Daily Bible Nugget #822, Psalm 23:3

Posted on January 21, 2024 by Jerry


The Nugget:

Psa 23:3  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

From Ken Sagely’s Facebook Post:

PSALM 23.3 Guidance

He restores my soul: He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Cross References:

PSALM 32.8
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide thee with mine eye.

ISAIAH 58.11
AND the LORD shall Guide you continually, and Satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like an watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

PROVERBS 3.5-6
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

unto thine own understanding:

Trust…lean not …”Trust has the idea lying helplessly face down:” Not leaning means “relying on something or someone else rather than supporting yourself”

PROVERBS 3:6
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and He shall direct thy paths.

[acknowledge .. lit. know; know God personally and be in fellowship with Him (John 17:3), direct. . Lit.. to make straight: clear obstructions and to enable one to go forward.]

PSALM 37.3, 5

Trust in the Lord, and do good so shall thou dwell in the land and be fed.
(Better, feed on His faithfulness!!)

PSALM 37:5 Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him, and he shall bring to pass.

(Commit thy way. Roll your way your burdens on the Lord, although they may cause you anxiety, they are not too great for him!! 1 Peter 5:7)

PSALM 25.4-5 Shew me thy ways, O Lord, teach me thy paths, O lord,
5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me; for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

PSALM 110.105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

(cross reference Pro 6.23 For the commandment is a lamp and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life)

JOHN 7.17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself.

(note: The thought is this: Anyone who does the will of God will be able to judge the authority of My teaching.)

cross reference:

John 8.32-32 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If you  continue in my word then are you my disciples indeed.  32 And you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.

GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH

Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah, Pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but Thou art mighty; Hold me with Thy powerful hand;
Songs of praises, Songs of praises I will ever give to Thee. I will ever give to thee!

Cross Reference Bible Study for Psalm 23:3 from The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:

Psalms 23:3

He restoreth. For He is Jehovah-rophecha (Exo 15:26), and will graciously heal. or, “bring back from wandering” (Jer 50:19) [Kay]. +*Psa 16:10; *Psa 19:7 mg. *Psa 49:15; *Psa 51:10, 11, 12; Psa 85:4, 5, 6, 7; Psa 89:4; *Psa 116:3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8; +*Psa 119:176, Rth 4:15, Job 33:30, Isa 58:12, Jer 30:17; *Jer 32:37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, Hos 14:4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, *Mic 7:8; Mic 7:9; Mic 7:18; Mic 7:19, Luk 22:31, 32, Joh 4:14; Joh 21:15, 16, 17, 18, 19, *1Jn 2:1, *Rev 3:19.

soul. Heb. nephesh, +Gen 12:13.

he leadeth. T806. *Psa 5:8; *Psa 25:4; Psa 25:5; Psa 25:9; Psa 25:10; Psa 27:11; *Psa 31:3; **+Psa 32:8; Psa 33:18; Psa 43:3; Psa 48:14; Psa 61:2; Psa 73:24; +*Psa 119:10; Psa 119:133; Psa 139:9, 10; Psa 139:23, 24; *Psa 143:8, 9, 10, Gen 12:1, Exo 13:21; Exo 15:13; Exo 33:13, 14, 15, Deut 32:10; Deut 32:11; +Deut 32:12, Jdg 4:14, 2Sa 5:24; 2Sa 22:29, +*1Ki 13:9 note. 2Ch 32:22, **Pro 3:5; Pro 3:6; *Pro 8:20, Isa 30:21; Isa 40:10, 11; +*Isa 42:16; Isa 48:17; Isa 49:9, 10; Isa 55:4; Isa 57:18; Isa 58:11; Isa 61:8, Jer 3:4; Jer 6:16; Jer 31:8, 9, 10; Jer 42:2, 3, Mic 7:7, 8, Luk 1:79, *Joh 10:3; Joh 10:4; Joh 10:13; Joh 16:13, Php 1:10, *Col 1:9; Col 1:10, 1Th 3:10, 11, Rev 7:17.

paths. *Psa 16:11; Psa 85:13; +*Psa 119:35, Pro 2:8; Pro 4:11; *+Pro 8:20, Isa 42:16.

righteousness. For He is Jehovah-tzidkenu (Jer 23:6), and is Himself my righteousness, and I am righteous in Him (Jer 33:16). Psa 5:8, Jer 23:6; Jer 33:16.

for his. Psa 25:11; Psa 72:17, 18, 19; Psa 79:9; Psa 106:8, +1Sa 12:22, Eze 20:14, *Eph 1:6, 1Jn 2:12.

name’s. +**Psa 9:10 note; +Psa 20:1 note; Psa 25:11; Psa 31:3; Psa 143:11, 1Ki 8:41, +Isa 48:9, Jer 14:7, Eze 36:22.

 

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Answering Anti-Trinitarians

Posted on January 20, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Text:

John 20:28  And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

My Comment:

Thomas (often called “doubting Thomas”) believed in the full deity of our Lord Jesus Christ when he handled and saw his bodily resurrected Lord. Thomas addressed Jesus as his “Lord and God.” That witness settles the matter for all time.

On Facebook I have visited a site called “Acts17 Apologetics” associated with David Wood. One of the posters there, Johnny Mack, claims he once believed in the Trinity. After more careful reading and study of the Bible he no longer believes in the doctrine of the Trinity. I believe I have interacted with him before, perhaps in connection with his misunderstanding of John 17:3. Just lately I responded to another of his challenges.

