Showing posts with label KJV Bible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label KJV Bible. Show all posts
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Thursday, August 02, 2012
Corrupt Bibles
GOD'S HOLY LIFE GIVING WORD
2 Corinthians 2:17: "For we are not as many, which corrupt THE WORD OF GOD: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ."
Proverbs 30:5-6: "Every WORD OF GOD is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto HIS WORDS, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar."
Romans 10:8-11, 17: "But what saith it? THE WORD is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, THE WORD OF FAITH, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. ... 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by THE WORD OF GOD."
James 1:17-18, 21: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 18 Of his own will begat he us with THE WORD OF TRUTH, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. ... 21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness THE ENGRAFTED WORD, which is able to save your souls."
Hebrews 4:12: "For THE WORD OF GOD is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
Luke 4:4: "And Jesus answered him [Satan], saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD OF GOD."
2 Corinthians 4:1-2: "Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling THE WORD OF GOD deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God."
Ephesians 6:14-17: "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is THE WORD OF GOD:"
2 Timothy 2:15: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing THE WORD OF TRUTH."
Revelation 22:17-19: "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. 18 For I testify unto every man that heareth THE WORDS OF THE PROPHECY OF THIS BOOK, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 And if any man shall take away from THE WORDS OF THE BOOK OF THIS PROPHECY, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."
Revelation 17:1-2, 4-6, 9, 15: "... Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. ... And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. ... The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues."
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
JESUS CHRIST'S BIBLICAL WORLD VIEW
Introduction:
"The sower soweth the word. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended. And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and RECEIVE IT, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred." (Mark 4:14-20)
"Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and RECEIVE WITH MEEKNESS THE ENGRAFTED WORD, which is able to save your souls." (James 1:21)
"For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when YE RECEIVED THE WORD OF GOD which ye heard of us, YE RECEIVED IT not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." (1 Peter 1:23)
Let us here examine Jesus Christ's Biblical world view and believe as the Lord believed concerning His Word:
1. The Lord Jesus Christ taught that every word of Scripture proceeded from God
"... Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4)
2. The Lord never corrected or criticized Scripture, even though He did not have the original autographs.
"Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." (John 17:17)
3. Jesus pre-authenticated the New Testament writings as Scripture.
"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. ... Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you." (John 14:26; 16:13-14)
4. Christ Jesus accepted the Old Testament Jewish canon, but rejected the Apocrypha.
"And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me." (Luke 24:44)
5. He taught the doctrine of the preservation of Scripture.
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 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." (Matthew 5:17-18) "And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. ... Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away." (Luke 16:17, 21:33)
6. He taught that the Old Testament Scriptures pointed to Him.
"And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. ... And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me." (Luke 24:27, 44)
7. He taught that man will be judged by God's Word.
"And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." (John 12:47-48)
8. He taught the absolute authority of Scripture.
" ... Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?" (John 10:34-36; cf. Ps 82:6)
9. He taught the entirety of the Old Testament :
He believed in the Genesis account of creation (Matthew 19:4-6; Mark 10:6-8).
He believed the Flood of Noah was universal (Matthew 24:37-39).
He believed Abraham was a historical figure (John 8:56).
He believed Sodom and Gomorrah were literal places (Matthew 10:15; 11:23-24).
He believed Lot's wife was actually turned into a pillar of salt (Luke 17:32).
He believed God gave the Israelites manna from heaven (John 6:31,49,58).
He believed Jonah and the whale were historical (Matthew 12:39-41).
He believed Moses was the author of the first five books of the Bible (Matthew 8:4; John 5:46; 7:19).
He believed in David's authorship of the Psalms (Matthew 22:43).
He believed Daniel was the author of the book of Daniel (Matthew 24:15).
He believed in the unity of the book of Isaiah (Matthew 13:14-15; Mark 7:6; John 12:38-41).
10. He knew the Jews had a history of rejecting God's Word.
"Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered." (Luke 11:47-52).
11. The Lord Jesus scolded the Sadducees for their ignorance of Scripture.
"... Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God." (Matthew 22:29)
12. Christ the Lord promised blessings for those who believe the Scriptures and cursings for those who add and take away from His word.
"Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." (John 5:39) "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." (Revelation 22:16-19)
Conclusion:
Those who claim to be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ ought to believe and hold the same high view of Scripture that the Lord Himself held. Do true Christians hold any other view?
Let all who reverence the name of the LORD reverence also His holy Word!
"Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." (Exodus 20:7)
" I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name." (Psalm 138:2)
"For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven." (Psalms 119:89)
"For there are three that BEAR RECORD in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. ... He that believeth on the Son of God hath THE WITNESS in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not THE RECORD that God gave of his Son." (1 John 5:7, 10)
Monday, May 21, 2012
By John Henry
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16)
"But there is a spirit in man:
and the inspiration of the Almighty
giveth them understanding." (Job 32:8)
INTRODUCTION:
The Bible says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God ..." (2 Tim. 3:16). Many erroneously think that God inspired the prophets and apostles, but this verse clearly says that it is the Scriptures that are "given by inspiration of God." The prophets and apostles on the other hand "SPAKE as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." What is Scripture? Speech is not Scripture until it is written down. Scripture is defined as "holy writ" or "the sacred writings of the Bible." The word is translated from the Greek word "graphe" (Strong's Greek Dictionary word #1124) which means "a writing." It's root word is "grapho" (Strong's Greek #1125) meaning "to write letters." So Scripture is the written Word of God. As used in the Bible the word "Scripture" and "Scriptures" always mean the writings of the Word of God in whole or in part. God has given us inspired scriptures able to both regenerate people and to translate them into other languages. If the Scriptures when translated do not take with them the original inspiration of God then they would not be able to regenerate the lost soul.
There is some disagreement among King James Version (KJV) advocates concerning whether or not the KJV is "given by inspiration of God" through derivative inspiration or not. This writer believes that the KJV is "given by inspiration of God" in that manner.
By "derivative inspiration" we do not mean that the Bible is changed in any way except in it's language. By "derivative inspiration" we mean that the translation derives it's life which is transferable to copies and translations, and ability to regenerate "the residue of the spirit" (Mal. 2:15) from the originally God inspired autographs.
Dr. David Otis Fuller (1903-1988), founder of the Institute for Biblical Textual Studies, states:
"The Institute is committed to .... the position that translation is not an inherent boundary to verbal preservation. The breath of God, product, not process, conveyed by translation from the immediately inspired language copies of Scripture into any providentially prepared receptor language will impart to that translation infallible authority and doctrinal inerrancy inherent in the original language copies. Such a translation by the internal witness of the Holy Spirit, both with and through that translation, will evidence to the believer its own self-attestation and self-authentication whereby God asserts himself as the supreme Authority to that culture. For the English speaking world this revelation of God's authority is preserved in the Authorized Version." [1] (Emphasis mine)
We agree with Dr. Fuller, but would go the final step and say that not only the "immediately inspired language copies" were inspired, but also the translated product, in our case, the Authorized Version is inspired of God.
We also agree with the definition "inspiration" as given by one of our opponents on the doctrinal issue, Dr. H. D. Williams, who writes the following:
"'Inspiration' means 'God-breathed' from the Greek word theopneustos (2 Tim. 3:16). It is a very technical Biblical term indicating a miraculous process and product. The Words of God originally given in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek to special men selected by God to record were 'God-breathed.' In this work, this is the process of inspiration. The product of inspiration in this work is the recorded inspired Words in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek in the sixty-sixty books of the canon of Scripture for man that are infallible and inerrant. “Inspiration” is a miracle. This means that God is the author of the original Words in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, which is the Bible. The men who recorded them are not coauthors, although God used their vocabulary. This author believes that the Words that underlie the King James Bible English translation are the original perfect Words 'given by inspiration of God' to 'holy men of God' to record. God has providentially superintended the accurate, faithful, verbal, plenary, formal, equivalent translation of the Preserved [2] original-languages into the receptor-languages of the world so that some translations can be said to be without translational errors. ...” [3] (Emphasis mine)
Like Dr. Williams we believe that God's initial inspiration of the words of Scripture was miraculous, but unlike Dr. Williams we also believe that when translations are superintended by God (time, languages, translators, etc.) He miraculously transfers the life of the original into that translation. God's giving of life to the translation is inspiration.
