The Bible is the Word of God

There are some who actually teach that the Bible is not the Word of God.  One such man teaches, “The WORD OF GOD is JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF, it is NOT A BOOK, it is not a physical Book, that is deception. The Book tells us about Jesus Christ, that which other people have experienced, their witness of God and Jesus Christ, but we must KNOW JESUS and HEAR FROM HIS SPIRIT…The Bible is not the WORD OF GOD, JESUS IS THE WORD OF GOD.”

Some of this is true and some is false.  It’s true that Jesus is the Word of God and that we must know Jesus and hear from His Spirit.  But it is false to say that the Bible is not the Word of God.  Let me show from Scripture why that is false.

Jesus is the Word of God
John records in his gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  (Joh 1:1)  Then he says, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (Joh 1:14).  It is clear from the context of this passage that John is referring to Jesus Christ.  He taught that Jesus is the Word of God and that He is God.

Later in his account of the apocalypse, known as Revelation, John said of Jesus that “He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.” (Rev 19:13).  This is a basic truth that Christians widely agree upon.

Jesus said the Scripture is the Word of God
But in addition, we need to understand that the Scripture is also the Word of God.  Jesus said so Himself!  Jesus told the Pharisees and scribes, "But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God," he is not to honor his father or his mother.' And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition.” (Mat 15:5-6)

The Pharisees and scribes taught people to follow traditions of men.  For example, they taught their disciples that when they devoted a gift to God, they were not under any obligation to share any of that money with their own parents.  So even if their parents had a need for financial help, they told their disciples that they could refuse to give help to their parents on the basis that the gift had been completely devoted to God, and could not be shared with anyone else. 

Jesus said that by doing this, they invalidated the Word of God.  They made the Word of God null and void.  They essentially taught their disciples not to be concerned with the fifth commandment to honor your mother and father.  They taught their disciples that this man-made tradition has a greater importance than the commandment of God – the Word of God.  In other words, it was like deleting a verse from the Scripture.

Many religious teachers do this today.  For example, they teach people to bow down to men and kiss the rings of men.  In doing so, they teach people that this man-made tradition is more important than God’s own Word in the second commandment, which says we must make no idols or bow down to them.  And they do many things like this today.  They teach men to call them by titles like “Father,” even though Jesus Himself warned us to call no man “father”.  He said, "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant.” (Mat 23:8-11). These examples are sufficient to prove that many today still invalidate the Word of God with their man-made traditions.

When Jesus told the Pharisees and scribes that they invalidated the Word of God with their traditions, he was speaking of the Law – the Scriptures.  He was not speaking of Himself as a person.  If that were so, then He would be teaching that it is possible to nullify Him or invalidate Him.  We know that cannot be done.  So it is clear from the context that Jesus referred to Scripture as the Word of God.

Another time when Jesus called the Scripture the Word of God was in the wilderness, when He was tempted by the devil.  Satan tempted Him to turn a stone into bread to satisfy His hunger, “But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'" (Mat 4:4)  Jesus said must live on every word that proceeds out of God’s mouth.  In this case, He was not speaking about Himself personally when He used the expression “every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”.

On another occasion, Jesus used the expression “the Word of God.”  The Jews were preparing to stone Him for calling Almighty God His Father, thus making Himself out to be God’s Son.  “The Jews answered Him, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God." Jesus answered them, "Has it not been written in your Law, 'I SAID, YOU ARE GODS'? "If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?” (Joh 10:33-36)

Jesus responded by quoting the Psalm that quotes what the Lord says to the rulers when He judges them.  In that Psalm, the Lord says to the human rulers, “I said, ‘You are gods, And all of you are sons of the Most High. Nevertheless you will die like men And fall like any one of the princes.’" (Psa 82:6-7).  Jesus pointed out that the Word of God came to these human rulers.  If the Word of God came to them, then that proves they were mere men.  And Jesus showed that God calls the rulers “gods”. He even calls them “sons of the Most High” God. He used that to prove to his opponents that God even calls men gods and sons of God.  Therefore, Jesus proved that it should not be considered blasphemy for Him, the One whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, to be called the son of God.

Now in this passage, notice that Jesus said the Word of God came to these human rulers?  He was referring to the Scriptures, since the Jews He spoke to would all know that these rulers had received the Law, which they understood to be God’s Word.  So in these and other passages, Jesus taught that Scripture is the Word of God. Therefore, to say that the Bible is not the Word of God is to contradict what Jesus Himself said, as recorded in the Bible!

The Words of Jesus Recorded in the Bible are God’s Word
And we know that in the New Testament, particularly the gospels, much of what is recorded are the words of Jesus Himself.  Who could argue that this is not the Word of God? 

Jesus said, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” (Joh 6:63)  His Words are Spirit and Life.  Wherever the Bible records the Words of Jesus, these are the Word of God.  These words have the power to give eternal life and save your soul! So to say that the Bible is not the Word of God is to say that Jesus’ words recorded in the Bible are not the Word of God.  That is blasphemous.

The apostles certainly agreed with Jesus’ teaching about His own words, and they regarded His words with the highest reverence.  “Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.’” (Joh 6:68)

The disciples spoke the Word of God
And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. (Act 4:31)

“So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, ‘It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables.’” (Act 6:2)  The apostles were saying that they did not want to neglect the study and preaching of the Word of God.

As the apostles preached the Word of God, it spread.  “The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.” (Act 6:7)

“When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper.” (Act 13:5)

“Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, ‘It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.’” (Act 13:46)

There are many other passages of Scripture that show us the Word of God is preached and spoken, and is synonymous with Scripture.

Pauls’ Teachings and Writings Are God’s Word
Paul, Silas, and Timothy wrote to the Thessalonians and said, “For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.” (1Th 2:13).  The Thessalonians heard the Word of God from Paul and his companions.  And the Thessalonians accepted the message they heard as the very Word of God, which it really is!

Not only were the messages Paul preached the Word of God, but so were his writings.   Peter affirmed this when he wrote: “and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.” (2Pe 3:15-16)

Here Peter taught that Paul wrote in all his letters according to the wisdom given to him, and that some things Paul wrote are hard to understand.  Peter also said that ignorant and unstable men distorted the things Paul said in his writings, just as they do the rest of the Scriptures. 

