Pastor Jerry Rockwell BIBLICAL AUTHORITY “Final Authority”

Pastor Jerry Rockwell

BIBLICAL AUTHORITY

“Final Authority”

Isaiah 34:16 (KJV), “Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail. . .”

Introduction: Baptists have been known as “people of the book” for centuries and have been those who “seek the lost” and tell them of the salvation that is only in having Jesus Christ as Saviour. The goal of this study is to demonstrate the Bible’s importance in a Christian’s life and the difference between new translations and the Authorized 1611 Bible commonly called the King James Version (KJV). Many believers spend very little time in the Bible and read it occasionally.

1. THE NATURE OF THE BIBLE.2 Timothy 3:16-17 (KJV), “¹⁶ All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: ¹⁷ That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. This verse is significant in understanding the nature of the book we call the Bible. It gives us the nature of God’s word and the Bible’s need for it.

1. The Nature of the Bible. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us how God gave the scripture. There are some things we need to know about this verse. First, it is all-encompassing of everything we call scripture. The context of these two verses (3:16-17) are connected to 2 Timothy 3:14-15 (KJV), “¹⁴ “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; ¹⁵ And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. When Paul told Timothy he had “known the holy scriptures” he was talking about the Old Testament. These scriptures made him “wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” He had a biblical frame of reference and Paul helped him connect the dots from the Old Testament to the application of them and the work Jesus Christ did on the cross. There is enough scripture in the Old Testament for a person to understand the work of Jesus Christ. Then Paul makes the statement of the nature of scripture. It came from God. The very “breath of God.” That means that every single word came from God. Jesus asked the “chief priests and the elders” the question in Matthew 21:42 (KJV), “Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?” This is talking about the Lord Jesus Christ. They were never able to make the connection for the simple reason they had not read the scriptures. Look with me at Psalm 12:6-7 (KJV), “⁶ The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. ⁷ Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.” Some would say that is to be applied to the “original autographs.” This means the scripture is only pure in the “original Greek.” The problem with that is the “original Greek” does not exist. All we have is copies of them and they are in two different Greek texts, the Textus Receptus (TR) and the United Bible Society Greek Text (UBS). The TR was formulated from the Greek manuscripts that presently has 5,800 copies supporting them while the UBS text has a few over 250 copies supporting them. One of them is called the Vaticanus Greek text owned by the Roman Catholic Church, while the other is called the Sinaiticus Greek text discovered in a Byzantine Monastery on Mount Sinai and about to be used as kindling for the fireplace. The Byzantine people had a Greek text that was related to the TR and had no use for a text they considered to be a faulty text.
2. THE NECESSITY OF THE BIBLE. There is much to be said about the need for Christians to take the Bible seriously. It is essential to grow spiritually as a believer. Peter had an admonition to the people who are Christians. He said in 2 Peter 3:15-18 (KJV), “¹⁵ And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; ¹⁶ As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. ¹⁷ Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. ¹⁸ But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. The Apostle Paul made an important statement we sometimes overlook in 1 Corinthians 14:37 (KJV), “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.” He said in another place: Galatians 1:11-12 (KJV), “¹¹ But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. ¹² For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1. THE NEGATIVE NATURE OF NEW TRANSLATIONS. Here we want to demonstrate some of the major differences in what the KJV says versus what the new translations say. They demonstrate some of the doctrinal issues that are compromised.  Isaiah 14:12 (KJV), “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!”

Note what is said in Job 38:7 (KJV) “When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” Note that the phrase “morning stars” is plural, suggesting that the angels (“sons of God”) were also “morning stars.” This is a reference to “angels” because in Job 1:6 and Job 2:1, these creatures had access to the presence of God. These “sons of God” in Job 38:7 are the same ones we studied in Genesis 6. The new translations have a different take on the matter.

Isaiah 14:12 (ESV), “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!” Here the word translated in the KJV “Lucifer” is changed to “Day Star.” This is one of many times the “new” translations have a different meaning to what they say is the word of God. If you read what Peter said in 2 Peter 1:19 (KJV), “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts,” you have a major problem. Here Peter is equating the “day star” with one who will “arise in your hearts.” Who might that be? The passage in Isaiah 14:12 is a reference to Satan. That is determined by the context. Note what is said in Isaiah 14:13-14 (KJV), “¹³ 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: ¹⁴ I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” This “Lucifer” is the one who rebelled against God and sought to take His place according to these two verses. Look at the context of 1 Peter 1:19. It is an important passage about the very subject under discussion, the “word of God.” Peter said in, 2 Peter 1:19-21 (KJV), “¹⁹ We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: ²⁰ Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. ²¹ For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” Peter begins with the statement about a “more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed. . .” He is assuring the people that the word of God is “sure.” Then he gives an admonition, “. . .whereunto ye do well to take heed. . .” In other words, “pay attention!” He then gives the rest of the verse and follows it up with verses 20-21. There are two things to make note of: 1) verse 20 warns about someone making a “private” interpretation. Have you ever heard someone say (or said yourself), “well my opinion is that . . .” and we give a statement that may or may not be accurate? In fact here is a quote from one commentator about the Isaiah 14 passage. He says, “This song is often thought to tell of the revolt of Satan (taken with Ezk. 28); but this is a precarious conjecture.” He then explains why a “private interpretation” is not acceptable. God has already given an answer through the words of the Bible, and in this case, the prophecies not “given by the will of man” but “holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” Understanding the scripture is not a case of “well my opinion is. . .” It is “inspired” by God (2 Tim. 3:16). 2) Here, the Holy Ghost played a significant role in the process. God the Father inspired the word (2 Tim. 3:16), and Jesus is the “Word” (John 1:1, 14, 18; Rev. 19:13).

ZECHARIAH 13:6

There is another passage that is important in understanding the difference between the KJV and the new translation. It is Zechariah 13:6 (KJV), “And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.” The significance of this passage is that it is one of the Old Testament passages that was to instruct the Jew about the day of their conversion and salvation. The context of this passage begins with Zechariah 13:1 (KJV), “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.” God has a plan for the conversion of the “house of David” and the “inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.” It is in a “tribulation” context (Zech. 12:8-14). It is considered a day of Israel’s conversion to Christ, whom they rejected when He came the first time. “In that day” (Zech. 13:1) God is going to demonstrate what Jesus told the woman at the well of Samaria (John 4). There will be a “fountain opened” for “sin and uncleanness.” The key to this passage is Zechariah 13:6 (KJV), “And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.” This is without a doubt a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ who will carry the wounds He gained on the cross at Calvary Luke 24:39-40). It is worth an examination of an incident which took place among the disciples. After Jesus’ resurrection he appeared to the women, Note below the way the new translations handle this verse.

Problem Passages: