The Rapture–When Will It Happen? Part 1

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Jerry

I just received a most interesting email from a friend who attends the Strictly Biblical Ministries pastored by my former student, Pastor Emery Moss, Jr., in Detroit, Michigan. The email included an article titled “Loose Christian Movement says End of Days in May,” an AP article out of Raleigh, N.C.

Apparently Mr. Harold Camping has calculated a new date for the Rapture. This time he thinks it will occur on May 21, 2011.

Mr. Camping published a book titled 1994? in 1992 of 552 pages predicting the end of the world back then.

Mr. Camping published yet another book in 1993 titled Are You Ready? with the subtitle “Much more evidence that 1994 could be the end of the world,” a work of 403 pages.

In 1958 Mr. Camping helped found the Family Radio ministry. I have listened to this ministry over many years on the shortwave radio dial. The ministry features excellent Christian music and generally sound Bible teaching. Mr. Camping most correctly advocates going by the Bible alone and in its entirety.

The problem is, Mr. Camping does not engage in what I call Real Bible Study.

His procedures do not pass what I call “The Robinson Crusoe Desert Island Test.”

Leave it to an English major, and long-time English and literature teacher to come up with this one. You might object, “But where in the Bible can you find this?” The answer to that good question is right here:

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.

It may well be true that Mr. Camping claims to derive all his information from the Bible. But if you have read the classic work by Daniel Defoe, The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, you must know that even with the “three good Bibles” Crusoe managed to salvage from the abandoned chests of the perished shipwrecked sailors, it would not be possible to come up with such schemes using even the three good plain text Bibles he found with all the time in the world, undisturbed, to read them.

Robinson Crusoe surely would encounter this verse, though, after some extensive reading:

Mat 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

If he read a bit further he would find this one:

Mat 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

And then he would see this:

Luk 12:40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

If Robinson Crusoe were a careful reader who kept track of his reading, he would discover from these and other texts in Scripture that:

(1) The Bible does not teach that the world will come to an end. The Bible teaches the direct opposite in many places.

Psa 104:5 Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.

Reading a while longer, he would spot this one:

Psa 148:6 He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.

Reading further, Robinson would find this one:

Ecc 1:4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

(2) After some study, Robinson would discover that the passages speaking of the Coming of Christ at a time unexpected may not refer to the Rapture at all, but to the final stage of the Second Coming, when Christ comes in a manner such that “every eye shall see him” (Revelation 1:7), a coming not for His saints (or believers), but with His saints.

(3) After considerable time reading further into the New Testament, Robinson Crusoe would encounter the teaching of the Apostle Paul about the Rapture of living believers, and the near-simultaneous though immediately preceding event, the resurrection of the dead in Christ:

1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

(4) Further reading and study would establish that Christ’s Kingdom is future, not present, and will be upon this earth, not in Paradise, or the Third Heaven, or Heaven.

(5) Careful attention to what the Bible actually says would establish that Christ as the Son of Man will reign on this earth from Jerusalem not merely for 1000 years of the Millennium, but He will reign for ever.

Robinson noticed in his Bible reading the following texts of Scripture:

Isa 24:23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.

Isaiah 24:23 surely establishes that the reign will be in Jerusalem.

Zec 14:9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

Zechariah 14:9 shows that the Messiah, the Son of Man, our Lord Jesus Christ, shall be king over all the earth.

Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isa 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Isaiah 9:6, 7 shows that the reign of the Messiah will be for ever, upon the Throne of David, here upon this earth. The Throne of David is never said to be in heaven in the Bible.

Luk 1:32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
Luk 1:33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Luke 1:32, 33 surely confirms that our Lord Jesus Christ will reign upon the Throne of his father David for ever, and his kingdom here on earth will never end.

(6) Therefore, there will be an everlasting kingdom of God or kingdom of Heaven here upon this earth that lasts forever. This world will never be destroyed so as to become uninhabitable, for eternal generations of mankind in the flesh will continue eternally upon this earth.

Posted in Bible Prophecy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Did the Thief on the Cross go immediately to heaven?

Posted on December 12, 2010 by Jerry

Jesus said he would, therefore he did.

But there are many false teachers who want to change the punctuation of Luke 23:43, where Jesus made the promise to the thief on the cross:

Luk 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Our final destiny is not to live in heaven forever, but on earth forever with our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is made quite clear by Matthew 5:5,

Mat 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Until then, however, if we die physically before the Rapture, if we are truly saved, we will go to heaven to be with our Lord Jesus Christ, who is surely there upon His throne.

