Section 5: The Theological Necessity of Extending Jot and Tittle to the Greek New Testament
5.1 The Continuity of Preservation in the New Testament
Matthew 5:18 declares: “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.” This promise, which affirms the preservation of the Hebrew Scriptures in their entirety, must logically and theologically extend to the Greek New Testament. To limit Christ’s words to the Old Testament creates a theological inconsistency that undermines the unity and authority of Scripture.
John Owen, in The Works of John Owen, Vol. 16, highlights the unifying role of Scripture in redemptive history:
“The covenant of grace is one and the same, in its substance and efficacy, in both Testaments, differing only in the outward administration of it.”
Owen’s statement underscores the necessity of applying the promises of preservation to the New Testament. The New Covenant writings are not separate from the Old Testament but a continuation and fulfillment of God’s revelation. If the New Testament is not preserved with the same care as the Old Testament, its authority as Scripture is jeopardized, and the unity of God’s Word is fractured.
5.2 The Role of Jesus as Fulfillment of the Law
In Matthew 5:17-18, Christ connects the preservation of Scripture to His mission: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” This statement establishes that the New Testament, as the record of Christ’s fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, is intrinsically tied to the promises of preservation. Just as the Old Testament was preserved to testify to Christ, the New Testament is preserved to reveal the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan.
James Ussher, in Body of Divinity, affirms this connection:
“The perfection of the Word of God consisteth in this, that nothing may be added thereto, nor taken therefrom. Both Testaments, differing in administration, are one in authority and substance.”
By linking preservation to the fulfillment of the Law, Christ establishes the theological necessity of safeguarding the Greek New Testament. Without this preservation, the testimony to Christ’s fulfillment would be incomplete and unreliable, undermining the foundation of the Christian faith.
5.3 The Implications of Denying Preservation for the Greek New Testament
If the promises of Matthew 5:18 do not apply to the Greek New Testament, then the church is left without a reliable record of Christ’s fulfillment of the Law. This introduces a dangerous instability into the canon, where the Old Testament is preserved, but the New Testament is treated as subject to human error and reconstruction. Such a view undermines the sufficiency of Scripture and leaves the church vulnerable to doctrinal uncertainty.
William Whitaker, in Disputation on Scripture, critiques this fragmented approach:
“The immutability of Scripture cannot be confined to the Old Testament but must include the New Testament, which is equally the Word of God.”
Whitaker’s argument demonstrates the inseparability of the Testaments. To deny preservation for the Greek New Testament is to deny the preservation of Scripture as a whole, reducing the Bible to a collection of texts subject to human alteration rather than the divinely preserved Word of God.
John Owen also addresses the practical implications of such a denial:
“If the Scripture were left to the uncertainties of human opinion, its authority would be diminished, and its purpose as the rule of faith and life would be lost.”
Keister’s position, which limits preservation to the Hebrew text, introduces this very uncertainty. By denying the preservation of the Greek New Testament, he undermines its authority and destabilizes the foundation of Christian doctrine.
5.4 Preservation and the Authority of the New Testament
The authority of the New Testament is inseparable from its preservation. If the Greek text is not preserved, it cannot serve as the infallible rule of faith and practice for the church. This undermines the promises of Christ, who declared that His words would not pass away:
“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).
James Ussher emphasizes the necessity of preservation for maintaining the authority of Scripture:
“Neither one jot nor one tittle shall be lost, for the Scriptures are the repository of divine truth, preserved by God for all generations.”
The Greek New Testament, as the record of Christ’s teaching and the apostolic witness, must be preserved to fulfill this promise. Without preservation, the church cannot confidently proclaim the gospel or defend the truth against error.
5.5 The Historical Consensus on Preservation
The historic Reformed tradition consistently affirms the preservation of the entire canon, including the Greek New Testament. John Owen, William Whitaker, and James Ussher represent a unified theological perspective that recognizes the promises of Matthew 5:18 as applying to both Testaments.
Whitaker asserts:
“The Scriptures, whether written in Hebrew or Greek, are alike the Word of God, and their authority depends not on the church, but on the testimony of God who hath preserved them.”
This testimony reflects the biblical teaching that preservation is not limited to the Old Testament but encompasses the entirety of God’s Word. To deny this truth is to reject the consistent witness of the church and to undermine the theological foundation of Scripture.
5.6 The Practical Necessity of Preservation for the Church
The doctrine of providential preservation is not merely a theological abstraction but a practical necessity for the life of the church. Without a preserved New Testament, the church would lack a reliable foundation for its doctrine, worship, and mission. The promises of Matthew 5:18 ensure that the Greek New Testament is as trustworthy and authoritative as the Hebrew Old Testament, providing a stable basis for faith and practice.
William Whitaker underscores the importance of this doctrine:
“The Scriptures were not given to be altered or corrected by the whims of men, but to be received as the perfect Word of God, preserved in its entirety by His will.”
This statement highlights the practical implications of preservation. By affirming the promises of Matthew 5:18 for the Greek New Testament, the church maintains its confidence in the reliability and sufficiency of God’s Word.
Conclusion to Section 5
The promises of Matthew 5:18 are not limited to the Hebrew Old Testament but extend to the Greek New Testament, ensuring the unity and reliability of the entire canon. Christ’s teaching on the preservation of Scripture connects the Old and New Testaments, affirming their shared role as the authoritative and infallible Word of God.
