The Lord Gave The Word 10-Part Series

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The Lord Gave the Word Sermon Series

Psalms 68:11 The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.

Part One

The Revelation

Deuteronomy 29:29 The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Intro: Revelation is simply God making Himself known to man. Without it, we would know nothing about God.

Before we dive into this series on the Word of God, we need to make one crystal clear statement.

The Lord GAVE the Word. Past tense.

He’s not giving us any more of His Word.

We are not looking for it; we are not searching for it; we are not waiting for someone to come along that is smart enough and been to enough Bible college classes and read enough books to help give us the Word.

We have it. He gave it. He gave all He’s going to give.

There are several important facts that we learn about the revealed Word of God in this passage.

A.The Things that are Hidden – “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God:…” Deuteronomy 29:29a

The truth is abundantly clear – the Bible does not reveal everything there is to know about God.

The Bible does not reveal unto us everything that Jesus said and did during His earthly ministry.

Even John the Beloved acknowledged this fact in his Gospel.

· John 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

There are two kinds of secret things mentioned in Scripture.

1. The Remaining Secrets

The secret things belong unto the LORD our God…

God didn’t tell us everything.

Mark 13

· 31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

· 32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

Acts 1

· 6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

· 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

2. The Revealed Secrets – “…but those things which are revealed…”

· Daniel 2:22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.

God chose to reveal secret things to His prophets, who in turn shared them with God’s people.

· Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

It is important to note that even the secret things that are revealed in Scripture are sometimes difficult to understand and interpret at times.

God gave us enough to know that things were going to happen, but it isn’t always crystal clear when and how.

Even Daniel did not understand what he was writing, and he had exceptional insight and wisdom. (Dan. 12:8)

Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of revealing secret things when he spoke in parables.

Even the way Jesus chose to utter the things that had been kept secret were still very secretive.

He masked the key truths and told them in ways to hide them from those that were insincere in their search for truth.

LOOK AT Matthew 13:10-17

Even today, there is much debate about the interpretation of many of the parables of Christ.

Matthew 13

· 34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:

· 35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

God chose to incrementally reveal truth over time.

God revealed truth in the New Testament that He did not reveal in the Old Testament.

Paul acknowledged this in the book of Romans.

· Romans 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

The Old Testament is filled with types, pictures and prophecies of Christ, but few details about the Gospel.

God chose to reveal that Jesus would come; a Messiah, a Savior would come, but didn’t give the specifics.

God revealed many things about the man, and even the mandate, but not about His message.

Even the writings of the Apostle Paul were considered by the Apostle Peter to be difficult.

2 Peter 3

· 15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;

· 16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

One thing is very clear; to understand the deep and secret things of Scripture, one must be indwelled by the Spirit.

· 1 Corinthians 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

B.The Treasure that is Held

– “…but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever,…” Deuteronomy 29:29b

We will look at the preservation of Scripture later on in this series.

But I want to establish one key fact about the word of God – it was given to us to have and hold FOREVER!

· Psalms 119:89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

But it is not just settled in Heaven.

It is not just on record in Heaven.

It wasn’t given to the first generation of Christians and then lost or misplaced.

It wasn’t given to jumpstart a continual scramble to find and discover.

God gave us His word and we have it today!

He revealed those things and they belong to us and to our children forever!

There is a continuous, non-stop, perpetual stewardship of God’s revealed word.

· Psalms 105:8 He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.

1 Peter 1

· 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

· 24 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:

· 25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

C. The Truth that is Heeded

– “…that we may do all the words of this law.” Deuteronomy 29:29c

It is important for us to know that God gave us His word; not just so we can know it, but also DO it!

God was clear that He gave His Word so we could know what He expected of us and DO it!!

Deuteronomy 30

· 11 For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.

· 12 It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?

· 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?

· 14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

Conclusion: It is absolutely essential that the reader or hearer of the Word of God understands the high amount of emphasis that is placed on their response to it.

God did not have to reveal Himself to man.

God was under no obligation to provide us with a book that tells us Who He is and what it is that He expects.

· Psalms 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

But God DID. He gave His Word. He orchestrated a very detailed, systematic revelation of Himself to us.

What are we going to do with it? How will we respond to it?

· Luke 12:48 …For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required:…

The Lord Gave the Word Sermon Series

Part 2

Intro: There are many kinds of Revelation found in Scripture.

All of them are supernatural, and all of them are important.

However, there are different basic categories of revelation that we discover in the Bible.

We will first look at the revelation of God given to man in a general sense.

I. General Revelation

This is the basic knowledge that there is a God and that He is working that is revealed to man in a variety of ways.

Even where there is no Bible, no preacher or a church, God has been revealed to man in a general way.

A. The Wonder of God in Creation

Psalm 19

· 1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

· 2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.

· 3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.

· 4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,

· 5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.

· 6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

· Acts 14:17 Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

· Psalm 104:24 O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.

Romans 1

· 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

· 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

· 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

B. The Working of God in the Course of History

· Psalm 9:16 The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.

Daniel Webster said, “History is God's providence in human affairs.”

History is HIS STORY.

History is not just the story of people, it is the story of God working His sovereign purpose and plan in and through people, cultures, and nations.

The supernatural working of God in the course of human events is a powerful revelation of God and His interest in the affairs of mankind.

The rise and fall of nations; the wars and pestilence and plagues and many other things all are filled with indisputable demonstrations and revelations of God’s Sovereign plan and will.

Benjamin Franklin said, “The longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: that God governs in the affairs of men.”

C. The Witness of God in the Conscience of Man

Romans 1

· 14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

· 15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

Moral law; the knowledge of basic right and wrong, was built into the human DNA.

Man knew that murder was wrong before the Ten Commandments were given.

Cain knew he had done wrong by killing his brother long before the law was given on Mt. Sinai.

God eradicated every living man with a worldwide flood except for Noah long before the law was given on Mt. Sinai.

Man knew he was wrong because the law was written in their hearts.

