Tag: preservation

Posted in Bible Doctrine

Faith-based view of the Bible

Posted on by James

A faith-based view of the Bible is a principal conviction of my life, and while most Christians would claim that their beliefs about the Bible are based on faith, often they are not. The two goals of this post are to explain the position of a faith-based view of the Bible and to expose its opposition.

Explaining the Position of a Faith-based View

So what exactly is a faith-based view of the Bible? That one’s beliefs about the Bible are based on faith in (i.e. believing) what the Bible says about Itself. Allow these congruent examples of faith-based beliefs to clarify:

  • Faith-based view of the CREATION:
    I believe God created everything in 6 days… because that’s what the Bible says. It is recorded Genesis & confirmed in the New Testament (Mark 10:6-8. Hebrews 1:10. 2 Peter 3:4) Although there are many Creationist scientists; Henry Morris has fantastic books; and Answers in Genesis has compelling thoughts about science… I believe in creation by FAITH (i.e. trusting what the Bible says).
    Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

  • Faith-based view of the FLOOD:
    I believe God destroyed life with a worldwide flood, sparing only the people and animals on the Ark… because that’s what the Bible says. Again, it is recorded in Genesis & confirmed by in the New Testament (Luke 17:26-27. Hebrews 11:7. 2 Peter 2:5). I don’t believe in the flood because every culture has an account of a cataclysmic flood, because archaeology may have found parts of the Ark, or because historians conclude that contemporaneous technology could have constructed an Ark compatible with Scripture; those things are interesting, but I believe in the flood by FAITH (i.e. trusting what the Bible says).
  • Faith-based view of the RESURRECTION:
    I believe that Jesus physically rose from the dead… because that’s what the Bible says (Mark 9:31. Mark 16:6. Acts 17:31), not because they found an empty tomb that they believe was Jesus’, not based of the writings of Josephus, and not dependent on shroud of Turin. I believe in the resurrection by FAITH (i.e. trusting what the Bible says).

Accordingly, a faith-based view of the Bible demands that one’s beliefs about the Bible are defined by the Bible Itself.

There are certain things I don’t understand about Creation, the Flood, and the resurrection (physics, chemistry, biology). Likewise, there are certain things I don’t understand concerning God’s Word – how did they decide which books to go in the Bible, when to add sections that were only in a few manuscripts, or which word to choose – but in all cases, I believe in spite of my questions.
2 Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

I suggest that the foundational issue of faith is critical to how a believer approaches every doctrine… including the Word of God itself.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Exposing the Opposition of a Faith-based View

Many Christians carry a faith-based view of the creation, the flood, the resurrection and salvation. If asked, “What do you believe about Heaven, Hell and salvation?” they would immediately refer to Bible verses to express their beliefs – because FAITH in the Bible is the basis for their beliefs on those subjects. But when asked about Scripture Itself (what they claim is the basis for all their beliefs), they automatically refer (and defer) to extra-biblical sources, and this immediate response exposes the authority & basis for their beliefs. Consider these faulty sources that are common for beliefs about the Bible:

  • Manuscript Science – how many; how old; how complete; where they were located; who possessed them; what kind of condition they’re in.
    But the man of God should forsake science to keep the Scriptures that are committed to him.

    1 Timothy 6:20-21 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith…
    Observe the warning that science will cause men to err from the faith. Science is the enemy of faith.

  • Secular Philosophy – the lines/origins of manuscripts; minority vs majority texts; Textual Criticism.
    But the man of God should be established in the faith (i.e. trusting in God’s Word).

    Colossians 2:7-8 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
    Observe the warning that while faith will establish the believer, philosophy will spoil the believer. Secular philosophy is the enemy of faith.

  • Human Wisdom – the education, beliefs & morals of the translators; readability of versions; recommendation from a professor or pastor; popularity.
    But the man of God should stand in faith of God’s Word.

    1 Corinthians 2:4-5 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
    Observe that man’s wisdom is a faulty foundation for our beliefs. Human wisdom is the enemy of faith.

  • Traditional Fables – which version is older; which version we’ve always used; which version did a favorite theologian use.
    But the man of God should be nourished up & edified in the words of faith & doctrine.

