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The purity, the perfection of the word of God
The purity, the perfection of the word of God
(bold is my emphasis) By John M. Whalen The LORD God is the source of the truth: God the Father is the truth(Psalms 31:5); The Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ is the truth(Jn. 14:6); God the Holy Ghost is the truth(Jn. 14:7). Only an absolute authority can provide absolute truth; all other truth is relative and changeable(Psalms 119:128). The Holy Bible is the source of the truth, if words are to have any meaning. I "take God at His word"-the simple definition of faith. He inspired it(2 Tim. 3:16), He preserved it, and it is without error, in 5th grade English. The Holy Bible's testimony , which it declares emphatically, is that it is "... impossible for God to lie..." (Heb. 6:18). The apostle Paul speaks of our God as one who "... cannot lie..." (Titus 1:2.), and scripture declares our God as "...a God of truth..."(Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalms 31:5, Isaiah 65:16). This same God declares that His word is perfect; there are no errors within it-none. Yes, folks! From Genesis through Revelation, the issue is final authority-it always has been. "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD...." Isaiah 1:18 Now, what is more "reasonable"?: "There is no perfect Bible-all of them have errors....no English translation is perfect or inerrant..." , or The Holy Bible is without error-it is perfect. This is scripture's testimony., its "witness": "How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove?" Job 6:25 "As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him." 2 Samuel 22:31 "And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is ! truth." 1 Kings 17:24 "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times." Psalms 12:6 "As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him." Psalms 18:30 "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple." Psalms 19:7 "For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth." Psalms 33:4 "Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it." Psalms 119:140 "And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; for I have hoped in thy judgments." Psalms 119:43 "Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever." Psalms 119:160 "Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, 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?" Proverbs 22:20,21 "Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him." Proverbs 30:5 "...the scripture of truth...." Daniel 10:21 "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." John 17:17 "But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God." 2 Corinthians 4:2 "By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,..." 2 Corinthians 6:7 "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,..." Ephesians 1:13 "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." 1 Thessalonians 2:13 "...the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." James 1:18 "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." 1 Peter 1:23 Furthermore, the Holy Bible also testifies of the praise, the reverence, the respect, the awe we are commanded to have for the word of God: "Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food" Job 23:12 "In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me." Psalms 56:4 "In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word." Psalms 56:10 "Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word." Psalms 119:161 "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." Psalms 138:2 "For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word." Isaiah 66:2 "And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord:....." Acts 13:48. "Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:..." 2 Thes. 3:1 The Holy Bible testifies of the reverence, the respect, and the honour we are commanded to display towards the LORD God's Holy Name: "Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious. " Psalms 66:2 If the Lord Jesus Christ's name is so precious to God the Father, and it is(Acts 4:12, 19:17; Philippians 2:9-10; Eph. 1:21; 2 Thes. 1:12 ; Hebrews 1:4), and if God's own "...great name..."(Jeremiah 44:26, Ezekiel 36:23), His "...holy name...."(the most often cited attribute of the LORD God and His name is "holy"-Mt. 6:9; Luke 1:49, 11:2.......) is even exalted above all blessing, praise, and "honour"(Psalms 66:2), and it is(Deut. 28:58; 2 Samuel 7:26, 22:50; 1 Kings 8:42; 1 Chron. 16:29, 17:24, 23:13, 29:13; Neh. 1:11, 9:5; Job 1:21; Psalms 8:1, 8:9, 29:2, 34:3, 44:8, 48:10, 52:9, 54:6, 61:5, 68:4, 69:30, 72:17, 72:19, 79:9, 86:9, 86:12, 96:2, 96:8, 99:3, 100:4, 103:1, 111:9, 113:1-3, 115:1, 135:1, 142:7, 145:1-2, 148:5,13; Isaiah 12:4, 24:15, 25:1, 29:23, 48:11, 56:6; Jer. 10:6, 34:16; Ez. 39:7; Daniel 2:20; Malachi 2:2; John 12:28 ; Rev. 15:4 ), and if God has magnified His word above His own name, and He did and has(Psalms 138:2), then this is not a trivial matter, nor a matter of "preference", or "usability/likeability". The integrity of our faith, the faith, is dependent on the integrity of the word of God, is dependent on the "sure word"(2 Peter 1:19, "For the word of the LORD" must be"...right....", if all of the works of the LORD, including our justification, are to be "done in truth"(Psalms 33:4). The authority of which we believers speak is dependent on the final authority of "the" Holy Bible, "the" word of God,"...the scripture of truth...."