Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Bible Versions

Very good explanation of where the Bible versions came from. I've personally studied exactly what he's talking about and his history is right on. If you use a newer "version" I suggest you watch this. Its only 8 min., so enjoy.
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Saturday, December 23, 2006

Doctrinal Issue of NKJV vs. KJV

2 John 1:9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

Recently I have been involved in discussions with friends about the differences between the NKJV and the KJV. I am a KJVer and my position is not well liked, but I got backing. Backing from the Word! Here is an email I have sent my friends regarding this topic.

That is the question at hand. Does the NKJV change doctrine? Lets actually look into it. My words will be in red.


1 John 5:13 (King James Version)

13These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.



1 John 5:13 (New King James Version)

13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life,[a] and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.


Now the main difference here is the word continue in the NKJV. You see that it is in italics which means it is a word that is not in the original text and it is added in to make more sense. Why would they insert continue? This verse in the KJV is strong for eternal security but in the NKJV it makes it seem that if you don't have the words John writes then it is possible for you to fall away. Doctrinal change? You betcha.

Mark 15:36 (King James Version)

36And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.


Mark 15:36 (New King James Version)

36 Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink, saying, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down.”


The difference here is in the KJV it says vinegar and the NKJV it says "sour wine". Lets go to the prophecy of this passage in Psalm 69:21.

Psalm 69:21 (King James Version)

21They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.



Psalm 69:21 (New King James Version)

21 They also gave me gall for my food,
And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

Why would they change this? So now if you were trying to show someone prophecies fulfilled using the NKJV they would disprove you by saying the prophecy has to be exact, which it does, in the KJV.

Romans 1:25 (King James Version)

25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.



Romans 1:25 (New King James Version)

25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

The difference here is that the KJV is saying that these people took God's truth and changed it the NKJV is saying that these people kind of dropped God's truth and went on to something else. They in a way walked away from God. I now see why people who read the NKJV believe in walking away. The KJV is very strong on saying that nothing can take you out of the hand of God and that no temptation will ever be to great for you to handle. IF we could walk away then that would mean we were given a temptation that took us over, GOD PROMISES that will not happen.

John 1:3 (King James Version)

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


John 1:3 (New King James Version)

3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.


Huge difference here. KJV is stating here that every creation is made BY Christ, NKJV is stating that it was THROUGH Christ saying that He didn't make every thing. Interesting that the Witnesses "bible" uses the same words as the NKJV. The witnesses believe exactly that, that things were just made through Him and not actually by Him. ( I know I'm right on this because my grandparents are pretty much JW's)

Hebrews 10:14 (King James Version)

14For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.



Hebrews 10:14 (New King James Version)

14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

The KJV is saying that by Christs death on the cross Christians are sanctified but the NKJV is asserting that there is a sanctification process. How can one offering cover a process? Would there not have to be offerings?

1 Corinthians 1:18 (King James Version)

18For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.



1 Corinthians 1:18 (New King James Version)

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.

Who is saved and who is being saved? Maybe KJVers are saved and NKJVers are being saved? If you follow the NKJV reading then you would have to say the basis for salvation is whether or not you think the cross is foolishness. HUGE doctrinal difference. Is there a "being" saved?

2 Corinthians 2:15 (King James Version)

15For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:



2 Corinthians 2:15 (New King James Version)

15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing

Again, who is the "being" saved and who is saved?

Titus 3:10 (King James Version)

10A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;



Titus 3:10 (New King James Version)

10 Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition,



A difference? Most Definitely! NKJV is asserting that you should reject someone if they start up problems the KJV is saying you should reject someone if they try to advance false doctrine, hence a heretick vs. someone who is divisive.



1 Corinthians 1:22 (King James Version)

22For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:


Corinthians 1:22 (New King James Version)

22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;



The Jews in order to accept Christ NEED a sign from God (which they will get), they do not just WANT a sign from God.



