Category: King James Bible Authority

The New Testament Scriptures

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26 KJV).

During Christ’s earthly ministry, there were no New Testament Scriptures. In fact, according to Luke 24:44, the only Scripture at that time was “the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms” (Old Testament). But, God’s Word still needed 27 other books—what we call the New Testament—in order to complete His revelation to man.

In today’s Scripture, Jesus explains to His apostles that the Holy Ghost will later bring to their mind the words He spoke to them. It is generally agreed that the first New Testament books written may have been the Four Gospel Records (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), written no more than 40 years after Calvary. These four books record the very words that Jesus Christ spoke during His earthly ministry.

During the 40-year period between Calvary and A.D. 70, the Holy Ghost revealed the New Testament Scriptures. For instance, the Apostle Paul wrote, “I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 12:1). Paul understood that Jesus Christ would appear to him at later times to reveal further information (see Acts 26:16).

Moreover, the spiritual gifts of Romans 12:6-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:8-10,28-31 held together the early Body of Christ, until the canon of the Scripture was completed. The term “canon” (from the Greek “kanon,” meaning “rule”) collectively describes the 66 books of the Bible. Consequently, the 39 Old Testament books and the 27 New Testament books comprise the Biblical canon.

There would come a point, however, when that spiritual gift program would cease operation, as God’s full revelation (the completed Bible) would be accomplished (1 Corinthians 13:8-13; Colossians 1:25). Once Paul wrote 2 Timothy, the Bible was completed (see 2 Timothy 3:16,17). Thus, revelations from God have stopped. Today, illumination is the method whereby God the Holy Spirit, through His written, completed Word, teaches us (1 Corinthians 2:9-16; 1 Corinthians 14:37; Ephesians 3:4).

The Hebrew Bible

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

“And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me” (Luke 24:44 KJV).

In today’s Scripture, after His resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ opens the minds of His apostles so that they understand what happened to Him on Calvary (His suffering, death, burial, and resurrection, as foretold by the Old Testament prophets; cf. Acts 8:26-35 and 1 Peter 1:10,11). Notice how He made specific reference to the organization of the Old Testament Scriptures.

The Hebrew Bible that exists today in Judaism is identical to the one of which Jesus spoke in today’s Scripture. Like in Jesus’ day, it is divided into three elements: “the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms.” Basically, it is the text of our Old Testament, just with combined books and a different book order. For instance, Chronicles is the last book in the Hebrew Bible, whereas the last book of our Old Testament is Malachi.

Moreover, there are 24 books in the Hebrew Bible compared to our 39 Old Testament books. (This is because 1&2 Samuel was originally one book; same with Kings and Chronicles.) (Ezra and Nehemiah comprise one book, not two like in our Old Testament.) (Hosea to Malachi is one giant book.)

These 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, as Jesus indicated, are divided into three sections:

  1. The Torah/the Law/Chumash—Moses’ five books of Genesis to Deuteronomy
  2. The Prophets/Nabum—Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the twelve minor prophets of Hosea to Malachi
  3. The Writings/Psalms/Kethubim—Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Chronicles

Notice how the above list correlates with today’s Scripture: “(1) in the law of Moses, and (2) in the prophets, and (3) in the psalms.” What is missing? The apocryphal books! According to Jesus Christ, and today’s Hebrew Bible, Rome’s seven to thirteen apocryphal books were never part of the Old Testament.

Save Thyself and Thy Audience!

Monday, November 21, 2011

“Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee” (1 Timothy 4:16 KJV).

Timothy, according to 1 Timothy 1:1,2, was already saved (having trusted in Jesus Christ’s shed blood and resurrection). So, why did Paul write in today’s Scripture that Timothy could save himself and those who heard him?

Paul instructed Timothy to continue in sound Bible doctrine (see 1 Timothy 4:12-15). In doing so, Timothy would save himself from false teaching (religion), and Timothy teaching the Bible “rightly divided” would save others from false teaching. Hell and religion destroy your soul. You need to be saved from both.

Today, sound Bible teaching is scarce, even within many so-called “Bible-believing” churches. Over 2,000 years’ worth of church tradition and human viewpoint have muddled and obscured the Bible’s glorious truths. Many Christians quote the Bible, claiming passages given to someone else (Israel).

There are many true, Holy Spirit-indwelt believers whose souls have been saved by Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork, but who have never been saved from false teaching. The Galatians were saved from hell, yet they did not believe sound doctrine. So, they struggled to obey Israel’s program (Galatians 3:1-3).

