Lesson 1 An Introduction

Into Focus

1. How many Bibles are there in your home?
2. How many different translations are in your home?
3. What translation do you use and why?
4. How much did you spend last year on
   • Newspaper $________
   • Cable/ Satellite TV $________
   • Internet access $________
   • Bible and books $________
5. How many hours each week do you:
   • Read the paper ________
   • Watch TV ________
   • Read ________
   • Study the Bible each week? ________
6. If a friend were to disagree with you on a Bible subject that you felt was important, would you know how to study the subject in an effort to help your friend understand the truth?
7. Do you enjoy Bible study, or do you consider it a chore?

Overview

The first book published on a printing press was the Bible. Since then it has continued as the most published book in the world. The average family has more than one copy of the Bible at home. Yet, studies indicate that not very many people know what the Bible says or how to understand it. In this series of lessons we will examine various subjects that will help us get the most our of our Bibles.

Is there really a problem with Bible illiteracy? Judge for yourself. A national magazine survey of the Bible classes of several denominations through seventeen different states produced the following results:

• Only one out of ten knew the name of the man who sold his birthright for a bowl of pottage.
• About one-half knew who delivered the Ten Commandments to the children of Israel.
• Only 26% knew the name of the disciple who betrayed Jesus.
• Thirty-two percent did not know the place where Jesus was born.
• Forty-three percent could not tell that Jesus was raised from the grave.

Several reports suggest that Churches of Christ may not be doing much better. In one case – reported in a brotherhood magazine – an elder gave a test to the congregation's Bible class teachers, with the following results:

• 28% didn't know who came first: Abraham, Moses, or Noah.
• 53% didn't know the 3rd son of Adam.
• 37% couldn't name the brother of Moses.
• 21% didn't know who wrote the books of Genesis through Deuteronomy.
• 38% didn't know how many spies were sent into Canaan.
• 34% didn't know the number of books in the Old Testament.

1. From your reading of this text do you think that the Hebrew writer expected Christians to understand the Bible?
2. According to verse 12, how well did he expect them to understand the word?
3. What parts of the Bible should a new Christian be studying (5:13)?
4. What do you think is meant by "milk?" Give some examples of milk.
5. What do you think the writer meant by "solid food?" Give some examples.
6. What determines if one is ready for the solid food (5:14)?
7. Examine the list of doctrines that God considers "elementary principles." Are they elementary to you?
8. Place yourself on the following scale

   A Babe	1	5	10	Full Age

    

9. What steps can you take to move yourself closer to a 10? Be specific. 

Lesson 2 Whose Word Is It?

A century ago, an old man was traveling alone in France by train. A much younger man, who was sitting next to him watched as the older man reached into his traveling case, took out a Bible and began to read. After a while, the younger man decided to strike up a conversation. "What are you reading?" he asked. "I am reading from the 6th chapter of Mark in the New Testament." "What does it say?" the young man asked. "It is the story of the miracle of the loaves and fishes. This gospel writer tells us about a vast crowd that had followed Jesus because of the signs He was performing for the sick. Jesus then preached to the crowd until it was dark and they were hungry. With only five barley loaves and a couple of dried fishes, Jesus fed the entire crowd of five thousand people. And when the people had finished eating, the leftovers filled twelve baskets."

A little scornful the young man asked, "Do you really believe that?" "Yes, I do" came the reply, to which the younger man answered, "I can see that you have been brainwashed by ancient superstitions. That could never have happened to me. You see, I am a scientist. Everything that happens in this world can ultimately be accounted for scientifically. The story you have read defies the laws of science and therefore is sheer fantasy. Give me facts, provable facts. As a man of science, I can have no faith in miracles. But I cannot expect you to understand that."

At this point, the train began to slow down. "Here is my station," said the young man as he rose from his seat. "It was nice talking to you Mr., I'm sorry I didn't get your name." Whereupon, the old man handed him his calling card bearing the name, Louis Pasteur, one of the world's greatest scientists.

Can We Really Know That The Bible Is From God?

It is common for the public media and "scholars" from certain sectors of society to treat the Bible as a myth and people who believe in it as sentimental people who have taken a blind leap of faith.

In reality, it is the person who rejects God and his word who is being irrational. An example of this kind of irrationality can be found in a Life Science text book used in a local high school. On page 68 it states, "No case of spontaneous generation of life has ever been proven to be true! Thus, scientists believe that every living thing comes from another living thing."

On the first line of the very next page of the same book we read, "Most biologists believe that life began by spontaneous generation over three billion years ago."

Thinking It Over

1. The Atheist
   1. What does Psalm 14:1-2 call the one who denies God?
   2. Why does the Bible use such a harsh word to describe the atheist (Psa. 19:1-2)?
   3. Does the atheist deny God for lack of evidence (Rom. 1:18-22)?
   4. What is the consequence of Atheism in this world (Rom 1:22-32)?
   5. What will be the consequence of Atheism in the next world (2 Thess. 1:6-10; Rom 1:18)?
   6. What does the word Agnostic mean? Give a synonym.
   7. What will be the Agnostic's fate (Acts 17: 30-31; 2 Thess 1:6-10)?

The Bible is not a book of medicine, science or geography, but it is a book of truth (John 17:17). Therefor any time the Bible speaks of these subjects it speaks truthfully, even when mankind had not yet discovered the facts mentioned. Consider the medical knowledge contained in the following instructions given by God.

• Communicable diseases (Lev. 15:1-7)
• Indiscriminate spitting (Lev. 15:8)
• Latrines (Deut. 23:12-17)
• Pork Forbidden
• Leprosy and Plague (Lev. 13:46)

"'To prevent the hair from turning gray, anoint it with the blood of a black calf which has been boiled in oil, or with the fat of a rattlesnake.' This prescription comes from the famous Papyrus Ebers, a medical book written in Egypt about 1552 B.C. Since Egypt occupied the dominant position in the ancient medical world, the Papyrus is of great importance as a record of the medical knowledge of that day.

The book also contains prescriptions for people who are losing hair: 'When it falls out, one remedy is to apply a mixture of six fats, namely those of the horse, the hippopotamus, the crocodile, the cat, the snake, and the ibex. To strengthen it, anoint with the tooth of a donkey crushed in honey.' An extra-special hair dressing for the Egyptian Queen Schesch consisted of equal parts of a heel of an Abyssinian greyhound, date blossoms, and asses' hoofs, boiled in oil. The choice preparation was intended to make the royal hair grow.

To save victims bitten by poisonous snakes, physicians of that day gave them "magic water" to drink water that had been poured over a special idol. To embedded splinters they applied worms' blood and asses' dung. Since dung is loaded with tetanus spores, it is little wonder that lockjaw took a heavy toll of splinter cases.