This material is lengthy. Bible-believing Christians need to get serious about defending their faith (Jude 1:3). Bible-believing Christians NEED TO LEARN HOW TO READ. God expects us to be avid readers of His written word in the Bible. He also expects us to carefully answer those who ask us about our faith or who challenge our faith (1 Peter 3:15).

The Anti-Trinitarian Challenge:

The biggest problem of an incarnation christology that leads to the eternal situation of a God the Son with a human nature, is it shows

1. God can change according to Trinitarians,

2. The trinity’s divine consubstantial nature has a new nature added to it in perpetuity thus changing what is consubstantial to all forever.

The ONE God must then also be truly man due to the installment of a new nature.

Think of a group like the Jackson 5. If Michael Jackson added one of his friends to sing along with him on all the songs of the album, is it still 5 people or 6?

Or consider H2O. H2O is water. We all drink it safely. If only Oxygen added another Oxygen thus H2O2, it’s no longer water, but hydrogen peroxide, which is not water. Thus even if Hydrogen doesn’t change but one molecule in the compound does, the entire compound changes.

You have to not just maintain the dual nature church tradition, I invite you to follow the logic of the idea to its logical conclusions.

If you’ll say, well, only the Son has the added human nature not the others. The above problem is still present. Imagine the logic you’d have to accept:

The three persons SHARE this single nature. And so it’s not tritheism or polytheism, it’s monotheism because these three have ONE nature, together. If one person in this monotheistic structure has a change in his nature, it is a change in the ONE NATURE consubstantial to all.

It’s nature. Not an attribute. You can’t say, the Father does this attribute, but the Son has different attributes to explain away this problem.

““For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, the sons of Jacob, have not come to an end.” ‭‭Malachi‬ ‭3‬:‭6‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

““For He is not a man, as I am, that I may answer Him— That we may go to court together!” ‭‭Job‬ ‭9‬:‭32‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

““God is not a man, that He would lie, Nor a son of man, that He would change His mind; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” ‭‭Numbers‬ ‭23‬:‭19‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

But if the One God nature that Jesus has consubstantial with the other two, why wouldn’t it be logical to say God is a man?

God is truly man?

Again even if you believe the ONE NATURE OF TRIUNE GOD is unimpacted by the CHANGE in one of its persons, then even Jesus, truly God truly man the God Man, it can be said of him “God is a man, truly”. Especially if you have ONE Jesus and not two.

In conclusion,

The text is simpler than these philosophies developed by non Jews in the centuries after the death of Jesus.

Instead of an incarnation Christology, I believe the text gives us an exaltation Christology. God highly exalted Jesus…

“For this reason also GOD highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

And…

“having become so much better than the angels, to the extent that He has inherited a more excellent name than they.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

But doesn’t John 1:14 teach an incarnation Christology? I say no. It isn’t a person who becomes flesh, it’s God’s SPOKEN WORD that tabernacled among them. Jesus was the tabernacle of the Spoken Word of God. John 14:10 says that the Father was in Jesus. 2 Cor 5:19 says God was in Jesus reconciling the world to himself.

The text doesn’t say Jesus became flesh, it says the word did, and that word was God, God was dwelling in Jesus, and John 1:18 says, that Jesus declared the invisible God to them. Jesus was “highly exalted” by God. Only a man or person of a lower degree can be exalted. The exaltation Christology is therefore more biblical than an incarnation one.

My Response:

Did Jesus exist as a person before his birth in Bethlehem? Jesus claimed to have seen Abraham. Was Jesus mistaken? Jesus claimed Isaiah saw him. Was Jesus mistaken?

Jesus claimed he came down from heaven. Was Jesus mistaken?

I rather suspect that Johnnie Mack is mistaken and I, therefore, suggest he would profit greatly by reading the Bible more carefully than his comments so far indicate he has.

Johnny Mack replied to me:

Brother, I agree that CAREFULLY reading the Bible is to be followed. Let’s see if you have been reading these texts carefully:

1. You said Jesus said he saw Abraham. Let’s see what the text says.

“Your father Abraham was overjoyed that hewould see My day, and he saw itand rejoiced.”” ‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭56‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

According to Jesus my friend, who saw whose day? Abraham rejoiced to see Jesus’s day. Jesus never said he saw Abraham. But, who else made this mistake?

“So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?”” ‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭57‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

They are mistaken. They CONSTANTLY misunderstanding him. But Jesus never said he saw Abraham. But it’s all good. You’re just mistaken.

2. You said, Jesus said Isaiah saw Jesus. Let’s see what the text says.

John 12:36-41

36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:

38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?

39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,

40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

41 These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.

Does the text say Jesus said Isaiah saw him?

No. John is the one speaking.

Next, is John saying that Isaiah saw Jesus? This is a better question because it’s John who is the one speaking. Ok.

What is the context and what does John reference from Isaiah?

The context is that Jesus performed so many miracles but people still didn’t believe. So he says this fulfilled the words of Isaiah:

“Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53‬:‭1‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

Then he says they couldn’t believe in Jesus and refers to another place in Isaiah:

“They do not know, nor do they understand, for He has smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see, and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend.”  ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭44‬:‭18‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

Or…

““Make the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes blind, So that they will not see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed.”” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

Then THE key verse which you quoted:

41 These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.

You and the orthodox, take this to be a reference to Isaiah 6.

“In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord (Adonai) sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

But we want to read carefully. The verse says “These things said Isaiah…”. What things? Exactly. The things John referenced earlier about the eyes of the unbelievers were blinded and who has believed the report etc.

Those are the things Isaiah said that John is referring to. So does any of those things said by Isaiah happen when he saw Adonai high and lifted up???

