Jan 24, 2017

Many others

During the past decade or two there has been a flood of new translations, too numerous to mention here. Some have endeavored to be literal renderings of the originals, while others are definitely paraphrases into what is considered to be more modern English usage. Still others are in the making and will, no doubt, be seen in the near future.
Conclusion: Does this flurry of “experts” to give us the exact language of the original autographs indicate that we cannot depend upon our present English Bible to declare the true message God would proclaim to Mankind? Perhaps the following quotation from Sir Frederic Kenyon, director of the British Museum, will answer the question best: “It is reassuring at the end to find that the general result of all these discoveries and all this study is to strengthen the proof of the authenticity of the Scriptures, and our conviction that we have in our hands, in substantial integrity, the veritable Word of God.”25[1]




25 Sir Frederick Kenyon, source unknown.
[1] Guy P. Duffield and Nathaniel M. Van Cleave, Foundations of Pentecostal Theology(Los Angeles, CA: L.I.F.E. Bible College, 1983),  44.

Hunting for the text of the New Testament

All right, so how might we explore the cumulative impact of all these differences? Actually, it is quite easy, though sensationalists avoid mentioning this. One reason why textual criticism is so complex is that we have so many manuscripts, in different scribal forms, from such a wide area, over a long period of time. One of the main theories (though this has recently been challenged) is that there are three main ‘families’ of manuscripts:
  1. The Western tradition, which consists of early manuscripts from a wide area, and was the basis of translations in the Western church, in particular Jerome’s Latin translation the Vulgate, which was the dominant biblical text in the Roman church.
  2. The Eastern tradition, or Byzantine text-type  , which consists of around 80% of all manuscripts, though none of them very early. Known as the Majority Text (MT), this was the dominant text used in the Eastern church, and was the basis of theTextus Receptus   (TR), a collation of manuscripts by Erasmus during the Reformation. When it was decided to make translations from original Greek texts rather then from the Latin Vulgate, this became the basis of early English translations up to and including the AV in 1611.
  3. The third player in the drama is what is known as the Alexandrian text type  ; this includes Codex Sinaiticus   and Codex Vaticanus   (used by Westcott and Hort   in 1881) and consists of a smaller number of much earlier manuscripts which take us much closer to the original texts. It is this group of manuscripts which are sensationalised as introducing the differences from earlier manuscripts, and these are the basis of all modern translations.

List of major textual variants in the New Testament

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is an (incomplete) list of major textual variants in the New Testament, with a focus on differences between categories of New Testament manuscript.
For a more comprehensive list which includes many minor variants, see Textual variants in the New Testament.

Variations between Majority Text/Textus Receptus and critical text[edit]
The following list contains texts where the Majority Text is in agreement with the Textus Receptus, against the critical text.
MT = Majority Text. CT = Critical text
Gospels[edit]
Matthew 5:44
MT: But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.
CT: But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.
Matthew 6:13
MT: And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
CT: And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.
Matthew 17:21
MT: However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.
CT: Verse omitted
Matthew 18:11
MT: For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.
CT: Verse omitted


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  • Kingdom of God

    Kingdom of God has come, but not yet completely established on earth, as Christian we are called to expand the kingdom of God through preaching the Gospel truth to the unsaved. Love one another! Be a good witness for Christ to expand the kingdom of God.

    Remember! The kingdom of God does not belongs to Bible Presbyterian Church in Singapore only.

    The true and universal church is in the kingdom of God, where Christ is on the throne. Where we worship Him in the church. Christ is the head of the church. Kingdom of God is in our hearts, and He reigns in our life.

    But sad to say, these Bible Presbyterian quarrelsome pastors in Singapore, like to quarrel, like to sue each others, like to quarrel who has higher place in their churches, who is more powerful. Do you think they are in the kingdom of God? Maybe yes! Because they believe in the Lord and Savior!

    It's kingdom of God in their hearts? Do they like to expand the kingdom of God? The answer is a big no! One day they will receive their rewards in heaven!

    One day a "big" pastor visited his parish far far away, you know what this pastor "said" to his parish worker, he said, "Get lost and shut up, I am the boss here, you have to obey me like obey God!" Then the devil goes into the pastor's heart and speak to him, "If you cannot defeat this man, just kill him with poison!!!"

    Some of you like to behave like "bosses" in the kingdom of God, shame to you! I am a Bible Presbyterian pastor, but I am really ashamed of you, you should be ashamed as a Bible Presbyterian pastor because of your doings!

    Still want to quarrel about Bible versions ???

