Does the verse about adding or taking away from scripture refer to Revelations only?

[thefightinglamb]

Just wondering if people believe that the verse that says you shall not add or subtract from scripture (most people take as meaning just the Bible) just refers to the book of Revelation? Or to the whole Bible, thought the Bible must have been put together long after Christ, and this verse seems to have been already in that book before they put it together...

I have always held it to be just referring to Revelations, as unpopular as that might be in Christian circles...If we found another letter of Paul for sure, why wouldn't it have made scripture? I am still unsure why everything Paul writes that we know is his seems to make scripture...even him listing the names of people he greets at the end of his letters, seems not to apply to everyone...but I could be wrong...what if we found another letter by John?

It is also seems kind of strange that a letter refers to books that are not in the Bible, aka the angel disputing the body of Moses, and another event as well...plus in the Old Testament, it seems there are other books it relies on for information...plus if it were referring to a single word left out or added even by mistake we would fall into condemnation--I know sometimes I quote scriture but have bad grammer--and leave a simple phrase out, is this a sin?

Just wondering, God bless
tony

[thefightinglamb]

The question should have possibly been, as the messenic jews also believe, does it just refer to the "Old Testament"--the Torah, the prophets, the lesser prophets, and wisdom literature?

This is all John would have had all bound together...

[Thaddaeus]

I believe it referrs to the Whole Bible, which is a book of prophecy, but I really don't think we can prove it either way

[Thaddaeus]

Originally Posted by thefightinglamb

Just wondering if people believe that the verse that says you shall not add or subtract from scripture (most people take as meaning just the Bible) just refers to the book of Revelation? Or to the whole Bible, thought the Bible must have been put together long after Christ, and this verse seems to have been already in that book before they put it together...

I have always held it to be just referring to Revelations, as unpopular as that might be in Christian circles...If we found another letter of Paul for sure, why wouldn't it have made scripture? I am still unsure why everything Paul writes that we know is his seems to make scripture...even him listing the names of people he greets at the end of his letters, seems not to apply to everyone...but I could be wrong...what if we found another letter by John?

It is also seems kind of strange that a letter refers to books that are not in the Bible, aka the angel disputing the body of Moses, and another event as well...plus in the Old Testament, it seems there are other books it relies on for information...plus if it were referring to a single word left out or added even by mistake we would fall into condemnation--I know sometimes I quote scriture but have bad grammer--and leave a simple phrase out, is this a sin?

Just wondering, God bless
tony

rev 22 says that if we take away from the words or add to the words this mean is we change the meaning of the book


Re 22:18For 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:Re 22:19And 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.

[MahogonySnail]

Firstly I'll just say we shouldn't be adding or taking away from the bible in any case, even if that warning was not there in Revelation. It's not ethical to do that.

However the warning in Rev. is clearly only meant for the book of Revelation. It was an ancient form of copyright protection. Obviously anyone with any common sense and knowledge of how the bible was put together would know that this warning in Rev. could not have been added after the bible was completed. That in itself would be a violation of that warning. And if it was in the book of Revelation before the bible was completed, then clearly it is only intended for that particular book.

The language is also clear that it is "this book", i.e. Revelation. Not the entire bible. If it was applied to the whole bible, it would say, "these books", because the Bible is a collection of books really.
Revelation is the book it is referring to because that is the book which the author was told to write:

Rev 1:11 Saying, IamAlphaandOmega,thefirstandthelast:and,Whatthouseest,writeinabook,andsendituntothesevenchurcheswhichareinAsia;untoEphesus,anduntoSmyrna,anduntoPergamos,anduntoThyatira,anduntoSardis,anduntoPhiladelphia,anduntoLaodicea.


Rev 22:18 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:



Re: Paul,
There would have been no need for the apostle Paul for example, to apply such dire warnings to most of his writings, which were merely communications with the churches i.e. letters. Even though they are inspirational for us today.

As for the application, I believe the warning only applies to the original source texts. Otherwise every bible translator is on their way to hell for getting a word wrong now and then, or every pastor is going to hell for paraphrasing. So no, quoting scripture incorrectly because of bad grammar etc is not a violation of this warning in my opinion.

Originally Posted by thefightinglamb

Just wondering if people believe that the verse that says you shall not add or subtract from scripture (most people take as meaning just the Bible) just refers to the book of Revelation? Or to the whole Bible, thought the Bible must have been put together long after Christ, and this verse seems to have been already in that book before they put it together...