Reading carefully the entirety of isaiah 6, we do get a clue from the isaiah 6 passage:

““Make the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes blind, So that they will not see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed.”” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

So we are forced to make a decision:

Isaiah does see Adonai high and lifted up, and he tells Isaiah to make the hearts hard and ears dull, eyes blind etc… but is this Jesus? Or is it Adonai, the Father?

We have to understand what JOHN is trying to convey to HIS original audience about disbelief in Jesus. Is he referring to passages in Isaiah because they prove Jesus is God? No.

Re-read the passages. Those passages are about the disbelief of people not the nature of Jesus.

The key verse is verse 41. Did Isaiah say these things when he saw Jesus sitting on a throne?

Let’s read the rest of Isaiah 6 for context.

“Then I said, “Woe to me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord (Yahweh) of armies.”” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6‬:‭5‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

Isaiah saw Yahweh in this vision. Yahweh whose glory fills the earth.

Is Jesus Yahweh? Is Jesus Adonai? Of course not. Jesus is Jesus. Yah is Yah. These are distinct persons with two separate names.

‬‬ “So that they will know that You alone, whose name is the Lord(Yah), Are the Most High over all the earth.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭83‬:‭18‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

How many people are the Most High? One.

How many people are named Yahweh? One.

John 17:3, how many people are the “only true God”? One.

1 Cor 8:6, how many people are God from whom are all things? One, the Father.

This is the uphill climb of those who believe Jesus is also God.

My Reply to Johnny Mack:

Thank you Johnnie Mack! This time you gave an interesting, careful, and extended reply to my comment.

You stated:

“According to Jesus my friend, who saw whose day? Abraham rejoiced to see Jesus’s day. Jesus never said he saw Abraham. But, who else made this mistake?

“So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?”” ‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭57‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

They are mistaken. They CONSTANTLY misunderstanding him. But Jesus never said he saw Abraham. But it’s all good. You’re just mistaken.”

I respond:

Perhaps in accordance with your chosen theology you may think that the Jews were constantly misunderstanding Jesus.

I would argue that there are instances, including this one, where the Jews understood correctly what Jesus was saying.

Another example where the Jews understood Jesus correctly is seen in an earlier instance recorded in the Gospel of John:

John 5:18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. (KJV)

Notice in context Jesus does not deny the inference drawn by the the Jews.

Later in the Gospel of John, Jesus does not correct the statement of Thomas made when he saw Jesus first-hand:

John 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

This confession of Thomas stands uncorrected by our Lord Jesus Christ because Thomas was correct to call Jesus his Lord and his God.

Now back to Abraham.

Jesus stated to the Jews:

John 5:46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.

A careful reading and study of the narrative in Genesis about the three men who visited Abraham (Genesis 18:2) in the preceding and following context will demonstrate that Jesus did indeed visit then revisit Abraham who rejoiced to see his day when Isaac was born according to promise.

You make the interesting comment or claim:

“How many people are named Yahweh? One.

John 17:3, how many people are the “only true God”? One.”

As for John 17:3,

John 17:3 Now eternal life means knowing you as the only true God and knowing Jesus your messenger as Christ. (Williams NT)

Jesus by this statement declares that eternal life is dependent upon our knowing the Father as the only true God AND knowing Jesus as Christ.

When Jesus speaks of the Father as the only true God Jesus does not exclude Himself so as to deny His own Deity.

As for how many people are named Jehovah? God the Father of course is named Jehovah. But so also Jesus is identified as Jehovah numerous times in the New Testament. Even in the narrative portion of Genesis I referred to above, in Genesis 19:24 there are two Jehovahs on the same scene at the same time. One Jehovah is in heaven Who sends judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah at the bidding of the second Jehovah upon earth.

My Comment:

I guess my response, as usual, was a “thread killer.” No further discussion took place.

There is much more to know about these Bible topics. I have addressed them quite fully on this site before. I have provided the answers most fully in my Bible study resources, The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, and The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury.

 

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The Christian God Ignorant of His Own Creation Part Six

Posted on January 19, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Text:

Mark 11:13  And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. (KJV)

The Challenge:

seems like you have convinced yourself to the lies and instead of accepting the truth you arrogantly continue to justify these falsities that you attribute to God.

When he went there he realised there were no figs. Why didn’t he know.

Stop playing stupid with yourself man.

My Answer:

You may delight in using ad hominem attacks, as in your most recent comment. Notice you never answer the evidence I have presented from the Bible itself that demonstrates the truth of what I claim.

You ask,

“When he went there he realised there were no figs. Why didn’t he know.”

I answered that question in my previous comments.

In case you failed to read with adequate comprehension, I will remind you what I already explained.

(1) Jesus declared that He came down from heaven (John 3:13. 6:38).

(2) Jesus declared He was sent by His Father who is in heaven (John 4:34. 5:24. 6:38).

(3) Jesus became a man, being conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20, 21. Luke 1:31).

(4) As a man, He was tempted or tested in all points like we are, with the exception that He never sinned, according to Hebrews 4:15,

Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

(5) Jesus possessed both a divine nature and a human nature (Philippians 2:6, 7, 8).

(6) In His human nature He always did what His Father desired (John 8:29).

(7) In some things, He voluntarily chose to be like us, where He wept (John 11:35), grew tired (Mark 6:31), became hungry (Mark 11:12), and limited His knowledge (as concerning the presence or absence of figs on the fig tree (Mark 11:13); as concerning who touched Him when a woman suffering 12 years from an ailment was instantly healed when in faith she touched the hem (Matthew 9:20) of His garment).