If I say, “I am going to do to this person what I also do for the rest of the children,” then we know that the person I am writing about is a child.  If I say, “I am going to paint this one the same color I paint all the rest of the cars,” then we know this vehicle I speak of is a car.  And when Peter says these ignorant men distort Paul’s writings the way they do the rest of the Scriptures, we know that Paul’s writings are Scripture, according to Peter.   Paul’s writings make up half the New Testament.  So just as Jesus referred to the Old Testament as “Scripture” and the “Word of God,” Peter also referred to half the New Testament as "Scripture," which is the same as saying it is the Word of God.  This agrees with what Paul himself said to the Thessalonians that the word he proclaimed to them was the very Word of God.  Why should it surprise us that his letters that have become included in our New Testament Bible are also Scripture?

The Scripture Originated with God
The Scripture did not have its origin with man, but with God.  Peter wrote, “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” (2Pe 1:20-21).  The Scripture originated with God and through the agency of the Holy Spirit in the lives of men, it was both spoken and written.

Paul also taught this.  He wrote to Timothy, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2Ti 3:16-17).  He taught that God inspires all Scripture.  The Greek word that we translate as "inspired" is "theopneustos," which means “God-breathed.” All Scripture is God-breathed and proceeds from God’s mouth, including the Old Testament and the writings of Paul found in the New Testament.

The Word has the power to save your soul
Anyone who says the Bible cannot save you is lying.  This is a play on words that has no intrinsic value except shock value.

Paul wrote to Timothy, “You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (2Ti 3:14-15).  He was saying that Timothy had known the sacred writings or Scriptures from childhood, and that the Scriptures gave Timothy wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul said, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." (Rom 1:16).  The gospel is the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ that we proclaim, and which is written in Scripture.  Paul said it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.

Of course, the only way to be saved is through faith in Jesus Christ, not through Bible reading. In other words, no one will go to heaven because they simply read the Bible.  But if we do what the Bible says and put our faith in Jesus Christ, we will be saved.  Jesus also said that we must be not only hearers but doers of his commands.

James wrote, “Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.” (Jam 1:21).  James taught that the word of God has the power to save your souls!  They point us to Christ, who alone can save us, and they teach us how to live righteous lives pleasing to God. Since the Scripture is the Word of God, and Paul’s writings are Scripture, then Paul’s writings have the power to save your soul, too.

Mixing the Word with Faith
It's absolutely essential to mix the Word of God with faith.  The writer of Hebrews said, "Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard." (Heb 4:1-2).

The Israelites whom God brought out of Egypt heard the good news just as we have.  It was preached to them.  But they failed to combine the Word of God they heard with faith inside their hearts.  As a result, they hardened their hearts and did not enter His rest.  The word did not profit them, and it will not profit you, if you don't combine it with faith.  True faith will do what the Word says, and not simply hear it.

Hearing from God
In my post, called Hearing the Lord's Voice, I point out the need to hear the Lord's voice.  Each one of us needs to hear from Jesus for ourselves. But when we do hear from the Lord, one way we can confirm that it really was the Word is that it will line up with the Word of God.  If it is contrary to the Word, then it is not the voice of the Lord.

Many people will say they heard from God, when in fact they did not.  This problem goes back thousands of years to the false prophets in the Old Testament, and it continues today with false prophets and false teachers of our generation.  There must be a standard by which we can judge a teaching or a prophecy.  Certainly the Holy Spirit within us can help us to discern whether a word is truly from God.  But if we have the Word of God in our hearts from studying the Scriptures, we will be able to test what we hear against what we know the Bible says.

There have been heretics and there will be until the end. Some false teachers came along in the past and taught a different gospel.  But Paul said to the Galatians that if anyone preaches another gospel besides the one they heard from him, that person would be eternally condemned.

The easiest way to know if someone's message is the true gospel is to compare it against Scripture.  This is what the Bereans did.  Luke wrote about the Berean disciples, "Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." (Act 17:11)  It did not matter to the Bereans if it was Paul the apostle preaching, they wanted to check what he said against the Scriptures to see whether what he said was really so.  And this is how we should be as well.  Check what you hear by examining the Scriptures daily to see if what you hear aligns with God's Word.

Let me encourage you to study the Bible and know what it means, and apply it to your life.  "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth." (2Ti 2:15).  It's important that you know how to handle the Word correctly.

One of the ways the Lord speaks to us in through His Word.  Hearing from the Lord is not exclusively from the Holy Spirit without the Word.  And it is not exclusively from the Word without the Spirit.   In order to hear from the Lord, we must rely on both the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. When you read the Bible, ask the Lord to speak to you through His Word and to show you the whole truth.  Ask Him for understanding and expect to receive it.

Putting it All Together
So it is clear from Scripture that Jesus is the Word of God, the words of Jesus recorded in the Bible are God’s Word.  He Himself said the Scripture is the Word of God.  He referred to the Old Testament, including the psalms, as the Law, the Scripture, and the Word of God. 

We also know that the disciples spoke the Word of God.  The apostle Paul did this and the Thessalonians received his message as the Word of God, which it really is.  He also wrote letters, which were considered by Peter to be Scripture.  Since Scripture is synonymous with the Word of God, then Paul’s letters are the Word of God.  From this we can infer that the writings of the other apostles are also Scripture. 

All Scripture is inspired, in other words God-breathed.  No Scripture originated with man’s will, but with God.  All Scripture was communicated to man through the agency of the Holy Spirit.  And the word of God has the power to save your souls. 

It's very dangerous to tell people otherwise.  If people no longer accept the Bible as the Word of God as it really is, then they will certainly not obey what it says.  They will eventually get too busy to read what it says as well.  And after a while, these people will be so ignorant of what the Word says that they will be easily deceived by false teachers, who distort the Scriptures.

Therefore, anyone who teaches people that the Bible is not the Word of God is untaught and unstable, and is misleading others.  If we examine the Scriptures daily like the Bereans, we will find that what they are saying is not true. We should beware of such men, and correct them, if they are willing to receive it. The Scriptures teach that the Bible is the Word of God.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page, such as All Scripture must be fulfilled, The Uniqueness of God's Word, and The Bible Never Fails. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Understanding the Gaps in Scripture

Grand Canyon from the South Rim, near the NPS Visitor Center

Back in 2003, my wife and I had an unexpected opportunity to visit the Grand Canyon in Arizona.  We never thought we could afford to go there.  But our Lord is an amazing God, and He provided.

One of my sisters and her husband graciously allowed us to stay in her time share condominium in the beautiful town of Sedona, Arizona.  Sedona is a fabulous Southwest vacation destination, also referred to as Red Rock Country.  And I used my sky miles from all the business travel I had been doing, so that we were able to get two free tickets round trip from Philadelphia.  I also had rewards points with Hertz rental car that enabled us to get a free car during our stay in Arizona.  Lastly, I had enough Marriott rewards points accumulated, so that we could stay at the very nice Courtyard Marriot in Phoenix on our first night there, before we traveled to the time share condominium in Sedona. I can't forget to mention that my wife's parents were gracious enough to watch our three girls for a week, while we took this fantastic get away.  All of this was unexpected.  The Lord provided it all free of charge as a wonderful surprise to us.

