BiblicalInsights.net

     I have just posted a new book review.  Please click on book reviews to read it.  Lee Strobel wrote, The Case For Christ more than a decade ago, but it is still relevant.  Strobel interviews thirteen scholars.  Among them are men like Craig Blomberg, Bruce Metzger, Edwin M. Yamauchi, John McRay, Gregory Boyd, Ben Witherington III, Gary Collins, Donald A. Carson, Louis Lapides, Alexander Metherell, William Lane Craig, Gary Habermas, and J. P. Moreland.  Through these interviews, Strobel is able to answer the skeptics who reject various aspects of the life of Jesus Christ or who question the integrity of the Scripture texts of the Gospel accounts of the life of Christ.  The book is packed with good information.  First, you will want to read the review.  Then, perhaps you will buy the book.

     I am a regular reader of Kiplinger magazine which provides finanical information to the average consumer.  In August of 2009, an article appeared in Kiplinger written by Andrew Feinberg titled, “A Prescrption for Panic.”  In this article, Feinberg warned against panic in the financial markets and in the average investor.  He references Paul Krugman’s The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008, and remarks, “But Krugman also noted that panic can become self-fulfilling and that the “expectations, even the prejudices, of investors become economic fundamentals.”  Panic can drive markets!  Whenever panic becomes a predominent force, the markets generally suffer.  Feinberg goes on to say that governments have an uncanny ability to throw gasoline on almost any economic fire.  He states, “Conclusion: Blind trust in government is not a wise investment strategy” (p. 43).  Feinberg lists the enemies of investing: incompetent government officials, executives, monumental greedheads and misguided investors.  He then remarks, “But the biggest enemy of all may be heedless panic” (p. 43).  Human folly generates panic that is detrimental to investing. 
     Human folly generates panic that is detrimental to life!  When facing any crisis we have two choices:  panic or peace!  Consider for a moment the alternative to panic–peace.  God is the “God of Peace.”  This phrase is found in the New Testament seven times (Rom. 15:33, 16:20; I Cor. 14:33; II Cor. 13:11; Phil. 4:9; I Thess. 5:23 and Heb. 13:20).  God gives men peace. Peace is “a conception distinctly peculiar to Christianity, the tranquil state of the soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatever sort that is” (Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon, 182). The peace God gives is inner peace that is not dependent upon or affected by external circumstances.  It is the result of salvation through Jesus Christ.  It is peace through conquest.  “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly” (Rom. 16:20).  God’s power destroys the works of the devil (I John 3:8).  Sin creates enmity between man and God.  Remove sin and peace results!  Christ’s blood removes all iniquity and brings us into full reconciliation with God (Rom. 5:8-10). 
     God’s power brings us into His presence!  Consider these words from Scripture: “Finally, brethren, be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace shall be with you” (II Cor. 13:11).  The Christian lives with this promise–God will never fail nor forsake him (Heb. 13:5).  Brethren should live in peace.  Five things rob of peace:  avarice, ambition, envy, anger and pride.  These enemies of peace must be banished!  I might add one more: unbelief in the living God.  Peter experienced panic whenever he stopped trusting in the Lord (Matthew 14:25-31). 
     When faced with a real crisis (even a financial crisis), we can either panic (the result of unbelief or misplaced trust) or have peace (the state of tranquility of the soul that fully trusts in God).  God’s power brings us into His presence where we have great peace!