We want to save ourselves from disappointment and deception. Our faith should rest in God’s Word to us, not God’s Word to someone else (Israel). Moreover, we should not trust in man’s word, but God’s Word.

How do we save ourselves and our audience from vain religious tradition and denominationalism? The Bible says in 2 Timothy 2:24-26: “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”

The key to saving thyself and thy audience from false teaching is to study, believe, and teach the Bible God’s way, using dispensational Bible study, “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Unbelief, the Idiocy of Academia

Monday, November 14, 2011

“Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise” (1 Corinthians 3:18 KJV).

Of the ten major problems in Corinth, human viewpoint (wisdom) is the one that the Apostle Paul addresses in today’s Scripture. Understand that God is not anti-education: learning in and of itself is not evil. But, as the Holy Sprit through Paul teaches here, never expect to gain God’s wisdom by using human viewpoint (human intellect). Why?

Seminaries and Bible colleges are prestigious in man’s eyes, but God despises most of them because they are breeding grounds for unbelief. These institutions, where we would think faith in God’s Word would be encouraged, are oftentimes nothing more than glorified pagan temples that promote doubt in God’s Word! Furthermore, they emphasize the importance of the non-extant (non-existing) original Bible manuscripts instead of trusting the Bible’s existing manuscript copies.

For 2,000 years, heretical, educated minds have misled Christians, but Christians could retaliate by fleeing to the Bible’s doctrine. So, especially within the past 130 years, sinful academia (coupled with satanic influence) began to infiltrate the Bible itself! Bible scholars, “textual critics,” have emphasized scholarship and education to the extent that they have changed the Bible text! This is why Christendom has been deluged with nearly 200 modern “revised” (corrupted) English Bibles.

Textual critics believe that errors crept into the Bible over the centuries of its text’s transmission. Accordingly, they claim that God has commissioned them to “purify” His Word to its original readings. This is a blatant rejection of the promise that God would preserve His words perfectly forever (Psalm 12:6,7; Psalm 33:11; Psalm 100:5; Matthew 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33; et al.). God can do (and has done) without these arrogant, Bible-correcting “scholars.”

“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain” (1 Corinthians 3:19,20).

Beloved, clutch your King James Bible tightly, and never let it go!

The Jitterbug Jesus Crowd

Thursday, November 10, 2011

“But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come” (1 Timothy 4:7,8 KJV).

You need not visit local nightclubs for free dance lessons. Simply attend a church whose “worship” service embraces contemporary “Christian” music. There, you witness churchgoers boogieing to the rhythms of the flesh. One Christian brother aptly termed them the “jitterbug Jesus” crowd. In religious ecstasy, they raise their hands, convulse, jump pews, laugh uncontrollably, and utter gibberish (modern-day “tongues”). Behold the charismatic movement.

Twenty years ago, a Christian friend of mine left his local church for doctrinal reasons (my parents also left that church around that time). Recently, he informed me that he revisited it some weeks ago. The brother was amazed at how the church had changed… for the worse!

To his horror, unlike his previous visits, drum beating was commonplace during “worship.” Rather than traditional hymns, the churchgoers sang unfamiliar, modern songs that made their bodies really move. Furthermore, they had abandoned the King James Bible for an overhead display of the depraved NIV! In disgust, he left that church for the second time, perhaps to never return (fortunately).

Apostasy and heresy have infiltrated many so-called “Bible-believing, fundamental, evangelical” churches. The very churches that were once the best of the worst have now spiritually declined to fulfill ranks just above the cults. Frightening indeed!

Who goes to church for Bible study? Precious few! Most just go for entertainment. After one hour of jumping and shouting, the preacher tells many jokes, quotes a verse or two, and everyone hurries home. Beloved, today’s Scripture declares, “bodily [fleshly] exercise profiteth little!” Spiritual highs are temporary. Contrariwise, “godliness,” or sound Bible teaching (1 Timothy 4:6; 1 Timothy 6:3-6), is extremely profitable, both in this life and that which is to come.

Few churches teach and preach the King James Bible rightly divided, whose men and women unashamedly oppose the charismatic movement. We stand with them and thank God they stand with us!

Oh That My Words Were Printed in a Book!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

“Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!” (Job 19:23,24 KJV).