The limitations of GENERAL REVELATION are very clear.

Though God was revealed to man in a general sense, the details of what He wanted man to know is missing.

God gave His Word to fill in the blanks and the voids that were not in the general revelation of God.

The GENERAL REVELATION revealed:

a. the existence of God

b. the power of God

c. the need for God

General Revelation is insufficient for a number of reasons.

The fall of man did much damage to the ability of man to discern truth.

Man’s perception of God is greatly hindered by the curses that were placed upon man and creation.

The spiritual blindness that is a result of sin has greatly impeded man’s ability to see God and His working.

Mankind needed more light; more truth; more revelation than that which was provided in a general sense.

What it did not reveal was the personal and detailed attributes of God or His plan for man’s redemption and salvation.

All of this was made clear through SPECIFIC REVELATION.

II. Special Revelation

This type of revelation is where God went to great length to make known to man His attributes and will in a greater way.

EXAMPLE: We can see from general revelation in creation that there is a God, but we have no way of knowing how He created the worlds without specific revelation.

God chose to do this through a variety of means at various times. Let’s look at some of them.

A. Dreams – Jacob, Joseph, Pharaoh,

Genesis 41

· 15 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.

· 16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

B. Visions

Abraham

· Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

Daniel

· Daniel 8:1 In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first.

C. Urim and Thummin – meanings: Urim – lights; Thummin - perfection

· Exodus 28:30 And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.

· Numbers 27:21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.

D. Audible voice of God

· 1 Samuel 3:1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

E. Angels

Abraham on Mt. Moriah - Genesis 22:11

Moses at the burning bush – Exodus 3

Elijah the prophet – 2 Kings 1

Joseph the husband of Mary – Matthew 1

Philip the early church preacher – Acts 8:26

and many more…

F. Jesus Christ

The ultimate Special Revelation was the birth of the God-man, none other than Jesus Christ.

The Bible calls Him “the Word” in multiple places.

John 1

· 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

· 2 The same was in the beginning with God.

· 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

· John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

John 14

· 8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

· 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

· 10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Conclusion: The complete, special revelation of God to man is the Bible – the Scriptures, the Word of God.

We were told everything He wanted us to know; everything we needed to know.

The primary purpose of God giving His word is to bring fallen man to the saving knowledge of God.

Psalm 19

• 7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

• 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

The Lord Gave the Word Sermon Series

Part 3

The Inspiration

2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Intro: The Revelation was the fact that He gave it. Inspiration is the way that God chose to give it.

God revealed Himself, and then he had these many revelations recorded through INSPIRATION.

I. The Mentions of Inspiration

The Doctrine of Inspiration is a Bible-based doctrine.

It is mentioned several times in the Scriptures.

One is our text in 2 Timothy 3:16.

· 2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

The word “inspiration” here is the Greek word θεόπνευστος theopneustos meaning God-breathed

The second place where this doctrine is taught is found in 2 Peter 1:20, 21.

· 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

· 21 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.

This passage teaches us a powerful and supernatural working of God in the giving of Scripture.

The word “moved” is the Greek word “pheromenoi” which means borne along

The same Greek word is found in Acts 27:17 where the ship was driven; controlled and carried by the wind.

· 15 And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.

· 16 And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:

· 17 Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven.

· 18 And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;

The visual image here is being under the control of another power.

As God spoke, they wrote.

Forty different human writers, spanning 1,600 years, and all in perfect unity and harmony.

II. The Means of Inspiration

The Doctrine of Inspiration simply means that God used human writers to pen the Scriptures in such a way that they wrote the very words of God all while maintaining their own personal and literary style of writing.

There are at least five distinct ways that God used inspiration to give us His Word.

Let’s look at them.

A. Confluent Inspiration

We do not have to understand inspiration to believe it.

It is just as much as mystery and a supernatural act of God as the virgin birth or the Trinity.

God chose to give us His word using two distinct agents; the divine and the human.

We know from multiple passages of Scripture that God spoke through the words of men.

· Acts 4:25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?

· Acts 13:35 Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

· Isaiah 8:1 Moreover the LORD said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man’s pen concerning Mahershalalhashbaz.

· Isaiah 30:8 Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:

B. Verbal Inspiration

This means that we believe that the very words of Scripture are God’s words.

This is more than capturing the ideas or concepts of God, but the very words.

· 1 Corinthians 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

· Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

· Jeremiah 1:9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

In Matthew 5:18, the Bible even emphasizes the significance of the “jot” (the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet) and the “tittle” (the tiny little accent marks and apostrophe’s) of Scripture.

· 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.

There are many verses of Scripture that teach us that we have the very WORDS of God.

· Exodus 24:4 And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

· Psalm 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

Proverbs 30

· 5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

· 6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

· Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

C. Plenary Inspiration

The word “plenary” means all parts alike.

This means that we believe that ALL of the Bible is inspired and that it is equally inspired.

· 2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

The New Testament is not more inspired than the Old Testament, and vice versa.

Many of the New Testament writers referred to Old Testament passages as “scripture.”

Example: Paul wrote in Romans 9:17 “…as the scripture saith”; but in Exodus 9:17 it says “the Lord said…”

· Romans 9:17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

Exodus 9

· 13 And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

· 16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

D. Inerrant Inspiration

The word inerrant means “not liable to be proven false or mistaken.”

We believe the Bible is correct in every single detail; no matter how small or insignificant it may seem.

QUOTE: What Scripture says, God says – through human agents and without error. – J. M. Boice

· Hebrews 6:18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

· Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

· Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

· John 10:35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;

E. Infallible Inspiration

This means that we believe that the Bible is completely without error in its teaching.

The Bible is incapable of teaching deception, lies or false doctrine.

· Psalms 119:160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

· John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Some people mistakenly use inerrant and infallible interchangeably. They are not the same.

· Inerrant means the Bible is without error in its recording.

· Infallible means the Bible is without error in its teaching.

It is important to know that all scripture is INFALLIBLE, but it is not all AUTHORITATIVE.