One of the things about the Grand Canyon is that when you stand next to it, you are overwhelmed with awe at the deep, vast expanse.  It's incredibly wide and deep.  I think the bottom of the canyon is about a mile down from where you stand on the rim.  Another thing about it is that when you look across the tops of some of the rock formations at certain angles, such as you see in the photo above, you cannot always tell that there is a huge gap between them.  It's not until you view them from a different angle that you see just how large a gap there is.

The Scriptures are like that, too.  There are some verses in the Bible that skip over large periods of time without any indication that they are doing so.  And when you read about the same events in other portions of Scripture, you get a view from a different angle, so to speak.  Sometimes you find out there was actually a large gap of time between two sentences. It’s important to be aware of this, so that when you read these passages and others like them, you can properly understand the meaning.

Here are some examples:

The First and Second Coming of Christ
The prophet Isaiah wrote: “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God…” (Isa 61:1-2)

About seven hundred years later, when Jesus began His public ministry, he began by reading this passage from Isaiah in the synagogue.  “And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, ‘THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.’ And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’"  (Luk 4:16-21)

Notice how Jesus stopped before reading the words “and the day of vengeance of our God.”  When He came the first time, it was not for the sake of vengeance, but to preach the gospel to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives, to proclaim recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, and to proclaims the year of the Lord’s favor.  As Paul later wrote, “Behold, now is ‘THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,’ behold, now is ‘THE DAY OF SALVATION.’” (2Co 6:2).  When Jesus came the first time, it was not to proclaim the day of vengeance of our God.  That will be when He comes the second time to execute judgment and punish His enemies.

So in Isaiah’s prophecy, there is a gap of at least two thousand years between two phrases in the same sentence: “the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God.”

The resurrection and the ascension
At the end of Luke’s gospel account of Jesus, He records the events that occurred from Jesus’ resurrection until the day He was taken up to heaven.

In the passage where he records Jesus’ appearance to His disciples in the locked room in Jerusalem, he states: “While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst and *said to them, ‘Peace be to you.’"  (Luk 24:36).  From that point, the passage continues until the end of the book, where Luke states, “And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven.” (Luk 24:50-51).

In this passage, it all seems to be one continuous event, as though Jesus led the disciples from that locked upper room all the way to Bethany on the same day, and then ascended into heaven.

However, in Luke’s second account of these events in Acts, he expands on this further and reveals that there was a span of forty days between Jesus’ resurrection and His ascension.

His second account begins like this: “The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, ‘Which,’ He said, ‘you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’” (Act 1:1-5)

Following his description of some of what Jesus said that day, Luke states: “And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.’” (Act 1:9-11)

So it becomes clear that there were forty days and many detailed events that occurred between Jesus’ resurrection and His ascension, which Luke left out in His first account.  It was apparently for the sake of brevity that he did not expand on these events the first time.  As John states in His gospel, “Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” (Joh 20:30-31) The gospels are not an exhaustive record of everything that Jesus said and did.  So when you read the last chapter of Luke, you need to be aware that this gap exists.

The Ascension and post-Pentecost Events
In Luke’s gospel and Acts, he give two different accounts of what happened after the ascension.  In his gospel, he states, “And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising God.” (Luk 24:50-53).  So in this record, it appears that the disciples returned to Jerusalem after the ascension and were immediately took up the practice of praising God continually in the temple.

However, in Acts, he clarifies that there was a gap of ten days that occurred between the ascension and their time of continual praise and rejoicing in the temple.  Luke records that immediately following the ascension: “Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.” (Act 1:12-14).  Here it is obvious that they first returned to the upper room in Jerusalem where they devoted themselves to prayer until the day of Pentecost.

Jesus’ death on the cross occurred on Passover, and his ascension was forty days later, according to Luke’s account in Acts 1:3.  The Feast of Pentecost occurs fifty days after Passover, so by simple math, we can determine that there was a period of ten days between the ascension and Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out.

The disciples were obedient to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit before they went into public to be witnesses for Jesus.  They knew they needed to first be endued with power in order to be His witnesses.  So it wasn’t until ten days after Jesus’ ascension that the disciples began to continually praise God in the temple courts.  This is another one of those gaps that occurs in Scripture. Luke’s first account leaves a period of ten days unaccounted for in Luke 24:52.  It was only later in his second account that Luke unpacked that further for us.

Paul’s first trips as a disciple to Damascus and Jerusalem
Luke leaves another gap in his record of events, and this time it is between Paul’s first visits to Damascus and Jerusalem as a Christian.

He records the events that occurred during Saul’s visit to Damascus immediately following his conversion to Christ: “But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ. When many days had elapsed, the Jews plotted together to do away with him, but their plot became known to Saul. They were also watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death; but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a large basket. When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. And he was with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord.” (Act 9:22-28)

In this passage, it seems like Paul went directly from Damascus to Jerusalem.  However, in Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he said his first trip to Jerusalem was three years after his Damascus road experience.  He wrote, “Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days. But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord's brother.” (Gal 1:18-19). This corresponds with Luke’s account, which says, “When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.” (Act 9:26).

So what seems like an immediate trip to Jerusalem in Luke's account did not occur until an period of three years had elapsed!

In the same epistle to the Galatians, Paul stated that the second time he went to Jerusalem was fourteen years after the first visit, and that Barnabas accompanied him on this second trip.  He wrote, “Then after an interval of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also.” (Gal 2:1).  This corresponds to Luke’s account, which states, “But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. And he was with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord.” (Act 9:27-28).  Barnabas did not go with Paul until his second trip to Jerusalem, and he was influential in helping Paul to obtain the right hand of fellowship with the apostles.

So what Luke covers in a couple sentences happened over a period of seventeen years total.  This included three years between Paul's trip to Damascus and later to Jerusalem, plus another fourteen years between Paul's first and second trips to Jerusalem.

Putting it All Together
These are just a few examples from Scripture that show how there are sometimes gaps in Scripture, where large periods of time exist between two sentences or two phrases in the same sentence.  These are not always further expanded elsewhere in Scripture, but when they are, it helps us to better understand what took place in the interim during the gap.

If we do not understand that these gaps exist, then we can become confused about the events of biblical history and arrive at wrong conclusions about what occurred.  This can sometimes lead to unbiblical theology, so we need to be careful and pray for a clear understanding of Scripture.

