A conflict rages in this age which has been called “the battle for the Bible.”  This battle (more like a war) is being fought on several levels.  Some deny that the Bible is God’s Word at all.  Others deny that the Bible completed God’s revealed Word.  While some scholars battle over original inspiration, and some argue over Greek texts, others are fighting the battle of English translations.

Amid the confusion of theological word battles and personal vendettas, many are crying for answers.  As we survey the battlefield, several points must be made clear.  The first point is that this battle is one battle.  On every level, this battle is about whether or not you and I have or can have the Word of God.

If the Bible only contains God’s Word, but no one knows which parts are His Word and which parts are not, what good is that?  And why argue over perfect inspiration, if God has not preserved His Word?  And what about all those translations?  The whole problem comes down to this:  Can you and I get a hold of God’s pure Word; and if we can, where?

Another point to be made is that this battle for the Bible is very important.  Nothing is more important than whether or not we can get God’s truth.  If God’s Word is not our source of absolute truth, then what is?  We are left holding an empty bag.

Yet those who claim allegiance to the Bible cannot seem to do enough to weaken its power.  Scholars dilute the Bible text.  Publishers come out with new, better-than-ever bibles every few months.  Preachers freely correct the words of the living God.  And young men herd off to seminaries (or rather cemeteries) to be taught the inadequacies of the Word of God.

No one claims to have a painting that contains the work of Rembrandt.  They either have a painting by Rembrandt or they do not.  Even a careful imitation is worthless next to the real thing.  Likewise, we either have God’s Word or we do not.  Since God’s Word by reason of God’s own character must be totally pure, then an impure word cannot be God’s Word.  God’s Word is incorruptible (1 Peter 1:23Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
See All...).  That which is God’s Word is completely pure (Prov 30:5Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
See All...).  Other forms of printed matter (printed sermons, tracts, corrupted “bibles,” etc.) may contain portions of God’s Word, but they cannot be said to be God’s Word.

Yes, this is all one battle. And this battle is important. But a third point needs to be made.  This battle is not new. Ever since the Garden of Eden, when Satan denied God’s Word and Eve changed it, Bible correcting has been one of man’s favorite hobbies.

Take, for instance, the text of the New Testament.  Its alteration has not been solely the recent work of little men with thick glasses hovering over ancient manuscripts. No, the greatest corruptions of the New Testament text occurred during the first two or three centuries after it was written. By the end of this period, the vast majority of various readings had already been written and the different Greek texts of today could have been composed.  These centuries, during which the battle lines were drawn, set the time frame for the Tale of Three Cities.

A Tale of Three Cities

A tale of three cities is a tale of intrigue and deception--one which pits the forces of God and Satan into battle over the integrity of the Bible.  This war over the Word, which began in Eden’s beautiful garden, still rages today with ever-increasing fury.  God’s churches, God’s men, and God’s people cannot afford to remain neutral when the stakes are so high.  Yet, many seem determined to live their spiritual lives as deserters.

The Principle of Preservation

Before the unfolding of this story begins, two Biblical principles must be understood.  The first principle is that God has promised, without exception, to preserve not only the Word which He has given to man, but also the words.  This promise is confirmed every time God commands us to read, memorize, meditate upon, learn, or obey the words which He has given us.  Nowhere in the Bible does God suggest the possibility of us not having His words.  The promise of preservation is stated as follows in Psalm 12:6The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
See All...,7:  “The words of the LORD are pure words:  as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.  Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever."  This passage demands responsibility from present- day Christians.  According to God, His words are preserved pure.  If they are preserved, then we had better find them and believe them without correcting them.

The Principle of Corruption

The second principle which must be understood is that many will “corrupt the word of God” as stated by Paul in II Corinthians 2:17For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of beasts, which made them afraid, because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.
See All....  Paul also warned against “handling the word of God deceitfully” (II Cor 4:2
See All...).  This evil practice of corruption assures us of the fact that many corrupted copies of God’s Word have been and will be made.  The man who claims that all bibles are the word of God either does not know the scriptural principle of corruption or denies it.  Corrupting the words of God is not an exception or simply an accident; it is an industry.

The Uniqueness of God’s Word

These two principles taken together demonstrate another important truth.  Since God in His power is preserving the Word, and since the devil and his forces are corrupting the Word, the Bible cannot be approached as any other ancient book.  Textual criticism sufficient for Homer’s Iliad will not work for God’s Word!  And while mistakes in Homer do not really matter, mistakes in God’s Word could send a generation of mankind to hell.  Unless God’s preserving power and Satan’s corrupting influence are considered, manuscript evidence is no more honest than last year’s politicians.

Modern bibles exist in a myriad of forms because intentional changes were made in copies of God’s Word by those who disbelieved its teaching.  Of course, modern scholars claim that none of the various readings in the multitude of versions affect any major doctrine.  This claim requires a low opinion of the weight of scripture.  Every change made in the pure Word affects doctrine because “all scripture is profitable for doctrine” (2 Timothy 3:16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
See All...).  When any passage loses this profitability, then the Word of God is no longer pure.

The Three Cities Introduced

With these principles stated and explained, the story can now begin.  A tale of three cities begins in the Roman Empire during the time of Christ.  The three cities (Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch) were the three largest and most influential cities in the Roman Empire.  Yet, to the Christian their influence concerning Bible corruption and preservation is of much greater importance.

As capital of the Roman Empire and the empire’s largest city, Rome ruled the ancient world.  Rome emphasized form, legalism, and tradition.  Through tradition, Rome became the center of Biblical addition.  The Apocrypha is one example of how Rome added to scripture.  From Italy, Rome dominated the theology and spiritual life of southern Europe and northern Africa.

Alexandria, Egypt, the second largest city, was the world capital for science, education, and scholarship.  Great minds gravitated to Alexandria.  This home town of Philo and Origen dominated the theology of surrounding Egypt and Palestine.  As is the practice of modern scholarship, Alexandria subtracted from the Word of God.  The Alexandrian Text is still the basis of modern Bible corruptions.

The third largest city of the empire was Antioch of Syria.  Located in the East, Antioch dominated the regions of Syria and Asia minor, the lands of early apostolic work.  Antioch was known for her luxury and cosmopolitan flavor, but also for a literal interpretation of scripture.  Although belittled by the scholarship of today, the Syrian Text was the underlying basis for the King James Version of 1611.

These three cities were located in three important countries on three different continents.  They represented the three major races.  Why are they so important?  How did these cities become so influential in the historical transmission of the Biblical Text?  These questions and more are to be answered in the following text.  But never forget that God promised to preserve His Word.  Our greatest concern should never be to judge or criticize the Word, but to find it, then read it, study it, memorize it, obey it, teach it, preach it, and if necessary, die for it.