For example, the Bible records the words of Satan, among others.

Inaccurate statements but recorded accurately.

What they are saying may be false, but it is recorded accurately.

What they say may be in contradiction to other scripture because it is not true, but it is RECORDED accurately.

Conclusion: I want to close with this thought. The Bible is God’s Word. Plain and simple. It is because of the Bible that we know how to prepare to meet God.

It is because of this Bible that we know that we are sinners, that we are going to Hell if we are lost.

The Lord Gave the Word Series

The Inspiration

Part 4

The Doctrine of Inspiration is found throughout the Scriptures.

There are multiple statements and references to this doctrine, along with multiple confirmations by the many writers of Scripture and evident in their writings.

I. The Emphasis on the Speaker

The Old Testament writers were prophets.

The prophet was a person that only spoke as God gave them the words.

Deuteronomy 18

• 17 And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.

• 18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

• 19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

• 20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.

• 21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?

• 22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

Other examples of the qualifications of a true prophet.

• Numbers 22:18 And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.

• Ezekiel 3:17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

• Amos 3:8 The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?

The New Testament repeatedly calls the Old Testament “the scriptures of the prophets.”

Romans 1

• 1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

• 2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)

• Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

• 2 Peter 3:2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets,…

These Old Testament prophets were recognized by each other as prophets.

Hosea called Moses a prophet in Hosea 12:13

• And by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved.

Luke called David a prophet in the book of Acts.

Acts 2

• 29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.

• 30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;

II. The Exalting of the Scripture

The Word of God was treated with exceptional reverence by men of God as well as by the people.

They recognized the divine authorship of the scriptures throughout the Old Testament.

There was no question in their mind that the Lord had given the Word.

A. By Men of God

Ezra called Jeremiah’s writings “the word of the Lord.”

Ezra 1:1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled,

Daniel referred to the prophecies of Jeremiah and Moses as the word of God.

• Daniel 9:2 In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet,

• Daniel 9:11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God,

B. By the People of God

The Ten Commandments were kept in the Ark of the Covenant – Deuteronomy 10:2

The Law of Moses was commanded to be read by the people – Joshua 1:8

The writings of Samuel were kept inside the Tabernacle – 1 Samuel 10:25

The nation of Israel stood up with the law was read – Nehemiah 8:5

C. By God Himself

· Psalms 138:2 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.

III. The Echoing of the Savior

There are 332 direct quotations and references to the Old Testament in the New Testament.

There are over 1,000 quotes and references to the Old Testament in the New Testament.

There are too many examples to list of New Testament writers referring to the Old Testament as scripture.

• “scripture or scriptures” - 53 times

• “it is written” - 133 times

• “that it might be fulfilled” – at least 30 times

• “oracles of God” 3 times

No less than 20 of the Old Testament books are quoted in the New Testament.

Many of the other books of the Old Testament are referred to or alluded to in the New Testament.

The New Testament had not been given yet, so the references to the scripture are referring to the Old Testament.

Here are just a few:

Romans 3

• 1 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?

• 2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

John 10

• 34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?

• 35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;

• Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

• Mark 7:13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

• Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

We could look at many more, but time will not permit.

It is important to note that the Lord Jesus Christ accepted the Old Testament books as Scripture.

Here is a short list of examples where Jesus echoed the Old Testament in his preaching and teaching.

• He quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 in Matthew 4:4.

• He confirmed the Genesis story of Creation in Matthew 19:4-6.

• He believed the Genesis account of the Flood in Matthew 24:37-39.

• He mentioned the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Luke 17:28, 29.

• He confirmed the story of Jonah in Matthew 12:40, 41

• He quoted the Prophet Isaiah multiple times. Matthew 13:14, 15

• He called Daniel a prophet in Matthew 24:15.

• Jesus taught and believed in the divine inspiration and infallibility of the Old Testament.

It is important to understand this fact: many of the above illustrations are events that modern day critics deny even happened or are attacked in some way.

Satan’s plan is simple – if he can discredit the Bible, he makes Jesus Christ a liar.

The entire ministry of Jesus was to confirm Scripture. He WAS the fulfillment of Scripture.

He even read Isaiah 61 in the temple and told them it was talking about Him.

Luke 4

• 17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

• 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

• 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

• 20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

• 21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

Jesus started His earthly ministry in Matthew 4:4 with “it is written.”

He closed out His earthly ministry in Luke 24:46 with “it is written.”

• 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

• 46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

• 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

• 48 And ye are witnesses of these things.

Christ and Christianity stand or falls with the Bible.

IV. The Evidence of the Supernatural

A. In its Primary Fundamentals

Many of the concepts and doctrines that are expressed and revealed in the Scriptures are completely inhuman in their origination.

1. The Doctrine of God

The entire Doctrine of God far exceeds any man’s ability to concoct.

Eternal, with no beginning or no end.

Consisting of a Trinity; a God-head.

A God that is Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient is not a man-made belief.

It defies all human mental capacity.

A God that is loving, merciful, forgiving, longsuffering and also a God of anger, wrath and judgment.

2. The Doctrine of Man

The Bible portrays man as depraved, sinful, and base with a deceitful heart and lying lips; incapable of accomplishing any righteousness or goodness apart from God.

Man didn’t invent that!

From the Garden of Eden, man has strived to be a god.

3. The Doctrine of Sin

This fundamental doctrine was definitely not created by man.

Man’s natural tendency is to exalt sin, normalize perversion and magnify the world.

Men today do not believe in sin nor in Hell, God’s judgment for sin.

4. The Doctrine of Salvation

Of all the doctrines in the Bible that is definitely of Divine origin, it is the Doctrine of Salvation.

This one was definitely not contrived in the heart of man.

Man worldwide attempts salvation and redemption through works and self-righteous appeasement.

No man would have invented a salvation based solely on child-like faith in the death and shed blood of one that was born without an earthly Father and never sinned one single time.