    1 Timothy 1:4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
    1 Timothy 4:6-7 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
    Observe that traditional fables yield questions not spiritual growth.

  • Worldly Cares – possibility for human error; pragmatic fear of congregational acceptance.
    But the man of God should trust that God will provide and should subject his fears to faith.
    Matthew 6:30 & Matthew 16:8 reveal that worrying about God’s provision is a lack of faith.
    Matthew 8:26 and Matthew 14:31 reveal that fear of circumstances is a lack of faith.
    Observe that worldly cares focus on man’s abilities (and inabilities) not God’s ability. Worldly cares are the enemy of faith.

**NOTE – All these are intriguing and valuable subjects – BUT NEVER should they take priority, precedence, or power over what the Bible says about Itself.

If one of these is your answer to what you believe about the Bible, I suggest you search out what the Bible says about Itself and allow that to define your beliefs. This is merely the foundational view/ approach to the Bible. Dedicate yourself to discovering what God says about His Word.

 

Posted in Bible Doctrine

The Greatest Magic Trick of All Time… and the TRUTH

Posted on by James

The story of the Exodus is legendary – God rescuing & freeing His enslaved people; Moses, the insecure, fugitive outcast-turned-deliverer; the fantastic plagues; the Passover; the parting of the Red Sea; and one of the most intriguing elements of the Exodus – the Egyptian magicians. They were able to imitate the sign of Moses and even the first two plagues, but the magicians’ greatest trick is still fooling everyone in the 21st century?

 

Identifying the Magicians

Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. – 2 Timothy 3:8

Paul’s second letter to Timothy yields the two names that the Old Testament does not. Confirmation of Jannes & Jambres’ identity as two princes of Pharaoh’s magicians can be found everywhere from the Book of Jasher to Kabbalah, from Targum Jonathan to Pliny’s Natural History, from Jewish tradition to The Apocryphon of Jannes and Jambres the Magicians.

We would commonly define “magic” as sleight of hand/ illusion, but the true meaning of the word is sorcery, the use of hidden forces; it’s synonymous with witchcraft. It’s important to recognize the demonic powers behind these two magicians to see through their magic trick.

 

Recognizing their Trick

Jannes & Jambres withstood Moses by counterfeiting God’s work. The counterfeit signs looked so similar in style and content that it caused caused people to discount God’s power and disregard God’s message (Exodus 7:11-13. Exodus 7:22-23). 

The magicians mimicked Moses’ sign and turned their rods into serpents… but Moses’ rod (technically, Aaron’s) ate the rods of the magicians, illustrating their inferiority to the power of God. Likewise, the magicians imitated the plague of water into blood and the plague of frogs, but they failed to copy the the plague of lice and subsequent plagues (theories for which are as stimulating as they are varied). The primary lesson is that the magicians’ imitations, though impressive & similar, lack the power of God.

 

Seeing the Relevance

One of the great keys to Bible study is to observe & analyze the use of LIKE and AS. Let’s look at the context of the naming of these two magicians.

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. –  2 Timothy 3:1-8

Observe that Paul prophesies that in the “last days” false teachers will have a “form of godliness” but will deny the power thereof – Just like Jannes & Jambres had a form of God’s work but were of a different power. The false teachers will deceive people “AS” Jannes & Jambres withstood Moses. In other words, false teachers will cause people to discount God’s power and disregard God’s message the same way as the magicians – through counterfeits.

Make no mistake, Satan consistently COUNTERS the work of God by COUNTERFEITING the work of God. Examples include: His kingdom (Colossians 1:13), Christ (1 John 2:18), apostles (2 Corinthians 11:13), ministers (2 Corinthians 11:14-15), prophets (Matthew 7:15), teachers (2 Peter 2:1), and signs & wonders of the apostles (2 Thessalonians 2:8-9).

Yet reread the text above. It speaks specifically of counterfeits that will happen in the “last days.” Counterfeits that will “resist the truth” (see John 17:17). Counterfeits that will lead people to perpetually LEARN but never know the TRUTH. Interestingly, when the magicians see what they cannot produce, they declare that Moses’ work was the “finger of God” (Exodus 8:19).

