Category Answering Religious Questions

the 5 Mistakes of MICAH (Judges 17) pt 2

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“And he said unto them, Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoreth me with their lips, But their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.”  (Mark 7:6-7)

The Old Testament has many lessons for us today. In Judges 17, we see five mistakes of the man MICAH. Last week we looked at 3 of them that are repeated by many today.

  • He followed his Mother’s traditions.
  • He made Idols.
  • He Changed the law to suit himself.

I encourage you to review the previous article. 

Today’s article will look at the last two mistakes of MICAH.

The 5 mistakes of MICAH (Judges 17)repeated today. Pt2

The fourth mistake of Micah was that he ASSIGNED to himself a priest from the Levites to be his personal priest.

“And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in. [11] And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons. [12] And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. [13] Then said Micah, Now know I that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest” (Judges 17:10-13.

Today people will talk about their favorite preacher, pastor, televangelist, author and so on. Paul dealt with this issue with the church at Corinth. “For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul” (1Cor 1:11-13)?

How do we correct this mistake? When we establish dividing lines based on popular preachers, or public figures we are carnal. That’s what Paul called it. “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men” (1Cor 3:3)?

What can we do? Follow Jesus. Read about Him. Study Him. Walk like He walked. People living godly lives can serve as examples for us, but only as far as they imitate Christ (1Cor 11:1). We are not to elevate them above others and especially not to cause division. “And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another” (1Cor 4:6; cf 2Cor 12:6).

The last mistake we’ll consider is that Micah had a HOUSE of gods.

“And the man Micah had a HOUSE of gods, and made an ephod and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest” (Judges 17:5).

Besides the idolatry, this mistake is saying that all religions and denominations are equal. Paul saw this error in Athens. “For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you” (Acts 17:23).

We see this same mistake being made today. Religious people have become ECUMENICAL (aimed at achieving universal Christian unity and church union through international interdenominational organizations that cooperate on matters of mutual concern). In other words, religious folks are focusing on unity (Jews, Muslims, & Christians) despite clear scriptural and doctrinal differences. They see all religions as different ships going to the same destination. This sounds good on the surface, but misses the biblical definition of unity.

How do we correct this mistake? Paul warned; “For if he that cometh preacheth ANOTHER Jesus whom we have not preached, or if ye receive ANOTHER spirit which ye have not received, or ANOTHER gospel which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him” (2Corinthians 11:4; cf. Gal 1:6-9). We are warned repeatedly to beware of false teachers. They are described as wolves in sheep’s clothing, deceivers, dogs, and “hidden rocks in your love-feasts when they feast with you, shepherds that without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn leaves without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved forever” (Jude 1:12-13).

The main takeaway is that it’s possible for people to be following a different Jesus and not the Jesus of scripture (cf Phil 3:19). While many claim to follow Jesus, they may not be following the Jesus of the New Testament.

What can we do? Check out what your pastor teaches, what your church practices, & what sins they accept through the lens of the word of God. “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with al lreadiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily to see whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11). The folks in Berea were called more noble as they were checking out the teaching of the Apostle Paul!!

Be careful how you hear, and what you hear. There is only one truth and only one way to have unity and fellowship with God. “Sanctify them in the truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17).

Spencer is the evangelist for the church of Christ in Borger on Franklin & Juniper.

Read part one, “the 5 mistakes of MICAH” here.

the 5 Mistakes of MICAH (Judges 17)

The Preacher 1 Comment

“And he said unto them, Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoreth me with their lips, But their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.”  (Mark 7:6-7)

There’s nothing new under the sun. Mankind has been fooling around with God’s commands since the beginning. The story of Micah, not to be confused with the prophet Micah by the same name, is no different. (Judges 17 & 18).

From chapter 17 of Judges, we can glean 5 mistakes that MICAH makes in his religion that modern folks continue to make today.

Some may ask, why so negative? Couldn’t you present a more positive lesson? My reply is sure, but that’s not what God reveals to us. I guess you could say that if we do the opposite of the mistakes we will be pleasing to God.