B. In its Private Facts

The Bible gives great details about things man could never have known about, such as Creation, the conversations in Heaven between Satan and God, the original sin in Heaven with the fall of Lucifer, and the thoughts and inward conversations of people.

C. In its Prophetic Fulfillments

Over 2/3 of the Bible was prophetic at the time it was given.

Much of those prophecies have already been fulfilled to the greatest detail.

This is without a doubt one of the strongest pieces of evidence of Divine Inspiration.

D. In its Proven Fruit

The thousands of years of supernaturally changed lives is irrefutable proof of the inspiration of Scripture.

No book in history has produced such radical transformations in people as the Bible.

· 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

The Lord Gave the Word

The Inspiration

Part 5

I. The Confusion

Just as every other doctrine in the Bible, Satan has succeeded in creating so much confusion about the Inspiration of Scripture.

“Yea hath God said” is still being said today.

Three Basic Perspectives of Inspiration

1. The Biblicist – the Bible IS the Word of God.

2. The Modernist – the Bible CONTAINS the Word of God

3. The Liberals – the Bible BECOMES the Word of God

There are several theories about Inspiration that are floating around out there.

A. The Theory of Dynamic Inspiration

This belief is that the writers of the Bible were simply vessels; passive instruments used of God.

Those that belief is also known as mechanical dictation.

It is clear that though God was speaking, He allowed the personality and style of the writers to exist.

If this belief were true, every book of the Bible would have the same style and vocabulary.

B. The Theory of Conceptual Inspiration

This belief holds to the idea that only the concepts and thoughts of the Bible were given by inspiration.

That the writers simply captured the general sense of what God was trying to tell us.

We reject this belief because we believe in the VERBAL inspiration of Scripture. God inspired the very words.

NOTE: This belief opens the door for multiple versions or translations of the Bible since it’s pretty much the same thing.

C. The Theory of Partial Inspiration

This group of people believe the Bible “contains” the Word of God.

This opens the door for unlimited debate as to which parts are God’s word and which ones are not.

Women preachers, homosexuals and a host of other people would fall into this category by their very existence.

D. The Theory of Gracious Inspiration

This belief holds to the idea that the very writers themselves were inspired because they may have been spiritual or godly men.

They believe that they were granted deep and unprecedented insights into the mind of God because of their own personal testimony or walk with God.

The Bible is clear in 2 Timothy 3:16 – the scriptures were inspired; not the writers.

Every writer had flaws and imperfections, some of them quite serious.

It was not them, but the word of God that was inspired.

E. The Theory of Natural Inspiration

This is the idea that the writers of Scripture were inspired just as you and I might be inspired today.

We use the word “inspire” synonymous with edify, encourage and so forth.

I enjoy listening to the “Inspirations Quartet”, but they are not “inspired” in the way the Bible is!

God’s word is not just inspiring, but it is INSPIRED – the very word of God.

F. The Theory of Demythological Inspiration

This group believe that the literal truth of the Bible must be unveiled and interpreted through modern perspective.

They believe the Bible was written with a literary style that requires peeling away the layers of myths in order to finally get to the truth of what God was really wanting us to hear.

An example of this would be those that believe that God used evolution to create the world.

They in essence outright deny the Biblical account of creation and replace it with modern interpretation.

In doing this, they make the Bible completely subjective and place man’s intellect as a greater authority than Scripture.

G. The Theory of Personal Encounter Inspiration

This is a system of belief that teaches that the Bible is an infallible record which becomes the Word of God when the message of God “breaks through.”

In other words, each person may discover a different truth based on their own experience.

A person’s encounter with God will determine what the Bible says and means to them.

This is another example of man’s attempt to elevate themselves above God.

II. The Confirmation

It is important to note that the Bible wasn’t written to impress the scholars; it was written to enlighten the hearts and minds of God.

God used language in the Bible that the common man can understand and relate to.

For example:

The rising and the setting of the sun; versus the earth rotating around the sun.

· Psalm 50:1 The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.

We still call it a sunrise and a sunset.

The four corners of the earth

· Isaiah 11:12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

The pillars of the earth

· 1 Samuel 2:8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, and he hath set the world upon them.

In spite of what the critics say, the internal evidence of inspiration is overwhelming.

The Bible reveals truth that nobody in that day could have possibly known apart from God’s revelation and inspiration.

Here are just a few that I have listed that are found in the Landmarks of Baptist Doctrine Volume 1.

A. Biology

· The genetic unity of all human race – Acts 17:26

· The difference in human flesh and animal flesh – 1 Corinthians 15:39

· The life is in the blood – Leviticus 17:11

· Unborn babies are real people – Psalm 139:15, 16; Jeremiah 1:5

· The science of germs and sanitation – Leviticus 6:28

The details about animals:

· Animals can only reproduce after their own kind – Genesis 1:24, 25

· And workers are female and do not sleep – Proverbs 6:6-10

· The oceans are filled with creatures great and small – Psalm 104:25

B. Astronomy

The universe is infinite – Isaiah 55:9

The stars are too numerous to count.

· Jeremiah 33:22 As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.

EXAMPLE: Today, I asked Siri how many stars were in the sky. Her answer: Astronomers estimate that there are about 100 thousand million stars in the Milky Way alone; and that there are millions upon millions of other galaxies also.

There is an empty space in the north sky and the earth is suspended in space.

· Job 26:7 He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.

The moon reflects light – Job 25:5 Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not…

There are other planets – Hebrews 1:2c …by whom also he made the worlds;

C. Geology and Geophysics

The earth is round – Isaiah 40:22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth,

The earth rotates and there are different time zones – Luke 17:30-35

There is fire within the earth.

· Job 28:5 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.

Oceans have currents – Psalm 8:8 …and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

Wind has patterns of movement.

· Ecclesiastes 1:6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.

There are springs in the sea.

· Job 38:16 Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?

There is a water (hydrologic) cycle.

· Psalm 135:7 He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.

· Ecclesiastes 1:7 7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.

