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 | | From: | admin | | Subject: | Preservation or Restoration #5 | | Date: | Sat, 13 Nov 2004 14:52:41 GMT |
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 | The following is a continuing post from the Book "Which Version is the
Bible" by Floyd Nolen Jones. Chapter 1, pages 8,9
Which Version is the Bible? Ó
Copyright 1995 · Floyd Jones Ministries, Inc.
All Rights Reserved. This book may be freely reproduced in any form as long
as it is not distributed for any material gain or profit; however, this book
may not be published without written permission.
WOLVES PARADING AS SHEEP
In Acts 20, Paul warned that wolves would come in amongst us and not spare
the flock; that from among our own selves men would arise with perverse
things to say drawing away disciples unto themselves. With tears in his
eyes, Paul cautioned us to beware, and he did not cease issuing this warning
day and night. Indeed, Jesus taught that there would be wolves coming into
the flock of God in sheep's clothing (Mat.7). Such a wolf cannot be
recognized easily. It looks like a sheep. Revelation l3 speaks of a false
prophet with horns of a lamb but when he opens his mouth, he speaks with the
voice of the dragon. So these wolves appear as sheep in order to deceive
and to devour.
The church at large is inattentive and dulled to these warnings. We tend to
think because someone has been to the seminary, has on a white collar with
robe, holds his hands in a pious manner with a devout look upon his face,
says he is a minister, perhaps speaks in tongues, and says nice things about
Jesus, that he is a man of God.
Even demons say nice things about Jesus. The first demonic person
encountered by Jesus in the Book of Mark was at the synagogue (church). The
demon possessed person said, "I know who you are. You are the Holy One of
God." He spoke well of Jesus but did not speak the whole truth.
Jesus is Jehovah God - the Creator - come in the flesh! The demon did not
give forth the full import as to Jesus' personage, but he did say something
nice about Him. Today we get lulled to sleep with people who say some nice
things about Jesus. But both Jesus and Paul said beware for there are
wolves in sheep's clothing. Today these wolves are in the flock as
preachers, scholars, seminary professors, teachers etc. and they are
attacking the Word of God while the unsuspecting sheep graze on unaware.
WHEN DID THE WOLVES BEGIN TO DEVOUR THE WORD?
Corruption of the New Testament text had begun by the time of Paul. The
following was preserved for us by the Holy Spirit through Paul in II
Corinthians 2:17: "For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God ...
...." Bible corruption, beginning in the garden of Eden, was out of control as
early as the time of Paul. In other words, when the original apostles were
here, they had trouble over the purity of the Bible text. This is confirmed
and enlarged upon in II Corinthians 4:2:
"But we have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in
craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully ... ."
Thus even in Paul's day, when it was still possible to appeal to the New
Testament "autographs", there were those who were handling the Word of God
deceitfully and many were corrupting it.
Peter adds that all of Paul's writings were Scripture and that men were
wrestling against them at the cost of the destruction of their own souls (II
Peter 3:16).
If many were corrupting the Word of God during the days of the Apostles, it
is possible that we could find a first century document which did not
contain the original reading. It could have been altered and thus be
corrupt even though very old for Paul and Peter said many were corrupting
the Word of God in the first century A.D.
People today are reading from so many different translations that they begin
to believe that they can translate or interpret the Bible in any way they
desire. The King James Bible says that there is but "one" interpretation of
Scripture (although there are many applications).
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private
interpretation. For the prophecy came not at any time by the will of man,
but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (II Peter
1:20, author's emphasis).
God says there is only one interpretation - and that is His. Man does have
a free will and he may chose to believe anything he wishes, but he will
answer and give an account to God for it.
GPD BLESS,
STEVE
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