No human beings are slated to live in heaven forever. There is only ONE hope and destiny for all those in this current age, often called the “church age” by theologians and careful Bible students, FOR there is only ONE BODY, and one hope of our calling, as Paul absolutely and unequivocally affirms (Ephesians 4:4,5). The idea of some that 144,000 are the only ones who have a heavenly hope, while the rest of us are consigned to a mere earthly hope is nonsense in terms of what the Bible teaches, and in plain language this view is utterly false doctrine, soul-destroying doctrine at that for any who believe it.

There are some who assert that there is no consciousness after death. In the not too distant past I visited Robinson Crusoe’s Desert Island (my metaphor for genuine independent Bible study using a plain text Bible) and found evidence for well over a dozen Scriptural proofs of consciousness after death being the Bible’s teaching. The body is dead upon our decease, but souls and spirits are eternal: they do not die physically, only spiritually. The body returns to dust, the soul does not! They who have died in faith are very much alive, awaiting eagerly the resurrection of their bodies.

They who have died in unbelief are also very much alive and conscious, awaiting the resurrection of their bodies 1000 years after the resurrection of the righteous dead.

But the main point I wish to address is the absurd notion that Jesus told the thief on the Cross (note carefully the wrong punctuation), “I say unto you today, you will be with me in paradise.” To postulate such a response on the part of our Lord Jesus Christ is absurd because it is contrary to Greek grammar. As recorded in the Greek New Testament, this cannot be the meaning. Even though Greek has very little punctuation in the original manuscripts, it is most obvious in terms of the grammar what the punctuation must be. To argue otherwise indicates a lack of study in the field of grammar, or an axe to grind.

Jesus had no need to instruct the thief on the cross that he was speaking to him on that very day: that point is beyond the obvious! The notion that Jesus said that is most absurd.

Jesus was addressing the thief, correcting and instructing the thief’s hope of being in Christ’s Kingdom here on earth upon Christ’s Return in Glory. Jesus is asserting to the thief you will not need to wait until then, for this very day you will be with me in Paradise.

Jesus was NOT speaking to the thief about some future time on the earth when the thief would awake from an unknown length of time of soul-sleep at the resurrection to regain consciousness as if no time had passed, so seeming to be but an instant between the thief’s moment of death and his conscious presence with Christ in the earthly kingdom.

This concept can directly be proven to be utterly false because Jesus used the term Paradise, which is the same as what Paul calls the “third heaven,” when Paul was consciously caught up to the third heaven, which Paul absolutely asserts was Paradise (See 2 Corinthians 12:2, “caught up to the third heaven” and 2 Corinthians 12:4, “How that he was caught up into paradise”).

Jesus promised the thief “Today thou shalt be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

You may be certain, therefore, that consciousness continues after death, and that like that thief on the cross who trusted Christ and believed His work for him on the Cross, we too share in that blessed promise, if we have put our trust in Christ for our salvation.

If consciousness does not continue after death, Jesus could not have told the thief “Today you will be with me in paradise,” for if unconscious, the thief would never know he was in Paradise, and could not know he was with Jesus, according to His promise.

Posted in Doctrinal Discussions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 56 Comments

Ten Commandment & Sabbath Day Observance Issues

Posted on December 4, 2010 by Jerry

The Fourth Commandment: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it Holy

The following New Testament references pertain to the Fourth Commandment regarding keeping the Sabbath:

Matthew 12:8, 12; 24:20; Mark 1:21; 2:27-28; 6:2; Luke 4:16, 31; 6:5; 23:56; Acts 13:14, 42, 44; 15:21; 16:13; 17:1-2; 18:4; Hebrews 4:4, 9-10 [Notice the marginal rendering at Hebrews 4:4, 9 in the King James Version or read a modern English translation, most of which make the reference to the Sabbath clear (See the Amplified, ASV, BBE, NASB, NIV, RSV and NRSV translations)].

I believe that though the fourth commandment regarding the Sabbath is mentioned in the NT in narrative context, it is never once cited as a commandment to be kept by those who believe in Christ.

The Sabbath Commandment was given exclusively to the Hebrews, the Jews, and never to the Gentiles, except those Gentiles who resided in Israel or lived among the Jews (Exodus 20:10, “thy stranger (foreigner) that is within thy gates”).

The portion of the Mosaic Law considered to be binding upon the Gentiles is stipulated in the New Testament in the apostolic decision recorded in Acts 15:28, 29,

Act 15:28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
Act 15:29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

The Sabbath observance is NOT included among “these necessary things” for the Gentiles, or the Church. Surely, to the Jewish mind, as opposed to the renewed mind of the Christian (Romans 12:1, 2), the Sabbath was a central issue, as was the immediate issue of Circumcision in context.