Part Six

The Canonization

Intro: As we study the Doctrine of Scripture, we are reminded of one very simple yet critical fact: If God was going to supernaturally give us His word, then He would use supernatural means to do it.

I. The Miracle of Canonization

One of the processes that was vital to us having God’s Word was the process of elimination and the process of acceptance pertaining to the many different writings of great men.

Not every letter; not every book that was written in Bible times was inspired by God.

In fact, there are quite a few references to these other books found in Scripture.

For example:

· The Book of the Wars of the Lord: Numbers 21:14 Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the LORD, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon,

· The Book of Jasher – Joshua 10:13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.

· The Books of Shemaiah and Iddo – 2 Chronicles 12:15 Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? 22 And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.

· The Books of the Kings of Israel – 2 Chronicles 33:18 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer unto his God, and the words of the seers that spake to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel.

II. The Meaning of Canonization

The word canon comes from the Greek word “kanon” meaning a rule; a test; a straight-edge; a fixed amount; a defined limit.

It is a word that describes a specific measurement.

It refers to the process by which each book of the Bible was separated from all other books and writings to become a part of the collection of 66 books that we have today called the Bible.

The books were analyzed and “measured up” by the people of God down through the centuries and accepted as God’s inspired word.

The canonization of Scripture has nothing to do with the inspiration of that book; it only reflects man’s RECOGNITION of the book being inspired by God.

It is also important to note that the Old Testament canon was compiled throughout history as they were being written.

There was not a group of New Testament disciples or Christians that went through a bunch of files and old books and voted on what was God’s Word and what wasn’t.

They were accepted as the inspired word of God as they were being delivered by God.

There are numerous examples in Scripture of the recognition by God’s people of inspired Scripture immediately.

The Law of God - Exodus 4

· 3 And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.

· 4 And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

The Book of Joshua - Joshua 24

· 26 And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the LORD.

· 27 And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the LORD which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.

The Book of Samuel – 1 Samuel 10

· 25 Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.

The Book of Jeremiah – Daniel 9

· 2 In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

III. The Manner of Canonization

The Old Testament Books

The Old Testament was accepted as canon almost as it was given.

The Law of Moses was kept in the Ark of the Covenant.

· Deuteronomy 31:24 Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.

It was later kept at the Temple in Jerusalem.

· 2 Kings 22:8 And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD.

The kings were commanded to rule from it.

Deuteronomy 17

· 14 When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;

· 18 And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:

· 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:

· 20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

The prophets were highly esteemed and respected as the law of God.

· 2 Kings 17:13 Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.

Jesus Christ, and apostles and the New Testament writers quoted many of the Old Testament books as Scripture.

The Apocrypha

The Apocrypha has been a subject of much controversy.

It is in the Catholic Bible and in some Protestant Bibles, though the Protestants generally do not believe it is Scripture.

It was rejected outright by the Jews and was not included in their scriptures.

The Catholics accept 12 of the 15 books of the apocrypha as canon.

They officially canonized it in 1546 at the Council of Trent.

The Apocrypha consists of 15 books of Jewish literature written during the intertestamental period.

They are unreliable, of unknown authorship and do not claim to be inspired or to have authority.

They were written in Greek and contain many unbiblical teachings.

They support false Catholic doctrines such as Purgatory, Salvation through Almsgiving, justification for suicide, slavery, reincarnation, lying, assassination and magical incantations.

One of the books that the Catholics rejected as canon was one of the books that speaks against prayers for the dead.

Interesting facts:

The apocrypha books were never quoted by Jesus Christ or any of the apostles.

The famous Jewish historian Josephus excluded them from his list.

The sermons of Paul and Peter in the book of Acts that deal primarily with the history of the Jewish people did not refer to the Apocrypha.

- The Doctrine of Scriptures – Lecture Six – Landmarks of Baptist Doctrine

The New Testament Books

The New Testament books were recorded under Divine inspiration between 50 AD and 95 AD.

The New Testament scriptures were being circulated as early as 65 AD.

We can conclude that many of the New Testament books were canonized as they were being written.

The New Testament was canonized by the Christians, the early church and the Councils.

It was formally settled and established between 200 AD and 400 AD.

The emperor Diocletian issued an edict to have all Christian Scriptures burned, so the need to preserve and protect the Scriptures were no doubt a major priority.

There were other books and letters circulating within the early church.

· 2 Thessalonians 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

There was some resistance to the book of Hebrews (uncertain authorship), James,(supposed conflict with Paul) and Jude (presumed to quote the book of Enoch), 2 Peter and 2 and 3 John, (dealing with heresy) Revelation.

IV. The Mandates of Canonization

The earliest list of all 27 current NT books was given in a letter in 367 AD.

A. The Writers

In the Old Testament, was the writer a prophet?

In the New Testament, was the writer an apostle?

They were eyewitnesses that were entrusted to deliver the Word.

Luke 1

· 1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,

· 2 Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;

· 3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,

B. The Words

The people of God discerned the Word of God by the content of the letters and books.

The Word of God has a different effect on the heart and mind of man than man’s words.

A child of God, with the witness of the Holy Spirit can discern the difference between what is of God and of man.

· 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.

· John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

· John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

1 Peter 2

· 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

· 3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

C. The Witness

The Word of God is without error and is always factually correct in every way.

Many of the letters and writings that were not canonized contained errors that were immediately recognized.

Any book or writing that contained mistakes were obviously not the Word of God.

Any book that did not bear the marks of inspiration were immediately rejected.

If it lacked a stamp of divine authority and its contents were not authentic, they were rejected.

ILLUSTRATION: The book of Mormon fails every one of these tests.

Joseph Smith dictated the book from behind a blanket, it contains many inaccurate statements (both geographical and historical), it teaches doctrines that are plainly contradicted by the Scriptures. It is only accepted by Mormons and didn’t become available to man until 1830.

Part Seven

The Preservation

Psalm 12

· 6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

· 7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

I. The Preservation of Scripture is Reasonable

One of the easiest Doctrines to believe is the doctrine of Preservation.