The 5 mistakes of MICAH (Judges 17)repeated today.

The first mistake is that he Shared in his MOTHER’S error.

“And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the Lord from my hand for my son, to MAKE A GRAVEN IMAGE AND A MOLTEN IMAGE: now therefore I will restore it unto thee” (Judge 17:3).

Many today follow the religion of their parents without ever checking to know if it is right on the eyes of the Lord. “That’s where my parents and grandparents always went to church.” Your parents likely worshipped in all sincerity, but that is not how we determine what God wants. Consider Jesus, He said, “For I am come to set a man at variance against his FATHER, and the daughter against her MOTHER, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. [36] And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. [37] He that loveth FATHER OR MOTHER more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:35-37).

We are to worship God according to his word, not according to the traditions of our Fathers & Mothers.

“Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. [9] And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition” (Mark 7,9).

How do we correct this mistake? Ask for biblical evidence for everything said and done in your religion. Search the scriptures to find if what is being taught, & practiced is according to the word of God. (Act 17:11)

The second mistake is that Micah had made IDOLS.

“Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah” (Jud 17:4).

We have idols today. Many have GRAVEN images and idols of Jesus on the cross, (we don’t know what Jesus looked like) that folks kneel down before to pray. Some even erect little shrines in their homes to pray over.

Most of us practice a different kind of IDOLATRY called COVETING.

“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and COVETOUSNESS, which is IDOLATRY:” (Col 3:5)

How do we correct this mistake? We can examine ourselves and our practices through the New Testament doctrine of Christ. It also says in Colossians… “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Col 3:17).

The third mistake of Micah is that he CHANGED the law to suit himself.

“And the man Micah … consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest”

(Jud 17:5b).

Priests were from the tribe of Levi and had some very specific criteria. Micah didn’t follow that, because he and his sons were not from the tribe of Levi, they were from Ephraim (cf. Leviticus 9; Heb 7:14). Therefore, they were disqualified from being priests under the Law of Moses.

How do we correct this mistake? We can examine all of our practices in religion (& other areas) in light of the scriptures.

When we find a practice that is different from, or not found in scripture, we are to conform to the word of God. When we see alterations to the Eldership, to teachers, or adding offices that are foreign to scripture, we need to stop.

Here’s a short list of places to start:

How are we saved? (Matt 7:24; John 8:32; Luke 13:3; Matt 10:32; Mark 16:16; Rev 2:10)

How do we worship? (John 4:24; Col 3:16; Act 2:42)

Next week we’ll examine the last 2 mistakes and the ways to correct them.

The church that assembles here at Franklin & Juniper don’t claim to be perfect people, but we do strive to learn, know the truth, and practice the truth.                                                                    

Agape, Spencer

Going MAD trying to test Jesus

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in Matt 22:15-46 The Pharisees, Sadducees, and lawyers tried to Test & Trap Jesus with some difficult questions, but instead they became MAD.

They MARVELLED. Matt 22:15-22

Mt 22:15 Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.
16 And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.
17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?
18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
19 Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.
20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?
21 They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.
22 When they had heard these words, they MARVELLED, and left him, and went their way.

They were ASTONISHED. 33

Mt 22:23 The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,
24 Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
25 Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother:
26 Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.
27 And last of all the woman died also.
28 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.
31 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,
32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
33 And when the multitude heard this, they were ASTONISHED at his doctrine.

They DARED not ask any more questions. 46

Mt 22:34 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.
35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,
42 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David.
43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,
44 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?
45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?
46 And no man was able to answer him a word, neither DARED any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.

What Think Ye of Christ?

Where’s your passage?

The Preacher 1 Comment

“In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?” (2Sam 7:7)

Do you understand what this verse is saying? David had come up with what appeared to be a good idea to build a permanent temple out of cedar. The prophet Nathan agreed that this indeed appeared to be a good idea, even telling him that the LORD agreed that it was a good idea.

“Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee” (2Sam 7:3).

So, here we have this mighty king, a man after God’s own heart, with what appeared to be a good idea, to build God a permanent dwelling place. Reasoning thusly, “I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains” (2Sam 7:2).

We also have a prophet of God in agreement with the King, even asserting that God is also in agreement. However,

…God DID NOT agree that it was a good idea for David to build Him a house of cedar. The way He says it to them is very interesting. He doesn’t say, “No, do not build me a house of Cedar.” Neither does He say, “I didn’t want you to do that, but since you’re very sincere, go ahead anyway.” Some will argue this same way, “where does it say He forbids it?” They also say, “We don’t have a command, but God will accept it because it’s from the sincerity of our heart.”

Here’s how God answers David. “In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?”

In effect, God asks, “Where is your scripture for your good idea?”

When I ask this question of folks, they respond with some version that they don’t need a scripture. “Look at the results,” they say. “Look at how much good we’ve done.” If 2Samuel 7:7 did not exist, I may have to agree with them. But it does exist, and there are other such passages.

Look at this example in Acts 15. “Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment” (Act 15:24).

Here we see the same type of discussion. The converted Jews had the “good idea” that gentiles must become circumcised, and keep the Law of Moses to become Christians. The problem with that “good idea” was that there was no command for it. Both David, and the Christian Jews of the 1st century had come up with “good ideas” from the SILENCE of God. James points out to them that the SILENCE of God prohibits action, not allow it.

Another example in Hebrews says, “For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood” (Heb 7:14).

The SILENCE on a matter prohibited an action. In this case, the LORD had commanded that the Priests under the Law of Moses were to be taken from the tribe of Levi (Ex 28:1-4). Since Jesus was to be a Priest and a King (Heb 5:6), He could not hold that position, for the Law Prohibited it, and Jesus was from the tribe of Judah, something the Law spoke nothing concerning priesthood. Thus, the Law was changed because Christ is both Priest and King (Heb 7:12-13).

From these passages we learn that silence prohibits. When we receive a specific command from God, it prohibits any alteration, addition, or abatement. From these examples we learn 6 things when God is SILENT on a matter.

We are limited to what has been revealed in SCRIPTURE. This is how God communicates to us, through His divine written word (Deut 29:29).

We learn that without a command, there can be no INFERENCES, necessary or otherwise. God’s silence does not IMPLY His permission, it prohibits it.

In Hebrews we learn that we are under the will and testament of Christ. In the LAWS of Contracts & Wills, we are LIMITED to what it says, not given permission by what it does not say (cf. Heb 9:15-17). Think about how difficult it would be to defend a Will if we could change it based on things that are not in it. Could I claim a right to Bill Gates’ will, though I’m not in it? He didn’t say not to include me.

This brings us to the fourth point. If Silence doesn’t limit, then it creates a condition where EVERYTHING is permitted. All we would have to do is say, “God never said I can’t, so I’m going to do it.” It would lead to chaos and confusion. Oh wait, that’s exactly what we see in the denomination realm (cf. 1Cor 14:33).

The reality is, and we understand in other areas, that Silence is NO PERMISSION at all. For example, if you were to order a pepperoni pizza, what does your silence about smoked oysters say? (smoked oysters were a common ingredient in Fairbanks, AK back when I worked in a pizza joint in high school). You would never accept a pizza with smoked oysters when you ordered a pepperoni pizza. Your specific statement and your silence prohibit additional toppings.

Which brings me to the fifth point. We are limited in action when we have a “THUS SAITH THE LORD.” When God specifies something, He need not list all the aberrations. Specific is terrific. We know what He wants. There is another form of His command called Generic commands, in which He gives us liberty to take action He hasn’t specified, but that’s for another article. When we have a specific “Thus saith the LORD” we are limited to the specific statements and commands and cannot alter, add, nor abate His command. Silence prohibits.