This author hopes to show with scriptural definitions, by allowing scripture to interpret scripture with two or three witnesses, that translations can be "given by inspiration of God."
REVELATION, INSPIRATION & ILLUMINATION:
The process of God giving His words to the prophets and apostles to speak is called revelation. The process of God breathing life into those spoken words when they are written down is called inspiration. There is a final step in God's communication with us is called illumination. Revelation is God giving His words to the prophets and apostles (Rom. 16:25). Inspiration is God's words from scribe to paper (2 Tim. 3:16). Illumination is God's words from paper to man's heart (2 Tim. 1:9-10).
We have examples of the processes of revelation and inspiration together in Jeremiah where it talks about "... Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet ..." (Jeremiah 36:26). It says:
"... Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the LORD, which he had spoken unto him, upon a roll of a book." (Jeremiah 36:4)
The three steps of God's giving His Holy Word to man in more detail:
1. Revelation (from the to Prophet): Men are not inspired, but the prophets and apostles were given revelation from God:
"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God SPAKE as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (2 Peter 1:20-21)
"For I [Paul] neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." (Galatians 1:12)
"How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; as I wrote afore in few words ..." (Ephesians 3:3-4)
2. Inspiration (from scribe to parchment or paper): It is the words of the scriptures that are inspired:
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable ..." (2 Timothy 3:16)
The Greek word for "scripture" here is "graphe" (Strong's Greek #1124) meaning something written. Scripture(s) may denote the whole Bible, individual books, portions, but ultimately it means each and every individual word of the Bible.
The Greek word, "theopneustos" is a compound word meaning: theo: God, pneus: breathed, and with the suffix tos: giving this adjective the passive voice. We will deal with this word in more detail later.
For now suffice it to say that "theopneustos" guarantees that "all Scripture" carries with it plenary verbal inspiration "Plenary" means: all or complete; and "Verbal" means: each individual word. Plenary Verbal inspiration is the inspiration of the whole Bible and each word of it.
3. Illumination (from paper to heart): This is the final step for salvation and spiritual growth. This is the purpose for God's giving of the Bible.
"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14)
"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." (Isaiah 8:20)
"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. ... For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:3-4, 6)
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)
"The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple." (Psalm 119:130)
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Psalms 119:105)
"For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life." (Proverbs 6:23)
"But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." (Ephesians 5:13-14)
"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." (John 3:17-21)
"We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts." (2 Peter 1:19)
THEOPNEUSTOS & INSPIRATION DEFINED:
The Greek Word Theopneustos:
The one Greek word "theopneustos" is translated "given by inspiration of God" in the Holy Bible.
Theopneustos is found only once in the Word of God. Theopneustos is a rare word, used only once in the Bible. It combines two stems and an adjective suffix: theo-pneus-tos. The first stem, theo-, means "God." The second stem, pneu-, means "to breathe," and the suffix, -tos, makes this adjective passive in voice. [4]
In almost all combined forms starting with theo-, God is the active agent. The passive voice is used in a clause whose subject expresses the theme of the main verb. That is, the subject undergoes an action or has its state changed. [5]
Converting the first stem to subject, the second to verb, and the object (scripture) which is modified by this adjective produces the sentence, "God breathes into all Scripture." The result of this breathing into Scripture is life. Therefore, all the "scripture" breathed into by God undergoes a change from mere words to living words. This will become clearer in the next chapter.
Etymology of the English Word Inspiration:
Online Etymology Dictionary (edited): In used since about 1300, "immediate influence of God," especially that under which the holy books were written, from Old French (c. 900-1400), inspiracion "inhaling, breathing in; inspiration," from the Italic (ancient Latin used until about the 4th century), inspirare "inspire, inflame, blow into," from in- "in, into, in, on, upon" + spirare "to breathe."
Online Oxford Dictionary: "Middle English enspire, from Old French inspirer, from Latin inspirare 'breathe or blow into' from in- 'into' + spirare 'breathe'. The word was originally used of a divine or supernatural being, in the sense of to 'impart a truth or idea to someone.'"
The English Definition of Inspire as Opposed to Expire:
Merriam-Webster Dictionary (2012)
INSPIRE, To breathe or blow into or upon ... to infuse (as life) by breathing.
EXPIRE, To breathe one's last breath; to come to an end; to emit the breath.
American Heritage Dictionary (1992):
INSPIRE, To breathe life into ...
EXPIRE, To come to an end; terminate. ... To breathe one's last breath ... die.
Websters Dictionary (1828):
INSPIRE [L. inspiro; in and spiro, to breathe.]
To draw in breath ...
To breathe into.
EXPIRE [L. expiro, for exspiro; ex and spiro, to breathe.]
To breathe out; ... opposed to inspire. ... To emit the last breath, ... to die ...
To perish; to end; to fail or be destroyed; to come to nothing ... To come to an end; to cease; to terminate.
After reviewing these definitions, an honest question to ask yourself would be, has the Word of God expired, is it dead, or is it inspired and alive?
"For the word of God is quick [alive], and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)
"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you." (1 Peter 1:23-25)
THE WORD "INSPIRATION" IN THE BIBLE:
In The Old Testament:
The English word "inspiration" is found only once in each testament. We have already seen the one time it is found in the New Testament (2 Tim. 3:16). The one time it is found in the Old Testament is in Job 32:8 where Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite talks of "the inspiration of the Almighty."
Job is the oldest book in the Bible. What an appropriate place to speak of inspiration! It was written at approximately the time of Abraham.
This Hebrew word Neshamah translated "inspiration" is found in Job more than any other book; it's found 7 times. In Job it is translated "inspiration" (Job 32:8), "spirit" (Job 26:4), "breath" (Job 27:3, 33:4, 34:14, 37:10), and "blast" (Job 4:9).
The first mention of Neshamah in Job is by Eliphaz the Temanite, who God later rebukes along with this two friends. He tells Job, "Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off? ... By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed." (Job 4:9)
The next mention of Neshamah is Job answering Bildad the Shuhite saying, "How hast thou helped him that is without power? how savest thou the arm that hath no strength? ... To whom hast thou uttered words? and whose spirit came from thee?" (Job 26:2, 4)
Job continues in the next chapter saying, "All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils; My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit." (Job 27:3-4) That is as long as he is alive he will "not speak wickedness."
The other mentions of Neshamah are by the godly Elihu whose inspired written words read like New Testament doctrine:
"But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding." (Job 32:8)
"The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life." (Job 33:4)
"If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust." (Job 34:14-15)
"By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened." (Job 37:10)
Look at a little of what God inspired of the wise, yielded and spiritually discerning young Elihu. He clearly describes Biblical salvation speaking of hell (the pit), Scriptural preachers (a messenger & an interpreter, one among a thousand), God's grace (He is gracious & favourable), imputed righteousness (He will render unto man His righteousness), regeneration (enlightened with the light of the living), etc. Look too at some of Job's inspired words. He speaks of his redeemer who will "stand at the latter day upon the earth" and his own resurrection (after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God). Read the inspired words of Job and Elihu that still live:
1. The Resurrection:
Job 19:23-27: "Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever! For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another [no reincarnation]; though my reins be consumed within me."
2. Salvation:
Job 33:14-30: "For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; Then He openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, that He may withdraw man from his purpose [sin], and hide pride from man. He keepeth back his soul from the pit [hell], and his life from perishing by the sword. He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain: So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat. His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out. Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers. If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man His uprightness: Then He is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom. His flesh shall be fresher than a child’s: he shall return to the days of his youth: He shall pray unto God, and He will be favourable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for He will render unto man His righteousness. He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light. Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man, to bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living."
This Hebrew word translated "inspiration" in Job 32:8 is "neshamah" (Strong's Hebrew #5397). This Hebrew word is first use in Genesis 2:
Genesis 2:7: "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Neshamah is underlined)
Other examples of the use of "neshamah" are:
Genesis 7:22: "All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died."
Psalms 150:6: "Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD." (This is the last verse of the Book of Psalms.)