Now with all these verses I challenge you to try and go back into the original Greek Tectus Receptus (T.R., which the NKJV claims is what they used) and see what the correct translations are concerning these verses. I think it might suprise you with the NKJV claiming to be a newer version of KJV how much they swayed to the New Greek Text which all other new age versions are built upon. If the NKJV truly used the T.R. then why in many, many passages do they use the same statements as the NASB, NIV, ESV, etc.? To check it out use this handy site www.biblegateway.com which posts all the versions for easy side by side comparison. Unfortunately it is powered by Zondervan and includes "versions" like The Message and Today's NIV (TNIV). But for these purposes it works.


So am I being "dogmatic" or simply standing up for the TRUE, INERRANT, Word of God?


HIS will, my desire
-James

Where do we draw the line?

Merry Christmas! ( And HECK yes we can say that!)
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Sunday, November 12, 2006

Are we walking in the Spirit?

Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

This verse has especially stood out to me in the past few weeks and months. We all now know about Rev. Haggard's situation and the problem with going by ourselves into this spiritual battle. Only Christ can take us away from our earthly lusts and desires. As Galatians 5:16 says that if we walk in the Spirit we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
People, where are our hearts desires? Are they with Christ or are they with the world? We cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24) he will either hate one and love the other or hold to one and despise the other. We are God's children and we need to deny our lusts and walk in the way of the Spirit for that is the ONLY way we can achieve the goal of being totally Christs and getting completely rid of the old man and taking on the new man.
The Church as a whole is going out of the way. Are we going to go with it?

His will, my desire
Big Jimmy
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Sunday, October 29, 2006

Baby Got Book

If you like girls with big Bibles your really going to like this video!
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Saturday, October 28, 2006

Understanding and Defending TULIP

2 John 1:9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

As most of you know I am a 5 point Calvinist. For those of you that don't know what that is it is the system of theological points that John Calvin put together. Now I would like to point out that Calvin wasn't the first to believe these things but the first to put them together into what we have now, the 5 points. The points are 1. Total Depravity 2. Unconditional Election 3. Limited Atonement 4. Irresitable Grace and 5. Perseverance of the Saints (eternal security).
Many people today confuse 5 point Calvinism with so called "hyper"- calvinism (*cough* Ergun Caner). This is not so. "Hyper"-calvinism would say God has fun and thoroughly enjoys the damnation of the wicked. You will see why this is not true in my platform on TULIP (the acronym for the 5 points). Calvinism fully rests on God's sovereign will and His grace.
(Most of you that know me might have already seen this platform before, everything is the same except I have added even more verses than I had before). It would make it easier for you if you read with a Bible in hand for I couldn't write out every verse in there because of length. Enjoy!

Total Depravity:

This point states that man is desperately wicked and we can do nothing to achieve the salvation of Jesus Christ. Except of grace alone.

Man’s heart is evil (Mark 7:21-23)

Mark 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Man is a slave of sin (Rom. 6:20).

Romans 6:20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

He does not seek for God (Rom. 3:10-12).

Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

He cannot understand spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14).

1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

He is at enmity with God (Eph. 2:15).

And, is by nature a child of wrath (Eph. 2:3).

Calvinism also maintains that because of our fallen nature we are born again not by our own will but God’s will (John 1:12-13);

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

God grants that we believe (Phil. 1:29);

faith is the work of God (John 6:28-29);

John 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

God appoints people to believe (Acts 13:48);

Acts 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

God predestines (Eph. 1:1-11; Rom. 8:29; 9:9-23).

For with God all things are possible (Mark 10:27)

Unconditional Election:

God does not base His election on anything He sees in the individual. He chooses the elect according to the kind intention of His will (Eph. 1:4-8; Rom. 9:11) without any consideration of merit within the individual. Nor does God look into the future to see who would pick Him. Also, as some are elected into salvation, others are not (Rom. 9:15, 21).

God elected Israel before they even knew Him: (Isa. 45:4)

The elect shall be saved in the last days: (Mt. 24:22)

Things determined before hand (Acts 4:28)

Acts 4:28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

Chosen those to salvation (2 Thess. 2:13)

2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

The father gives to the Son (John 6:37), (John 6:65)

John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

John 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

John 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

2 Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.