–Spencer

“Is it less dishonest to do what is wrong because it is not expressly prohibited by written law? Let us hope our moral principles are not yet in that stage of degeneracy.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Spencer is an evangelist for the church of Christ on Franklin & Juniper in Borger Texas.

5 ways we try to ALTER God’s Word.

The Preacher 1 Comment

5 ways we try to ALTER the word to validate a false belief.

5/5

1. We ADD to the word.

2. We LESSEN the word of God.

3. We TWIST the scriptures to fit us.

4. We EXPLAIN away clear scripture.

5. We REJECT plain truths.

1. We ADD to the word.

We ADD to the word like Satan did with Eve.

Genesis 3:4 KJV

And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall NOT surely die: (emphasis mine seb)

In our times people try to ADD that same not to Mark 16:16, but the ADD it in different places.

faith alone.

He that believeth and is (NOT) baptized shall be saved;

Baby baptism

He that believeth (NOT) and is baptized shall be saved;

Universalists

He that believeth (NOT) and is (NOT) baptized shall be saved;

atheists

He that believeth and is baptized shall (NOT) be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Jesus said,

Mark 16:16 KJV

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

2. We LESSEN the word of God.

Revelation 22:19 KJV

And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Some say, “this verse only applies to the book of revelation.”

I say, “so you’re saying God is ok if we take away from other parts of the Bible?”

Look at what Jehoiakim did…

Jeremiah 36:23 KJV

And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth.

Deuteronomy 4:2 KJV

Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

Proverbs 30:5-6 KJV

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.

No, we cannot ADD nor LESSEN God’s word. His word…

2 Timothy 3:15-17 KJV

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: [17] That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

3. We TWIST the scriptures to fit us.

2 Peter 3:16 KJV

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 TWIST, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

Psalm 56:5

All day long they twist my words; all their thoughts are on my demise.

Jeremiah 23:36

But refer no more to the burden of the LORD, for each man’s word becomes the burden, so that you pervert the words of the living God, the LORD of Hosts, our God.

For example…

People TWIST what Jesus said about the personal indwelling of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles and make it about themselves.

John 16:13 KJV

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

This was spoken to the Apostles and does not apply to us in the same way.

We are guided by the holy Spirit in as much as we study and understand the written word.

Ephesians 3:3-4 KJV

How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, [4] Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

John 20:30-31 KJV

And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: [31] But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

We need to see what the context is of each passage. Not every passage is about us.

Let’s stop TWISTING the scriptures to fit us.

4. We EXPLAIN away clear scripture.

This one accepts that passages are God’s word, but somehow they don’t mean what they say. It’s a form of denial.

For example, Mark 16:16 KJV

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Folks will use the second half of the verse to EXPLAIN away the first half, or just deny that those verses are even in the Bible.

Some will come up with an unlikely, implausible scenario to EXPLAIN away the command.

For example; “What if you’re on the way to be baptized but die on the way?”

All this shows is a lack of concern for the commandments of the Lord.

Luke 6:46 KJV

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

John 14:15 KJV

If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Ps. The pic is just to match the topic and is not a solicitation.

5. We REJECT plain truths.

For example; Naaman was given plain instruction about how to be cured.

2 Kings 5:10-12 KJV

And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

[11] But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.

[12] Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.

Another example from Jesus:

Mark 7:9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

We do the same thing regarding baptism.

We REJECT it even though it’s clearly taught to be saved by grace through faith.

BAPTISM.

Is a BURIAL Col 2:12.

ADDS us to the church. Acts 2:41,47

PUTS on Christ. Gal 3:27

TAKES away (washes) or sins. Acts 22:16

It is INTO His death. Rom 6:3-4

SAVES us. 1Pet 3:21; Acts 16:31-33

MADE free from sin, and a new creation through Christ. Rom 6:3-4; 2Cor 5:17.

Can we Trust our COPY of the Bible?

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Modified from Manuscript evidence for superior 
New Testament reliability, CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS & RESEARCH MINISTRY  www.carm.org

Can we Trust the Authenticity of the BIBLE?