Proverbs 20:27: "The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly."
Isaiah 2:22: "Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?"
Isaiah 30:33: "For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it."
Isaiah 42:5: "... he that spread forth the earth ... he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein."
Isaiah 57:16: "For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made."
Daniel 10:17: "... there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me."
2 Samuel 22:16: "... the rebuking of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils."
Psalm 18:15: "... the blast of the breath of [God's] nostrils."
Deuteronomy 20:16; Joshua 10:40, 11:11, 14; 1 Kings 15:29 speaks of the physical death of sinners.
1 Kings 17:17 speaks of the widow woman's son in who "... there was no breath left .... And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived." (v. 17:22)
Neshamah is found 24 times (3 x 8) in the Old Testament and is translated with 8 different words:
1. "inspiration" (Job 32:8).
2. "breath" (Gen. 2:7, 7:22; 1 Kings 17:17; Job 27:3, 33:4, 34:14, 37:10; Ps. 150:6; Isa. 2:22; 30:33, 42:5; Dan. 10:17).
3. "breathe" (Josh. 11:11, 11:14).
4. "breatheth" (Deut. 20:16).
5. "breathed" (Josh. 10:40; 1 Kings 15:29).
6. "blast" (2 Sam. 22:16; Job 4:9; Ps. 18:15).
7. "spirit" (Job 26:4; Prov. 20:27).
8. "souls" (Isa. 57:16)
Neshamah's basic meaning:
A study of the Old Testament word "neshamah" reveals that it's primary and basic meaning is life. It is synonymous with "nephesh" (Strong's Hebrew: #5315) which is translated "life" 117 times. The Law of First Mention shows this to be true where it says in Genesis 2:7: "God formed man ..., and breathed into his nostrils the BREATH of life." So it becomes clear that the primary meaning of "neshamah" is physical and spiritual life and the breath from whom it comes, God Almighty. Spiritual life was breathed into the words of Scripture and it to is alive and imparts life.
In The New Testament:
Again to briefly review the word "inspiration" in the New Testament, and the Greek compound word, "theopneustos" (Strong's Greek #2315) from which it is translated. Theopneustos is found only once in the New Testament and is translated with the phrase, "given by inspiration of God" in 2 Timothy 3:16. It comes from the word "theo" meaning "God" (Strong's Greek #2316), and "pneo" (Strong's Greek #4154) which means to breathe or to blow (cf. Strong's Greek #1720). Pneo is the Greek counter part to the Hebrew "neshamah." We see "pneo" in John 3:8. It is the root word for "pneuma" which means "spirit" (Strong's Greek #4151).
When we look to the Old Testament to help define "theopneustos" for us it becomes clear to this writer that the Holy Spirit inspired His Book in similar fashion to His giving "the breath of life" to Adam. Both man and God's Word are able to produce living offspring. The Word of God with the superintendence of the Holy Spirit produces both derivatively inspired translations and regenerated people. We will now look at these facts in more detail.
"Neshamah" & "Theopneustos" Compared:
We can see the following by "comparing spiritual things with spiritual" (1 Cor. 2:13) concerning neshamah and theopneustos:
1. Genesis 1:26 records that "... God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness ..." and we know from other passages that God is a Trinity, and that He likewise created man a three part being of "... spirit and soul and body ..." (1 Thess. 5:23).
2. Genesis 2:7 show us the three parts of man, 1) "the dust of the ground (body)", 2) "the breath of life (spirit from God)" and 3) "man became a living soul."
3. Genesis 2:17 records that God warned Adam not to eat from "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil," because if he did he would "surely die."
4. Genesis 3 gives us the account of the Fall of Mankind, because Adam and Eve believed Satan, disobeyed God and ate of "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" causing them and all derived from them to be spiritually separated from God. Adam and Eve died spiritualy (separation from God) on the very day they disobeyed God, and they eventually died physically within the 1000 year day (Ps. 90:4; 2 Pet. 3:8) that they lived in. Since Adam and Eve all are born spiritually dead with only "the residue of the spirit" (Mal. 2:15) remaining, and all eventually die physically.
5. 2 Peter 3:9 is the reason that God has inspired His Word, because He is "not willing that any should perish." God by "inspiration" made the Bible alive so that it is able to "regenerate" (Titus 3:5) "the residue of the spirit" (Mal. 2:15), and give it spiritual life again.
THE RELATIONSHIP OF INSPIRATION TO REGENERATION:
In the New Testament the Greek word "pneo" (Strong's Greek #4154) is equivalent to the Old Testament "neshamah." It is the root word for the verb part of "theopneustos," and also the root word of "pneuma" (Strong's Greek #4151) meaning Spirit (God) or spirit, and Ghost or ghost which are synonymous. Pneo is found 7 times in the New Testament and is variously translated as: wind, blow, bloweth, blew. An example of the use of "pneo" is found in John 3 where the Lord Jesus was teaching on being "born again." The Lord said:
"... Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit [pneuma], he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit [pneuma] is spirit [pneuma]. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth [pneo] where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit [pneuma]." (John 3:5-8)
Note that verse 6 says we all "must be born again," and that verse 5 says that there are two things required to accomplish this birth:
"... Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (v. 5)
The word "water" here in John 3:5 is symbolic for the Word of God as in "the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5), and "the washing of water by the word" (Eph. 5:26). Other proof texts for this fact are:
Isaiah 55:10-11: "For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."
Proverbs 18:4: "The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook."
1 John 5:7-8: "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one."
Psalm 119:9: "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word." (cf. John 13:4-11, 15:3, 17:17).
Ezekiel 36:25-26: "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." (cf. Heb. 10:22)
Psalm 147:18-19: "He ... causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow. He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel."
Both water and wind (air) are essential for physical life. Likewise the Word of God and the Holy Spirit are essential for spiritual life.
There is a natural law that says life begets life. "God formed [Adam] ... and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life ..." (Gen. 2:7) then Adam and Eve had children who derived or received their life from their parents. In similar manner when the words of Scripture are translated they derive their life or inspiration from the original or previously inspired translation. This is what happened with Scripture where it says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God ..." (2 Tim. 3:16). The breath of life (God's Spirit) is breathed into the words of the scriptures, just as it was with Adam. This is the Law of Biogenesis (the Beginning of Biological Life). There is also what we might call the Law of Pneumagenesis (The Beginning of Spiritual Life). The New Testament calls it "regeneration" (Titus 3:5) which comes from the Greek word "paliggenesia" (Strong's Greek #3824) which is a compound word consisting of: "born" (genesis, Strong's Greek #1078), and "again" (palin, Strong's Greek #3825). In similar manner to Biogenesis when the living Word of God is received by a sinner a sort of Pneumagenesis occurs which literally regenerates the dead spirits of people.
Titus 3:5: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."
1 Peter 1:3-5, 23: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ... Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."
John 6:63: "It is the spirit that quickeneth [gives life]; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."
Psalms 119:25: "My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word."
Psalms 119:107: "I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O LORD, according unto thy word."
Psalms 119:116: "Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope."
Psalms 119:154: "Plead my cause, and deliver me: quicken me according to thy word."
Psalms 119:50: "This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me."
Psalms 119:93: "I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me."
Acts 7:27-38: "This is that Moses, which ... was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us."
James 1:18, 21: "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. ... Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls."
In similar manner to the way physical life begets physical life and the way we are born again through Holy Scripture and the Holy Spirit, likewise the words of the Scriptures pass on their life when they go from language to language. The original "breath of life" from God or "inspiration" continues in copies and translations that are true to the original words of the Scriptures. The King James Bible is such a translation which was "given by inspiration of God." It received it's life from the Hebrew, Greek, Latin and other manuscripts that God provided to the translators.
The King James Version of the Holy Scriptures was translated when the English language was at it's peak. It was translated by 54 of the most highly qualified translators ever assembled in History, most of them believers. The providence of God was in every facet of it's translation. The King James Bible has withstood the test of time and the attacks by apostates, liberals and Bible correctors. It has produced more spiritual fruit in souls saved, spiritual understanding and obedience in just 400 years than perhaps all other inspired Scriptures put together.