Paul’s instruction to Timothy applies to us with regard to this when he wrote, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” (2Ti 2:15).  We need to rightly divide the word of truth, and sometimes it requires us to divide phrases or sentences in Scripture.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The photo source is Couleurs de la Terre / Colours of the Earth

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page, such as The Bible is the Word of God, Read the Bible for All Its Worth!, The Uniqueness of God's Word, All Scripture must be fulfilled and The Bible Never Fails. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

God's Word Never Fails

Can we trust the Bible? Today there are plenty of people who would ask that question, so it's important to give a correct answer.

You see, if we question the infallibility of the Bible, that can give us an opportunity to excuse sinful behavior. In other words, it can lead to disobedience to God.

I personally believe the Bible is definitely infallible. God’s Word never fails. Let’s explore why I think so, as well as what infallibility means, and what it does not mean.

Scriptural Witness
First of all, the Scripture itself tells us that God’s Word is infallible. We learn from Scripture that God cannot lie, and that God inspired all Scripture.

The apostle Paul wrote to Titus, “in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago.” (Tit 1:2) Just as the writer of Hebrews taught (Hebrews 6:18), so also Paul taught that it is impossible for God to lie.

Other passages refer to the purity of God’s Word. The psalmist wrote: “Your word is very pure, Therefore Your servant loves it.” (Psa 119:140). And again, “The words of the LORD are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.” (Psa 12:6). Another passage says, “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.” (Psa 19:7-8). My friend, you can trust God’s Word to be pure and undefiled.

So what is the Word? We know that Jesus is the Word of God, according to the apostle John. He began his gospel with the statement, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (Joh 1:1). This entire passage is clearly about Jesus Christ. He also taught, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (Joh 1:14). Therefore, the Word is a Person, named Jesus Christ, who is God.

But we also know that there is the written Word of God. Paul wrote to the Romans “the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.” (Rom 3:2). When Jesus spoke to the Jewish, religious leaders of his day, He said, “thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that." (Mar 7:13). He said that they made the Word of God null and void by their traditions that they placed above Scripture.

Jesus often referred to the written Word of God as Scripture. For example, when he read from the sixty-first chapter of Isaiah, he said, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." (Luk 4:21).

The Word of God was also the message that Jesus proclaimed. “Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret.” (Luk 5:1). They were listening to the Word of God that was spoken by Jesus.

The good news of Jesus Christ was also considered the Word of God and was proclaimed by the early church. Luke wrote about them, “And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.” (Act 4:31). The apostles refused to neglect the Word of God. And as a result, “The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.” (Act 6:7).

Paul preached the Word of God. He said, “Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God.” (Col 1:25). He also wrote to the church in Thessalonica and said, "when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God." (1 Thes 2:13).

The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” (2Ti 3:16). While men wrote the Scriptures, we know that God inspired what they wrote. This includes the writings of the New Testament, such as those of the apostle Paul, who wrote thirteen of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament. The apostle Peter referred to Paul’s writings as Scriptures. He wrote, “… just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.” (2Pe 3:15-16). When Peter indicated that some people distorted Paul’s letters as they did “the rest of the Scriptures,” he indicated that Paul’s letters are themselves Scripture.

Jesus and the apostles used the Old Testament in a way that assumed it is inerrant. Jesus taught that every tiny detail of the Law must be fulfilled. "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Mat 5:18) In order for every stroke of Scripture to be fulfilled, it would have to be correct down to that level of detail. Paul assumed that when he wrote to the Galatians about the promise given to Abraham and Christ. He wrote, “Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ.” (Gal 3:16). Notice how Paul trusted the Word of God right down to the detailed level, even to the point of whether a word is singular or plural. We should have that same trust in God’s Word.

There is so much more I could write about the witness of scripture about itself as God’s Word. But this is enough to establish my point. All Scripture is God’s Word. He inspired it all. And since God cannot lie, the Word of God is true.

What infallibility does not mean
I’ve established what I mean by infallibility. Now I’d like to clarify that by saying what it does not mean. The autographs were the original sacred writings, written by the authors, as God inspired them. These were inerrant. But the manuscript copies of those original autographs are not perfect. Infallibility exists only in original manuscripts, and not the copies or translations.

There are instances where scribes have made mistakes in the way they copied the manuscripts. So there is the potential for error in these copies. And the same applies to modern translations, since these are based on manuscript copies. That’s why scholarly translation committees will take this into account and try to use the most reliable manuscripts on which to base their translation. Most of the errors that were made by scribes are not show stoppers. These don’t affect any major doctrines of the faith, so we don’t need to be worried about that. To that end, I think we can view most of the scholarly, modern translations (such as the NIV) as a faithful rendering of the original meaning of God’s Word to the extent that it is necessary for our daily walk with God.

In addition to that, the infallibility of the Bible doesn’t mean there are no errors in the Bible. Here’s what I mean. Not every statement made in the Bible is true. Some people are quoted in Scripture as saying things that are absolutely false. But these false statements are recorded accurately. For example, when Satan is quoted in Scripture, he is quoted accurately, even though we know he is a liar, according to Jesus. Likewise, when the enemies of Christ spoke lies about Jesus, they are quoted accurately, even though their statements were false. So I am not saying everything recorded in Scripture is true, but that God’s Word is completely accurate.

You also need to understand that when I say the Bible is accurate, I don’t mean exact. Sometimes approximations are given for the number of people present or someone’s age. These are not critical and are close enough for us to get the main point. When the Bible says Jesus fed five thousand men, it’s not an exact head count. There were about that many men. And to that you need to add the women and children. But it gives you a correct order of magnitude, so that you know he did not simply feed fifty or a hundred people.

We also find that the quotes of Old Testament passages that we find in the New Testament are not necessarily exact. They may be more of paraphrase. But it is close enough for us to know which passage they were referring to.

And when there is more than one record of the same event, the details may differ. The two witnesses of an event may give slightly different accounts. That’s why you may find slightly different accounts of how things happened, depending on which of the four gospels you read. Four different men wrote them. But the differences are not critical to our understanding of the essential doctrines of the faith.

We see this also in the Old Testament. In one record, it says that God incited King David to take a census count of Israel and Judah. Another record says Satan incited David to do it. One account says, “Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He incited David against them, saying, ‘Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.’” (2 Sa 24:1). Yet another account says, “Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.” (1 Chron 21:1). Which was it, God or Satan? You could get hung up on this. Or you could understand that it was God’s idea and He used Satan to carry out the work.

