http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/ Sun, 05 Feb 2012 01:42:13 +0000 MyBB http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1912.html Sat, 03 Dec 2011 15:27:54 +0000 http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1912.html [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63c4qOirJ4A&feature=player_embedded]]> [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63c4qOirJ4A&feature=player_embedded]]> http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1909.html Sun, 13 Nov 2011 10:19:47 +0000 http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1909.html
Every week millions of Americans decided whether or not to go to church. Every week millions of believers overseas the decision has been made. They will attend church despite the fact that they are putting their lives at risk just for attending a church service. They go to church, read their Bible, and pray all the while knowing that it could cause them to be imprisoned, beaten, tortured, raped, and murdered. 14,000 Christians are killed every year for doing the thing that most Americans take for granted. If you have a church that preaches the Bible. Don't take it for granted. If you are in a church that doesn't preach the Bible find one that does. Let this also be a reminded to use to pray for those who are being persecuted! Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.]]>
Every week millions of Americans decided whether or not to go to church. Every week millions of believers overseas the decision has been made. They will attend church despite the fact that they are putting their lives at risk just for attending a church service. They go to church, read their Bible, and pray all the while knowing that it could cause them to be imprisoned, beaten, tortured, raped, and murdered. 14,000 Christians are killed every year for doing the thing that most Americans take for granted. If you have a church that preaches the Bible. Don't take it for granted. If you are in a church that doesn't preach the Bible find one that does. Let this also be a reminded to use to pray for those who are being persecuted! Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.]]> http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1908.html Tue, 27 Sep 2011 01:30:50 +0000 http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1908.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y2KsU_dh...1317083221]]> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y2KsU_dh...1317083221]]> http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1907.html Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:17:24 +0000 http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1907.html
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Ray]]> http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1905.html Wed, 09 Mar 2011 01:02:29 +0000 http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1905.html



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]]> http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1904.html Sat, 05 Mar 2011 18:22:55 +0000 http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1904.html

Luke chapter 24 is a confused mess created by the Bible agnostics with their so called "science of textual criticism", especially in the NASB. ALL the textual variants addressed here in Luke chapter 24 are due to only one Greek manuscript called D. The vast majority of all others read as does the King James Bible and the Traditional Greek texts used for centuries. In Luke 24:3 we read: "And they entered in and found not the body OF THE LORD JESUS." These words are omitted by the RSV 1973 and the New English Bible of 1970; but they are included in the Revised Version 1885, the ASV 1901, the ESV 2001, the NASB, NIV and NKJV.

In Luke 24:6 we read: "HE IS NOT HERE BUT IS RISEN: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee." The RSV, NRSV, New English Bible 1970 and Bruce Metzger's Revised English Bible 1989 all omit the words "he is not here but is risen" but they are found in the ESV, NIV, NASB and NKJV. But the NASB footnote says: "SOME ancient manuscripts omit: "He is not here, but He has risen." Metzger's footnote in the 1989 Revised English bible says: "some witnesses add "He is not here; he has been raised." SOME? There is ONLY ONE Greek manuscript listed that omits these words, and that is D. Yet all these words are included in the Majority of all Greek texts as well as Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, A, C and P75.

In Luke 24:12 we read: "Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass." However the RSV and NEB, Revised English Bible 1989 omit this entire verse, while the NASB's of 1963, 72, 72 and 1977 placed it in [brackets] indicating doubt as to its being Scripture or not, but then in 1995 removed the [brackets]. And once again the NASB gives us this very misleading footnote saying: "SOME ancient mss. omit verse 12." The 1989 Revised English Bible with textual critic Bruce Metzger as chief editor also footnotes: "Some witnesses add...."!!! The whole verse is in the RV, ASV, NRSV of 1989, the ESV and the NIV, as well as all English bibles since the days of John Wycliffe in 1395 on through Tyndale, the Geneva Bible and of course the King James Holy Bible.



Luke 24:36 "And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, AND SAITH UNTO THEM, PEACE BE UNTO YOU."

This is the reading found in all texts, including Sinaiticus and Vaticanus. Only ONE manuscript omits the words "and saith unto them, peace be unto you" and that is the notorious manuscript D. Yet on the basis of this one manuscript the RSV, New English Bible 1970, the Revised English Bible 1989 by Bruce Metzger and the NASBs in 1963, 1972, 1973 and 1977 omitted all these words. The whole phrase is retained in the RV, ASV, NRSV, ESV and the NIV. Then in 1995 SOME of the NASBs decided to put them back in the text. The particular NASB 1995 Update printed version I have still omits the words "and saith unto them, peace be unto you", but I have heard that other NASBs 1995 now place the words back in. The online version includes them but the printed copies of the NASB 1995 omit these words.

Luke 24:40 "AND WHEN HE HAD THUS SPOKEN, HE SHEWED THEM HIS HANDS AND HIS FEET." Again, ALL texts, including Sinaiticus and Vaticanus contain this verse, but on the basis of only one manuscript (D) the RSV and NEB 1970, Revised English Bible 1989 omit the entire verse as well as the NASBs in 1963, 1972 and 1973. I have copies of each of these different NASBs. Then in 1977 the NASB put this whole verse back in their version but in [brackets] and then in 1995 they removed the brackets! The Revised Version, ASV 1901, the NRSV 1989, ESV 2001 and NIV do contain this verse, as have all major Bible translations for centuries.

Luke 24:51-52 "And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, AND CARRIED UP INTO HEAVEN. And they WORSHIPPED HIM AND returned to Jerusalem with great joy." Once more, all the words "and carried up into heaven" and "worshipped him and" are found in all texts except one manuscript - D again. Yet the RSV, NEB, Revised English Bible 1989 as well as the NASBs from 1960 through 1977 omitted these words. Then in 1995 the NASB added them back to the text. They have always been in the RV, ASV, and they are in the NRSV, ESV as well as the NKJV.

Verse 51. “And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, AND CARRIED UP INTO HEAVEN.” These last 5 words, “and carried up into heaven” are found in Wycliffe, Tyndale, Coverdale, Bishops, the Geneva Bible, the NIV, the Revised Version, the ASV, NRSV, ESV and the Holman. But they are omitted by the RSV 1952, NEB 1970, Metzger's 1989 Revised English Bible with the Apocrypha and all seven editions of the NASB from 1963 to 1977, and the NASBs once again give us this very misleading footnote saying: "SOME manuscripts add "and was carried up into heaven."

These words are found in P75, Majority, Sinaiticus and Vaticanus. Only manuscript D omits these words. The Critical Texts again are in a state of constant change. Wescott and Hort originally double bracketed the words “and carried up into heaven” and “worshipped him and” in the next verse. Then in 1961 the Nestle-Aland critical text COMPLETELY REMOVED from their texts all these words. But once again in the latest Nestle-Aland they have put all these words back in their texts and this time not even in [brackets]! Go figure. Yet the NASB’s first seven editions from 1963 to 1977 omitted the fact of the ascension of our Lord by removing the words “and carried up into heaven” and removed the words “and worshipped Him” from verse 52. The 1989 Revised English Bible, and the 1970 New English Bible still omit all the words “and was carried up into heaven” and “and worshipped Him”.

But wait, now the 1995 edition of the new and improved NA$B has put them back in for us. Now we can get the late$t in $cholar$hip. So, were the previous NASBs not the inspired words of God, but now in 1995 it is?

We are not quite done beholding the marvels of modern scholarship. Just a couple more brief examples.

In the next verse the reaction of the disciples at seeing our risen Lord ascend into heaven was that “they WORSHIPPED HIM AND, returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” Here again the NASBs from 1963 to 1977 (Seven distinct editions) omitted the words WORSHIPPED HIM AND, and have merely “And they returned to Jerusalem with great joy.”

Nothing about worshipping Jesus Christ, which of course is a strong testimony to the fact that He is God in the flesh, because we may only worship God. The RSV 1952 also omits this phrase and so does the Revised English Bible 1989 and the NEB 1970, but the NRSV, ESV and Holman put it back in and so does the 1995 NASB. Again only D omits these words.

The new ISV (International Standard Version) still manages to sow confusion and doubt by the notes found within the text. Notice these verses: 24:3: but when they went in, they didn't find the body of the Lord Jesus. (Other mss. lack of the Lord Jesus) Lk 24:6: He is not here but has been raised. (Other mss. lack He is not here, but has been raised) Lk 24:12: Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. He stooped down and saw only the linen cloths. Then he went home wondering about what had happened. (Other mss. lack verse 12.) Lk 24:36: Jesus Appears to the Disciples While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” (Other mss. lack and said to them, “Peace be with you.”) Lk 24:40: After he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. (Other mss. lack verse 40).

The truth of the matter is that only one Greek manuscript (D) lacks all these words and whole verses, plus a few but not all Old Latin copies, and all of these words and whole verses are omitted by modern versions like the RSV, NEB (New English Bible 1970) and Bruce Metzger's 1989 Revised English Bible, and most were omitted by the NASB from 1960 until either 1972 or 1977. That single manuscript is D. Dear saints, it should be obvious that this mysterious process is not a "science" at all but rather the strange brew of modern-day textual alchemists.

Will Kinney

Return to Articles - http://brandplucked.webs.com/articles.htm]]>

Luke chapter 24 is a confused mess created by the Bible agnostics with their so called "science of textual criticism", especially in the NASB. ALL the textual variants addressed here in Luke chapter 24 are due to only one Greek manuscript called D. The vast majority of all others read as does the King James Bible and the Traditional Greek texts used for centuries. In Luke 24:3 we read: "And they entered in and found not the body OF THE LORD JESUS." These words are omitted by the RSV 1973 and the New English Bible of 1970; but they are included in the Revised Version 1885, the ASV 1901, the ESV 2001, the NASB, NIV and NKJV.

In Luke 24:6 we read: "HE IS NOT HERE BUT IS RISEN: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee." The RSV, NRSV, New English Bible 1970 and Bruce Metzger's Revised English Bible 1989 all omit the words "he is not here but is risen" but they are found in the ESV, NIV, NASB and NKJV. But the NASB footnote says: "SOME ancient manuscripts omit: "He is not here, but He has risen." Metzger's footnote in the 1989 Revised English bible says: "some witnesses add "He is not here; he has been raised." SOME? There is ONLY ONE Greek manuscript listed that omits these words, and that is D. Yet all these words are included in the Majority of all Greek texts as well as Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, A, C and P75.

In Luke 24:12 we read: "Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass." However the RSV and NEB, Revised English Bible 1989 omit this entire verse, while the NASB's of 1963, 72, 72 and 1977 placed it in [brackets] indicating doubt as to its being Scripture or not, but then in 1995 removed the [brackets]. And once again the NASB gives us this very misleading footnote saying: "SOME ancient mss. omit verse 12." The 1989 Revised English Bible with textual critic Bruce Metzger as chief editor also footnotes: "Some witnesses add...."!!! The whole verse is in the RV, ASV, NRSV of 1989, the ESV and the NIV, as well as all English bibles since the days of John Wycliffe in 1395 on through Tyndale, the Geneva Bible and of course the King James Holy Bible.



Luke 24:36 "And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, AND SAITH UNTO THEM, PEACE BE UNTO YOU."

This is the reading found in all texts, including Sinaiticus and Vaticanus. Only ONE manuscript omits the words "and saith unto them, peace be unto you" and that is the notorious manuscript D. Yet on the basis of this one manuscript the RSV, New English Bible 1970, the Revised English Bible 1989 by Bruce Metzger and the NASBs in 1963, 1972, 1973 and 1977 omitted all these words. The whole phrase is retained in the RV, ASV, NRSV, ESV and the NIV. Then in 1995 SOME of the NASBs decided to put them back in the text. The particular NASB 1995 Update printed version I have still omits the words "and saith unto them, peace be unto you", but I have heard that other NASBs 1995 now place the words back in. The online version includes them but the printed copies of the NASB 1995 omit these words.

Luke 24:40 "AND WHEN HE HAD THUS SPOKEN, HE SHEWED THEM HIS HANDS AND HIS FEET." Again, ALL texts, including Sinaiticus and Vaticanus contain this verse, but on the basis of only one manuscript (D) the RSV and NEB 1970, Revised English Bible 1989 omit the entire verse as well as the NASBs in 1963, 1972 and 1973. I have copies of each of these different NASBs. Then in 1977 the NASB put this whole verse back in their version but in [brackets] and then in 1995 they removed the brackets! The Revised Version, ASV 1901, the NRSV 1989, ESV 2001 and NIV do contain this verse, as have all major Bible translations for centuries.

Luke 24:51-52 "And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, AND CARRIED UP INTO HEAVEN. And they WORSHIPPED HIM AND returned to Jerusalem with great joy." Once more, all the words "and carried up into heaven" and "worshipped him and" are found in all texts except one manuscript - D again. Yet the RSV, NEB, Revised English Bible 1989 as well as the NASBs from 1960 through 1977 omitted these words. Then in 1995 the NASB added them back to the text. They have always been in the RV, ASV, and they are in the NRSV, ESV as well as the NKJV.

Verse 51. “And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, AND CARRIED UP INTO HEAVEN.” These last 5 words, “and carried up into heaven” are found in Wycliffe, Tyndale, Coverdale, Bishops, the Geneva Bible, the NIV, the Revised Version, the ASV, NRSV, ESV and the Holman. But they are omitted by the RSV 1952, NEB 1970, Metzger's 1989 Revised English Bible with the Apocrypha and all seven editions of the NASB from 1963 to 1977, and the NASBs once again give us this very misleading footnote saying: "SOME manuscripts add "and was carried up into heaven."

These words are found in P75, Majority, Sinaiticus and Vaticanus. Only manuscript D omits these words. The Critical Texts again are in a state of constant change. Wescott and Hort originally double bracketed the words “and carried up into heaven” and “worshipped him and” in the next verse. Then in 1961 the Nestle-Aland critical text COMPLETELY REMOVED from their texts all these words. But once again in the latest Nestle-Aland they have put all these words back in their texts and this time not even in [brackets]! Go figure. Yet the NASB’s first seven editions from 1963 to 1977 omitted the fact of the ascension of our Lord by removing the words “and carried up into heaven” and removed the words “and worshipped Him” from verse 52. The 1989 Revised English Bible, and the 1970 New English Bible still omit all the words “and was carried up into heaven” and “and worshipped Him”.

But wait, now the 1995 edition of the new and improved NA$B has put them back in for us. Now we can get the late$t in $cholar$hip. So, were the previous NASBs not the inspired words of God, but now in 1995 it is?

We are not quite done beholding the marvels of modern scholarship. Just a couple more brief examples.

In the next verse the reaction of the disciples at seeing our risen Lord ascend into heaven was that “they WORSHIPPED HIM AND, returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” Here again the NASBs from 1963 to 1977 (Seven distinct editions) omitted the words WORSHIPPED HIM AND, and have merely “And they returned to Jerusalem with great joy.”

Nothing about worshipping Jesus Christ, which of course is a strong testimony to the fact that He is God in the flesh, because we may only worship God. The RSV 1952 also omits this phrase and so does the Revised English Bible 1989 and the NEB 1970, but the NRSV, ESV and Holman put it back in and so does the 1995 NASB. Again only D omits these words.

The new ISV (International Standard Version) still manages to sow confusion and doubt by the notes found within the text. Notice these verses: 24:3: but when they went in, they didn't find the body of the Lord Jesus. (Other mss. lack of the Lord Jesus) Lk 24:6: He is not here but has been raised. (Other mss. lack He is not here, but has been raised) Lk 24:12: Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. He stooped down and saw only the linen cloths. Then he went home wondering about what had happened. (Other mss. lack verse 12.) Lk 24:36: Jesus Appears to the Disciples While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” (Other mss. lack and said to them, “Peace be with you.”) Lk 24:40: After he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. (Other mss. lack verse 40).

The truth of the matter is that only one Greek manuscript (D) lacks all these words and whole verses, plus a few but not all Old Latin copies, and all of these words and whole verses are omitted by modern versions like the RSV, NEB (New English Bible 1970) and Bruce Metzger's 1989 Revised English Bible, and most were omitted by the NASB from 1960 until either 1972 or 1977. That single manuscript is D. Dear saints, it should be obvious that this mysterious process is not a "science" at all but rather the strange brew of modern-day textual alchemists.

Will Kinney

Return to Articles - http://brandplucked.webs.com/articles.htm]]> http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1903.html Sat, 26 Feb 2011 20:23:23 +0000 http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1903.html italics?


At one of the Bible clubs on the internet a Bible critic asks: "If the KJV-only supporters believe fully in the word-for-word inspiration of the KJV, why would italics be necessary?"

First of all, we Bible believers believe in a word for word meaning, not necessarily a strictly literal word for word translation. Sometimes the literal translation would not make sense to us.

ALL translations into another language require the "addition" of certain words for a passage to make proper sense. Why? Because the Hebrew and Greek languages are often elliptical languages. That is, they sometimes omit the Subject or the Verb, or the Direct Object, the Indirect Object or even the word "not" when the text requires it when placed into another language.

The King James Bible translators were honest enough to put most of these "added" words in italics so you could see where they did this. Versions like the NASB, NKJV, ESV, NIV, Holman Standard ALL still "add" those words but they do not always put them in italics so a person reading them is not aware of this.

In fact, there are many places in the Hebrew text where a word is not literally in the text but placed in italics, but when the passage is quoted in the Greek, the word IS there.

Here is one of many examples:

Deuteronomy 8:3.

"And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did they fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every WORD that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live."

You will note that the word "word" is in italics, meaning of course, that it was not in the Hebrew text. Upon examination of Deuteronomy 8:3 in Hebrew one will find that the word "dabar" which is Hebrew for "word" is not found anywhere in the verse. Yet in His temptation experience in the wilderness with Satan we find Jesus quoting Deuteronomy 8:3 as follows in Matthew 4:4 - "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every WORD that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

While quoting Deuteronomy 8:3 Jesus quotes the entire verse including the King James italicized word! Even an amateur "scholar" can locate "ramati," a form of "rama," which is Greek for "word," in any Greek New Testament.

Deuteronomy 25:4, "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out THE CORN.” (Geneva, Coverdale, Bishops’ bible, Wycliffe, Revised Version, Darby, Douay-Rheims; THE GRAIN -NIV, RSV, ESV, NKJV) The Hebrew word for "corn" or "grain" is not found in the Hebrew text but it is supplied by almost every translation done by man, including the Jewish translations. Yet when this verse is quoted in the New Testament, the apostle Paul “adds” the words “the corn” to the inspired Greek text. - I Corinthians 9:9. "For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out THE CORN. Doth God take care for oxen?"

Another example found in all bible translations. (And I have MANY of these)

In 1 Samuel 2:3 we read: "Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let NOT arrogancy come out of your mouth"

The simple word "not" is not literally in the Hebrew text, yet how different the meaning (the opposite) if not supplied. Check out your bible versions; they all "add" the word "not" to the text.

Here is another one like it. In Proverbs 24:28 we read: "Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive NOT with thy lips." Check out your modern versions like the NIV, NASB, ESV, NKJV, Holman etc. If the word "not" is not "added" then we get the totally opposite meaning from the verse.

In Psalm 9:18 we read: “For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall NOT perish for ever.” Once again the word “not” is not in the Hebrew text and if it were not “added” then the verse would mean the complete opposite - “the expectation of the poor shall perish”. So translations like the NIV, NASB, NKJV, ESV and Holman all “add” the word “not” or “nor” to the passage.

In 1 Samuel 16:7 a case is found where the subject and the verb are not found in the Hebrew texts, yet almost every translation in almost every language “adds” these extra words to their texts.

Here we read: “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for THE LORD SEETH not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”

The words “the LORD seeth” are not found in the Hebrew texts, but they are supplied, and usually not even in italics, with either “for God sees” or “the LORD seeth” by such translations as the Bishops’ bible, the Geneva Bible, the RV, ASV, RSV, NRSV, ESV, NASB, NIV, NKJV and NET versions.

Verbs are “added”

Take a look at how many verbs need to be supplied or “added” to the text for the verses to make much sense. In 2 Samuel chapter 9 we read the following verses where ALL the versions (NASB, NIV, ESV, NKJV etc.) “add” the verbs plus other parts of the sentences that are not found in the Hebrew text.

2 Samuel 9:2 “And THERE WAS of the house of Saul a servant...” (NASB, NIV, ESV, NKJV, Holman etc.)

2 Samuel 9:3 “And the king said, IS there not yet any of the house of Saul...? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, WHICH IS lame on HIS (both) feet.”

2 Samuel 9:4 “And the king said, Where IS he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold he IS in the house of Machir...”

2 Samuel 9:8 “And he bowed himself, and said, What IS thy servant...”

2 Samuel 9:10 “Thou therefore, and thy sons shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in THE FRUITS...(NKJV - the harvest; ESV, NASB - the produce; NIV - the crops)

2 Samuel 9:11 “...As for Mephibosheth, SAID THE KING (NKJV), he shall eat at my table (NASB, NIV, ESV change the Hebrew “my” to DAVID’S table), as one of the king’s sons.”

2 Samuel 9:12 “And all the house of Ziba WERE servants unto Mehpibosheth.” (NKJV, NIV, NASB, ESV, Holman etc.)

Psalm 19 - Let’s look for a moment at a more familiar passage of Scripture and see what all the translations “add” to the text.

Psalm 19:5 “Which IS as a bridegoom coming out of his chamber...” (NIV, NASB, NKJV, ESV, Holman etc.)

Psalm 19: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 - “The law of the LORD IS perfect...testimony of the LORD IS sure...statutes of the LORD ARE right...commandment...IS pure...fear of the LORD IS clean...judgments...ARE true... THERE IS great reward.” (NKJV, NIV, NASB, ESV, Holman etc.)

Psalm 19:12 “Who can understand HIS errors? cleanse thou me from secret FAULTS.” (NIV, NKJV, NASB, ESV, Holman etc.)

There are literally hundreds of such examples found in all Bible translations in both English and foreign languages. It is due in large part to the elliptical nature of the Hebrew and Greek languages.

Here are a few examples from the N.T.

The Elliptical Greek language.

The Greek language used in the New Testament is often elliptical and so also is the Hebrew in the Old. That is, certain parts of speech, including everything from the subject, the verb or the direct and indirect objects are frequently omitted in the literal sense but are implied in the context.

ALL Bible translations OFTEN “add” words like “him, them and you” to their English or foreign language translation. The KJB is honest about this in that it places these “added” words in italics, whereas most modern versions still “add” the extra words but put them in regular print so you can’t see where they did it.

Here are just a FEW of the literally hundreds of examples that could be given. The Bold faced CAPITALIZED words are “added” to the Greek texts.

John 1:18 - “No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared HIM.” (NASB, NIV, NKJV, ESV, Holman)

John 4:26 - “Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am HE.” (NIV, NASB, NKJV, ESV)

John 5:21 - “For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth THEM; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.” (NKJV, NIV, NASB, ESV, Holman)

John 6:5 - “When Jesus then lifted up HIS eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” (NKJV, NASB, ESV)

John 6:52 - “The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us HIS flesh to eat?” (NKJV, NIV, NASB, ESV, Holman)

John 8:44 - “Ye are of YOUR father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.” (NKJV, NIV, NASB, ESV, Holman)

John 8:47 - “He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear THEM not, because ye are not of God.” (NIV, NASB, RV, ASV, RSV)

John 9:9 - “Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am HE.” (RV, ASV, NKJV, - NIV, ESV “THE MAN”, NASB “THE ONE”)

John 10:29 - “My Father, which gave THEM me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.” (RV, ASV, NASB, NIV, ESV, NKJV, Holman)

John 12:42 - “Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess HIM, lest they should be put out of the synagogue” (NASB, NKJV, Holman; NIV THEIR FAITH; ESV, RSV - IT)

John 13:9 - “Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also MY hands and MY head.” (NKJV, NIV, NASB, ESV, Holman)

John 13:10 - “Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash HIS feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. “ (NKJV, NASB, NIV, ESV, Holman)

John 13:19 - “Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am HE.“ (NKJV, NASB, NIV, ESV, Holman)

John 15:6 - “If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather THEM, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” (RV, ASV, NKJV, NASB, Holman; - NIV SUCH BRANCHES; ESV THE BRANCHES)

John 19:1 - “Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged HIM. “ (NKJV, NASB, NIV, ESV, Holman)

John 19:15 - “But they cried out, Away WITH HIM, away WITH HIM, crucify him. “ (NKJV, NASB, NIV, ESV, Holman)

John 20:22 - “And when he had said this, he breathed ON THEM, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” (NKJV, NASB, NIV, ESV, Holman)

John 21:18 - “...but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry THEE whither thou wouldest not.” (NKJV, NIV, NASB, ESV, Holman)

Will Kinney

Return to Articles - http://brandplucked.webs.com/articles.htm]]> italics?


At one of the Bible clubs on the internet a Bible critic asks: "If the KJV-only supporters believe fully in the word-for-word inspiration of the KJV, why would italics be necessary?"

First of all, we Bible believers believe in a word for word meaning, not necessarily a strictly literal word for word translation. Sometimes the literal translation would not make sense to us.

ALL translations into another language require the "addition" of certain words for a passage to make proper sense. Why? Because the Hebrew and Greek languages are often elliptical languages. That is, they sometimes omit the Subject or the Verb, or the Direct Object, the Indirect Object or even the word "not" when the text requires it when placed into another language.

The King James Bible translators were honest enough to put most of these "added" words in italics so you could see where they did this. Versions like the NASB, NKJV, ESV, NIV, Holman Standard ALL still "add" those words but they do not always put them in italics so a person reading them is not aware of this.

In fact, there are many places in the Hebrew text where a word is not literally in the text but placed in italics, but when the passage is quoted in the Greek, the word IS there.

Here is one of many examples:

Deuteronomy 8:3.

"And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did they fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every WORD that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live."

You will note that the word "word" is in italics, meaning of course, that it was not in the Hebrew text. Upon examination of Deuteronomy 8:3 in Hebrew one will find that the word "dabar" which is Hebrew for "word" is not found anywhere in the verse. Yet in His temptation experience in the wilderness with Satan we find Jesus quoting Deuteronomy 8:3 as follows in Matthew 4:4 - "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every WORD that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

While quoting Deuteronomy 8:3 Jesus quotes the entire verse including the King James italicized word! Even an amateur "scholar" can locate "ramati," a form of "rama," which is Greek for "word," in any Greek New Testament.

Deuteronomy 25:4, "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out THE CORN.” (Geneva, Coverdale, Bishops’ bible, Wycliffe, Revised Version, Darby, Douay-Rheims; THE GRAIN -NIV, RSV, ESV, NKJV) The Hebrew word for "corn" or "grain" is not found in the Hebrew text but it is supplied by almost every translation done by man, including the Jewish translations. Yet when this verse is quoted in the New Testament, the apostle Paul “adds” the words “the corn” to the inspired Greek text. - I Corinthians 9:9. "For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out THE CORN. Doth God take care for oxen?"

Another example found in all bible translations. (And I have MANY of these)

In 1 Samuel 2:3 we read: "Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let NOT arrogancy come out of your mouth"

The simple word "not" is not literally in the Hebrew text, yet how different the meaning (the opposite) if not supplied. Check out your bible versions; they all "add" the word "not" to the text.

Here is another one like it. In Proverbs 24:28 we read: "Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive NOT with thy lips." Check out your modern versions like the NIV, NASB, ESV, NKJV, Holman etc. If the word "not" is not "added" then we get the totally opposite meaning from the verse.

In Psalm 9:18 we read: “For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall NOT perish for ever.” Once again the word “not” is not in the Hebrew text and if it were not “added” then the verse would mean the complete opposite - “the expectation of the poor shall perish”. So translations like the NIV, NASB, NKJV, ESV and Holman all “add” the word “not” or “nor” to the passage.

In 1 Samuel 16:7 a case is found where the subject and the verb are not found in the Hebrew texts, yet almost every translation in almost every language “adds” these extra words to their texts.

Here we read: “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for THE LORD SEETH not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”

The words “the LORD seeth” are not found in the Hebrew texts, but they are supplied, and usually not even in italics, with either “for God sees” or “the LORD seeth” by such translations as the Bishops’ bible, the Geneva Bible, the RV, ASV, RSV, NRSV, ESV, NASB, NIV, NKJV and NET versions.

