Post by ambassador on Dec 21, 2009 22:43:46 GMT -5
Biblos 101: God’s Only Book
[16 October 2009]
-The Bible consists of 66 books (letters) that were written over a period of 1600 years by 44 different holy men as God directed them.
-Oldest part of the Bible, the Book of Job, is 3500 years old! Youngest book of the Bible is 2 Timothy, written before A.D. 70.
- Prophecy makes the Bible superior to the religious books of the world; it alone is the Word of God.
REVELATION – THE INITIAL REVEALING OF GOD’S WORD. God has already spoken, and His will has been revealed to us through His written Word.
a. God revealing the “revelation of the mystery,” the Body of Christ and the Dispensation of Grace, exclusively to the Apostle Paul (Ephesians 3:1-5; Romans 16:25-26).
b. Sometimes God spoke to the prophets and apostles in an audible voice, such as Isaiah 5:9. Other times, like in Genesis 17:1, God the Son, the LORD, would appear in human form (“theophany”) and reveal His will to man. Or, He would send angels to people to convey His messages (Luke 1:35). Jeremiah 1:2 and Revelation 1:1 are other examples of revelation.
c. Hebrews 1:1-2 is a reference to the Old Testament prophets, as well as God speaking His will through His Son, Jesus Christ, during His earthly ministry.
INSPIRATION – GOD BREATHING FORTH HIS WORDS AND CAUSING THEM TO BE PENNED, THAT IS, WRITTEN. There are inspired versions of the Bible today (see “Preservation” below)—contrary to the common myth, the original manuscripts are not the only inspired copies of God’s Word.
a. 2 Timothy 3:15-17 tells us that entire Bible, Genesis through Revelation, or the 66 books, is “given by inspiration of God.” God’s Word is reliable. Paul calls the text that Timothy read “Holy Scriptures.” Do you think Timothy was reading the original manuscripts, or a copy? Of course, Tim had a reliable copy, but even this copy is called “inspired.” The same applies today to the Antiochian text (more on this later).
b. According to 2 Peter 1:20-21, the Holy Spirit caused prophets and apostles to transcribe His Word (these words being inspired). The Bible is not the result of Jews sharing legends and family stories; it is the infallible, inerrant Word of God Almighty.
PRESERVATION – GOD HAS PROMISED TO ALWAYS PROTECT HIS WORD AND ENSURE ITS ETERNALITY. The original manuscripts are nonexistent; meaning there must be a copy of God’s Word that is just as authoritative and God-breathed as the originals, otherwise this would deny God’s promise to preserve His Word. The Bible versions debate is a serious matter: modern Bible versions (NIV, NASB, etc.) are coming from the corrupt Alexandrian texts; God’s Word has been preserved in the Antiochian texts, the basis for the Authorized Version King James Bible.
a. God promises to preserve His Word forever, according to Psalm 12:6-7. You can also look at Matthew 24:35, Isaiah 30:8, Matthew 4:4,7,10, Jeremiah 1:9, Luke 4:4,8,12, Daniel 12:4,9, Psalm 33:11, and 1 Peter 1:20-21 for additional support. Would you be surprised to learn that modern English versions adulterate the text of Psalm 12:6-7, thereby denying God’s promise of preservation of His Word? What else have these modern versions removed? The word “corrupt” in 2 Corinthians 2:17!
b. Matthew 2:5-6 (cf. Micah 5:2) and Luke 4:16-19 (cf. Isaiah 61:1-2) are examples of the Old Testament being preserved even to the point where Jesus Christ and the wise men can both quote it hundreds of years after it was written. Also, the Berean believers had a copy of the Old Testament to use (Acts 17:10-11). Do you think they had the originals, or copies?
TRANSLATION – GOD OVERSEEING HIS WORD BEING PUBLISHED IN HUMAN LANGUAGES AROUND THE WORLD. All Bible translations are not reliable; if the translation is the preserved Word of God, it must be using the Masoretic Hebrew text for its Old Testament, and the Antiochian (Textus Receptus) Koine Greek text for its New Testament.
a. On the day of Pentecost, Jews from every nation under heaven are gathered in Jerusalem, in Acts chapter 2. In order for the Jews to believe God was involved, they needed a miracle, a sign. So, according to Acts 2:4-6, the Holy Spirit enables the twelve apostles and other believers to speak the Gospel of the Kingdom in the various dialects these Jews spoke. This is one example of translation. If God could oversee translation on the day of Pentecost, He could—and did—oversee the translation of His preserved Word into the few reliable versions and copies we have today.