If God was going to go to the “trouble” to reveal His Word and inspire His Word, why would He allow it to be lost?

Why would God bother to give His Word if it wasn’t going to last?

Why would God give so many end-time prophecies if the Bible wasn’t going to be around at the end?

Why would God give so many indications of the last days if His Word wasn’t going to be available in the last days?

Matthew 28

· 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

· 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

How is the church supposed to teach the world to observe ALL THINGS whatsoever God has commanded if we don’t have it?

Either we have it or we don’t!?

2 Timothy 3

· 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

· 14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

· 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

· 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

As things wax worse and worse, how are we going to continue and be assured in what we have learned if we are constantly reminded that we don’t have it??

Several key facts we can learn from these verses:

A. Timothy had God’s Word

B. Timothy did not have the originals – the original Hebrew scriptures were between 1,500 and 450 years old

C. Timothy’s copy of the scriptures were called “the holy scriptures” and “inspired of God.”

NOTE: Paul quoted Deuteronomy and Luke in 1 Timothy 5:18 – calling them both scripture!

· 1 Timothy 5:18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. (Deut. 25:4) And, The labourer is worthy of his reward. (Luke 10:7)

Timothy had both apparently, not to mention the book of 1 Timothy. They were all called scripture!

II. The Pride of Skeptics is Reprehensible

The level of arrogance that is manifested when this Doctrine is mentioned is simply reprehensible.

In spite of the logical conclusion that God’s Word would be preserved, many today doubt it.

By their own actions, they demonstrate a lack of faith in God’s ability to preserve His Word.

Some simply deny it.

A. The Pride of the Bible Questioners

The questioning and the doubt that fills the conversation matches that of the serpent in Genesis 3.

“Yea, hath God said…?” is the continuous and relentless narrative.

Some will make statements like, “We believe in the inspiration of the Scriptures in the original languages.”

What they are essentially saying is that we do not have God’s inspired Word today.

B. The Pride of the Bible Correctors

The messages and sermons of many preachers are filled with statements that are full of pride.

Statements like:

· “A better translation would be…”

· “This passage is not found in the more reliable manuscripts…”

The pride of these Bible-correctors knows no bounds.

Did God give His Word to everyone, or just those with college educations?

Is God’s Word so complicated that only the scholars can understand it?

Is the common man forced to rely on the interpretation of Scripture by those that doubt it and deny it?

Do we need to know Hebrew and Greek in order to accurately understand the Bible?

Why would God reveal Himself to us only to then hide in archaic and dead languages?

If some of the Bible is missing or not translated correctly, how can we know that any of it is correct?

How can we assure new converts that we have God’s Word if we only tell them later than we don’t?

How many years does a preacher have to go to Bible College to be smart enough to correct the Bible?

III. The Promise of Security is Repeated

The Bible is filled with dozens of Bible verses that teach the importance of the Doctrine of Preservation.

Let’s look at some of them.

Psalm 12

• 6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

· 7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

Notice in our text:

A. The Details of Preservation – “…the words of the Lord…” Not the ideas, or concepts, but the WORDS!

B. The Doer of Preservation – “Thou…O Lord…” Man is not in control; God is!

C. The Duration of Preservation – “…from this generation for ever.”

More promises from the Word of God that God has preserved His Word for ever!

· Psalms 33:11 The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

Psalm 78

· 1 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

· 2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

· 3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

· 4 We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

· 5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:

· 6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:

· 7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

· Psalms 100:5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

· 1 Chronicles 16:15 Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations;

· Psalms 105:8 He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.

(Note: If a generation in the Bible is 40 years, a thousand generations is 40,000 years!)

Psalm 111

· 7 The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure.

· 8 They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.

· 9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.

· Psalms 117:2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.

Psalm 119

· 89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

· 152 Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever.

· 160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

Proverbs 22

· 20 Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,

· 21 That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?

· Isaiah 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

· Isaiah 59:21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth,(THE DOCTRINE OF INSPIRATION) shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever. (THE DOCTRINE OF PRESERVATION)

John 12

· 47 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.

· 48 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.

The same Word that is the basis of our salvation is the same Word that will be the basis of the Judgment in the last day.

This is the Great White Throne judgment – after the heavens and earth has been passed away.

Just like God’s Word promised.

· Luke 21:33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

Preservation

Part Eight

Psalm 12

• 6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

· 7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

I. The Preservation of Scripture is Reasonable

II. The Pride of Skeptics is Reprehensible

III. The Promise of Security is Repeated

IV. The Persecution of Satan is Relentless

Since the Garden of Eden, Satan has done everything imaginable.

The Word of God has been under attack from Day One.

Not just the Word in general, but the WORDS of God.

1. In 302 AD, the Roman emperor Diocletian issued an edict which decreed the burning of all Bibles.

2. During the Dark Ages, the Devils Millinnium (500-1500 AD), the church of Rome forbade the use of Bibles by the laity. The first decree against the Bible came from Pope Nicholas I in 860 AD and in 1198 AD Pope Innocent III issued a decree that all who read the Bible should be put to death.

3. In 1415 AD, 32 years after his death, the remains of John Wycliff were exumed, judged, burnt, then scattered in the River for the crime of translating the Latin Vulgate into English. William Tyndale was strangled then burnt at the stake in 1536 AD for translating the Bible into English.

4. During the reign of bloody Queen Mary in England, (1553-1558), Bibles were used as fuel to burn Protestants at the stake.

5. The French infidel Voltaire once boasted that Christianity would be a dead religion within 100 years of his day. He wrote many volumes against Christianity and the Bible. Withing 50 years of his death, his own printing works was being used by the Geneva Bible Society for the printing of Bibles. Ninety-two volumes of Voltaire’s work once sold at an auction for a few dollars. At the same auction, one ancient Bible manuscript sold for over $500,000.