Verbs are “added”

Take a look at how many verbs need to be supplied or “added” to the text for the verses to make much sense. In 2 Samuel chapter 9 we read the following verses where ALL the versions (NASB, NIV, ESV, NKJV etc.) “add” the verbs plus other parts of the sentences that are not found in the Hebrew text.

2 Samuel 9:2 “And THERE WAS of the house of Saul a servant...” (NASB, NIV, ESV, NKJV, Holman etc.)

2 Samuel 9:3 “And the king said, IS there not yet any of the house of Saul...? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, WHICH IS lame on HIS (both) feet.”

2 Samuel 9:4 “And the king said, Where IS he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold he IS in the house of Machir...”

2 Samuel 9:8 “And he bowed himself, and said, What IS thy servant...”

2 Samuel 9:10 “Thou therefore, and thy sons shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in THE FRUITS...(NKJV - the harvest; ESV, NASB - the produce; NIV - the crops)

2 Samuel 9:11 “...As for Mephibosheth, SAID THE KING (NKJV), he shall eat at my table (NASB, NIV, ESV change the Hebrew “my” to DAVID’S table), as one of the king’s sons.”

2 Samuel 9:12 “And all the house of Ziba WERE servants unto Mehpibosheth.” (NKJV, NIV, NASB, ESV, Holman etc.)

Psalm 19 - Let’s look for a moment at a more familiar passage of Scripture and see what all the translations “add” to the text.

Psalm 19:5 “Which IS as a bridegoom coming out of his chamber...” (NIV, NASB, NKJV, ESV, Holman etc.)

Psalm 19: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 - “The law of the LORD IS perfect...testimony of the LORD IS sure...statutes of the LORD ARE right...commandment...IS pure...fear of the LORD IS clean...judgments...ARE true... THERE IS great reward.” (NKJV, NIV, NASB, ESV, Holman etc.)

Psalm 19:12 “Who can understand HIS errors? cleanse thou me from secret FAULTS.” (NIV, NKJV, NASB, ESV, Holman etc.)

There are literally hundreds of such examples found in all Bible translations in both English and foreign languages. It is due in large part to the elliptical nature of the Hebrew and Greek languages.

Here are a few examples from the N.T.

The Elliptical Greek language.

The Greek language used in the New Testament is often elliptical and so also is the Hebrew in the Old. That is, certain parts of speech, including everything from the subject, the verb or the direct and indirect objects are frequently omitted in the literal sense but are implied in the context.

ALL Bible translations OFTEN “add” words like “him, them and you” to their English or foreign language translation. The KJB is honest about this in that it places these “added” words in italics, whereas most modern versions still “add” the extra words but put them in regular print so you can’t see where they did it.

Here are just a FEW of the literally hundreds of examples that could be given. The Bold faced CAPITALIZED words are “added” to the Greek texts.

John 1:18 - “No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared HIM.” (NASB, NIV, NKJV, ESV, Holman)

John 4:26 - “Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am HE.” (NIV, NASB, NKJV, ESV)

John 5:21 - “For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth THEM; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.” (NKJV, NIV, NASB, ESV, Holman)

John 6:5 - “When Jesus then lifted up HIS eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” (NKJV, NASB, ESV)

John 6:52 - “The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us HIS flesh to eat?” (NKJV, NIV, NASB, ESV, Holman)

John 8:44 - “Ye are of YOUR father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.” (NKJV, NIV, NASB, ESV, Holman)

John 8:47 - “He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear THEM not, because ye are not of God.” (NIV, NASB, RV, ASV, RSV)

John 9:9 - “Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am HE.” (RV, ASV, NKJV, - NIV, ESV “THE MAN”, NASB “THE ONE”)

John 10:29 - “My Father, which gave THEM me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.” (RV, ASV, NASB, NIV, ESV, NKJV, Holman)

John 12:42 - “Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess HIM, lest they should be put out of the synagogue” (NASB, NKJV, Holman; NIV THEIR FAITH; ESV, RSV - IT)

John 13:9 - “Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also MY hands and MY head.” (NKJV, NIV, NASB, ESV, Holman)

John 13:10 - “Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash HIS feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. “ (NKJV, NASB, NIV, ESV, Holman)

John 13:19 - “Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am HE.“ (NKJV, NASB, NIV, ESV, Holman)

John 15:6 - “If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather THEM, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” (RV, ASV, NKJV, NASB, Holman; - NIV SUCH BRANCHES; ESV THE BRANCHES)

John 19:1 - “Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged HIM. “ (NKJV, NASB, NIV, ESV, Holman)

John 19:15 - “But they cried out, Away WITH HIM, away WITH HIM, crucify him. “ (NKJV, NASB, NIV, ESV, Holman)

John 20:22 - “And when he had said this, he breathed ON THEM, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” (NKJV, NASB, NIV, ESV, Holman)

John 21:18 - “...but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry THEE whither thou wouldest not.” (NKJV, NIV, NASB, ESV, Holman)

Will Kinney

Return to Articles - http://brandplucked.webs.com/articles.htm]]> http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1902.html Sat, 26 Feb 2011 20:20:05 +0000 http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1902.html
NKJV, NASB, NIV, RSV, ESV - "How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from THE ONLY GOD?"

Is the King James Bible really an error as some bible agnostics claim, or it is absolutely correct? Well, you all know where I stand on this issue - the King James Holy Bible is the infallible words of the living God and the Standard by which all other bible translations are to be measured. Those I refer to as the Bible agnostics do not believe that any Bible in any language is or ever was the complete, inspired and infallible words of God. Each one is his own final authority and they will never be happy until each one of them finally gets to make up his own bible version.

It is a bit humorous to see the modern versionists criticize the King James Bible in this passage, when the Greek texts these fellas usually follow, like P65, 75 and Vaticanus completely omit the word GOD from their texts, but most of them have chosen to go with the traditional text here instead and include the word "God". They also are apparently unaware that the traditional way to translate this verse has always been the way the King James Bible translators have done it too.


In John 5:44 the Lord Jesus draws a striking contrast between those who receive honour one from another rather than from God only. The King James Bible rightly reads: "How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?"

John Gill does not say the KJB reading is wrong, but he says "OR from the only God". Apparently in his mind it can be translated either way - from God only, or From the only God.

Matthew Henry leaves it as it stands in the KJB and comments on the verse accordingly.

Likewise John Calvin translates the verse as it stands in the KJB and comments: "So, then, in order that any man may seek glory from God alone, he must be overwhelmed with shame, and flee to the undeserved mercy of God. ..So far as relates to the present passage, Christ’s meaning is, that there is no other way in which men can be prepared for receiving the doctrine of the Gospel, than by withdrawing all their senses from the world, and turning them to God alone..."

The contrast here is receiving honour from each other or from God alone. This is one perfectly acceptable view of what the passage means and how to translate it and it is the one followed by the King James Bible and many other translations, as we shall immediately see.

The same Greek construction of word order is found in Luke 5:21 where we read: " Who can forgive sins, but GOD ALONE?" and so also read versions like the NKJV, RV, ASV, NASB, NIV, ESV, RSV and Holman. Not one of them has translated the same Greek word order as: "Who can forgive sins but THE ONLY GOD?" The RSV says: "Who can forgive sins but God only?"

The bible agnostics who criticize the King James Bible here are ignoring the whole context of chapter 5 and are ignorant of Greek grammar. Not one time anywhere in this section of Scripture is anyone questioning Monotheism or the belief in One God. It is not even under consideration or doubt. The real issue is whom do men seek to please and receive honor from - from men or from God.

Beginning in verse 30 in John 5, Jesus Christ discusses the number of witnesses that testify to his ministry and authority. He lists the testimony of John the Baptist (vs. 32-35); his works (vs. 36); the Father (vs. 37); the scriptures (vs. 39); and notice in verse 41 where Jesus Christ states exactly where he does not get His honor from - "I receive not honour from men."

"A Grammar of New Testament Greek," by James Hope Moulton, Vol. III-Syntax, by Nigel Turner, pg. 225-226: "There is therefore not surprisingly some confusion of monos with the adv. monon: Mk 6:8- meden ei me rhabdon monon (D monen); Acts 11:19- medeni ei me monon (D monois) Ioudaiois; Heb. 12:26 OT seiso ou monon ten gen, alla kai...; 2 Tim. 4:8; I Jn 5:6- ouk en to hudati monon (B mono). In Jn 5:44 monou is best TAKEN ADVERBIALLY; not from him who alone is God, but only from God (Jewish monotheism was unimpeachable; Jesus was referring to their love of human praise), in spite of the word order. Lk 5:21 adv. monos."

In John 5:44 not only does the KJB say: "How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh FROM GOD ONLY?", but so also doesthe Anglo Saxon Gospels Corpus Christi Manuscript #140 circa 1000 A.D. It is hard to read but you can make out the words "from God only" - "þt wuldor þe is fram gode syluum." So too do the following Bible translations: Wycliffe 1395 -"ye seken not the glorie `that is of God aloone?", Tyndale 1525, Coverdale 1535, the Great Bible 1540, Matthew's Bible 1549 - "the honoure that commeth of God onlye?", the Bishops' Bible 1568 - "the honour that commeth of God only?", the Geneva Bible 1587, Mace's N.T. 1729, Whiston's Primitive N.T. 1745, John Wesley's translation 1755, the Worseley Version 1770, Webster's 1833 translation, the Living Oracles 1835 Alexander Campbell, Murdock's Translation 1851, Young's "literal", Darby 1890 - "the glory which comes from God alone?", Lamsa's 1961 translation of the Syriac Peshitta, the KJV 21st Century Version 1994, the Third Millenium Bible 1998, the New Living Translation 1998, the Laurie Translation 1998, the Urim-Thummim Version of 2001, the Heritage Bible 2003, the Concordant Version 2006, the Complete Jewish Bible, the Catholic Public Domain Version of 2009 and the Interlinear Hebrew-Greek Scriptures 2008 - http://www.lookhigher.net/englishbibles/...sites.html
Martin Luther's German bible of 1545 reads the same as the King James Bible in John 5:44 - "und die Ehre, die von Gott allein ist, suchet ihr nicht." The French Martin 1744, Louis Segond of 1910, the French Ostervald of 1996 and La Bible du Semeur of 1999 all read the same as the KJB with - "la gloire qui vient de Dieu seul?", as does the Italian Diodati of 1649, the Riveduta of 1927 and the New Diodati of 1991 - " la gloria che viene da Dio solo?", and the Spanish Las Sagradas Escrituras of 1569 as well as the Reina Valera of 1909 and the 2004 Reina Valera Gomez all read as does the King James Bible with: "y no buscáis la gloria que de sólo Dios viene?"y no buscáis la gloria que de sólo Dios viene?"

The King James Holy Bible is right, as always, and the bible agnostics are still searching desperately for just one provable error in the greatest Book ever printed and the only one believed by thousands to be the infallible words of God - the Authorized King James Holy Bible.

Will Kinney

Return to Articles - http://brandplucked.webs.com/articles.htm]]>
NKJV, NASB, NIV, RSV, ESV - "How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from THE ONLY GOD?"

Is the King James Bible really an error as some bible agnostics claim, or it is absolutely correct? Well, you all know where I stand on this issue - the King James Holy Bible is the infallible words of the living God and the Standard by which all other bible translations are to be measured. Those I refer to as the Bible agnostics do not believe that any Bible in any language is or ever was the complete, inspired and infallible words of God. Each one is his own final authority and they will never be happy until each one of them finally gets to make up his own bible version.

It is a bit humorous to see the modern versionists criticize the King James Bible in this passage, when the Greek texts these fellas usually follow, like P65, 75 and Vaticanus completely omit the word GOD from their texts, but most of them have chosen to go with the traditional text here instead and include the word "God". They also are apparently unaware that the traditional way to translate this verse has always been the way the King James Bible translators have done it too.


In John 5:44 the Lord Jesus draws a striking contrast between those who receive honour one from another rather than from God only. The King James Bible rightly reads: "How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?"

John Gill does not say the KJB reading is wrong, but he says "OR from the only God". Apparently in his mind it can be translated either way - from God only, or From the only God.

Matthew Henry leaves it as it stands in the KJB and comments on the verse accordingly.

Likewise John Calvin translates the verse as it stands in the KJB and comments: "So, then, in order that any man may seek glory from God alone, he must be overwhelmed with shame, and flee to the undeserved mercy of God. ..So far as relates to the present passage, Christ’s meaning is, that there is no other way in which men can be prepared for receiving the doctrine of the Gospel, than by withdrawing all their senses from the world, and turning them to God alone..."

The contrast here is receiving honour from each other or from God alone. This is one perfectly acceptable view of what the passage means and how to translate it and it is the one followed by the King James Bible and many other translations, as we shall immediately see.

The same Greek construction of word order is found in Luke 5:21 where we read: " Who can forgive sins, but GOD ALONE?" and so also read versions like the NKJV, RV, ASV, NASB, NIV, ESV, RSV and Holman. Not one of them has translated the same Greek word order as: "Who can forgive sins but THE ONLY GOD?" The RSV says: "Who can forgive sins but God only?"

The bible agnostics who criticize the King James Bible here are ignoring the whole context of chapter 5 and are ignorant of Greek grammar. Not one time anywhere in this section of Scripture is anyone questioning Monotheism or the belief in One God. It is not even under consideration or doubt. The real issue is whom do men seek to please and receive honor from - from men or from God.

Beginning in verse 30 in John 5, Jesus Christ discusses the number of witnesses that testify to his ministry and authority. He lists the testimony of John the Baptist (vs. 32-35); his works (vs. 36); the Father (vs. 37); the scriptures (vs. 39); and notice in verse 41 where Jesus Christ states exactly where he does not get His honor from - "I receive not honour from men."

"A Grammar of New Testament Greek," by James Hope Moulton, Vol. III-Syntax, by Nigel Turner, pg. 225-226: "There is therefore not surprisingly some confusion of monos with the adv. monon: Mk 6:8- meden ei me rhabdon monon (D monen); Acts 11:19- medeni ei me monon (D monois) Ioudaiois; Heb. 12:26 OT seiso ou monon ten gen, alla kai...; 2 Tim. 4:8; I Jn 5:6- ouk en to hudati monon (B mono). In Jn 5:44 monou is best TAKEN ADVERBIALLY; not from him who alone is God, but only from God (Jewish monotheism was unimpeachable; Jesus was referring to their love of human praise), in spite of the word order. Lk 5:21 adv. monos."

In John 5:44 not only does the KJB say: "How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh FROM GOD ONLY?", but so also doesthe Anglo Saxon Gospels Corpus Christi Manuscript #140 circa 1000 A.D. It is hard to read but you can make out the words "from God only" - "þt wuldor þe is fram gode syluum." So too do the following Bible translations: Wycliffe 1395 -"ye seken not the glorie `that is of God aloone?", Tyndale 1525, Coverdale 1535, the Great Bible 1540, Matthew's Bible 1549 - "the honoure that commeth of God onlye?", the Bishops' Bible 1568 - "the honour that commeth of God only?", the Geneva Bible 1587, Mace's N.T. 1729, Whiston's Primitive N.T. 1745, John Wesley's translation 1755, the Worseley Version 1770, Webster's 1833 translation, the Living Oracles 1835 Alexander Campbell, Murdock's Translation 1851, Young's "literal", Darby 1890 - "the glory which comes from God alone?", Lamsa's 1961 translation of the Syriac Peshitta, the KJV 21st Century Version 1994, the Third Millenium Bible 1998, the New Living Translation 1998, the Laurie Translation 1998, the Urim-Thummim Version of 2001, the Heritage Bible 2003, the Concordant Version 2006, the Complete Jewish Bible, the Catholic Public Domain Version of 2009 and the Interlinear Hebrew-Greek Scriptures 2008 - http://www.lookhigher.net/englishbibles/...sites.html
Martin Luther's German bible of 1545 reads the same as the King James Bible in John 5:44 - "und die Ehre, die von Gott allein ist, suchet ihr nicht." The French Martin 1744, Louis Segond of 1910, the French Ostervald of 1996 and La Bible du Semeur of 1999 all read the same as the KJB with - "la gloire qui vient de Dieu seul?", as does the Italian Diodati of 1649, the Riveduta of 1927 and the New Diodati of 1991 - " la gloria che viene da Dio solo?", and the Spanish Las Sagradas Escrituras of 1569 as well as the Reina Valera of 1909 and the 2004 Reina Valera Gomez all read as does the King James Bible with: "y no buscáis la gloria que de sólo Dios viene?"y no buscáis la gloria que de sólo Dios viene?"

The King James Holy Bible is right, as always, and the bible agnostics are still searching desperately for just one provable error in the greatest Book ever printed and the only one believed by thousands to be the infallible words of God - the Authorized King James Holy Bible.

Will Kinney

Return to Articles - http://brandplucked.webs.com/articles.htm]]> http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1901.html Mon, 21 Feb 2011 03:00:40 +0000 http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1901.html Tampa Teen Dies in Bull Riding Accident

Sad, yet should a female be doing such a thing? I think not.]]> Tampa Teen Dies in Bull Riding Accident

Sad, yet should a female be doing such a thing? I think not.]]> http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1900.html Tue, 08 Feb 2011 01:04:06 +0000 http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1900.html The Last Day
John 6:39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
John 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 11:24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

I also read that that would be the day of judgment.

John 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Comments please.]]> The Last Day
John 6:39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
John 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 11:24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

I also read that that would be the day of judgment.

John 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Comments please.]]> http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1899.html Thu, 03 Feb 2011 13:21:29 +0000 http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1899.html
Many of the numbers recorded in the so called Greek Septuagint are completely off, and nobody follows them. Here are a few examples:

In the Genesis account of the age of men before the flood the LXX has completely different numbers. The Hebrew Scriptures state in Genesis 5:25 that Methuselah lived 187 years and begat Lamech. However the LXX says that Methuselah was 167 years old and changes the rest of the numbers too. However both the Hebrew and the LXX agree that the age of Methuselah was 969 when he died. However by the LXX reckoning, Methuselah didn’t end up dying until 14 years AFTER the flood of Noah. Since he was not on the ark with Noah and his family, that makes for a very long time for Methuselah to have been treading water.

The numbers throughout the book of Genesis regarding the genealogies from Adam to Joseph are radically different in the Greek Septuagint. For instance in Genesis 11:16 we read that Eber was 34 years old when he begat Peleg. Yet the LXX says Eber was ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FOUR years old when he begat Peleg. Looking at the generations from Adam to Joseph you will see that the Massoretic text indicates 2400 years. The Septuagint text depicts an astounding 3850 years, 1450 more years than the Massoretic text!

Inn 1 Samuel 11:8 we read of Saul gathering the people to go against Nahash the Ammonite. “And he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were 300,000 and the men of Judah 30,000.” So read the Hebrew texts. However the LXX reads 600,000 (instead of 300,000) and 70,000 (instead of 30,000) but nobody follows the LXX readings here.

In 1 Samuel 17:4 the Hebrew texts tell us that the height of Goliath was SIX cubits and a span, which would make him about 9 feet 6 inches tall. That indeed is a giant. However the LXX tells us that Goliath was a mere FOUR cubits and a span, which would make him only 6 feet 6 inches tall, which would hardly be much among NBA players today.

While here in 1 Samuel 17 let me point out another characteristic of this so called Greek Septuagint that is repeated scores of times over. Right here in this and the next chapter the LXX omits all of 1 Samuel 17:12 through verse 31; then it picks up verses 32 to 54 but then omits verses 55 through 58 and the first 6 verses of chapter 18:1-5. It then picks up verses 6, 7 and 8 but then omits verses 9, 10 and 11; then it shows verses 12 through 16 but omits verses 17, 18 and 19; it picks up the text again from verse 20 to verse 29 but then omits the last verse 30. So, just in these two chapters of First Samuel 17 and 18 the LXX version omits 37 entire verses that are found in the Hebrew texts; and that's just in two chapters! Then in other parts the LXX adds literally hundreds of words that are not found in any Hebrew text at all. If this thing is the best we can hope for in a good Greek translation of the Old Testament, then we are in a world of hurt.

In 2 Chronicles 22:2 the Hebrew texts tell us that Ahaziah was FORTY TWO years old when he began to reign, yet the LXX says he was TWENTY years old. Nobody follows the LXX reading here.

In Jonah 3:4 God speaks through the prophet Jonah to say that Yet within FORTY days and Nineveh will be destroyed, but the LXX version says within a mere THREE days and it would be destroyed. Nobody follows the wacky LXX numbers in these instances.

Judges 16:13-14; 1 Samuel 9:25; 1 Samuel 10:1; 1 Samuel 14:41; 2 Samuel 13:21, 34 and 2 Samuel 14:30


Judges 16:13 -14 NIV, NASB, RSV, ESV, NET add to the words of God.

“Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you” Deuteronomy 4:2

“Every word of God is pure; he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. ADD THOU NOT unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” Proverbs 30:5-6

The following examples could be repeated scores of times if you follow the various footnotes and textual differences found in such modern versions as the RSV, ESV, NIV, NASB, NET or Holman Standard. These are just sampliings of the scatterbrained foolishness that calls itself the “Science” of Textual Criticism so popular today.

Judges 16:13-14

In the King James Bible based on the inspired Hebrew texts we read in Judges 16:13-14 - “13 And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web. 14 And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.”

So read all Hebew texts as well as Coverdale 1535, the Great Bible 1540, Matthew’s Bible 1549, the Bishops’ Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1587, the Revised Version 1885, the American Standard Version 1901, the Jewish Publication Society translation of 1917, the Hebrew Publishing Company translation 1936, the Complete Jewish Bible, the Hebrew Names Version of 2008, the Complete Tanach 2004, the Torah Transliteration Scriptures of 2008, Darby, Youngs, the 1987 Amplified, the NKJV 1982 and the Holman Standard of 2003.

Among foreign language translations that follow the Hebrew texts and do not add the extra 30-35 words are Lamsa’s 1936 translation of the Syriac, the French Martin 1744, Louis Segond 1910, French Ostervald 1996, Luther’s German Bible, the Portuguese Almeida, the Spanish Reina Valera 1909, 1960, 1995 and even the Modern Greek Version.

However many modern versions add some 30 to 35 additional words to the Hebrew text taken from “Some” copies of the so called Greek Septuagint texts.

Among these modern versions that add words to the Hebrew texts are the NIV, NASB, RSV, NRSV, ESV, New English Bible 1970, the Message and the NET version by Daniel Wallace and company.


The NIV reads: “Delilah then said to Samson, “Until now, you have been making a fool of me and lying to me. Tell me how you can be tied.” He replied, “If you weave the seven braids of my head into the fabric on the loom AND TIGHTEN IT WITH THE PIN, I’LL BECOME AS WEAK AS ANY OTHER MAN.” SO WHILE HE WAS SLEEPING, DELIALAH TOOK THE SEVEN BRAIDS OF HIS HEAD, WOVE THEM INTO THE FABRIC AND[a] tightened it with the pin. Again she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and pulled up the pin and the loom, with the fabric.”

Then in a footnote the NIV and others tell us that these 30 some extra words come from “SOME” Septuagint manuscripts, but that the Hebrew does not contain these extra words.

The popular version among the bible agnostics is Daniel Wallace and company’s NET (NUT) version. It also adds all these extra words but then has this silly footnote - The MT of vv. 13b-14a reads simply, “He said to her, ‘If you weave the seven braids of my head with the web.’ And she fastened with the pin and said to him.” (My note:This is exactly what is found in the King James Bible) The additional words in the translation, “and secure it with the pin, I will become weak and be like any other man.’ 16:14 So she made him go to sleep, wove the seven braids of his hair into the fabric on the loom,” which without doubt represent the original text, are supplied from the ancient Greek version. In both vv. 13b and 14a the Greek version has “to the wall” after “with the pin,” but this is an interpretive addition that reflects a misunderstanding of ancient weaving equipment. See G. F. Moore, Judges [ICC], 353-54. The Hebrew textual tradition was accidentally shortened during the copying process. A scribe’s eye jumped from the first instance of “with the web” to the second, causing him to leave out inadvertently the intervening words.”

So, according to men like Daniel Wallace all these extra words “without doubt represent the original text” - (although numerous others disagree with him) - and that even though Wallace thinks they are part of the original text, they are STILL WRONG for adding words that “reflect a misunderstanding of ancient weaving equipment”! So Bible critics like Daniel Wallace think that even the original text was wrong!!!

Can you believe it? And people actually take these guys seriously!

1 Samuel 9:25

1 Samuel 9:25-26 In the Hebrew texts as well as the King James Bible and many others as we shall soon see, we read a series of events that occurred when Saul went to see Samuel and he was anointed to be king of Israel. V.25. “And when they were come down from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house.”

V. 26. “AND THEY AROSE EARLY: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, Up, that I may send thee away...”

So read the Geneva Bible, King James Bible, Revised Version 1885, ASV 1901, the NKJV 1982, NIV 1984, 2010, Darby, Douay, Youngs, the NASB 1995, ALL Jewish translations like the JPS 1917 and Hebrew Tanach of 2004, the Complete Jewish Bible, the Syriac, the 2003 Holman Standard Version and even the NET version by Daniel Wallace and company. I mention the NET version because of their blatant hypocricy for including the Septuagint readings in so many other parts of the NUT version.


However the Liberal RSV of 1952, the NRSV 1989 and the revised ESV of 2001 all ADD about 15 words to the Hebrew texts by adding a reading from the so called Septuagint and they omit some 9 words that ARE in the Hebrew text! The ESV says in verse 25 - “And when they came down from the high place into the city A BED WAS SPREAD FOR SAUL ON THE ROOF, AND HE LAY DOWN TO SLEEP. ** Then at the break of dawn Samuel called to Saul on the roof, Up, that I may send you on your way.”

*** Footnotes. All the capitalized words are not in the Hebrew text but are taken from the Septuagint, and the ESV omits the words “AND THEY AROSE EARLY” Which ARE found in the Hebrew texts! And they call this “scholarship”!!!

1 Samuel 10:1

Here again we see an amazing thing in the modern Bible Babble Buffet. The Hebrew texts as well as the Geneva Bible, Bishops’s Bible, the Revised Version, ASV 1901, Darby, Youngs, NKJV, NIV, NASB, all Jewish translations, the Holman Standard.

Here we read: “Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?”

But once again versions like the RSV, NRSV, the ESV and this time Daniel Wallace’s NET version all add about 40 words to the Hebrew texts taken from the so called Greek Septuagint.

The ESV - English Standard Version of 2001 - “Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head(B) and kissed him and said, "Has not the LORD anointed you to be prince OVER HIS PEOPLE ISRAEL? AND YOU SHALL REIGN OVER THE PEOPLE OF THE LORD AND YOU WILL SAVE THEM FROM THE HAND OF THE SURROUNDING ENEMIES. AND THIS SHALL BE THE SIGN TO YOU THAT THE LORD HAS ANOINTED YOU TO BE PRINCE over his heritage.”

Footnotes 1 Samuel 10:1 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks over his people Israel? And you shall. . . . to be prince”
Likewise Daniel Wallace this time adds all these extra words taken from the Greek Septuagint and then footnotes: “The MT reads simply “Is it not that the Lord has anointed you over his inheritance for a leader?” The (NET) translation follows the LXX. The MT apparently suffers from parablepsis, whereby a scribe’s eye jumped from the first occurrence of the expression “the Lord has anointed you” to the second occurrence of this expression at the end of v. 1. This mistake caused the accidental omission of the intervening material in the LXX, which appears to preserve the original Hebrew text here.”

Sure Daniel. Hundreds of different Jewish scribes painstakingly copying every letter by sight and not from memory, and if one error were made the page had to be written all over again, all somehow made the same blunder in hundreds of copies. Uh, huh. And not even the NIV, NASB, Holman Standard guys agree with you on this one. It’s every man for himself bible versionism gone to seed.

More Septuagint Silliness

The alleged Septuagint readings are often like so many bothersome gnats that simply buzz around the sacred text with their annoyance. The following examples can easily be multiplied a hundred times over.