Several hundred remedies for diseases are advised in the Papyrus Ebers. The drugs include "lizards' blood, swines' teeth, putrid meat, stinking fat, moisture from pigs' ears, milk goose grease, asses' hoofs, animal fats from various sources, excreta from animals, including human beings, donkeys, antelopes, dogs, cats, and even flies (None of These Diseases, S. I. McMillen, p. 9)."

There are many facts revealed in the Bible long before men discovered them.

FACT AS STATED IN BIBLE	BIBLICAL REFERENCE	COMMON BELIEF OF DAY IN WHICH AUTHOR LIVED
Blood is essential to life.	Lev. 17:11-14	Disease and spirits reside in blood. To cure disease, bleed patient.
Both male and female possess "seed of life."	Gen. 3:15; 22:18	Male has baby in him. Woman = incubator.
Eating blood of animals forbidden.	Lev. 17:12,14	Raw blood used as beverage.
Don't eat animal that died naturally.	Lev. 17:15	No restrictions on manner of death.
Quarantine of certain diseases.	Lev. 13-15	No isolation of diseased.
Don't eat pork, scavengers (In Moses' day).	Lev. 11	No food restrictions.
Principles of avoiding bacterial contamination - one person to another.	Lev. 15:19-33	No rules of hygiene or isolation.
Human waste products to be buried.	Deut. 23:12-14	Human waste left on ground.
Human body can be opened for surgery.	Gen. 2:21	First operations done secretly because populace threatened doctors.
Burning clothes, washing self after contact with deceased man or animal.	Num. 19:5-22	No recognition of contagion problems.
Earth is round, day and night take place simultaneously.	Isa. 40:22 Prov. 8:27 Luke 17:34	Earth is flat.
Earth is not physically supported.	None mentioned and Job 26:7	Earth held up by four elephants or Atlas (a man), etc.
The North is Empty (Our North Pole points out of our galaxy).	Job 26:7	Seeing a few stars to the North refuted this idea until 1932.
Space and stars are too large to be measured or counted.	Gen. 15:5 Jer. 33:22	Attempts to number the astronomical bodies went on until 1932.
The creation sequence - plants, water creatures, birds, mammals, man, in that order.	Gen. 1:11-28	Most had man first. All varied from correct concept.
The age of everything in the creation is the same.	Gen. 1:1	Different times for different objects.
Lightning is produced naturally.	Jer. 10:13; 51:16	Gods throw lightning bolts.
All men are blood relatives.	Acts 17:26	Men have different origins.
The water cycle.	Eccl. 1:7 Job 36:27,28	Gods pour new water on land continuously.
Snow and ice seen as valuable.	Job 38:22	Snow and ice seen as a scourge and waste.
Seaworthy ratio for ship construction 30 - 5 - 3.	Gen. 6:15	Ships ratio not considered; only the beauty.
Hittite nation's existence.		Denied until 1906.

The story of Ignaz Semmelweis illustrates just how crude our understanding of communicable disease was even a century ago. In the early 1840's, a little over a hundred years ago, a young doctor named Ignaz Semmelweis was given charge over one of the obstetrical wards. He observed that it was particularly the women who were examined by the teachers and students who became sick and died. After watching this heartbreaking situation for three years, he established a rule that, in his ward, every physician and medical student who had participated in the autopsies of the dead must carefully wash his hands before examining the living maternity patients.

"In April, 1847, before the new rule went into effect, fifty-seven women had died in Dr. Semmelweis' ward. Then the rule of washing the hands was instituted. In June, only one out of every forty-two women died; in July, only one -out of every eighty-four. The statistics strongly indicated that fatal infections had been carried from corpses to living patients.

One day, after performing autopsies and washing their hands, the physicians and students entered the maternity ward and examined a row of beds containing twelve women. Eleven of the twelve women quickly developed temperatures and died.

Another new thought was born in Semmelweis' alert brain: some mysterious element was evidently carried from one living patient to others, and with fatal consequences. Logically, Semmelweis ordered that everybody should wash his hands carefully after examining each living patient. Immediately howls of protest were raised against the "'nuisance" of washing, washing, washing but the mortality rate went further down.

Was Semmelweis acclaimed by his fellows? On the contrary, lazy students, prejudiced obstetricians, and jealous superiors scorned and belittled him so much that his annual contract was not renewed. His successor threw out the wash basins and up shot the mortality rate to the old terrifying figures. Were his colleagues convinced then? Not at all. We mortals might as well face it the human mind is so warped by pride and prejudice that proof can rarely penetrate it.

For eight months Semmelweis tried to get a respectable position in the hospital again, but to no avail. Shocked and depressed, he left Vienna without saying good-by to his few friends and went to Budapest, his home city. There he obtained a position in a hospital; there too the mortality rate of pregnant women was frightful. Again he instituted the practice of washing the hands before examining the individual patient. At once the grim reaper was halted, but again prejudice and jealousies overpowered the proof and many of Semmelweis' colleagues passed him in the hospital corridors without speaking.

Dr. Semmelweis wrote an excellently documented book on his work, which only spurred his assailants to the bitterest sarcasm. The strain plus the death cries of dying mothers so haunted and weighed on his sensitive nature that his mind finally broke. Ignaz Semmelweis died, in a mental institution without ever receiving the recognition he richly deserved" (None of These Diseases, pp. 14-15).

Evolution - "Faith of Our (scientific) Fathers"

Many who deny God, offer evolution as proof that man was not created by God. However, evolution is not a fact- it is a faith. Scientists claim to only believe what can be observed in the laboratory and yet no one has every observed evolution take place in a laboratory.

A well known writer was once asked what was the most convincing argument for evolution. He responded that if a room full of monkeys were locked in a room full of typewriters for long enough, they would type the complete works of Shakespeare. He asserted that the power of random combination was so strong that over billions of years, all of the life forms we know could have evolved.

Ironically, when examined, this argument turns out to prove that life on this planet is impossible without outside intervention.

Let's suppose we give that room full of monkeys typewriters that only have 26 capital letters and ask them to type out WATERFORD CHURCH OF CHRIST. Remember that a computer keyboard has 101 keys plus a shift, Ctrl and Alt key which would make the challenge infinitely more difficult than the 26 keys we are using

To understand the results of this test, we must understand a little about scientific notation for numbers too large to have names. Ten billion (10,000 000,000) is designated 10¹⁰ (read ten to the tenth power). Thus 10³⁸² is read as 10 to the 382nd power and is a 1 with 382 zeros behind it. This is how many possible combinations would have to be worked, to perform all of the possible random combinations of the 26 letters of the alphabet to enough spaces to type WATERFORD CHURCH OF CHRIST.