Source: Landmarks of Baptist Doctrine – Volume One – page 65

The Bible is crystal clear – the WORDS of God are preserved.

Not the ideas; not the concepts; not the intents, but the WORDS.

The Bible is clear – God preserved HIS WORDS. (Plural)

Psalm 12

• 6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

· 7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

Isaiah 51

· 15 But I am the LORD thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The LORD of hosts is his name.

· 16 And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.

· Isaiah 59:21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.

Exodus 24

· 3 And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.

· 4 And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

Proverbs 30

· 5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

· 6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

Isaiah 31

· 1 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!

· 2 Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity.

· Luke 1:20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

John 6

· 67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

· 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

John 12

· 47 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.

· 48 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.

· Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Matthew 5

· 17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

· 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.

If God is concerned with the jots and the tittles, how much more is He concerned with the WORDS???

The Anvil of God's Word

“Last eve I paused beside the blacksmith’s door, And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime; Then looking in, I saw upon the floor, Old hammers, worn with beating years of time.

“‘How many anvils have you had,’ said I, ‘To wear and batter all these hammers so?’ ‘Just one,’ said he, and then with twinkling eye, ‘The anvil wears the hammers out, you know.’

“And so, I thought, the Anvil of God’s Word For ages skeptic blows have beat upon; Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard, The Anvil is unharmed, the hammers gone.”

—attributed to John Clifford

Translation

Part Nine

Intro: Here at Calvary Baptist Church, along with countless numbers of churches across the land, we accept the authorized King James Bible as the pure, preserved, infallible Word of God for the English-speaking people. We make no apologies for that. It has become increasingly unpopular to hold this position.

NOTE: (Much of this message included reading portions from Landmarks of Baptist Doctrine Volume 1 by Pastor Robert Sargent. Other books have been used in this study, but the simplification of this part of the series is written in a very concise and teachable format.)

I. The PREDECESSORS

II. The PETITION

III. The PROCESS

IV. The PEOPLE

V. The PECULIARITIES

Virginia Mollencott – as copied from the NIV website: https://www.thenivbible.com/virginia-mollencott/

Virginia Mollencott, a Lesbian sympathizer, was involved with the NIV development at one point. It is important to note that she was not a translator, and never had anything to do with the translation itself. For a few months Virginia served in the capacity of working on the literary (stylistic) committee of the NIV. When her sexual views were known she was immediately asked to resign. Her work never impacted the translation of the NIV at any point. To anybody reading the NIV it is very clear that homosexuality is a sin.

Slide 2 – the comparison of KJV and NIV

· 1 Kings 14:24 And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

· 1 Kings 15:12 And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

· 1 Kings 22:46 And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land.

· 2 Kings 23:7 And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove.

All 4 places in the NIV replaces sodomites with male shrine prostitute.

NOTE: ESV says “cult prostitute”

Alteration

Part Ten

Intro: The King James stood uncontested and unrivaled for over 300 years. At the turn of the century, the attacks against it started. It has not stopped. In fact, it is more heated than ever before.

For over a hundred years, independent Baptists were some of the most staunch defenders of the King James Bible. Now, many of them are tossing it aside for other translations. Some are willing to use pretty much anything BUT the King James.

It has gone from being “hard to read” to being completely unfit to read. How did we get here?

Satan’s attack on the Word of God in the Garden of Eden set a dangerous precedent that has proven to be as effective today as it was back then.

· Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

There are several key elements that remain today from this satanic attempt to confuse mankind.

1. There was DOUBT – vs. 1 “Yea, hath God said…”

2. There was DILUTING – vs. 2 “We may eat…” (see Genesis 2:16 “…freely eat…”

3. There was DISTORTING – vs. 3 “…neither shall ye touch it…” God didn’t say that!

4. There was DIMISHING – vs. 3 “…lest ye die…” God said ye shall SURELY die!

5. There was DENIAL – vs. 4 “ye shall not surely die…”

6. There was DECEPTION – vs. 5 “…ye shall be as gods…”

Paul warned the early church against two powerful sources of error:

· Colossians 2:8 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.

TRADITION adds to God’s Word.

PHILOSOPHY subtracts from God’s Word.

The worst corruptions of the New Testament took place within the first hundred years of its completion.

There were WILLFUL MUTILATIONS of Scripture by heretics.

There was EDITORIAL CORRECTIONS to Biblical text by scribes who acted as editors rather than copyists.

Some of the most blatant yet effective corruption of the Bible took place in Alexandria, Egypt.

We can trace the beginnings of the TEXTUAL CRITICISM movement to several sources,

One of the most influential Bible corrupters was a man by the name of Adamantius Origenes, (185-254 AD) better known as Origen.

He was way off base on many of his doctrines and beliefs.

Here is a short list of some of Origen’s false beliefs.

· He denied the literal Genesis account of Adam and Eve.

· He believed that souls existed from eternity past.

· He believed in universals salvation, or that the wicked would eventually be saved after a time of punishment.

· He denied the physical resurrection of Christ

· He believed that the stars and planet had souls

· He believed that the devils would be saved

· He taught that unbaptized people were lost

· He believed in the role of bishops for forgiveness of sins

And the list goes on…

He wrote 6,000 books in his lifetime and heavily influenced Jerome who translated the Bible into Latin around 400 AD which is now known as the Latin Vulgate.

The Latin Vulgate became the Bible of the Dark Ages and is the basis for all Roman Catholic Bibles.

Two of the most influential were a couple of men named Brooke Foss Westcott (1825-1903) and Fenton John Anthony Hort (1828-1892).

These two men came up with the new Critical Greek Text.

This text had 36,000 changes in it.

FYI – the word THEE and the word THOU in the King James Bible is only used 6, 617 times.

Trust me when I tell you – they didn’t just change the thee’s and thou’s!!!

The 1881 English Revised Version and the 1901 American Standard Version were supposedly attempts to update and revise the King James Version. However, these two versions used Wescott and Hort’s Critical Greek Text.