In 1 Samuel 11:8 we read of Saul gathering the people to go against Nahash the Ammonite. “And he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were 300,000 and the men of Judah 30,000.” So read the Hebrew texts as well as the NKJV, NASB, NIV, RSV, NRSV, ESV, Holman and NET versions. However the LXX reads 600,000 (instead of 300,000) and both the LXX and the Dead Sea Scrolls read 70,000 (instead of 30,000) but nobody follows the LXX nor the DSS readings in either of these places.

Yet in 1 Samuel 12:3 the Hebrew texts read: “...or of whose hand have I received any bribe TO BLIND MINE EYES THEREWITH. and I will restore it you.”

But the Septuagint actually reads: “or of whose hand have I received any bribe OR A PAIR OF SHOES? TESTIFY AGAINST ME and I will restore it.” (See the footnotes in the Holman Standard or the LXX itself)

Versions like the ESV 2001, RSV, NRSV, and the Message of 2002 adopt PART OF the LXX reading and not the other. They omit “a pair of shoes” and stay with the Hebrew “to blind my eyes therewith” but then add the words “TESTIFY AGAINST ME”, which are taken from the same line of the LXX. (RSV, NRSV, ESV but not the NASB, NKJV, NIV nor the NET this time!).

Then in 1 Samuel 12:8 we read: “When Jacob went into Egypt and your fathers cried unto the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron...” So read the NASB, Holman, NIV, NET, NKJV etc. BUT the RSV, NRSV, Message and ESV add words 5 more words - “When Jacob went into Egypt AND THE EGYPTIANS OPPRESSED THEM, then your fathers cried unto the LORD...” all taken from the so called Septuagint.

Then in 1 Samuel 12:15 the Hebrew texts as well as the NKJV, NASB, NIV and Holman say: “But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you AS IT WAS AGAINST YOUR FATHERS.”

So read the NKJV, NASB, NIV, Holman Standard and even the Message. But the RSV, NRSV, ESV and this time the NET version reject the clear Hebrew reading “AS IT WAS AGAINST YOUR FATHERS.” (“fathers” NIV 1984, “ancestors” NIV 2010) and instead replace it with a reading found in the Septuagint. The ESV, RSV, NRSV and NET version now read: “the hand of the LORD will be against you AND YOUR KING.” - footnote: Hebrew ‘fathers’.

1 Samuel 14:41

Then at other times we have a wholesale rejection of the Hebrew texts and some modern versions add 30 to 35 more words all at once to the inspired text. Such an example is found in 1 Samuel 14:41.

The Hebrew texts as well as the Geneva Bible, RV 1885, ASV 1901, NKJV 1982, NASB 1963-1995, NIV 1984 edition, 2004 Complete Tanach, 2009 Holman Standard, Spanish Reina Valera 1995, French Ostervald 1996, Italian Diodati 1991 and the Portuguese Almeida all read: “Therefore Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped.”

Even the NIV read this way in their 1978 and 1982 editions. The 1984 NIV read: “Then Saul prayed to the LORD, the God of Israel, “Give me the right answer.” And Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot, and the men were cleared.”

The NIV Spanish edition, called La Nueva Versión Internacional, of 1999 reads the same with: “ Luego le rogó Saúl al Señor, Dios de Israel, que le diera una respuesta clara. La suerte cayó sobre Jonatán y Saúl, de modo que los demás quedaron libres”.

However several modern versions like the ESV, RSV, NRSV, NET, the Message 2002 and the NIV 2010 edition add another 31 to 36 extra words to the Hebrew text in 1 Samuel 14:41.

Now in 2010 the NIV has once again been “revised” and they admit that they have changed about 10% of the verses from what they read in the 1984 NIV edition. The 2010 now adds over 30 extra words taken from the Septuagint version and not found in any Hebrew text.

1 Samuel 14:41 New International Version ©2010 now reads: “Then Saul prayed to the LORD, the God of Israel, “WHY HAVE YOU NOT ANSWERED YOUR SERVANT TODAY? IF THE FAULT IS IN ME OR IN MY SON JONATHAN, RESPOND WITH URIM, BUT IF THE MEN OF ISRAEL ARE AT FAULT, respond with Thummin.” Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot, and the men were cleared.” Footnotes: 1 Samuel 14:41 Septuagint; Hebrew does not have “Why … at fault.

As a side note, the 1984 NIV read “give me the right answer” but now the 2010 changes these same words to “respond with Thummin”. Much clearer, isn’t it? Yes, indeedy, the modern day versions are getting better and better. Right?

This additional reading of some 35 extra words in 1 Samuel 14:41 are taken from the so called Septuagint. This is not some “new discovery” gleaned from serious scholarship in search of Divine Truth. These LXX readings were first introduced to the unsuspecting Christian world through the very liberal and Christ denying Revised Standard Version committee in 1952 when they rejected the Traditional Greek New Testament of the Reformation Bibles. This Liberal “Christian” bible committee introduced the faith destroying theories called Higher Criticism that taught that the Hebrew Scriptures had been either corrupted or lost in hundreds of places. And since then, all modern versions like the NASB, NIV, ESV, Holman Standard and NET versions have adopted to varying degrees these same poisonous principles of perversion into their bogus bible versions that nobody defends or believes are the complete, inspired and infallible words of God.

By now you should be getting a pretty clear picture of just how this Magical Mystery Tour the Bible Babble Buffet promoters like to call “scholarship” or the “science of textual criticism” really works. It’s Every Man For Himself Bible Versionism gone wild and nobody is sure what is going to come down the pike in the next “new and improved” ver$ion to soon hit the Chri$tian book $tore$ in your neighborhood.

“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Matthew 11:15

2 Samuel 13:34

In 2 Samuel 13:34 we read in the Hebrew texts as well as the King James Bible - “But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people by the way of the hill side behind him.”

So read all Jewish translations, the Geneva Bible, RV, ASV, NASB, NKJV, the Amplified, the Holman Standard and this time even the NET version.

However the NIV 1978, 1984 and 2010 editions add some 21 extra words taken from what is called the Greek Septuagint version. The NIVs say: “Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. Now the man standing watch looked up and saw many people on the road west of him, coming down the side of the hill. THE WATCHMAN WENT AND TOLD THE KING, “I SEE MEN IN THE DIRECTION OF HORONAIM, ON THE SIDE OF THE HILL.” Footnotes: 2 Samuel 13:34 Septuagint; Hebrew does not have this sentence.

Other bible translations that add these extra words not found in any Hebrew text are the New English Bible 1970, the Contemporary English Version 1995, the New Living Translation 1996, and the Message 2002.

The ESV of 2001 is weird in that it omits what the Septuagint says, but refers to only part of these extra words in a footnote. The ESV reads: “But Absalom fled. And the young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him [a] by the side of the mountain.”Footnotes: 2 Samuel 13:34 Septuagint the Horonaim Road
The old RSV 1973 and the NRSV of 1989 (of which the ESV is the latest revision) did not add ALL the extra words found in the Septuagint like the NIVs do, but only a small part. The NRSV, RSV read: “But Absalom fled. When the young man who kept watch looked up, he saw many people coming FROM THE HOROMAIN ROAD by the side of the mountain.” Then they footnoted “Compare Greek”. $cholar$hip is a wonderful thing, isn’t it.

So, the ESV omitted the Septuagint words which the NIVs add - “The watchman went and told the king, I see men in the direction of Horonaim on the side of the mountain.” and omits from their text the partial added words found in the previous RSV, NRSVs, but then refers to these same previously included extra words in a footnote, just so you won’t get too comfortable thinking you might actually have the infallible words of God in front of you. It just gets better and better, doesn’t it.

More scatterbrained uses of the so called Septuagint.

2 Samuel 13:21

Here the Hebrew texts as well as the King James Bible and most bible translations throughout history read: “But when king David heard of all these things, he was very wroth.”

So read all Hebrew translations, the Geneva Bible, NKJV, NASB, NIV, RSV and the ESV. However the ESV footnote informs us that the so called Greek Septuagint adds the extra words “BUT HE WOULD NOT PUNISH HIS SON AMMON, BECAUSE HE LOVED HIM, SINCE HE WAS HIS FIRSTBORN.”

These extra words ARE added in such versions as the Catholic Douay version 1950, the New English Bible 1970, NRSV of 1989, the Revised English Version (Bruce Metzger) of 1989, the St. Joseph New American Bible 1970, the Contemporary English Version put out by the American Bible Society in 1995, God’s Word Translation 1995 and the Catholic Public Domain Bible of 2009. Notice that the RSV omitted the words, the NRSV put them in, and now the ESV once again takes them out but still retains them in their footnote.

Daniel Wallace and company’s NET version does not include the extra words in their text, but in their footnote they tell us: “The LXX and part of the Old Latin tradition include the following addition to v. 21, also included in some English versions (e.g., NAB, NRSV, CEV): “But he did not grieve the spirit of Amnon his son, because he loved him, since he was his firstborn.”

Then we have the case of 2 Samuel 14:30

Here we read in the Hebrew texts and the King James Bible: “Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab's field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the field on fire.”

So read the Geneva Bible, RV, ASV, NKJV, NASB, NIV and even the RSV, NRSV and ESV. However many words are added by the LXX version and the ESV footnote informs us that it then goes on to add the following words - “SO JOAB’S SERVANTS CAME TO HIM WITH THEIR CLOTHES TORN, AND THEY SAID TO HIM, ‘THE SERVANTS OF ABSALOM HAVE SET YOUR FIELD ON FIRE.’”

Versions that DO add these extra words taken from the Greek Septuagint are the Catholic Douay version of 1950, the St. Joseph New American Bible 1970, New English Bible 1970, God’s Word Translation 1995 and the Catholic Public Domain Version of 2009. This time the Contemporary English Version of 1995 does NOT add the extra words to 2 Samuel 14:30 though it DOES in Judges 16:13-14; 2 Samuel 13:21 and in 2 Samuel 13:34 - and all of this based on the same textual evidence! Likewise among the Catholic versions we find the same willy nilly fickleness in that these extra words are IN the Douay version of 1950, THEN removed in the 1968 Jerusalem bible, then BACK IN the St. Joseph New American Bible of 1970, ONCE AGAIN removed in the 1985 New Jerusalem bible, and then PUT BACK IN ONCE AGAIN in the 2009 Catholic Public Domain Version of 2009!

My advice - Get away from all this “science” of textual criticism foolishness and get yourselves a King James Holy Bible and let your soul find rest in the unchangeable and infallible words of the living God.

Will Kinney

For more information on the fictitious use of the so called Greek Septuagint in the New Testament see

No LXX - http://brandplucked.webs.com/nolxx.htm


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Many of the numbers recorded in the so called Greek Septuagint are completely off, and nobody follows them. Here are a few examples:

In the Genesis account of the age of men before the flood the LXX has completely different numbers. The Hebrew Scriptures state in Genesis 5:25 that Methuselah lived 187 years and begat Lamech. However the LXX says that Methuselah was 167 years old and changes the rest of the numbers too. However both the Hebrew and the LXX agree that the age of Methuselah was 969 when he died. However by the LXX reckoning, Methuselah didn’t end up dying until 14 years AFTER the flood of Noah. Since he was not on the ark with Noah and his family, that makes for a very long time for Methuselah to have been treading water.

The numbers throughout the book of Genesis regarding the genealogies from Adam to Joseph are radically different in the Greek Septuagint. For instance in Genesis 11:16 we read that Eber was 34 years old when he begat Peleg. Yet the LXX says Eber was ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FOUR years old when he begat Peleg. Looking at the generations from Adam to Joseph you will see that the Massoretic text indicates 2400 years. The Septuagint text depicts an astounding 3850 years, 1450 more years than the Massoretic text!

Inn 1 Samuel 11:8 we read of Saul gathering the people to go against Nahash the Ammonite. “And he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were 300,000 and the men of Judah 30,000.” So read the Hebrew texts. However the LXX reads 600,000 (instead of 300,000) and 70,000 (instead of 30,000) but nobody follows the LXX readings here.

In 1 Samuel 17:4 the Hebrew texts tell us that the height of Goliath was SIX cubits and a span, which would make him about 9 feet 6 inches tall. That indeed is a giant. However the LXX tells us that Goliath was a mere FOUR cubits and a span, which would make him only 6 feet 6 inches tall, which would hardly be much among NBA players today.

While here in 1 Samuel 17 let me point out another characteristic of this so called Greek Septuagint that is repeated scores of times over. Right here in this and the next chapter the LXX omits all of 1 Samuel 17:12 through verse 31; then it picks up verses 32 to 54 but then omits verses 55 through 58 and the first 6 verses of chapter 18:1-5. It then picks up verses 6, 7 and 8 but then omits verses 9, 10 and 11; then it shows verses 12 through 16 but omits verses 17, 18 and 19; it picks up the text again from verse 20 to verse 29 but then omits the last verse 30. So, just in these two chapters of First Samuel 17 and 18 the LXX version omits 37 entire verses that are found in the Hebrew texts; and that's just in two chapters! Then in other parts the LXX adds literally hundreds of words that are not found in any Hebrew text at all. If this thing is the best we can hope for in a good Greek translation of the Old Testament, then we are in a world of hurt.

In 2 Chronicles 22:2 the Hebrew texts tell us that Ahaziah was FORTY TWO years old when he began to reign, yet the LXX says he was TWENTY years old. Nobody follows the LXX reading here.

In Jonah 3:4 God speaks through the prophet Jonah to say that Yet within FORTY days and Nineveh will be destroyed, but the LXX version says within a mere THREE days and it would be destroyed. Nobody follows the wacky LXX numbers in these instances.

Judges 16:13-14; 1 Samuel 9:25; 1 Samuel 10:1; 1 Samuel 14:41; 2 Samuel 13:21, 34 and 2 Samuel 14:30


Judges 16:13 -14 NIV, NASB, RSV, ESV, NET add to the words of God.

“Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you” Deuteronomy 4:2

“Every word of God is pure; he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. ADD THOU NOT unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” Proverbs 30:5-6

The following examples could be repeated scores of times if you follow the various footnotes and textual differences found in such modern versions as the RSV, ESV, NIV, NASB, NET or Holman Standard. These are just sampliings of the scatterbrained foolishness that calls itself the “Science” of Textual Criticism so popular today.

Judges 16:13-14

In the King James Bible based on the inspired Hebrew texts we read in Judges 16:13-14 - “13 And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web. 14 And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.”

So read all Hebew texts as well as Coverdale 1535, the Great Bible 1540, Matthew’s Bible 1549, the Bishops’ Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1587, the Revised Version 1885, the American Standard Version 1901, the Jewish Publication Society translation of 1917, the Hebrew Publishing Company translation 1936, the Complete Jewish Bible, the Hebrew Names Version of 2008, the Complete Tanach 2004, the Torah Transliteration Scriptures of 2008, Darby, Youngs, the 1987 Amplified, the NKJV 1982 and the Holman Standard of 2003.

Among foreign language translations that follow the Hebrew texts and do not add the extra 30-35 words are Lamsa’s 1936 translation of the Syriac, the French Martin 1744, Louis Segond 1910, French Ostervald 1996, Luther’s German Bible, the Portuguese Almeida, the Spanish Reina Valera 1909, 1960, 1995 and even the Modern Greek Version.

However many modern versions add some 30 to 35 additional words to the Hebrew text taken from “Some” copies of the so called Greek Septuagint texts.

Among these modern versions that add words to the Hebrew texts are the NIV, NASB, RSV, NRSV, ESV, New English Bible 1970, the Message and the NET version by Daniel Wallace and company.


The NIV reads: “Delilah then said to Samson, “Until now, you have been making a fool of me and lying to me. Tell me how you can be tied.” He replied, “If you weave the seven braids of my head into the fabric on the loom AND TIGHTEN IT WITH THE PIN, I’LL BECOME AS WEAK AS ANY OTHER MAN.” SO WHILE HE WAS SLEEPING, DELIALAH TOOK THE SEVEN BRAIDS OF HIS HEAD, WOVE THEM INTO THE FABRIC AND[a] tightened it with the pin. Again she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and pulled up the pin and the loom, with the fabric.”

Then in a footnote the NIV and others tell us that these 30 some extra words come from “SOME” Septuagint manuscripts, but that the Hebrew does not contain these extra words.

The popular version among the bible agnostics is Daniel Wallace and company’s NET (NUT) version. It also adds all these extra words but then has this silly footnote - The MT of vv. 13b-14a reads simply, “He said to her, ‘If you weave the seven braids of my head with the web.’ And she fastened with the pin and said to him.” (My note:This is exactly what is found in the King James Bible) The additional words in the translation, “and secure it with the pin, I will become weak and be like any other man.’ 16:14 So she made him go to sleep, wove the seven braids of his hair into the fabric on the loom,” which without doubt represent the original text, are supplied from the ancient Greek version. In both vv. 13b and 14a the Greek version has “to the wall” after “with the pin,” but this is an interpretive addition that reflects a misunderstanding of ancient weaving equipment. See G. F. Moore, Judges [ICC], 353-54. The Hebrew textual tradition was accidentally shortened during the copying process. A scribe’s eye jumped from the first instance of “with the web” to the second, causing him to leave out inadvertently the intervening words.”

So, according to men like Daniel Wallace all these extra words “without doubt represent the original text” - (although numerous others disagree with him) - and that even though Wallace thinks they are part of the original text, they are STILL WRONG for adding words that “reflect a misunderstanding of ancient weaving equipment”! So Bible critics like Daniel Wallace think that even the original text was wrong!!!

Can you believe it? And people actually take these guys seriously!

1 Samuel 9:25

1 Samuel 9:25-26 In the Hebrew texts as well as the King James Bible and many others as we shall soon see, we read a series of events that occurred when Saul went to see Samuel and he was anointed to be king of Israel. V.25. “And when they were come down from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house.”

V. 26. “AND THEY AROSE EARLY: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, Up, that I may send thee away...”

So read the Geneva Bible, King James Bible, Revised Version 1885, ASV 1901, the NKJV 1982, NIV 1984, 2010, Darby, Douay, Youngs, the NASB 1995, ALL Jewish translations like the JPS 1917 and Hebrew Tanach of 2004, the Complete Jewish Bible, the Syriac, the 2003 Holman Standard Version and even the NET version by Daniel Wallace and company. I mention the NET version because of their blatant hypocricy for including the Septuagint readings in so many other parts of the NUT version.


However the Liberal RSV of 1952, the NRSV 1989 and the revised ESV of 2001 all ADD about 15 words to the Hebrew texts by adding a reading from the so called Septuagint and they omit some 9 words that ARE in the Hebrew text! The ESV says in verse 25 - “And when they came down from the high place into the city A BED WAS SPREAD FOR SAUL ON THE ROOF, AND HE LAY DOWN TO SLEEP. ** Then at the break of dawn Samuel called to Saul on the roof, Up, that I may send you on your way.”

*** Footnotes. All the capitalized words are not in the Hebrew text but are taken from the Septuagint, and the ESV omits the words “AND THEY AROSE EARLY” Which ARE found in the Hebrew texts! And they call this “scholarship”!!!

1 Samuel 10:1

Here again we see an amazing thing in the modern Bible Babble Buffet. The Hebrew texts as well as the Geneva Bible, Bishops’s Bible, the Revised Version, ASV 1901, Darby, Youngs, NKJV, NIV, NASB, all Jewish translations, the Holman Standard.

Here we read: “Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?”

But once again versions like the RSV, NRSV, the ESV and this time Daniel Wallace’s NET version all add about 40 words to the Hebrew texts taken from the so called Greek Septuagint.

The ESV - English Standard Version of 2001 - “Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head(B) and kissed him and said, "Has not the LORD anointed you to be prince OVER HIS PEOPLE ISRAEL? AND YOU SHALL REIGN OVER THE PEOPLE OF THE LORD AND YOU WILL SAVE THEM FROM THE HAND OF THE SURROUNDING ENEMIES. AND THIS SHALL BE THE SIGN TO YOU THAT THE LORD HAS ANOINTED YOU TO BE PRINCE over his heritage.”

Footnotes 1 Samuel 10:1 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks over his people Israel? And you shall. . . . to be prince”
Likewise Daniel Wallace this time adds all these extra words taken from the Greek Septuagint and then footnotes: “The MT reads simply “Is it not that the Lord has anointed you over his inheritance for a leader?” The (NET) translation follows the LXX. The MT apparently suffers from parablepsis, whereby a scribe’s eye jumped from the first occurrence of the expression “the Lord has anointed you” to the second occurrence of this expression at the end of v. 1. This mistake caused the accidental omission of the intervening material in the LXX, which appears to preserve the original Hebrew text here.”

Sure Daniel. Hundreds of different Jewish scribes painstakingly copying every letter by sight and not from memory, and if one error were made the page had to be written all over again, all somehow made the same blunder in hundreds of copies. Uh, huh. And not even the NIV, NASB, Holman Standard guys agree with you on this one. It’s every man for himself bible versionism gone to seed.

More Septuagint Silliness

The alleged Septuagint readings are often like so many bothersome gnats that simply buzz around the sacred text with their annoyance. The following examples can easily be multiplied a hundred times over.

In 1 Samuel 11:8 we read of Saul gathering the people to go against Nahash the Ammonite. “And he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were 300,000 and the men of Judah 30,000.” So read the Hebrew texts as well as the NKJV, NASB, NIV, RSV, NRSV, ESV, Holman and NET versions. However the LXX reads 600,000 (instead of 300,000) and both the LXX and the Dead Sea Scrolls read 70,000 (instead of 30,000) but nobody follows the LXX nor the DSS readings in either of these places.

Yet in 1 Samuel 12:3 the Hebrew texts read: “...or of whose hand have I received any bribe TO BLIND MINE EYES THEREWITH. and I will restore it you.”

But the Septuagint actually reads: “or of whose hand have I received any bribe OR A PAIR OF SHOES? TESTIFY AGAINST ME and I will restore it.” (See the footnotes in the Holman Standard or the LXX itself)

Versions like the ESV 2001, RSV, NRSV, and the Message of 2002 adopt PART OF the LXX reading and not the other. They omit “a pair of shoes” and stay with the Hebrew “to blind my eyes therewith” but then add the words “TESTIFY AGAINST ME”, which are taken from the same line of the LXX. (RSV, NRSV, ESV but not the NASB, NKJV, NIV nor the NET this time!).

Then in 1 Samuel 12:8 we read: “When Jacob went into Egypt and your fathers cried unto the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron...” So read the NASB, Holman, NIV, NET, NKJV etc. BUT the RSV, NRSV, Message and ESV add words 5 more words - “When Jacob went into Egypt AND THE EGYPTIANS OPPRESSED THEM, then your fathers cried unto the LORD...” all taken from the so called Septuagint.

Then in 1 Samuel 12:15 the Hebrew texts as well as the NKJV, NASB, NIV and Holman say: “But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you AS IT WAS AGAINST YOUR FATHERS.”

So read the NKJV, NASB, NIV, Holman Standard and even the Message. But the RSV, NRSV, ESV and this time the NET version reject the clear Hebrew reading “AS IT WAS AGAINST YOUR FATHERS.” (“fathers” NIV 1984, “ancestors” NIV 2010) and instead replace it with a reading found in the Septuagint. The ESV, RSV, NRSV and NET version now read: “the hand of the LORD will be against you AND YOUR KING.” - footnote: Hebrew ‘fathers’.

1 Samuel 14:41

Then at other times we have a wholesale rejection of the Hebrew texts and some modern versions add 30 to 35 more words all at once to the inspired text. Such an example is found in 1 Samuel 14:41.

The Hebrew texts as well as the Geneva Bible, RV 1885, ASV 1901, NKJV 1982, NASB 1963-1995, NIV 1984 edition, 2004 Complete Tanach, 2009 Holman Standard, Spanish Reina Valera 1995, French Ostervald 1996, Italian Diodati 1991 and the Portuguese Almeida all read: “Therefore Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped.”

Even the NIV read this way in their 1978 and 1982 editions. The 1984 NIV read: “Then Saul prayed to the LORD, the God of Israel, “Give me the right answer.” And Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot, and the men were cleared.”

The NIV Spanish edition, called La Nueva Versión Internacional, of 1999 reads the same with: “ Luego le rogó Saúl al Señor, Dios de Israel, que le diera una respuesta clara. La suerte cayó sobre Jonatán y Saúl, de modo que los demás quedaron libres”.

However several modern versions like the ESV, RSV, NRSV, NET, the Message 2002 and the NIV 2010 edition add another 31 to 36 extra words to the Hebrew text in 1 Samuel 14:41.

Now in 2010 the NIV has once again been “revised” and they admit that they have changed about 10% of the verses from what they read in the 1984 NIV edition. The 2010 now adds over 30 extra words taken from the Septuagint version and not found in any Hebrew text.

1 Samuel 14:41 New International Version ©2010 now reads: “Then Saul prayed to the LORD, the God of Israel, “WHY HAVE YOU NOT ANSWERED YOUR SERVANT TODAY? IF THE FAULT IS IN ME OR IN MY SON JONATHAN, RESPOND WITH URIM, BUT IF THE MEN OF ISRAEL ARE AT FAULT, respond with Thummin.” Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot, and the men were cleared.” Footnotes: 1 Samuel 14:41 Septuagint; Hebrew does not have “Why … at fault.

As a side note, the 1984 NIV read “give me the right answer” but now the 2010 changes these same words to “respond with Thummin”. Much clearer, isn’t it? Yes, indeedy, the modern day versions are getting better and better. Right?

This additional reading of some 35 extra words in 1 Samuel 14:41 are taken from the so called Septuagint. This is not some “new discovery” gleaned from serious scholarship in search of Divine Truth. These LXX readings were first introduced to the unsuspecting Christian world through the very liberal and Christ denying Revised Standard Version committee in 1952 when they rejected the Traditional Greek New Testament of the Reformation Bibles. This Liberal “Christian” bible committee introduced the faith destroying theories called Higher Criticism that taught that the Hebrew Scriptures had been either corrupted or lost in hundreds of places. And since then, all modern versions like the NASB, NIV, ESV, Holman Standard and NET versions have adopted to varying degrees these same poisonous principles of perversion into their bogus bible versions that nobody defends or believes are the complete, inspired and infallible words of God.

By now you should be getting a pretty clear picture of just how this Magical Mystery Tour the Bible Babble Buffet promoters like to call “scholarship” or the “science of textual criticism” really works. It’s Every Man For Himself Bible Versionism gone wild and nobody is sure what is going to come down the pike in the next “new and improved” ver$ion to soon hit the Chri$tian book $tore$ in your neighborhood.

“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Matthew 11:15

2 Samuel 13:34

In 2 Samuel 13:34 we read in the Hebrew texts as well as the King James Bible - “But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people by the way of the hill side behind him.”

So read all Jewish translations, the Geneva Bible, RV, ASV, NASB, NKJV, the Amplified, the Holman Standard and this time even the NET version.

However the NIV 1978, 1984 and 2010 editions add some 21 extra words taken from what is called the Greek Septuagint version. The NIVs say: “Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. Now the man standing watch looked up and saw many people on the road west of him, coming down the side of the hill. THE WATCHMAN WENT AND TOLD THE KING, “I SEE MEN IN THE DIRECTION OF HORONAIM, ON THE SIDE OF THE HILL.” Footnotes: 2 Samuel 13:34 Septuagint; Hebrew does not have this sentence.

Other bible translations that add these extra words not found in any Hebrew text are the New English Bible 1970, the Contemporary English Version 1995, the New Living Translation 1996, and the Message 2002.

The ESV of 2001 is weird in that it omits what the Septuagint says, but refers to only part of these extra words in a footnote. The ESV reads: “But Absalom fled. And the young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him [a] by the side of the mountain.”Footnotes: 2 Samuel 13:34 Septuagint the Horonaim Road
The old RSV 1973 and the NRSV of 1989 (of which the ESV is the latest revision) did not add ALL the extra words found in the Septuagint like the NIVs do, but only a small part. The NRSV, RSV read: “But Absalom fled. When the young man who kept watch looked up, he saw many people coming FROM THE HOROMAIN ROAD by the side of the mountain.” Then they footnoted “Compare Greek”. $cholar$hip is a wonderful thing, isn’t it.

