People Don't Know Their Bible

[Cino]

Although it is true that someone who cannot read or write can be saved, the Bible also states "study to show thyself approved". We who can read, should read the Bible daily for meditation, and also study the Bible, not just open it for a random verse here and there. We are to be prepared to give an account to the world for the joy that is in us and our salvation. We are to be ambassadors of Christ, and be prepared to knock down all the excuses to unbelievers why they shouldn't come to Christ. We need to be prepared with scripture to back our statements up, and to show people that this is not our word, but the word of God. True, people who hear the word can be saved, for the Bible says faith comes by "hearing", and hearing the word of God. So even unlearned or uneducated people can be saved. But if you are going to profess the Bible or Christ to other people, you should be prepared to speak the truth and know what you are talking about. That does not mean you need to know the names of all the apostles, the books of the Bible in order, things like that. That is not the case at all. It means if someone asks us to give an account of why we believe the way we do, we need to show them scripture, and don't forget, the Bible says that even a fool can understand the Bible and have knowledge for salvation.

 

[Angela53510]

It's rather embarrassing to Christians that some atheists like myself know the bible better than they do, but there are good logical reasons for this. In my own case, I was raised a Christian and read through the bible several times with my family. That is a rare experience (sadly, you might say) among Christians, but not so rare among former Christians (knowing the bible well is what led me to disbelieve it). Also, many atheists get to know the bible because they have to in order to answer arguments, and the atheists I know have more arguments than the average Christian -- because Christianity is so pervasive, we're more likely to run into different opinions or ideological opponents.

But cheer up! It would seem from history that God doesn't care very much about how well you know the bible. For hundreds of years it was only available in Latin, and the European public was not even educated enough to read their own languages, much less Latin. And of course the biblical books were unavailable to literally everyone before they were written, which sucked for people like Cain who were punished for murder long before being given a book that stated implicitly that murder was wrong. It's only now that the bible is easy to find and read for anyone who has an internet connection (everyone who is reading this post, for example) and so we think that God must have wanted us to be up to par on the bible, but historically it would seem to be a low priority to Him.

Murder is a matter of ethics, morality and conscience. And God did leave Cain with a sense of the "wrongness" (for want of a better word) of his act! In fact, it seems God did warn Cain about his anger and what sin would do to him, and Cain failed. I guess you missed that part in your early readings of the Bible.

"So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. [SUP]6 [/SUP]The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? [SUP]7 [/SUP]If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” Gen. 4:5b-7

And just so you know, i always pray for the atheists who come on this site. I feel the Spirit of God is drawing them to him. I was an atheist for almost 10 years, and God revealed himself to me as the Saviour and Redeemer in the Bible.

That was 33 years ago. I have read through the Bible every year since then, and also in French, Spanish, and Greek, and still working on it in Hebrew. The early years were sometimes puzzling, but since then, God has helped answer all those simple questions I might have once had, and convinced me so much more of the truth of the Bible, and Jesus Christ whom it reveals!

 

[Tintin]

And I will put this third into the fire, refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, “They are my people”; and they will say, “The Lord is our God.” (Zechariah 13:9). For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; you laid burdens on our backs; you let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a spacious place. (Psalm 66:10-12). And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. (1 Peter 5:10). From which translation is that tintin? Look at the New international version for instance . How many verse was left out of it? How many changes was made? Between diffirent kjv versions there is major differinces ect . But let's leave it there. The Holy Spirit will guide each one of us according to His will and wisdom as long as we allow Him to . God bless tintin. Do you watch rugby?

Sorry, no. I'm not much one for watching or even playing sports.

As for Bible translations, modern translations leave some things out, only because they weren't in earlier, more reliable manuscripts, not because they're trying to deceive people. Also, even though they're not part of the original manuscripts, most translations still had the 'missing' text in the footnotes. Some things are done for nefarious ends but this isn't one of them. God bless you too, Reece.

 

[fredjames]

