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.

read more: http://www.psephizo.com/biblical-studies/hunting-for-the-text-of-the-new-testament/

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.

• The Textus Receptus (Latin: "received text") is the name subsequently given to the succession of printed Greek texts of the New Testament which was first collated by Desiderius Erasmus in the 16th century. It constituted the translation base for the translation of the New Testament into English by William Tyndale, the King James Version, and most other Reformation-era New Testament translations throughout Western and Central Europe.
• The Majority Text represents the Byzantine text-type, which was used in Eastern Greek speaking churches and was dominant from the late middle agesonwards. It is similar to the Textus Receptus.
• The modern critical text (e.g. Novum Testamentum Graece) is close to the Alexandrian text-type, which accounts for some of the earliest New Testament manuscripts; it stands behind most modern English translations of the New Testament including the ASV, the NIV, the RSV and the ESV.

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

continue reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_major_textual_variants_in_the_New_Testament

Our Top 15 Apologetics Books

Reasonable Faith

Mere Christianity

Pensées

Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview

Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions

The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus

Can We Trust the Gospels?

The Case for the Real Jesus

The Resurrection of the Son of God

Testing Christianity's Truth Claims

Scaling the Secular City

Christian Apologetics (Geisler)

Francis Schaeffer Trilogy

20 Compelling Evidences that God Exists

Faith Has Its Reasons

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!

Downgrade of FEBC after Rev. Timothy Tow

This posting is copied from http://valiantfortruth.tripod.com/id31.html

When ‘Dr.’ Jeffrey Khoo became the Academic Dean of the FEBC and, subsequently its Principal (when Rev. Timothy Tow passed away) the spiritual rot that started a few years earlier began to get worse.

‘Dr.’ Prabhdas Koshy, one of its lecturers, denied, against all historical evidences and facts, that the Apostles used and quoted from the Septuagint (Did Jesus And The Apostles Rely On The Corrupt Septuagint? http://www.febc.edu.sg/VPP5.htm )

Jeffrey Khoo claimed that the KJV translators restored the lost autographs (Originals) through their translation of the Bible into English. The KJV translators never made such a claim. They were, after all, translators and, not prophets restoring the lost autographs. 

‘Dr.’ Quek Suan Yew, one of FEBC’s lecturers, wrote one of the most startling statement, “Without the doctrine of VPP there is no BIBLE...” (NO VPP, NO KJV! NO CUV!,Elder's page of Calvary Pandan Weekly of 2nd Sept 2007).

Now, according to FEBC, VPP is inextricably linked to the KJV bible. Since the KJV came into being in 1611, it follows therefore, that according to ‘Dr.’ Quek, there was no Bible until 1611! However, this contradicts what the Bible says about the Word (John 1:1, Proverbs 8:22). 

Paul Ferguson, a new addition to the FEBC, found a comrade-in-arms in Islamist apologist Ahmad Deedat. Ferguson, a Christian Taliban, uses Deedat to attack the Christian Bible (The Burning Bush, Jan 2009). This is not surprising as VPP’s understanding of revelation is identical to Islam’s and the Mormons. The Islamists believe that their Original scripture is inscribed in Arabic on a tablet in heaven; they were then revealed to Muhammad by an angel:

“The Qu’ran is a record of the exact words revealed by Allah through the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad. It was memorised by Muhammad and then dictated to his Companions, and written down by scribes, who crosschecked it during his lifetime. Not one word of its 114 chapters, suras, has been changed over the centuries, so that the Qu’ran is in every detail the unique and miraculous text which was revealed to Muhammad fourteen centuries ago.”[1]

‘Drs.’ Khoo, Koshy, Quek and Ferguson subscribe to this theory of revelation, the only difference from the Islamist’s being that God revealed to the KJV translators what the autographic texts were.

It logically follows that they categorically reject any form of textual criticism since the Hebrew and Greek underlying the KJV Bible is revealed directly from God to the KJV translators!

They superstitiously claim that unless Christians have the complete autographical texts in their hands, Christians cannot say they have the Word of God. 

Ferguson’s fluffy articles employ sleight-of-hand reasoning to attack the Christian Bible. For instance, he quotes from anti-Christian Bart Ehrman[2], and concludes:

“such a statement shows the depth of rationalistic and unbiblical thought that is now prevalent in modern fundamentalism”. 

Dr. Ehrman is not at all a Christian but an atheist, so how can Ferguson use an atheist to represent modern fundamentalism?