So, the ESV omitted the Septuagint words which the NIVs add - “The watchman went and told the king, I see men in the direction of Horonaim on the side of the mountain.” and omits from their text the partial added words found in the previous RSV, NRSVs, but then refers to these same previously included extra words in a footnote, just so you won’t get too comfortable thinking you might actually have the infallible words of God in front of you. It just gets better and better, doesn’t it.

More scatterbrained uses of the so called Septuagint.

2 Samuel 13:21

Here the Hebrew texts as well as the King James Bible and most bible translations throughout history read: “But when king David heard of all these things, he was very wroth.”

So read all Hebrew translations, the Geneva Bible, NKJV, NASB, NIV, RSV and the ESV. However the ESV footnote informs us that the so called Greek Septuagint adds the extra words “BUT HE WOULD NOT PUNISH HIS SON AMMON, BECAUSE HE LOVED HIM, SINCE HE WAS HIS FIRSTBORN.”

These extra words ARE added in such versions as the Catholic Douay version 1950, the New English Bible 1970, NRSV of 1989, the Revised English Version (Bruce Metzger) of 1989, the St. Joseph New American Bible 1970, the Contemporary English Version put out by the American Bible Society in 1995, God’s Word Translation 1995 and the Catholic Public Domain Bible of 2009. Notice that the RSV omitted the words, the NRSV put them in, and now the ESV once again takes them out but still retains them in their footnote.

Daniel Wallace and company’s NET version does not include the extra words in their text, but in their footnote they tell us: “The LXX and part of the Old Latin tradition include the following addition to v. 21, also included in some English versions (e.g., NAB, NRSV, CEV): “But he did not grieve the spirit of Amnon his son, because he loved him, since he was his firstborn.”

Then we have the case of 2 Samuel 14:30

Here we read in the Hebrew texts and the King James Bible: “Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab's field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the field on fire.”

So read the Geneva Bible, RV, ASV, NKJV, NASB, NIV and even the RSV, NRSV and ESV. However many words are added by the LXX version and the ESV footnote informs us that it then goes on to add the following words - “SO JOAB’S SERVANTS CAME TO HIM WITH THEIR CLOTHES TORN, AND THEY SAID TO HIM, ‘THE SERVANTS OF ABSALOM HAVE SET YOUR FIELD ON FIRE.’”

Versions that DO add these extra words taken from the Greek Septuagint are the Catholic Douay version of 1950, the St. Joseph New American Bible 1970, New English Bible 1970, God’s Word Translation 1995 and the Catholic Public Domain Version of 2009. This time the Contemporary English Version of 1995 does NOT add the extra words to 2 Samuel 14:30 though it DOES in Judges 16:13-14; 2 Samuel 13:21 and in 2 Samuel 13:34 - and all of this based on the same textual evidence! Likewise among the Catholic versions we find the same willy nilly fickleness in that these extra words are IN the Douay version of 1950, THEN removed in the 1968 Jerusalem bible, then BACK IN the St. Joseph New American Bible of 1970, ONCE AGAIN removed in the 1985 New Jerusalem bible, and then PUT BACK IN ONCE AGAIN in the 2009 Catholic Public Domain Version of 2009!

My advice - Get away from all this “science” of textual criticism foolishness and get yourselves a King James Holy Bible and let your soul find rest in the unchangeable and infallible words of the living God.

Will Kinney

For more information on the fictitious use of the so called Greek Septuagint in the New Testament see

No LXX - http://brandplucked.webs.com/nolxx.htm


Return to Articles - http://brandplucked.webs.com/articles.htm]]> http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1898.html Wed, 26 Jan 2011 21:39:16 +0000 http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1898.html
We want to thank all those who helped us this last year. When I look around at all that happened in 2010 I am reminded of the words of Jesus in John 9:4 "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work." The world in which we live is getting darker all the time. We must ask ourselves: How long do we have to reach the world with the gospel? While giving was down this year God opened up some doors that allowed us to send bibles and scripture to Ghana and Nigeria via containers in the States. This significantly reduced our shipping costs and allowed us to use the majority of our budget to purchase bibles. Praise the Lord!

From October through December we sent out 350 Bibles, 1,024 New Testaments 14,420 Tracts, 68 DVD'S, and 212 Books. These items were sent to the countries of Mexico, Ghana, and Nigeria.

Totals for 2010 1,819 Bibles, 1,073 New Testaments 204,220 Tracts, 116 DVD'S, and 376 Books.

Bible Senders Ministry to date: 14,964 Bibles, 2,968 New Testaments, 79,162 Scripture Books, 1,379,018 Tracts, 3,365 Bible Studies, over 665 Christian Films, over 4,641 Books and 386 Hymnals.

Here are a few requests we have recieved:

Hello Ryan,thanks for extending the good work you have been doing arround the globe to prisons in our country kenya.last year you send some 36 small print bibles to our prisoners.am kindly requesting for more this year to share with women in prisons who cant afford to buy.
PETER NDEGWA NAIROBI-KENYA.

Dear pastor Ryan, precious name our Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour! We praying for the Lord continue us to send free bible kjv 1611 ot/nt use for the mission work in Bocaue. May God will provide us our request and faithfully use for the Lord work in bocaue. thank your generously and kindly support us our work in Bocaue. may Provide us! romans 8:28 saved by his grace, pastor ronaldo s. ballonado

I would also like to inform you of a special project we are working on. For those of you who are at all familiar with all the 2012 talk many people are discussing this topic. If you are not familiar just type in 2012 into your search engine and you will see what I am talking about. We have designed a tract entitled 2012 Is It The End? We are praying that God will use this tract in the coming months leading up to Dec 21, 2012 the date that many have claimed the world will end. We are asking that others would pray about funding this tract. We also need people who will be willing to distribute it. I am working with someone who I pray will be able to help me finish the site I have set up to answer questions of those who are seeking the truth. We feel this is a great springboard into sharing the gospel. I have attached the front and back of the tract. Again I ask you to pray what you would be willing to do to help with this project.

As always please continue to pray for our need of finances to supply missionaries around the world with Bibles and other materials.
God bless. The Olson's



]]>
We want to thank all those who helped us this last year. When I look around at all that happened in 2010 I am reminded of the words of Jesus in John 9:4 "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work." The world in which we live is getting darker all the time. We must ask ourselves: How long do we have to reach the world with the gospel? While giving was down this year God opened up some doors that allowed us to send bibles and scripture to Ghana and Nigeria via containers in the States. This significantly reduced our shipping costs and allowed us to use the majority of our budget to purchase bibles. Praise the Lord!

From October through December we sent out 350 Bibles, 1,024 New Testaments 14,420 Tracts, 68 DVD'S, and 212 Books. These items were sent to the countries of Mexico, Ghana, and Nigeria.

Totals for 2010 1,819 Bibles, 1,073 New Testaments 204,220 Tracts, 116 DVD'S, and 376 Books.

Bible Senders Ministry to date: 14,964 Bibles, 2,968 New Testaments, 79,162 Scripture Books, 1,379,018 Tracts, 3,365 Bible Studies, over 665 Christian Films, over 4,641 Books and 386 Hymnals.

Here are a few requests we have recieved:

Hello Ryan,thanks for extending the good work you have been doing arround the globe to prisons in our country kenya.last year you send some 36 small print bibles to our prisoners.am kindly requesting for more this year to share with women in prisons who cant afford to buy.
PETER NDEGWA NAIROBI-KENYA.

Dear pastor Ryan, precious name our Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour! We praying for the Lord continue us to send free bible kjv 1611 ot/nt use for the mission work in Bocaue. May God will provide us our request and faithfully use for the Lord work in bocaue. thank your generously and kindly support us our work in Bocaue. may Provide us! romans 8:28 saved by his grace, pastor ronaldo s. ballonado

I would also like to inform you of a special project we are working on. For those of you who are at all familiar with all the 2012 talk many people are discussing this topic. If you are not familiar just type in 2012 into your search engine and you will see what I am talking about. We have designed a tract entitled 2012 Is It The End? We are praying that God will use this tract in the coming months leading up to Dec 21, 2012 the date that many have claimed the world will end. We are asking that others would pray about funding this tract. We also need people who will be willing to distribute it. I am working with someone who I pray will be able to help me finish the site I have set up to answer questions of those who are seeking the truth. We feel this is a great springboard into sharing the gospel. I have attached the front and back of the tract. Again I ask you to pray what you would be willing to do to help with this project.

As always please continue to pray for our need of finances to supply missionaries around the world with Bibles and other materials.
God bless. The Olson's



]]> http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1897.html Wed, 19 Jan 2011 22:52:47 +0000 http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1897.html


]]>


]]> http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1896.html Sat, 15 Jan 2011 23:44:09 +0000 http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1896.html
About 9.20. pm last Wednesday I was at our local Tesco supermarket, getting carrier bags from the boot (trunk) when somebody reversed into me trapping my leg between their car and mine. I was in considerably pain, and nearly passed out. The store first aider put an Ice pack on my knee, while she filled out the details. The manager tried to get me a cup of tea, but could not get the hot water machine to work so gave me a cup of milk.

The next day I went to the minor injuries unit at our health centre and saw a doctor who examined my leg and said that nothing was broken and that there was no sign of a blood clot which was what would concern them. I said that when it happened I I thought I would lose my leg and he said that if the car was going any faster I probably would have.

However, today the pain has gone except for my calves and a certain amount of stiffness. So I am giving thanks to God that it was not far worse.]]>
About 9.20. pm last Wednesday I was at our local Tesco supermarket, getting carrier bags from the boot (trunk) when somebody reversed into me trapping my leg between their car and mine. I was in considerably pain, and nearly passed out. The store first aider put an Ice pack on my knee, while she filled out the details. The manager tried to get me a cup of tea, but could not get the hot water machine to work so gave me a cup of milk.

The next day I went to the minor injuries unit at our health centre and saw a doctor who examined my leg and said that nothing was broken and that there was no sign of a blood clot which was what would concern them. I said that when it happened I I thought I would lose my leg and he said that if the car was going any faster I probably would have.

However, today the pain has gone except for my calves and a certain amount of stiffness. So I am giving thanks to God that it was not far worse.]]> http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1895.html Thu, 13 Jan 2011 05:54:49 +0000 http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1895.html Most people seem to die from automobile accidents or heart attacks. Many older men and women meet their demise simply by growing old and their bodies ceasing to function the way they have for 70 or 80 or 90 years or so. But here he was, Ross Purcell, or R.P. as many of his friends called him, at the point of death because of some freak accident. Why him, he questioned over and over in his mind? At his prime at 40 years old, Ross Purcell’s name was known in the building industry as the best in the business. Sure, his homes were expensive, but as the old adage goes, you get what you pay for. And these executive types with their fancy wife’s and perfect children didn’t mind handing over a half of a million dollars for one of his finest! The bulky, somewhat overweight man moved slightly as his mind flashed to what brought him to this predicament.
Ross had heard about a great land deal only two counties above where he lived. He could have scheduled an appointment for next week to see the property, but he wanted to take no chance at missing this bargain that could eventually bring him well over a million dollars profit.
So Ross turned down the offer of attending church this morning and decided to drive up and scan the possible investment site. His wife, Maggie, who was quite upset at Ross’ decision, and his 4 year-old daughter Mary, still went however. Maggie had been pestering Ross lately about bringing religion into the family and Ross had grown tired of it very quickly. It was all that fellow’s fault, Mark whats-his-name, that she worked with, who showed up at his house a few Thursdays ago with the preacher of his church. Ross recalled what a sight both of them were; Bibles in hand and everything. They even had the nerve to ask Ross to turn the television off!
Anyhow, Ross remembered it crystal clear. Maggie sat listening to every word and Ross trying to politely ignore the two of them as they quoted Bible verses and talked about Jesus dying for he and Maggie’s sins. Though there was one phrase that the Pastor had said that strangely stuck with Ross since then. “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” The big man normally could only remember the latest sports scores, yet these words kept popping into his head! In fact, even as he was walking the land, those very words seemed to gnaw at him, to haunt him almost.
Anyway, as the important Ross Purcell was happily calculating home sites and how to minimize expenses, he neglected to see the large hole that he stepped into! Of course, part of that was due to the brush that almost camouflaged the entire crevice. Down he went! And a long fall it was, at least to Ross it seemed twenty feet! The worst part of it was that when he dropped he caused many layers of dirt and debris to follow him, trapping the big man, leaving him no way to escape!
That was hours ago and the air was running out! Every breath was a chore! Guessing that he had just a few minutes at the most, Ross struggled again to suck some air into his pleading lungs. His mind racing, knowing the end was coming drastically closer every second, he began to panic. He could barely move as well, which frustrated him greatly and aided in his frenzy. Thoughts that he was sure would be his last came and went. Maggie! No more Maggie! And his little Mary! Too never see them again...for his precious Mary to grow up without a father, what would ever become of her? No more nice cars and name brand living! What does it matter now?
Again, Ross inhaled to the best of his ability but it was only a fraction of a normal breath. Tears formed as he began to cry like a baby.
Suddenly the thought came again. “What shall it profit a man...” Maybe the preacher was right? Surely he was a sinner, Ross decided instantly. Thoughts came to him now as he saw things in a different light. Terrible thoughts! Lying...his drunken binges...his lust...he was lost! It was clear now, he was doomed! There was no hope for him! In mere seconds Ross somehow knew that he would enter that horrible place that he had laughed about for years-that place of blackness and yes...fire! If only he had another chance! Then the big man remembered the words of the preacher. Those words too had new meaning. With every ounce of his strength, Ross Purcell lifted up his eyes to the darkness above him. I will turn to you Jesus, his heart cried out, save me from this death and I will believe on you. There was no more will power, no more time, no more air. Long seconds, perhaps even a full minute came and went as Ross drifted in and out of consciousness. It was over. Darkness......but then...something...was it...could it be...yes it was! A faint, a very faint light! Then followed noise. A steady, hammering noise! Ross could see, his lungs started filling with air...he could breath! Ross was alive and he was going to be saved! With a fresh energy, Ross kept looking up and was rejoicing! He saw some sort of machine tearing up the soil. They found him!
Just minutes later the shaken man was above ground. Two men had pulled him out and steadied him and in a shorter time than expected, Ross had regained his strength and soon his lightheadedness too, was gone. “They told us you might be up here somewhere sir” stated the taller of the two. Ross looked at both of them. They wore coveralls labeled with a power company insignia. “I thought you would be a rescue team or something, or from the sheriff’s department, you work for the electric company?” Ross questioned. The shorter man employee answered now. “Mister, you were out in the middle of nowhere. You would have been dead by the time anyone got out here. The sheriff called after your wife could not get hold of you. We just happened to be in the area putting some poles in and we saw this notebook...then we saw where we guessed you fell in.” Ross eyed the logbook. It was his for sure. “Well, thanks” He said as he took the journal and shook both of their hands. “Thank you two so much for savin’ my life.” The rejoicing was quick and then Ross turned to walk away. Glancing at the land, monetary figures began speeding through his mind again. Here he was, the Ross Purcell. Good as new and ready to make some money. So he lost a few hours? Suddenly he recalled the pleading he did the last few seconds in the hole...his promise to turn to Jesus. Taking a deep breath, Ross gave a satisfied look as he gazed at the acreage around him. That’ll have to wait, he decided. Maybe later he would let Jesus save his soul. Paying no attention to the screaming voices of the two men behind him, Ross turned and unknowingly stepped onto a live wire and immediately hundreds of thousands of volts went through his body, then he fell to the ground and died.


“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
Mark 8:36
http://www.soulstirringstories.blogspot.com/]]> Most people seem to die from automobile accidents or heart attacks. Many older men and women meet their demise simply by growing old and their bodies ceasing to function the way they have for 70 or 80 or 90 years or so. But here he was, Ross Purcell, or R.P. as many of his friends called him, at the point of death because of some freak accident. Why him, he questioned over and over in his mind? At his prime at 40 years old, Ross Purcell’s name was known in the building industry as the best in the business. Sure, his homes were expensive, but as the old adage goes, you get what you pay for. And these executive types with their fancy wife’s and perfect children didn’t mind handing over a half of a million dollars for one of his finest! The bulky, somewhat overweight man moved slightly as his mind flashed to what brought him to this predicament.
Ross had heard about a great land deal only two counties above where he lived. He could have scheduled an appointment for next week to see the property, but he wanted to take no chance at missing this bargain that could eventually bring him well over a million dollars profit.
So Ross turned down the offer of attending church this morning and decided to drive up and scan the possible investment site. His wife, Maggie, who was quite upset at Ross’ decision, and his 4 year-old daughter Mary, still went however. Maggie had been pestering Ross lately about bringing religion into the family and Ross had grown tired of it very quickly. It was all that fellow’s fault, Mark whats-his-name, that she worked with, who showed up at his house a few Thursdays ago with the preacher of his church. Ross recalled what a sight both of them were; Bibles in hand and everything. They even had the nerve to ask Ross to turn the television off!
Anyhow, Ross remembered it crystal clear. Maggie sat listening to every word and Ross trying to politely ignore the two of them as they quoted Bible verses and talked about Jesus dying for he and Maggie’s sins. Though there was one phrase that the Pastor had said that strangely stuck with Ross since then. “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” The big man normally could only remember the latest sports scores, yet these words kept popping into his head! In fact, even as he was walking the land, those very words seemed to gnaw at him, to haunt him almost.
Anyway, as the important Ross Purcell was happily calculating home sites and how to minimize expenses, he neglected to see the large hole that he stepped into! Of course, part of that was due to the brush that almost camouflaged the entire crevice. Down he went! And a long fall it was, at least to Ross it seemed twenty feet! The worst part of it was that when he dropped he caused many layers of dirt and debris to follow him, trapping the big man, leaving him no way to escape!
That was hours ago and the air was running out! Every breath was a chore! Guessing that he had just a few minutes at the most, Ross struggled again to suck some air into his pleading lungs. His mind racing, knowing the end was coming drastically closer every second, he began to panic. He could barely move as well, which frustrated him greatly and aided in his frenzy. Thoughts that he was sure would be his last came and went. Maggie! No more Maggie! And his little Mary! Too never see them again...for his precious Mary to grow up without a father, what would ever become of her? No more nice cars and name brand living! What does it matter now?
Again, Ross inhaled to the best of his ability but it was only a fraction of a normal breath. Tears formed as he began to cry like a baby.
Suddenly the thought came again. “What shall it profit a man...” Maybe the preacher was right? Surely he was a sinner, Ross decided instantly. Thoughts came to him now as he saw things in a different light. Terrible thoughts! Lying...his drunken binges...his lust...he was lost! It was clear now, he was doomed! There was no hope for him! In mere seconds Ross somehow knew that he would enter that horrible place that he had laughed about for years-that place of blackness and yes...fire! If only he had another chance! Then the big man remembered the words of the preacher. Those words too had new meaning. With every ounce of his strength, Ross Purcell lifted up his eyes to the darkness above him. I will turn to you Jesus, his heart cried out, save me from this death and I will believe on you. There was no more will power, no more time, no more air. Long seconds, perhaps even a full minute came and went as Ross drifted in and out of consciousness. It was over. Darkness......but then...something...was it...could it be...yes it was! A faint, a very faint light! Then followed noise. A steady, hammering noise! Ross could see, his lungs started filling with air...he could breath! Ross was alive and he was going to be saved! With a fresh energy, Ross kept looking up and was rejoicing! He saw some sort of machine tearing up the soil. They found him!
Just minutes later the shaken man was above ground. Two men had pulled him out and steadied him and in a shorter time than expected, Ross had regained his strength and soon his lightheadedness too, was gone. “They told us you might be up here somewhere sir” stated the taller of the two. Ross looked at both of them. They wore coveralls labeled with a power company insignia. “I thought you would be a rescue team or something, or from the sheriff’s department, you work for the electric company?” Ross questioned. The shorter man employee answered now. “Mister, you were out in the middle of nowhere. You would have been dead by the time anyone got out here. The sheriff called after your wife could not get hold of you. We just happened to be in the area putting some poles in and we saw this notebook...then we saw where we guessed you fell in.” Ross eyed the logbook. It was his for sure. “Well, thanks” He said as he took the journal and shook both of their hands. “Thank you two so much for savin’ my life.” The rejoicing was quick and then Ross turned to walk away. Glancing at the land, monetary figures began speeding through his mind again. Here he was, the Ross Purcell. Good as new and ready to make some money. So he lost a few hours? Suddenly he recalled the pleading he did the last few seconds in the hole...his promise to turn to Jesus. Taking a deep breath, Ross gave a satisfied look as he gazed at the acreage around him. That’ll have to wait, he decided. Maybe later he would let Jesus save his soul. Paying no attention to the screaming voices of the two men behind him, Ross turned and unknowingly stepped onto a live wire and immediately hundreds of thousands of volts went through his body, then he fell to the ground and died.


“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
Mark 8:36
http://www.soulstirringstories.blogspot.com/]]> http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1894.html Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:21:29 +0000 http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1894.html
This is the only passage in which the word Easter can be found:

Acts 12
1Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.

2And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

3And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)

4And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

5Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

6And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.

7And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.


Here is an article that I found:

Is Easter PAGAN?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Why do you believe the things you believe, and do the things you do? The chances are you never stopped to ask yourself that question. You have been taught since childhood to accept Easter as the chief of the Christian holidays.

You have supposed it is part of the true Christian religion to observe Lent, "Holy Week," "Good Friday," to buy hot cross buns at he bakery, to have colored eggs, to dress up and go to Church Easter Sunday, perhaps to attend an Easter sunrise service!

Because of the "sheep" instinct in humans, most of us believe a lot of things that are not true. Most of us do a lot of things that are wrong, supposing these things be right, or even sacred!

ISHTAR, the PAGAN GODDESS

What is the meaning of the name "Easter"? You haven been led to suppose the word means "resurrection of Christ." For 1600 years the western world has been taught that Christ rose from the dead on Sunday morning. But that is merely one of the fables the apostle Paul warned readers of the New Testament to expect. The resurrection did not occur on Sunday! For the astonishing proof setting forth the exact time of the Resurrection, write for our free booklet, "The Resurrection."

The name "Easter" is merely the slightly changed English spelling of the name of the ancient Assyrian goddess Ishtar, pronounced by the Assyrians exactly as we pronounce "Easter." The Babylonian name of this goddess was Astarte, consort of Baal, the Sun god, whose worship is denounced by The Almighty in the Bible as the most abominable of all pagan idolatry.

Look up the word "Easter" in Webster's dictionary. You will find: "AS. (Anglo-Saxon), from name of an old Teuton goddess of spring".

In the large volume Hastings Bible Dictionary, only six lines are given to the name "Easter" because it occurs only once in the Bible and that only in the King James translation. Says Hastings: "Easter, used in Authorized Version as the translation of 'Pascha' in Acts 12:4, 'intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people'. Revised Version has substituted correctly 'the Passover.'"


APOSTLES OBSERVED PASSOVER

The World Almanac, 1950 edition, page 704, says: "In the second century, AD., Easter Day was, among Christian in Asia Minor" (that is, in the Churches at Ephesus, Galatia, etc... the so-called "Gentile" churches raised up by the Apostle Paul) "the 14th of Nisan, the seventh month of the Jewish calendar." In other words, the 14th day of the first month of the sacred calendar, and it was not then called by the name of the pagan deity "easter", but by the BIBLE name "PASSOVER".

Passover, the days of unleavened bread, Pentecost, and holy days God had ordained forever were all observed by Jesus, and the early apostles, and converted Gentile Christians (Acts 2:1; 12:3; 20:6; 18:21; 1Co 5:7-8; Acts 20:16; 1Co 16:. Passover, is a memorial of the crucifixion of Christ. Passover, observed by the early true Church, occurred not on Sunday or any fixed day of the week, but a calendar day of the year. The day of the week varies from year to year.

Easter is one of the pagan days Paul warned Gentile converts they must not return to observing.

How, then, did this pagan festival enter into and fasten itself upon a professing Christianity? That is a surprising story, but first, notice the true origin and nature of Easter.

ITS CHALDEAN ORIGIN

Easter, as Hislop says: ("The Two Babylons,") "bear its Chaldean origins on its very forehead. Easter is nothing else than Astarte, one of the titles of Beltis, the 'queen of heaven,' whose name, as pronounced by the people of Nineveh, was evidently identical with that now in common use in this country."

The ancient gods of the pagans had many different names. While this goddess was called Astarte in Babylon, it appears on Assyrian monuments found by Layard in excavations at Nineveh as Ishtar (Layard's Nineveh and Babylon, page 629). Both were pronounced "Easter". Likewise, Beltis, or Bel (referred to in the Old Testament) also was called Mooch. It was for sacrificing to Moloch (1 Kings 11:1-11, especially verse 7, where Moloch is called an abomination) and other pagan gods that The Eternal condemned Solomon, and rended away the Kingdom of Israel from his son.

In the ancient Chaldean idolatrous Sun worship, Baal was the Sun god, Astarte his consort, or wife. And Astarte is the same as Ishtar, or the English Easter.

Says Hislop: "The festival, of which we read in church history, under the name Easter, in the third or forth centuries, was quite a different festival from that now observed in the Roman (and Protestant) church, and at that time was not known by any such name as Easter. IT WAS CALLED PASSOVER, and was very early observed by Christians.... That festival agreed originally with the time of the Jewish Passover, when Christ was crucified.... That festival was not idolatrous, and was preceded by no Lent."

WHERE DID WE GET LENT?

"It ought to be known," wrote Cassianus in the fifth century, "that the observance of the forty days (Lent) had no existence, so long as the perfection of that primitive Church remained inviolate."

Jesus observed no Lent. The apostles and the early true Church of God observed no Lenten season. Then how did this observance originate?

"The forty days' abstinence of the Lent was directly borrowed from the worshippers of the Babylonian goddess. Such a Lent of forty days, 'in the spring of the year,' is still observed by the Yezidis or pagan Devil worshippers of Koordistan, who have inherited it from their early masters, the Babylonians. Such a Lent was held by the pagan Mexicans, in honor of the sun.... Such Lent was observed in Egypt (Wilkinson's Egyptians). This Egyptian Lent of forty days was held expressly in commemoration of Adonis or Osiris, the great mediatorial god." (the Two Babylons, by Hislop, pages 104 and 105, and Sabean Researches, by Landseer, p. 112).

Do you realize what has happened? God Almighty commanded His people to observe the PASSOVER FOREVER! (Exo 12:24). This command was given while the Israelites were still in Egypt, prior to the Old Covenant, or the Law or Moses! It pictured, before the Crucifixion, Christ's death for the remission of our sins. At His last Passover, Jesus changed the emblems used, from the blood of a lamb and eating it's roasted body, to the bread and wine.

Jesus did not abolish Passover ....He merely CHANGED the emblems, or symbols used. All of the apostles of Christ, and the true Christians of the first century true Church, observed it. On the 14th day, of the first month, of the sacred calendar. It is now a MEMORIAL of Christ's death. Reaffirming, year by year, on it's anniversary, the true Christian's FAITH in the blood of Christ for the remission of sin, and the broken body of Christ for physical healing.

But what has happened? DO YOU REALIZE IT? All western nations have been deceived into dropping the festival God ordained forever to commemorate the death of the true Saviour for our sins, and substituting in its place the PAGAN festival, commemorating the counterfeit "saviour" and mediator of Baal, the SUN GOD, named after the mythical Ishtar, his wife ..actually, none other than the ancient Semirimus, who palmed herself off as the wife of the sun-god, the idolatrous "QUEEN OF HEAVEN."

THIS is NOT Christian! IT IS PAGAN TO THE CORE!

Yet scores of millions of Americans are deceived into observing this form of heathen idolatry, under the delusion they are honoring Jesus Christ the Son of the Heavenly Father!

Easter does not honor Christ! And yet, have you not been, like a blind sheep, following the other millions in this customs? "The times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth to come to repentance." (Acts 17:30)

Hot Cross Buns and Dyed Eggs

But, did you know the hot cross buns, and dyed Easter eggs also figured in the idolatrous Chaldean rites, just as they do in Easter observance today?

Yes, these are pagan, too. The "buns," known by that identical name, were used in the worship of the days of Cecrops, the founder of Athens, 1500 years before Christ. (The Two Babylons pgs 107-10.

