Month: June 2017

1 Sam 20:30 KJB Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother’s nakedness?

1 Sam 20:30 MSG Saul exploded in anger at Jonathan: “You son of a ____! Don’t you think I know that you’re in cahoots with the son of Jesse, disgracing both you and your mother? For as long as the son of Jesse is walking around free on this earth, your future in this kingdom is at risk. Now go get him. Bring him here. From this moment, he’s as good as dead!”

John 9:34 KJB They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.

John 9:34 TLB “You illegitimate ____, you!” they shouted. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out.

I often hear folks use the term “in the greek” as some form of incantation of authoritative invulnerability.  They seem to think by saying that it gives them ultimate authority to correct the bible any which way they please.

My response is “Which greek?”…

Is it Textus Receptus?  The Critical Text? Is it Erasmus,      Tregelles, Stephanus, Beza, Elziver, Scrivner?  One of the 21 Tischendorf editions?  Westcott-Hort?  The SBL?  One of the five UBS editions?  One of the 28 Nestle-Aland editions?

Are you relying on the handful (around 47, mostly fragments) of Alexandrian manuscripts?  The most known of which is Codex A – Alexandrinus, Codex B – Vaticanus, Codex Aleph – Sinaiticus?

Or the over 5000 manuscripts of the Antiochian (Syrian) line?

Where is the ultimate authority?  Where did God preserve His words?  Did God break His promise to preserve His words?

Did He who created the universe and upholds all things by the word of his power (Heb 1:3) somehow become powerless to preserve His words?

God promises to preserve His words

Psalms 12:6-7 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

You shall not add or take away, says God

Deuteronomy 4:1-2 Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

God cares about every one of His words

Proverbs 30:5-6 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

God’s words will never pass away

Mark 13:31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

God will curse those who change His Word

Revelation 22:18-19 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.