To be fair we should assume that the typists would get lucky and only have to type only 1/20th of the possible combinations. This would be 10³⁵ possible combinations. If the entire earth's populations were to type nonstop at the rate of one try per second it would take 10^17.9 years to work just 1/20th of the combinations. The stack of paper for all of the possible combinations (using 1/10th sq. Inch of paper per try on paper 1/1000th inch thick) would create a stack of paper that would reach half way to the nearest star.

If it is mathematically impossible to come up with a phrase as short as WATERFORD CHURCH OF CHRIST by random combination of just the 26 capital letters, it is certainly impossible for intelligent life to have evolved.

World famous former staunch evolutionist and astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle wrote of random process,

"Once we see that the probability of life originating at random is so utterly minuscule as to make it absurd, it becomes sensible to think that the favorable properties of physics on which life depends are in every respect deliberate, and it is almost inevitable that our own measure of intelligence must reflect higher intelligence even to the limit of God. In Space Travelers: The Bringers of Life, Sir Fred Hoyle and Chandrea Wickramasinghe).

Nature magazine reported on Hoyle's statement at a Kellogg laboratory symposium about why he disbelieves conventional views of evolution. He likened the chance that higher forms could have evolved in this way to the chance that "a tornado sweeping through a junkyard might assemble a Boeing 747 from materials thereon."

The Missing Link Is Still Missing

Some have set forth the discovery of various "missing links" between man and lower animals as proof we evolved by random combination or survival of the fittest. Some examples are:

• Hisperopithecus Man (Nebraska Man)
• Piltown Man
• Neanderthal Man
• Peking Man
• Lucy

"The Prophetic Word Confirmed"

Another dramatic proof of the Bible is fulfilled prophecy. No book in the world that claims to be holy has this dramatic feature. It is true that the Book of Mormon claims to contain examples of fulfilled prophecies such as the discovery of the Americas by Columbus, however the Book of Mormon appeared on the scene several centuries after Columbus made his voyage. To appreciate the significance of biblical prophecy answer the following questions:

1. If a prophet was from God how accurate did a prophet's predictions have to be (Deut. 18:18-20)?
2. What was the penalty for delivering a single failed prophecy?
3. What other test did a prophet have to pass to be a true prophet (Deut 13:1-3)?

New Testament Prophecy

Josh McDowell examines the probability of Jesus fulfilling just eight of the three hundred prophecies of his earthly life in his book Evidence That Demands A Verdict. He considers: the place of birth (Micah 5:2), time of birth (Daniel 9:25; Genesis 49: 10), manner of birth (Isaiah 7:14). betrayal, manner of death (Psalms 22:16), people's reactions (mocking, spitting., staring, piercing etc.) and his burial.

"The following probabilities are taken from Peter Stoner in Science Speaks to show that coincidence is ruled out by the science of probability. . . We find that the chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 10¹⁷." That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. In order to help us comprehend this staggering probability, Stoner illustrates it by supposing that "we take 10¹⁷ Silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote them in their own wisdom" (pp. 166, 167).

Unity Of The Bible

The unity of the Bible is a powerful proof of the inspiration of scripture. The Bible was written by 40 different men over a period of 1500 years on at least two different continents. The writers came of an amazing array of backgrounds. The Bible is over half a million words in length. And yet it contains a harmony and unity that can only be explained by inspiration.

"The more I study nature, the more I am amazed at the Creator."

Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)

Lesson 3 Understanding It's Structure

THE BIBLE

This book contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners and the happiness of believers. Its doctrine is holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe and practice it to be holy.

It contains light to direct you, food to support you and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword and the Christian's hope.

Here paradise is restored, heaven opened and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its object, our good its design, and the glory of God is its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart and guide the feet.

Read it slowly, frequently and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory and a river of pleasure. It is given to you in life, will be opened in judgment and will be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibilities, will reward the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents. Author unknown.

1. The Structure of The Bible
   1. If you learn these divisions, you will have a better grasp of what the Bible contains and how to find what you are seeking.
2. An Analysis of the Bible's Structure
   1. The Bible is not arranged chronologically. It is arranged logically — much like a library.
   2. Consider the NT Arrangement:
      1. Life of Christ — to produce faith (John 20:30-31)
      2. History — to show obedience, also known as the "Book of Conversions." It contains the history of the early church
      3. Specific and General Epistles — to show how to live the Christian life
      4. Prophecy — to show the final victory of the faithful (Rev. 2:10).
   3. The arrangement of the NT is in exactly the right order for becoming a Christian — faith, obedience, living the Christian life, and the final victory of the faithful!
3. The distinction between the Old and New Testaments
   1. It is important to understand the difference between the Old Testament and the New. Many confusing — and sometimes false — teachings arise from a failure to understand the difference in the testaments.
   2. The Old Testament was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ (Gal. 3:24-25).
      1. Schoolmaster is defined as, "paidagwgos (paidagogos) "boy-leader, the man, usually a slave whose duty it was to conduct the boy or youth to and from school and to superintend his conduct. . . he was not a teacher (despite the present meaning of the derivative). When the young man became of age the p. was no longer needed" (A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, p. 603, Arndt & Gingrich.
   3. Now that Christ has come, we are no longer under the schoolmaster (OT). The New Testament has been given for our authority and our guide (John 1:17; Gal 3:19; 5:1-4 Heb 7:12; 8:7-8; 10:9; Col. 2:14-17).
   4. We are now subject to Christ in all things, as directed in his word (Col. 3:17).
4. Ways in which the Old Testament is useful.
   1. God does not change, so what the OT says about the nature of God is still true (Heb. 13:8).
   2. Man has not changed, so OT teachings about man are still true.
   3. The OT is for our learning and admonition (Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10;11).
Questions:
1. Why are there four gospels?
2. What is an epistle?
3. What is the central theme of the Bible?
4. What is the primary purpose of the Bible?
5. When does the Bible say we ceased to be under the Old Testament (give the scripture)?
6. If the Old Testament was still binding what would be the result?
7. List the following OT Commands.
   • Deut 5:12-15
   • Ex. 23:17
   • Ex. 30:1
   • Lev 1:2 ff.
   • Lev 12:1-2
   • Psa 150:3-4
   • Deut. 22:8
   • Deut. 22:9
   • Deut. 22:11
8. Why do we not observe these today
Cover to Cover

An old preacher, attempting to prove his ability as a Bible student, told the story of the Good Samaritan in these words:

"A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and he fell among thieves. And they beat him and kick and leave him on the roadside to die."