There is not one example of Christians meeting for specifically Christian worship on the Jewish Sabbath in the New Testament.

There is not one word urging us to keep the Sabbath in any of the apostolic writings in the New Testament.

The Law (all Law) as a principle was nailed to the Cross (Colossians 2:14).

Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

See also Ephesians 2:15,

Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

I have elsewhere read and heard some state that the Mosaic Law was fulfilled and abolished by the work of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, but NOT the Ten Commandment Law engraved in stone written by the finger of God.

It sounds like a possible distinction until you read further in the New Testament where Paul states at 2 Corinthians 3:7, 8,

2Co 3:7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
2Co 3:8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?

The KJV is rather obscure for many modern readers; the English Standard Version for 2 Corinthians 3:7, 8 reads

2Co 3:6 who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
2Co 3:7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end,
2Co 3:8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory?

Note Paul states:

(1) The letter kills.

The “letter” has reference to the Law as contained in the Hebrew Scriptures. It “kills” because no one can keep it perfectly (Ecclesiastes 7:20). Only our Lord Jesus Christ has perfectly kept the law. He came to fulfill the law, not destroy it (Matthew 5:17, 18). That does NOT mean the Law still stands.

The issue is that the Hebrew Scriptures state there are two roads to eternal life; one is to perfectly keep the commandments, Leviticus 18:5,

Lev 18:5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.

See also Ezekiel 20:11, 13. Luke 10:28. Ro 10:5. Galatians 3:12. As Jesus said once, “this do, and thou shalt live” (Luke 10:28). The other is justification by faith, following the example of Abraham in Genesis 15:6.

Gen 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

(2) The Spirit gives life.

The life spoken of is eternal life, and a regenerated life as a new creation in Christ, which is absolutely not available on the principle of works (you cannot work enough, or never know if you have; besides, Paul tells us we are not saved by our works, but by faith, faith which then produces works pleasing to God, Ephesians 2:8-10).

Paul teaches that if we walk in the Spirit, we shall fulfill the requirements of the Law by the Holy Spirit who lives in the saved believer and produces the fruit of the Spirit Paul details in Galatians 5:22, 23,

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal 5:23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Note carefully what Paul teaches in Galatians 5:18,

Gal 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

(3) The Law that brings death specifically includes the Ten Commandment Law

That the Law brings death is stated in Romans 6:21 and Romans 7:5,

Rom 6:21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

Rom 7:5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

2Co 3:7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone,

Clearly, it was the Ten Commandments that were carved in letters on stone.

And those Ten Commandments, for those who are depending on keeping them for eternal life, do not bring life, but death.

Some think that because the Sabbath existed before the giving of the Law in the Ten Commandments, the Sabbath Commandment is not included in that which Christ abolished on the Cross. It is true that the Sabbath was probably a pre-Mosaic institution, like the Tithe, but as it is still a matter of Law, it cannot lead to eternal Life. Dependence to any degree whatsoever upon any Law is contrary to Christ,

Gal 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

Gal 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
Gal 5:8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.
Gal 5:9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

Thus Paul warns an error in what may seem to us a minor matter is deadly serious, spiritually.

Paul does not forbid observing the Sabbath, neither does he encourage it. Paul forbids anyone from criticizing another believer either for observing it, or for not observing it, or for criticizing which day, if any, one chooses as a or the day of worship. See Romans 14:5, 6 and Colossians 2:16,

Rom 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
Rom 14:5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
Rom 14:6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it….

Col 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Col 2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Col 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

I guess that if someone insists on Sabbath Keeping, they better be keeping the New Moons too!

An interesting passage in Scripture which many very good scholars have mistakenly interpreted to refer to the Sabbath is Revelation 1:10,

Rev 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

To suppose that the expression used here by John, “on the Lord’s day,” has any reference to the Sabbath is a violation of a simple, standard rule of interpretation. Only later was the expression “the Lord’s day” used of the Sabbath, not in New Testament times. Therefore, it is wrong to assert that this expression as used by John refers to either the original Jewish Sabbath or the somewhat later usage which applies it to the so-called “Christian Sabbath” or Sunday worship.

There is not one line in either the Hebrew or the Greek Scriptures, our Old Testament and New Testament, that indicates the Sabbath was ever changed to a different day. The Sabbath in Scripture as it relates to the fourth commandment always has reference to worship or rest on the Seventh Day, not the First Day. But as Christ rose from the dead in bodily resurrection (there is no other kind of resurrection!) on the First Day, many Christians observe the First Day as the day of worship, in accordance with New Testament Christian practice (Acts 20:7 and 1 Corinthians 16:2).