"One species of sacred bread, which used to be offered to the gods, was of great antiquity, and called Boun," says Bryant, Mythology, Vol. 1, p. 373.

It will astonish you, but it's true! One of the reasons God drove the Jews into Babylonian captivity was this very idolatry; their whole families joined in this idolatrous worship, in making and offering HOT CROSS BUNS!

Read the entire 7th chapter of Jeremiah. Here you will find God's stern sentence upon Judah, thru Jeremiah the prophet, "If you really amend your life and doings," God warns them, "I will allow you to remain in this place (Palestine) for a time." But they would not listen. Then " I will cast you out of my sight," says God to Judah. And to Jeremiah He says, " Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah...?

"The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, TO MAKE CAKES TO THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN... that they may provoke me to anger.... Therefore thus saith the Eternal God: Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, upon beast... and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched." (Verse 18-20)

The Hebrew word for "cakes" as Jeremiah originally wrote it is "kavvan," and really means "BUNS." The word "bun," says Hislop, seems to have been derived from this word. It is used nowhere else in the Bible, except Jeremiah 44:19, where again, the same idolatrous worship to the queen of the heaven is mentioned. Every other place in the Bible where the English word "cakes' is used, a different Hebrew word was used in the original.

Jeremiah was referring to HOT CROSS BUNS--- exactly the same kind hundreds of you who read this have been buying and eating at "Easter season!"

The origin of the Easter egg is just as clear. It is recorded in Davies' Druids, p. 208, that the ancient Druids bore an egg as the sacred emblem of their idolatrous order. On p. 207, same history, it is recorded that in the mysteries of Bacchus, as celebrated in Athens, part of the idolatrous ceremony consisted in the consecration of an egg. Hindu fables celebrate their mundane egg as of a golden color. It has been ancient customs in Japan to make their sacred egg a hard brazen color. In China, dyed or painted eggs are used on "sacred" heathen festivals. In the idolatry of ancient Egypt and Greece, eggs were used in their religious rites.

WHY do Americans, who believe themselves to be Christians, dye eggs at Easter? Do they suppose the BIBLE ordained, or commands, this heathen custom? THERE IS NOT A WORD OF IT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. Certainly Christ did not start it, and the apostles and early Christians did none of it!

Then WHY SHOULD YOU DO IT TODAY? Why follow heathenism and try to conceive yourself you are a Christian ? God calls such things ABOMINATION!

How Easter Crept into the Church

Such is the origin, and early history of Easter. How, then, was this pagan festival injected into the professing Christian religion, as a substitute for an ordinance of God?

Before revealing briefly the astonishing account of this great deception, two facts must be firmly fixed in mind.

First, Jesus and the apostles foretold, not a universal, wide-spread popular growth of the true New Testament Church, but a FALLING AWAY FROM THE TRUTH, on part of the great majority. Prophesying a popular, universal FALLING AWAY from the faith once delivered. To the Thessalonians Paul stated, "the mystery of iniquity doth already work," and only some 30 years after the Church began! He referred to the very "Chaldean Mysteries," of which Easter and Christmas were the two chief festivals! (2Th 2:7)

Second, although Jesus said the gates of hell would never prevail against His Church, yet it is everywhere prophesied thru the New Testament as the "Little Flock"--- never as great, large, popular, universal church.

This is the very fact that the world does not realize today!

TWO Churches--- One false, One True

In New Testament prophecy, two (2) Churches are described:

One, the great and powerful and universal church, a part of the world, actually ruling in its politics over many nations, and united with the "Holy Roman Empire," brought to a concrete focus in Rev 17.

The Church is pictured with great pomp, ritual and display, decked in purple, scarlet and gold--- proud, worldly, boastful. She is pictured as a universal DECEIVER--- the whole western world spiritually DRUNK perception so blurred by her paganized teachings and practices they are unable to clearly distinguish TRUTH! she boast she is the true Church, yet she is drunken with the blood of the saints she has caused to be martyred!

But how could she have deceived the whole world, as foretold in God's Word? Surely, the Protestant world isn't deceived!

Oh, But It Is! Notice, verse 5, she is a MOTHER church! Her daughters are the churches who have come out of her, even in protest, calling themselves Protestant--- but they are fundamentally of her family in pagan doctrines and practices! They, too, make up themselves a part of the world, taking active part in its politics--- the very act which made a "whore" out of their MOTHER!

The entire apostate family--- Mother, and more than 500 daughter denominations, all divided against each other and in CONFUSION of doctrines, yet all united in the chief pagan doctrines and festivals--- has a family NAME ! They call themselves "Christian," but God calls them something else! ---"MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT!"

TRUE Church Small -- Scattered

But where is the TRUE Church? Did the true Church of God, of which Jesus Christ is the Living, Directing Head, become perverted--- did it merely apostatize into the system described above?

NO! The gates of hell have never prevailed against the true Church of God, and never will! The true Church has never fallen! It has never ceased!

But the true Church of God, is pictured in prophecy as the "Little Flock!" The New Testament describes this Church as continually persecuted, despised by the large popular churches because it is not OF this world or its politics, but has kept itself unspotted from the world! It has always kept the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus. It has kept the festivals of God, not the pagan holidays. It has been empowered with the Spirit of God!

That Church never degenerated into the great popular church at Rome, as the protestant world supposes! That Church always has existed, and it exist today!

Then where did it go? Where was it during the middle ages?

First, remember this Church was never large, never politically powerful, or a world known ORGANIZATION OF MEN. It is a SPIRITUAL ORGANISM, not a political organization. It is composed of all whose hearts and lives have been CHANGED by the Spirit of God, whether visibly together, or individually scattered.

Under the lash of continual persecution and opposition of the organized forces of this world, it is difficult for such a people to remain UNITED and ORGANIZED together.

Daniel prophesied the true people of God would be scattered (Dan 12:7). Ezekiel foretold it (34:5-12). Jeremiah, too, (23:1-2). Jesus foretold it (Mat 26:31). The apostolic church was soon scattered by persecution (Acts 8:1). James addresses his letters to Christians scattered abroad (Jam 1:1).

Ignored by Most Histories

You don't read much of this true Body of Christ in the secular histories of this world! No, the world little notes, not long remembers, the activities of this "LITTLE FLOCK," hated and despised by the world, driven to the wilderness by persecution, always opposed, usually scattered! But there are enough references to it in authentic histories to show that it has continued thru every century to now!

The prophecies bring this Church into concrete focus in the 12th chapter of Revelation. There she is shown spiritually, in the glory and splendor of the Spirit of God, but visibly in the world as a persecuted, Commandment keeping Church driven into the wilderness, for 1260 years, thru the middle ages!

Even in Paul's day, many among those attending at Antioch, at Jerusalem, at Ephesus, at Corinth, and other places, began to apologize and turn away from the truth. Divisions sprang up. Those individuals, unconverted or turned from God's Truth and Way Of Life, were no part of God's true church, though visibly assembling with those who were. The "mystery of iniquity" was already working, INSIDE these visible churches. This apostasy increased! By the year 125 A.D. the majority in most churches, especially those Gentile-born, were continuing in many of their old pagan beliefs and practices, though professing to be Christians! Gradually, a smaller and smaller portion of the VISIBLE churches going by the name "Christian" remained truly yielded to God and His Truth, and led of His Spirit. After Constantine took virtual control of the visible, professing Church in the early fourth century, this visible organization became almost wholly pagan, and began excommunicating and persecuting all who held to the WORD OF GOD! Finally, it became necessary for real Christians who, even as a scattered people, alone composed the TRUE Christian Church, to worship God! Thus, the visible, organized Church which rose to power was the FALSE Church--- the "Great Whore" of Revelation 17.

Injected into the Church

Nothing illustrates this very fact more vividly than the actual history of the injecting of Easter into the western Church.

Here is the quick, brief history of it, from the Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th edition, article on "EASTER:" "There is no indication of the observance of the Easter festival in the New Testament, or in the writings of the Apostolic Fathers.... The first Christians" (the original True Church) "continued to observe the Jewish" (that is GOD'S ) "festivals, though in a new spirit, as commemorations of events which those festivals had foreshadowed. Thus the Passover, with a new conception added to it, of Christ as the true Paschal Lamb and the first fruits from the dead, continued to be observed.

"Although the observance of Easter was at a very early period the practice of the Christian Church, a serious difference as to the day for its observance soon arose between the Christians of Jewish and those of Gentile descent, which led to a long and bitter controversy. With the Jewish Christians... the fast ended... on the 14th day of the week. The Gentile Christians on the other hand" (that is, the beginning of the Catholic church, now substituting pagan for true Christian doctrines) "...identified the first day of the week with the resurrection, and kept the preceding Friday as the commemoration of the crucifixion, irrespective of the day of the month."

"Generally speaking, the Western Churches" (Catholic) "kept Easter on the 1st day of the week, while the Eastern Churches" (containing most of those who remained as part of the TRUE Church ) "followed the Jewish rule." (That is, observing Passover on the 14th of the first sacred month instead of the pagan Easter.)

"Polycarp, the disciple of John the Evangelist, and bishop of Smyrna, visited Rome in 159 to confer with Anicetus, the bishop of that see, on the subject, and urged the tradition which he had received from the apostle of observing the 14th day. Anicetus, however, declined. About forty years later" (197), "the question was discussed in a very different spirit between Victor, bishop of Rome, and Polycrates, metropolitan of proconsular Asia" (the territory of the Church at Ephesus, Galatia, Antioch, Philadelphia, and all those mentioned in Rev 2--- the churches established thru the apostle Paul). "That province was the only portion of Christendom which still adhered to the Jewish (the writer should have used the words "true Christians" instead of "Jewish") usage. Victor demanded that all should adopt the usage prevailing at Rome. This Polycrates firmly refused to agree to, and urged many weighty reasons to the contrary, whereupon Victor proceeded to excommunicate Polycrates and Christians who continued in Easter usage" (that is, who continued in GOD'S way, as Jesus, Peter, Paul, and all the early true Church had done). "He was, however, restrained" (by other bishops) "from actually proceeding to enforce the decree of excommunication... and the Asiatic church retained their usage unmolested. We find the Jewish" (true Christian Passover) "usage from time to time reasserting itself after this, but it never prevailed to any large extent.

"A final settlement ot the dispute was one among the other reasons which led Constantine to summon the council at Nicaea in 325. At that time the Syrians and Antiochenes were the solitary champions of the observance of the 14th day. The decision of the council was unanimous that Easter was to be kept on Sunday, and on the same Sunday throughout the world, and that 'none hereafter should follow the blindness of the Jews'" (That is in plain language, the Catholic church now decreed that none should be allowed to follow the ways of CHRIST--- of the TRUE Christian Church!)

"...The few who afterwards separated themselves from the unity of the church" (Roman church), "and continued to keep the 14th day, were named 'Quarto-decimani,' and the dispute itself is known as the 'Quarto-decimani controversy.' "

Thus you see how the politically organized church at Rome grew to great size and power by adopting popular pagan practices; how she gradually stamped out the true teaching, doctrines, and practices of CHRIST, and the true Church, so far as any collective practice is concerned.

It was only by violence and bloodshed, at last, says Hislop (The Two Babylons, p.107), that the idolatrous festival of the Chaldean goddess Easter came to supersede that which God had ordained to be observed forever!

True Christians Kept PASSOVER

The New Testament reveals that Jesus, the apostles, and the New Testament Church, both Jewish and Gentile-born, observed God's Sabbaths, and God's festivals--- weekly and annually! Take you Bible and carefully read Acts 2:1; 12:3-4 (the word "Easter" here is a flagrant false translation in "King James" version--- originally inspired "Passover," and so corrected in the Revised version); Acts 18:21; 20:6,16; 1Co 16:8.

Eusebius, historian of the early centuries of the Church, speaks of the true Christians observing Passover on the 14th of Nisen, first month of the sacred calendar.

The historian Gieseler wrote that "the Gentile Christians observed also the Sabbath and the Passover," during the latter half of the first century.

But as the false paganized Church grew in size and political power, decrees were passed by 363 A.D. imposing the death sentence upon Christians found keeping God's Sabbath, or God's festivals. Finally, in order to keep the true Way of God, a large portion of the true Christians (composing the true Church) "fled into the wilderness," as foretold in Rev 12:6, where they were fed on the pure Word of God 1260 long years!

But another large portion of the TRUE Church of God, failing to flee, yet remaining true to God's Truth, paid with their lives in martyrdom (Rev 6:9; 13:15; 17:6; 18:24). History records that more than 50 million were martyred!

They loved obedience to God more than their lives! DO YOU?

But through all generations, thru every century, though persecuted, scattered, unrecognized by the world, many true Christians have kept alive the TRUE CHURCH OF GOD--- the Church composed of those Satan cannot deceive! (Mat 24:24.)

Easter Sun-Rise Services

You think Easter sunrise services are beautiful? LISTEN! God was showing the prophet Ezekiel the sins of His people in a vision--- a prophecy for today! "Turn thee yet again," said God, :and thou shalt see greater abominations than these" (Ezekiel had just been shown, in a vision, idol-worship among professing people of God). "And he brought me (in vision) into the inner court of the Eternal's house, and behold... between the porch and the alter were about five and twenty men, with... their faces toward the east: and they worshiped the sun towards the east. Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing ...that they commit the ABOMINATIONS which they commit here?... Therefore, will I deal IN FURY: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them!" (Ezekiel 8:15-18.)

Do you grasp what this most abominable thing is?

It is the same identical thing millions are doing every Easter Sunday morning--- the sun-rise services--- standing with their faces towards the east, as the SUN is rising, in a mythical idolatrous consort goddess Easter. Yes, deceived into believing this is Christian, millions practice every Easter the identical form of the ancient SUN-WORSHIP of the Sun-god BAAL! Throughout the Bible this is revealed as the MOST ABOMINABLE of all idolatry in the sight of the Eternal Creator!

Do you think this makes no difference, today? It makes all the difference between life and death--- between being SAVED and LOST!

It is a serious thing to write to you, my readers, these truths--- for now you have the KNOWLEDGE of the TRUTH! and "if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a CERTAIN fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries!" (Heb 10:26-27.)

Yes, it makes a difference! Thousands had to flee the jurisdiction of "civilization" to keep God's ways! Other thousands paid with their lives for obeying God--- but they shall LIVE forever, in the Resurrection!

This world's ways have brought only sorrow, suffering, chaos, death! GOD'S WAYS are the only ways that lead to Peace, lasting Prosperity, Happiness, Joy, Eternal Life! If Baal is god, then go serve him; but if The ETERNAL is your GOD, then SERVE HIM!]]>
This is the only passage in which the word Easter can be found:

Acts 12
1Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.

2And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

3And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)

4And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

5Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

6And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.

7And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.


Here is an article that I found:

Is Easter PAGAN?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Why do you believe the things you believe, and do the things you do? The chances are you never stopped to ask yourself that question. You have been taught since childhood to accept Easter as the chief of the Christian holidays.

You have supposed it is part of the true Christian religion to observe Lent, "Holy Week," "Good Friday," to buy hot cross buns at he bakery, to have colored eggs, to dress up and go to Church Easter Sunday, perhaps to attend an Easter sunrise service!

Because of the "sheep" instinct in humans, most of us believe a lot of things that are not true. Most of us do a lot of things that are wrong, supposing these things be right, or even sacred!

ISHTAR, the PAGAN GODDESS

What is the meaning of the name "Easter"? You haven been led to suppose the word means "resurrection of Christ." For 1600 years the western world has been taught that Christ rose from the dead on Sunday morning. But that is merely one of the fables the apostle Paul warned readers of the New Testament to expect. The resurrection did not occur on Sunday! For the astonishing proof setting forth the exact time of the Resurrection, write for our free booklet, "The Resurrection."

The name "Easter" is merely the slightly changed English spelling of the name of the ancient Assyrian goddess Ishtar, pronounced by the Assyrians exactly as we pronounce "Easter." The Babylonian name of this goddess was Astarte, consort of Baal, the Sun god, whose worship is denounced by The Almighty in the Bible as the most abominable of all pagan idolatry.

Look up the word "Easter" in Webster's dictionary. You will find: "AS. (Anglo-Saxon), from name of an old Teuton goddess of spring".

In the large volume Hastings Bible Dictionary, only six lines are given to the name "Easter" because it occurs only once in the Bible and that only in the King James translation. Says Hastings: "Easter, used in Authorized Version as the translation of 'Pascha' in Acts 12:4, 'intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people'. Revised Version has substituted correctly 'the Passover.'"


APOSTLES OBSERVED PASSOVER

The World Almanac, 1950 edition, page 704, says: "In the second century, AD., Easter Day was, among Christian in Asia Minor" (that is, in the Churches at Ephesus, Galatia, etc... the so-called "Gentile" churches raised up by the Apostle Paul) "the 14th of Nisan, the seventh month of the Jewish calendar." In other words, the 14th day of the first month of the sacred calendar, and it was not then called by the name of the pagan deity "easter", but by the BIBLE name "PASSOVER".

Passover, the days of unleavened bread, Pentecost, and holy days God had ordained forever were all observed by Jesus, and the early apostles, and converted Gentile Christians (Acts 2:1; 12:3; 20:6; 18:21; 1Co 5:7-8; Acts 20:16; 1Co 16:. Passover, is a memorial of the crucifixion of Christ. Passover, observed by the early true Church, occurred not on Sunday or any fixed day of the week, but a calendar day of the year. The day of the week varies from year to year.

Easter is one of the pagan days Paul warned Gentile converts they must not return to observing.

How, then, did this pagan festival enter into and fasten itself upon a professing Christianity? That is a surprising story, but first, notice the true origin and nature of Easter.

ITS CHALDEAN ORIGIN

Easter, as Hislop says: ("The Two Babylons,") "bear its Chaldean origins on its very forehead. Easter is nothing else than Astarte, one of the titles of Beltis, the 'queen of heaven,' whose name, as pronounced by the people of Nineveh, was evidently identical with that now in common use in this country."

The ancient gods of the pagans had many different names. While this goddess was called Astarte in Babylon, it appears on Assyrian monuments found by Layard in excavations at Nineveh as Ishtar (Layard's Nineveh and Babylon, page 629). Both were pronounced "Easter". Likewise, Beltis, or Bel (referred to in the Old Testament) also was called Mooch. It was for sacrificing to Moloch (1 Kings 11:1-11, especially verse 7, where Moloch is called an abomination) and other pagan gods that The Eternal condemned Solomon, and rended away the Kingdom of Israel from his son.

In the ancient Chaldean idolatrous Sun worship, Baal was the Sun god, Astarte his consort, or wife. And Astarte is the same as Ishtar, or the English Easter.

Says Hislop: "The festival, of which we read in church history, under the name Easter, in the third or forth centuries, was quite a different festival from that now observed in the Roman (and Protestant) church, and at that time was not known by any such name as Easter. IT WAS CALLED PASSOVER, and was very early observed by Christians.... That festival agreed originally with the time of the Jewish Passover, when Christ was crucified.... That festival was not idolatrous, and was preceded by no Lent."

WHERE DID WE GET LENT?

"It ought to be known," wrote Cassianus in the fifth century, "that the observance of the forty days (Lent) had no existence, so long as the perfection of that primitive Church remained inviolate."

Jesus observed no Lent. The apostles and the early true Church of God observed no Lenten season. Then how did this observance originate?

"The forty days' abstinence of the Lent was directly borrowed from the worshippers of the Babylonian goddess. Such a Lent of forty days, 'in the spring of the year,' is still observed by the Yezidis or pagan Devil worshippers of Koordistan, who have inherited it from their early masters, the Babylonians. Such a Lent was held by the pagan Mexicans, in honor of the sun.... Such Lent was observed in Egypt (Wilkinson's Egyptians). This Egyptian Lent of forty days was held expressly in commemoration of Adonis or Osiris, the great mediatorial god." (the Two Babylons, by Hislop, pages 104 and 105, and Sabean Researches, by Landseer, p. 112).

Do you realize what has happened? God Almighty commanded His people to observe the PASSOVER FOREVER! (Exo 12:24). This command was given while the Israelites were still in Egypt, prior to the Old Covenant, or the Law or Moses! It pictured, before the Crucifixion, Christ's death for the remission of our sins. At His last Passover, Jesus changed the emblems used, from the blood of a lamb and eating it's roasted body, to the bread and wine.

Jesus did not abolish Passover ....He merely CHANGED the emblems, or symbols used. All of the apostles of Christ, and the true Christians of the first century true Church, observed it. On the 14th day, of the first month, of the sacred calendar. It is now a MEMORIAL of Christ's death. Reaffirming, year by year, on it's anniversary, the true Christian's FAITH in the blood of Christ for the remission of sin, and the broken body of Christ for physical healing.

But what has happened? DO YOU REALIZE IT? All western nations have been deceived into dropping the festival God ordained forever to commemorate the death of the true Saviour for our sins, and substituting in its place the PAGAN festival, commemorating the counterfeit "saviour" and mediator of Baal, the SUN GOD, named after the mythical Ishtar, his wife ..actually, none other than the ancient Semirimus, who palmed herself off as the wife of the sun-god, the idolatrous "QUEEN OF HEAVEN."

THIS is NOT Christian! IT IS PAGAN TO THE CORE!

Yet scores of millions of Americans are deceived into observing this form of heathen idolatry, under the delusion they are honoring Jesus Christ the Son of the Heavenly Father!

Easter does not honor Christ! And yet, have you not been, like a blind sheep, following the other millions in this customs? "The times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth to come to repentance." (Acts 17:30)

Hot Cross Buns and Dyed Eggs

But, did you know the hot cross buns, and dyed Easter eggs also figured in the idolatrous Chaldean rites, just as they do in Easter observance today?

Yes, these are pagan, too. The "buns," known by that identical name, were used in the worship of the days of Cecrops, the founder of Athens, 1500 years before Christ. (The Two Babylons pgs 107-10.

"One species of sacred bread, which used to be offered to the gods, was of great antiquity, and called Boun," says Bryant, Mythology, Vol. 1, p. 373.

It will astonish you, but it's true! One of the reasons God drove the Jews into Babylonian captivity was this very idolatry; their whole families joined in this idolatrous worship, in making and offering HOT CROSS BUNS!

Read the entire 7th chapter of Jeremiah. Here you will find God's stern sentence upon Judah, thru Jeremiah the prophet, "If you really amend your life and doings," God warns them, "I will allow you to remain in this place (Palestine) for a time." But they would not listen. Then " I will cast you out of my sight," says God to Judah. And to Jeremiah He says, " Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah...?

"The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, TO MAKE CAKES TO THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN... that they may provoke me to anger.... Therefore thus saith the Eternal God: Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, upon beast... and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched." (Verse 18-20)

The Hebrew word for "cakes" as Jeremiah originally wrote it is "kavvan," and really means "BUNS." The word "bun," says Hislop, seems to have been derived from this word. It is used nowhere else in the Bible, except Jeremiah 44:19, where again, the same idolatrous worship to the queen of the heaven is mentioned. Every other place in the Bible where the English word "cakes' is used, a different Hebrew word was used in the original.

Jeremiah was referring to HOT CROSS BUNS--- exactly the same kind hundreds of you who read this have been buying and eating at "Easter season!"

The origin of the Easter egg is just as clear. It is recorded in Davies' Druids, p. 208, that the ancient Druids bore an egg as the sacred emblem of their idolatrous order. On p. 207, same history, it is recorded that in the mysteries of Bacchus, as celebrated in Athens, part of the idolatrous ceremony consisted in the consecration of an egg. Hindu fables celebrate their mundane egg as of a golden color. It has been ancient customs in Japan to make their sacred egg a hard brazen color. In China, dyed or painted eggs are used on "sacred" heathen festivals. In the idolatry of ancient Egypt and Greece, eggs were used in their religious rites.

WHY do Americans, who believe themselves to be Christians, dye eggs at Easter? Do they suppose the BIBLE ordained, or commands, this heathen custom? THERE IS NOT A WORD OF IT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. Certainly Christ did not start it, and the apostles and early Christians did none of it!

Then WHY SHOULD YOU DO IT TODAY? Why follow heathenism and try to conceive yourself you are a Christian ? God calls such things ABOMINATION!

How Easter Crept into the Church

Such is the origin, and early history of Easter. How, then, was this pagan festival injected into the professing Christian religion, as a substitute for an ordinance of God?

Before revealing briefly the astonishing account of this great deception, two facts must be firmly fixed in mind.

First, Jesus and the apostles foretold, not a universal, wide-spread popular growth of the true New Testament Church, but a FALLING AWAY FROM THE TRUTH, on part of the great majority. Prophesying a popular, universal FALLING AWAY from the faith once delivered. To the Thessalonians Paul stated, "the mystery of iniquity doth already work," and only some 30 years after the Church began! He referred to the very "Chaldean Mysteries," of which Easter and Christmas were the two chief festivals! (2Th 2:7)

Second, although Jesus said the gates of hell would never prevail against His Church, yet it is everywhere prophesied thru the New Testament as the "Little Flock"--- never as great, large, popular, universal church.

This is the very fact that the world does not realize today!

TWO Churches--- One false, One True

In New Testament prophecy, two (2) Churches are described:

One, the great and powerful and universal church, a part of the world, actually ruling in its politics over many nations, and united with the "Holy Roman Empire," brought to a concrete focus in Rev 17.

The Church is pictured with great pomp, ritual and display, decked in purple, scarlet and gold--- proud, worldly, boastful. She is pictured as a universal DECEIVER--- the whole western world spiritually DRUNK perception so blurred by her paganized teachings and practices they are unable to clearly distinguish TRUTH! she boast she is the true Church, yet she is drunken with the blood of the saints she has caused to be martyred!

But how could she have deceived the whole world, as foretold in God's Word? Surely, the Protestant world isn't deceived!

Oh, But It Is! Notice, verse 5, she is a MOTHER church! Her daughters are the churches who have come out of her, even in protest, calling themselves Protestant--- but they are fundamentally of her family in pagan doctrines and practices! They, too, make up themselves a part of the world, taking active part in its politics--- the very act which made a "whore" out of their MOTHER!

The entire apostate family--- Mother, and more than 500 daughter denominations, all divided against each other and in CONFUSION of doctrines, yet all united in the chief pagan doctrines and festivals--- has a family NAME ! They call themselves "Christian," but God calls them something else! ---"MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT!"

TRUE Church Small -- Scattered

But where is the TRUE Church? Did the true Church of God, of which Jesus Christ is the Living, Directing Head, become perverted--- did it merely apostatize into the system described above?

NO! The gates of hell have never prevailed against the true Church of God, and never will! The true Church has never fallen! It has never ceased!

But the true Church of God, is pictured in prophecy as the "Little Flock!" The New Testament describes this Church as continually persecuted, despised by the large popular churches because it is not OF this world or its politics, but has kept itself unspotted from the world! It has always kept the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus. It has kept the festivals of God, not the pagan holidays. It has been empowered with the Spirit of God!

That Church never degenerated into the great popular church at Rome, as the protestant world supposes! That Church always has existed, and it exist today!

Then where did it go? Where was it during the middle ages?

First, remember this Church was never large, never politically powerful, or a world known ORGANIZATION OF MEN. It is a SPIRITUAL ORGANISM, not a political organization. It is composed of all whose hearts and lives have been CHANGED by the Spirit of God, whether visibly together, or individually scattered.

Under the lash of continual persecution and opposition of the organized forces of this world, it is difficult for such a people to remain UNITED and ORGANIZED together.

Daniel prophesied the true people of God would be scattered (Dan 12:7). Ezekiel foretold it (34:5-12). Jeremiah, too, (23:1-2). Jesus foretold it (Mat 26:31). The apostolic church was soon scattered by persecution (Acts 8:1). James addresses his letters to Christians scattered abroad (Jam 1:1).

Ignored by Most Histories

You don't read much of this true Body of Christ in the secular histories of this world! No, the world little notes, not long remembers, the activities of this "LITTLE FLOCK," hated and despised by the world, driven to the wilderness by persecution, always opposed, usually scattered! But there are enough references to it in authentic histories to show that it has continued thru every century to now!