This understanding would agree with what we read in Job, for example. There we read, “Then Satan answered the LORD, ‘Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.’ Then the LORD said to Satan, ‘Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.’ So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD.” (Job 1:9-12) In the case of Job, the thought is from God, but the action from Satan. God allowed Satan to carry out an evil plan against His righteous servant, Job. Satan was given permission to act within very specific boundaries.

Then there is the passage where it is recorded that David killed the giant named Goliath (1 Samuel 17:4). Yet in another passage, it is written, “There was war with the Philistines again at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.” (2Sa 21:19). So in this second passage, it says Elhanan killed Goliath. Which man killed Goliath? Was it David or Elhanan? If you read Chronicles, which is a parallel account of the books of Samuel, it says, “And there was war with the Philistines again, and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.” (1Ch 20:5). So it is only when we read this third account that we understand Elhanan did not kill Goliath, but the brother of Goliath. It appears that when the scribe was copying the manuscript of 2 Samuel 21:19, he made a mistake. He left out the words for “brother of,” and simply wrote Goliath. This is a simple mistake that would be easy to make, and it does not affect any major doctrine.

Jesus once presented a parable saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES." (Mat 13:31-32).

Someone may point out that Jesus said the mustard seed is the smallest garden seed, yet it’s not the smallest seed. You might say the poppy seed is slightly smaller. Based on that fact, a person without faith may challenge the infallibility of God’s Word. He may wonder why Jesus Christ, who made the universe, does not know which seed is the smallest. But here’s another way to look at this with the eyes of faith. Most of the people Jesus was speaking to would not be familiar with the poppy seed. So Jesus used an illustration that everyone would be familiar with instead. Besides, it gave a better picture of the kingdom of God than a poppy seed, because of the contrast between the size of the mustard seed and the tree that it produces. This was a more fitting analogy of the kingdom of God, which starts small at the beginning and grows to be very large, a place where many can find refuge.

What is not the Word of God?
I just want to mention that there are some books of questionable authenticity, known as the Apocrypha, which are included in some Bibles. For example, the Catholic Bible contains these. It's important to note that these books are spurious. They include such books as Tobit, Judith, The Additions to the Book of Esther (contained in the Greek version of Esther), The Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, or the Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach, Baruch, The Letter of Jeremiah, The Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Jews, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, 1 Esdras, The Prayer of Manasseh, 2 Esdras, 3 Maccabees, 4 Maccabees, and Psalm 151.

The authors of these books never claimed to be inspired by God, nor were they ever cited by Christ or the apostles. There are many other reasons why these cannot be accepted as part of the canon of Scripture. But I simply want to make it clear that I am definitely not referring to these books when I use the terms "Bible," "Scripture," or "Word of God."

A word of caution
You should be careful not to jump to hasty conclusions about the Word of God, trying to find fault with it. You can get yourself into trouble doing that.

I saw an excellent video that illustrates this. A man is driving a concrete mixer truck down the street. He’s on his way home from work. He glances down and smiles at a photo of his lovely wife on the dashboard. He’s looking forward to seeing her when he gets home. But as he pulls up in front of the house, he sees a brand new, blue Mercedes convertible parked in his driveway. Unfortunately, he immediately gets suspicious of her.

He stops the truck, walks over to the window of the house, and is shocked by what he sees. Inside he sees a handsome man, dressed in a suit, hugging his wife. He is now certain that she is cheating on him. Assuming that the new sports car belongs to the man he saw embracing his wife, he backs his concrete mixer truck right into the car, denting the shiny vehicle. Then he proceeds to dump fresh, wet cement into the car.

As he is doing so, he looks into the house through the curtain once again. His wife notices him watching and is all excited to see him. She has nothing to hide, but waves her hand, beckoning him in. Then the handsome man that was hugging her stands beside her for a photo in front of the cameras. It is now obvious that his wife has just won a brand new car, and the sponsor of the prize is presenting the keys to her.

As the realization hits the husband that the car belonged to his wife and she was not cheating on him, he is mortified. But it’s too late. The car is filled to the top with cement! It’s ruined permanently. And all this was because he jumped to hasty conclusions. He didn’t trust his wife or think the best of her.

The same thing can happen when you read the Bible with an eye out for errors. If you assume the Bible is not true, then you may come up with reasons to support your assumption. But that’s a faulty starting point that will lead to dangerous consequences! You would be sorry in the end that you did that, just as the man who dumped concrete in his wife’s new car.

Putting it All Together
We know that God cannot lie, and that He inspired all Scripture. That includes both the Old and New Testament Scriptures. His Word is pure and without defilement. The Bible is infallible.

Jesus and the apostles used Scripture in a way that indicated they believed it was without error. All Scripture must be fulfilled, right down to the smallest detail!

But infallibility exists only in original manuscripts, and not the copies or translations. Even so, the errors in the manuscripts and modern translations are so minor that most of them cannot even be detected in the modern languages.

When you do see an inconsistency in the Bible, you should always start with the assumption that there is a good explanation for it. How you handle inconsistencies in the Bible depends on whether you trust the Lord and His Word. Your ability to harmonize Scripture depends on your faith.

If you believe that God inspired all Scripture, and that it is impossible for God to lie, you will not stumble over these things. The writer of Hebrews taught that those who did not mix the Word with faith disobeyed God. “For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.” (Heb 4:2). He goes on to say that they failed to enter their rest, because if their disobedience (Heb 4:6). And he warns us not to follow their example of disobedience. So always begin with an attitude of faith, trusting in the Word of God, Jesus Christ and the Scriptures.

Jesus is the stone that the Father has laid, and upon which the church is built. But he was a stone of stumbling for those who don’t believe (Rom 9:32-33). I hope that you will not stumble over Him.

Lastly, when you read the Scripture, you cannot understand it apart from the help of the Holy Spirit. If you try to, you will simply find the letter of the law. Keep in mind that the Spirit gives life, but the letter kills (2 Cor 3:6). Always pray before you read the Bible, humbling yourself before God, asking for Him to speak to you. Allow the Holy Spirit to show you what the Spirit was saying in the original passage. Look for the spirit of the Word, the heart of God, and the intent of what He meant. If you do, you will see that the Word of God is true, and it never fails.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. 

Author's note: This post was adapted from a message I recently heard preached at a church in Budapest, Hungary. If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page, such as The Bible is the Word of God, Read the Bible for All Its Worth!, All Scripture must be fulfilled, The Uniqueness of God's Word, and The Bible Never Fails. I also invite you to take a look at my collection of blogs at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Pros and Cons of the NIV

I have used the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible for over 28 years. I also use other versions like the NASB, but I prefer the NIV for reading, teaching, and preaching. When I have questions, I go to the original Hebrew or Greek, and also check other translations.