Limited Atonement:

This is the most controversial and questioned point of TULIP. It states that Christ died only for those He elected. People against this point will use verses like 1 Tim. 2:4, 1 Tim. 4:10, and Tit. 2:11.

Now 1 Tim. 2:4 says that He will have all men, to be saved. If we look into the original Greek used here will have in Greek is thelo which means to be inclined to, desire, or wish.

In 1 Tim. 4:10 where it says Savior of all men, specially of those that believe, we can take this two ways that 1. Savior means deliverer or preserver, as used in Job 7:20 and Psalms 107:28. If we used it this way than it would say that Christ will deliver everyone from their troubles especially those that believe or 2. that Christ is the common Savior of all men and that even those who don’t believe he is still the savior of. Which would mean the only way you could come to Christ was if you were totally willing and you would make the choice out of your own free will. Now the thing here is how can we ever be willing if we cannot understand spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14) and since we don’t seek God by ourselves (Rom. 3:10-12) than how can we choose Him out of our own free will?

With Tit. 2:11 it says that Salvation through the grace of God has appeared to all men means that salvation has come for everyone, the rich, the poor, the high, the low, etc. but man cannot seek or understand God so therefore cannot make the decision of salvation by himself willingly, because they will be saved by the grace of God according to His sovereign will!

1Tim. 2:4. Christ was given as a ransom for everyone including non- Jews. The Jews at this time were saying that to be a Christian you need to become a Jew but Paul was telling them that Christ was not just for the Jews but for the gentiles, Paul was trying to explain to the Jewish Christians that you can become a Christian without becoming a Jew first!

Now the verses that support Limited Atonement:

Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Ephesians 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the *purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

*that means God’s elect, Christians are HIS purchased possession! He did not purchase the world.

John 17:9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

If Christ died for everyone than why did Christ only pray for His elect here? If Christ was going to die for everyone He would pray for the world!

Proverbs 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Matthew 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Matthew 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Many means many, not all. The Bible also says that many will be deceived and many will be false prophets (Mt. 24:1), and we all know that everyone isn’t deceived or a false prophet. So why is it so hard for a free will person to openly admit that Mt. 24:11 means many, but yet Mt. 20:28, 26:28 must mean all, of course not, it’s the same word and it has the same meaning!

1 Peter 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

Jude 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Irresistible Grace:

When God calls his elect into salvation, they cannot resist. God offers to all people the gospel message. This is called the external call. But to the elect, God extends an internal call and it cannot be resisted. This call is by the Holy Spirit who works in the hearts and minds of the elect to bring them to repentance and regeneration whereby they willingly and freely come to God. Some of the verses used in support of this teaching are Romans 9:16 where it says that "it is not of him who wills nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy";Philippians 2:12-13 where God is said to be the one working salvation in the individual; John 6:28-29 where faith is declared to be the work of God; Acts 13:48 where God appoints people to believe; and John 1:12-13 where being born again is not by man’s will, but by God’s.

All that the father gives will come to Christ (John 6:37) *see end of Total Depravity section

Now this point is challenged by verses such as Acts 7:51

Acts 7:51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.

Acts 7:51 is about the Jews who by the will of God are resisting the Holy Spirit. God was allowing the Jews to resist the Holy Spirit because God has a much greater plan in store for the Jews. God himself hardened the Jews hearts. We see that today as the Jews are some of the hardest people to witness to just as their forefathers were.


Perseverance of the Saints:

You cannot lose your salvation. Because the Father has elected, the Son has redeemed, and the Holy Spirit has applied salvation, those thus saved are eternally secure. They are eternally secure in Christ. Some of the verses for this position are John 10:27-28 where Jesus said His sheep will never perish; John 6:47 where salvation is described as everlasting life; Romans 8:1 where it is said we have passed out of judgment; 1 Corinthians 10:13 where God promises to never let us be tempted beyond what we can handle; and Phil. 1:6 where God is the one being faithful to perfect us until the day of Jesus’ return.

John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

2 Corinthians 1:22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

All praise and glory go to the almighty God!

Sola Fide,
Big Jimmy


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