“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” Isa. 40:8
There is teaching that is at the crux of why many disobey God, and it has been the cause of many deaths and tragedies since man’s beginning. This doctrine insists that the Bible is not the only means of instructions from God to man.
In its place, religions add to or interject their own writings, teachings, traditions, and even their own ideas. Many even integrate these with the Bible, but still it only leaves “… a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof …” (II Timothy 3:5). Watered-down religion or one with non-biblical beliefs does not have the full power that total obedience to the Bible would bring.
Mormonism adds their Book of Mormon, along with some usage of the Bible. Jehovah Witnesses also add their pamphlets and Watchtower publications to their edited “bible.” Roman Catholicism adds traditions of the church, catechisms, leadership of the Pope, and other church hierarchy to their own edition of the Bible. Islam rejects the Bible by using their own Quran (although some of it contains some of what Mohammed learned from the Word of God and the Jews). There are some additional teachings taught in some Baptist and Protestant churches. Too many add something; rather than put all their faith and obedience in the Word of God only.
The King James Bible clearly states in II 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 root of the word “inspiration” is “inspire.” “Inspire” means “to breathe into.” The entire Bible is breathed into by God.
God’s truth is breathed into it. His likes and dislikes, desires for us, and the way for us to live are breathed into the Book that He has preserved for us from man’s beginning. The Bible teaches us all God wants us to know. God was not absent-minded and forgot to add something or had the wrong word recorded. The doctrines within the Bible’s pages tell us when we are wrong and tell us how to live correctly. Adding to the Word of God, or even subtracting from it, negates what God “breathed” into it.
Forty-eight times the King James refers to the “word of God.” Two hundred and fifty-six times the “word of the Lord” is mentioned. The same God that spake to His people in the past breathed into the copy we have preserved for us today. Just the fact that it is called “the Word of God” should make one shudder at changing it or adding other teachings. If God has recorded His Word for us to have today, what business does any man, leader, or religion have in altering or adding to it?
God said in Isaiah 40:8, “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” He promised that we would always have His Word with us. It has always baffled me that folks would believe that their religion’s recent additions or traditions could be from God, when they were not always with us; as Isaiah 40:8 promised His Word would be.
The biblical writer, Paul, also had similar problems with people adding more to their beliefs other than the scriptures. When the Apostle Paul wrote to Titus he wanted the Cretians reminded not to give “heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth” (Titus 1:14). Paul boldly called them “liars” and “evil beasts” for their adding to what the Word of God taught. Although they said they knew God, Paul discerned they were denying God by their disobedience to the Word of God (Titus 1:16).
Today, as God’s tolerance of man’s sin is nearing an end, we are facing more and more of changed doctrine — just as the Bible prophesied! In II Timothy 4:3-4 we were forewarned, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” More people are changing from pure, Bible-only teaching to adding things as they see fit.
The act of diluting, distorting, or adding to the Word of God is certainly confusing many today. Intellectuals and “scholars” are swaying many to their traditions and beliefs with their different translations, revisions, and interpretations of the Bible.
The key to easily understanding who is probably behind the different bibles is in the word “confusion.” Since “… God is not the author of confusion.” (I Corinthians 14:33), it cannot be He that is behind the altering of His Word in the over 200 different English “bibles” written in the last 75 years. Although, the count varies depending on who counts and how it is counted, it is safe to say that there are 10,000’s of words changed or omitted in the new versions; such as the New International version (NIV), New King James Version, and ALL other perversions of God’s Word.
It probably is the same influence that got Adam and Eve to question what God really had said in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1) – “… Yea, hath God said ….” The same Satan that tempted the first man and woman to question God’s commandment is hard at work in changing God’s Word today and getting modern man to doubt it.
Not one of the modern perversions of God’s word says exactly the same as another, and not one agrees with what the oldest, preserved King James says — including the New King James Version. Satan knows he can confuse man regarding what God wants, if the Word of God is changed or hidden from him. A God that never changes would not breathe differently into the different translations, revisions, and interpretations; as the publishers of the many bibles would like us to believe.
If one word of the Bible were to be changed, that would be serious non-preservation of God’s Word. Yet 10,000s? God is certainly not changing His teachings all the time. As the title of Dr. Mickey Carter’s book on biblical preservation states, “Things That Are Different Are Not the Same.”
We are to read, believe, and obey only the Word of God. We are not to add nor subtract (Deut. 4:2, Prov. 30:5-6, Rev. 22:18-19) any teachings from His Word as preserved in the King James Bible. If it is done, we will not get God’s full guidance and message.
God’s Word should be the only word that guides us through this life and into the next eternal one! After all, it is His Heaven and His eternity, only He knows all about it!
