WILDWOOD, Mo. – More than 340 people packed a gym at Fellowship of Wildwood (FOW) to hear R. Brian Rickett, CEO and principal researcher of the MIKRA (Manuscript Institute for Knowledge, Research and Application) Research Laboratory, share about the journey of God’s Word through time.
Rickett and his team use modern technology to discover who copied biblical scrolls, and when and where they did so.
“Scripture was given to the Jewish people,” Rickett said. “In Deuteronomy 6, we see the command of literacy. We have Jewish and Christian scholars working together to discover the truths in these ancient manuscripts.”
Rickett described the painstaking process taken to copy these manuscripts. “If a letter was wrong and a child couldn’t make it out, the entire section or scroll was rewritten. Their entire community was engaged on some level to maintain the purity through the years.”
Rickett cited an example. “We used DNA testing on a goatskin scroll from the first century that was charred but housed in an office,” he said. “It was a section of Leviticus but even after all those years, it proved to be true. I have a Jewish friend who was amazed and encouraged.”
According to Rickett, letter counting was another technique used by Jewish scribes to protect the accuracy of the Scripture. “The scribe counts the letters to make sure what he has written is correct. If the number is off, then it must be rewritten. In addition, another reader comes behind him to double check.”
Children regularly attend music/missions at the church on Wednesday evenings. They were a special addition to the event. “We asked Dr. Rickett if we could project the manuscripts on the screen for the adults and let the children see the manuscripts up close,” Brad Canalejo, pastor of discipleship and families, said.
“Dr. Rickett has presented this information to elementary schools,” Canalejo continued, “But this was the first time he did it with an audience of children through seniors. We really like the intergenerational aspect. Every event doesn’t need to be for all ages, but we want intergenerational interaction to be an integral part of the church body.”
Canalejo saw added value to the church in the presentation by Rickett. “I hope the congregation walked away seeing how God preserved His Word,” he said—“understanding how precious it is to study and read, and knowing the truth is presented in sermons and Bible studies.”
“I also hope that the congregation understands the calling of Christians to get the gospel to others through their heart language,” he said.
Canalejo explained that he and Rickett both teach at Brookes Bible College which sponsored this event. “Dr. Rickett teaches biblical languages, Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic,” he said. “His classes are well attended by students all over the world. He teaches at 7 pm CDT and his students in Europe must attend at 2 am their time. It just shows the hunger among the nations for God’s Word.”
Rickett agreed with that last statement. “That’s how I started,” he said. “I wanted to read what Jesus read from the scrolls. I wanted to study the writings of Paul and to enjoy the poetry and understand the format.”
Rickett closed the program by reading the 10-line poem beginning Ecclesiastes 1 in Hebrew for all to hear the rhythm of the original language of the passage.