b. Acts 22:1-2 tells us that Paul is speaking to the religious leaders of Israel in the Hebrew language. However, Luke records the Book of Acts…in Koine Greek! Luke writes the Greek translation of Paul’s Hebrew speech. Both Paul and Luke are led by the Holy Spirit, so both Paul’s Hebrew speech and Luke’s Greek text are God’s Word and this speech and this text are equal in authority.
c. Again, in Acts 26, Paul is giving his testimony to King Agrippa. Back in Acts 9 (cf. Acts 26:14), Paul says that the Lord Jesus Christ spoke to him in Hebrew, and Paul was saved there on the spot! But, again, doctor Luke writes the Book of Acts in Koine Greek. We have a second example of Hebrew being translated in Greek right there in our English Bible…a third translation!
d. Earlier, under the “Preservation” heading, we saw that some “Bibles” are not Bibles at all. They are corrupted versions of the pure Bible text, so they are not God’s Word. See 2 Corinthians 2:17 KJV: “many, which corrupt the word of God.” We find it interesting that modern versions omit that word “corrupt,” and replace it with “peddle!” Hmmm…. 2 Timothy 3:5 and Galatians 1:8-9 ring a bell?
ILLUMINATION – GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT IMPARTING UNTO THE BELIEVER THE KNOWLEDGE NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND HIS WRITTEN WORD (not to be confused with “revelation”).
a.Once a person comes to the knowledge of salvation, the Holy Spirit permanently indwells this believer. The Holy Spirit enables the believer to understand God’s Word, which the person would not otherwise be able to comprehend (1 Corinthians 2:9-16). God’s Word has already been revealed, inspired, preserved, and translated, so now we just need to understand what we read as we rely on the Holy Spirit (illumination).
b. A second example of illumination is what the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy: “Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding” (2 Timothy 2:7 KJV).
c. We can find an additional illustration of illumination in Ephesians 3:4: “whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ).”
d. “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV). When we study the Bible rightly divided, the Holy Spirit will illuminate our minds and hearts.
Shawn Brasseaux
arcministries@gmail.com
[16 October 2009]
-The Bible consists of 66 books (letters) that were written over a period of 1600 years by 44 different holy men as God directed them.
-Oldest part of the Bible, the Book of Job, is 3500 years old! Youngest book of the Bible is 2 Timothy, written before A.D. 70.
- Prophecy makes the Bible superior to the religious books of the world; it alone is the Word of God.
REVELATION – THE INITIAL REVEALING OF GOD’S WORD. God has already spoken, and His will has been revealed to us through His written Word.
a. God revealing the “revelation of the mystery,” the Body of Christ and the Dispensation of Grace, exclusively to the Apostle Paul (Ephesians 3:1-5; Romans 16:25-26).
b. Sometimes God spoke to the prophets and apostles in an audible voice, such as Isaiah 5:9. Other times, like in Genesis 17:1, God the Son, the LORD, would appear in human form (“theophany”) and reveal His will to man. Or, He would send angels to people to convey His messages (Luke 1:35). Jeremiah 1:2 and Revelation 1:1 are other examples of revelation.
c. Hebrews 1:1-2 is a reference to the Old Testament prophets, as well as God speaking His will through His Son, Jesus Christ, during His earthly ministry.
INSPIRATION – GOD BREATHING FORTH HIS WORDS AND CAUSING THEM TO BE PENNED, THAT IS, WRITTEN. There are inspired versions of the Bible today (see “Preservation” below)—contrary to the common myth, the original manuscripts are not the only inspired copies of God’s Word.
a. 2 Timothy 3:15-17 tells us that entire Bible, Genesis through Revelation, or the 66 books, is “given by inspiration of God.” God’s Word is reliable. Paul calls the text that Timothy read “Holy Scriptures.” Do you think Timothy was reading the original manuscripts, or a copy? Of course, Tim had a reliable copy, but even this copy is called “inspired.” The same applies today to the Antiochian text (more on this later).
b. According to 2 Peter 1:20-21, the Holy Spirit caused prophets and apostles to transcribe His Word (these words being inspired). The Bible is not the result of Jews sharing legends and family stories; it is the infallible, inerrant Word of God Almighty.