One of the criticisms of the Bible is that it has been perverted over the years and we don’t have an accurate copy of the Bible. For our discussion today we’ll focus on the accuracy of the New Testament.

The critics will only offer conjecture as evidence that the Bible is corrupted. However, to know if something is corrupt, one must have an accurate sample by which to compare.

That’s where this article comes in; to show that we do have ancient examples to compare that our newly printed Bibles are accurate to the original.

This article doesn’t attempt to lay out ALL of the evidence for the Authenticity of the Bible. It will focus on the availability of ancient copies dating as far back as the 2nd Century AD.

By just looking at the available COPIES of the New Testament and comparing them, we can be certain of its accuracy. We’ll note the number of copies found so far, the accuracy between those copies, and the earlies dates of those copies.

The bible teaches that early CHRISTIANS made COPIES for themselves and shared them with other CHRISTIANS. “And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea” (Col 4:16). These were circulated, copied, and shared with other Christians, and this during the time of the operation of the Holy Spirit and the lives of the Apostles. Any error was quickly rooted out and destroyed. (cf. 3John 10; 1Cor 4:21; 2Cor 12:20-21)

There exist very OLD copies and very OLD fragments of the New Testament. By comparing all available copies, especially the OLDEST ones, we can assemble a complete translation in our modern language. This is what the translators did in the early part of the 1600’s. The New Testament was penned as late as AD68 or 70. The oldest complete copy of the New Testament is the Codex Sinaiticus which dates to about AD350.

There are OLDER, and nearly complete, copies of the NT. The Codex Vaticanus is dated to around AD325. OLD fragments of nearly complete books of the NT can be traced as far back as AD150, and some as early as AD125. (Bodmer Papyrus, the Gospel of John; John Rylands Fragment of John’s Gospel). Consider this information as you continue to read about other ancient and accepted writings.

Authors such as PLATO (300-400 bc), Aristotle (384BC), and Homer (8th century BC), are accepted despite having very few surviving copies of their works. Homer’s Iliad has only 643 manuscripts. Aristotle only has 49 MSS. Plato only has 263 copies.

Compare these number to the number of copies of the NT. We have well over 5,600 manuscripts (MSS) of the New Testament, not counting copies in other languages (Coptic, Syriac, Armenian, Nubian), and not counting the multiple thousands of fragments of individual NT books dating as far back as AD150. Combine these with those copied into other languages and we are approaching 10,000 ancient copies of the NT. Following the rules of authenticity, the New Testament thoroughly passes this test..

Another reason you can trust the authenticity of the New Testament is by the number of YEARS between the writing and the number of copies. Those ancient writers of Plato, Aristotle, and Homer are separated from their copies by over 1,000 years in some cases. The ‘Clarke Plato’, the oldest manuscript for about half the dialogues of Plato, was written by John the Calligrapher in AD895. Homer wrote around 900BC, but the earlies copy of his work dates to 400BC. Aristotle lived in the 4th century BC, yet the earliest copy of his work dates to AD1100.

If scholars agree with the accuracy of those writers, (90% of the manuscripts agree in content), can we not therefore trust the accuracy of the New Testament? All of these copies of the NT, along with the various fragments, agree 99% with each other. If you assembled all of the discrepancies you could fit them on one sheet of a modern Bible. None of the differences changes the meaning of the text or alters anything about how to be saved. Besides, God is able to preserve His word as He says.

“For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you” (1Peter 1:24-25). Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matt 24:35).

Conclusion:

  • Early Christians made Copies of the originals for personal use and distribution. (Col 4:16)
  • The Oldest copies are more numerous than any other ancient work.
    •  5,600 Manuscripts, Thousands more in other languages, and tens of thousands of fragments of nearly complete books.
  • Plato, Aristotle, and Homer are accepted as accurate despite having fewer copies than the NT and being separated by 400-1,000 years from their original authorship.
  • The copies of the NT were written within 60 years of the original writings, far surpassing the works of other ancient writings.

Just on this information alone, one can trust that we have an accurate copy of the New Testament. Combine this with other evidence, both internal and external, we can be confident that we have God’s word preserved for us today. We CAN know the truth and the truth will set us free. (John 8:32)

Spencer

What if I Die on the way to BAPTISM?

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An objection to BAPTISM is often posed something like this…

“What if a person hears and believes the truth and desires to be baptized, but they get into a car accident and dies on the way to be baptized, will God still save them?”

This is a very emotional appeal to a not very likely scenario. But, since you asked, let us go to scripture and ask some more questions. Can one be saved without Confession, Repentance, or even belief?

Can we be saved without…

BURIAL in Him? Col 2:11-12

Can we be saved without…

ADDED to the church? Acts 2:38-47

APPEAL to God. 1Pet 3:21; Acts 23:16

Can we be saved without…

PUTTING on Christ? Gal 3:27

Can we be saved by…

TRANSGRESSING the command of Christ, (& Apostles)? Luke 6:46; Mark 16:16; 1Cor 14:37; 2Thess 1:7-9

Can we be saved without…

IMMERSION INTO the likeness of His death? Rom 6:3-4

Can we be saved without…

SINS washed away? Acts 22:16; Is not SAVED. 1Pet 3:21

Can we be saved without the urgency to obey at…

MIDNIGHT, MIDDAY, or in the MIDDLE of an INCONVENIENT time? Acts 16:33; 26:28

LET’S TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THE BIBLE.

What if Cornelius had Died before Peter came to him to “tell thee what thou oughtest to do.” (Acts 10:1-6). Would he have been saved? If not, why not? Some will have him be saved based solely on the intent of the heart.

What if the Eunuch died before he heard Jesus Preached to him by Philip (Acts 8:35)? Would he have been saved because of the intent of his heart? He was reading about Jesus in Isaiah.

We must be careful to teach the whole counsel of God. Baptism is essential to salvation, but not the ONLY thing that saves. This is why we read of the urgency of those who hear Jesus being preached. “And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?” (Acts 8:36; cf 16:33)

WHEN IS IT TOO LATE TO OBEY THE GOSPEL?

When life EXPIRES. Luke 12:19

When TIME is no more. Jas 4:14

Take TOO long. Acts 26:28

When you suffer brain damage through ACCIDENT, or Disease. Belief is essential to scriptural baptism. Mark 16:16.

When the LORD returns. 1Thess 4:13-18

4 Things we Get when we READ #1

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4 things we get when we READ. (Part 1)

READY to give and answer for the HOPE that is in you.

1 Peter 3:15 KJV

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

2 Peter 3:15-16 KJV

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;

Ephesians 3:3-4 KJV

How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, [4] Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

Bonus point…

We will discover the REASON to HOPE.

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.

Where we read we can be READY.

Let’s read the bible through in 2023

Here’s a link to some printable Bible reading Bookmarks.

If you live in the Borger area and would like to study the bible better, we invite you to one of our services with the church of Christ on Franklin and Juniper.

Can you Spot the DIFFERENCES?

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Evangelism is a “can you find the differences” game

The difference between…

Your church vs the Lord’s church.

Gal 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

2Cor 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

What you believe vs what the Bible teaches.

Acts 26:27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

What you did to be “saved” vs what the Bible says to be saved.

Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

How you worship vs what the Bible teaches about worship.

Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Mark 7:6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

CAN YOU SPOT THE DIFFERENCES?

The difference between what your pastor SAYS vs what the SCRIPTURE SAYS?

2Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

Acts 8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. 36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?

(when your pastor “preaches Jesus” would the listeners respond in the same way as the Eunuch?)

The difference between what you PRACTICE vs what the Bible says to PRACTICE?

1Cor 11:17 Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.
18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.

The difference between not OBEYING the gospel vs OBEYING the Gospel?

