Many people are surprised to learn that the Bible, as we now have it, was not always in its present form. What was its original form, and how did it get to us today?

Originally, the Scriptures consisted of a collection of sixty-six different documents written over a span of about 1,600 years. The Old Testament was written mostly in Hebrew (some minor portions were in Aramaic) and the New Testament was composed in Greek.

None of the original manuscripts survive. But there is a very good reason for this; likely, men would worship the inspired documents, instead of the God who gave them, were they still extant. That’s what happened with reference to the brazen serpent that Moses made in the Old Testament (See 2 Kings 18:4).

But there is no cause for alarm simply because the original manuscripts are no longer available, because thousand of copies were made across the centuries. Here is an important historical note that helps put this matter in focus.

The original manuscripts for the Greek classics, e.g. Homer, etc. vanished long ago, yet scholars are not in the least alarmed about that—because there are copies that have survived.

The text of the Bible is available to us today by means of the science of “textual criticism,” i.e., a restoration of the original text based upon a collection of the sources at our disposal. Let me illustrate this with reference to the New Testament.

There are three principal sources of data for the restoration of the New Testament text: 1) Ancient manuscripts, 2) Early translations, and 3) Quotations from the so-called “church fathers.” Let us momentarily consider each of these.

MANUSCRIPTS

More than 5,000 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament are available to scholars today. Some of these go back to the very shadows of the first century. There is fragment of John’s Gospel that dates to the first half of the second century. By way of contrast, there is a gap of 900 years between the oldest manuscript of Julius Caesar’s Gallic Wars and the original work (58-50 B.C.).

TRANSLATIONS

“Translations” are versions of the New Testament into languages other than Greek. There are more than 10,000 versions of the New Testament in various ancient languages (e.g., Latin, Coptic, etc.), and some of these reach all the way back to the second and third centuries.

QUOTATIONS

Finally, there are thousands of instances of where early church writers quoted the New Testament, relying upon manuscripts considerably older than what we have today. From their writings alone, the New Testament could be reproduced entirely (with the exception of about a dozen verses).

By comparing the evidence from these major categories, the “textural critic” is able to substantially restore the text of the original New Testament.

Less than 1/1000th is even in question today (and that small percent relates to matters that are non-crucial to salvation issues).

What does all this mean? It means that we can have every confidence that a good translation today is a faithful reproduction of the original Word of God. You have in your possession a message from Heaven! Be thankful for it. Treasure your Bible. Study it every day. And by all means, dedicate yourself to understanding and being submissive to its instruction.

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The New Testament emphasizes that the quality of our life is proportioned to our commitment to excellence. The late Vince Lombardi, celebrated coach of the Green Bay Packers, once said, “Gentlemen, the quality of a man’s life is directly proportioned to his commitment to excellence.

It is so easy for us to become complacent and comfortable in our mediocrity. Content to be just average, we never rise above mediocrity.

We can never improve upon the divine elements in the church; her sure foundation, her cornerstone, and her mission. But, we are constantly challenged to improve and strengthen the human element.

Are you committed to the excellence of this congregation? There are four groups of members who strengthen the church and are thus committed to her excellence:

FIRST, ATTENDING MEMBERS. You can count on them to be at every service possible. They put the Kingdom first (Matt. 6:33). They don’t allow trivial, mundane things to interfere. Their spiritual interest in meeting Jesus and His people is greater than their normal aches and pains. They too, work hard all week and could use the ordinary excuses - but the difference is - they are committed to the well-being of the church.

SECOND, INFORMED MEMBERS. They are in the know. They have an intense desire for knowledge (1 Peter 2:2). You will find them in Bible classes. They “hunger and thirst for knowledge” (Matt. 5). They delight in His statutes (Psalms 119:16). The word to them is like “honey in the mouth” (Psalms 119:103). They love to hear it taught and expounded.

THIRD, CONSISTENT MEMBERS. They practice in their lives what they profess with their mouths. They believe on Monday as well as on Sunday. They practice in the shadows as well as in the sunshine. They praise His name in the meeting place without profaning His name in the market place. Such consistency in life speaks eloquently so the world can hear what we are trying to say.

FOURTH, SUPPORTING MEMBERS. A church is strong or feeble - not in proportion to its enrolled members - but in proportion to the supporting members. The tragedy in every church is her list of inactive members. But involved members support her with their time, thoughts, prayers, energy, and money.

Are you committed to the excellence of the church? Do you belong in all four categories? — Copied

Lord,
Kneeling, I have sought You,
Standing, I have walked with You,
Singing, I have praised You,
Awakening, I have called to You,
Sleeping, I have rested in Your care.
Thank you, Lord,
For being with me,
Everywhere.