PRESERVATION – GOD HAS PROMISED TO ALWAYS PROTECT HIS WORD AND ENSURE ITS ETERNALITY. The original manuscripts are nonexistent; meaning there must be a copy of God’s Word that is just as authoritative and God-breathed as the originals, otherwise this would deny God’s promise to preserve His Word. The Bible versions debate is a serious matter: modern Bible versions (NIV, NASB, etc.) are coming from the corrupt Alexandrian texts; God’s Word has been preserved in the Antiochian texts, the basis for the Authorized Version King James Bible.
a. God promises to preserve His Word forever, according to Psalm 12:6-7. You can also look at Matthew 24:35, Isaiah 30:8, Matthew 4:4,7,10, Jeremiah 1:9, Luke 4:4,8,12, Daniel 12:4,9, Psalm 33:11, and 1 Peter 1:20-21 for additional support. Would you be surprised to learn that modern English versions adulterate the text of Psalm 12:6-7, thereby denying God’s promise of preservation of His Word? What else have these modern versions removed? The word “corrupt” in 2 Corinthians 2:17!
b. Matthew 2:5-6 (cf. Micah 5:2) and Luke 4:16-19 (cf. Isaiah 61:1-2) are examples of the Old Testament being preserved even to the point where Jesus Christ and the wise men can both quote it hundreds of years after it was written. Also, the Berean believers had a copy of the Old Testament to use (Acts 17:10-11). Do you think they had the originals, or copies?
TRANSLATION – GOD OVERSEEING HIS WORD BEING PUBLISHED IN HUMAN LANGUAGES AROUND THE WORLD. All Bible translations are not reliable; if the translation is the preserved Word of God, it must be using the Masoretic Hebrew text for its Old Testament, and the Antiochian (Textus Receptus) Koine Greek text for its New Testament.
a. On the day of Pentecost, Jews from every nation under heaven are gathered in Jerusalem, in Acts chapter 2. In order for the Jews to believe God was involved, they needed a miracle, a sign. So, according to Acts 2:4-6, the Holy Spirit enables the twelve apostles and other believers to speak the Gospel of the Kingdom in the various dialects these Jews spoke. This is one example of translation. If God could oversee translation on the day of Pentecost, He could—and did—oversee the translation of His preserved Word into the few reliable versions and copies we have today.
b. Acts 22:1-2 tells us that Paul is speaking to the religious leaders of Israel in the Hebrew language. However, Luke records the Book of Acts…in Koine Greek! Luke writes the Greek translation of Paul’s Hebrew speech. Both Paul and Luke are led by the Holy Spirit, so both Paul’s Hebrew speech and Luke’s Greek text are God’s Word and this speech and this text are equal in authority.
c. Again, in Acts 26, Paul is giving his testimony to King Agrippa. Back in Acts 9 (cf. Acts 26:14), Paul says that the Lord Jesus Christ spoke to him in Hebrew, and Paul was saved there on the spot! But, again, doctor Luke writes the Book of Acts in Koine Greek. We have a second example of Hebrew being translated in Greek right there in our English Bible…a third translation!
d. Earlier, under the “Preservation” heading, we saw that some “Bibles” are not Bibles at all. They are corrupted versions of the pure Bible text, so they are not God’s Word. See 2 Corinthians 2:17 KJV: “many, which corrupt the word of God.” We find it interesting that modern versions omit that word “corrupt,” and replace it with “peddle!” Hmmm…. 2 Timothy 3:5 and Galatians 1:8-9 ring a bell?
ILLUMINATION – GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT IMPARTING UNTO THE BELIEVER THE KNOWLEDGE NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND HIS WRITTEN WORD (not to be confused with “revelation”).
a.Once a person comes to the knowledge of salvation, the Holy Spirit permanently indwells this believer. The Holy Spirit enables the believer to understand God’s Word, which the person would not otherwise be able to comprehend (1 Corinthians 2:9-16). God’s Word has already been revealed, inspired, preserved, and translated, so now we just need to understand what we read as we rely on the Holy Spirit (illumination).
b. A second example of illumination is what the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy: “Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding” (2 Timothy 2:7 KJV).
c. We can find an additional illustration of illumination in Ephesians 3:4: “whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ).”
d. “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV). When we study the Bible rightly divided, the Holy Spirit will illuminate our minds and hearts.
Shawn Brasseaux
arcministries@gmail.com