Rev Dr Quek Suan Yew

What REALLY is the Doctrine of VPP?

VPI stands for verbal plenary inspiration. VPP stands for verbal plenary preservation. Not only did God inspire His holy Word perfectly, He also preserved it perfectly. The moment God inspired His holy and perfect Word, the doctrine of VPP took effect. As more of God's Word is revealed throughout the ages, the doctrine of preservation continues. When the Inspiration was completed with the completion of the Book of Revelation, Preservation continues on. Man may be used by God but both Inspiration and Preservation are the work of God alone. God makes no mistakes and therefore the doctrines of Inspiration and Preservation result in the perfect Bible. This perfect Bible is available to all throughout the ages. There was never a time on earth when the perfect Word of God was not with man. God made certain of that. During the period of progressive revelation when God was in the process of completing the Bible (which was completed after the inspiration of the Book of Revelation), the perfect Word of God was always with man. Before there was the Word of God in written form, the Word of God was taught by the people of God up to the time when God inspired Moses to write the Book of Genesis. This can be clearly seen in the Book of Genesis itself.

The Constant attack -- The Bible is constantly under attack. This attack began as far back as the time before the Fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden when Satan through the serpent said these infamous words, "Yea, hath God said . . .?" (cf. Gen 3:1) Satan succeeded in causing both man and woman to fall into sin. From that point onwards, all mankind are in sin. With that "success", Satan continues to attack God's perfect and holy Word, one doctrine at a time. He had attacked the doctrines of the humanity of Christ, deity of Christ, the miracles of Christ, the birth of Christ including His death and resurrection. But the most daring and deadly of all attacks is on the Bible as a whole. When Satan attacked the doctrines of inspiration and preservation, in one bold stroke every doctrine of the Bible was under attack as well! Imagine being told that the Bible has mistakes but not where all the mistakes are. This leaves the reader of the Bible to doubt the entire Bible. How would he know whether what he is reading now or believes in is erroneous or not? Soon he may stop reading and believing the Bible entirely!

The attacks on the whole Bible include the teaching that the Bible is inspired and perfect only in spiritual matters but the names of people and places as well as numbers in the Bible have mistakes! Then this is followed up by a qualifier to "calm" any troubled soul. The qualifier says that, "the mistakes are insignificant and are less than a few percentage and they do not affect one's salvation!" With this qualifier, the gullible will drink in the poison and believe that this is acceptable. This double talk sounds like it is from the forked tongue of the serpent. It sounds acceptable but when properly examined a believer with discernment would be able to see through the cunning ploy. If, as the attackers say, God cannot even inspire the numbers and names of people and places, what makes them think that God can inspire the significant portions of the Bible? Furthermore, when God revealed to man the doctrine of inspiration, God did not say that they were inspired according to different degrees of lesser or greater inspiration! God said that every jot and tittle of God's Word is inspired perfectly! The Bible teaches this truth unequivocally in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (KJV), "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." [Emphasis added] The phrase "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God" can be translated literally as "All Scripture is God breathed." It is not some or most but ALL scripture that is God breathed! So these attackers of the Bible have redefined the doctrine of inspiration to mean, "MOST scripture is given by inspiration of God . . ."! The doctrine of inspiration came under attack in the early part of the twentieth century and the defenders of the doctrine came up with the term "verbal plenary inspiration" to protect God's people.

The Double Talk attack – The latest attack on God's perfect Word comes from those who say that they believe that God has inspired a perfect Bible but God did not preserve this perfect Bible. The result is that we had a perfect Bible in the past but not a perfect Bible in the present. They borrowed the same line of argument from their forefathers who attacked the doctrine of inspiration and also reasoned that the mistakes are only in numbers and names of places and people but spiritual matters are fine. The proponents of this view are more cunning than those who say that they do not believe that God has inspired a perfect Bible. The latter are upfront about their attack on the perfect Bible - at the source! They claim that God did not give us a perfect Bible! But this latest attack is more deceptive because the attackers say they believe that God did give man a perfect Bible but He did not preserve it! The line of argument is that man has a Bible today because of pure chance or because man preserved it. Therefore, since man makes mistakes, the Bible today has mistakes. Man needs to find the perfect Bible through textual criticism. They believe that the perfect Bible is somewhere out there in the many manuscripts! Sadly, many gullible ones have believed this double talk!

This is definitely not a biblical view because not one verse was quoted by these attackers of God's Word to say that God did not preserve His holy and perfect Word or that He preserved it with mistakes! Why would believers accept this "deception?" Either they are ignorant or they do not care or they are gullible or they are not born again! Perhaps there could be another reason that is inexplicable simply because in the spiritual realm such deceptions and attacks on the Bible are common.

The problem with this latest attack is that it makes man in charge of God. Man now determines what he wants the Bible to be. That is basically what textual criticism is. Man determines the assumptions and then uses these subjective and man-centred assumptions to "find" the Word of God. When the Word of God suits him, then he says it is the Word of God. When it does not, then it is not! It fans the ego of man. The way to evaluate these kinds of teachings is to ask whether it is a man-centred teaching or not. If it is, then it cannot be of God because the Bible is always God-centred. From cover to cover the Bible reveals God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit to man. Whenever the Bible talks about man, it is about his sin, depravity and how God is merciful to him and has continuously shown His grace to him from the beginning to the end of time. God and Christ are always honoured and the best way to honour them is to honour the Bible. To say that the Bible was perfect but has mistakes today only exalts man. It can never honour and glorify God!

The teaching of a perfect Bible in the past and a Bible with mistakes in the present speaks of a God who is myopic and foolish. God took more than 1,500 years to complete the perfect Bible. He is the God of the Bible who made it abundantly clear that He has always preserved His holy and perfect Word perfectly! The following are just a few examples of the Bible teaching us that God has always given mankind a perfect Bible throughout the ages. Psalm 12:6-7 (KJV), "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. 7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever." Matthew 5:17-18 (KJV), "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Psalm 19:7 (KJV), "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple."