Now let's break down 2 Timothy 3:16 where it says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God ..." First the Greek word for "all" (Strong's Greek #3956) else where in the New Testament is translated, "[the] whole," "every [part]," and "all manner of." Secondly the Greek word for "Scripture" (Strong's Greek #1124) means "writing" (i.e. written words). Thus, "All [every part, and all manner of] Scripture [God's written words] is given by inspiration of God [is given life, product, not process, by God] ..." The Spirit of God, the life of God, is in the words of all Scripture (i.e. translations also). It is the living Scriptures that give life to the lost. The Lord Jesus Christ said:
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." (John 5:24)
"For the word of God is quick [alive], and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)
The King James Bible is not twice inspired or re-inspired, but it rather received it's inspiration or life from the inspired manuscripts it was translated from.
"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." (1 Peter 1:23)
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:15)
It is this inspiration of our King James Bible that makes it "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness," and if it is not inspired then men of God for the past 400 years were not "throughly furnished unto all good works" But it is, so let us continue "holding forth the Word of life" (Phil. 2:16)
THE REVELATION GIFTS & THE INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES:
Review of The Spiritual Gifts:
God gives all born again believers spiritual gifts to use in His service so "that the church may receive edifying" (1 Cor. 14:5), and for the believer to "profit withal" at the Judgment Seat of Christ (1 Cor. 12:7, cf. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10)
1 Corinthians 14:12: "Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church."
Ephesians 4:7-8, 11-12: "But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. ... And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the EDIFYING of the body of Christ." (cf. Eph. 2:20)
1 Corinthians 12:7: "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal."
There were three categories of spiritual gifts. 1) Revelation Gifts, 2) Sign Gifts, 3) Service Gifts. Each categories consists of the following spiritual gifts:
Revelation Gifts:
1. The word of knowledge (1 Cor. 12:8).
2. Prophecy (1 Cor. 12:10).
John 16:13-14: "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me [Jesus]: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you."
Sign Gifts:
1. Tongues (1 Cor 12:10; Mark 16:17)
2. Healing (1 Cor 12:9, 28; Mark 16:18)
3. Working miracles (1 Cor. 12:10, 28; Mark 16:18)
4. Casting out devils (Mark 16:17)
Mark 16:20: "... the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen." (The miraculous sign gifts were given to confirm the Word and authenticate those who had the revelation gifts. Also see Hebrews 2:3-4).
1 Corinthians 13:8-10: "... whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect [the complete Word of God] is come, then that which is in part [revelation gifts] shall be done away." (When "the perfect law of liberty" was completed the Revelation Gifts along with the Sign Gifts that authenticate them ceased when the Apostle John finished the Book of Revelation.)
James 1:25: "But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed."
Service Gifts:
1. Faith [for prayer] (1 Cor 12:9; Rom. 12:3). All believers have this gift for prayer.
2. Showing mercy (Rom. 12:8). All believers have this gift for soul winning (Matt. 4:19).
3. Giving (Rom. 12:8). All believers have this gift for giving over and above the tithe (2 Cor 9:7).
4. The word of wisdom, or he that teacheth (1 Cor 12:8, 28; Rom. 12:7).
5. Governing [for pastors] or he that ruleth (1 Cor 12:8, 28; Rom. 12:8).
6. Ministry or helps (1 Cor 12:8, 28; Rom. 12:7).
7. Exhortation (Rom. 12:8).
8. Discerning of spirits [to detect doctrines of devils]. (1 Cor 12:10).
9. Prophecy or preaching (Rom. 12:6).
10. The interpretation of tongues [for Bible translation] (1 Cor. 12:10, 30).
1 Peter 4:10-11: "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another,as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."
The only kind of gifts that remain today are the Service Gifts.
The Gift of Interpretation of Tongues:
It is interesting that the gift of "the interpretation of tongues" is listed last in both lists in 1 Corinthians 12 (1 Cor. 12:10, 30).
Interpretation means translation. Examples of it's use in the Bible are:
"... Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) ..." (John 1:38)
"... Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone." (John 1:42)
"... Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.)" (John 9:7)
"... Tabitha [Aramaic: gazelle], which by interpretation is called Dorcas [Greek: gazelle] ..." (Acts 9:36)
"... Melchisedec, king of Salem, ... first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace." (Hebrews 7:1-2)
The gift of "interpretation of tongues" can be both written and spoken translation from one language to another.
There can be no doubt that some, if not many, of the King James Bible translators were not only merely highly learned men, but also had the spiritual gift of "the interpretation of tongues" (1 Cor. 12:10). This statement flies in the face of some who would brand those who claim the King James Bible is "GIVEN by inspiration of God" (2 Tim 3:16) as hereticks, but it is true nonetheless.
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." (James 1:17)
"The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple." (Psalms 19:7)
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
CONCLUSION:
"For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)
"Of his own will begat he us with the Word of Truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." (James 1:18)
"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." (1 Peter 1:23)
In this article we have tried to show that God gave man a living or inspired translation in the King James Bible. We have argued that life comes only from life, and therefore if the King James Bible is not inspired then it must be dead, but history speaks counter wise to this. The Holy Spirit infused life into the Authorized Version by His power, and through the spiritual gift of "interpretation of tongues" that He gave to yielded men of God. Likely, not all, but some of the translators had the gift of "interpretation of tongues" and as the translation work passed in review or for direct translation God gave them the exact words He required, and the life of the providentially selected eclectic assortment of inspired Scriptures was infused into the King James Bible.
We have defined the word inspiration first and foremost by Comparing Scripture with Scripture, and also by looking at the etymology and definitions of the word. We have seen that inspiration has to do with having been given life, and that derivative inspiration is that which come from a living parent.
God superintending in every way, in the timing of the translation, in the preparation of the language of the translation, in putting the desire to have the translation made in the heart of the King, etc., etc. The providence of God's hand is seen in every facet of the preparation of the way for the translation of the Authorized Version:
1. When the King James Bible was translated the quality of the English language was at its pinnacle.
2. When the King James Bible was translated scholarship was at it's peak.
3. The printing press had 170 years of development and was becoming efficient.
4. King James despised the heresies of Roman Catholicism, and was totally separated from that false church. Spain was the great defender of Catholicism. In 1588, sixteen years before James ascended the throne of England, the Spanish Armada sailed against England with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England in order to put an end to English involvement in the support of Protestants in Spanish Netherlands, and to stop British trade and shipping in the Atlantic and the Pacific. The providential hand of God's was clearly seen in the events leading to the defeat of the naval super power of that time. In 1588 there were unusually strong North Atlantic storms, as a result many more Spanish ships and sailors were lost to cold and stormy weather than in combat. It is estimated that 5,000 men died. A total of 84 ships of the Armadas fleet of 151 were destroyed. Just 67 ships were able to get back to Spain. In England, the boost to national pride lasted for years. The repulse of Spanish naval might gave heart to the Protestant cause across Europe, and the belief that God was behind the Protestant cause was shown by the striking of commemorative medals that bore variations on the inscription, "1588. Flavit Jehovah et Dissipati Sunt" (1588. Jehovah blew, and they were scattered) with "Jehovah" in Hebrew letters. The defeat of the Spanish Armada cleared the way for the British Navy, and merchant shipping to make Great Britain a center of world trade and economic might.
5. The defeat of Spain also helped make the English the end time universal language. At the time the Authorized Version was written there were only about 600,000,000 people on the Earth. Now more than that speak English. The world did not reached a billion people until about 1804. It only took 123 years (1927) for the next doubling. Then 47 years later in 1974 the population was four billion; then 15 years later (1987) there were five billion; by the end of 1999 it was over six billion, and in March of 2012 we have now reached seven billion people alive on the Earth. English is spoken in ever corner of the world.
6. Having providentially prepared the English language, the translators, etc., the Lord looking 165 years into the future already knew about a nation which would be born as a result of the preaching of the King James Bible, that would emerge and become the main base to take His Word to the world. "Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee." (Isaiah 55:5) From this Nation the Bible went forth to the darkest nations and was translated into the languages of those nations.