(8) In some things He demonstrated full knowledge and omniscience where He:

a) knew all men (John 2:24, 25)

Joh 2:24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,
Joh 2:25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.

b) Knew and saw supernaturally before ever having met Nathaniel exactly where Nathaniel had been (John 1:45-51):

Joh 1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
Joh 1:48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
Joh 1:49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
Joh 1:50 Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.

c) Knew what was in the minds of the scribes present in the audience which heard Him declare to a man in need of healing, “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee” (Mark 2:5), that the scribes thought within themselves that Jesus spoke blasphemies. Jesus perceived their thoughts and demonstrated by healing the man before their very eyes, commanding the man to take up his bed, and return home, which the man did, proving that He, Jesus, both had the power to forgive sins–something only God can do–and instantaneously heal a physical malady–something only God can do, Jesus demonstrating His own deity.

d) Knew that a fish swimming in the local sea had swallowed a coin of sufficient value, such that when Peter was sent to get the fish, the first fish he caught would contain the coin and so pay the tax for Jesus and Peter, Matthew 17:27,

Mat 17:27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

e) Knew ahead of time when He sent his two disciples into a village in preparation for His Triumphal Entry exactly what the two disciples would find and the attendant circumstances:

Mat 21:2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.
Mat 21:3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.

f) Knew, in preparation for the Last Supper, that Peter and John would meet up with a man carrying a pitcher of water who would take them to the upper room which had been prepared for Jesus and His disciples:

Luk 22:10 And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in.

Luk 22:13 And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.

Thank you in advance for carefully reading what I have presented for you in answer to your question.

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The Christian God Ignorant of His Own Creation Part Five

Posted on January 19, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Text:

Mark 11:13  And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. (KJV)

The Challenge:

im asking you for a explanation as to why your god didnt know that the fig tree he creates didnt have any figs on it. Give me your explanation. Stop copy pasting what others have said. Im haveing a discussion with you, so give your input from your understanding. Give your explanation.

So here goes again; explain why your god didnt know, that the fig tree he created, didnt have any figs on it?

My Answer:

There is nothing in the Bible that remotely suggests that our Lord Jesus Christ was not aware of the nature and seasons of produce of the fig tree.

Jesus in His human nature, according to the New Testament record, sometimes chose not to know what He surely in His Divine nature did know (John 16:30; 21:17). Jesus spoke of not knowing the day and hour of His return (Mark 13:32). He did not know who touched Him when a woman touched the hem of His garment and was immediately healed (Mark 5:25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31). So with the fig tree in question: Jesus in His human nature did not choose to know ahead of time how much, if any, fruit was on the tree.

The real problem with understanding what is reported in Mark 11:13 is that modern readers are not familiar with fig trees since they do not live there like Jesus did.

Fig trees in Israel produce two or three crops of figs in their seasons.

(1) There is an early crop, the early figs, mentioned in Isaiah 28:4 as “the hasty fruit before the summer.” It is also mentioned in Jeremiah 24:2 and Nahum 3:12.

Isa 28:4 And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.

It is also mentioned as the “firstripe in the fig tree” in Hosea 9:10,

Hos 9:10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.

(2) There is the summer fig which is not eaten fresh but is dried on the housetops for use in the winter. The summer fig crop is mentioned in Jeremiah 24:2, Amos 8:2, and Micah 7:1.

(3) Then, weather permitting, there is the third crop or winter fig gathered as a delicious morsel in the spring.

The tree which Jesus sought fruit to eat had leaves visible from a distance. The leaves grow on the fig tree in a manner that they cover the fruit to protect it from the direct sun, But when he got to the tree, he found nothing on it but leaves, though it should have had fruit at that point in its fruit bearing cycle.

Since the tree grew so near to the public walkway, the owner should have left some of the fruit on the tree, according to the Law of Moses as recorded in Leviticus 19:9, 10; 23:22; Deuteronomy 24:19, 20, 21. Jesus, finding no fruit left, said “No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever.”

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The Christian God Ignorant of His Own Creation Part Four

Posted on January 18, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Text:

Mark 11:12  And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:
Mar 11:13  And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
Mar 11:14  And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

The Challenge:

you’re still sharing a multitude unrelated verses that i am not gonna read (WiseGuySmiles).

Moving on i guess i can agree to disagree with you.

I have this as another thing. Why did not your god know about whether the fig tree that he created had figs or not. How come your god doesn’t know about his own creations?

My Answer:

To suggest that I am sharing with you “a multitude [of] unrelated verses” only demonstrates that you may not have read the Bible enough to understand the well-known principle that “Scripture interprets Scripture,” sometimes stated as “the Bible is its own interpreter.”

But thank you for the opportunity to interact with you about what the Bible actually teaches.

As for the fig tree having figs or not, I may have answered that question here before.

Here is the relevant Bible text from Mark 11:12-14,

Mar 11:12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:
Mar 11:13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
Mar 11:14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

Here is the explanation I have placed in my newly released (2023, pages 996, 997) Bible reference work, The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, which explains this cultural reference at Mark 11:13:

was not yet. FS63K, +Gen 37:13, The Passover did not occur at the proper fig-season; but figs remained on the trees (dried) right through the winter. These, which could generally be found were called pag. The name is preserved in the word Bethphage (house of figs). At the time of the Passover, such figs might well have been looked for. The Lord went to see “if consequently he might find anything thereon.” It was “if consequently,” because “it was not the proper season of figs” (suka: not olunthoi, as the others were called, and for which He sought). We must also remember that in the East all fruit trees were enclosed in gardens, and had an owner. This tree, though, by the roadside (Mat 21:19) must have been enclosed, and as it grew over the wall, passers by might partake of the fruit (Deut 23:24). But the owner had probably shaken the fruit off, or gathered it himself, and hence deserved the judgment which came upon him (see Lev 19:9, 10; Lev 23:22, Deut 24:19, 20, 21). This is one of the two miracles of destruction wrought by Jesus: and we know that in the other case the owners of the swine were justly punished (F/S 124).