"And the Queen of Sheba, she come by and give him a hundred changes of raiment and a thousand talents of gold. And he jump in her chariot and go sky-larkin' off through the woods. And he run under a big oak tree and there he hung. And the three wise men come by and they cut him down. And he fell on stony ground. And it rain for forty days and forty night, and he went and hid himself in a cave. And the raven come and fed him on locust and wild honey."

"And when it quit raining he come out and a man say to him, 'Come with me to supper.' And he said 'caint, I done married a wife and the seven foolish virgins done burnt up all the oil.' So he went out in the highways and byways and he found Daniel in the lion's den. And say to Daniel, 'Daniel, you put on your coat of many colors and let's go up to Jerusalem.'"

"So Daniel did, and they did. And up in Jerusalem he saw Queen Jezebel setting high in a window. And she laugh at him and make him mad. And he say 'Throw her down', and they throw her down seven times. Then she laugh at him again, and he say, 'Throw her down some more.' So they threw her down seventy times seven, and of the fragments they pick up twelve baskets full."

Chart: Three Bible Ages

How Do You Read Your Bible?

A little boy who was in the habit of attending the Gospel preaching every Lord's Day evening, was unable to go one evening, so he stayed at home and read his Bible.

His mother was upstairs attending to the little ones and did not know what her boy was doing, but noticing how quiet he was, and thinking perhaps he was up to some mischief as little boys often are when they are quiet, she called downstairs, "What are you doing, Henry?"

The lad replied, "I am watching Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead." What a beautiful answer. He was of course reading the 11th chapter of John, and it was all very real to him. Do you read your Bible like this? (selected)

Some Suggestions For Understanding The Bible

1. Ask the four basic questions regarding the background.
   1. Who — who wrote the passage and who is speaking if it is dialogue?
   2. When — when was the passage written?
   3. Why — why did he write it (purpose is extremely important Deut. 5:15)?
   4. Whom — to whom did he write (Example Deut. 5:1)?
2. Be certain that you understand the meaning of words used in the passage.
   1. Use the dictionary. Be careful with a dictionary. Dictionaries are designed to give us the meaning of the word as used by most Americans today. Hence Mark 16:16 could be quoted (with dictionary definitions as, "He that hath an opinion and is sprinkled shall be pickled."
   2. Use a good concordance (Strong's or Young's Concordance) or computer Bible program (Quick Verse, etc.). An effective way to define a word is to see how it is used in other contexts.
   3. Use reference works that will tell you what the words meant in the time they were written (Vine's Expository Dictionary & Wilson's Old Testament Word Studies, Quick Verse).
3. Study the passage grammatically.
   1. Example: In 2 Thes. 1:6-7 the word "rest" in verse seven is not a verb but is a part of the compound object of the verb "recompense." God will recompense two things: "affliction" and "rest."
   2. People often misunderstand the passage because they do not understand the grammatical construction.
4. Study the passage contextually.
   1. Sentence context.
   2. Thought context.
   3. Paragraph context.
   4. Chapter context.
   5. Book context.
   6. Author context.
   7. Covenant context.
   8. Testament context.
   9. Greater context.
5. Study the passage historically.
   1. Great light can be shed on a passage by studying the historical facts and background regarding the passage. Examples would be: high places, the tabernacle, the temple, idolatrous worship.
   2. Valuable aids for this kind of study would be Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias.
6. Eight rules for determining figurative language.
   1. The sense of the context will indicate it.
   2. When the literal meaning of a word or sentence involves an impossibility.
   3. If taking it literal makes it contradict another passage.
   4. When the Scriptures are made to demand that which is wrong (Matt. 18:8-9).
   5. When it is said to be a figure (John 2:18-22;7:27).
   6. When the definite is put for the indefinite.
   7. When it is said in mockery (1 Kings 18:27; Lk. 23:35).
   8. By the use of common sense.
7. Understand figures of speech.
   1. Allegory — the veiled presentation, in a figurative story, of a meaning metaphorically implied, but not expressly stated; the principal subject is kept out of view and we are left to collect the intentions of the writer or speaker by the resemblance of the secondary to the primary.
      1. Gal. 4:21-31 — Sarah and Hagar.
   2. Apostrophe — this figure is a turning aside from the direct subject matter to address others who are imaginary.
      1. Neh. 4:4 — Nehemiah turns from his description of the opposition of his enemies to address others who are imaginary, in prayer.
      2. James 4:16 — The writer has been addressing the poor and oppressed, but in verse 16, he turns and apostrophizes the rich oppressors, returning to his subject in verse 7.
   3. Anthropopatheia — this figure is the ascribing of human attributes, passions, or actions to God; this is God's way to let us know that He is a very personal and loving being.
   4. Metaphor — A metaphor is a declaration that one thing is (or represents) another or a comparison by representation; the verb "is," when used, always means "represents."
      1. Psa. 23:1 — "The Lord is my Shepherd"
      2. Matt. 531 — "Ye are the salt of the earth"
      3. Matt. 26:26 — "This is my body"
   5. Metonymy - a figure by which one name or noun is used instead of another, to which it stands in a certain relation.
      1. Metonymy of the cause — the cause is stated, effect is intended (Eph. 4:20; Lk. 2:27).
      2. Metonymy of subject — the subject is named, whereas something connected with it or associated with it is intended.
         1. Container is put for contents (cup for fruit of vine).
   6. Simile — a stated comparison that one is like another, usually stated by the words "as" or "like."
      1. Jer. 4:4 — "Let my fury go forth like fire."
      2. Matt. 23:27 — "Ye are like unto whited sepulchres."
      3. 1 Pet. 1:24- "All flesh is as grass."
   7. Similitude — a drawn out or prolonged simile.
      1. Matt. 7:24-27 - the wise and foolish man.
   8. Synecdoche — a figure in which the part is put for the whole or the whole for the part.
      1. Ecc. 12:3 — Day is used for days.
      2. Acts 27:37 — Soul means the whole man.
      3. 1 Thes. 5:23 — Spirit, soul, body mean the whole man.
      4. Mk. 1:23 — "All" means greater part.
      5. Rom. 5:1 — Faith means all the gospel commands necessary for salvation.
   9. Personification — a figure which attributes personal forms, intelligence, actions to inanimate objects or abstract ideas.
      1. Job 31:7 — "If mine heart walked after mine eyes" (i.e. if I covet).
      2. Job 12:7 — "Ask now the beasts and they shall teach thee."
      3. Prov. 8 — Wisdom is personified.
   10. Fable — a fictitious narrative intended to illustrate some maxim or truth.
       1. Judges 9:9-20 - the trees choosing a king.
       2. 2 Kings 14:9 - the thistle and the cedars.
   11. Hyperbole — an exaggeration for the sake of emphasis.
       1. Num. 13:37 — "We were as grasshoppers in their sight and in our eyes."
       2. Deut. 1:28 — "Cities are great and are walled up to heaven."
       3. Matt. 5:29 — "If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out."
   12. Oxymoron — a figure in which what is said at first appears to be foolish, yet when we consider it, we find it exceedingly wise.
       1. Isa. 58:10 — "thy darkness shall be as the noonday."
       2. Matt. 16:25 — "Whosoever shall save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it."
       3. 2 Cor. 8:2 — "Their deep poverty abounded unto their riches of their liberality."
   13. Parable — a story by which something real in life is used as a means of presenting a moral or spiritual thought. Its purpose is both to reveal and to conceal truth. There are many examples in New Testament (Matt. 13:10-13).
   14. Irony — may be considered "opposite talk" say one thing while meaning the opposite. It may be humor, ridicule, or light sarcasm the intended implication of which is the opposite of the literal sense of the words.
       1. 1 Kings 18:27; Elijah on Mt. Carmel "Cry aloud."
   15. Prolepsis — a figure by which objections are anticipated in order to weaken their force.
       1. Rom. 6:1ff - Paul's anticipation of objection to teaching on grace and sin.
   16. Ellipsis — omission of one or more words, obviously understood, but necessary to make the expression grammatically complete.
       1. John 6:27 - word "only" left out.
   17. Parallelism — a figure where there is repetition of similar, synonymous, or opposite thoughts or words in parallel or successive lines of poetry. There are 7 kinds.
   18. Proverb — a short, pithy sentence containing a complete and valuable thought i.e.. book of Proverbs.
Some Do's and Don'ts For Bible Study
1. Do study with reverence for God and His Word (2 Peter 3:16; Gal. 1:8-9).
2. Do Pray for wisdom (James 1:5).
3. Do Study with an open mind.
4. Do study expectantly, expecting to get something out of your study for your own life and the lives of those around you. Remember that what you get out of your study is directly proportional to what you put into it.
5. Do study different translations, holding the American Standard and the New American Standard as the closest to the Greek idiom.
6. Do remember to exegete, not eisegete: to exegete is to bring OUT the meaning which God placed in the text; to eisegete is to read INTO the text what you want it to mean.
7. Do study with Faith.
   1. Believe all the Bible — not just that which seems reasonable to you (Isaiah 55:8-10).
   2. The bumper sticker says, "God says it, I believe it, that settles it." It should read, "God says it, that settles it, so I should believe it."
   3. It is a great hindrance to study any portion of the Bible with a question mark over its authenticity.
8. Do remember that there may be a difference between what the verse says and what a person says about a verse.
9. Do determine if there are any parallels to the verse you are studying. Marginal references may be helpful.
10. Do Determine if the language of the text is literal or figurative.
    1. Treat a word as literal until there is reason to believe it isn't.
11. Do study the meaning of words as used by the writer.
12. Do study sentences in their context; observe punctuation added by men; what kind of sentence is it?
13. Do be careful to note if there is a word in italics in the text. Italics are words supplied by the translators to make good English sense; some 30,000 in KJV.
14. Do be careful to note the connectives in a portion of Scripture.
    1. And — denotes continuance of thought - joins two things of equal rank and value.
    2. But — introduces a contrast.
    3. If, then — suggests a condition or consequence.
    4. For — introduces a reason for a proceeding statement.
    5. Therefore, wherefore — introduces a conclusion that follows from what said before.
    6. As, while, when - introduces some event which occurred at the same time.
15. Do be careful to note the grammar of the sentence or text.
16. Don't be satisfied with merely reading the Bible.
    1. Reading is wonderful — one should read the Bible daily.
    2. We should seek to retain that which we read.
    3. It takes more than reading to come to a proper understanding of the Bible. Thus we should "give diligence" to understand the Bible.
    4. Imagine trying to learn Algebra by just READING the text book.
    5. Imagine trying to become a brain surgeon by just reading some books about brain surgery.
17. Don't strain for a forced interpretation of a verse or word in the text.
    1. The Bible was written in the language of common man
    2. Let the Bible state its message in its own words.
18. Don't interpret one verse of Scripture so as to contradict another plain verse of Scripture.
    1. Example: faith and works (Romans 5 & James 2).
19. Don't twist the Scriptures to fit a preconceived idea (2 Peter 3:16).
20. Don't formulate a doctrine or take a position until you collect and correlate everything the Bible teaches on a subject or doctrine; study every verse on the subject.
21. Do admit that there are difficult passages in the Bible (2 Pet. 3:15,16).
22. Do be sure to note the major thrust of a passage: is it historical, prophetic, etc.
23. Do read the text in several good translations.
    1. This can help in understanding the meaning of words.
24. Don't take a text out of context — this becomes a pretext

