The Seriousness of Altering God's Words"For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
"And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." Revelation
22:18-191. God's Warnings - Deut. 4:2; 12:32; Mal. 4:4 at the closing of the Old Testament; Rev. 22:1819 at the closing of the New Testament. Thus covering the entire Bible.
2. Altering God's Words corrupts them (II Cor. 2:17) and is "handling the Word of God deceitfully". (II Cor. 4:2)
3. The unaltered Word is essential if we are going to obey God - "... that ye may keep my commandments" (Deut. 4:2). John 12:48 demands God's specific Words as does II Tim. 2:15, 3:16-17, and a host of others.
4. The Jews greatly feared corrupting God's Words. The scribes were allowed zero tolerance.
5. Christians and the Word of God.
a. (John 8:47) - They hear God's Words.
b. (John 17:8) - They receive God's Words.
c. (John 17:6) - They keep God's Words.
d. (John 17:14) - They are hated because of God's Words.
e. (Prov. 30:5-6) - Liars add to His Words.
6. Corrupters of God's Words have their part taken away -
a. "out of the Book of Life"
b. "out of the Holy City"
c. "and from the things which are written in this book"
7. Notice it does not say their names will be taken out of the Book of Life, but their part. Their names were never there. (Matt. 7:21-23) "I never knew you."
There was sufficient room for all to be there. Those who would repent and believe the gospel would be saved. He knew each one who would refuse His salvation. Only the names of those who would be saved were written in the Book of Life. Since this was all determined before the foundation of the world that is predestination and election, which is, "according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,..." (I Peter 1:2a).
8. Having their part taken away out of the Holy City is a parallel thing. The Holy City being some 1,500 miles long, wide, and high is of sufficient size for all who have lived on this earth to have a part.
Conclusion:
1. Here we see how serious it is to tamper with the Word of God. Those who do (liars) will have their part in the Lake of Fire. (Rev. 21:8)
2. Their part is taken away out of the Book of Life and out of the Holy City. (Matt. 13:12)
3. Matthew Henry said -
"It is confirmed by a most solemn sanction, condemning and cursing all who should dare to corrupt or change the word of God, either by adding to it or taking from it, v. 18, 19. He that adds to the word of God draws down upon himself all the plagues written in this book: and he who takes any thing away from it cuts himself off from all the promises and privileges of it. This sanction is like a flaming sword, to guard the canon of he scripture from profane hands. Such a fence as this God set about the law (Deut. iv.
2), and the whole Old Testament (Mal. iv. 4), and now in the most solemn manner about the whole Bible, assuring us that it is a book of the most sacred nature, divine authority, and of the last importance, and therefore the peculiar care of the great God."Agape <>< Mark Rouleau
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Controversial new Bible published in Holland cuts out difficult gospel passages
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By Michael Ireland Special Correspondent, ASSIST News Service
THE NETHERLANDS (ANS) -- A new Bible translation produced in Holland that aims to be more attractive and market-oriented is causing controversy after it cut out difficult parts surrounding economic justice, possessions and money.
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The Western Bible (Dutch) The new bible version, released by the Western Bible Foundation in the Netherlands, has created a storm by trying to make the Christian gospel more palatable.
A media release obtained by ANS says that according to Chairman Mr. De Rijke the foundation has reacted to a growing wish of many churches to be market-oriented and more attractive.
"Jesus was very inspiring for our inner health, but we don't need to take his naive remarks about money seriously. He didn't study economics, obviously," he said.
De Rijke says no serious Christian takes these texts literally. "What if all Christians stopped being anxious, for example, and started expecting everything from God? Or gave their possessions to the poor, for that matter. Our economy would be lost. The truth is quite the contrary: a strong economy and a healthy work ethic is a gift from God."
The foundation wanted to "boldly go where no one else has gone before" by cutting out the confusing texts, the media release explains.
"We don't use them anyway! There's no single Christian selling his possessions and giving them to the poor," DeRijke added.
The Western Bible is published, so far only in Dutch, by the well-known Christian publisher Buijten & Schipperheijn. In it, some of the most important passages of the Bible: the Ten Commandments, sections of Isaiah, Proverbs, and the Sermon on the Mount, contain holes where the original translation urged radical actions around money, justice or affluence.
Hundreds of Western Bibles have been sold in the first few weeks, whilst anxious Christians filled newspapers and web logs with their doubts.
But it seems there is sometimes more anger than humor among Christians.
The names of the foundation's board, 'De Rijke' (meaning 'the rich') and 'Fortuijn' (meaning 'fortune'), as well as the holes in the pages of the Western Bible hint to the truth: the Western Bible is a joke.
It is published by Time to Turn, a network of Christian students and young adults in the Netherlands "who want to choose a sustainable and just way of life, based on their faith in Jesus Christ."
"They do not believe in a new legalism, or in a utopian state, but in a God who is willing to deliver the world from materialism and injustice. Time to Turn is linked to the international student movement Speak," the release says.
Frank Mulder, chairman of Time to Turn, is surprised by the commotion caused by the new Bible version.
"Many Christians accept the Western lifestyle, including the degradation of creation and the injustice of our trade, and they only take the easy parts of the gospel. But it isn't until we publish this gospel with holes, that they get confused!"
Time to Turn is soon to publish a companion Bible study about the holes.
** Michael Ireland is an international British freelance journalist. A former reporter with a London newspaper, Michael is Media Director for Strategic World Impact of Bartlesville, Oklahoma and a Special Correspondent for ASSIST News Service of Lake Forest, California. Michael immigrated to the United States in 1982 and became a US citizen in September, 1995. He is married with two children. Michael has also been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station.