The doctrine of the Bible is no less an article of the Christian faith than the doctrines of the Trinity and of the atonement. Just as the Scriptures are our standard for the knowledge of the Triune nature of God and the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ, so too the Scriptures are our standard for our doctrine of the Bible.

So, when we come to think about what the Bible is, its authority, clearness, and use, we must govern our thinking according to what Scripture says about itself. This is also true for the doctrine which is the focus of this work: the preservation of Scripture.

How are we to understand what it means that God’s Word has been preserved? The answer to that question must begin with what the Bible says about its own preservation. One aim of this work is to encourage the saints, that they might have certainty concerning the Scriptures.

Therefore, this is not intended to be a “scholarly work. ” The audience is not the textual critic or the seminary professor.

This work is intended for the people of God, whatever their formal education may be. My desire is to take the discussion concerning the text of Scripture out of the realm of the academy, and bring it before God’s sheep, so that they can search the Scriptures, and see whether these things be so.

Do not just take my word for it. But consider what is written, consider what God himself says, and be fully persuaded in your own mind.

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