As for your question:

“How come your god doesn’t know about his own creations?”

It is more likely that many readers of the Bible today are not acquainted enough with the culture portrayed in the Bible, and need to make use of reference sources which provide an explanation of the culture that was well known to everyone alive at the time these events happened and were recorded in Scripture.

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The Christian God Afraid of His Own Creation Part Three

Posted on January 17, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Text:

John 11:54  Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples. (KJV)

The Challenge Re-affirmed:

all of which you have presented is out of context to the verse which is in the post.

In john 11:54 your god is fleeing from the jews. The jews have power in the city and see your god as a enemy. So your god left out of fear. Thats the context. Stop try’na explain it with wayward of the track explanations.

And stop sending all these non relevant verse’s. Thats not how a civilised dialogue unfolds. These digressions of yours are obvious to us.

My Response:

It is obvious to me that you do not know how to properly interpret the Bible. To careful readers, what I have submitted by way of my citation of related Scripture would be most informative.

It is generally well recognized that Scripture interprets Scripture.

Your misunderstanding and misreading of John 11:54 demonstrates you do not understand this principle of Bible interpretation.

You ought to understand this principle by now for I have exhibited it repeatedly in my comments here.

You arbitrarily reject the fact that in John 11:54 Jesus acted out of prudence (Proverbs 22:3), not fear.

You arbitrarily reject the fact that the wider context of the New Testament establishes that Jesus acted without fear but rather acted in accordance with the will of the Father who sent Him. The fact that Jesus always acted according to the will of His Father Who sent Him is repeatedly affirmed in Scripture:

John 4:34
34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

King James Version

John 6:38
38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

King James Version

John 6:40
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

King James Version

John 8:29
29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

King James Version

I demonstrated by specific reference to Scripture as given at Matthew 26:53, 54, 55, 56 and John 18:6, 8, 9 that Jesus was not afraid but in perfect control of the situation He and His disciples faced at the moment of His betrayal by Judas Iscariot.

Muslim Response:

he acted out on prudence due to fear of harm. Of course thats a wise decision for any man to make. But you say this man is God. Jesus made a wise decision to run away. If he didn’t he would have probably get a beating.

My Reply:

Thank you for peacefully and respectfully continuing this discussion.

You make an interesting observation in your last comment when you say:

“But you say this man is God.”

In my last comment I posted this verse:

John 6:38
38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

King James Version

If Jesus were merely a man, how could He make the claim “For I came down from heaven”?

Jesus refers to this fact in John 17:5,

Joh 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

You may recall that John the Baptist was about six months older than Jesus. Yet John the Baptist states:

John 1:15
15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

King James Version

John 1:30
30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

King James Version

What John the Baptist states provides incidental confirmation of what Jesus said. Jesus claimed that He came down from heaven. Therefore, Jesus must have existed as a person before He took on human nature when He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary as announced by the angel Gabriel recorded in Luke 1:26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33.

The angel Gabriel states that Mary’s child would be called “the Son of the Highest” (Luke 1:32), an expression equivalent to His being called “the Son of God.” As the Son of God, Jesus in His person has always existed, which is why Jesus could say that He came down from heaven, and John could say that Jesus “was before me” (John 1:15).

There is absolutely NO basis for suggesting Jesus “ran away.” The King James Version translates the underlying Greek word ἀπέρχομαι by the English word “went” in John 11:54. It is never translated “run away.”

 

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The Christian God Afraid of His Own Creation Part Two

Posted on January 16, 2024 by Jerry


The Text:

Joh 11:54  Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples. (KJV)

The Challenge:

lets just stick to the simple fact that is pointed out here.
Im asking you a simple question. Is it fitting for your God to be scared of his own creations?
Yes or no then give explanation?
Dont avoid the question
Its not a trick question

Question is based on your book

My Response:

I carefully gave you the answer, namely, that you have misunderstood and misapplied John 11:54.

There is nothing in John 11:54 that suggests God is scared of his own creations.

Muslim Challenge Repeated:

out of fear or repercussions from the jews your God ran away to the wilderness out of fear.

Thats the context, so stop beating around the bush. Your God ran away from his own creation out of fear. Is that not so?

My Answer:

Absolutely not so. Read the verse in its immediate context. Read the verse from multiple English translations.

Not out of fear of repercussions from the Jews, but out of prudence Jesus walked away to the wilderness to avoid needless confrontation with the Jewish leadership who were planning to kill Him for, as John expresses elsewhere in his Gospel, Jesus knew His “time was not yet” and His “hour had not yet come.”

I carefully gave you the answer to the issues and questions you raised by presenting for you the immediate context of John 11:54. I also shared with you this verse from several modern English Bible translations.

You challenged the relevance of my first response to your Opening Post by citing Proverbs 22:3.

If you are really reading what I have posted carefully, I trust you will see the correctness of what I presented from the Bible.

 

Muslim response:

this is so childish that i have to do this. His prudence you say. What was the reason of his prudence to stay free of harm from his own creation. Out of fear

Its simple math, you may please to have your misconstrued understanding. But its clear and simple a logical reasoning that’s obvious to see.