Lesson 4 Choosing A Bible

 

Introduction

1. We pride ourselves in being truth-seekers.
2. We take pride in the fact that we use the Bible as our only guide.
3. Yet many are taking a stand on the issue of the translations on the basis of subjective influences rather on the basis of biblical principles.
4. Some are using whatever translation seems to prove a particular point, regardless of that translation's accuracy.
5. On the other extreme, are those who automatically brand anything but the King James Version (KJV) as liberal and dangerous to the faith.
6. It appears that many are passing judgment on the translation issue, not as a result of ardent, truth-loving examination of the evidence.
7. Rather, the issue is being decided by such factors as; what sounds the best, which reads the easiest or what did my favorite college professor or preacher use.
8. In short, we need to stop rejecting translations simply because they are new or old.
9. The following are some criteria for answering the question, "What is a good translation?"
Discussion
1. Preliminary presuppositions.
   1. Verbal inspiration (Ex. 20:1; 24:4; 35:1; Deut. 18:18-19; Jer. 1:9; Matt. 10:27; John 16:13-15; 1 Cor. 2:13; 2 Pet. 1:20-21).
   2. True life comes from the words of God (Matt. 4:4). If the Bible doesn't contain the very words of God, we have no source of true life.
   3. With these presuppositions we will arrive at the same conclusions stated by Richard C. Trench,

      "The conscientious task is to take the actual word of the original and transplant it unchanged, in the trust that any strangeness will disappear by time and use, and its meaning acquired by even the unlearned or the unlettered reader — and that is what actually occurred with the King James Version."