Those who claim that the Bible has mistakes today and perfect only in the past are speaking with a forked tongue like the previous opponents of the Bible but are more deadly. The deadliness comes in their stating that they believe in a perfect Bible in the past. This seems to lull some believers into thinking that they are on God's side but in reality they are attacking God's Word. Deception has always been Satan’s strategy. It worked very well in the past and he continues to use it today to deceive the foolish. We must be discerning! Let’s ask ourselves this simple question - how can a Bible with mistakes teach us that there was a perfect Bible in the past? The doctrine of a perfect Bible in the past is possible because there has always a perfect Bible throughout the ages!

The Deadliest Attack of them all – The deadliest attack of them all is not from someone who does not believe in the doctrines of VPI or VPP and who might even be a proponent and defender of these doctrines. He might have written biblical and sound books and articles in theological journals defending these doctrines. He might even have preached from the pulpit that the Bible is perfect! However, what is deadly and dangerous is not in what is written or preached from the pulpit. It is his life. What impact will there be on the doctrine of the perfect Bible when this person who defends it is a liar and a deceiver, or an adulterer, or a hireling? God warns us about these individuals. They are called "wolves in sheep's clothing." Jesus gave this warning to the disciples and to us in His sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:15-20 (KJV), "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." Jesus categorically warns us to beware of such individuals. The word for "beware" means "to pay attention." These individuals’ true character will not be revealed by a cursory glance but by paying close attention to their lives. Is this not the best way for them to creep into the sheep fold and devour the flock? Satan has done it many times and the Lord Jesus Christ warns us to beware of such individuals. Their lives will reveal whether they are true believers of the doctrine of VPI and VPP!

Furthermore, the Bible warns us that they are also called "angels of light" like Satan their teacher! 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 (KJV,) "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works." They can even be transformed into apostles of Christ! They masquerade and pretend to be conservative believers; what better way to creep into the fundamentalist and conservative camp than by writing and preaching what conservatives want to read and hear?! They may even look like sheep and true prophets but in reality they are wolves and false prophets!

How important is the Word of God? – From God's perspective, it is the most important thing on earth! It is more important than man's salvation! The integrity of God is at stake! To say that the Bible has mistakes is to say that God makes mistakes! God is perfect. He makes no mistakes! To attack the Bible which is God's holy and perfect Word is to attack God. There is no separating the perfect Word of God from the perfect God. The two are inextricably intertwined. To know His holy Word is to know God. To obey His holy Word is to obey God. To disobey God's holy Word is to disobey God!

Without the Word of God there is no salvation for all mankind. They will surely perish! Proverbs 29:18 (KJV), "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." The word "vision" here is the Word of God. This interpretation is affirmed by the second line of this verse (antithetical parallelism) wherein the sole purpose of the Word of God is revealed, i.e. to be obeyed. It is through the preaching of the Word of God that man is saved. Without the Word of God, the Holy Spirit cannot save someone. Similarly, when the distorted gospel is preached and the person believes in this false gospel, there is no salvation! The Word of God is indispensible to save someone from his sins. Romans 10:12-14 (KJV), "For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?"

Without faith it is impossible for man to please God. The faith of man is anchored in God's holy and perfect Word. Man exercises faith when he believes in what God says concerning the past. He also exercises faith in what God says concerning the future. The past and future revelation of God is God's holy and perfect Word. Without His holy and perfect Word man cannot have any faith! Hebrews 11:1 (KJV), "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." The first phrase refers to what will happen in future or what has been prophesied. It is substance to the believer even though it is in the future because God says so! The second half of the phrase "the evidence of things not seen" refers to all things past and future! He did not see God create out of nothing the entire heavens and earth but he believes it happened. He has not seen the second coming of Christ but he believes it will happen. To believe, i.e. to have faith in God's Word, means that he lives his present life in light of what God has revealed, past and future! If he does not, then it is dead faith. Faith is anchored in God's perfect Word from Genesis to Revelation!

The Bible is the written Word and Christ is the living Word. Man cannot know Christ outside of God's holy and perfect Word. Those who attack God's Word are attacking Christ. Those who say that God's Word is not perfect are saying that Christ is not perfect! There is no separation of the Word of God and Christ. To know God's Word is to know Christ. To say that God's Word is perfect is to say that Christ is perfect. Hypocrites who say that the Bible is perfect and then live the life of a liar and a deceiver are basically calling Christ a hypocrite just as the Jews who worshipped idols basically called God an idol!

Conclusion – Believing in the perfect Bible is more than just preaching it or writing a theologically sound article that defends or teaches it. It is to live out the Bible in our lives! The Bible is given for one purpose only and that is to be obeyed in its entirety, not some part of it but every jot and tittle of it.

Those who defend the doctrine of VPP but disobey the Bible by their carnal and ungodly lives are more deadly and dangerous than someone who tells you outright that he believes the Bible has mistakes. This is because they creep into the fundamentalist camp and deceive them into thinking that they are on God's side by their words. But their true colours are hidden from the gullible ones. These deceivers are indeed wolves in sheep's clothing; they do more damage to the cause of Christ from the inside than those outside who attack the Bible whereby the damage is not as devastating! Be discerning dear believers, it is not just what a person says from the pulpit or writes on paper that makes him a defender of the doctrine of VPP or the perfect Bible. It is about obeying the Word of God and defending it by his life even as he teaches and writes it! The Bible is given for obedience and not for man to defend on paper! Deuteronomy 11:26-28 (KJV), "Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; 27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: 28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known." Amen.