“God’s Word is pure and sure, in spite of the Devil, in spite of your fear, in spite of everything.” — R. A. Torrey
I re read this and the comments today. What a blessing this devotion is to me!
God’s word is the same today as it was last year. It is still a miracle that works miracles in people’s lives.
Everyone give some thought today to how God ordered the printing and distribution of his word…. Going back to Martin Luther and others who began to read scripture as it was intended…as God’s Holy Word. This coincided with a couple of things in the same era….The reformation of the church, the renaissance, where large numbers of people gained access to the printed word and to education and the ability to read, and finally movable type printing presses and lower cost books.
God ordered all these things together to create a situation where there were people who could read with easy access to printed material.
A little later, disagreement arose over what the Canon should actually consist of…which was settled in the early 1600’s by King James and an unlikely team of men. It was a miracle that James was King of England at all….the Son of Mary queen of Scotts, who was executed by her cousin Queen Elizabeth, was a Catholic. Her son would then fall under the jurisdiction of those that had him educated by one of the foremost protestant thinkers of the day…George Buchanon. James is reputed to be one of the most skilled and educated linguists ever. The work of the translators of the Bible was no mystery to him. So a boy born catholic ended up acceding to the thrones of Ireland, Scotland, and England…a miracle all by itself. He was uniquely prepared by God to put together those that disagreed about what scripture should consist of to do the great translation work of the KJV.
That is a tip of the iceberg…the whole series of events is miracle after miracle…culminating with the production of the 1611 KJV Bible, God’s Word for us.
You are right that is only the “tip of the iceberg” of why the KJV is the inspired, preserved Word of God. Yet, the majority of the preachers in the world (including in other languages where the same Hebrew, Arabic, and Greek texts are also used) refuse to look under the water of the matter and see the proof. They look above water and use the polluted texts that everyone else is using. Sad! They are depriving so many of the real power of God preserved in His true word. Their error is highly responsible for the condition Christianity is in today!
Great discourse on the authority of scripture, Bro Brinkworth!
Metholists are the same they do a lot of catholic stuff .
There are still good Bible-believing Methodists. At one time most Methodists were close to what the Bible teaches. They used to send many missionaries, and won many to the Lord. The majority started falling away when the phony Bible’s were adopted in the 1930’s. Later, like most religions, they allowed too much of the world to creep in. That is what destroyed many denomonations that were once straighter than they are now. Unfortunately, this includes many Baptists, also.
Most bible believing protestants wouldn’t accept “The Book of Mormons” another testament of Jesus Christ they claim, but most people will accept “another” translation of the Bible! Hmmm!
Yes, unfortunately so many do not have discernment or understanding about the bible issue, and accept the newest perversion that is on the market.
Bible believers are not necessarily “protestants.” “Protestants” refers to those that earlier protested the false, teachings of the Catholic church. They came out of the false religion, but not fully out. That is why so many protestant religions still have the trapping of Catholicism.
When my parents were alive, and I visited them, I went to their Presbyterian church (definitely Protestant) several times out of politeness. I was horrified at of all the Catholic mumbo-jumbo that was in their services; even transubutation (spelling?), good works, and of course, infant baptism.
Bible believers knew better and never had anything to do with “popery”. So they never had to come out of Catholicism because they were never in it. Unfortunately, since so many churches do not strictly adhere to the KJV many have drifted too close to protestanism and it is hard to tell them apart anymore.
Yet if one compares the 1611 KJV to the one now [ not speaking of the newer ones ] one sometimes finds a puncation is misplaced and such then look at the coverdale bible also look in the 1611 and the bible today has changed God’s name in it . So when I do these lessons and if I am not sure I look in the old .
The King James 1611 had several changes done to it up to 1769. The KJV that most read today is the 1769 version. All the 400 changes from the 1611 to the 1769 version were spelling and grammatical changes, as the written English language developed and became consistent. Compare those minimal changes to the over 60,000* alterations reportedly changed in the New King James Version from the 1th version to the 5st version.
Miles Coverdale’s version is in the family tree of KJV, but he was not a translator. He was an editor. His work was a revision of Tyndale’s work, comparing it with other German and Latin versions. It never really had overall acceptance.
The Geneva Bible which you mentioned in the past may be a little more reliable. It was the first English Bible translated entirely out of the original languages. Sometime it is called the third revision of Tyndale’s Bible as it was a revision of Tyndale’s work.
I would stick to the KJV, and fi you like the challenge, maybe the original KJV.
Amen! I was talking to a man yesterday that asked me do I believe the account of Noah’s Arc, and I said “Yes!” I told Him I believed it because God said it happened in His Word! I told him that I believed everything in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, no matter how silly or impossible it sounded!
God bless you Bro. Bill and all those that comment today!