"The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will." (Proverbs 21:1)
"Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?" (Ecclesiastes 8:4)
The Hampton Court Conference of January 1604 was a meeting called by King James in response to a petition for reform by 1000 Puritan ministers called the Millenary Petition. On the second day of the Conference "... the idea for the Authorized Version was born. The Puritan, Dr. Rainolds, proposed that a new translation of the Bible be undertaken. According to the 'official' account: '... [Rainolds] moved his majesty that there might be a new translation of the Bible, because those which were allowed in the reign of king Henry the Eighth and Edward the Sixth were corrupt and not answerable to the truth of the original." [6] The Puritans had their origin with the Lollards, named for the Waldensian preacher, Walter Lollard, a Dutchman, who came into England preaching the Gospel of Christ in the reign of Edward III (r. 1327-1377). Henry Knighton (d 1396), the English chronicler, wrote: "More than one-half of the people of England, in a few years, became Lollards." Walter Lollard was burnt for his faith at Cologne. [7] We can therefore see the Waldensian connection with the Lollards who also rejected infant baptism, and Puritans. The Waldensian were the original Puritans who were branded as Anabaptists by Rome. They protected the pure Word of God through the centuries from the time of the apostles of Jesus Christ. They planted scriptural local self governing churches, and were never in fellowship with Rome, and therefore were not Protestants. The Puritans of England later reverted back to infant baptism and persecuted Baptists in early America.
King James wrote to Bishop Bancroft on July 22, 1604: “Whereas we have appointed certain learned men, to the number of four and fifty, for the translating of the Bible,…Furthermore, we require you to move all our bishops to inform themselves of all such learned men within their several dioceses as, having especial skill in the Hebrew and Greek tongues, have taken pains in their private studies of the Scriptures for the clearing of any obscurities either in the Hebrew or the Greek, or touching any difficulties or mistakings in the former English translation, which we have not commanded to be thoroughly viewed and amended, and thereupon to write unto them, earnestly charging them, and signifying our pleasure therein, that they send such their observations either to Mr. Lively, our Hebrew reader in Cambridge, or to Dr. Harding, our Hebrew reader in Oxford, or to Dr. Andrewes, Dean of Westminster, to be imparted to the rest of their several companies, that so our said intended translation may have the help and furtherance of all the principal learned men within this our kingdom." [6]
Pastor Bruce Lackey (1930-1988) pastored the Lakewood Baptist Church of Chattanooga and two other churches before that. He taught at Tennessee Temple in Chattanooga for nineteen years and was Dean of the Bible School for a time. He was proficient in the Greek language and defended the Greek Received Text, as well as the King James Bible as the preserved Word of God. Dr. Lackey wrote:
"It is correct to call a translation of the Bible 'the inspired Word of God,' if it is a correct translation from uncorrupted manuscripts. In 2 Timothy 3:15-17, Paul refers to the Scriptures that Timothy had and calls them inspired. Timothy did not have the originals; he had only a copy. It is possible that he had the Old Testament in Hebrew, but more likely that he had the Greek translation of the Old Testament, since his father was a Greek and he lived in Derbe and/or Lystra, which were definitely Greek-speaking. Every reference in the New Testament to the scripture refers to copies of the autographs (original manuscripts) in Hebrew or to translations in Greek. No one had the autographs at that time. The scriptures which Timothy had were called 'holy,' that is different; set apart. They were 'set apart' in the sense that they were inspired and preserved, as God had promised in Psalm 12:6-7; Psalm 100:5 and other places. ... If only the autographs are inspired, no one has the inspired scripture. Thus, no one could obey Matthew 4:4, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Did God intend for only those who had the autographs to obey this? Or did He intend for only those who could read Hebrew and Greek to obey this? The answer must be obvious to any thinking Christian. When God made this statement, and when Christ repeated it, did He not know that the scripture would be copied and translated many times? Again, if only the autographs are inspired, we cannot ... have the benefit of 2 Timothy 3:16-17, being instructed and 'throughly furnished unto all good works.' Without the uncorrupted Word of God, we have no salvation. 1 Peter 1:23- 25 teaches that we are born again, of the incorruptible 'word of God, which liveth and abideth forever,' and states that 'this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.' ... I believe that the King James Version is a correct translation of uncorrupted manuscripts in both Hebrew and Greek and is worthy of being called the inspired Word of God." [8] (Emphasis mine)
Dr. Ronald D Lesley writes, "Those holding to original inspiration only, are not willing to rely on the past leadership of the Holy Spirit to preserve His Word. They are not willing to see His leadership in bringing together those men who assembled the 'Received Text,' and translated it into English. This is the same position of liberals and modernist who say it is up to man to determine what is the Word of God. Those holding this view are usually men of the Greek and Hebrew languages who elevate themselves to be the authority of what is the Word. ... This leads to the weakening of faith in others as to authority of the scriptures. ... All liberals set themselves up as protectors of those ignorant masses who need them. They fail to understand the protection and preservation of the Word of God by God Himself." [9] (Emphasis mine)
One can be saved by reading a tract with only a few verses of Scripture in it, and it is likely that the most corrupt translations, at least some, contain inspired portions, however, man is commanded to "live ... by every word of God."
"And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live." (Deuteronomy 8:3)
"... It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4)
But woe unto those who change God's holy word for He has said:
"Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you." (Deuteronomy 4:2)
"Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." (Proverbs 30:5-6)
"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." (Revelation 22:17-19)
"I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name." (Psalms 138:2)
NOTES:
1. Cloud, David; Way of Life Encyclopedia, Way of Life Literature, Port Huron, MI, 1997, pp. 357-358.
2. Dr. D. A. Waite’s use of “Preserved” (with a capital) and “preserved” (not capitalized) has been adopted by many of us to designate the original Words with a capital and properly translated Words into a receptor language by a small “p.” Therefore, we say: “The KJB is the Words of God preserved (small 'p') in English.” Or “The original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek Words are Preserved (capital 'P').”
3. Williams, H. D., The Miracle of Biblical Inspiration, Bible for Today
4. Robertson, A. T., A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research (New York: Harper, 1923) 158; J. H. Moulton, A Grammar of New Testament Greek (Edinburgh: T. T. Clark, 1908), 1. 222; C. D. Buck, A Dictionary of Selected Synonyms in the Principal Indo~Eurapean Languages (1949) 3078; G. B. Winer, A Grammar of the ldiom of the New Testament (7th ed.; Andober: Warren F. Draper, 1869) 96-97.
5. William O'Grady; Contemporary Linguistics: An Introduction; John Archibald, Mark Aronoff, and Janie Rees-Miller (eds.) (2001) Fourth edition; Boston
6. Vance, Laurence M., The King James Translators, (July/Sept. 2004). Also see Todd, John Henry, A Vindication of our Authorized Translation and Translators of the Bible (1819); Todd, John Henry, An Authentic Account of Our Authorized Translation of the Holy Bible, and of the Translators: with Testimonies to the Excellence of the Translation (1834); McClure, Alexander, The Translators Revived (1858); Paine, Gustavus, The Learned Men (1959), reissued in 1977 as The Men Behind the King James Version; Opfell, Olga, The King James Bible Translators (1982); Nicolson, Adam, God’s Secretaries (2003).
7. John T. Christian in his A History of the Baptists, Vol. I, Chap. XIV, pp. 173, 183 says: "'I have seen enough to convince me that the present English dissenters, contending for the sufficiency of Scripture and for primitive Christian liberty to judge of its meaning, may be traced back in authentic manuscripts to the nonconformists; to the Puritans; to the Lollards; to the Valdenses; to the Albigenses; and, I suppose, through Paulicians and others, to the apostles.' ... Walter Lollard, a Dutchman, of remarkable eloquence, came, according to Fuller, into England, in the reign of Edward III., 'from among the Waldenses, among whom he was a great bard or pastor.' His followers rapidly increased so that Abelard declared 'our age is imperiled by heretics, that there seems to be no footing left for the true faith.' Knighton, the English chronicler, says: 'More than one-half of the people of England, in a few years, became Lollards' (Knighton, col. 2664)."
