February 23 2014
God Promised To Preserve His Word Forever!
Isaiah 40:8 (NIV)
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands for ever.
Most of the people in this world today, do not believe that the Bible is the Word of God! Many of the people who profess to be Christians believe that not all of the Scriptures are the inerrant Word of God. Well that is to say there is great disagreement as to whether parts of the Bible are meant to be read as poetic or historical, this is a difference of theological interpretation of certain verses. These theological differences are mostly concentrated on the first 11 chapters of Genesis. There are definite sides on this interpretation. The sides are based on the translation of the Bible from Hebrew, and each side presents their own Hebrew scholar to translate these verses, as they desire them to be understood!
An old term comes to mind here, “Don’t confuse me with facts, as I’ve already decided, what I believe!” Having faith is an important part of being a follower of Jesus, and thus, believing the Bible is really God’s Word. The real problem is not limited to a translation from another language, but it is in believing the stories written by humans, and whether your faith is placed in their writing and history, or in God’s Word! If you believe what mankind has learned is more accurate and/or complete than the Bible is, then you will translate God’s Word by human standards. Please remember, more human beings believe in something other than what the Bible plainly teaches!
When Paul wrote to his theological student Timothy, he wrote that “All Scripture is God-breathed.” At that time the only complete Scripture was the books of the Old Testament, and some of the NT Scriptures that were being written at that time. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) So here Paul is stating that the OT books are God breathed. Would God allow the first 11 chapters of Genesis to be espousing some mythological concepts that do not correctly convey a true history of the creation of the earth? If you believe God did allow this, then which chapter of which book did God stop this method, and start telling a true historical story? Is any of the history in the Bible correct?
Just a reminder, most people on this earth today, do not believe anything in the Bible is historically correct! Is following the majority a safe path for patterning your life? What did Jesus have to say about this idea? Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14) Are you following the crowd? Most people will choose the wrong path, therefore, do not follow the crowd! Followers of Jesus are NOT supposed to follow the ideas of this world, because if you do you will gain destruction not peace!
The writer of Hebrews expressed an important view of the Scriptures, as he wrote, “For the word of God is living and active.” Do you really believe the Scriptures are living and active? If this is true how could it be out-of-date or needing your correction or updating? For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12-13)
Could God have kept His Scriptures complete and accurate for all of these years since He revealed it to Moses? Some believers do not believe that God revealed to Moses what to write in those first 11 chapters of Genesis, but that Moses copied these stories from some mythological writing that already existed. What do you choose to believe? I believe God revealed what to write to Moses, and thus, it is historically correct, like all of the rest of the OT Scriptures. So then I believe that in six days God created the universe just a few thousand years ago.
Jesus came to fulfill the law, that is to say, He came to fulfill the OT Scriptures. Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-19)
Would Jesus have not told us, His followers the truth about any chapters of the Scriptures that were misleading while He walked this earth? Would He have allowed His friends to continue to believe some writings that were not true? Would He not have told us that we evolved over millions of years, instead of the story that He created us? Why would Jesus teach that we were created in the beginning as male and female, when that was not true, if we evolved from an animal? "Haven’t you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’, and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." (Matthew 19:4-6)
Jesus came to the earth so that we could be born again to be a new creation blessed by God, and thus we could be different, and children of God. Jesus said His followers must be born again into an unlimited future as God’s children not some special animal. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands for ever." And this is the word that was preached to you. (1 Peter 1:23-25) Peter believed it, do you?
God’s Word is being preserved forever, by Him, and thus it should not be questioned, except to better understand it, and it never needs to be updated, because some finite humans question it, and claim that it must not be correct! Most people on this earth today do not believe it is correct, or that it is truly God’s Word. What do you believe? Are you in that minority who are trying to stay on that narrow path that leads to eternal salvation? The bible is up-to-date, are you?
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Isaiah 40:8 (NIV)
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands for ever.
Most of the people in this world today, do not believe that the Bible is the Word of God! Many of the people who profess to be Christians believe that not all of the Scriptures are the inerrant Word of God. Well that is to say there is great disagreement as to whether parts of the Bible are meant to be read as poetic or historical, this is a difference of theological interpretation of certain verses. These theological differences are mostly concentrated on the first 11 chapters of Genesis. There are definite sides on this interpretation. The sides are based on the translation of the Bible from Hebrew, and each side presents their own Hebrew scholar to translate these verses, as they desire them to be understood!
An old term comes to mind here, “Don’t confuse me with facts, as I’ve already decided, what I believe!” Having faith is an important part of being a follower of Jesus, and thus, believing the Bible is really God’s Word. The real problem is not limited to a translation from another language, but it is in believing the stories written by humans, and whether your faith is placed in their writing and history, or in God’s Word! If you believe what mankind has learned is more accurate and/or complete than the Bible is, then you will translate God’s Word by human standards. Please remember, more human beings believe in something other than what the Bible plainly teaches!
When Paul wrote to his theological student Timothy, he wrote that “All Scripture is God-breathed.” At that time the only complete Scripture was the books of the Old Testament, and some of the NT Scriptures that were being written at that time. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) So here Paul is stating that the OT books are God breathed. Would God allow the first 11 chapters of Genesis to be espousing some mythological concepts that do not correctly convey a true history of the creation of the earth? If you believe God did allow this, then which chapter of which book did God stop this method, and start telling a true historical story? Is any of the history in the Bible correct?
Just a reminder, most people on this earth today, do not believe anything in the Bible is historically correct! Is following the majority a safe path for patterning your life? What did Jesus have to say about this idea? Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14) Are you following the crowd? Most people will choose the wrong path, therefore, do not follow the crowd! Followers of Jesus are NOT supposed to follow the ideas of this world, because if you do you will gain destruction not peace!
The writer of Hebrews expressed an important view of the Scriptures, as he wrote, “For the word of God is living and active.” Do you really believe the Scriptures are living and active? If this is true how could it be out-of-date or needing your correction or updating? For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12-13)
Could God have kept His Scriptures complete and accurate for all of these years since He revealed it to Moses? Some believers do not believe that God revealed to Moses what to write in those first 11 chapters of Genesis, but that Moses copied these stories from some mythological writing that already existed. What do you choose to believe? I believe God revealed what to write to Moses, and thus, it is historically correct, like all of the rest of the OT Scriptures. So then I believe that in six days God created the universe just a few thousand years ago.
Jesus came to fulfill the law, that is to say, He came to fulfill the OT Scriptures. Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-19)
Would Jesus have not told us, His followers the truth about any chapters of the Scriptures that were misleading while He walked this earth? Would He have allowed His friends to continue to believe some writings that were not true? Would He not have told us that we evolved over millions of years, instead of the story that He created us? Why would Jesus teach that we were created in the beginning as male and female, when that was not true, if we evolved from an animal? "Haven’t you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’, and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." (Matthew 19:4-6)
Jesus came to the earth so that we could be born again to be a new creation blessed by God, and thus we could be different, and children of God. Jesus said His followers must be born again into an unlimited future as God’s children not some special animal. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands for ever." And this is the word that was preached to you. (1 Peter 1:23-25) Peter believed it, do you?
God’s Word is being preserved forever, by Him, and thus it should not be questioned, except to better understand it, and it never needs to be updated, because some finite humans question it, and claim that it must not be correct! Most people on this earth today do not believe it is correct, or that it is truly God’s Word. What do you believe? Are you in that minority who are trying to stay on that narrow path that leads to eternal salvation? The bible is up-to-date, are you?
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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