I have always held it to be just referring to Revelations, as unpopular as that might be in Christian circles...If we found another letter of Paul for sure, why wouldn't it have made scripture? I am still unsure why everything Paul writes that we know is his seems to make scripture...even him listing the names of people he greets at the end of his letters, seems not to apply to everyone...but I could be wrong...what if we found another letter by John?

It is also seems kind of strange that a letter refers to books that are not in the Bible, aka the angel disputing the body of Moses, and another event as well...plus in the Old Testament, it seems there are other books it relies on for information...plus if it were referring to a single word left out or added even by mistake we would fall into condemnation--I know sometimes I quote scriture but have bad grammer--and leave a simple phrase out, is this a sin?

Just wondering, God bless
tony

Revelation is singular not plural "Revelations". I am tired of seeing people mess that up!

[MahogonySnail]

Baptist I remembered that and made sure I removed the 's's" in my post

Originally Posted by MahogonySnail

Baptist I remembered that and made sure I removed the 's's" in my post

Muy bueno well done. Some of us are a little OCD about that

[easygoing]

I tend to agree with what was said above about it probably only referring to revelation but as it is put we don't really know for sure so better to just leave it all alone. It is interesting to think what books could have been added to the bible but did not make their way into it. I have heard about books that were intended for the bible but were left out for some various reason or another. I try to think of it this way, if god had intended something to be added to the bible it would be, if he wants it to be left alone then it will be. Whatever he wills comes to pass.

The bible is Gods book written by men under the control of the Holy Spirit as they spoke the message that came from God Who chose to protect the whole bible with that law. Without it, we would never be able to tell the difference between the messages that God would send and those messages that satan would send, given the fact that satan cames looking like an angel of light. Just look around you and see the damage satan has done, with his false messages.

[watchmen]

Well thefightinglamb, This verse is referring to the book of Revelation (although I am not supporting changing scripture even though many do it)

John was writtng the book of Revelation, not the Bible so when he wrote not to add or subtract ''from this book'' he meant the book of Revelation.

[watchmen]

Originally Posted by MahogonySnail

Firstly I'll just say we shouldn't be adding or taking away from the bible in any case, even if that warning was not there in Revelation. It's not ethical to do that.

However the warning in Rev. is clearly only meant for the book of Revelation.

Exactly!!!!!

Well, consider: John wrote Revelations, however, he is not the author: God is. So the question is not what did John intend, but rather, what did God intend. In fact, we can see this displayed right in Revelations itself: check out Rev 10:4 "And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not." God took great pains to make sure the right things and ONLY the right things were put in his book.

Now lets consider some other Scriptures.

Mat 5:18 "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Psalm 12:6 "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times."

Proverbs 30:5 "Every word of God is pure"

2 Peter 1:19-21 "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

Psalm 119:89 "Forever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven."



Psalm 138:2 "I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name."

So concerning Revelations 22:18-19, one thing is certain: God himself took on the responsibility of preserving his word, and holds it in the highest regard. I would not suggest playing with them.

2 Peter 3:15-16 "And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction."

Well it says the same thing Deuteronomy

John wrote the Book of Revelation wherein he gave an account of revelations he received from God. His statement at the end of his book about taking something out of the book certainly appears to refer to the Book of Revelation rather than to the whole Bible for several reasons: 1) He refers to it as "the book of this prophecy," 2) the Bible as we know it did not exist when he said it, 3) it is singluar rather than plural (e.g., books), and 4) he could have made it clear that he was referring to the whole Bible had that been his intent. With regard to number 4 above, we might note that since John was able to see both into heaven and into the events at the end of the world, he could also have forseen the Bible and known that his book would be placed at the end of it. But he doesn't go into that -- which he might have wanted to if his intent had been to refer to the Bible as a whole.

But it is logical to assume that the warning would apply to making changes to any book that contains revelations from God to man. No man, acting on his own wisdom (without the benefit or blessing of receiving a revelation of God) should dare to tamper with a book that DOES contain revelations from God. That is only common sense! That said, another question emerges. Could the Bible grow? Could a new manuscript be discovered known to have been written by John containing revealed commentary on his own book? Could it be placed in the Bible. If so, why? If not, why not?

[loveschild]

The book is fine just how God wanted it. He used people to write it. These people were instructed by God every step of the way with what to write in the bible. If you say some verse and you don't say it perfect that is not a sin. God bless

[MahogonySnail]

Although the warning in Revelation applies only to revelation, that doesn't mean there would not be penalties /God's judgement for messing with any of the rest of the bible.