Modern translations are based either on the Wescott and Hort Greek text or texts that were derived from it.

Wescott and Hort were incapable of producing an accurate Greek text for a host of reasons.

They were admirers of Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution, calling it “unanswerable” in their letters.

Hort denied the existence of a literal devil.

Hort denied the existence of a literal hell.

Hort believed in purgatory.

Hort denied the substitutionary atonement for sin, writing, “The fact is, I do not see how God’s justice can be satisfied without every man’s suffering in his own person the full penalty for his sins.”

Hort embraced baptismal regeneration, writing, “Baptism assures us that we are children of God, members of Christ and His body, and heirs of the heavenly kingdom.”

Hort denied the story of Adam’s fall in Eden.

Wescott and Hort both loudly denied the infallibility of Scripture.

Westcott did not believe that Genesis 1-3 should be taken literally.

He also thought that “Moses” and “David” were poetic characters whom Jesus Christ referred to by name only because the common people accepted them as authentic.

Wescott denied the existence of a literal heaven, writing, “Heaven lies about us now in infancy alone; and by swift, silent pauses for thought, for recollection, for aspiration, we cannot only keep fresh the influence of that diviner atmosphere, but breathe it more habitually… We may reasonably hope, by patient, resolute, faithful, united endeavour to find heaven about us here, the glory of our earthly life.”

They both hated the Textus Receptus and the Authorized King James Version.

They were in love with the Catholic doctrine of praying to Mary.

The list goes on and on…

We will now to some comparisons.

NOTE: (Some of these were copied from thegloriousgospel.ca)

The English Standard Version, or ESV:

KJV

· John 7:8 Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for My time is not yet full come.

· John 7:9 When He had said these words unto them, He abode still in Galilee.

· John 7:10 But when His brethren were gone up, then went He also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

ESV

· John 7:8 You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.”

· John 7:9 After saying this, He remained in Galilee.

· John 7:10 But after His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He also went up, not publicly but in private.

This change makes Jesus a liar.

· KJV Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

· ESV Titus 1:2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began

There’s a huge difference in not doing something and not being able to.

This verse diminishes God’s ability to lie.

It is true that God never lies, but the reason is due to the fact that He cannot lie!

The KJV addresses the root, whereas, the ESV addresses the fruit.

· KJV 1 Tim. 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

· ESV 1 Tim. 3:16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

Another example of removing the deity of Christ.

It might not be apparent why this is important but the reading of the KJV is very clear that God took human flesh.

Many people who deny that Christ is God prefer the ESV reading because to them they have no problem believing that Christ took human flesh but they deny that God did.

· KJV Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

· 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

· 7 But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.

· ESV Philippians 2:5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

· 6 Who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,

· 7 but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

There are multiple problems with these changes.

1. Having the mind of Christ and Christ helping you have YOUR mind is a huge difference.

2. Being equal with God, and it being something that cannot be grasped is not even the same.

3. Making himself of no reputation, or making himself nothing is not even close.

· KJV John 1:26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;

· 27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

· ESV John 1:26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know,

· 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”

This change directly challenges the deity of Christ.

· KJV John 8:59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

· ESV John 8:59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. (omitted)

This change deletes the miracle at the end of verse 59.

· KJV Acts 2:30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;

· ESV Acts 2:30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne,

‘…one of his descendants…’, how vague is that?

Let’s remind ourselves that David was speaking as a Prophet moved by the Spirit of God, it was never a mystery to the Spirit of God who would take the throne of David!

· KJV John 6:69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

· ESV John 6:69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

Why does the ESV remove this clear statement that Christ is the Son of the living God?

The way it reads in the ESV, nothing of His Sonship is mentioned.

· KJV 1 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.

· ESV 1 John 5:7 For there are three that testify: (omitted) (same in the NIV)

One of the strongest verses in the Bible for the Trinity is butchered!

· KJV 1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

· ESV 1 Peter 2:2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation

This is a bad translation for two reasons.

1. It eliminates the Word of God as the source of the milk.

2. It makes salvation a process.

Salvation is an instantaneous work of God; not a process.

The New International Version, or NIV:

· KJV 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.

· NIV 2 Corinthians 2:17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

There is a huge difference in corrupting something and peddling it.

The Greek word for corrupt here does carry with it a meaning of selling and profit, but with a deceitful and dishonest agenda.

It was the word used for a huckster, or as we would call them, a con-man.

This verse is not just about making profit of the Word of God, it is about corrupting and polluting it.

· KJV Hosea 11:12 Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints.

· NIV Hosea 11:12 Ephraim has surrounded me with lies, Israel with deceit. And Judah is unruly against God, even against the faithful Holy One.

This translation butchers the facts. Judah went from ruling with God and being faithful to being unruly against God.

· KJV Daniel 3:25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

· NIV Daniel 3:25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

This translation is horrible. Not even close to the same thing.

Again, the deity and eternal preexistence of Jesus is removed from this verses.

· KJV Mark 2:17 When Jesus heard [it], he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

· NIV Mark 2:17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”(omitted)

What is Jesus calling sinners to? Why is He calling them?

· KJV Luke 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

· NIV Luke 4:4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.(omitted)

The New King James Version, or NKJV:

· KJV I Cor. 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

· NKJV I Cor. 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (same in the ESV and NIV)

Yet another example of salvation being turned into a process.

Works salvation?? Gradual salvation? I sure hope the thief on the cross didn’t die too soon!!

· KJV Psalm 10:4, 5 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. His ways are always grievous…

· NKJV Psalm 10:4, 5 The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts. His ways are always prospering;

This translation actually says the exact opposite of the King James. Imagine trying to preach this passage to a church full of people with the wrong Bible!!

· KJV Genesis 22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

· NKJV Genesis 22:8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.

This passage completely removes the Old Testament typology of the substitutionary atonement of Christ.

Providing FOR himself, and providing himself is two completely different things!

Conclusion: The Lord has given us His Word. We should just stop playing with it and publish it!