The prophecies bring this Church into concrete focus in the 12th chapter of Revelation. There she is shown spiritually, in the glory and splendor of the Spirit of God, but visibly in the world as a persecuted, Commandment keeping Church driven into the wilderness, for 1260 years, thru the middle ages!

Even in Paul's day, many among those attending at Antioch, at Jerusalem, at Ephesus, at Corinth, and other places, began to apologize and turn away from the truth. Divisions sprang up. Those individuals, unconverted or turned from God's Truth and Way Of Life, were no part of God's true church, though visibly assembling with those who were. The "mystery of iniquity" was already working, INSIDE these visible churches. This apostasy increased! By the year 125 A.D. the majority in most churches, especially those Gentile-born, were continuing in many of their old pagan beliefs and practices, though professing to be Christians! Gradually, a smaller and smaller portion of the VISIBLE churches going by the name "Christian" remained truly yielded to God and His Truth, and led of His Spirit. After Constantine took virtual control of the visible, professing Church in the early fourth century, this visible organization became almost wholly pagan, and began excommunicating and persecuting all who held to the WORD OF GOD! Finally, it became necessary for real Christians who, even as a scattered people, alone composed the TRUE Christian Church, to worship God! Thus, the visible, organized Church which rose to power was the FALSE Church--- the "Great Whore" of Revelation 17.

Injected into the Church

Nothing illustrates this very fact more vividly than the actual history of the injecting of Easter into the western Church.

Here is the quick, brief history of it, from the Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th edition, article on "EASTER:" "There is no indication of the observance of the Easter festival in the New Testament, or in the writings of the Apostolic Fathers.... The first Christians" (the original True Church) "continued to observe the Jewish" (that is GOD'S ) "festivals, though in a new spirit, as commemorations of events which those festivals had foreshadowed. Thus the Passover, with a new conception added to it, of Christ as the true Paschal Lamb and the first fruits from the dead, continued to be observed.

"Although the observance of Easter was at a very early period the practice of the Christian Church, a serious difference as to the day for its observance soon arose between the Christians of Jewish and those of Gentile descent, which led to a long and bitter controversy. With the Jewish Christians... the fast ended... on the 14th day of the week. The Gentile Christians on the other hand" (that is, the beginning of the Catholic church, now substituting pagan for true Christian doctrines) "...identified the first day of the week with the resurrection, and kept the preceding Friday as the commemoration of the crucifixion, irrespective of the day of the month."

"Generally speaking, the Western Churches" (Catholic) "kept Easter on the 1st day of the week, while the Eastern Churches" (containing most of those who remained as part of the TRUE Church ) "followed the Jewish rule." (That is, observing Passover on the 14th of the first sacred month instead of the pagan Easter.)

"Polycarp, the disciple of John the Evangelist, and bishop of Smyrna, visited Rome in 159 to confer with Anicetus, the bishop of that see, on the subject, and urged the tradition which he had received from the apostle of observing the 14th day. Anicetus, however, declined. About forty years later" (197), "the question was discussed in a very different spirit between Victor, bishop of Rome, and Polycrates, metropolitan of proconsular Asia" (the territory of the Church at Ephesus, Galatia, Antioch, Philadelphia, and all those mentioned in Rev 2--- the churches established thru the apostle Paul). "That province was the only portion of Christendom which still adhered to the Jewish (the writer should have used the words "true Christians" instead of "Jewish") usage. Victor demanded that all should adopt the usage prevailing at Rome. This Polycrates firmly refused to agree to, and urged many weighty reasons to the contrary, whereupon Victor proceeded to excommunicate Polycrates and Christians who continued in Easter usage" (that is, who continued in GOD'S way, as Jesus, Peter, Paul, and all the early true Church had done). "He was, however, restrained" (by other bishops) "from actually proceeding to enforce the decree of excommunication... and the Asiatic church retained their usage unmolested. We find the Jewish" (true Christian Passover) "usage from time to time reasserting itself after this, but it never prevailed to any large extent.

"A final settlement ot the dispute was one among the other reasons which led Constantine to summon the council at Nicaea in 325. At that time the Syrians and Antiochenes were the solitary champions of the observance of the 14th day. The decision of the council was unanimous that Easter was to be kept on Sunday, and on the same Sunday throughout the world, and that 'none hereafter should follow the blindness of the Jews'" (That is in plain language, the Catholic church now decreed that none should be allowed to follow the ways of CHRIST--- of the TRUE Christian Church!)

"...The few who afterwards separated themselves from the unity of the church" (Roman church), "and continued to keep the 14th day, were named 'Quarto-decimani,' and the dispute itself is known as the 'Quarto-decimani controversy.' "

Thus you see how the politically organized church at Rome grew to great size and power by adopting popular pagan practices; how she gradually stamped out the true teaching, doctrines, and practices of CHRIST, and the true Church, so far as any collective practice is concerned.

It was only by violence and bloodshed, at last, says Hislop (The Two Babylons, p.107), that the idolatrous festival of the Chaldean goddess Easter came to supersede that which God had ordained to be observed forever!

True Christians Kept PASSOVER

The New Testament reveals that Jesus, the apostles, and the New Testament Church, both Jewish and Gentile-born, observed God's Sabbaths, and God's festivals--- weekly and annually! Take you Bible and carefully read Acts 2:1; 12:3-4 (the word "Easter" here is a flagrant false translation in "King James" version--- originally inspired "Passover," and so corrected in the Revised version); Acts 18:21; 20:6,16; 1Co 16:8.

Eusebius, historian of the early centuries of the Church, speaks of the true Christians observing Passover on the 14th of Nisen, first month of the sacred calendar.

The historian Gieseler wrote that "the Gentile Christians observed also the Sabbath and the Passover," during the latter half of the first century.

But as the false paganized Church grew in size and political power, decrees were passed by 363 A.D. imposing the death sentence upon Christians found keeping God's Sabbath, or God's festivals. Finally, in order to keep the true Way of God, a large portion of the true Christians (composing the true Church) "fled into the wilderness," as foretold in Rev 12:6, where they were fed on the pure Word of God 1260 long years!

But another large portion of the TRUE Church of God, failing to flee, yet remaining true to God's Truth, paid with their lives in martyrdom (Rev 6:9; 13:15; 17:6; 18:24). History records that more than 50 million were martyred!

They loved obedience to God more than their lives! DO YOU?

But through all generations, thru every century, though persecuted, scattered, unrecognized by the world, many true Christians have kept alive the TRUE CHURCH OF GOD--- the Church composed of those Satan cannot deceive! (Mat 24:24.)

Easter Sun-Rise Services

You think Easter sunrise services are beautiful? LISTEN! God was showing the prophet Ezekiel the sins of His people in a vision--- a prophecy for today! "Turn thee yet again," said God, :and thou shalt see greater abominations than these" (Ezekiel had just been shown, in a vision, idol-worship among professing people of God). "And he brought me (in vision) into the inner court of the Eternal's house, and behold... between the porch and the alter were about five and twenty men, with... their faces toward the east: and they worshiped the sun towards the east. Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing ...that they commit the ABOMINATIONS which they commit here?... Therefore, will I deal IN FURY: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them!" (Ezekiel 8:15-18.)

Do you grasp what this most abominable thing is?

It is the same identical thing millions are doing every Easter Sunday morning--- the sun-rise services--- standing with their faces towards the east, as the SUN is rising, in a mythical idolatrous consort goddess Easter. Yes, deceived into believing this is Christian, millions practice every Easter the identical form of the ancient SUN-WORSHIP of the Sun-god BAAL! Throughout the Bible this is revealed as the MOST ABOMINABLE of all idolatry in the sight of the Eternal Creator!

Do you think this makes no difference, today? It makes all the difference between life and death--- between being SAVED and LOST!

It is a serious thing to write to you, my readers, these truths--- for now you have the KNOWLEDGE of the TRUTH! and "if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a CERTAIN fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries!" (Heb 10:26-27.)

Yes, it makes a difference! Thousands had to flee the jurisdiction of "civilization" to keep God's ways! Other thousands paid with their lives for obeying God--- but they shall LIVE forever, in the Resurrection!

This world's ways have brought only sorrow, suffering, chaos, death! GOD'S WAYS are the only ways that lead to Peace, lasting Prosperity, Happiness, Joy, Eternal Life! If Baal is god, then go serve him; but if The ETERNAL is your GOD, then SERVE HIM!]]> http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1893.html Wed, 12 Jan 2011 05:54:16 +0000 http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1893.html

Seven Reasons Why Guys Like Porn

Why are guys drawn to pornography? Experience tells us it isn’t merely because guys like looking at naked women. For many guys the draw to pornography can become almost
compulsive.
Here is the beginning of a testimony from a man brave enough to share his story:
I was around the age of 10 when I discovered something the others hadn’t. It was something that finally gave me the attention I had been craving, the affection I’d felt I was missing, and it provided me a feeling of adequacy I yearned for. Pornography.
Initially, I found it almost melodramatic. While I had heard about it, I’d never seen any before. As I think back on it I can remember exactly where I found it, exactly how it was folded, and sadly enough, I can remember the picture on the front in enough detail it makes my heart ache. It’s the damage of images that cannot be unseen. This small experience was the first step in aligning myself with a lifestyle that would hijack huge chunks of my life for the next 20-plus years.
Internally, I was hooked. The attention I craved came from the women staring back at me from those pages. No girl I knew in real life would look at me like that. So comforting and so accepting. They didn’t judge me; they loved me for who I was. This was my special world and I had decided for me that I was going to do all I could to keep it a secret from everyone.
As my time with pornography continued into my middle-teen years I began to progress with a collection of more magazines, and further to videos if given that chance. Pornography had become a constant vehicle in my life. With the discovery of masturbation, pornography merely became a means to an end. With the onset and proliferation of computers and the Internet, I never stood a chance resisting it and the instances of looking at and using pornography increased exponentially. My compulsion for pornography opened the door (acting as a catalyst) for easy justification for anything and everything.
Does this sound familiar? The details are different for each guy, but across the spectrum many guys report the same power pornography once had or continues to have over them.


Proverbs 7

Pro 7:1 ¶ My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.


Pro 7:2 Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.


Pro 7:3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.


Pro 7:4 Say unto wisdom, Thou [art] my sister; and call understanding [thy] kinswoman:


Pro 7:5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger [which] flattereth with her words.


Pro 7:6 ¶ For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,


Pro 7:7 And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,


Pro 7:8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,


Pro 7:9 In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:


Pro 7:10 And, behold, there met him a woman [with] the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.


Pro 7:11 (She [is] loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:


Pro 7:12 Now [is she] without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)


Pro 7:13 So she caught him, and kissed him, [and] with an impudent face said unto him,


Pro 7:14 [I have] peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.


Pro 7:15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.


Pro 7:16 I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved [works], with fine linen of Egypt.


Pro 7:17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.


Pro 7:18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.


Pro 7:19 For the goodman [is] not at home, he is gone a long journey:


Pro 7:20 He hath taken a bag of money with him, [and] will come home at the day appointed.


Pro 7:21 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.


Pro 7:22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;


Pro 7:23 Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it [is] for his life.


Pro 7:24 ¶ Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.


Pro 7:25 Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.


Pro 7:26 For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong [men] have been slain by her.


Pro 7:27 Her house [is] the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

The View from Solomon’s Window
The story is a fairly simple one to follow. Solomon is looking
out his window, looking down on the streets of Jerusalem,
and he sees a featherbrained young kid walking down the street at night. He comes across a seductive woman who entices him to come home with her. Adultery ensues.
This text reveals to the reader the crafty ploys of this seductive
woman. Solomon is giving his reader both a literal
and metaphorical birds-eye-view of the situation. It’s like watching the suspense movie where you, the viewer, know who the bad guy is, you know where he’s hiding,
you know what’s up his sleeve, but the unsuspecting victim
does not know. If the characters on-screen only knew
what you knew, they wouldn’t fall into the deadly trap.
That’s the view Solomon is giving us. He wants his readers
to first see this temptation through the safety of his window
so that when they find themselves on the same street
on a dark night they aren’t falling into the same traps.
This sexual encounter is no accident. Solomon says of
this woman that she is “wily of heart.” The Hebrew expression
literally means “guarded,” which means she has
secret strategies that she holds close to her; she has a
plan, a scheme. She has planned this encounter.
This story—and the lures the woman uses to get the man
in bed with her—offer some startling parallels with modern
pornography.
Lure #1: Physical Lust
The first lure, physical lust, is the most directly observable
temptation. Verse 10 states that she is “dressed as a prostitute.”
This woman is dressed to kill. She is seductive.
This is the most obvious, in-your-face reason why men are
drawn to pornography. They like to look at naked women,
plain and simple.
Men have a sex drive. When a man is attuned to a woman’s
form, when he sees a sensual image, or when he fantasizes,
this triggers a reflexive release of testosterone in
his body and his brain begins to cultivate a desire for sex.
Remember: this sex drive is created by God. When you
read the creation account in the book of Genesis, what is
the apex of the physical creation? After creating the moon
and stars, plants and animals, and the garden of paradise,
the climax of the physical universe is the woman.
God forms Eve and brings her to Adam, and as they stand
naked before each other, he erupts with a poem packed
with anticipation and excitement: “This at last is bone of
my bone and flesh of my flesh.” It is then God calls his
creation not just good but very good.
But when sin entered the picture it changed the way we
relate to the created world. Paul comments in Romans
1 that as we look at the visible
created world our minds
should perceive the invisible
God. We should notice His
eternal power and divine nature,
and then as we perceive
Him we should be moved to
honor and worship Him as the
immortal God. But instead,
Paul says, we are always exchanging
“the glory of the immortal God for images resembling
mortal man and birds and animals and creeping
things” (Romans 1:23). This is idolatry.
Notice what Paul says here is our chief problem: it’s a worship
disorder. Our hearts should be captured with the glory
of the immortal God, but instead we become fixated on
images of created things. Among all the created things the
image of a woman’s body often ranks at #1 for men. Man’s
natural draw to a woman’s beauty becomes twisted, and
we make images of women our god—the things that truly
captivate us and capture our imaginations.
This is what pornography does. Pornographers are basically
modern day idol-makers, only their material is not
wood or stone, but pixels on a monitor. Their chisels are
camera angles, lighting, makeup, and clever photo and
video editing. And just like Israel before us, we take these
idols into our hearts (Ezekiel 14:3).
Lure #2: Passive Pleasure
She seizes him and kisses him, and with bold
face she says to him… (Prov. 7:13).
This is the woman’s very first move. No words: just an
in-your-face sensual embrace, telling him everything he
wants to hear with her body language and her gaze.
What message is she sending this man? She is easy, vulnerable,
and eager. He can have her with no commitment
or work on his part. He merely has to follow her home; she
will do the rest.
This is another reason why guys like porn. The actresses
in this digital harem are eager and willing. He just has to
find them. This is the lure of passive pleasure.

A man wants the embrace of a woman—a good and godly desire—and so God has set up the institution of marriage. A few chapters prior, Solomon encourages his readers to “rejoice in the wife of your youth” (5:1. A man’s godly character beckons him to not only seek a wife, but more importantly, to cultivate the virtues of a godly husband, and be a man of character.
But our sexual drive is not neutral. Like everything in our psychological make-up, our sex drive is stained with sin. We have this bent toward passive pleasure, not loving commitment. Marriage involves commitment, pursuit, intentionality,
romance, love, and respect. Marriage is about taking care of someone other than yourself. Lust involves none of this. This is why pornography is so alluring to some men. Like a lot of temptations, pornography offers a quick fix, a shortcut to pleasure without virtue. Pornography
rips sexual pleasure from its relational context and creates a realm of fantasy. It enables a man to feel like a man without requiring him to be one.1
Lure #3: Escape
I had to offer sacrifices, and today I have paid my vows [...] I have spread my couch with coverings, colored linens from Egyptian linen (Prov. 7:14,16).
These are the very first words out of her mouth. The word “sacrifices” is the word used in the Old Testament for the fellowship offerings, animal sacrifices presented and slaughtered at the temple, with a portion given back to the worshipper for them to eat. It was usually eaten that day among friends and family. These were the choicest cuts of meat. She’s effectively saying to this man, “I have a table with the best foods spread at my house right now.”
In verse 16 she continues talking about her couch. Usually
people in that culture would recline to eat, and she is describing a special seat reserved for him at her table, covered with expensive, exquisite cloth imported from Egypt. This was the luxury bedding of Solomon’s day. She has spared no expense for him. She is inviting him into an experience of comfort and delight.
For many men pornography is their place of comfort, their refuge, their escape. For some this is a conscious thing: they justify spending hours and hours looking at pornography
because it is their treat to themselves—the way they wind down or escape. For some this is a subconscious motivation: they don’t even realize it, but they run to pornography
again and again because it is a fantasy where all the arrangements have been made for them, and where they can forget their worries, dissatisfaction, and discontent.
The world is full of hardships and difficulties, and when we encounter them something in us revolts. Something in us longs to return to Eden, before the curse and decay of sin entered human existence. We long for the comforts of Paradise. The gospel tells us there is a day coming when there will be a new heaven and a new earth, when Paradise
will be restored to us, when there will be harmony between us and God, harmony with one another, harmony with creation. But when we face the stress of fallen conditions,
our sinful hearts don’t retreat to that hope. We retreat by making temporary Edens, small paradises that we can control, paradises centered not around God but centered on ourselves.
This is one reason why porn is so alluring: it gives us a ready-made cast and plotline for a fantasy world to which we can escape.
Lure #4: Secrecy
For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey; he took a bag of money with him; at full moon he will come home (Prov. 7:19-20).
She informs him that her husband has gone on a business trip and isn’t expected to return until the next full moon. In other words, she is saying, “Don’t worry. There is no fear of getting caught.”
Often porn is enticing because of its secrecy. Pornography
thrives on secrecy.
Psychologist Al Cooper noted this when he coined the “Triple-A Engine” of Internet pornography and cyber-sex. People are drawn to porn because it is (1) affordable, (2) accessible, and (3) anonymous. Affordable—porn is relatively
cheap or free online. Accessible—the Internet brings pornography right into the private corners of your home
or office at high speeds. And anonymous—no one has to
know that you see it; it is secret.
It’s been said true character is who you are when ynobody’s
looking. We let our true colors shine when nobody
else sees what we’re doing.
This applies to both the good and the bad, doesn’t it?
Jesus said if you want to pray, fast, or give to the poor
from a pure heart, then do these things when no one is
looking except your Father in heaven. Then, He says, you
will receive the true lasting reward of doing them.
To use the old Latin phrase, we must live coram Deo, “before
the face of God.” We are to live our lives conscious
of God’s presence and omniscience and all-penetrating
gaze. Coram Deo means we not only know but also supremely
care that God always sees us, that God is sovereign.
There is nothing hidden from His sight, and knowing
this utterly transforms how we live.
The Internet has brought this issue to the forefront. As
more and more of us live detached, anonymous lives online,
we start to see what really motivates us, what really
makes us tick. Behind closed doors our real motivations
surface. Before the Internet, many Christians might have
avoided the trap of pornography, but was that avoidance
merely conformity to Christian social norms, or born out of
a desire to please the God who always sees us?
The anonymity of the Internet has exposed something
deep in our hearts, a deeply rooted belief that there is a
piece of life that we can totally have as our own, a territory
that we can rule outside of
God’s sovereign gaze, a small
kingdom of our own where
we can play by our own rules.
But in order to live in this deception,
we need secrecy. By
shattering the anonymity we
shatter the illusion that our
decisions affect no one else
but us.
Lure #5: Pride
I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly,
and I have found you (Prov. 7:15).
Notice how she plays this guy. “I have come out to meet
YOU, to seek YOU eagerly, and I have found YOU.” She
probably would have said the same thing to the next guy
who came along, but she insists that he’s the one and
only. She makes him feel desired, wanted and attractive.
Solomon crystallizes this so well in verse 21: “With much
seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth (or
flattering) talk she compels him.”
Today we might say she is stroking his ego. She is playing
to his pride. This is the same ploy used in pornography today:
to catch the man up in the fantasy experience where
HE is the main character. The woman on the screen is
selling the lie: she wants HIM, she notices HIM.
For many guys, physical lust is not the only thing driving
their fixation on pornography, masturbation, and fantasy.
It’s also motivated by pride or self-worship. The fantasy
world is like a film playing in their minds. When they fantasize
they cast their latest crush as the leading lady in the
movie of their minds—but who is the main character? He
is the main character, producer, and director all in one. The
lady reads the script he wants her to read. In the movie of
his mind, the plot is all about him, and she is merely the
supporting actress. The fantasy is about how irresistible
he is and how she makes him feel about himself.
This, again, is idolatry. One of the reasons why porn is so
powerful is because it reinforces our sinful desire to worship
ourselves.
Lure #6: False Intimacy
Come, let us take our fill of love till morning.
(Prov. 7:1
What a wonderful phrase for a husband to hear from his
wife, and yet it is found in the mouth of an adulteress.
She speaks of the “love” they will enjoy all night long. The
Hebrew word, dowd, translated here as “love,” is used many, many times in Solomon’s celebrated love poem, the Song of Solomon. It is used as the pet name between the two lovers: “my Beloved.” It is also used to refer to the affectionate, passionate love they share:
How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than any spice! Your lips drip nectar, my bride; honey and milk are under your tongue; the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon (Song of Solomon 4:10-11).
This sort of love describes the physical and verbal foreplay between Solomon and his bride right before making love.
The forbidden woman is playing on this deep motivation for love. This is what pornography offers a man. Pornography
seeks to tap into a deep part of us that desires closeness
and then creates parody of it. Porn is false intimacy.2
A lot of single guys have a dreaded fear of being alone. They want to experience love and intimacy. Even married guys experience this, especially if their marriage is not all they hoped it would be.
Of course we were created for intimacy. It is a part of our make-up as God’s creatures. But in our sin-soaked hearts, this desire becomes an idolatrous demand. To the one who desires companionship more than God’s glory, being alone is hell. To save ourselves from this hell, the porn girls in our fantasies become fitting saviors. But as we bring our twisted desires to Christ and make them subservient to His glory, then and only then do we begin getting a taste of intimacy the way it was meant to be.
Lure #7: The Forbidden
Solomon describes the adultress as “the forbidden woman”
in verse 5. The word carries the idea of someone who is foreign or a stranger. She belongs to someone else. She is not his. It’s not just that she is an attractive woman: she is a forbidden woman. She is off-limits.
This is what our sinful nature does: we want what we can’t have. The Bible calls this covetousness. Paul spoke about this in Romans 7

Rom 7:7 ¶ What shall we say then? [Is] the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.


Rom 7:8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin [was] dead.


Rom 7:9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.


Rom 7:10 And the commandment, which [was ordained] to life, I found [to be] unto death.


Rom 7:11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew [me].

Follow Paul’s logic here. First, Paul speaks about the principle of sin in the members of his body: a drive in his bones to live autonomously, to disobey God. Second, he speaks of God’s law. He specifically mentions the tenth commandment: You shall not covet. What happens when this sinful drive meets God’s law?
It was as if covetous desire was laying dormant in Paul—asleep, dead. Then the command not to covet brought his sin to life, arousing the sleeping giant. The command, of course, promises life to those who walk in it (Deuteronomy 5:33), but our sinful drives within actually use the command
to stir up more lust. Knowing we are not allowed to have something kicks lust into overdrive and produces what Paul calls “all kinds of covetousness.” This is one more reason why this foolish young man follows her home; he wants what he cannot have.
A few chapters later Solomon sums up the motto of Lady Folly: “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant” (Proverbs 9:13). This is why “the other woman” pulls at a man’s heart. Pornography gives a man the feeling
that he has been given the key to the back door of forbidden pleasures.

1. This observation comes from Michael Cusick, particularly his involvement in the Somebody’s Daughter project. Visit SombodysDaughter.org for more information.
2. Dr. Harry Schaumburg wrote an excellent book called False Intimacy about how things like pornography hijack our desires for intimacy and offers a cheap replacement of pleasure without relationship

To get the full e-book go here http://www.covenanteyes.com/2010/10/21/s...like-porn/]]>

Seven Reasons Why Guys Like Porn

Why are guys drawn to pornography? Experience tells us it isn’t merely because guys like looking at naked women. For many guys the draw to pornography can become almost
compulsive.
Here is the beginning of a testimony from a man brave enough to share his story:
I was around the age of 10 when I discovered something the others hadn’t. It was something that finally gave me the attention I had been craving, the affection I’d felt I was missing, and it provided me a feeling of adequacy I yearned for. Pornography.
Initially, I found it almost melodramatic. While I had heard about it, I’d never seen any before. As I think back on it I can remember exactly where I found it, exactly how it was folded, and sadly enough, I can remember the picture on the front in enough detail it makes my heart ache. It’s the damage of images that cannot be unseen. This small experience was the first step in aligning myself with a lifestyle that would hijack huge chunks of my life for the next 20-plus years.
Internally, I was hooked. The attention I craved came from the women staring back at me from those pages. No girl I knew in real life would look at me like that. So comforting and so accepting. They didn’t judge me; they loved me for who I was. This was my special world and I had decided for me that I was going to do all I could to keep it a secret from everyone.
As my time with pornography continued into my middle-teen years I began to progress with a collection of more magazines, and further to videos if given that chance. Pornography had become a constant vehicle in my life. With the discovery of masturbation, pornography merely became a means to an end. With the onset and proliferation of computers and the Internet, I never stood a chance resisting it and the instances of looking at and using pornography increased exponentially. My compulsion for pornography opened the door (acting as a catalyst) for easy justification for anything and everything.
Does this sound familiar? The details are different for each guy, but across the spectrum many guys report the same power pornography once had or continues to have over them.


Proverbs 7

Pro 7:1 ¶ My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.


Pro 7:2 Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.


Pro 7:3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.


Pro 7:4 Say unto wisdom, Thou [art] my sister; and call understanding [thy] kinswoman:


Pro 7:5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger [which] flattereth with her words.


Pro 7:6 ¶ For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,


Pro 7:7 And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,


Pro 7:8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,


Pro 7:9 In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:


Pro 7:10 And, behold, there met him a woman [with] the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.


Pro 7:11 (She [is] loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:


Pro 7:12 Now [is she] without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)


Pro 7:13 So she caught him, and kissed him, [and] with an impudent face said unto him,


Pro 7:14 [I have] peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.


Pro 7:15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.


Pro 7:16 I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved [works], with fine linen of Egypt.


Pro 7:17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.


Pro 7:18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.


Pro 7:19 For the goodman [is] not at home, he is gone a long journey:


Pro 7:20 He hath taken a bag of money with him, [and] will come home at the day appointed.


Pro 7:21 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.


Pro 7:22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;


Pro 7:23 Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it [is] for his life.


Pro 7:24 ¶ Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.


Pro 7:25 Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.


Pro 7:26 For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong [men] have been slain by her.