Jeffrey Khoo’s Illegal Degree

The BBC published a report about the University of Wales having links to a bible college in the USA giving out illegal degrees.

The University of Wales is a "laughing stock" for having awarded degrees at a controversial bible college in the USA, an American education expert says.

Trinity College of the Bible in Newburgh, Indiana, is not officially accredited, which means many states consider its degrees to be illegal.

Dr John Bear said the university's links with the college, which offers mainly distance education courses of a religious nature, was damaging.

The university has now cut the ties.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/7740904.stm 

Jeffrey Khoo, current principal of the FEBC, earned a ‘illegal’ degree from the Trinity (College of the Bible) Theological Seminary.
http://www.trinitysem.edu/

The following link shows the cover page of Jeffrey Khoo’s dissertation submitted to the Trinity (College of the Bible) Theological Seminary in Newburgh, Indiana, for the PhD degree.
http://valiantfortruth.tripod.com/JKhoo_Disertatn.pdf

Nature of FEBC’s down-grade

Under Khoo, the FEBC has lost its status as a Reformed bible seminary.

Khoo, together with Quek, Koshy (who earned their Th.D from FEBC) and Ferguson (who is doing his Th. D in FEBC) have taken FEBC down the road of the KJV Onlyism cult of D.A. Waite. In their tenet of VPP number 6, Waite has been given miraculous power to know what the autographical texts are. Essentially, they hold similar position as the Ruckmanites, the only difference is that the Ruckmanites are more honest about their position, whereas the VPPists are dodgy, speaking half-truths, misquoting and misrepresenting. 

[1] Understanding Islam and the Muslims; The Islamic Affairs Dept., The Embassy of Saudi Arabia

[2] The Burning Bush, July 2009

Scripture readings

If you want to experience God working in your life, come to Scripture with a prayerful, expectant, purpose-filled attitude. The mourner will be comforted. The weary will gain strength. Those convicted of their sin will repent and know peace. All will sense joy. Recognize what a gift God’s Word is.

Dogs and cats are fighting

Since the FEBC will stay on the same plot of land co-habbit with Life BP Church, the cats and dogs's fight came into picture, weather you will build a tall wall to separate FEBC from the church or not, it is just a mere consideration, but the fighting continues, it is not the end yet, the fighting just started after the appeal was allowed.

The false teachers will began to teach heresy with higher look, they are proud, even their appeal being granted. 

Both FEBC and Life BP Church will start another round of fightings this time, enemy and neighbor at the same premises, well, interesting, lets see who is going to lose at the end, how to witness for the Lord, time will tell us!

New fights on the block!

CNY

Chinese New Year

This rabbit year is a year of fight, churches and bible college fight, pastors and pastors fight over doctrines, people like to fight, fight, fight!

Happy new year!

The picture of the false teachers

The false teachers are:

first from the left, Jeffrey Khoo, the head of all of these false teachers.
third from the left, Quek SY and
fourth from the left, Prabudas Koshy.

Wolf in sheep clothing

The false teachers in FEBC in Singapore, had turned into wolves in sheep clothing from 2002 onward!

Separating from Far Eastern Bible College

“Divisions and separations are most objectionable in religion. They weaken the cause of true Christianity ...But before we blame people for them, we must be careful that we lay the blame where it is deserved. False doctrine and heresy are even worse than schism. If people separate themselves from teaching that is positively false and unscriptural, they ought to be praised rather than reproved. In such cases separation is a virtue and not a sin.” -- J.C. Ryle

People who stand with the false teachers in FEBC

There are many naive people who are standing together hands in hands with the false teachers in Far Eastern Bible College, Singapore.

Selfish ambition

The faculty members in FEBC have this "selfish ambition," in teaching Verbal Plenary Preservation.

Why this small false teaching become so big, and bigger, and bigger than God Himself, because of selfish ambition. 

2 Corinthians 12:20
For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.

Philippians 2:3
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,

James 3:14
But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.

James 3:16
For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

Second Commandment

According to second commandment, we are told not to worship thing:

Do not worship things.

Do not worship even Bible, Bible is a thing God given to His people, Bible is God's Word.

Moses broke the stone tablets, when the people rebelled against God, God did not punish Moses for that, God knew the Word of God is given to man, only the Holy Spirit can make sense to the Word of God in a man's heart. God do not want us to worship His Word!

Moses broke the stone tablets!!