8. Lackey, Bruce, Inspiration & Translation, O Timothy Magazine, Volume 9, Issue 11, 1992.
9. Lesley, Ronald D.; Facts From History About Our King James Bible, Chapter II, The Inspiration of Scripture.
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
King James Bible
By Pastor David Grice
Lighthouse Baptist Church in Grand Prairie, Texas
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
King James Bible
THE KING JAMES BIBLE
By Dr. Jack Hyles
Preached on April 8, 1984
at First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana
Printed in 1992, as part of the book,
The Blood, the Book and the Body
Matthew 24:35, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
I'm not attacking the Catholic church tonight. I'm not a Catholic. Maybe you noticed the sign out in front of our church that says, "First Baptist." I never think I'm being unkind if I have the same thing on the inside that we have on the outside. I want you to listen carefully. I'm going to state some facts about the Catholic church. They are facts; they are not railing accusations. They are facts, and any Catholic who is honest will tell you that what I'm going to say is true about the Catholic church. It is not a matter of my making false accusations; it's a matter of record.
I am also going to say some things about the charismatics tonight. I'm more Catholic than I am charismatic. I've got more respect for the pope than I do the P.T.L. Club, and I mean that. However, my respect for the pope is not really soaring! Don't get mad now. I want to help you. I'm simply saying that I'm going to give you some facts. I'm going to give some facts about the charismatics, and if a charismatic is honest, he will agree with the facts I'm going to give. There will be no accusations, no gossip and no slander; I will just give facts that any charismatic would give.
Also, I'm going to say some things tonight about Protestantism. In fact, I may not miss anybody tonight. Everything I say will be factual. I will be the kind of thing with which even the people about whom I speak will agree. So I want you to listen. With the battle raging as it is about the King James Bible, I think that any pastor ought to alert his people.
When I was a boy, from the time I remember-- I remember back when I was two and three years of age-- until I went into the paratroopers in World War II when I was 18, my mother would read to me for 30 minutes every night from the Bible. Then she would hold it up and say, "This is the Word of God!" She did not say, "The manuscripts from which we got this are the Word of God." My mom didn't even know what a manuscript was. She just knew she had a Book that was the Word of God. That's all she knew. So, she said, "This is the Word of God." I would look at it, and I would have to say three times, "Mama, the Bible is the Word of God. The Bible is the Word of God. The Bible is the Word of God."
I have Mama's Bible-- the same one she read-- in my office. I've had it there for years. I don't know how old it is, but I suspect it is 55 or 60 years old. It is the same Bible she used to hold up. I was thumbing through it the other day. On the inside, it says on the title page, "King James Bible." That's what it says. You know it worked. It's amazing how well Mama did before she found out that it wasn't the Word of God.
I've been going to Baptist churches for 51 years. Every pastor I've ever had preached from the King James Bible. He always said to the crowd, "Open your Bibles and let's hear what the Lord says." These pastors were not unfortunate enough to have sat at the feet of those with lower education-- which calls itself "higher education."
It is amazing how well this nation did when we didn't know how ignorant we were. (Are you listening?) This is my fifth pastorate. I've seen miracles in my pastorates. I've preached over 41,000 times, and I've never yet preached a sermon that wasn't preached from the King James Bible. I really don't know what I've missed. To be quite frank with you, I've seen fellows who preach from other Bibles, and I somehow get the idea THEY are missing something. Dr. Evans, I've never seen a fellow really whoop it up about any other Bible. I've never heard a fellow say, "Blessed be God, let's look in the Book. Let's look in the Douay Version."
Did you ever go to mass and have the priest get up and say, "Hallelujah for the Word of God!" Don't get mad at me! I'm telling the truth. If you don't believe it, go next Sunday and see. He will usually use that prayer book and not a Bible.
Follow me. I've taught you about the textus receptus, Wescott and Hort, those manuscripts from which came the Douay Version that the Catholics use and the American Standard Version, which is highly overrated. The Wescott and Hort manuscripts came from the Vatican manuscripts that were hidden in the Vatican for years-- from whence came the Catholic Bible.
The Textus Receptus manuscripts are those from which we have gotten the King James, and they have been the evangelistic manuscripts, if you please. I won't go into that. I'm a Textus Receptus man. I haven't got a bit of patience with Wescott and Hort. Not a bit! In fact, I really have a hard time not being bitter against my Greek professors in college who taught me from Wescott and Hort Greek manuscripts. It upsets me greatly.
This is the message. The question at hand is this: Where is the final authority for church building and for Christian living? There are four different final authorities in American Christendom. I'm not talking about Mormonism and those who have other books. I'm talking about Christendom. There are four basic final authorities.
1. SOME VIEW THE CHURCH AS THE FINAL AUTHORITY. This is fact. Any honest Catholic priest will tell you that the Catholic position on the final authority is that the church has final authority. If you want to go a little farther than that, if the pope speaks ex cathedra, he is the final authority. Ask any Catholic or read any Catholic doctrine, and both will tell you that. I'm not trying to be critical. I'm telling you the truth. If a Catholic priest were standing here, he'd tell you the same thing.
Our Catholic friends believe that the church is the final authority. If the pope speaks ex cathedra, that's God speaking. I'm not being critical; I'm being factual. There is a second final authority.
2. SOME VIEW EXPERIENCE AS THE FINAL AUTHORITY. In other words, "It happened to me, so it's true. I was there when it happened, and I ought to know. I had an experience. I saw Jesus. I saw a vision. I have a word of knowledge." This is the charismatic position. Ask them. They will say, "I have a message from God, so this is God talking. God gave me a message." (The foolish thing about that is, if that is true, you had better start writing more Bible.)
When this happens, people believe the final authority comes from experience. God has supposedly given someone a message. Someone talks in tongues, and somebody else interprets what God said. However, the truth is, all that God has ever said to man is right here in this Book. This is it. This is God's complete revelation to man!
By the way, that is the basis of the whole thing: What is the final authority? There has to be some place, ladies and gentlemen, where we can say, "This is it, and what this says is the final word." So, our Catholic friends say the church is the final authority. Our charismatic friends go beyond the Bible and say human experience is the final authority.
3. SOME VIEW HUMAN REASONING AS THE FINAL AUTHORITY. That's what liberal people say. "Every man is searching for the truth, and every man gets a portion of it; so, nobody is wrong, and nobody is right. We are all searching, so it doesn't seem to me that God would make a Hell; therefore, there is no Hell. It doesn't make sense to me that God would let anybody go to Hell, so God wouldn't let anybody go to Hell. It doesn't make sense to me that God would regenerate anybody, so there is no such thing as regeneration." That's what most of our Protestant friends believe, and all the humanist crowd believes it. That's what the liberal believes. That's what 95% of all the people in the seminaries in America believe. That's what 95% of all the faculty and students in religious colleges in America believe-- the final authority is the human mind or human reasoning.
The average Protestant church in Hammond believes that. "I don't see how there could be a place with golden streets. If I don't see how there could be, there isn't one." That is idolatry in its most pagan form. "My mind is my God. What I can't conceive of, I won't believe. What I can't understand, I won't accept. So, I'll trim the Bible down to fit what I can believe. I just can't believe there is a God of wrath, so there is no God of wrath."
All right, we have the first three answers to the question, "What is the final authority?" The church is, according to our Catholic friends. Human experience is, according to our charismatic friends. Human reasoning is, according to our liberal and Protestant friends.
4. SOME VIEW THE BIBLE AS THE FINAL AUTHORITY. Every church in America in Christendom who had services this morning had a preacher who stood up and preached what he believed. He either preached that he believed that the final authority is the church, or that the final authority is human experience, or that the final authority is human reasoning, or that the final authority is the Bible.
The only authority that we as independent Baptists believe is the Bible. There was a day when I could say Baptists, but the truth is, most of the Southern Baptist colleges and seminaries are staffed by professors who don't believe that the Bible is the final authority. I may as well say it all. There's not a single Southern Baptist college or seminary to which I'd recommend anybody to go any more. None! I went to a Southern Baptist college and seminary. Thirty-five years ago, I heard a professor in my seminary say that he didn't believe the resurrection. He said that the resurrection was a bunch of blindfolded spirits in a vacuum. He said it. I was there. Think what they are saying now!