The book of Job is perhaps the world’s oldest book. Written over 3,500 years ago, its protagonist is a believing Jew who is humbled through a series of satanic attacks (Job 1:6–2:10). Job, rebuking his friends (or “miserable comforters;” Job 16:2), declares in today’s Scripture that he wishes his words “were printed in a book!” Job knew not that the Holy Ghost would make this come to pass.

God, in His omniscience (all-knowledge), selected these events of Job’s life to become the theme for one of the books within His Book, the Holy Bible. Jewish Job was patient and faithful during his satanic attacks. How he suffered, but he refused to curse God (Job 1:20-22; Job 2:9-12)—in fact, Job worshipped God during his suffering (Job 1:20)!

From the New Testament book of James, we learn why Job is part of God’s Word. “Take, my brethren, the prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy” (James 5:10,11).

In the future, the believing remnant of Israel will have to endure suffering in the seven-year Tribulation. They need comfort and encouragement, so the books of Hebrews through Revelation address the period of time after the rapture (that is, the remainder of Israel’s prophetic program).

God preserved the words of Job in order to encourage Jews living 3,500 years in the future! WOW! James encourages the Tribulation Jewish believers to follow Job’s righteous example during suffering. Just as God brought Job through Satan’s attacks, so God will faithfully bring them through the Tribulation and into their kingdom.

This is just one proof that the doctrine of Bible preservation is necessary and forever.

Two Secret Comings of Christ

Saturday, November 5, 2011

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,” (1 Corinthians 15:51 KJV).

The Old Testament prophets foretold Israel’s coming Messiah. Psalm 22 and Isaiah chapter 53 described a suffering and dying Messiah. Isaiah 9:6,7 and Zechariah 14:1-4 prophesied a Messiah who would win battles for Israel and ultimately be her King. The prophets could not understand how one Messiah could fulfill both roles (1 Peter 1:10,11), so they wondered if there were two Messiahs.

In hindsight, on this side of Calvary, we understand that there is one Jesus Christ, but His coming described in the Old Testament is actually two comings. Christ came to Israel 2,000 years ago to die and resurrect (His First Coming), but He will one day return to Israel as King (His Second Coming).

But, we Berean Bible students understand that God kept our Dispensation of Grace a secret from those Old Testament prophets (Romans 16:25,26; Ephesians 3:5,9; Colossians 1:25-27). Until the ascended Lord Jesus Christ revealed it to Paul, God never told anyone of a secret time period between those two comings of Christ. So, in addition to two prophesied comings of Christ (His earthly ministry and His millennial reign as King), there are two secret comings of Christ in Scripture.

Our Dispensation of Grace opened in Acts chapter 9, when the ascended Lord Jesus Christ appeared to Saul (later the Apostle Paul) on the road to Damascus (Acts 26:13-18). Instead of pouring out His wrath, which should have occurred after the Jews stoned their prophet Stephen in Acts chapter 7 (Acts 7:55,56 cf. Psalm 110:1), God poured out His grace on Saul and saved him! This coming of Christ to open our dispensation, save Saul, and make him Paul the Apostle, was unknown to the Old Testament prophets.

Likewise, there is a secret coming of Christ to conclude our dispensation and take us (the Body of Christ) to heaven. The rapture, a “mystery” (secret) unknown to the Old Testament, is only revealed in Paul’s epistles (today’s Scripture).

You only see these marvelous truths when you study the Bible dispensationally.

No Feel-Good Message

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

“From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him” (John 6:66 KJV).

Our Lord Jesus Christ was loving and kindhearted, the meekest man who ever lived. However, He boldly spoke God’s truth, even if it meant offending most of His audience. If you defend the rightly divided King James Bible, expect some of your audience to be irritated and offended. Do not compromise, for God’s preferences are always unpopular with mankind.

Unfortunately, modern-day Christendom disagrees with the Lord Jesus’ approach. Visit today’s “inspirational” bookshelves. Notice visages and names of “Christian” celebrities, authors of heretical books that teach health and wealth (the multi-volume “Spiritual Larceny Series”).

Today, most people seek a “loving Jesus,” a non-offensive “Sunday school teacher” who offers brief counsel sessions, instant healing and deliverance, and great material riches. They deliberately overlook the true Jesus, the righteous Judge who will not overlook man’s sin. Listen to the garbage on “Christian” television networks, radio stations, and websites. Even those with the most perverted theological persuasions see and hear something they like! This is reminiscent of what the Jews told God’s prophets (Isaiah 30:10): “Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth [“feel-good”] things, prophesy deceits [lies!]:”

Man in his natural state hates God; he is God’s enemy. “The carnal mind is enmity against God” (Romans 8:7a). Our Lord Jesus Christ never spoke to entertain His audience. He taught them doctrine that would save their soul! Before it is saved, a soul will become uncomfortable. It realizes that it is headed for hell, in desperate need of salvation—salvation that it cannot provide itself.