The American Family News Network recently reported that The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has voted "not to commend" the 2011 NIV Bible, because of its usage of gender-neutral language. The SBC argued at their annual gathering in Phoenix that the changes in the 2011 NIV update alter the Bible's theological message.

I am not a Southern Baptist, but I understand and share their concerns. They do not want anyone altering the original meaning of Scripture, and neither do I.

All Scripture is Inspired and Inerrant
Every translation has its weaknesses and strengths. I believe in the plenary inspiration of Scripture, and in its inerrancy, but these existed in the original manuscripts, known as autographs. The apostle Paul wrote, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2Ti 3:16-17). I absolutely agree with that. I believe God had preserved all His Words, every single one of them. 

But I would not say that every word in each of the modern translations is necessarily inspired or inerrant. To say that the copies of the original manuscripts were inspired and without error, and that a particular translation is inspired or inerrant is to (in my opinion) go beyond what Paul meant in 2 Tim 3:16. That would deny the known imperfections found in some copies of manuscripts, as well as in modern translations alike.

I still think that many of our modern English translations like the NASB are very good and give a faithful rendering of the original meaning in our modern language. I think they are solid and reliable. I do prefer the ones that were translated by diverse teams of scholars, rather than by individuals. And I prefer those that attempt to synthesize the various texts in the original languages (Hebrew and Greek), rather than translate from a single source.

Unfortunate Changes to the NIV
I don't agree with all of the changes made by the NIV committee. For example, I am not in favor of the gender-neutral language in the 2011 update. I personally would not buy a copy of the 2011 edition for myself or anyone else. I prefer the expression "man of God" to "servant of God." Just to make sure I was not being partial, I checked with my wife, and she felt that "man of God" is more specific; whereas "servant of God" blurs the meaning a bit.

I also wish they had kept the term "saints," and not replaced it with phrases like "the Lord's people." But I am not on the committee, and I am sure they could not possibly please everyone. Their goal was not to please people. It was to render the original meaning of Scripture with terms and expressions that are used today.

Response of the NIV Translation Committee
Please have a look at the document the committee produced about the new NIV update, before you pass judgment. They highlight many of the changes and the reasons for those changes.

I think there are some revisions you may like. You might also watch the very brief executive summary on the NIV update by Dr. Moo, the chairman of the translation committee. He stated that 95% of the previous NIV translation has been preserved in the 2011 version.

The committee has also posted a brief response to the Southern Baptist Convention, which is excellent. Additionally, they have posted a very good response to the recent review of The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW). If you really want to understand the heart of the NIV translation committee, you need to check out these brief documents.  

The NIV Translation Committee is made up of scholars from various evangelical denominations, some of which are egalitarian and others complimentarian. Although I am a complimentarian, I respect the diversity of the committee members. I believe they are guided by their philosophy of translation to preserve the original meaning of Scripture, not by a more narrow purpose, such as the stated agenda of the CBMW.

Ungodly Agenda?
Some people have gone so far as to say that the NIV translation committee has an "ungodly agenda." Is this true? 

First of all, it should be noted that the NIV was published by Zondervan, which is now owned by Harper Collins, the largest publisher in the world. Harper Collins has published many evil books like the satanic Bible. Moreover, the NIV has removed to the footnotes scores of verses from the Bible like Matthew 17:21, 18:11, 23:14; Mark 7:16, 9:44, 9:46; Luke 17:36, 23:17; John 5:4; and Acts 8:37. In fact, 21 out of 54 words in the Lord's Prayer recorded in Luke 11:2-4 have been removed and placed in the footnotes. That's 38% of the prayer! I could write an article about that. In no way am I saying the NIV is perfect. However, it is worth noting that all the verses cited above have been removed to the footnotes since the 1978 version was published, which was long before Zondervan was acquired by Harper Collins.

Regarding the use of gender neutral terms in the 2011 version, I can say with absolute certainty that it grossly violates the rules of English grammar. It is grammatically incorrect to use a plural pronoun like "they" when referring to a singular subject noun like the following examples from the NIV 2011:

1Co 14:13, NIV 2011: "For this reason the one (singular) who speaks (singular) in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they (plural) say (plural)."

In order to be grammatically correct, it should say, "For this reason he who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says."

Gal_6:4, NIV 2011: "Each one (singular) should test their (plural) own actions. Then they (plural) can take pride in themselves (plural) alone, without comparing themselves (plural) to someone else..."

In order to be grammatically correct, it should say, "Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself alone, without comparing himself to someone else..."

Otherwise it makes no sense the way the NIV 2011 is now written. And there are many other such examples in the NIV 2011 like the following:

Mar 2:22, NIV 2011: "And no one (singular) pours (singular) new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they (plural) pour (plural) new wine into new wineskins."

Mar 9:42, NIV 2011: "If anyone (singular) causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them (plural) if a large millstone were hung around their (plural) neck  (singular) and they (plural) were thrown into the sea."

In the example above from Mark 9:42, you can see that the revised wording refers to the singular "anyone" with the plural pronouns "they" and "their", and it also incorrectly refers to the pronoun as having a singular neck when it states "their neck". Multiple people cannot possess one neck, so it would have to say "their necks", but then it would still not agree with the singular subject "anyone".

Luk 5:39, NIV 2011: "And no one (singular) after drinking old wine wants the new, for they (plural) say, 'The old is better.'"

Luk 8:16, NIV 2011: "No one (singular) lights (singular) a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they (plural) put (plural) it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light."

Luk 19:26, NIV 2011: "He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone (singular) who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they (plural) have will be taken away."

Joh 3:3, NIV 2011: "Jesus replied, 'Very truly I tell you, no one (singular) can see the kingdom of God unless they (plural) are (plural) born again.'"

Joh 3:5, NIV 2011: "Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, no one (singular) can enter the kingdom of God unless they (plural) are (plural) born of water and the Spirit."

Joh 3:18, NIV 2011: "Whoever (singular) believes (singular) in him is not condemned, but whoever (singular) does not believe (singular) stands (singular) condemned already because they (plural) have (plural) not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

Rev 2:11, NIV 2011: "Whoever (singular) has (singular) ears, let them (plural) hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death."

Rev 3:12, NIV 2011: "The one (singular) who is (singular) victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they (plural) leave it. I will write on them (plural) the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them (plural) my new name."

Sadly there are countless other such examples.