Consequently, independent Baptists believe that the only final authority for practice and doctrine of the Christian and the church is the Bible. I cannot speak ex cathedra. I cannot speak and say, "This is truth." All I can say is, "The Bible is truth." You see, I can't say, "I'm going to speak now, and this is God speaking through me." I don't much like people to pray, "Dear God, put the words in the mouth of our preacher." I think you can say, "Lead our preacher"; but if God puts the words in my mouth, we'd have more Bible.
See, I have no power in this church but the power of influence. Sometimes I wish I had more. Sometimes I wish I had power to make you ladies dress like I think you ought to dress. Sometimes I wish I had the power to make you adults have rules about your teenagers that I think you ought to have, but all I can do is influence you. I have no power. Officially, I have one vote in this church; that's all. I have no vote at deacon's meeting and one vote as a member of this church. The only power I have is my vote and the power of influence.
It was a good day for me when I decided that I was going to make my final authority the Word of God. I was taught in Southern Baptist schools to believe that the Southern Baptist program was it. One day I decided to just read my Bible and reorganize my church. I did. I decided to get the book of Acts and read it word for word to see what the New Testament church was all about. I cast aside all the tradition I had been taught, all the jargon I had been taught, all the catechisms to which I had been taught to swear allegiance, and I decided I was going to try to find out what kind of church the New Testament church really was.
Dr. Curtis Hutson gave the best compliment to First Baptist Church of Hammond that has ever been given in the SWORD OF THE LORD. He said that he was here for Pastors' School. He told how many conversions and baptisms we had the Sunday before. Then he said, "If God were writing the book of Acts today, He would write about the First Baptist Church of Hammond." That's the ultimate compliment.
You see, I decided that I was going to get my Bible down and decide what I thought the New Testament church was scripturally; then, that's what I was going to have in my church. I believe with all of my soul that the First Baptist Church of Hammond is as near as is humanly possible to being what the church in Jerusalem was 2,000 years ago. Where did I get that? I got it from the Bible. Do you know why we are scattered abroad winning souls all over this area? It's because the church in Jerusalem was "scattered abroad," and they "went every where preaching the word." (Acts 8:4) Do you know why we go house to house, knocking on doors? We do it because it says in Acts 5:42, "And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ." We do it because that's what they did in the Bible.
Somebody says, "Well, we have different kinds of churches. You have a soul-winning church, and we have a deeper-life church." In the first place, it's a lie. There's no life as deep as a soul-winning life. However, they say, "We just have different kinds of churches." No, we don't. WE have a church, and you don't! Brother, the Bible is our charter to exist. If the Bible is not your final authority in practice and doctrine, then you are not a church. You might have the word "church" on the outside, but you are not a church.
Since the Word of God is our authority,-- hear me carefully-- we simply must have it. That's a profound statement. We've got to have it! I mean, shall we have an authority we can't find? Would God tell us His Word is the final authority and leave us without His Word? We must have a copy or we may as well join our Catholic friends and let the church be the basis for truth. If we have no Word of God, and if the Bible is not the Word of God, then we have only three other alternatives. We've got to say the final authority will be the church, or human experience, or human reasoning.
I'm saying, if we have no Bible that is the Word of God, then we have no way to go to the Book for the final authority. If one word in this Bible is not true, we don't know which one it is; so, once again, the mind of man or experience or the church is going to have to decide which one is true and which one is not true. If we are going to believe that the Word of God is the final authority, we've got to have a copy of it.
Let me ask you a question. Would God call a man to preach His Word and not give it to him? God calls a man and says, "I'm calling you. Spend you life preaching the Gospel. Preach the Word!" So, wouldn't He give him a copy of His Word?
I've said this so often, and I'll say it again and again. I would step down from behind this pulpit tonight and never walk in it again to preach if I didn't have the Word of God in my hand. I would not waste your time nor take your money unless I could say to you, "You have the Word of God. I have it, and it is preached here." I'm an honest man. This is what I've said before, and I'll say it again. If I did not believe that the Book I hold in my hand tonight was God's Word, I'd find out where it was. I'd go there and get a copy, print some copies for you and give you a copy. I mean, brother, if we don't have the Word of God in our hands, we have no place to go except to the human mind, human experience or the collective human mind which is the church. God would not reach down and give a divine call to a man and say, "I call you to preach My Word, but there is no copy of it any more."
I don't like a statement of faith that says, "We believe the Bible is the Word of God in the original manuscripts." In the first place, there are no original manuscripts anywhere in the world tonight. None! If the Word of God was only the original manuscripts, there is no Word of God available for mankind today. If I did not believe the Bible I hold in my hand was the Word of God, and I believed there were some manuscripts, I'd get on an airplane, fly to where they were, break in the building if I had to, get the original manuscripts, make copies of them and give you a copy. I'm not going to stand here as an imposter preaching a Book that is not the Word of God and giving you instructions on how to live from a Book that is not the Word of God! I'm not going to do it! I'm just not going to do it!.
Would God tell His people to live by the Word and not give it to them? Let me say this. Of all the nations on the face of this earth, America is the center of world evangelization. America is the only hope for the world to have the Gospel. Do you think that God would not give His Word to America? The countries of this world look to America for missionaries. They look to America for preachers. Every great movement of God in the world today was founded by a ministry or movement that was propelled by American evangelization. The mission movement was founded basically, by Hudson Taylor. Now, wait a minute. Of all the nations on the face of this earth, it just seems to me that God would give the key nation the Word of God.
Check the history of Christianity in America, and see how well we've done without all these extra Bibles. Check the history of the church in America from 1950 back, before every little preacher had the misfortune to sit at the feet of a college theologian. Do you know what? We won't have people who are just theologians teaching Bible at Hyles-Anderson College. Every teacher of Bible at Hyles-Anderson College is a preacher. We won't hire a theologian. No way! You say, "Are you opposed to theologians?" No, I'm just leery and wary of them. I am wary of those who dare to sit in judgment on the Bible. Brother, it seems to me if there is any place in the world where you ought to have your faith in the Bible stabilized, it's a Christian college or Christian seminary. However, the truth is, that's where you get your faith shaken.
That's one reason why some things bother me. It bothers me when people say, "We believe that the Bible, in the original manuscripts, is the Word of God." If that's true, we have no Bible. Did you hear what I said? We have no Bible. One day they did, but WE don't.
Dr. Ed Hindson of Liberty Baptist College said concerning I John 5:7, "Thus, according to John's account here, 'there are three that bear record in heaven.' The rest of verse 7 and the first nine words of verse 8 are not in the original and are not to be considered as part of the Word of God." I'd like to ask Mr. Hindson a question: "When did you see the original?" How does he know they are not in the original? Look at me now. How does he know? The only way an honest man can say they are not in the original manuscripts is to have seen them, and they are not available. Now, he could say they are not in some of the manuscripts that are considered the most ancient. I personally think he was saying that they are not in the Wescott and Hort. I can't prove that.
Before I get too rough on him, look at your Scofield Bible in I John 5:7, the verse Dr. Hindson quoted. Folks, I have no axes to grind. I have nobody's feelings to hurt. I've just got to have the Word of God; that's all. I've got to have it! The Bible says the Word of God is what we are supposed to preach. The Bible says, "Preach the Word."
Now, look at your Scofield Bible-- I John 5:7, "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." Now look at that little "o" there in front of verse 7. Look in the center reference, and find the "o". Mr. Scofield says, "It is generally agreed that v. 7 has no real authority, and has been inserted."
I'd like to ask Mr. Scofield when he saw the original. He never saw it. Somebody who thought he was intellectual told that to somebody who thought he was intellectual who told somebody who thought he was intellectual. Listen, we don't want the intellectual community to think of us as being nincompoops, but I'd rather have a nincompoop with a revelation from God than to have an intellectual without a revelation from God.