Offended individuals in today’s Scripture permanently left Jesus Christ. His righteous statements insulted them. They saw their need for Him, the Bread of Life, and their wicked hearts despised Him.

The Gospel of Grace—Christ dying for our sins, His burial, and His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)—is no feel-good message. Christ’s finished work on Calvary is always offensive to religious people (Galatians 5:11): it testifies to their inability to save themselves. We politely, relentlessly, and unapologetically preach this “offensive” message.

Impressionable Minds and Effectual Doctrine

Monday, October 31, 2011

“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not” (1 Corinthians 10:23 KJV).

Today is Halloween. We mull the idea of sincere children arrayed in costumes going door-to-door and exclaiming, “Trick-or-treat!” They have never been taught that this “innocent looking” holiday is rooted in the spiritually toxic soils of Celtic paganism, devil worship, and superstition.

Considering the “Harry Potter” franchise and Halloween, the gravity of devil worship has been downplayed. Future generations are receiving mixed messages from the Church the Body of Christ. Christians, rather than speaking against these atrocities, have become permissive regarding the activities that God hates. They remain silent, greatly reducing their impact on the world, and allowing the world to impact them! Ephesians 5:14-17 exclaims, “Wake up, O sleeping Christians, Wake up!”

God clearly forbade witchcraft in Israel (Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 20:27; Deuteronomy 18:9-14; Micah 5:12). Witchcraft is sin, according to Galatians 5:20. God wanted Israel, His earthly people, to not participate in Satan’s policy of evil. They were not to mingle with the works of darkness. God wants the same thing for us, the Church the Body of Christ. Note how the Ephesians burned their spell books in Acts 19:19.

There is no law “Thou shalt not celebrate Halloween,” yet notice today’s Scripture. Although they are not explicitly forbidden, some activities harm others and ourselves, and are inconsistent with our identity in Christ Jesus. Thus, we avoid those activities. If an activity does not bring glory, praise, and honor to God Almighty (the Lord Jesus Christ), it is devil worship. Satan wants you to worship something other than the one true God.

We desperately need our young people to realize the weightiness of sound doctrine, especially regarding the occult, witchcraft, et cetera (and its most subtle forms like Halloween and Harry Potter). God Almighty instructs us to educate them with sound Bible teaching. We know that God’s Word will “effectually work also in [them] that believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). God’s Word will reach their minds, we just need to plant and water, sowing it into their minds, and let God take care of the rest.

*This is excerpted from a larger Bible study with the same name. The Bible study can be read here or the study video can be viewed here.

The Saints of Caesar’s Household

Saturday, October 29, 2011

“All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar’s household” (Philippians 4:22 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is excerpted from Philippians, one of the half-dozen epistles Paul wrote from his Roman prison. “Caesar” refers to the tyrannical Roman emperor who ruled from A.D. 54 to 68 and greatly persecuted Christians. In fact, prior to committing suicide, he is thought to have executed Apostles Peter and Paul.

When Paul wrote to the Philippian church, he concluded his epistle with today’s Scripture: there are saints within Nero’s household!

About five or six years after the Philippian letter, Paul writes his final epistle, his second letter to Timothy. Notice 2 Timothy 2:8,9: “Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.” Paul is still in prison, treated as a criminal. Why? Satan and his evil men hate him because he is God’s apostle of the Gentiles (Acts 9:15,16; Romans 11:13; et al.).

Paul was imprisoned because he was preaching the Gospel of Grace, the same Gospel we preach today. Physically, Paul was shackled to Roman soldiers. Satan had prevented God’s chief apostle in our dispensation from traveling and preaching the wonderful salvation in Christ Jesus. However, God would not be stopped. Paul wrote “but the word of God is not bound.” No matter how hard the devil tried to keep God’s Word from reaching lost souls, God’s Word could not be confined.

In Philippians 1:12,13 Paul wrote from prison: “But I would [wish] ye understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;”

Paul preached his heart out in that Roman prison. Today’s Scripture confirms that God’s Word worked so mightily that some of Nero’s own household had trusted in Christ! Certainly, Paul was imprisoned, yet the Gospel of Grace was still published and prosperous… in the very prison where Paul was held!