On a more technical note in reference to Revelation 1:10, some scholars have suggested that the expression “the Lord’s day” in Greek is a reference to the differently expressed “Day of the Lord” in Hebrew.

To me, this would seem to be the best explanation of Revelation 1:10, because it avoids importing a later meaning into the New Testament text. It also seems a better explanation because it fits the context of the book of Revelation, where most of the events depicted there will indeed take place in the future, during “the Day of the Lord.” John thus asserts that what he saw were events to take place in that dreadful time.

So, are we to ignore the Ten Commandments, or the Nine still left? Paul argues we keep the commandments by walking in the Spirit, and so we are not under the Law. The commandments still in full force today are the commands of Christ, which include “love one another,” and what John tells us additionally in 1 John 3:23, 24,

1Jn 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
1Jn 3:24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Posted in Doctrinal Discussions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 56 Comments

You KNOW it’s a Myth—This Season, Celebrate REASON!

Posted on December 1, 2010 by Jerry

You KNOW it’s a Myth—This Season, Celebrate REASON!

Such is the title statement on billboard advertising posted by American Atheists, Reasonable since 1963 with the website atheists.org.

It has stirred quite a fuss already this Christmas season.

The trouble is, what the atheists are attempting to “knock” or criticize is indeed a myth. It is a myth because it is not correct according to the Bible.

That is the problem with all of our atheist friends. They simply have NEVER ONCE done any REAL BIBLE STUDY like that promoted here.

Apparently, no atheist has ever read and studied thoroughly so much as one scholarly work devoted to the defense of the Bible and genuine, Bible-believing Christianity.

Their beautifully designed billboard depicts the three wise men on their way to visit the baby Jesus in the manger.

The problem with that is the historical record given in the Bible never states how many wise men were in the group that visited the infant Jesus. It is not necessary to suppose there were three. That, indeed, is a myth that has grown up independently, not supported by the evidence in the Bible.

The number may have been suggested by the three gifts named, gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Furthermore, the wise men never visited Jesus when he was in the manger, but found him in a house about two years later, according to the chronology established by such a careful scholar as Samuel J. Andrews in his work on the Life of Christ.

So here is the major problem the atheists have never faced up to squarely: what they criticize and disbelieve is a caricature of Christianity, not the real thing found in the Bible itself.

Among no doubt many other failures in logic, the atheists have succumbed to the “Straw Man Fallacy.” They are arguing against and faulting what no informed Bible believing Christian has ever affirmed.

On that point alone, the atheists have lost the debate.

Any atheists reading this? I welcome your on-topic comments. I will approve all relevant comments submitted, even if I disagree with what the comments may affirm.

But be prepared—I am willing and most able to meet all comers with sound reason, logic, and most important, verifiable evidence to answer any objections offered by our atheist friends who may have questions about the Bible and strictly Biblical Christianity.

I’ve been carefully studying these matters since 1953, so I’ve got you beat by ten years just to start with!

If you knew your Bible, you would know that God himself invites us to reason with Him, for He said,

Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Posted in Apologetics Issues--Atheism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Where Do Bible Cross References Come From?

Posted on November 27, 2010 by Jerry

The search term log for this website, www.realbiblestudy.com, showed that someone somewhere in the world searched for an answer to this question, was directed to this site, but did not stay long enough to find an answer.

Someone else searched to find the answer to the question, “Who wrote the Treasury Cross References?”

By the way, it was NOT Dr. R. A. Torrey, as so many booksellers and publishers think. He only wrote a very good introduction reprinted in copies from the late nineteenth century to the present time.

The references in The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge came straight out of Scott’s Commentary, merged with those furnished in the English edition of the Polyglott Bible published by Bagster in London in the early nineteenth century.

So here is my documented answer, Part One!

I plan to discuss, in turn, both the history and the validity of cross references. In this post I’ll document a bit of the history and growth in the number of cross references found in our Bibles.

Some History Behind Cross References and Where They Came From

William Carpenter in the preface to his work Scientia Biblica from 1825 states:

The first collection of parallel passages the editor believes to have been that published with the third edition of Tyndale’s Testament, in 1534. Coverdale’s Bible, also, the first edition of which appeared in 1535, has a few marginal references. These were augmented and improved in the various editions of the Bible and New Testament, which were published subsequently to that time: the first edition of the present “Authorized Version” containing nine thousand references (Preface, p. vi).

But the most copious and judicious collection of parallel passages was that published by John Canne, with an edition of the Bible, at Amsterdam, 1644. The title is as follows:
“The Holy Bible, containing the Old Testament and the New, Newly translated out of the Original Tongues, and with the former Translations diligently compared and revised. With marginal Notes, shewing Scripture to be the best interpreter of Scripture.”