Pro 7:27 Her house [is] the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

The View from Solomon’s Window
The story is a fairly simple one to follow. Solomon is looking
out his window, looking down on the streets of Jerusalem,
and he sees a featherbrained young kid walking down the street at night. He comes across a seductive woman who entices him to come home with her. Adultery ensues.
This text reveals to the reader the crafty ploys of this seductive
woman. Solomon is giving his reader both a literal
and metaphorical birds-eye-view of the situation. It’s like watching the suspense movie where you, the viewer, know who the bad guy is, you know where he’s hiding,
you know what’s up his sleeve, but the unsuspecting victim
does not know. If the characters on-screen only knew
what you knew, they wouldn’t fall into the deadly trap.
That’s the view Solomon is giving us. He wants his readers
to first see this temptation through the safety of his window
so that when they find themselves on the same street
on a dark night they aren’t falling into the same traps.
This sexual encounter is no accident. Solomon says of
this woman that she is “wily of heart.” The Hebrew expression
literally means “guarded,” which means she has
secret strategies that she holds close to her; she has a
plan, a scheme. She has planned this encounter.
This story—and the lures the woman uses to get the man
in bed with her—offer some startling parallels with modern
pornography.
Lure #1: Physical Lust
The first lure, physical lust, is the most directly observable
temptation. Verse 10 states that she is “dressed as a prostitute.”
This woman is dressed to kill. She is seductive.
This is the most obvious, in-your-face reason why men are
drawn to pornography. They like to look at naked women,
plain and simple.
Men have a sex drive. When a man is attuned to a woman’s
form, when he sees a sensual image, or when he fantasizes,
this triggers a reflexive release of testosterone in
his body and his brain begins to cultivate a desire for sex.
Remember: this sex drive is created by God. When you
read the creation account in the book of Genesis, what is
the apex of the physical creation? After creating the moon
and stars, plants and animals, and the garden of paradise,
the climax of the physical universe is the woman.
God forms Eve and brings her to Adam, and as they stand
naked before each other, he erupts with a poem packed
with anticipation and excitement: “This at last is bone of
my bone and flesh of my flesh.” It is then God calls his
creation not just good but very good.
But when sin entered the picture it changed the way we
relate to the created world. Paul comments in Romans
1 that as we look at the visible
created world our minds
should perceive the invisible
God. We should notice His
eternal power and divine nature,
and then as we perceive
Him we should be moved to
honor and worship Him as the
immortal God. But instead,
Paul says, we are always exchanging
“the glory of the immortal God for images resembling
mortal man and birds and animals and creeping
things” (Romans 1:23). This is idolatry.
Notice what Paul says here is our chief problem: it’s a worship
disorder. Our hearts should be captured with the glory
of the immortal God, but instead we become fixated on
images of created things. Among all the created things the
image of a woman’s body often ranks at #1 for men. Man’s
natural draw to a woman’s beauty becomes twisted, and
we make images of women our god—the things that truly
captivate us and capture our imaginations.
This is what pornography does. Pornographers are basically
modern day idol-makers, only their material is not
wood or stone, but pixels on a monitor. Their chisels are
camera angles, lighting, makeup, and clever photo and
video editing. And just like Israel before us, we take these
idols into our hearts (Ezekiel 14:3).
Lure #2: Passive Pleasure
She seizes him and kisses him, and with bold
face she says to him… (Prov. 7:13).
This is the woman’s very first move. No words: just an
in-your-face sensual embrace, telling him everything he
wants to hear with her body language and her gaze.
What message is she sending this man? She is easy, vulnerable,
and eager. He can have her with no commitment
or work on his part. He merely has to follow her home; she
will do the rest.
This is another reason why guys like porn. The actresses
in this digital harem are eager and willing. He just has to
find them. This is the lure of passive pleasure.

A man wants the embrace of a woman—a good and godly desire—and so God has set up the institution of marriage. A few chapters prior, Solomon encourages his readers to “rejoice in the wife of your youth” (5:1. A man’s godly character beckons him to not only seek a wife, but more importantly, to cultivate the virtues of a godly husband, and be a man of character.
But our sexual drive is not neutral. Like everything in our psychological make-up, our sex drive is stained with sin. We have this bent toward passive pleasure, not loving commitment. Marriage involves commitment, pursuit, intentionality,
romance, love, and respect. Marriage is about taking care of someone other than yourself. Lust involves none of this. This is why pornography is so alluring to some men. Like a lot of temptations, pornography offers a quick fix, a shortcut to pleasure without virtue. Pornography
rips sexual pleasure from its relational context and creates a realm of fantasy. It enables a man to feel like a man without requiring him to be one.1
Lure #3: Escape
I had to offer sacrifices, and today I have paid my vows [...] I have spread my couch with coverings, colored linens from Egyptian linen (Prov. 7:14,16).
These are the very first words out of her mouth. The word “sacrifices” is the word used in the Old Testament for the fellowship offerings, animal sacrifices presented and slaughtered at the temple, with a portion given back to the worshipper for them to eat. It was usually eaten that day among friends and family. These were the choicest cuts of meat. She’s effectively saying to this man, “I have a table with the best foods spread at my house right now.”
In verse 16 she continues talking about her couch. Usually
people in that culture would recline to eat, and she is describing a special seat reserved for him at her table, covered with expensive, exquisite cloth imported from Egypt. This was the luxury bedding of Solomon’s day. She has spared no expense for him. She is inviting him into an experience of comfort and delight.
For many men pornography is their place of comfort, their refuge, their escape. For some this is a conscious thing: they justify spending hours and hours looking at pornography
because it is their treat to themselves—the way they wind down or escape. For some this is a subconscious motivation: they don’t even realize it, but they run to pornography
again and again because it is a fantasy where all the arrangements have been made for them, and where they can forget their worries, dissatisfaction, and discontent.
The world is full of hardships and difficulties, and when we encounter them something in us revolts. Something in us longs to return to Eden, before the curse and decay of sin entered human existence. We long for the comforts of Paradise. The gospel tells us there is a day coming when there will be a new heaven and a new earth, when Paradise
will be restored to us, when there will be harmony between us and God, harmony with one another, harmony with creation. But when we face the stress of fallen conditions,
our sinful hearts don’t retreat to that hope. We retreat by making temporary Edens, small paradises that we can control, paradises centered not around God but centered on ourselves.
This is one reason why porn is so alluring: it gives us a ready-made cast and plotline for a fantasy world to which we can escape.
Lure #4: Secrecy
For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey; he took a bag of money with him; at full moon he will come home (Prov. 7:19-20).
She informs him that her husband has gone on a business trip and isn’t expected to return until the next full moon. In other words, she is saying, “Don’t worry. There is no fear of getting caught.”
Often porn is enticing because of its secrecy. Pornography
thrives on secrecy.
Psychologist Al Cooper noted this when he coined the “Triple-A Engine” of Internet pornography and cyber-sex. People are drawn to porn because it is (1) affordable, (2) accessible, and (3) anonymous. Affordable—porn is relatively
cheap or free online. Accessible—the Internet brings pornography right into the private corners of your home
or office at high speeds. And anonymous—no one has to
know that you see it; it is secret.
It’s been said true character is who you are when ynobody’s
looking. We let our true colors shine when nobody
else sees what we’re doing.
This applies to both the good and the bad, doesn’t it?
Jesus said if you want to pray, fast, or give to the poor
from a pure heart, then do these things when no one is
looking except your Father in heaven. Then, He says, you
will receive the true lasting reward of doing them.
To use the old Latin phrase, we must live coram Deo, “before
the face of God.” We are to live our lives conscious
of God’s presence and omniscience and all-penetrating
gaze. Coram Deo means we not only know but also supremely
care that God always sees us, that God is sovereign.
There is nothing hidden from His sight, and knowing
this utterly transforms how we live.
The Internet has brought this issue to the forefront. As
more and more of us live detached, anonymous lives online,
we start to see what really motivates us, what really
makes us tick. Behind closed doors our real motivations
surface. Before the Internet, many Christians might have
avoided the trap of pornography, but was that avoidance
merely conformity to Christian social norms, or born out of
a desire to please the God who always sees us?
The anonymity of the Internet has exposed something
deep in our hearts, a deeply rooted belief that there is a
piece of life that we can totally have as our own, a territory
that we can rule outside of
God’s sovereign gaze, a small
kingdom of our own where
we can play by our own rules.
But in order to live in this deception,
we need secrecy. By
shattering the anonymity we
shatter the illusion that our
decisions affect no one else
but us.
Lure #5: Pride
I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly,
and I have found you (Prov. 7:15).
Notice how she plays this guy. “I have come out to meet
YOU, to seek YOU eagerly, and I have found YOU.” She
probably would have said the same thing to the next guy
who came along, but she insists that he’s the one and
only. She makes him feel desired, wanted and attractive.
Solomon crystallizes this so well in verse 21: “With much
seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth (or
flattering) talk she compels him.”
Today we might say she is stroking his ego. She is playing
to his pride. This is the same ploy used in pornography today:
to catch the man up in the fantasy experience where
HE is the main character. The woman on the screen is
selling the lie: she wants HIM, she notices HIM.
For many guys, physical lust is not the only thing driving
their fixation on pornography, masturbation, and fantasy.
It’s also motivated by pride or self-worship. The fantasy
world is like a film playing in their minds. When they fantasize
they cast their latest crush as the leading lady in the
movie of their minds—but who is the main character? He
is the main character, producer, and director all in one. The
lady reads the script he wants her to read. In the movie of
his mind, the plot is all about him, and she is merely the
supporting actress. The fantasy is about how irresistible
he is and how she makes him feel about himself.
This, again, is idolatry. One of the reasons why porn is so
powerful is because it reinforces our sinful desire to worship
ourselves.
Lure #6: False Intimacy
Come, let us take our fill of love till morning.
(Prov. 7:1
What a wonderful phrase for a husband to hear from his
wife, and yet it is found in the mouth of an adulteress.
She speaks of the “love” they will enjoy all night long. The
Hebrew word, dowd, translated here as “love,” is used many, many times in Solomon’s celebrated love poem, the Song of Solomon. It is used as the pet name between the two lovers: “my Beloved.” It is also used to refer to the affectionate, passionate love they share:
How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than any spice! Your lips drip nectar, my bride; honey and milk are under your tongue; the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon (Song of Solomon 4:10-11).
This sort of love describes the physical and verbal foreplay between Solomon and his bride right before making love.
The forbidden woman is playing on this deep motivation for love. This is what pornography offers a man. Pornography
seeks to tap into a deep part of us that desires closeness
and then creates parody of it. Porn is false intimacy.2
A lot of single guys have a dreaded fear of being alone. They want to experience love and intimacy. Even married guys experience this, especially if their marriage is not all they hoped it would be.
Of course we were created for intimacy. It is a part of our make-up as God’s creatures. But in our sin-soaked hearts, this desire becomes an idolatrous demand. To the one who desires companionship more than God’s glory, being alone is hell. To save ourselves from this hell, the porn girls in our fantasies become fitting saviors. But as we bring our twisted desires to Christ and make them subservient to His glory, then and only then do we begin getting a taste of intimacy the way it was meant to be.
Lure #7: The Forbidden
Solomon describes the adultress as “the forbidden woman”
in verse 5. The word carries the idea of someone who is foreign or a stranger. She belongs to someone else. She is not his. It’s not just that she is an attractive woman: she is a forbidden woman. She is off-limits.
This is what our sinful nature does: we want what we can’t have. The Bible calls this covetousness. Paul spoke about this in Romans 7

Rom 7:7 ¶ What shall we say then? [Is] the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.


Rom 7:8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin [was] dead.


Rom 7:9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.


Rom 7:10 And the commandment, which [was ordained] to life, I found [to be] unto death.


Rom 7:11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew [me].

Follow Paul’s logic here. First, Paul speaks about the principle of sin in the members of his body: a drive in his bones to live autonomously, to disobey God. Second, he speaks of God’s law. He specifically mentions the tenth commandment: You shall not covet. What happens when this sinful drive meets God’s law?
It was as if covetous desire was laying dormant in Paul—asleep, dead. Then the command not to covet brought his sin to life, arousing the sleeping giant. The command, of course, promises life to those who walk in it (Deuteronomy 5:33), but our sinful drives within actually use the command
to stir up more lust. Knowing we are not allowed to have something kicks lust into overdrive and produces what Paul calls “all kinds of covetousness.” This is one more reason why this foolish young man follows her home; he wants what he cannot have.
A few chapters later Solomon sums up the motto of Lady Folly: “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant” (Proverbs 9:13). This is why “the other woman” pulls at a man’s heart. Pornography gives a man the feeling
that he has been given the key to the back door of forbidden pleasures.

1. This observation comes from Michael Cusick, particularly his involvement in the Somebody’s Daughter project. Visit SombodysDaughter.org for more information.
2. Dr. Harry Schaumburg wrote an excellent book called False Intimacy about how things like pornography hijack our desires for intimacy and offers a cheap replacement of pleasure without relationship

To get the full e-book go here http://www.covenanteyes.com/2010/10/21/s...like-porn/]]> http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1892.html Thu, 30 Dec 2010 23:53:41 +0000 http://www.fundamentalpreaching.com/thread-1892.html
Lucifer or Morning Star?

In Isaiah 14:12 the King James Holy Bible (and MANY others, as we shall soon see) reads: "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit."

The reason this passage is attacked by the modern bible version proponents is because the NASB, RSV, Holman Standard, NIV, St. Joseph New American Bible, Jerusalem Bible, and many others have translated this section in a VERY different way. Instead of, "How art thou fallen from heaven, O LUCIFER. . .", they say, "How you have fallen from heaven, O MORNING STAR. . ." or "DAY STAR"


One of the loopier new versions that has caught the imagination of the "No Bible in any language is the infallible words of God" crowd (and that is the majority of Christians today) is Daniel Wallace and company's NET version, (affectionately known to Bible believers as the NUT version.) They translate it as "O shining one, son of the dawn" and then they have this amazingly convoluted footnote:

"The Hebrew text has "helel ben-shakhar, “Helel son of Shachar”, which is probably a name for the morning star (Venus) or the crescent moon. What is the background for the imagery in vv. 12-15? This whole section (vv. 4b-21) is directed to the king of Babylon, who is clearly depicted as a human ruler. Other kings of the earth address him in vv. 9ff., he is called “the man” in v. 16, and, according to vv. 19-20, he possesses a physical body. Nevertheless the language of vv. 12-15 has led some to see a dual referent in the taunt song. These verses, which appear to be spoken by other pagan kings to a pagan king (cf. vv. 9-11), contain several titles and motifs that resemble those of Canaanite mythology, including references to Helel son of Shachar, the stars of El, the mountain of assembly, the recesses of Zaphon, and the divine title Most High. Apparently these verses allude to a mythological story about a minor god (Helel son of Shachar) who tried to take over Zaphon, the mountain of the gods. His attempted coup failed and he was hurled down to the underworld. The king of Babylon is taunted for having similar unrealized delusions of grandeur. Some Christians have seen an allusion to the fall of Satan here, but this seems contextually unwarranted." (Wallace's NET (NUT) version)
Doug Kutilek, who himself does not believe that any Bible in any language is the complete and 100% true words of God, andwho tells us that regarding the N.T. he accepts neither the Textus Receptus, nor the Westcott-Hort influenced critical texts, but thinks that he needs to evaluate every reading for himself before he decides which readings are right and which are not, (in other words Kutilek is his own authority) thinks he has irrefutable proof that Isaiah 14:12 is talking about the planet Venus.

Mr. Kutilek points out in one of his articles criticizing Lucifer in the KJB that the marginal reading of the King James Bible says: "or, O day star", and thus, he thinks, the KJB translators were on the side of the modern versions. It should be pointed out that we King James Bible believers do not believe the KJB translators were inspired nor do we believe their own thoughts, their Preface or their own theology was always right. We believe and defend THE TEXT of the King James Bible as having been guided by God Almighty to give us His perfect words of 100% truth. God overruled the occasional marginal readings and guided them to put in THE TEXT what He wanted to be there. The Hebrew does not mean "day star", and though there is a relationship between the planet Venus and what is called the morning star, the Isaiah passage is actually referring to the fall of Lucifer, who became Satan, and not some planet wanting to be like God.

The only thing the marginal notes show is that among the sixty some translators who worked on the King James Bible not all of them were agreed on how to translate numerous words or passages. The marginal notes refer to ideas other translators entertained but which were rejected in the final TEXT. You can see many of these marginal notes throughout the whole Bible. For example, in Isaiah 6:9 we read "Here ye indeed, but understand not" - marginal note "Or, without ceasing". Isaiah 9:1 "in Galilee of the nations" - or, populous (Galilee)"; Isaiah 9:16 "the leaders of this people cause them to err" - or, "they that call them blessed"; Isaiah 14:4 "the golden city ceased" - or, "the exactress of gold"; Isaiah 14:9 "stirreth up...all the chief ones of the earth" - or, "the great goats"; and Isaiah 15:7 "to the brook of the willows" - or, "the valley of the Arabians". We do not defend the marginal notes, but the words God caused to be placed into the TEXT of the King James Bible as being inspired and 100% true.

The Funk and Wagnalls Standard College Dictionary defines Lucifer as 1. The archangel who led the revolt of the angels and fell from heaven: identified with Satan. and 2. The planet Venus when it appears as the morning star.

There are several problems with the translation "O morning star", but first let me point out that there are as many opinions in Bible commentaries as to who or what is being referred to as there are bible versions. Some absolutely deny that it has anything to do with the fall of Satan. Others believe this passage refers to the king of Babylon, whom many identify as king Nebuchadnezzar; others believe it refers to Belshazzar, some say it speaks of the Antichrist, and others as the kingdom of Babylon itself. Amazingly, some even support the idea that it was the planet Venus that wanted to be like God and will be cast down to hell.
Many others see Isaiah 14:12 as referring to the Satanic spiritual power behind the king and kingdom of Babylon. There is little agreement among scholars as to who or what is being addressed in this passage or how to translate it.

The problem with the translation, "MORNING STAR" (#1966- haylale), is that the words "morning" and "star" are not found here in ANY Hebrew text. (Morning is #1242- boker and star is #3556- kokawb)

The word for star IS found in verse 13, where it says: "I will exalt my throne above the stars of God." The two words, morning and star, are found together in Job 38:7, where God is asking Job in verse 4, "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?. . . When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" This might be a reference to the angels who rejoiced at God's creation, or the "morning stars" that sang may well be an anthropomorphism of the first created literal stars "singing". God also describes mountains and hills as singing and trees of the field clapping their hands (See Isaiah 55:12).

Another serious problem with rendering this word (#1966 Haylale) as "morning star" is that Jesus Christ himself is called the morning star in Rev. 22:16 where he says: "I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star." The NIV and NASB make it possible to identify Satan with Jesus Christ. I believe this is Lucifer's ultimate game plan and that the new versions have taken a giant step forward in advancing Satan's deception.

In fact, if you take a look at the notes on Isaiah 14:12 in the Amplified bible (put out by the same people who gave us the NASB), you will find the following "explanation": "'Light-bringer' or 'Shining one' was originally translated Lucifer, but because of the association of that name with Satan it is not now used. Some students feel that the application of the name Lucifer to Satan, in spite of the long and confident teaching to that effect, is erroneous. Lucifer, the light-bringer is the Latin equivalent of the Greek word Phosphoros, which is used as a title of Christ in 2 Peter 1:19 and corresponds to the name 'bright Morning Star' in Revelation 22:16, which Jesus called Himself."

The word translated as Lucifer in the KJB occurs only once in the Hebrew, just as the word Lucifer occurs only once in the Holy Bible. It is a noun and it comes from a very interesting verb #1984 hawlal. This verb is used many times and has many very different meanings including: "to shine, to be foolish, to boast, to glory, to praise, and to be mad (insane or crazy)".

Isn't it interesting that Satan boasts and glories in his wisdom and power, wants to receive praise as god, shines as an angel of light to deceive, and his madness in wanting to be like the most High is ultimately the height of foolishness?

Some Bible critics get a bee in their bonnets about the translation Lucifer and they claim this is merely a Latin word, and they ask why does the King James Bible have a Latin translation in it. This is a really silly objection if you think about it. In 382 A.D. Jerome translated from the Hebrew into Latin and he believed Lucifer (bearing light) was the best translation to depict who this entity was that wanted to be like God and fell from heaven. In 425 the Latin Vulgate did the same and later on the Latin Clementine version did likewise. The 2005 electronic edition of the Latin Clementine reads this way: "Quomodo cecidisti de cælo, Lucifer, qui mane oriebaris?" You can see this Latin translation online here - http://vulsearch.sourceforge.net/html/index.html



Numerous other Bible translators agree. If you begin to criticize the Latin, you get yourself into all kinds of problems. Numerous words found in the English language come directly from Latin. In the Bible we get such words as justice = Latin iustitiam; sacrifice = sarificium; cross = crucem; saint= sancti; and revelation = revelationis, to name but a very few. Yet not one of these English words looks anything remotely like the literal Hebrew and Greek words in the texts from which we get our English translations. The Latin gave us many good words that eventually were carried over into English.

The Greek Septuagint and Modern Greek Today

It is also highly significant that the so called Greek Septuagint (LXX) also agrees with the reading of Lucifer. In the common copy of what is know as the Greek Septuagint, the Isaiah passage reads: ??? ?????? ?? ??? ???????, ? ???????" and the English translation is "How has Lucifer, that rose in the morning, fallen from heaven." There are also at least three English translations of the Septuagint or Siniaticus copies, and all three of them translate it as Lucifer. The Septuagint online English translation can be see here

- http://ecmarsh.com/lxx/Esaias/index.htm

where it says: "How has Lucifer, that rose in the morning, fallen from heaven!" In addition to this there are The Septuagint Bible of 1954 by A.C. Muses, and the 2009 Old Testament According to the Septuagint. Then there is the modern Greek meaning of the word ???????. I have in my study a modern day Greek-English dictionary. It is called Divry's Modern English-Greek and Greek-English Desk Dictionary, published by D. C. Divry, Inc. Publishers New York 1974. If you look under the English Lucifer page 182 you get ???????, and if you look up the word ??????? on page 523 (the same Greek word found in all copies of the Greek Septuagint) you get the English word Lucifer.

There is also an online English to Greek Dictionary. Simply go to the site - http://www.kypros.org/cgi-bin/lexicon Then type in the word Lucifer and what you come up with in Greek is this same word ??????? that is found in the Septuagint translations and the Modern Greek Old Testament too.

The reasons I believe the King James Bible reading of Lucifer is correct are many. First, if this passage is not referring to the fall of Satan, also known as the dragon, the old serpent, the devil, leviathan, Beelzebub, etc., then we have no account in Scripture as to how he, who was originally created by God as good, became what he is today.

In I Timothy 3:6 we are told that a bishop should not be a novice "lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil." We are also told that Satan wishes to be worshipped. We see in the temptation in the wilderness that he came to Jesus Christ and said: "All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." Where are this desire to be like the most High God and the pride that resulted in his condemnation recorded in the Scriptures except here in Isaiah 14:12-15? The fall of Satan is not found anywhere else in the whole Bible except here.

Secondly, I disagree with those that argue that only the king of Babylon is being referred to in Isaiah 14:12 and not the fall of Satan. Many say it refers to king Nebuchadnezzar. A big problem with this view is that Nebuchadnezzar became a worshipper of the true God and his miraculous conversion is recorded in Daniel chapter 4. Nebuchadnezzar will not "be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit", but rather will be with the Lord Jesus Christ and his redeemed for all eternity. Another problem is that if the passage refers to an earthly king, then how did he get into heaven from whence he fell?

Thirdly, I and many others believe that Lucifer or Satan's fall is recorded here, and that he, the devil, was the real spiritual power behind the kingdom of Babylon. Babylon also appears prominently again in the book of Revelation as the kingdom of the beast and both are spiritually empowered by Satan and his devils.

David Guzik's commentary notes (Caps are mine): "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! Here, the prophet identifies the king of Babylon as Lucifer, son of the morning. Some debate if Lucifer is a name or a title... The prophetic habit of speaking to both a near and a distant fulfillment, the prophet will sometimes speak more to the near or more to the distant. HERE IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF ISAIAH SPEAKING MORE TO THE DISTANT, ULTIMATE FULFILLMENT. It is true that the king of literal Babylon shined brightly among the men of his day, and fell as hard and as completely as if a man were to fall from heaven. BUT THERE WAS A FAR MORE BRIGHTLY SHINING BEING WHO INHABITED HEAVEN, AND FELL EVEN MORE DRAMATICALLY - THE KING OF SPRITUAL BABYLON, SATAN."

The 1609 Douay-Rheims Bible has a note on "O Lucifer" in Isaiah 14:12 that says, "O Lucifer. . .O day star. All this, according to the letter, is spoken of the king of Babylon. It may also be applied, in a spiritual sense, to Lucifer the prince of devils, who was created a bright angel, but fell by pride and rebellion against God."

Commentator Dr. Henry M. Morris states: "Although the prophecy in Isaiah 14 is directed toward the earthly king of Babylon, here it goes far beyond him (he could never fall from heaven) to the wicked spirit possessing his body and inspiring his actions. Just as Satan possessed and used the serpent's body in Eden, so he does here with Babylon's king..."

Gregory of Nyssa, A.D. 382, Against Eunomius, Book I, chapter 22: "as the Scripture says in the description of the fall of the morning star, the mysteries on which subject are revealed by our Lord to His disciples: "I saw Satan falling like lightning from heaven."

A.D. 400 - The Apology of Rufinus, Book I, chapter 34 ("Principalities and Powers"): "the Apostle means by these expressions the rebellious angels, and the prince of this world, and Lucifer who once was the morning star, over whom in the end of the age the saints must sit with Christ...the rebellious angels and the prince of this world, and Lucifer who once was the morning star"

Jonathan Edwards, (circa 1750) Volume II, Miscellaneous Discourses, XI. Miscellaneous Observations, II. Fall of the Angels: "This angel, before his fall, was the chief of all the angels, of greatest natural capacity, strength, and wisdom, and highest in honour and dignity, the brightest of all those stars of heaven, as is signified by what is said of him, under that type of him, the king of Babylon, Isa. xiv. 12. "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!"

Charles H. Spurgeon, in a sermon delivered on January 10th, 1864, said "We can scarcely think that all devils are Satans. There seems to be one chief arch-spirit, one great Diabolus, who is an accuser of the brethren-one mighty Lucifer, who fell down from heaven and has become the prince of the powers of darkness. In all his hosts it is probable that there is not his like. He stands first and chief of those fallen morning stars; the rest of the spirits may stand in different grades of wickedness, a hierarchy of hell."

Smith's Bible Dictionary of 1901 says regarding the name Lucifer: "Its application, from St. Jerome downward, to Satan in his fall from heaven arises probably from the fact that the Babylonian empire is in Scripture represented as the type of tyrannical and self idolizing power, and especially connected with the empire of the Evil One in the Apocalypse."

Revelation 18:2 says: "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit...", and very significantly we read in Revelation 13: 1-2, "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having SEVEN HEADS and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a LION, and THE DRAGON GAVE HIM HIS POWER, and his seat, and great authority."

I understand this beast which has 7 heads and 10 horns to be a combination of the four world powers depicted in the book of Daniel, of which the king of Babylon was the lion and one of the 7 heads mentioned. In the book of Revelation we see that the dragon gave him his power. Satan himself is the spiritual power behind the kingdom of the beast and he finally gets the worship he has always wanted - "And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast..." Revelation 13:4.

Fourthly, many Bible critics say Lucifer is a mistranslation of the Hebrew and that the KJB has been responsible for this misconception and confusion. It should be pointed out that the KJB is not the first or the only Bible version to so understand and translate this passage in Isaiah 14:12. All English Bibles before the KJB of 1611 also have the word Lucifer in them. This includes Wycliffe 1395, Coverdale's 1535, the Great Bible 1540, Matthew's Bible (John Rogers) 1549, Bishop's Bible 1568, and the Geneva Bible 1599.

Lucifer is also found in the Latin Vulgate 425 A.D., the Douay 1950 Catholic bible though all later Catholic versions like the Jerusalem Bible and the St. Joseph New American Bible now agree with the NIV, NASB, RSV versions and have "morning star". However the latest 2009 Catholic Public Domain Version has now gone back to reading "Lucifer". You can see this 2009 Bible translation here

- http://www.sacredbible.org/catholic/index.htm



Lucifer is also the reading found in Daniel Webster's 1833 translation, Noyes Translation 1869 and Darby's 1890 version. The Romanian Cornilescu Bible - "Luceafar" as well as the 1569 Spanish Sagradas Escrituras read Lucifer - "¡Cómo caíste del cielo, oh Lucifer, hijo de la mañana!" Lucifer is also the reading of the 2004 Spanish Reina Valera Gomez bible, that can be seen here http://www.reinavaleragomez.com/RVGhtml/index.html . It says: ¡Cómo caíste del cielo, oh Lucifer, hijo de la mañana! Cortado fuiste por tierra, tú que debilitabas las naciones." Czech Kralika (1613) lucifere; Romanian Cornilescu (to present) Luceafar , the Albanian Bible - "Vallë, si ke rënë nga qielli, o Lucifer". The New Italian Diodati of 1991 reads: "Come mai sei caduto dal cielo, o Lucifero", Lucifer is also the reading in the 1982 NKJV, the 21st Century KJV 1994, The Brenton Translation 1851, the Calvin Bible 1855, the Word of Yah translation of 1993, the 2008 Natural Israelite Bible, the 2008 Ancient Roots Transliteration Bible, the 2001 Urim-Thummin Version, the 2000 English Jubilee Bible, the Knox Bible 'You' Version 2009, The Septuagint Bible of 1954 by C.A. Muses, the Old Testament According to the Septuagint of 2009 - "How is Lucifer fallen from heaven, that rose up in the morning!", and the Third Millenium Bible 1998.