Simply put – in the last days, Satan will work through men to counterfeit God’s Word. As the magician’s work, the counterfeits will be similar in style and content, yet they will lack God’s power, and they will produce a false sense of knowledge, and as a result people will be “led away with divers lusts.”

 

Recognizing the Counterfeits?

One helpful clue is the location. Even more clear would be the origin of the magicians – Egypt. A cursory study reveals that all Bibles originate from one of two lines of manuscript – ALEXANDRIA (Egypt) and ANTIOCH (Syria). We find the first mention of both of those cities in the same chapter of the Bible; Antioch is the origin of a man of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost whose service caused the Word of God to increase, disciples to multiply and people to be saved(Acts 6:3-8); Alexandria is the origin of heretics who tried to “resist” that work by “disputing”, accusing, and finally killing one of the aforementioned men of God. 

Interestingly, God does not tell how many magicians or how many counterfeits there were, but He attributes them to two men – Jannes and Jambres. Pliny suggests that they were familiar with the God of the Hebrews through the wisest sage of Egyptian history – the dream revealer, Joseph. Therefore it is plausible that the many counterfeits of God’s Truth can be attributed to two heretic men. If interested, one should read about Westcott and Hort.

A careful reading of Exodus 7-8 shows that the magicians (plural) counterfeited the signs & plagues of Moses. It is especially clear in Exodus 7:11-12, where Aaron’s rod (with Moses) ate the magicians rods (plural).  Finding a single counterfeit among a group of authentics may prove difficult, but you are tasked with finding a single authentic among a group of counterfeits. It might help to know that all Bibles in print, with the exception of one, are derived from the Alexandrian text; the lone exception translated from the Antioch Text is the King James Version.

 

My challenge to you

Most people answer questions about the Bible based on personal history, version readability, or humanistic philosophy. Instead, I challenge you to discover what the Bible says about itself; allow God, Himself, to answer questions like, “Did God perfectly preserve His words,” or “Does it matter which Bible I use?”

 

Your Thoughts

2 Timothy 3:15-17 is the completion of the chapter that warns of the immitations of Jannes and Jambres. What does it reveal about origin & preservation of Scripture?

Which passages of Scripture answer your questions about Biblical preservation?

What has shaped your beliefs and practices on Bible versions?

Posted in Bible Doctrine

The New Testament Canon

Posted on by James

Who decided which writings would be part of the New Testament Canon? What criteria was used in that determination? When was the list of New Testament books compiled? The truth might surprise you, as many of the classical answers conflict with history and with Scripture itself. A singular post cannot adequately address those questions, and honestly… neither can the totality of my understanding on the subject. 

Our church’s expository study of 1 Timothy shed light on the answers. In 1 Timothy 5:18, Paul quotes two texts of Scripture, the latter of which is most pertinent to this subject:

“For the scripture saith… The labourer is worthy of his reward.”

The quote is from Luke 10:7, which was likely penned just 2 years before Paul wrote 1 Timothy. By defining Luke’s gospel as “scripture,” Paul demonstrates a remarkable truth – the apostles and the early church discerned (by Divine power) which writings were given by inspiration. This truth is verified by Peter recognizing Paul’s epistles as “scripture” (2 Peter 3:15-16) and is illustrated by the churches being ordered to pass epistles to other churches (Colossians 4:16. 1 Thessalonians 5:27).

The truth is substantiated by documents like the Muratorian Fragment (a list of the writings observed by an early church, including all the New Testament besides Hebrews, James, 1, Peter, 2 Peter, and 3 John and dated just 75 years from the writing of Revelation) and the Peshitta (Syriac Bible produced less than 100 years from the writing of Revelation includes all but 2 Peter, 2 John 3 John, Jude, Revelation).

In short, it is undeniably clear that God gave His Word by inspiration and that He preserved His Word clearly. The more one studies the New Testament Canon, the more conspicuous God’s hand is in the velocity and precision of the acceptance of the Scriptures. You have every reason to trust that ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God and that EVERY word of God is pure. Read it. Study it. Meditate on it. Love it. Obey it. Rejoice in it. Teach it.