Expanding on this concept a little more, we can see that the Bible is represented by the record and that the imperfections of human nature and the limitations of human knowledge are represented by the needle. The passage of time is represented by the turntable. Just as any record becomes scratchy in time through wear, so is this true (though in a lesser degree) with the copies of Scripture. But in spite of these limitations (the direct product of human freedom and its resultant sin), we can still hear our Master’s voice, just as the dog does on the record label. The "scratches" are also being "erased" as time goes on by archeology, by older and better texts, and by scientific discoveries. More of the "original" is thus being "dubbed" back into the copies, so that year by year we are getting closer to the "master tape" from which all the duplicates (copies of manuscripts) were recorded. Thus the accuracy of our Bible copies increases rather than decreases. The clarity of the message improves steadily with the passage of time, and the fidelity of our Master’s voice is now growing clearer and clearer.

     Let us never forget the fact that a hundred years ago the percentage of "questionable" textual material existing in the then-available copies of the Bible was approximately five times greater than that which raises questions for critical scholarship today. This is positive proof that the situation is not static but is very much alive and is moving in the direction of resolving textual and critical problems instead of multiplying them. Because of advancing knowledge about the Bible and its times, great gains have been made in solving problems which a hundred years ago were considered by some reputable scholars to be "insoluble." Thus it would be foolish indeed to abandon faith in the authority of God’s initial revelation simply because there remains a relatively small percentage (less than 1⁄2 of 1 percent in the New Testament) of questionable material about which we do not yet have enough data to properly evaluate and understand. Those who gave up their faith in the absolute authority of Scripture a hundred years ago (as well as their disciples today) would do well to remember that advancing truth confirms rather than diminishes the accuracy and authority of the Bible. God has a long record of blessing those who believe Him and who believe in the integrity of what He has said. He has yet to raise up a great evangelist, Bible teacher, or pastor from the ranks of those evangelicals who maintain that human error exists in the original documents of Scripture.

     Two other questions are perennially raised regarding copies of the Bible, and they are worthy of a studied answer. First, if copies of the Bible reveal error, why can we not infer that the originals contained the same errors? There is, of course a sound answer to at least part of this question. Since no one has the original autographs of "master tape" of the Bible, we can just as logically infer the opposite - that the apparent errors we now observe were not errors in the original at all, but were errors of inaccurate transcription. Both positions are essentially arguments from silence, and the solution probably lies elsewhere. However, one note should be made - the argument that assumes error in the original manuscripts is based on the belief that what exists in a copy will also exist in the original, if found. This is a negative faith, since its conclusion includes doubt of the prophets and the apostles. The position which maintains by faith (and with steadily mounting evidence) that the original manuscripts are errorless exemplifies positive faith in the complete reliability of the prophets and the apostles and in the trustworthiness of their initial transcription of the data they received from God.

     Secondly, why would God inspire free of error the original autograph or "master" copy of the Biblical record (from which all subsequent copies are made) and then permit the copies to become even minutely corrupted in transmission? Would this not defeat His whole original purpose - an infallible record? The answer to this question lies in a correct understanding of the nature of the freedom of the will. Adam was created innocent, and God put His divine stamp of approval on that creation by calling him "the son of God" (Luke 3:38). So in like manner He put His seal upon the Scriptures when He first gave them by calling them "My Word" more than 3,000 times.

     Jesus Christ also held the very highest view of Scripture (John 12:44-50, 17:17), for it was He who said, “the Scriptures cannot be broken.” (John 10-35). Those who would own Him as their Master cannot in good conscience hold a view of Scripture inferior to His.

     Even though Adam was created innocent, by an act of free will he fell into imperfect practices which God allowed so as not to violate the freedom which alone makes it possible for men and angels to choose to love Him. This was extended by necessity and nature to the sons of Adam, some of whom later copies and recopied the divine record. Their errors, however, are not to be considered God’s Word nor does God extend His divine seal of approval in any human error. What is truly remarkable is that no transmissional error has ever affected a single doctrine of the Word of God which touches the means of our salvation, the evangelization of the world, our own spiritual maturity, or the church’s ultimate conquest of evil.

     The Word of God is God in His Word, speaking to us by His Spirit, through whom the message was initially inspired and infused into the souls and minds of His servants. These “holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:18-21). Speaking through the prophets, God bore record in the Old Testament of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ, the Living Word. In the New Testament God testifies to the apostles and the disciples of the incarnation of His Word (John 1:1,14). These truths are confirmed experientially by the witness of the Holy Spirit, who carries on the work of confronting men with the written Word, which points them to the living Word. It is the Holy Spirit who validates the witness by transforming those who accept the Bible’s testimony to the risen Christ, our only object of saving faith. Is it any wonder that Peter could proclaim of the Lord Jesus, “To him give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins.” (Act s 10-43)

     Thus the Holy Spirit, who inspired the written Word and who anointed the Living Word, perseveres in validating all His work of inspiration through the fulfillment of prophecy and the transformation of lives in response to faith in the Lord Jesus. The action of the Holy Spirit in and upon the sons of Adam is a living reminder to the church that our “labor is not in vain in the Lord.”