2. The 5 basic types of translations.
   1. Literal: Interlinear.
   2. Standard: KJV, ASV, RSV, NKJV, NRSV.
   3. Paraphrase: The Living Bible Paraphrased (This class is not really a translation in the true sense of the word).
   4. Dynamic Equivalent : A dynamic equivalent is a translation that seeks to strike a balance between standard and paraphrase. The goal of this type of translation is to render the idea conveyed by the original language into that of the target language (like English). Some examples in this category would be the NIV (New International Version), NRSV (New Revised Standard Version), and the NAB (New American Bible).
3. Scholarship.
   1. One man: TEV Moffat, Goodspeed, LBP The Message.
   2. Liberal Committee (denies verbal inspiration).
      1. RSV translated by 21 liberals and 1 Jew.
      2. NEB translated by 11 liberal British groups.
   3. Conservative committee (affirms inspiration).
      1. KJV - 48 men, conservative Anglican scholars (1611).
      2. ASV - 100 men of mixed background (1901).
      3. NASB - 58 (N.T. 1960, O.T. 1971).
      4. NIV - 100 men from 50 different churches (N.T. 1973, O.T. 1978).
      5. NKJV - 119 translators (NT 1979, O.T. 1982) all of whom believed in plenary verbal inspiration of the original autographs.
      6. English Standard Version ESV
The King James Version (KJV)
1. Date: 1611 (we actually use the 1769 revision).
   1. There are 75,000 changes in the KJV we use today from the original edition.
   2. This is a telling fact for those who teach that it is a violation of Revelation 22:18-19 for anyone to use any other translation than the KJV.
2. Translators: 48 Anglicans.
   1. Anglicans were conservatives in those days.
3. Strengths.
   1. It was a modern translation in the vernacular of the common people.
   2. This is why the "Thees" and "Thous" were used. They are not in the original text.
   3. It was written at the height of English literary genius.
   4. We are used to hearing it.
   5. Its language is dignified.
   6. It is the standard for many reference works.
4. Weaknesses.
   1. It used the "third edition of the Greek New Testament, issued by the Parisian publisher Stephanus (Latinized form of Estienne) in 1550."
   2. Many mistakenly assume that the King James was translated from the Textus Receptus. But, "Even the first Elzevir edition was not published until 13 years after the date of the KJV."
   3. The weakness in using either one of these texts lies in the fact that they settled the question of disputed readings with a nose-count mentality.
   4. I John 5:17 (KJV): this verse is not found in any ancient Greek text. It was inserted in the text by Erasmus because of pressure from the Vatican.
   5. It originally included the apocryphal books.
   6. 1,000 colloquial terms.⁶ This may not seem like much of a problem to mature members of the church. But, to new converts it is often a formidable problem.
   7. "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way" (2 Thess. 4:7).
      1. Let means restrain in this verse.
   8. "Prevent" sometimes is used to mean "go before" (1 Thess. 4:15; Psa. 59:10).
   9. "Wit" and "Wotteth", mean to know.
5. Inaccurate translations: (actually they are amazingly few considering the lack of lexicographal help available in those days.)
   1. Heb 6:8 was reworded to make it sound like verse 8 is talking about a different person than the one discussed in vs. 4-7.
   2. Acts 12:4.
The American Standard Version (ASV)
1. Date: 1901.
2. Translators: 100 men of mixed theology.
3. Strengths.
   1. Many more manuscripts were available to them than there were for the KJV translators (about 2,000 compared to only about 25 in 1611),⁷
   2. It is extremely accurate.
   3. Spurgeon called it a "Greek student's crib sheet."
   4. Some complain that it is slavishly accurate. This feature makes it slow to read.
   5. Where possible it uses harmony of expression.
4. Weaknesses.
   1. It doesn't read as smoothly as other translations.
   2. II Tim. 3:16 "Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness."
   3. Even the head of the committee Philip Schaff disavowed the committee's handling of 2 Tim 3:16.
   4. Too cautious with the text — It didn't give enough weight to textual evidence found in the early translations and quotations (some of which were older than the oldest available Greek manuscripts). This criticism can be made of all of the modern translations except the New King James Version.
      1. Examples: Acts 8:37 & Mark 16:8 ff.
   5. Very hard to find.
The Revised Standard Version (RSV)
1. Date: 1946 for O.T. & 1952 for N.T.
2. Translators: 21 liberals and 1 Jew.
3. Strengths.
   1. It is very readable.
   2. It is widely used in mainline Protestant churches because of its endorsement by the National Council of Churches.
4. ALLEGED strengths.
   1. More manuscripts available? Actually there were only 2 more Greek manuscripts available to the RSV translators than had been available to the ASV translators.
   2. The use of the Dead Sea Scrolls to improve the Masoretic text (text of the Old Testament).
   3. There were only 12 minor changes in the text of Isaiah as a result of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Dr. Harry M. Orlinsky, one of the RSV translators, said that the famous Dead Sea Scroll of Isaiah had, "No value for the reconstruction of the Masoretic text."
   4. The following quote demonstrates the great care with which the Masorites handled the Hebrew text.

      "The parchment must be made from the skin of clean animals: must be prepared by a Jew only, and the skins must be fastened together by strings taken from clean animals. 2. Each column must have no less than 48 nor more than 60 lines. The entire copy must be first lined, and if three words were written in it without the line, the copy was worthless. 3. The ink must be of no other color than black, and it must be prepared according to a special recipe. 4. No word nor letter could be written from memory: the scribe must have an authentic copy before him, and he must read and pronounce aloud each word before writing it. 5. He must reverently wipe his pen each time before writing the word for "God," and he must wash his whole body before writing the word "Jehovah," lest the holy name be contaminated. 6. Strict rules were given concerning the forms of the letters, spaces between letters, words, and sections, the use of the pen, the color of the parchment, etc. 7. The revision of a roll must be made within 30 days after the work was finished; otherwise it was worthless. One mistake on a sheet condemned the sheet; if three mistakes were found on any page, the entire manuscript was condemned. 8. Every word and every letter was counted, and if a letter were omitted, an extra letter inserted, or if one letter touched another, the manuscript was condemned and destroyed at once. And so on. Some of these rules may appear extreme and absurd, yet they show how sacred the Holy Word of the Old Testament was to its custodians, the Jews (Romans 3:2), and they give us strong encouragement to believe that we have the real Old Testament, the same one which our Lord had and which was originally given by inspiration by God."

5. Weaknesses.
   1. Liberal committee. The translators believed Jesus to be an illegitimate son. One translator actually believed that the virgin birth was merely a story cooked up by Mary to keep from being stoned to death for fornication.
   2. "Thou and Thee" retained in reference to the Father but not when referring to Christ (Matt. 16:18; Mark 1:24).
   3. No Italics.
   4. Matt. 27:24 "This man's blood."
   5. Luke 1:34 "Since I have no husband."
   6. Cf. R.C. Foster's articles in the Gospel Advocate 1953 titled "The Battle of the Versions."
   7. Isaiah 7:14 translates "virgin" as "young woman." The translators have admitted that instead of translating it from the Hebrew or the LXX (Septuagint), they used Aquila's translation. It is a translation made by a man who had been withdrawn from by the church for practicing astrology. He then joined the Jews and retranslated the Old Testament into Greek to do away with the Septuagint which was so damaging to their claims that Jesus was not the Christ.
   8. Faith only is taught in Romans 11:20 "That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast only through faith. . ."
Living Bible Paraphrased also sold as "The Book"
1. It is not a translation. It is a one man, Calvinistic Commentary, one of the most biased and flawed attempts at translation ever made. A companion outline is available upon request.