Peace be with you little sir Tintin. You have only condemn yourself by your reply because you prove to be the judge of all judges according to the pattern of this world. If you have spoken in spirit and truth, i would recognize you but you have spoken in wise and prudent man's wisdom and language. That is why we do not have things in common, according to spirit and truth of the New Covenant.
You are only scattering what the HOLY SPIRIT is sowing, through us in order to straighten back every believer's lives today. That they must diligently abide in the eternal life Words of JESUS, focusing on them, praying according to them and practicing on them, according to GOD's Covenant requirements, knowledge and wisdom. Then they will be fully trained and fully equipped, serving in action and speech, as the light and salt (JESUS) for this world.
The HOLY SPIRIT wants to draw them more closer to the Living LORD our GOD and forsake this world.
While we use valuable precious stones to build, you use only wood, hay and clay to build.
As it is written; "Your worst enemy will be in you own household."
'Why should we judge outsiders when they are blind to the truth but rather judge our own members of the truth who are able to see but yet live in ignorance of their lingering sins.'
JESUS's outside enemies were the ones who oppose HIS teachings, HIS rebuking, HIS correcting and HIS training used to build and edify HIS church.
And JESUS's inside enemies are within the church, HIS own members turn into betrayers; First, who do not recognize HIS humble servants. Second, who want to oppose their labor which is to get rid of the 'yeast that rises a batch of dough even in this GOD's Bible Discussion Forum'.
May GOD the FATHER of our LORD JESUS CHRIST forgive you and bless you in spirit and truth.

 

[Praus]

And JESUS's inside enemies are within the church, HIS own members turn into betrayers; First, who do not recognize HIS humble servants. Second, who want to oppose their labor which is to get rid of the 'yeast that rises a batch of dough even in this GOD's Bible Discussion Forum'.

2 Tim 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, (NASB)

 

[NiceneCreed]

Are you then saying that since Christ died on the cross for all sinners and rose again as the perfect sacrifice that we all can throw away our bibles be cause the Spirit will see that we all get to Heaven.

That isn't what he is saying at all. He is talking about people who are illiterate and may or may not be familiar with all the names or places mentioned in the Bible, but, nonetheless, they have a great zeal to do God's will for His [God's] glory. Our being abound by grace is not necessarily contingent upon our knowledge of the Bible, nor our ability to recite biblical names and geography. Isn't grace an awesome thing?

 

[NiceneCreed]

Sorry, no. I'm not much one for watching or even playing sports.

As for Bible translations, modern translations leave some things out, only because they weren't in earlier, more reliable manuscripts, not because they're trying to deceive people. Also, even though they're not part of the original manuscripts, most translations still had the 'missing' text in the footnotes. Some things are done for nefarious ends but this isn't one of them. God bless you too, Reece.

I am happy to see someone knows about Bible translations/transliterations.

 

[freeman4]

What's more important, the manual or the car? :/

Without the Manual you can not operate the car.

 

[JesusChica1991]

I am happy to see someone knows about Bible translations/transliterations.

I do too. Tintin, many others, along with myself tend to be allergic to doctrines that teach the KJV is the one and only Bible written in the English language. It doesn't matter how many facts you bring, KJV occultists don't care. They just want to spit out what they memorized instead of thinking for themselves.

 

[RecceforChrist]

Boy it seems a very tender point I touched there. Well chica and tintin you are free to read whatever translation you wish just as you are free to worship in which ever denominatiopn you wish , that freedom however does not make your choice the right one just as it does not make my choice the right one , unless one of those choices is outside scripture, correct?

 

[RedTent]

What a lot of misunderstanding of our Lord is expressed here.

God gave his word to us mostly in the Hebrew Language, and originally to people who lived a different kind of life than we do based on agriculture, family, and herding. They had different value systems. Bible translations are all, with the help of the HS trying to translate this to our understanding. The KJV was important, but done to the thinking of people 400 years ago. To make this something having to do with our learning, our faith, our knowing God is uncalled for, it isn't a directive of God.

Then, there are people saying it is the Holy Spirit we are to learn from. Others, it is the words of scripture, as if that is the answer. The answer is in the word and the HS, and God says that He gives the HS so we may understand and we are to be led by that. We are NOT to ignore his direction to go to scripture for learning because God also says this.

We are not to ignore anything God says. We are to listen.

Many are sounding like little kids wanting their own way, saying 'but Daddy you SAID" when they think they can use one order to counteract another.

 

[RecceforChrist]

Grandmother redtent I don't like disagreeing with someone of you're years and wisdom but on this issue I unfortunately must. I want to ask you to get hold of a copy of this NIV bible and compare it to you're old kjv . Once you've done that we can talk again. You will find complte verse left out . Words and phrases left out or changed and many more such things. I myself don't read the english Bible as it is not my mother tongue but also in my own tongue there is a "New international corruption" that has corrupted Gods Word to such a degree that its unexeptable. God only wrote one Bible through His Spirit , not a few thousand.

 

[john832]

Got to know Jesus to know His Word.

I think you get to know Jesus by knowing His word. His wiritings are how He reveals Himself to us today.

 

[jonathanbchristian]

The Bible does not know them either.