The writings of John Owen, William Whitaker, and James Ussher consistently support this comprehensive view of preservation. By extending the promises of Matthew 5:18 to the Greek New Testament, we uphold the integrity of Scripture and affirm its sufficiency for every generation. To deny this truth, as Lane Keister’s position implicitly does, is to undermine the authority and reliability of God’s Word, leaving the church without a secure foundation for its faith and practice.
Section 6: The Implications if Jot and Tittle Do Not Apply to the Greek New Testament
6.1 The Consequences of a Fragmented View of Scripture
If the promises of Matthew 5:18—“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”—are restricted to the Hebrew Old Testament, the Greek New Testament loses its foundation of divine preservation. Such a restriction creates a fragmented view of Scripture, where the Old Testament is preserved with precision, while the New Testament is left vulnerable to human error and conjecture. This undermines the unity and reliability of the Bible as the divinely inspired Word of God.
John Owen, in The Works of John Owen, Vol. 16, warns against this division:
“The Scripture is one entire body, and if any part is left to the uncertainties of human opinion, the whole is weakened. Its authority as the rule of faith and life must be preserved in its entirety.”
Owen’s argument underscores the inseparability of the Testaments. To treat the Greek New Testament as less preserved than the Hebrew Old Testament is to deny the consistency of God’s promises and to introduce instability into the canon.
6.2 Undermining the Authority of the New Testament
The authority of the New Testament is inherently tied to its preservation. If the Greek text is not preserved with the same precision as the Hebrew text, it cannot serve as the infallible rule of faith and practice for the church. This undermines the confidence of believers in the reliability of the New Testament, leaving them to question its doctrinal and theological soundness.
James Ussher, in Body of Divinity, highlights the theological danger of neglecting preservation:
“The perfection of the Word of God consisteth in this, that nothing may be added thereto, nor taken therefrom, nor any jot or tittle lost. To lose the smallest part is to compromise the whole.”
Ussher’s statement demonstrates that the preservation of the minutiae of Scripture is essential to maintaining its authority. If the New Testament lacks this divine preservation, its doctrinal foundation is compromised, and its role as the Word of God is diminished.
6.3 The Impact on the Unity of Scripture
The Bible is a unified revelation of God, with the Old and New Testaments working together to reveal His redemptive plan. Christ Himself affirms this unity in Matthew 5:17-18:
“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. 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.”
By connecting His mission to the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, Christ establishes the continuity between the Testaments. William Whitaker, in Disputation on Scripture, affirms this unity:
“The Scriptures, whether written in Hebrew or Greek, are one body, united in their purpose and authority, preserved by God for the good of His church.”
Denying the preservation of the Greek New Testament disrupts this unity and reduces the New Testament to a secondary or inferior text. This not only undermines the doctrine of Scripture but also weakens the foundation of Christian theology, which depends on the coherence of the entire Bible.
6.4 Theological Implications for the Doctrine of Preservation
The doctrine of providential preservation is rooted in the character of God. If God has promised to preserve His Word, then this promise must apply to the entire canon, not just the Old Testament. To suggest otherwise is to question God’s faithfulness and sovereignty in maintaining the integrity of His revelation.
John Owen addresses this point:
“The preservation of Scripture is not a matter of chance or human effort but the result of God’s singular providence, ensuring that His Word remains pure and unaltered for His people.”
If the Greek New Testament is excluded from the promises of preservation, the church is left with a doctrine that is incomplete and inconsistent. Such a position is incompatible with the biblical teaching that God’s Word is eternal, unchanging, and fully authoritative.
6.5 Practical Consequences for the Church
The failure to apply the promises of Matthew 5:18 to the Greek New Testament has significant practical consequences for the church. Without a preserved New Testament, the church is left with a text that is subject to human reconstruction and scholarly debate. This opens the door to doctrinal confusion and diminishes the church’s confidence in the reliability of Scripture.
William Whitaker warns against the dangers of such an approach:
“The Scriptures were not given to be altered by the whims of men but preserved by God as the foundation of all faith and practice.”
By denying the preservation of the Greek New Testament, Lane Keister’s Review aligns itself with modern textual criticism, which treats the Bible as a human artifact rather than the divinely preserved Word of God. This methodology undermines the sufficiency of Scripture and leaves the church vulnerable to error and instability.
6.6 The Loss of Scriptural Sufficiency
The sufficiency of Scripture depends on its preservation. If the New Testament is not preserved with the same care as the Old Testament, it cannot serve as the complete and final authority for faith and life. James Ussher highlights the inseparability of preservation and sufficiency:
“Neither one jot nor one tittle shall be lost, for the Scriptures are the repository of divine truth, preserved by God for all generations.”
Without a preserved New Testament, the church lacks a reliable guide for doctrine, worship, and mission. This loss of sufficiency has far-reaching implications for the life and witness of the church, diminishing its ability to proclaim the gospel with confidence and clarity.
Conclusion to Section 6
The promises of Matthew 5:18 must apply to the Greek New Testament, or the unity, authority, and sufficiency of Scripture are undermined. The failure to extend these promises to the New Testament creates a fragmented view of the Bible that is inconsistent with the character of God and the teaching of Christ.
The testimonies of John Owen, William Whitaker, and James Ussher affirm that the preservation of Scripture encompasses the entire canon, ensuring its reliability for every generation. By denying the preservation of the Greek New Testament, Lane Keister’s Review departs from this historic consensus and aligns itself with a methodology that jeopardizes the church’s confidence in God’s Word. To uphold the sufficiency of Scripture, the church must affirm the comprehensive scope of preservation promised in Matthew 5:18, ensuring that the Bible remains the divinely safeguarded and authoritative Word of God for all time.