In other plaves your God doesn’t even know about the future or whether one of the trees that he created bares fruits or not (the fig tree)

To many things with your God ain’t adding up.

My Response:

I do not mean to be disrespectful. It ought to be obvious to you and any reader here that it is very likely that I have a more complete and accurate understanding of the Bible than you may have.

If you are of the Islamic faith, I would certainly grant that it is most likely that you would have a much more complete and accurate understanding of the Koran than I could ever hope to have.

As for Jesus running away scared, that is nonsense.

Take into account the broader context of the New Testament historical records of what Jesus said and did:

Mat 26:44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
Mat 26:45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Mat 26:46 Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.
Mat 26:47 And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.
Mat 26:48 Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.
Mat 26:49 And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.
Mat 26:50 And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.
Mat 26:51 And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear.
Mat 26:52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
Mat 26:53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
Mat 26:54 But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?
Mat 26:55 In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.

Mat 26:56 But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.

Note that Jesus displayed no fear here. He rebuked Peter for cutting off the High Priest’s servant’s ear.

He explained to Peter that He could summon twelve legions of angels for His defense should it be necessary.

But all this was done that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.

Joh 18:3 Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.
Joh 18:4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?
Joh 18:5 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
Joh 18:6 As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.
Joh 18:7 Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.
Joh 18:8 Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way:
Joh 18:9 That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.

Joh 18:10 Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.

Joh 18:11 Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?

Notice particularly John 18:6, which states “As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.”

That is the historical record. Surely Jesus was in control of the situation.

Jesus commanded that the force which came to arrest Him “let these go their way” (John 18:8), which they did, Jesus thus fulfilling the related prophecy, “That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none” (John 18:9), fulfilling and confirming what Jesus stated in John 6:39 and John 17:12:

John 6:39
39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

King James Version

John 17:12
12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

King James Version

 

 

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The Christian God Afraid of His Own Creation Part One

Posted on January 15, 2024 by Jerry


The Challenge:

Christian God Afraid of Jews

John 11:54 And because Jews wanted to kill him, Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness. (NIV, New International Version)

How can Christians not see that this is not fitting for God. This is blasphemous to God! Its sacrilegious!

My Response:

Pro 22:3 Sensible people foresee trouble and hide from it, but gullible people go ahead and suffer the consequence. (GW, God’s Word translation)

Muslim reply:

honest people stick to the point and context of discussion. Dishonest people apply the rules of the highway to context of a country pathway.

Now explain why was the one who you refer to as God is running away afraid of his own creation!

answer the question.

Why is the one you call God, running away scared from His own creations!

My response:

When you understand Who Jesus is, the connection of John 11:54 to Proverbs 22:3 is made clear.

Jesus possesses an eternal existence: He has always been the Son of God, and God the Father has always been in the eternal relationship of Father to His Son.

The Son of God became a man at a point in time when He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary. In that manner Jesus took on the “form of man,” and from that time Jesus possesses a human nature without having lost His eternal Divine nature.

These facts are easily learned by reading the New Testament and the Old Testament prophecies which Jesus fulfilled.

Therefore, Jesus in His humanity was hardly “running away scared from His own creations!” That is a very mistaken caricature of the truth about His Person.

There is NOTHING in the text of John 11:54 that remotely suggests Jesus was “running away scared.”

Other English translations read:

Joh 11:54 It was for this reason that Jesus no more appeared in public among the Jews, but He left that part of the country and went to the district near the desert, to a town called Ephraim, and stayed there with His disciples. (Williams New Testament)

Joh 11:54 So Jesus did not travel openly in Judea, but left and went to a place near the desert, to a town named Ephraim, where he stayed with the disciples. (GNB, Good News Bible)

Joh 11:54 Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples. (ESV, English Standard Version)

Reading John 11:54 in context with the verse before it clarifies the situation Jesus faced:

Joh 11:53 From that day on, the Jewish council planned to kill Jesus.

Joh 11:54 So Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews. Instead, he left Bethany and went to the countryside near the desert, to a city called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples. (GW, God’s Word translation)

On another occasion, Satan tempted Jesus by urging Him to jump off a pinnacle of the Temple, but Jesus replied that the Bible commands that we are not to tempt the Lord our God:

Mat 4:5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
Mat 4:6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Mat 4:7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. (KJV)

I think this ought to settle the issue you have mistakenly raised, for Jesus did not run away scared. Rather, Jesus exercised prudence by leaving Bethany and walking to Ephraim. Thus, Jesus followed the wise advice given in Proverbs 22:3,

Pro 22:3 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished. (KJV)

Pro 22:3 Sensible people will see trouble coming and avoid it, but an unthinking person will walk right into it and regret it later. (GNB)

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Daily Bible Nugget #821, Isaiah 26:4

Posted on January 11, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Nugget:

Isa 26:4  Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

From Ken Sagely’s Facebook post:

ISAIAH 26.3 THOU WILT KEEP HIM
IN PERFECT PEACE WHOSE MIND IS
STAYED ON THEE, BECAUSE HE TRUSTS IN THEE
Cross References for:

PSALM 55.22
Cast your burden,
on the Lord, He shall sustain you,
He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved!

ISAIAH 12.2
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will Trust and and not be afraid;
For JEHOVAH, the LORD is my
strength and song;
He also has become my salvation.

MATTHEW 8.26
But He said to them,
Why are you Fearful,
O you of little Faith?
Then He arose and rebuked the winds

and the sea, and there was a great calm.