    Saint Athanasius wrote

    "But for the searching and right understanding of the Scriptures there is need of a good life and a pure soul, and for Christian virtue to guide the mind to grasp, so far as human nature can, the truth concerning God the Word. One cannot possibly understand the teaching of the saints unless one has a pure mind and is trying to imitate their life. Anyone who wants to look at sunlight naturally wipes his eye clear first, in order to make, at any rate, some approximation to the purity of that on which he looks; and a person wishing to see a city or country goes to the place in order to do so. Similarly, anyone who wishes to understand the mind of the sacred writers must first cleanse his own life, and approach the saints by copying their deeds. Thus united to them in the fellowship of life, he will both understand the things revealed to them by God and, thenceforth escaping the peril that threatens sinners in the judgment, will receive that which is laid up for the saints in the kingdom of heaven." - [Saint Athanasius, in his conclusion to "THE INCARNATION OF THE WORD ", CHAPTER 9, (9:57)]

    Psalm 12:6

    Ps. 12:6, 
    The words of the Lord are pure words,
    like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
    purified seven times.

    To say that God's words are pure, refined, and purified is to insist that they have no “dross” of lies, flattery, or insincerity: God means what he says; his words are completely pure. This general truth gives bite to his specific promise of v. 7 

    Psalm 12:7
    You, O Lord, will keep them;
    you will guard us from this generation forever.

    God Will Guard His Faithful. The psalm closes with assurance: God will protect his faithful followers.

    Prov. 30:5
    Every word of God proves true;
    he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

    Prov. 30:5–6 Every word of God proves true (cf. 2 Sam. 22:31; Ps. 18:30). “Proves true” can also mean “refined” (cf. Ps. 12:6) or “well tried” (Ps. 119:140); the implication is that God's words are a proven foundation for one's life. The proverb's emphasis on every “word” (Hb. ’imrah) underscores the truthfulness, trustworthiness, and reliability of the Bible, not just in its overall message but also of every detail. This verse supplies support for the doctrine of the “plenary” (full, complete) inspiration of Scripture, extending even to “every word.” Thus Prov. 30:6 warns against adding to God's words. The whole of vv. 2–6 thus teaches that human wisdom is limited, that the wisest people recognize their ignorance, that truth resides in the word of God, and that no one should think he is able to enhance the wisdom that God has given.

    These Bible verses do not say we have a 100% preserved Greek and Hebrew Text.

    A WARNING TO bible presebyterian senior pastors!

    The Bible Presbyterian denomination is shrinking in size and number of congregation comparing to other denominations.

    This is a warning from above?

    That you should humble yourself when you are talking to the young people and co-labors. But no, you choose to speak with pride, and you are arrogant, a warning had been sent to you, that you will not prosper any longer like previous time, until you put on humility. 

    Who pick you to be proud in the first place?

    You are no better than others, you are money minded, proud and self caring, look at what mission field you involved in, look in the mirrors. Shame to you, when you called yourself as the fundamentalist in the last days. You did not care for those who are poor and seeking your help.

    Bible Presbyterian is cut into half, but this time, it will be cut into another half! You have spoiled your self with money and pride.

    Hear this, a warning has been sent to you, repent!

    Did you pray for those people who disagree with you?

    I don't care how far you will go along with this Verbal Plenary Preservation. I don't care how much you love his Verbal Plenary Preservation.

    What I concerned is this, did you pray for those people who are disagree with your theological stand, did you pray for their best, did you read your Bible every day?

    Or you are being led by those false theologians to hate others, to curse other fellow members in Bible Presbyterian Churches?

    Do you indulge in pride, self centered old self? Seeing you are better than those who are rejecting Verbal Plenary Preservation!

    If this is the case, it is better for you to start praying now for all ministers and fellow members in Bible Presbyterian Churches!

    Dirty hands

    Once there was a middle age man named Mr. Stephen, he was just graduated from a Bible college, and he was serving some where in a city, a senior pastor whose name was Timthy Tow, wanted to ordain him into the Christian ministry, this Stephen was a strange and angry man, he told the old senior pastor, "Get lost! Don't touch my head with your dirty hands! I do not want to be ordained by your dirty hands." 

    Stephen was insulting the old senior pastor TT that he has a pair of dirty hands! He was indeed a dirty fellow!

    As someone has said, “Wisdom doesn't necessarily come with age. Sometimes age just shows up all by itself.”

    Do you want to be ordained by some dirty hands, no, do not let people "any how any how" put their dirty hands on your head!!!! If they did, they are insulting you!

    Sermon

    The preaching that this world needs most is sermons in shoes that are walking with Jesus Christ. - D.L. Moody