2Thess 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

The difference between false TEACHING of me vs the TEACHING (doctrine) of Christ?

2John 1:10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

For more study on this topic, click the link to the “we are different” page.

If you live in the Borger area, Would you like help to SPOT the differences and learn about true faith? Contact us and let us know.

Spencer is an evangelist for the Franklin & Juniper St church of Christ in Borger Texas.

What is GRACE pt1: it’s a GIFT of God

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“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”

(Eph 2:8)

There should be no doubt that Grace is a GIFT. Unfortunately, there is so much misunderstanding and confusion about Grace. Not because the scriptures are confusing (1Cor 14:33), but because there are so many opinions about it.

GRACE is a wonderful thing and ought to be understood by the faithful to fully appreciate it and to motivate us for better service to God.

This and the next four articles will be dedicated to some aspect of GRACE so we can “grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (2Peter 3:18)

This first article examines Grace as the GIFT of God as it is called in the passage above.

“…it is the GIFT of God.”

A gift has 2 parties, a Giver and a receiver. Grace is a Gift Given by God & Christ to the world (Titus 2:11). It is also given without merit on the part of the receiver. There is nothing redeeming about man that generated the gift, it was out of the love of God. “But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him” (Heb 2:6; cf. Job 7:17; Ps 8:4; 144:3)?

“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17) “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they” (Acts 15:11).

This Gift of Grace is pertaining to Salvation for mankind. “For by Grace you are saved through faith…” Another way of saying this is that the opportunity to be saved, the method, the plan, has been given as a Gift to undeserving people (Rom 5:8-10). As we shall see in the following points, NOT EVERYONE WILL PARTICIPATE IN, NOR ACCEPT THE GIFT OF GRACE. 

The Gift of Grace needs to be received (accepted), and it is possible to receive it IN VAIN (which is to try and apply grace on your own terms, without repentance).

“We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain” (2Cor 6:1).

Many are confused and deceived because it is taught that the Gift of Grace is given and applied universally. (Universalism is an error that teaches everyone will go to heaven even if it’s against their will, if they’re in unrepentant sins, or even an atheist). While Grace is a Gift for the whole world, not everyone will receive it, or worse, they receive it IN VAIN. To receive it IN VAIN is to make it of none effect.

It must also be noted that the GIFT of Grace may be received, but later one can FALL FROM GRACE.

“Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace” (Gal 5:4). And you can make it void; “I do not make void the grace of God: for if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nought” (Gal 2:21; ASV)

So you see, while GRACE is a GIFT for all, not everyone will receive (accept) it, nor will everyone remain in it.

Finally, it is THROUGH HIS GRACE & THROUGH OUR FAITH that saves.

“But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they” (Acts 15:11).

Critics will claim that if there is something a person must do to be saved, even a command from God, then it is no longer a GIFT. What they fail to realize is that God’s Gift of Grace is working THROUGH our faith (trusting belief) in God’s plan, and His Son. To obey God is not earning salvation, it’s trusting in His working THROUGH His Grace.

“In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead” (Col 2:11-12) [emph mine seb].

We see that the Gift of Grace is the opportunity, and the availability of salvation, but it must be received (accepted) in truth, faith, and obedience to God who is giving it and working through it. To believe is to obey as Paul wrote in Romans 10 (often ignored by the faith only crowd). “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report” (Rom 10:16)? Do you see how “obeyed” and “believed” are used inseparably?

The Ephesians were taught about Grace, and they were taught how to receive it, by being baptized into Christ (Acts 19:1-5). Paul would later write to them and say; “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph 1:7). Baptism is a part of God’s Grace in saving mankind, beginning with the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ (cf. Rom 6:3-4).

Jesus Gives the Gift of Grace through His sacrifice, making a way for all of mankind to be saved if they will believe it and obey it. “For by grace we are saved, it is the Gift of God.”

Spencer is an evangelist for the church of Christ at Franklin & Juniper in Borger, Texas.