PHILIPPIANS 4.6-7
Be anxious for nothing,
but in everything by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

JOHN 14.27
Peace I leave with you,
My peace I give to you:
not as the world gives do I give to you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid

JOHN 16.33
These things I have spoken to you,
that in Me, you may have peace.
In the world you will have tribulation;
but be of good cheer,
I have overcome the world.

ROMANS 5.1-2
Therefore, having been Justified by Faith,
we have Peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 through whom also we have access by Faith
into this grace which we stand, and rejoice in hope

of the glory of God.

ISAIAH 30.15
In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.
ISAIAH 32.17 The work of righteousness will be peace
And the effect of righteousness, quietness and

assurance forever.

REVELATION 1.4
Grace to you and peace from Him who is and
who was and who is to come, and from the
7 Spirits who are before His throne.

PSALM 72.18-19
18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God
of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.
19. And blessed be his glorious name forever:
and let the whole earth be filled with his glory;
Amen and Amen.

 

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Daily Bible Nugget #820, Isaiah 8:20

Posted on January 10, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Nugget:

Isa 8:20  To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. (KJV)

Isa 8:20 To the Law and to the Testimony! If they do not speak according to this Word, it is because there is no dawn to them! (LITV, Literal Translation of the Bible)

Isa 8:20  To Torah and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no light. (TLV, Tree of Life Version)

Isa 8:20  They should go to the teachings and to the written instructions. If people don’t speak these words, it is because it doesn’t dawn on them.  (GW, God’s Word translation)

Isa 8:20  You are to answer them, “Listen to what the LORD is teaching you! Don’t listen to mediums—what they tell you cannot keep trouble away.” (GNB, Good News Bible)

Isa 8:20 Then you must recall the LORD’s instructions and the prophetic testimony of what would happen. Certainly they say such things because their minds are spiritually darkened. (NET Bible)

My Comment:

I have sometimes been asked, “Where in the Bible does it say we are to go by the Bible alone?”

Sometimes the questioner is sincere. Sometimes the questioner raises this as an issue to refute or challenge my firm stand that we are to “go by the Bible alone and in its entirety.”

The answer is plainly stated in Isaiah 8:20. The prophet Isaiah warns the people not to seek guidance from other sources when God seemed to be silent. The people were upset because God did not respond to their repeated requests for guidance. God has already given the guidance they need in His written Word, the Bible.

The application to us ought to be clear: we are to go by what the Bible teaches us. We are not to be guided by any other supposed sources of guidance  (promoted by mistaken churches and movements) such as so-called “tradition.”

That my interpretation of Isaiah 8:20 is correct is confirmed by comparing what the several different English translations say as I have given above.

That my interpretation of Isaiah 8:20 is correct is confirmed by reading Isaiah 8:20 with its immediate context:

Isa 8:11  The Lord Encourages Isaiah
Indeed this is what the LORD told me. He took hold of me firmly and warned me not to act like these people:
Isa 8:12  “Do not say, ‘Conspiracy,’ every time these people say the word.
Don’t be afraid of what scares them; don’t be terrified.
Isa 8:13  You must recognize the authority of the LORD who commands armies.
He is the one you must respect;
he is the one you must fear.
Isa 8:14  He will become a sanctuary,
but a stone that makes a person trip,
and a rock that makes one stumble —
to the two houses of Israel.
He will become a trap and a snare
to the residents of Jerusalem.
Isa 8:15  Many will stumble over the stone and the rock,
and will fall and be seriously injured,
and will be ensnared and captured.”
Isa 8:16  Tie up the scroll as legal evidence,
seal the official record of God’s instructions and give it to my followers.
Isa 8:17  I will wait patiently for the LORD,
who has rejected the family of Jacob;
I will wait for him.
Isa 8:18  Look, I and the sons whom the LORD has given me are reminders and object lessons in Israel, sent from the LORD who commands armies, who lives on Mount Zion.
Isa 8:19  Darkness Turns to Light as an Ideal King Arrives
 They will say to you, “Seek oracles at the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, from the magicians who chirp and mutter incantations. Should people not seek oracles from their gods, by asking the dead about the destiny of the living?”
Isa 8:20  Then you must recall the LORD’s instructions and the prophetic testimony of what would happen. Certainly they say such things because their minds are spiritually darkened.
Isa 8:21  They will pass through the land destitute and starving. Their hunger will make them angry, and they will curse their king and their God as they look upward.
Isa 8:22  When one looks out over the land, he sees distress and darkness, gloom and anxiety, darkness and people forced from the land.  (NET Bible)

 

That my interpretation of Isaiah 8:20 is confirmed by what any Bible reader may learn by consulting the cross references and notes I have given for this verse in either The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge or The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:

 

Cross Reference Bible Study for Isaiah 8:20 from The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:

 

Isaiah 8:20
To the law. +Isa 8:16, +*Isa 1:10 note. **Deut 17:14, 15,, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20; **Deut 30:11, 12, 13, 14, **Jos 1:8, **2Ch 17:9, Ezr 7:10; Ezr 10:3, Neh 8:1, +*Psa 1:2; +Psa 119:1, Ecc 8:1, Jer 6:16; +*Jer 15:16, Eze 40:3, *Hag 2:11, Mal 4:4, Mat 4:7; Mat 14:4; Mat 15:4; +*Mat 23:2; +*Mat 23:3, Mar 4:24; **Mar 7:7; **Mar 7:13; Mar 10:3; Mar 10:19; **Mar 12:24, **Luk 4:4; *Luk 10:26; *Luk 16:29, 30, 31; Luk 18:20, **Joh 5:39; **Joh 5:46; **Joh 5:47, Act 2:38 note. **Act 17:11, Rom 4:3; +*Rom 15:4, 1Co 9:8, Gal 3:8, etc. Gal 4:21, 22, **2Ti 3:15, 16, 17, Jas 1:25, +*1Pe 2:2, **2Pe 1:19.