 

[iamsoandso]

lol,,i at times insert the link to CHURCH FATHERS: Home I've actually only ever been to 1 mass in my life,but the second everyone realizes the source they assume that i am catholic where in fact i am christian by faith but Jewish by race. people tend to see things from the out-side these letters (especially from the apostles to say Jerome a.d.400) i found "eye-opening",,,that is the very same things you are discussing here in 2013 are the very things they were confronted with,,,"which sets of books should we follow and why?"

CHURCH FATHERS: De Viris Illustribus (Jerome) in chapter 2 he explains that he had just recently interpreted the book of Hebrews into "Latin and Greek",,,,so it was not written in "Latin or Greek",,,now he(Jerome) seems to me to have thought Barnabas,Luke or Paul wrote Hebrews,(bare in mind he stated he is the one who interpreted it from Hebrew),,,,this is in chapter 5 of /2708.htm,,,also note in the same place he states "Paul,an Hebrew,spoke Hebrew",,,

Paul we know tho spoke Greek to the Greeks (acts),,to the Hebrews he spoke,Hebrew(acts 21;40-acts 22;2),,and also was learned in the poetry and the pagan gods of the gentiles as he quotes from (aratus,the poet) in acts 17;28,,,,,"for we are also his offspring",line 5 of the poem(not to be taken out of context),with the rest of Paul's speech.

Jerome tho does a huge credit though in his explanation,,,that is "every book in the new testament was not written in Greek",,but some of them were he tells you the ones that were.,,,,,,,,why i say this is here in c.c. we are adamant about using the exact original word form the original manuscript's,,,,so look up Matthew 24;6,and go to the original wording(Hebrew),,and see. go to Hebrews,6;1(Hebrew) and see. imagine how difficult it would be for an Hebrew to write 2 words that do not translate well "anti",,,against or opposite,,,and "Christ",,,anointed in Hebrew,yet meaningless in Greek,,,truthfully Paul explained an UN-known god to a people who did not have a word for it.

 

[HeRoseFromTheDead]

CHURCH FATHERS: De Viris Illustribus (Jerome) in chapter 2 he explains that he had just recently interpreted the book of Hebrews into "Latin and Greek",,,,so it was not written in "Latin or Greek",,.

As I understand it, this is disputed by most scholars. Wholly rejected by some, considered an exaggeration by others ..

 

[iamsoandso]

As I understand it, this is disputed by most scholars. Wholly rejected by some, considered an exaggeration by others ..

yes,,,if you read it it is exactly what Jerome himself is stating,,,that somewhere 100 years before or after,,,,it took a twist,,,

 

[iamsoandso]

did you notice he(Jerome) states in the first part of the letter to Dexter,,,,that the church was in a huge discrepancy over the letters,books scriptures?????????

 

[iamsoandso]

there are no takers,,,Jerome himself states,,,,"the worst possible master,,me myself",,,,,he saw it was corrupted before he was born,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[RedTent]

Grandmother redtent I don't like disagreeing with someone of you're years and wisdom but on this issue I unfortunately must. I want to ask you to get hold of a copy of this NIV bible and compare it to you're old kjv . Once you've done that we can talk again. You will find complte verse left out . Words and phrases left out or changed and many more such things. I myself don't read the english Bible as it is not my mother tongue but also in my own tongue there is a "New international corruption" that has corrupted Gods Word to such a degree that its unexeptable. God only wrote one Bible through His Spirit , not a few thousand.

Unless you are a scholar who has spent a lifetime studying language from the viewpoint of the people and language at the time a scripture was written about, you do not have the information necessary to put all the translations side by side with the original language and go through each scripture line by line. You do not have the background to knowledgeably make the decision that one is perfect. You are going to have to take the word of groups of men who combine their knowledge and have done this much study. When I have checked with these men they say that a perfect translation has not been done, and probably cannot be done. So anyone that takes any translation as perfect is not following the truth. We must be open to God and learning, and check our source carefully.

Even those people who learn Hebrew have much to learn about scripture, because language changes with time and Hebrew written when it was written mostly in pictures is quite different from Hebrew a thousand years later.

The English language in 1600 is different from the language today, many words used then have different meanings today.

This translation was done when the printing press was just beginning to operate, when few had ever read the bible and it was a new idea that everyone should, and when many in the church was so opposed to what God spoke to us in the OT as being what the Jews thought that some actually felt it was right to kill Jews. Shakespeare was writing, and from the poetry of this translation I am sure his writing influenced them. I am sure the HS was with those 30 scholarly men who worked those years to produce this translation. That does not give us the right to say God is not working to get His word to us any longer, or that God wrote this translation for us today.