Ryrie's Scofield bible and Dakes annotated bible make reference to the fact that many early church fathers (among these Tertullian 160-220 A.D., Origen 185-254 A. D., and Gregory the Great), saw the passage in Isaiah 14 as referring to the fall of Satan. The idea that the passage refers to the fall of Satan did NOT originate with Jerome (384 A.D), though he also believed this. Tertullian lived almost 200 years before Jerome, and he held this view.

Bible versions that contain the Scofield notes, including the NIV Scofield edition, say regarding the Lucifer of Isaiah 14:12: "Verses 12-14 evidently refer to Satan, who, as prince of this world-system (See Scofield "Revelation 13: is the real unseen ruler of the successive world- powers. Tyre, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, etc. (see Ezekiel 28:12-14) Lucifer, "day-star," can be none other that Satan. This tremendous passage marks the beginning of sin in the universe. When Lucifer said, "I will," sin began.

The Encyclopedia Britannica says: "The Church Fathers interpreted the words of Jesus in Luke 10:18, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven," as a reference to this passage in Isaiah, so that "Lucifer" came to be regarded as the name of Satan before his fall."

The Random House 1999 Webster's dictionary gives the following definitions of Lucifer. The first one listed is "a proud rebellious archangel, identified with Satan, who fell from heaven." The second one is: "the planet Venus when appearing as the morning star." Of these two, I don't think it was the planet Venus that wanted to be like God and exalt its throne above the stars of God, do you?

On one of the internet Bible clubs I belong to, I was discussing this passage with another Christian who said Lucifer was a bad translation of the Hebrew text. Here is part of our dialogue.

"My aim has not been to argue that the Isaiah text is irrelevant to our understanding of Satan's downfall: we're probably not so far apart as it sometimes seems. Whilst "Lucifer" is a bad translation of heylel in Is 14:12 it is actually a good exposition of the text from a biblical-theological perspective. Since our discussions here usually focus on the questions of translation we often miss the fact that we're largely in agreement doctrinally." (end of statement)

(My response) "Well, I'm glad we tend to see this passage in a similar way doctrinally, but I would disagree with you that Lucifer is a bad translation. We know that one of the primary meanings of the verb from which Hehlel is derived is "to shine". Lucifer literally means "light bearing or light bearer". The other passage that traditionally speaks of Satan is Ezekiel 28:12-19.

First the prince of Tyrus is addressed, then beginning with verse 12 the king of Tyrus is spoken to. The king seems to be the spiritual power behind the earthly prince. This "king" is also called the anointed cherub that covereth who was in the mountain of God. He was also in the garden of Eden. Part of his description is being covered with many precious stones and gold. He walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire, and verse 17 says: "Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness". Apparently this covering cherub was resplendent and reflected bright lights and colors - thus "light bearer" or Lucifer.

Many Christians have thought that the reason God made two cherubs facing each other over the mercy seat, was to provide an object lesson about pride. Lucifer was the only one of his kind before his fall. He was lifted up because of his beauty. So as an object lesson, God creates two cherubs facing each other. They can "see" that there is another one just like them and they are not so special or unique.

Lucifer or Light bearer fits perfectly because Satan was a very bright, beautiful, light reflecting creature before his fall, and he now transforms himself into an angel of light to deceive.

Those that say, like the NKJV footnote, that the Hebrew reads literally "morning star" are simply making this up (that is a kind way of saying they are lying). As you know, the words "morning star" are used in other places in Scripture, but not here in Isaiah 14:12. So I would say that the name Lucifer in Isaiah is exactly what it should be; it is an excellent translation." (end of response)

Lucifer seems to be the personal name of this powerful spiritual entity who wants to be like the most High God and he is also known as Satan and the devil. A host of modern dictionaries and encyclopedias, including Webster's 1999 edition, Word Net. Dictionary, American Heritage Dictionary, Wordsmyth English Dictionary, and Encyclopedia Com. all define Lucifer as Satan and the devil. This is not a new doctrine, nor is it an old one that has passed out of favor.

Another objection I have heard raised against understanding Isaiah 14:12 as referring to the fall of Satan is this. Some have pointed to verse 16 where those who witness this fall say: "Is this THE MAN that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms...that opened not the house of his prisoners?" They then ask How is it possible to call Satan A MAN?

Initially this might seem like a good point, but if you read The Bible more carefully you will also see that God Himself is called a MAN, and the angels, and Satan too. In Exodus 15:3 Moses and the children of Israel sing a song of deliverance saying: "The LORD is A MAN of war; the LORD is his name." The Hebrew word "man" is in the text and is so rendered by the RV, ASV, ESV, NKJV and many others, though the NASB, NIV have paraphrased this as "The Lord is a warrior".

Angels as well are referred to a "men" in the Scriptures. In Genesis 18-19 we see three MEN come to Abraham. Two of them are angels as seen from 19:1 and one of them is God. Yet they are called "men" several times in these two chapters. See Genesis 18:2,16,22; and 19:1,10,12 and 16.

Then in the New Testament, Mark 2:22-27 the Lord Jesus talks about casting out Satan and says: "No man can enter into a strong MAN'S house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong MAN; and then he will spoil his house.'

Those who attack the King James Bible and say that we who believe and defend it are not using the facts, may not be aware that there are many differing scholarly opinions and Bible versions, and many of them agree with the King James Bible. Those who criticize the KJB do not believe that any Bible or any text in any language is now the inerrant words of God. They have no final authority as to what are the true words of God and are left to their own changeable opinions and preferences.

The King James Bible is the perfect word of the living God. It alone, like the incarnate Word of God of Whom it testifies, is the faithful and true witness.

Will Kinney

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Lucifer or Morning Star?

In Isaiah 14:12 the King James Holy Bible (and MANY others, as we shall soon see) reads: "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit."

The reason this passage is attacked by the modern bible version proponents is because the NASB, RSV, Holman Standard, NIV, St. Joseph New American Bible, Jerusalem Bible, and many others have translated this section in a VERY different way. Instead of, "How art thou fallen from heaven, O LUCIFER. . .", they say, "How you have fallen from heaven, O MORNING STAR. . ." or "DAY STAR"


One of the loopier new versions that has caught the imagination of the "No Bible in any language is the infallible words of God" crowd (and that is the majority of Christians today) is Daniel Wallace and company's NET version, (affectionately known to Bible believers as the NUT version.) They translate it as "O shining one, son of the dawn" and then they have this amazingly convoluted footnote:

"The Hebrew text has "helel ben-shakhar, “Helel son of Shachar”, which is probably a name for the morning star (Venus) or the crescent moon. What is the background for the imagery in vv. 12-15? This whole section (vv. 4b-21) is directed to the king of Babylon, who is clearly depicted as a human ruler. Other kings of the earth address him in vv. 9ff., he is called “the man” in v. 16, and, according to vv. 19-20, he possesses a physical body. Nevertheless the language of vv. 12-15 has led some to see a dual referent in the taunt song. These verses, which appear to be spoken by other pagan kings to a pagan king (cf. vv. 9-11), contain several titles and motifs that resemble those of Canaanite mythology, including references to Helel son of Shachar, the stars of El, the mountain of assembly, the recesses of Zaphon, and the divine title Most High. Apparently these verses allude to a mythological story about a minor god (Helel son of Shachar) who tried to take over Zaphon, the mountain of the gods. His attempted coup failed and he was hurled down to the underworld. The king of Babylon is taunted for having similar unrealized delusions of grandeur. Some Christians have seen an allusion to the fall of Satan here, but this seems contextually unwarranted." (Wallace's NET (NUT) version)
Doug Kutilek, who himself does not believe that any Bible in any language is the complete and 100% true words of God, andwho tells us that regarding the N.T. he accepts neither the Textus Receptus, nor the Westcott-Hort influenced critical texts, but thinks that he needs to evaluate every reading for himself before he decides which readings are right and which are not, (in other words Kutilek is his own authority) thinks he has irrefutable proof that Isaiah 14:12 is talking about the planet Venus.

Mr. Kutilek points out in one of his articles criticizing Lucifer in the KJB that the marginal reading of the King James Bible says: "or, O day star", and thus, he thinks, the KJB translators were on the side of the modern versions. It should be pointed out that we King James Bible believers do not believe the KJB translators were inspired nor do we believe their own thoughts, their Preface or their own theology was always right. We believe and defend THE TEXT of the King James Bible as having been guided by God Almighty to give us His perfect words of 100% truth. God overruled the occasional marginal readings and guided them to put in THE TEXT what He wanted to be there. The Hebrew does not mean "day star", and though there is a relationship between the planet Venus and what is called the morning star, the Isaiah passage is actually referring to the fall of Lucifer, who became Satan, and not some planet wanting to be like God.

The only thing the marginal notes show is that among the sixty some translators who worked on the King James Bible not all of them were agreed on how to translate numerous words or passages. The marginal notes refer to ideas other translators entertained but which were rejected in the final TEXT. You can see many of these marginal notes throughout the whole Bible. For example, in Isaiah 6:9 we read "Here ye indeed, but understand not" - marginal note "Or, without ceasing". Isaiah 9:1 "in Galilee of the nations" - or, populous (Galilee)"; Isaiah 9:16 "the leaders of this people cause them to err" - or, "they that call them blessed"; Isaiah 14:4 "the golden city ceased" - or, "the exactress of gold"; Isaiah 14:9 "stirreth up...all the chief ones of the earth" - or, "the great goats"; and Isaiah 15:7 "to the brook of the willows" - or, "the valley of the Arabians". We do not defend the marginal notes, but the words God caused to be placed into the TEXT of the King James Bible as being inspired and 100% true.

The Funk and Wagnalls Standard College Dictionary defines Lucifer as 1. The archangel who led the revolt of the angels and fell from heaven: identified with Satan. and 2. The planet Venus when it appears as the morning star.

There are several problems with the translation "O morning star", but first let me point out that there are as many opinions in Bible commentaries as to who or what is being referred to as there are bible versions. Some absolutely deny that it has anything to do with the fall of Satan. Others believe this passage refers to the king of Babylon, whom many identify as king Nebuchadnezzar; others believe it refers to Belshazzar, some say it speaks of the Antichrist, and others as the kingdom of Babylon itself. Amazingly, some even support the idea that it was the planet Venus that wanted to be like God and will be cast down to hell.
Many others see Isaiah 14:12 as referring to the Satanic spiritual power behind the king and kingdom of Babylon. There is little agreement among scholars as to who or what is being addressed in this passage or how to translate it.

The problem with the translation, "MORNING STAR" (#1966- haylale), is that the words "morning" and "star" are not found here in ANY Hebrew text. (Morning is #1242- boker and star is #3556- kokawb)

The word for star IS found in verse 13, where it says: "I will exalt my throne above the stars of God." The two words, morning and star, are found together in Job 38:7, where God is asking Job in verse 4, "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?. . . When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" This might be a reference to the angels who rejoiced at God's creation, or the "morning stars" that sang may well be an anthropomorphism of the first created literal stars "singing". God also describes mountains and hills as singing and trees of the field clapping their hands (See Isaiah 55:12).

Another serious problem with rendering this word (#1966 Haylale) as "morning star" is that Jesus Christ himself is called the morning star in Rev. 22:16 where he says: "I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star." The NIV and NASB make it possible to identify Satan with Jesus Christ. I believe this is Lucifer's ultimate game plan and that the new versions have taken a giant step forward in advancing Satan's deception.

In fact, if you take a look at the notes on Isaiah 14:12 in the Amplified bible (put out by the same people who gave us the NASB), you will find the following "explanation": "'Light-bringer' or 'Shining one' was originally translated Lucifer, but because of the association of that name with Satan it is not now used. Some students feel that the application of the name Lucifer to Satan, in spite of the long and confident teaching to that effect, is erroneous. Lucifer, the light-bringer is the Latin equivalent of the Greek word Phosphoros, which is used as a title of Christ in 2 Peter 1:19 and corresponds to the name 'bright Morning Star' in Revelation 22:16, which Jesus called Himself."

The word translated as Lucifer in the KJB occurs only once in the Hebrew, just as the word Lucifer occurs only once in the Holy Bible. It is a noun and it comes from a very interesting verb #1984 hawlal. This verb is used many times and has many very different meanings including: "to shine, to be foolish, to boast, to glory, to praise, and to be mad (insane or crazy)".

Isn't it interesting that Satan boasts and glories in his wisdom and power, wants to receive praise as god, shines as an angel of light to deceive, and his madness in wanting to be like the most High is ultimately the height of foolishness?

Some Bible critics get a bee in their bonnets about the translation Lucifer and they claim this is merely a Latin word, and they ask why does the King James Bible have a Latin translation in it. This is a really silly objection if you think about it. In 382 A.D. Jerome translated from the Hebrew into Latin and he believed Lucifer (bearing light) was the best translation to depict who this entity was that wanted to be like God and fell from heaven. In 425 the Latin Vulgate did the same and later on the Latin Clementine version did likewise. The 2005 electronic edition of the Latin Clementine reads this way: "Quomodo cecidisti de cælo, Lucifer, qui mane oriebaris?" You can see this Latin translation online here - http://vulsearch.sourceforge.net/html/index.html



Numerous other Bible translators agree. If you begin to criticize the Latin, you get yourself into all kinds of problems. Numerous words found in the English language come directly from Latin. In the Bible we get such words as justice = Latin iustitiam; sacrifice = sarificium; cross = crucem; saint= sancti; and revelation = revelationis, to name but a very few. Yet not one of these English words looks anything remotely like the literal Hebrew and Greek words in the texts from which we get our English translations. The Latin gave us many good words that eventually were carried over into English.

The Greek Septuagint and Modern Greek Today

It is also highly significant that the so called Greek Septuagint (LXX) also agrees with the reading of Lucifer. In the common copy of what is know as the Greek Septuagint, the Isaiah passage reads: ??? ?????? ?? ??? ???????, ? ???????" and the English translation is "How has Lucifer, that rose in the morning, fallen from heaven." There are also at least three English translations of the Septuagint or Siniaticus copies, and all three of them translate it as Lucifer. The Septuagint online English translation can be see here

- http://ecmarsh.com/lxx/Esaias/index.htm

where it says: "How has Lucifer, that rose in the morning, fallen from heaven!" In addition to this there are The Septuagint Bible of 1954 by A.C. Muses, and the 2009 Old Testament According to the Septuagint. Then there is the modern Greek meaning of the word ???????. I have in my study a modern day Greek-English dictionary. It is called Divry's Modern English-Greek and Greek-English Desk Dictionary, published by D. C. Divry, Inc. Publishers New York 1974. If you look under the English Lucifer page 182 you get ???????, and if you look up the word ??????? on page 523 (the same Greek word found in all copies of the Greek Septuagint) you get the English word Lucifer.

There is also an online English to Greek Dictionary. Simply go to the site - http://www.kypros.org/cgi-bin/lexicon Then type in the word Lucifer and what you come up with in Greek is this same word ??????? that is found in the Septuagint translations and the Modern Greek Old Testament too.

The reasons I believe the King James Bible reading of Lucifer is correct are many. First, if this passage is not referring to the fall of Satan, also known as the dragon, the old serpent, the devil, leviathan, Beelzebub, etc., then we have no account in Scripture as to how he, who was originally created by God as good, became what he is today.

In I Timothy 3:6 we are told that a bishop should not be a novice "lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil." We are also told that Satan wishes to be worshipped. We see in the temptation in the wilderness that he came to Jesus Christ and said: "All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." Where are this desire to be like the most High God and the pride that resulted in his condemnation recorded in the Scriptures except here in Isaiah 14:12-15? The fall of Satan is not found anywhere else in the whole Bible except here.

Secondly, I disagree with those that argue that only the king of Babylon is being referred to in Isaiah 14:12 and not the fall of Satan. Many say it refers to king Nebuchadnezzar. A big problem with this view is that Nebuchadnezzar became a worshipper of the true God and his miraculous conversion is recorded in Daniel chapter 4. Nebuchadnezzar will not "be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit", but rather will be with the Lord Jesus Christ and his redeemed for all eternity. Another problem is that if the passage refers to an earthly king, then how did he get into heaven from whence he fell?

Thirdly, I and many others believe that Lucifer or Satan's fall is recorded here, and that he, the devil, was the real spiritual power behind the kingdom of Babylon. Babylon also appears prominently again in the book of Revelation as the kingdom of the beast and both are spiritually empowered by Satan and his devils.

David Guzik's commentary notes (Caps are mine): "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! Here, the prophet identifies the king of Babylon as Lucifer, son of the morning. Some debate if Lucifer is a name or a title... The prophetic habit of speaking to both a near and a distant fulfillment, the prophet will sometimes speak more to the near or more to the distant. HERE IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF ISAIAH SPEAKING MORE TO THE DISTANT, ULTIMATE FULFILLMENT. It is true that the king of literal Babylon shined brightly among the men of his day, and fell as hard and as completely as if a man were to fall from heaven. BUT THERE WAS A FAR MORE BRIGHTLY SHINING BEING WHO INHABITED HEAVEN, AND FELL EVEN MORE DRAMATICALLY - THE KING OF SPRITUAL BABYLON, SATAN."

The 1609 Douay-Rheims Bible has a note on "O Lucifer" in Isaiah 14:12 that says, "O Lucifer. . .O day star. All this, according to the letter, is spoken of the king of Babylon. It may also be applied, in a spiritual sense, to Lucifer the prince of devils, who was created a bright angel, but fell by pride and rebellion against God."

Commentator Dr. Henry M. Morris states: "Although the prophecy in Isaiah 14 is directed toward the earthly king of Babylon, here it goes far beyond him (he could never fall from heaven) to the wicked spirit possessing his body and inspiring his actions. Just as Satan possessed and used the serpent's body in Eden, so he does here with Babylon's king..."

Gregory of Nyssa, A.D. 382, Against Eunomius, Book I, chapter 22: "as the Scripture says in the description of the fall of the morning star, the mysteries on which subject are revealed by our Lord to His disciples: "I saw Satan falling like lightning from heaven."

A.D. 400 - The Apology of Rufinus, Book I, chapter 34 ("Principalities and Powers"): "the Apostle means by these expressions the rebellious angels, and the prince of this world, and Lucifer who once was the morning star, over whom in the end of the age the saints must sit with Christ...the rebellious angels and the prince of this world, and Lucifer who once was the morning star"

Jonathan Edwards, (circa 1750) Volume II, Miscellaneous Discourses, XI. Miscellaneous Observations, II. Fall of the Angels: "This angel, before his fall, was the chief of all the angels, of greatest natural capacity, strength, and wisdom, and highest in honour and dignity, the brightest of all those stars of heaven, as is signified by what is said of him, under that type of him, the king of Babylon, Isa. xiv. 12. "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!"

Charles H. Spurgeon, in a sermon delivered on January 10th, 1864, said "We can scarcely think that all devils are Satans. There seems to be one chief arch-spirit, one great Diabolus, who is an accuser of the brethren-one mighty Lucifer, who fell down from heaven and has become the prince of the powers of darkness. In all his hosts it is probable that there is not his like. He stands first and chief of those fallen morning stars; the rest of the spirits may stand in different grades of wickedness, a hierarchy of hell."

Smith's Bible Dictionary of 1901 says regarding the name Lucifer: "Its application, from St. Jerome downward, to Satan in his fall from heaven arises probably from the fact that the Babylonian empire is in Scripture represented as the type of tyrannical and self idolizing power, and especially connected with the empire of the Evil One in the Apocalypse."

Revelation 18:2 says: "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit...", and very significantly we read in Revelation 13: 1-2, "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having SEVEN HEADS and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a LION, and THE DRAGON GAVE HIM HIS POWER, and his seat, and great authority."

I understand this beast which has 7 heads and 10 horns to be a combination of the four world powers depicted in the book of Daniel, of which the king of Babylon was the lion and one of the 7 heads mentioned. In the book of Revelation we see that the dragon gave him his power. Satan himself is the spiritual power behind the kingdom of the beast and he finally gets the worship he has always wanted - "And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast..." Revelation 13:4.

Fourthly, many Bible critics say Lucifer is a mistranslation of the Hebrew and that the KJB has been responsible for this misconception and confusion. It should be pointed out that the KJB is not the first or the only Bible version to so understand and translate this passage in Isaiah 14:12. All English Bibles before the KJB of 1611 also have the word Lucifer in them. This includes Wycliffe 1395, Coverdale's 1535, the Great Bible 1540, Matthew's Bible (John Rogers) 1549, Bishop's Bible 1568, and the Geneva Bible 1599.

Lucifer is also found in the Latin Vulgate 425 A.D., the Douay 1950 Catholic bible though all later Catholic versions like the Jerusalem Bible and the St. Joseph New American Bible now agree with the NIV, NASB, RSV versions and have "morning star". However the latest 2009 Catholic Public Domain Version has now gone back to reading "Lucifer". You can see this 2009 Bible translation here

- http://www.sacredbible.org/catholic/index.htm



Lucifer is also the reading found in Daniel Webster's 1833 translation, Noyes Translation 1869 and Darby's 1890 version. The Romanian Cornilescu Bible - "Luceafar" as well as the 1569 Spanish Sagradas Escrituras read Lucifer - "¡Cómo caíste del cielo, oh Lucifer, hijo de la mañana!" Lucifer is also the reading of the 2004 Spanish Reina Valera Gomez bible, that can be seen here http://www.reinavaleragomez.com/RVGhtml/index.html . It says: ¡Cómo caíste del cielo, oh Lucifer, hijo de la mañana! Cortado fuiste por tierra, tú que debilitabas las naciones." Czech Kralika (1613) lucifere; Romanian Cornilescu (to present) Luceafar , the Albanian Bible - "Vallë, si ke rënë nga qielli, o Lucifer". The New Italian Diodati of 1991 reads: "Come mai sei caduto dal cielo, o Lucifero", Lucifer is also the reading in the 1982 NKJV, the 21st Century KJV 1994, The Brenton Translation 1851, the Calvin Bible 1855, the Word of Yah translation of 1993, the 2008 Natural Israelite Bible, the 2008 Ancient Roots Transliteration Bible, the 2001 Urim-Thummin Version, the 2000 English Jubilee Bible, the Knox Bible 'You' Version 2009, The Septuagint Bible of 1954 by C.A. Muses, the Old Testament According to the Septuagint of 2009 - "How is Lucifer fallen from heaven, that rose up in the morning!", and the Third Millenium Bible 1998.

Ryrie's Scofield bible and Dakes annotated bible make reference to the fact that many early church fathers (among these Tertullian 160-220 A.D., Origen 185-254 A. D., and Gregory the Great), saw the passage in Isaiah 14 as referring to the fall of Satan. The idea that the passage refers to the fall of Satan did NOT originate with Jerome (384 A.D), though he also believed this. Tertullian lived almost 200 years before Jerome, and he held this view.

Bible versions that contain the Scofield notes, including the NIV Scofield edition, say regarding the Lucifer of Isaiah 14:12: "Verses 12-14 evidently refer to Satan, who, as prince of this world-system (See Scofield "Revelation 13: is the real unseen ruler of the successive world- powers. Tyre, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, etc. (see Ezekiel 28:12-14) Lucifer, "day-star," can be none other that Satan. This tremendous passage marks the beginning of sin in the universe. When Lucifer said, "I will," sin began.

The Encyclopedia Britannica says: "The Church Fathers interpreted the words of Jesus in Luke 10:18, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven," as a reference to this passage in Isaiah, so that "Lucifer" came to be regarded as the name of Satan before his fall."

The Random House 1999 Webster's dictionary gives the following definitions of Lucifer. The first one listed is "a proud rebellious archangel, identified with Satan, who fell from heaven." The second one is: "the planet Venus when appearing as the morning star." Of these two, I don't think it was the planet Venus that wanted to be like God and exalt its throne above the stars of God, do you?

On one of the internet Bible clubs I belong to, I was discussing this passage with another Christian who said Lucifer was a bad translation of the Hebrew text. Here is part of our dialogue.

"My aim has not been to argue that the Isaiah text is irrelevant to our understanding of Satan's downfall: we're probably not so far apart as it sometimes seems. Whilst "Lucifer" is a bad translation of heylel in Is 14:12 it is actually a good exposition of the text from a biblical-theological perspective. Since our discussions here usually focus on the questions of translation we often miss the fact that we're largely in agreement doctrinally." (end of statement)

(My response) "Well, I'm glad we tend to see this passage in a similar way doctrinally, but I would disagree with you that Lucifer is a bad translation. We know that one of the primary meanings of the verb from which Hehlel is derived is "to shine". Lucifer literally means "light bearing or light bearer". The other passage that traditionally speaks of Satan is Ezekiel 28:12-19.

First the prince of Tyrus is addressed, then beginning with verse 12 the king of Tyrus is spoken to. The king seems to be the spiritual power behind the earthly prince. This "king" is also called the anointed cherub that covereth who was in the mountain of God. He was also in the garden of Eden. Part of his description is being covered with many precious stones and gold. He walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire, and verse 17 says: "Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness". Apparently this covering cherub was resplendent and reflected bright lights and colors - thus "light bearer" or Lucifer.

Many Christians have thought that the reason God made two cherubs facing each other over the mercy seat, was to provide an object lesson about pride. Lucifer was the only one of his kind before his fall. He was lifted up because of his beauty. So as an object lesson, God creates two cherubs facing each other. They can "see" that there is another one just like them and they are not so special or unique.

Lucifer or Light bearer fits perfectly because Satan was a very bright, beautiful, light reflecting creature before his fall, and he now transforms himself into an angel of light to deceive.

Those that say, like the NKJV footnote, that the Hebrew reads literally "morning star" are simply making this up (that is a kind way of saying they are lying). As you know, the words "morning star" are used in other places in Scripture, but not here in Isaiah 14:12. So I would say that the name Lucifer in Isaiah is exactly what it should be; it is an excellent translation." (end of response)

Lucifer seems to be the personal name of this powerful spiritual entity who wants to be like the most High God and he is also known as Satan and the devil. A host of modern dictionaries and encyclopedias, including Webster's 1999 edition, Word Net. Dictionary, American Heritage Dictionary, Wordsmyth English Dictionary, and Encyclopedia Com. all define Lucifer as Satan and the devil. This is not a new doctrine, nor is it an old one that has passed out of favor.

Another objection I have heard raised against understanding Isaiah 14:12 as referring to the fall of Satan is this. Some have pointed to verse 16 where those who witness this fall say: "Is this THE MAN that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms...that opened not the house of his prisoners?" They then ask How is it possible to call Satan A MAN?

Initially this might seem like a good point, but if you read The Bible more carefully you will also see that God Himself is called a MAN, and the angels, and Satan too. In Exodus 15:3 Moses and the children of Israel sing a song of deliverance saying: "The LORD is A MAN of war; the LORD is his name." The Hebrew word "man" is in the text and is so rendered by the RV, ASV, ESV, NKJV and many others, though the NASB, NIV have paraphrased this as "The Lord is a warrior".

Angels as well are referred to a "men" in the Scriptures. In Genesis 18-19 we see three MEN come to Abraham. Two of them are angels as seen from 19:1 and one of them is God. Yet they are called "men" several times in these two chapters. See Genesis 18:2,16,22; and 19:1,10,12 and 16.

Then in the New Testament, Mark 2:22-27 the Lord Jesus talks about casting out Satan and says: "No man can enter into a strong MAN'S house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong MAN; and then he will spoil his house.'

Those who attack the King James Bible and say that we who believe and defend it are not using the facts, may not be aware that there are many differing scholarly opinions and Bible versions, and many of them agree with the King James Bible. Those who criticize the KJB do not believe that any Bible or any text in any language is now the inerrant words of God. They have no final authority as to what are the true words of God and are left to their own changeable opinions and preferences.

The King James Bible is the perfect word of the living God. It alone, like the incarnate Word of God of Whom it testifies, is the faithful and true witness.

Will Kinney

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