testimony. +Isa 8:16, Deut 17:14; Deut 17:18, 19, 20, Rth 4:7, 2Ki 11:12, 2Ch 23:11, Psa 78:5; Psa 93:5; +Psa 119:2; +Psa 119:24, Rom 3:2, 1Co 2:1, 2Ti 1:8, 1Pe 4:11.

if they speak not. Deut 13:3, +**Psa 119:63, +*Pro 19:27, Mat 24:4, +Mar 4:24, +Luk 8:18, *Act 20:28, 29, 30, 31, 32, **1Co 14:29, 2Co 2:17; 2Co 4:2, +*Gal 1:6; +*Gal 1:7; Gal 3:1, Eph 4:14, +2Ti 3:5, 2Pe 2:1; 2Pe 3:16, **1Jn 2:27, 2Jn 1:9, 10.

according. Here we learn the absolute importance of basing every doctrine, every belief, on the written word of God.

No error is more fundamental, nor more disastrous, than depending upon some external source of authority, whether extra-Biblical writings, or an organization claiming to dispense God’s truth.

The only source of authority is the written word of God.

This word is declared in many ways to be perspicuous—that is, understandable (Deut 30:11 note; +Psa 102:18, T49 (Bible a written revelation, and intelligible); +*Pro 8:9) to the ordinary person, who, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, together with careful study, may be trusted to come to just and sound conclusions as to the meaning of Scripture.

Otherwise how could spiritual truth be made known to “babes and sucklings” (Psa 8:2, Mat 11:25)?

How could ordinary listeners be commended for checking the accuracy and truthfulness of an apostle (**Act 17:11)?

How could ordinary believers be charged with the responsibility of judging the message of an apostle, to determine that it was the true gospel (Gal 1:8)?

Note that the great doctrinal epistles are specifically addressed to the “saints,” that is, the ordinary believers, not to the pastors, bishops, theologians, or authorities of the church (Rom 1:6; Rom 1:8; 1Co 1:2; Eph 1:1; Php 1:1; Col 1:2).

We shall be judged on the basis of our belief or disbelief in the written word of God (Joh 5:24, 25-47; Joh 12:48).

In that day we will not be able to excuse our wrong belief, if such it should prove to be, by an appeal claiming “But I believed what my church, pastor, organization, etc., taught me” (**Eze 14:10, Mat 7:21, 22, 23; **Mar 12:24; **Mar 12:27, **Rom 14:12). T46 (Bible, the true standard of faith and practice—danger of false standards): Isa 29:11, 12, 13, Exo 35:29; *Exo 40:16, Deut 29:29, *2Ki 23:24, Ezr 7:14; Ezr 10:3, Psa 26:3, Pro 22:21, Mat 7:21, 22, 23; Mat 15:3, 4, 5, 6; Mat 15:9, *Mar 7:7, 8, 9, Luk 3:14 note. Joh 8:6; *Joh 12:48; Joh 16:13 note. +*Act 8:31, Rom 2:16; Rom 2:18; Rom 3:2; Rom 3:10; Rom 4:3; Rom 12:6; +*Rom 15:4, +1Co 1:2; 1Co 3:13, 2Co 10:12; 2Co 11:4, +*Gal 1:8 note. Eph 1:1, Col 1:2; *Col 2:8, +*1Th 5:21 note, 2Ti 2:15, 1Pe 4:11, 1Jn 4:6.

to this word. Isa 65:5 note. +*Deut 4:2, 1Ki 13:9 note (point 1). 1Ch 28:19, *Psa 102:18, *Pro 30:5; *Pro 30:6, **Jer 23:28; **Jer 23:29, Mic 3:5, **Mar 12:24, Luk 12:57, *Joh 8:31; *Joh 8:32, +**2Ti 3:15; +**2Ti 3:16, *1Jn 4:1, Rev 4:1 note. Rev 22:18.

it is. Isa 30:8, 9, 10, 11, **Psa 19:7; **Psa 19:8; **Psa 119:130, *Jer 8:9, Mic 3:6, **Mat 6:23; **Mat 22:29, *Mar 7:7, 8, 9, *Luk 8:11, Rom 1:22, *2Pe 1:9, +*Jud 1:3 note.

no light. Heb. morning. lit. “darkness,” either of morning or of evening (Young). +*Isa 17:14; Isa 47:11, Gen 32:25; Gen 32:27, Exo 25:37, Lev 24:2, Num 8:2, Jos 6:15, 1Sa 9:26, Job 24:16; Job 38:12; Job 38:15, Psa 49:20; *Psa 101:8; +**Psa 119:105; +**Psa 119:130; Psa 139:9, Pro 2:6; +*Pro 4:18; +*Pro 4:19; Pro 6:23; **Pro 8:9; Pro 14:6; Pro 18:1 note. Pro 20:20, *Jer 8:9; Jer 14:14 note (point 1). **Jer 23:28 note. **Eze 14:10 note. Dan 11:33 note. Hos 6:3, *Mal 4:2, *Mat 6:23; *Mat 8:12; **Mat 11:25, Luk 11:36, Joh 1:9; Joh 3:19; Joh 3:21; Joh 8:12, *2Co 4:3; *2Co 4:4, *2Pe 1:19, 1Jn 1:5; 1Jn 1:7; 1Jn 2:11, *Jud 1:13, +Rev 2:28.

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