     The inspiration, inerrancy, and authority of the Scriptures are vital topics to the Bible student.  Many have given up on the doctrine of inerrancy which affirms that the Scriptures are without error and thus present the truth of God to man.  Some scholars affirm that the Scriptures are inspired and inerrant in the original autographs, but hesitate to comment on the apographs (copies of the original documents and translations of the copies).  With regard to the original documents of the New Testament books (27 in all), we do not possess any of the original manuscripts.  We have copies of those manuscripts and we have translations of those copies in various languages of men today.  The question before us is this:  “Are the Apographs Inspired?”  I would like for you to consider the following thoughts.
     First, Jesus referred to a copy of the book of Isaiah as Scripture.  In Luke 4:16-21, Jesus is in a synagogue in Nazareth on the sabbath day.  He was given a scroll of the book of Isaiah (v. 17).  Was this the original autograph of the book of Isaiah?  Or, was it an apograph?  Most scholars believe that the original OT autographs were not in existence in Jesus’ day.  Also, Moses was read in every synagogue on the sabbath day and consequently many copies of the Old Testament scrolls must have been in existence.  Jesus is reading from a copy of the book of Isaiah.  What is His attitude toward that copy?  In v. 21, Luke records, “And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”  Jesus referred to an apograph as Scripture. 
     Second, in Acts 8, the evangelist Philip joins himself to a chariot with a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who was riding in it.  The eunuch was reading from the book of Isaiah.  Was this an original autograph of this Old Testament book or a copy of it?  It was a copy of the book of Isaiah.  Luke, the author of Acts, does not hesitate to call this apograph, Scripture.  In Acts 8:32, God says, “The place of the scripture which he read was this…”   The word Scripture is found 52 times in the New Testament and it always refers to a divinely inspired document and never to a secular document.  Isn’t this proof that the apographs (copies of the original documents) are inspired? 
     Third, I am currently involved in a study of the Old Testament quotations in the Gospel of John.  There are fourteen specific quotations in John’s Gospel that are recognized as quotations while there are as many as 79 allusions to the Old Testament in this Gospel.  Three of the fourteen quotations are from the Septuagint transation.  The Septuagint is a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures made approximately 250 B. C.  The three passages are: 1:23, 12:38, and 12:40 (see The Greek New Testament, UBS, 3rd ed. p. 899).  John, an apostle, wrote this Gospel account and used these passages from the Septuagint authoritatively to prove his thesis: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God (John 20:30,31).  Here is an inspired apostle, using a translation in an authoritative manner to prove the identity of Jesus Christ.  He could not do this, if the translation is not recognized as the Word of God.
     I offer the above information as proof that apographs (where accurately made) are the inspired Word of God.  To say otherwise would mean that we do not have the Word of God today.  Many are affirming this very point.  However, I believe that we have the Word of God today and that we have it in accurate and faithful translations whether English or otherwise.  How could we fulfill the Great Commission if we didn’t?  Consider Rev. 14:6, “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.”  How can you proclaim the everlasting gospel to every tongue (language) without translation of the Word of God into the different languages of men?  Either we have the truth or we are all lost and without hope.  I believe that we have the truth of God’s Word today!

      I just posted a new book review on my website.  The book is Beyond the Sunset by Perry Cotham.  Cotham does an excellent job treating the subject of eschatology.  In this book, he refutes: atheism, materialism, Darwinian evolution, Mormonism, Jehovah Witnesses, premillennialism, Zionism, Catholicism, Calvinism, spiritism, soul-sleeping, reincarnation, annihilationism, and those who reject an intermediate state of the dead.  He affirms: theism, the dualistic nature of man (man is comprised of body and soul), life after death, the resurrection of the dead, the final Judgment of all people, the Second Coming of Christ, the immortality of the soul, eternal punishment and eternal life.  You will  want to read this review and then purchase the book!  Check under: Book Reviews.

St. John's Church

Side view of the church

Plauque indicating the date of the church

     I have posted some more pictures of St. John’s Church.  Remember, this is the place where Patrick Henry gave his famous “give me liberty or give me death” speech.

     Recently, the Christian Chronicle (Oct., 2008) printed two articles that reviewed a new one-volume commentary on the entire Bible.  The commentary is called, The Transforming Word. It is edited by: Mark Hamilton, Ken Cukrowski, Nancy Shankle, James Thompson and John Willis.  The new book is published by ACU Press, Abilene, TX (2008) and sells for $69.95.  It covers the entire Bible in 1,140 pages.  Among the 30 authors are representatives of eight colleges and universities associated with Churches of Christ. 
     Various problems with this new book have been identified.  Basically, the book follows many of the higher critics in questioning significant aspects of the Bible.  For example, the book refutes the Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch.  It affirms, “The Pentateuch appears to preserve several streams of tradition that did not necessarily originate at the same time” (ref. Christian Chronicle, pp. 36-37).   This statement affirms redaction in regards to the compilation of the material in the Penteteuch. 
     Another problem, the commentary denies the single authorship of the book of Isaiah.  Cecil May Jr. writes, “So the commentary says at least three authors over the course of three centuries wrote this long, prophetic book, though Jesus and the apostles quote from all parts of it and invariably ascribe its words to Isaiah” (Chrisitan Chronicle, 36).  The apostle John quotes from Isa. 53:1 and references Isaiah as the writer.  He also quotes from Isa. 6:10 and references Isaiah as the source (John 12:37-41). 
     The commentary also denies the historicity of the story of Jonah.  This new work concludes that Jonah “is probably a religious drama” (Terry Briley, Christian Chronicle, 37).  It affirms that Jonah was written some time after the Babylonian Captivity.  This would mean that Jonah, the prophet, did not write the book.
     Finally, the commentary states, “There is no unequivocal specific prediction of the coming of Jesus Christ and/or the church in the Old Testament.  New Testament speakers reinterpreted and reapplied Old Testament texts to Christ and/or the church ” (Cecil May Jr., Christian Chronicle, 36).  This means that there is no Messianic prophecy in the Old Testament and no prophecy concerning the coming kingdom (the church).  This is an incredible statement!  It destroys an important link between prophecy and its fulfillment  which is an important evidence of the inspiration of the Bible and the true identity of Jesus Christ as the Messiah. 
     Personally, I could not recommend this commentary for use by Bible students.  There are other problems with it that I did not mention.   I am warning others about it because they may ignorantly attempt to use it and be unaware of its dangerous contents.