language to be used by the world today? Why is English, the main language used by the people in this world today? Are there such things as inspired languages and uninspired languages as we are told that there will be one pure language where God’s people will call upon Him and serve Him with one consent? Does God really care whether He gives His inspired words in pure or impure languages? Why then are the religious elites so fascinated with Greek and Hebrew as though they are the only languages where the inspired Scriptures can reside and no other languages can accommodate inspired Scriptures?
If the VPP proponents are trying to help us to defend God’s inspired words, they are doing us a disservice. They are trying to tell us that unless Christians learn Greek and Hebrew, they have no hope of ever reading inspired Scriptures. Christians have no hope of ever quoting inspired Scriptures. Christians have no hope of ever holding on to the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God to fight the good fight of faith because this sword of the Spirit is only available in Greek and Hebrew from the preserved apographs. Maybe only the religious elites can fight this good fight of faith as only they have access to the preserved apographs in the original languages. Maybe they can fight this good fight of faith for us poor Christians and we can go fly kite or play marbles. What a wonderful Christian life that would be? Can fighting the good fight of faith be done through proxies because most Christians will not have access to the preserved apographs?
If they are dead serious in defending the inspired words of God in the original languages from the preserved apographs, why aren’t they inviting us poor Christians to learn Greek and Hebrew so that we might all read, study and quote inspired Scriptures? Or is it because they are afraid of competition? Are they afraid we can read inspired Scriptures from these preserved inspired apographs and challenge their understanding of inspired Scriptures? Why are there so many crazy people in this world still trying to give us uninspired Scriptures in English as we see newer and better English versions coming into the market? Is it because there is no market for the Greek and Hebrew apographs? Why don’t they teach every Christian Greek and Hebrew the moment they get saved? Isn’t reading and studying inspired Scriptures very important? Are they afraid we could become smarter than they? Or are they trying to monopolize inspired Scriptures from ordinary Christians?
Why don’t they conduct worship services in Greek and Hebrew reading from the inspired apographs. Why don’t they insist every Christian buy a copy of those inspired apographs for study and worship? If worship services are conducted in English, they must be reading uninspired Scriptures. Why do they prefer worshipping God using uninspired Scriptures? Is it because they think God does not mind that they worship God imperfectly and uninspired worship is acceptable to God? So far, when they defend inspired Scriptures, they based their arguments on human logic. Human logic will always collapse in the light of Scriptures we hold in our hands and not some useless inspired apographs where Christians cannot have access to nor can they claim to fully understand. Can we trust these religious elites to be proficient with Greek and Hebrew just because they spent two to four years learning these languages in Bible colleges when their whole lives have been spent learning and using their mother tongue or English?
Defending inspired Scriptures via the VPP still falls short of Scriptural revelation from the Holy Bible. It is also completely unbiblical. What is the point in coming up with the VPP and at the end of the day, ordinary English speaking Christians still have no inspired Scriptures or Scriptures given by inspiration to study and to read? VPP is actually not much better than those who claim that only the original autographs are inspired and we have all lost them. At least these people tell us that we have no inspired Scriptures in any languages though they pretend that we have. However, the VPP proponents have inspired Scriptures in apographs which are quite useless to ordinary English speaking Christians. They still reserve the rights to correct or change the English words in the King James Bible whenever they deem fit as the words in the King James Bible are uninspired and not given by inspiration of God. If they are honest enough, they should put a disclaimer whenever they quote from the King James Bible that these words are not inspired Scriptures and cannot be taken as inerrant and infallible words of the living God and readers should always refer to inspired apographs for accuracy. But we know what God has told us from His words.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16&17)
Since when is there this issue of “doubly inspired” or “separately inspired” Scriptures when we read 2 Timothy 3:16? If the words in the King James Bible are Scriptures, then they are given by inspiration. Are the proponents of VPP scared stiff by their enemies so much so that preservation of inspired Scriptures cannot go beyond Greek and Hebrew? What is the real problem not to acknowledge that the God of creation and languages can indeed give His inspired words in any languages He chooses to do in time and history? Is it because of the church constitution? Here is what the church constitution says:
We believe in the divine, verbal and plenary inspiration of the Scriptures in the original languages, their consequent inerrancy and infallibility, and as the Word of God, the Supreme and final authority in faith and life.
Perhaps, their enemies scare them so much that only the church constitution is given by inspiration….
Where did we ever read from the Holy Bible that a church constitution is given by inspiration? Where in the Holy Bible are we ever told that all Scriptures in Greek and Hebrew are given by inspiration? Appealing to human logic again?
Hence, can we conclude that a double minded man is unstable in all his ways?
Telling Christians that God did preserve His inspired words but they are not available to most of the Christians where they can read, study and understand the mind and will of God is one of the greatest scams in Christendom.
Then the English-speaking Christian said unto the VPPist, Almost thou persuadest me to believe that I have the preserved inspired Scriptures. I suppose the church constitution and human logic is above the words of the living God.
VPP is nothing more than a glorified TR stand we know all along. It is clothed with a new name and a new abbreviation. So this is the latest, newest and more readable TR stand in all its glory…
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. (Proverbs 30:5&6)