We've got to have a final authority! If this Book is not true, then the church or human reasoning or human experience is the final authority. Listen! There are only two-- God and man. If God is not the final authority, man is the final authority. If we have no final authority in a book, then man has got to discern what God says; if man discerns what God says, then man becomes the final authority instead of God. So, Mr. Scofield had problems the day he came to this verse. How does he know? Pray tell me, what in the world he could have ever seen that would make him say that? He didn't see anything. He sat in somebody's Bible class and some Dr. Mess-'em-Up or Dr. McFuddle or Dr. Broad Stomach stood up and said, "Well, in the original manuscript..." which sounds scholarly; but nobody in our generation has seen them. Dr. So-and-So hasn't seen them, the professor in the seminary hasn't seen them and the college Bible professor hasn't seen them. Either what I hold in my hand is the Word of God, or we don't have any Word of God. I don't believe God would leave us without His Word. I don't believe that. I JUST DON'T BELIEVE IT!
We need a Bible that we can understand and a Bible that is God's Word. It looks like anybody would agree that if God gives us the command to preach the Word, He would give us the Word to preach. That's logical. If God wants to say to a nation, "You are the custodian of world evangelization for a generation or two or three or four," it looks like God would give that nation the Word of God.
What is it? I would say it ought to be the one that has worked. Which one has worked? The one I hold in my hand right now. I has worked! It will work!
I'd like to say the same to our friends in the charismatic movement. You say, "Why do you stress it?" I stress it because the charismatic crowd is trying to teach our crowd every day that they've got something we don't have. Tonight, before I walked into this pulpit, one of our fine ladies came and told me of one of our men who has been swept aside. One of our good faithful men has been swept aside by the charismatic crowd. As pastor of this church, it is my job to warn you of wolves who are dressed like sheep.
If we don't have a Bible that's the Word of God, we've got to go to human reasoning. If God says to a church, "Build your church on My Word," God's got to give us His Word. Listen, God wouldn't be God is He told us to do something we couldn't do. Everything that God has ever commanded us to do, He has given us the wherewithal to obey that commandment. God has never commanded man to do anything that was unreasonable or impossible for man to do. When God calls a man to preach and says, "Preach the Word" (2 Tim 4:2). God would have to give him a Word to preach. If God says to a church, "Build your church on My Word," to be God, He's got to give that church the Word of God.
Our Methodists seminaries say, "It's not verbally inspired." There was a day when John Wesley started that movement. He said the Bible was inspired, and they had the fire back in those days!
The Presbyterian seminaries say, "The Bible is not the Word of God," but John Calvin believed it, and they had the fire! John Knox and others believed it!
I'm saying that we've either go to admit this is the Word of God or we have to flee to the church, or to human reasoning or human experience as being the final authority. If there is no Word of God today, we have no other recourse. If God has not given us His Word, we have to decide what is God's Word. That's human reasoning.
By the way, basing a doctrine on human experience is idolatry. Basing a doctrine on the church being the final authority is idolatry. The church is the idol. Letting the pope speak ex cathedra and saying that it is God Who is speaking is idolatry. You're making him as God.
Human reasoning says that what we can reason, we'll believe. That's idolatry. So the truth is, you've got one choice of two. Either this Bible is the Word of God or we have no other place to turn but to idolatry. Did you hear me? Either this is the Word of God, or there is no place to turn but idolatry. Our three choices are human reasoning, human experience or the church, and they are each a form of idolatry. They are all three the same because making the church the final authority is done so by human reasoning. That means Catholicism is humanism, and the charismatic movement is humanism. It is man saying, "I was there. I felt it. God spoke, and here's what He said." That's human reasoning. It's humanism. So either this is the Word of God, or there is nothing left but humanism.
I'll tell you this. To whatever degree this Book is not believed, that society has the exact proportionate belief in humanism because there are only two choices available: God and man. If God hasn't told us what to do, man has got to tell us what to do. When a country does not believe this Book, it is totally humanistic. When a country leans away from this Book, it leans toward humanism. When a country is divided about this Book, it is divided about humanism.
I just don't believe that God would say, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature," (Mark 16:15) and not give us His Word to take with us. I just don't believe that God would say, "Train up a child in the way he should go," (Proverbs 22:6) and write the words of God "upon the door posts of thine house," (Deuteronomy 11:20) and "teach them your children," (Deuteronomy 11:19) unless there were a Word of God.
I don't think God would say, "Start a Bible college. Send out young men to proclaim the truth," unless God had given us the truth. I just don't believe that God would send young men to the mission fields without the Word of God. I don't think God would send Rick Martin halfway around the world to proclaim His Word without giving him a copy of it. I don't think God would send young men out from this church to build soul-winning churches without giving them His Word.
With all of my soul, I believe that the final authority for faith and practice for a church and for a life is the Word of God. I do not believe that I'm the final authority; nor the bishops or the cardinals-- nor are the Cubs or the White Sox!
Not long ago, then there was no pope, a fellow said, "I think Ernie Banks ought to be the next pope." "Why?" "Well, the Cardinals have had it long enough. It's time the Cubs got to have a pope!"
I'm not the final authority. "El papa" is not the final authority. He can wave his magic wand all he wants to. He can rustle his skirts all over the country. I'm simply saying, the Bible is the final authority, not man. I don't care what he is called, it is not man!
You say, "You're criticizing the pope." Whatever I've said about pope, I've said about me. FIRST I said, I'M NOT the final authority. THEN I said, "HE'S NOT the final authority." So our people have as much right to get mad as you Catholics do. Mr. Oral Roberts is not the final authority. The Bible is the final authority. I just don't believe God would leave us down here without a copy of His Word.
How can we know which is the real Bible? Well, you can scratch off the Revised Standard Version because the liberals put that one together. You can scratch off any Bible that came from Wescott and Hort because that comes from the Vatican manuscripts. I'd suggest you find the one that has worked.
Find the one that widows have read; find the one over which they've wept and prayed for their children. Find the one that dear mothers in the history of our country have read, loved and taught. Find the one for which faithful evangelists have given their lives and for which missionaries have circled the globe. Find the one that has caused people to leave home, family and friends to carry its message. Find it! Find the one Dwight Moody used. Find out which one Billy Sunday used. Find the one the great soul-winning churches in America use.
Find the one tested by time. Find the one that Adolph Hitler said he would destroy, but couldn't! Find the one about which Thomas Paine spoke when he said, "Within one generation, the Bible will not be printed anymore." However, as soon as he died, the same printing press on which he printed that garbage was used to print more Bibles. Find the one they can't destroy. Find the one that has stood the test of time. Find the one that liberals have tried to destroy, Hitlers have tried to burn, Mussolinis have tried to outlaw and Khrushchevs and Stalins have tried to burn! Find it! The Bible says, "My words shall not pass away." (Matthew 24:35) Find the one that has stood the test of time!
Don't find one that has a hippie on the outside of it and bunch of hippie jargon on the inside of it. Find the one that has stood the test of time! You say, "I don't understand those 'thees' and 'thous.'" "Thee" means "you." "Thou" means "you." "I" means "me." "We" means "us." You know it, and you know you know it! Not only that, but the Holy Spirit of God lives inside of you, and He's the author of this Book. If you can't understand a part of it, ask Him to teach you, and He will do it. He wrote it! We've got to have a Bible! We have got to have a Bible!
You say, "Boy, that's right. I'll tell you what, I believe it from cover to cover." Try OPENING the covers. "Boy, I believe every word of it." QUOTE a few of them! If we had Scripture quoting tonight, we've got Sunday school teachers here who know only, "Jesus wept," and if somebody said that verse before your turn came, you'd say, "He got mine." Read it! Memorize it! Study it! Love it! Teach it! Preach it! Live in it! It's the Word of God! You can depend on it.
Every jot and every tittle shall come to pass. Not one comma and not one punctuation mark shall pass away. 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." Matthew 24:35, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." I checked those words, "pass away," a little bit; a synonym for that phrase would be, "My word will always be alive." There never will be a day when somebody says, "Beloved, we are gathered here in the presence of 'Gawd' and these witnesses to remember the word of 'Gawd' that died." We never will! It will always be there. It always will.
I can't believe that God would give us a great commission and tell us to teach it, preach it and spread it, and not give us the truth to teach and preach and spread.
It was good for our fathers;
It was good for our fathers;
And it's good enough for me;
It was good for my mama;
It was good for my mama;
It was good for my mama;
And it's good enough for me.
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