    

Today's English Version (TEV) subtitled "Good News for Modern Man"
1. Date: 1967.
2. Translator - Robert G. Bratcher. Published by the American Bible Society.
3. Strengths.
   1. It is cheap.
4. Weaknesses.
   1. "This translation of the New Testament has been prepared by the American Bible Society for people who speak English as their own mother tongue or as an acquired language." ¹³ The preceding quote demonstrates a major weakness. The translation was designed to be used primarily in countries where English was a second language. For this reason, the vocabulary of the translation is very limited.
   2. It is a one man translation, and his theological bias creeps into the translation in many places.
   3. "A member of translator Bratcher's American Bible Society board had stated the policy for a modern translation: first to settle the question of their theology, then translate accordingly. Whether an inadvertent concession or not, it is an honest confession, and it is in evidence throughout translator Bratcher's Today's English Version — for he translates according to his theology."
   4. Acts 20:7 "On Saturday evening we gathered together for the fellowship meal. Paul spoke to the people, and kept on speaking until midnight, since he was going to leave the next day."
   5. Acts 22:16 "And now, why wait any longer? Get up and be baptized and have your sins washed away by calling on His name.
   6. For some reason the translator removed many references to the blood of Christ from his translation. such as the following:

      I Pet. 1:18-19 "For you know what was paid to set you free from the worthless manner of life you received from your ancestors. It was not something that loses its value, such as silver or gold; you were set free by the costly sacrifice of Christ, who was like a lamb without defect or spot."

   7. Acts 8:20 "But Peter answered him: 'May you and your money go to Hell, for thinking that you can buy God's gift with money!'"
   8. Rom. 3:28 "For we conclude that a man is put right with God only through faith, and not by doing what the Law commands."
   9. Gal. 2:16 "Yet we know that a man is put right with God only through faith in Jesus Christ, never by doing what the Law requires. We, too, have believed in Christ Jesus in order to be put right with God through our faith in Christ, and not by doing what the Law requires. For no man will ever be put right with God by doing what the Law requires."
   10. Rom. 1:17 reads faith only in the first two editions. "For the gospel reveals how God puts men right with himself: it is through faith alone, from beginning to end. As the scripture says, 'He who is put right with God through faith shall live.'"
   11. Excluding the Paraphrase, which is not a true translation, we safely say the TEV is probably as poor a translation as man has ever succeeded in making.

        

The New English Bible (NEB)
1. Date: N.T. 1961, O.T. 1970.
2. Translators: groups from 11 liberal British churches and societies.
   1. The O.T. is readable, majestic and accurate, with the exception of Isaiah 7:14 which translates "virgin" as "young woman."
   2. The N.T. is of inferior quality.
3. Weaknesses.
   1. It is not very widely used in this country.
   2. It is filled with idioms common to the British Isles which would be confusing to an American reader.
   3. The Translators felt their first responsibility was to get the meaning across instead of translating the actual words of the original. Thus if they misinterpreted a passage, they automatically mistranslated it. Their translation could in no way be any better than their theology.
   4. We see the fruit of this mentality with their translation of Pentecost as Whitsuntide in 1 Cor. 16:8.
New American Standard Bible (NASB).
1. Date: NT. 1960, O.T. 1971 (revised in 1995)
2. Translators: 58 from different churches.
3. Strengths:
   1. It is true to the original the languages.
   2. It is grammatically correct.
   3. It strives for "harmony of expression."
   4. It has occasional literal renderings in the margin that help clarify meaning of the passage. For example in Mat. 16:18, it explains that Peter is translated from petros which means a stone, but that the rock the church is built on is a petra which is a large bedrock.
   5. It is dignified.
   6. It renders Greek tenses more accurately than any other translation ". . .and whatever you shall bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven (Mat. 16:19; 18:18).
4. Weaknesses.
   1. Its word order is so radically different than that of the King James that it is difficult for many others to follow along during public reading.
   2. It is not as readable as the NKJV or the NIV.
   3. It has not been marketed as well as the NIV and the NKJV and so will probably lose out to these two translations.
   4. The NASB was revised in 1995 to address some of these weaknesses, but it is still very hard to find.
The New King James Version (NKJV).
1. Date: N.T. 1979, O.T. 1982.
2. Translators: 119 Scholars, editors and church leaders.
   1. All translators were required to sign a statement affirming belief in the plenary, verbal inspiration of the original autographs.
   2. The translators stated that they strove to avoid thought translation.
3. Peculiarities of the NKJV:
   1. It retains the Erasmusian textual tradition with foot notes in the margin listing words or phrases omitted by modern textual critics.
4. Strengths:
   1. It eliminates the outdated language of the KJV.
   2. It retains the word order of the KJV (making it simpler for those with the KJV to follow along during public reading).
   3. It corrects most of the inaccuracies of the KJV.
   4. Example: it changes "whale" to "great fish" (Mat. 12:40).
   5. Although there are a number of problem areas with the translation, after years of daily study I have found no inaccuracies that teach an obvious false doctrine.
The New International Version (NIV)
1. Date: N.T. 1973, O.T. 1978.
2. Translators: about 100 from 50 different churches.
   1. NOTE: The statement in the introduction of the NIV that a member of the Church of Christ was involved in translating it is misleading. Brother Jack Lewis' involvement in translating the NIV consisted of research work concerning several Old Testament words.
3. Strengths.
   1. Conservative committee.
   2. VERY readable.
   3. Readable print.
   4. Good binding.
   5. Available in several good study Bibles.
4. Weaknesses.
   1. Too much paraphrasing (personal opinion).
   2. Psalms 51:5 (NIV) Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
      1. This translation teaches we were sinful before we were even born.
      2. See Ezekiel 18:20 in any translation.
   3. 1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV) The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
      1. This verse in the NIV teaches that a non Christian cannot understand the gospel thus contradicting Romans 1:16.
   4. 1 Corinthians 13:10 (NIV) but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
   5. Romans 7:18 (NIV) I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
   6. "Sinful nature" is a phrase used by Calvinistic theologians to teach that we are born inheriting the sin of Adam hence born sinners (see also Rom 7:5,25; 8:3-5,8,9,12,13; 13:14; 1 Cor. 5:50; Eph 2:3; Gal 5:13,16,17,19,24; 6:8; Col. 2:11,13; 2 Pet 2:10,18).
   7. SARKS (sarks) cannot mean inherited sinful nature because Romans 1:3 teaches that Jesus was born in the sarks.
   8. Ephesians 1:13 (NIV) And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
   9. No italics.
   10. NOTE: nearly all of the serious errors involve paraphrasing Calvinism into the text.
Today's New International Version (TNIV)
1. Date: 2002.
2. Translators: The same basic committee that translated the NIV.
3. This was what many have called a "stealth translation."
   1. Word that Zondervan was going to make the NIV "gender sensitive," created such a furor that efforts to release it in the US were killed and it was released in the UK instead.
   2. A meeting of scholars was then organized at the headquarters of Focus On The Family to set gender guidelines for translators. The CEO of Zondervan signed the agreement. Evangelical leaders assumed that meant that Zondervan would cease all efforts at a gender neutral translation. To everyone's surprise they released the TNIV. When questioned about his earlier agreement not to do so, the CEO of Zondervan responded that he was only signing for himself not the corporation.
4. Strengths: same as the NIV.
5. Weakness.
   1. Same as the NIV PLUS:
   2. It is highly interpretive, politically correct and "gender inclusive."
   3. It has been denounced by many of the leading Evangelicals in America including the Lutheran Church of America and the Southern Baptist Convention.
   4. It is a thought translation.
   5. Includes Mark 16:9-20 in very small italics and incorrectly asserts that non of the early sources include it.
   6. "Saints" translated as "people" or "God's people" or "those"
   7. "In the same way, women who are deacons are to be worthy of respect…" (1 Tim. 3:11).
   8. It often changes the gender and number of nouns and pronouns to make them politically correct.