Consider that whenever a Bible translation is produced, after the translators finish their work, an English literary expert ensures -- among other things -- that proper syntax and grammar are used. Now consider how the NIV 2011 required one ore more such experts to go through the entire Bible that was already correct with regard to grammar and syntax, and alter it completely so that it violates the rules of English grammar throughout. In my opinion, this would have been necessary in order to obtain the resulting NIV 2011 translation, which is unconscionable. Imagine someone using all their knowledge and expertise in the English language that they have attained in college to produce a literary piece that completely violates what is grammatically correct and doesn't even flow naturally? What a waste and misuse of all that knowledge!

And the problem is not only that it breaks the rules of grammar, but it changes the meaning of the text. Take for example, the following passage:

Heb 2:6-8, NIV 2011: "But there is a place where someone has testified: 'What is mankind (singular) that you are mindful of them (plural), a son of man that you care for him?  (7)  You made them (plural) a little lower than the angels; you crowned them (plural) with glory and honor  (8)  and put everything under their (plural) feet.' In putting everything under them (plural), God left nothing that is not subject to them (plural). Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them (plural)."

Heb 2:6-8, NIV 1978 correctly states: "But there is a place where someone has testified: 'What is man (singular) that you are mindful of him (singular), the son of man that you care for him (singular)?  (7)  You made him (singular) a little lower than the angels; you crowned him (singular) with glory and honor  (8)  and put everything under His (singular) feet.' In putting everything under Him (singular), God left nothing that is not subject to Him (singular). Yet at present we do not see everything subject to Him (singular)."

There are multiple problems with the 2011 version of the passage above from Hebrews 2:6-8:

1. The apostle was quoting Psalm 8:4-6 to refer to Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, who was made a little lower than the angels during his earthly human life.  This is obvious from the context. For example, in the verse right before this, the apostle continues with the theme of chapter one, which was to provide that Jesus is God and is greater than the angels. He states in Heb 2:5, "It is not to angels that He has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking."  So it is clear that he means to say that the passage he quoted from Psalms 8:4-6 is about Jesus, to whom God has subjected the world to come.

2. The apostle was clearly not referring to mankind in general for all the reasons stated in my first point above. Yet the NIV 2011 in its relentless mission to purge all references to men from the Bible, wherever possible, goes so far as to change the meaning of this passage to make it seem to be about mankind in general.

3. This results in the NIV 2011 saying that God has put all things under the feet of mankind in general, which is clearly not what the passage is supposed to say in its proper context. It is all about Christ, as is the entire passage from Hebrews 1:1 through 3:6. I see this as a gross and inexcusable violation on the part of the NIV publishers, not only of the rules of English grammar, but of translation and of biblical hermeneutics. 

It is for this reason that I sincerely believe there was an obvious agenda on the part of the NIV publishers to purge the Bible as much as possible of all references to the male gender, whenever the passage is about people in general, and they did so, even to the point of perverting the text to say something it was never meant to say. In its current form, the text contains heresy.

"Human Being" or "Human" Has Replaced "Man"

Another thing the NIV Committee did was to replace the word "man" with the expressions like "human(s)" "human being(s)", "human race", or some similar term in around 217 instances in the 2011 version. Yet this is not the way we speak in normal parlance. The use of the expression "human being"  or "humans" is actually rather rare in common speech or writing, and sounds strange when used in the manner the NIV 2011 uses it. Here are some examples:

Gen 6:1, NIV 2011: "When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them" 

Gen 6:6, NIV 2011: "The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled."

Gen 9:6, NIV 2011: "Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind."

Jas 3:8, NIV 2011: "but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison."

Jas 3:8, NIV 1978: "but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison."

Jas 5:17, NIV 2011: "Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years."

Jas 5:17, NIV 1978: "Elijah was a man, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years."

They could not even acknowledge in the 2011 version that Elijah was a man, and they had to change it to say he was a human being. That is very strange. Let me give you some more examples, which show how ridiculous this sounds:

Act 5:29, NIV 2011: "Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than human beings!"

Psa 8:4, NIV 2011: "What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?"

Psa 78:25, NIV 2011: "Human beings ate the bread of angels; he sent them all the food they could eat."

1Co 7:23, NIV 2011: "You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings."

Gal 1:10, NIV 2011: "Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ."

Mat 15:9, NIV 2011: "They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.'"

Mat 21:25, NIV 2011: "John's baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?" 

Psa 108:12, NIV 2011: "Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is worthless.

1Pe 2:4, NIV 2011: "As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—"

Nobody talks like that. It sounds very unnatural. Here are 200 more instances where they use the term "human", human beings", or "humans" like this in the 2011 version: Gen 6:2-5, 7;  8:21;  9:5,6;  32:28; Exo 4:11; 13:2; Lev 5:3;  7:21;  24:17;  24:21;  27:28; Num 3:13;  8:17;  18:15;  19:11, 13, 16, 18;  23:19; Deu 4:32;  32:26; Jos 10:14; Jdg 9:9, 13; 1Sa 15:29; 2Sa 7:14, 19; 24:14; 1Ki 8:39;  13:2; 2Ki 19:18;  23:14, 20; 1Ch 21:13; 2Ch 6:18, 30;  32:19;  Job 11:12;  21:4;  25:6;  28:4;  28:28;  30:5;  34:20; 35:8; Psa 12:1, 8;  31:20;  60:11; 64:6; 73:5; 78:60; 94:11;  104:15;  108:12; 115:4; 118:8; 119:134;  135:15;  144:3;  146:3; Pro 15:11; 16:1, 9; 18:14; 20:27; 27:20; 30:2; Ecc 3:10, 11, 18, 19;  3:21; Isa 2:11, 22, 17; 7:13; 29:13;  31:8;  37:19;  44:11, 13; 51:12;  52:14; Eze 1:5, 8, 10; 4:12, 15; 10:8, 14, 21; 27:13;  39:15;  41:19; Dan 2:11, 34, 45;  5:5;  6:7, 12; 7:4, 8; 8:25; Hos 11:4;  13:2; Hab 2:8, 17; Zec 12:1; Mat 15:9;  16:23;  21:25;  21:26; Mar 7:7, 8; 8:33;  11:30, 32; 14:58; Luk 20:4, 6;  Joh 1:13;  5:34, 41; 8:15;  12:43; Act 5:4, 38; 7:48;  14:11, 15; 17:24, 25, 29; 19:26; Rom 1:23; 2:3, 9; 3:4, 5; 6:19;  9:5, 16, 20; 14:18; 1Co 1:25, 26; 2:1, 5, 9, 13, 15; 3:3, 4, 21;  4:3, 9; 9:8;  15:32; 2Co 3:3; 5:1; Gal 1:11, 16;  3:15; Eph 2:11; Php 2:7; Col 2:8, 11, 22; 3:23; 1Th 2:13; 4:8; Tit 1:14; Heb 2:17; 8:2;  9:11, 24; 12:9; Jas 1:20; 3:8, 9; 5:17; 1Pe 2:4, 13; 4:2, 6; 2Pe 1:21; 2:16; 1Jn 5:9; Rev 9:7; 18:13; 21:17.