(Daniel 10:21), which "....is true from the beginning"(Psalms 119:160). My first priority as a Christian will always be: I will proclaim only that "message" that is derived from a "credible witness." If the witness is not credible, then "interpretation"="the MESSAGE", is divorced from objective reality. No interpretation, no "the Message", is worthwhile, or credible, if truth can still be considered truth despite ERRORS. If biblical certainty/assurance are lost, then biblical authority, and its resulting "interpretation"/"the MESSAGE" is impossible. If the biblical text is unreliable, then the Holy Bible's own claims about representing the full and objective truth about God cannot be substantiated or believed. The Holy Bible's authority to rule over us, to call us back to the LORD God, to offer justification and eternal life through the offence of the cross, and the resurrection, and any "interpretive methods", evaporates. And a discussion of the soundness of any interpretation, any understanding the LORD God's revelation of Himself, and His "blueprint" for all, is mere "going through the motions", "rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic", if the source for understanding these objective truths is flawed in any way. Therefore, if any supposed "the Holy Bible" claiming to be the word of God has errors, then it is not the word of God. And those who make the claim that the word of God can have errors, and still be considered the word of God, they are speaking not "...according to this word, it is because there is no light in them"(Isaiah 8:20). This I have learned from the Holy Bible's own testimony, if it is to believed. I take "God at His word"(the simple definition of faith), and it is that simple. Is this "reasonable"?: "There are no counterfeit bibles... all 'the Bibles' are the word of God.... ...All 'the Bibles' are the same........." Despite scripture's testimony, its "witness": "And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man's word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God." Jeremiah 23:36 "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." 2 Cor. 2:17 'Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.' 1 Peter 1:23 "Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? " 1 Cor. 5:6 "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." Galatians 5:9 "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." 2 Cor. 6:17 The battle line was drawn in Genesis(The "Seed Plot" of the Holy Bible) chapter three, and continues to this day. The enemy will always first attempt to "cut off" communication with the "soldiers"(2 Timothy 2:3,4) ) through the "the cares of this world"(Genesis 3:6 , Mark 4:19 ), and then "subtilely"(Gen. 3:1)corrupt the communication through sowing doubt and confusion, , "...Yea, hath God said.....?"(Gen. 3:1), which inevitably leads to changing/altering/ deleting that communication(Gen. 3:2-5) And thus Ecclesiastes 1:9 comes full circle.. But, still, in a spiritual application, the shout of Pharaoh, the enemy, resounds to this day: "And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice....?" Exodus 5:2. This Holy Bible has no errors-none. If it has errors, it is not the word of God-period. Now: ".... Who is on the LORD's side? let him come unto me ....." Exodus 32:26 This word of God, this "hammer", will eventually "breaketh" those that say otherwise-Jeremiah 23:29. To those who "pound the table", and in rebellion shout, "No English translation is perfect or inerrant-a perfect translation of the Bible is humanly impossible!," I say: Right. If you accept the "notion" that we have A LORD God who is as incompetent as his creation, then this statement may be legitimate. However, if you are a bible believer, not doubter, this statement is from the pits of hell. The LORD God, who created the universe, warms a mother's heart from the smile of her "little one", saved a miserable, no-good, rotten, filthy, depraved sinner like me, and raised His only begotten Son from the dead, just could not use His creation to preserve His word? Right. And of course, the LORD God used no-good, rotten sinners to communicate His word "originally", but was just "incapable" of preserving that same word without error in a translation! And, of course, a good portion of the NT was a Greek translation of the Hebrew OT. "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." Romans 14:12 A "Christian:"But LORD, A perfect translation of the Bible is humanly impossible........" An atheist:"A perfect translation of the Bible is humanly impossible...it has errors." An athest: "The resurrection is humanly impossible." All three of these conclusions/arguments are legitimate, assuming the premise("the supporting walls") is sound, i.e., man is responsible for these event's fulfillment(secular humanism/moderism)="humanly impossible." "Be still, and know that I am God." Psalms 46:10 "...With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." Mt. 19:26 "...With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." Mark 10:27 "For with God nothing shall be impossible." Luke 1:37 "And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God." Luke 18:27 "....neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he." Eccl. 6:10 Those who say "A perfect translation of the Bible is humanly impossible" had better hire a good attorney when that Romans 14:12 day arrives-and it will. To those who deny that the word of God is perfect, whether they be the lost, and face the "...great white throne..." judgment of Revelation 20:11, or those "in Christ", saved by the grace of God through the Lord Jesus Christ, and "...stand before the judgment seat of Christ..." per Romans 14:10-12, 2 Corinthians 5:10, I implore you: Put your hand on your heart,and listen to the heart beat. This is the drum cadence: for the lost, a funeral march; for the saved, "the countdown" to our rewards ceremony. But, either way, this beat is measuring all of our future appointment with a just, righteous, holy, and "...LORD God of truth..."(Psalms 31:5, Deuteronomy 32:4, Isaiah 65:16). "And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak." 2 Chronicles 18:13 In Christ and with Christ, In the Lord, John M. Whalen |
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Since God is all powerful, He would not restrict His Word to mere "fifth grade English", but in the KJB we are observing God's use of English. His use is high, yet accessible to anyone whom the Spirit gives comprehension to, that is, spiritual enlightenment. |
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