      "For what children are not disciplined by their parents?" (Heb 12:7)

      "You shall not covet your neighbor's wife or husband," (Ex. 20:7)

      "Those who want to be my disciples must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, but those who lose their life for me will find it." (Matt. 16.24-25)

      (NIV 1 John 4:20) "If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar.

      (TNIV 1 John 4:20): "If we say we love God yet hate a fellow believer, we are liars"

      (TNIV Heb. 2:17) "he had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest …"

      (NIV Hebrews 2:6) "What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"
      (TNIV Hebrews 2:6) "What are mere mortals that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?"

      (NIV John 19:12) "Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar…"

      (TNIV John 19:12) "Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar…"

      (NIV Revelation 3:20" "I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."
      (TNIV Revelation 3:20) "I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with them, and they with me."

      (NIV Acts 4:4) "But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand."
      (TNIV Acts 4:4) "But many who heard the message believed, and the number of believers grew to about five thousand."

   9. Changing the gender and number often de-emphasizes individual responsibility

      (NIV James 1:12) "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."
      (TNIV James 1:12) "Blessed are those who persevere under trial, because when they have stood the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."

      (NIV James 5:20) "Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins."
      (NIV James 5:20) "Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save their soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

      "Now an overseer is to be . . . Faithful to his wife. . . (1 Tim. 3:2)

      "I do not permit a woman to teach or have authority over a man" (footnote "Or her husband") (1 Tim. 2:12)

The English Standard Version (ESV)
1. Similar to the NKJV in its attitude toward inspiration of scripture and a desire to retain the basic word order of the KJV and the high literary standards.
2. It uses a more modern text of the New Testament than the NKJV does.
3. Very reliable
4. Very readable.
5. Includes some of the latest scholarship.
Choosing A Study Bible
1. Get the best binding available.
   1. The binding will determine how long your Bible lasts.
   2. Moroccan leather is one of the best but hard to find.
   3. French Moroccan is a good sounding name for bonded leather. Bonded leather will only wear about 1/3 rd as long as Moroccan.
2. Get a thumb index (so you can keep up with the preacher).
3. Beware of the footnotes. They are often helpful but are uninspired.
4. Make sure the text is readable.
5. Choose a study Bible with the helps that speak to your particular needs.
   1. The Life Application has excellent notes that are applicable to daily living. It tends to put the maps and charts where they are needed.
   2. The Open Bible has good notes under the verses instead of in a hard-to-use center-column reference. Its footnotes are not as useful or complete the Life Application Bible's notes, but it has a cyclopedic reference in the front that is very complete
The Proper Care Of Your Bible
1. If your Bible is hard backed or bonded leather be sure and get a carrying case for it.
2. The first time you open your Bible is important. Good Bibles have whip-stitched spines. If the Bible is not opened properly the first time the stitching can break or cut the pages.
3. Protect the leather cover from sunlight and water.

    

Conclusion

Even though translators are human we can know we still have the Bible. The New Testament often quotes from a translation of the Old Testament called the Septuagint and calls it the word of God. All of the translations done by large Bible believing Committees are safe. With the exception of Isaiah 7:14 in the Revised Standard and places in the New International where the word "flesh" is mistranslated by the Calvinistic phrase "sinful nature" all of these translations are trustworthy. The plan of salvation could easily be learned by anyone from any of these translations. In the words of Jesus, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away" (Matthew 24:35).

Seminar Conclusion

Would I Study My Bible If…?

William McPherson had a charge of dynamite go off in his face. He lost his eyes and hands and the feeling in parts of his face. He realized how much the Bible meant to him and he greatly needed its strength.

He could not read it in Braille because of his artificial hands. He tried to place his lips on the dots, but they were unable to decipher the Moon type system of dashes. The metal left his lips and tongue bleeding and sore, but he prayed to God to help him to learn just one letter of the alphabet. In the 65 years that followed, he read the Bible through four times with his tongue.

Would I study the Bible if the same thing happened to me that happened to Mr. McPherson? Would I have such an intense desire to know God's will that I would go through what he did to learn? I wonder if I would have decided, "I can never read the Bible again.'' Would I study the Bible if I had to get up an hour earlier each day to work it into my busy schedule? Would I miss my favorite TV program if, at that hour, I remembered I hadn't studied my Bible for the day and wouldn't have time afterwards? Would I study the Bible (I wish I hadn't heard of that McPherson fellow) if I didn't feel just right, or if I had had a hard day at work, or if I was just too tired (I wonder how that fellow learned to read with his tongue)?

Would I study even though I was a slow reader and it took me all day just to read one or two chapters? Would I study the Bible on occasions when the saints were assembled (Sunday morning, Wednesday night, etc.) if I had to go without supper till after services, or walk or drive several blocks to get there?

How many "ifs" keep you from studying the Bible? Is this a matter of no importance to you at all? If it is, then do something about it. That McPherson fellow - I guess his example will haunt me the rest of my life. (Anonymous)