For these and other reasons, I will personally keep using my 1978 version until it falls apart. In fact, it has fallen apart, and I have gotten it professionally repaired a few times.  If you cannot obtain the 1978 version, then try to find the 1984 version, which will be very difficult, unless you are willing to pay a lot of money for it. You will need to search the Internet for sellers of this older edition, since it is not available in bookstores any longer. That is because Biblica owns the copyright to both the 1984 and the 2011 edition of the New International Version of the Bible. And unfortunately Biblica has terminated all publishing rights to all publishers for the 1984 edition of the NIV. 

However, if you cannot find a hard copy of it, you can still read and listen to the NIV 1984 version online at this link, either on your desktop computer or laptop. You may also read and listen to it on your mobile device, using the free app available on the website that hosts the live streaming of this version, which is called Faith Comes By Hearing. 

In addition to my old 1978 NIV, which has served me well all these years, I also read from the NASB on my e-sword program when doing Bible studies. I also read from other versions (including the KJV) and often conduct studies of the Greek and Hebrew original language as needed. There are times when I check the Greek Septuagint version of the Old Testament, as well. Therefore, I am not tied to one version of the Bible, because no single version is perfect or without issues. 

King James Version the Only Inspired Version?
On the other hand, there are those who proclaim that the King James Version is the only version without issues or the only inspired version. If you believe that, then please read a Critical Analysis of the King James Version, by Al Maxey, which is excellent. He has definitely proven that the KJV is not without issues. For example:

1) The King James Bible has undergone three revisions since its inception in 1611, incorporating more than 100,000 changes. So which King James Bible is inspired?

2) The KJV Preface asks, “How shall men meditate on that which they do not understand?” They sought to put it into the language that common people used every day, so that they could understand the Bible. However, what was common language 400 years ago has become outdated and difficult to understand for most English-speaking people today.

3) For all its flowery language and other positive characteristics, the KJV has doctrinal problems, textual manipulation, lack of uniformity, archaeological inaccuracies, textual inaccuracies, mistranslations, and paraphrasing.

4) Factual evidence reveals that the KJV is not the most accurate and easy to understand version of the Bible.

5) Other English versions existed before the KJV, such as Tyndale's New Testament, the Rheims New Testament, the Great Bible, the Bishop's Bible, and the Geneva Bible, so it is not the original English version. The Geneva Bible was the Bible of the Protestant Reformers; it was the people's choice for seventy-five years before the King James Bible was produced, and was the preferred Bible of the common Christian household. In fact, it was the Bible used by the Puritans who migrated to America.

6) The KJV translators used more than just the original Greek and Hebrew texts of Scripture to produce the English text found in that version. They also used the Bishop's Bible as their source text, as well as the Geneva Bible, both of which are English translations, along with other versions already in existence, including the Latin Vulgate, which was corrupted. So it is a real hybrid of many sources.

7) The KJV was not the first authorized version. Rather, the Great Bible of 1539 was the first authorized edition of the Bible in English, authorized by King Henry VIII of England. That was based primarily on Tyndale's works.

Therefore, if you are going to point out the issues with the NIV or other modern versions, please don't use that as a basis for saying we must read only the KJV. If you are going to say there is an evil agenda with the NIV, or that it has been corrupted, then you would have to say the same thing about the KJV.

Putting it All Together
I hope this article has helped to show the strengths and weaknesses of not only the NIV but also other versions like the KJV. I have shown that you cannot make a valid case for the KJV being superior in all respects to the NIV, since the KJV is certainly not perfect, nor is it the only inspired version.

Fortunately, some of us still have the NIV 1978 version, which was pretty good overall. That is still my favorite version. However, if the only version of the NIV that I could buy was the 2011 version, I definitely would not pay a penny for it. I find the gender neutralization of that version to be not only very annoying, but also untrue to the original meaning of the text. I do believe that it compromises the Word of God and I do not recommend it. Therefore, if I had to chose another version besides the NIV, my next choice would be the NASB, which is a more literal version which has not been gender neutralized. May the Lord guide you as you prayerfully consider which version is best for you.

Further Reading
Please also see my other posts on this blog, titled The Scripture Must Be Fulfilled, God's Word Never Fails, The NET Bible, and the Conciseness of God.

I highly recommend these posts by other authors, as well:

An excellent analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the NIV by Al Maxey.

An excellent analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the King James version by Al Maxey.

An analysis of the issues with the King James Authorized version of 1611.

An excellent resource regarding the "King James Only" issue.

Attribution notice: Scripture quotation taken from the NASB. Wherever noted, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, all rights reserved, used by permission.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the  Home page of this blog. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Conciseness of God

I was meditating this morning on the conciseness of God.

Let there be...
In the beginning He said, "Let there be..."

"Let" indicates he has authority to grant permission, to allow or not to allow whatever He pleases.

"There" refers to a place, a specific location, in this case the realm of the natural world. He existed eternally in His own realm, but the natural world was formless and void. It was the seen realm to which He referred when He said, "there."

"Be" refers to the existence of something. With so few words, He does so much, and with such ease.

Here are a few more:

"Peace, be still!"
The was asleep as the storm was raging. But when He awoke, He simply spoke the words, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased. The waters were calmed.

"Father, forgive them."
He hung on the cross an innocent man, God's only Son. He prayed for His enemies that had crucified them, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."

"I am willing. Be healed."
A man came up to him and said, "I know that you can heal me, if you are willing. " Jesus said, "I am willing. Be healed." The man was immediately healed.

"Come out!"
A man was demon possessed, tortured by the forces of darkness. Jesus spoke to the demon, "Come out!" And it left the man immediately.

"Lazarus, come forth"
A man lay dead in the tomb for three days. Jesus came and spoke the words, "Lazarus, come forth" The man came walking out of the tomb alive again.

Putting it All Together
The Lord is concise. He does not need many words to do anything.

You don't need to use many words in prayer. God will not be impressed with your vain repetition of words.

What do you need Him to do in your life today? Do you need healing? Life? Storms to cease? Deliverance from demons? Simply ask the Father in Jesus name and believe.

With so few words, He does so much, and with such ease. Take a moment today to stand in awe of God for the power of His Word.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.