In a “Preface to the Reader,” the Editor quaintly observes, “I do not know any way whereby the Word of God, as to the majesty, authority, truth, and perfection of it, can be more honoured and held forth, and the adversaries of it of all sorts so thoroughly convinced and silenced, as to have the Scripture to be its own interpreter. This I am sure, did men in their expositions on the Scriptures speak less themselves, and the Scripture more, the Scripture would have more honour and themselves less.”

In 1683, the “Authorized Version” was corrected, and many additional parallel texts were added by Dr. Scattergood; and in 1690, Samuel Clark published “The Holy Bible, containing the Old Testament and the New, with Annotations and Parallel Scriptures,” &c. In the Preface to this edition of the Scriptures, the Editor states that he took a great deal of pains in collecting parallel texts, and that not only for words and phrases, but for sense and matter. For this purpose, besides places which he added from his own observations, he examined all those which are in Curcellæus’s Greek Testament, which are also printed in the Oxford edition, with the various readings, but with many errata. He also examined those in Canne’s Bible.

Notwithstanding the intrinsic value of these collections of parallel references, something further was absolutely necessary to facilitate the labour of an extensive collation of the Sacred Writings. The immense time which was of necessity consumed in consulting all the passages to which a reference is made, to say nothing of the Impossibility of remembering them so distinctly as to see their aptness and propriety, rendered them of but little service to the generality of Scripture readers. This consideration induced the publication of “The New Testament, with References under the Text in words at length; so that the Parallel Texts may be seen at one View,” &c., by Francis Fox, M.A. London, 1748, 2 Vols. 8vo. (page vii).

From a table taken from Bishop Wilson’s Bible, cited in Volume 1 of Scientia Biblica (Preface, page vii) and also in Horne’s Introduction, vol. 2, page 81 of the last section) the number of cross references or parallel passages furnished for the Authorized or King James Version has grown as follows:

In the first edition of 1611 there were 6,588 cross references in the O.T.; 885 in the Apocrypha; 1,527 in the N.T., for a total of 9,000 cross references.
J. Hayes’s, 1677 furnished 14,629 O.T. cross references; 1,409 in the Apocrypha; 9,857 in the N.T., for a total of 25,895 cross references for the whole Bible.
Dr. Scattergood’s, 1678 furnished 20,357 for the O.T.; 1,417 for the Apocrypha; 11,371 for the N.T., for a total of 33,145 for the whole Bible.
Bishops Tennison and Lloyd’s, 1699 furnished 24,352 cross references for the O.T.; 1,419 for the Apocrypha; 13,717 for the N.T.; 39,488 for the whole Bible.
Dr. Blayney’s, 1769 furnished 43,318 for the O.T.; 1,772 for the Apocrypha; 19,893 for the N.T.; 64,983 cross references for the whole Bible.
Bishop Wilson’s, 1785 furnished 45,190 for the O.T.; 1,772 for the Apocrypha; 19,993 for the N.T.; 66,955 for the whole Bible.

William Carpenter states (Preface, p. viii),

In 1769, a revised edition of the “Authorized Translation” was published from the Oxford press. In this edition, which was revised by Dr. Blayney, under the direction of the Lord Chancellor and delegates of the Clarendon press, the marginal references were re-examined and corrected, and thirty thousand four hundred and ninety-five new references were inserted in the margin.

In 1790, the Rev. C. Cruttwell published, in a 4to volume, “A Concordance of Parallels collected from Bibles and Commentaries, which have been published in Hebrew, Latin, French, Spanish, and other languages, with the authorities of each.” This is unquestionably the most elaborate collection of texts that has ever appeared, but it is doubtful whether it will repay the labour of even occasional consultation…. (Preface, p. viii).

I have that work, and have consulted it at length. I agree with Carpenter’s assessment that it is most difficult to make use of the information in it. The references are not sorted at each verse to the key words in the Bible text. Many of the references seem to have no apparent connection whatsoever. I devised a step-by-step procedure to sort the references and discover any that are of value to the general Bible reader, but the process is so tedious that I have, over a decade, used it for only a limited number of passages in my work of compiling more cross references to expand what I have collected previously.

William Carpenter makes the following most curious observation about a subsequent publication of extensive cross references in his Preface at page ix,

Nor should the “Scripture Harmony,” a laborious compilation of half a million of Scripture references, published by Mr. Bagster as a Supplement to his beautiful and valuable “Polyglott Bible,” be omitted in this place. In this compilation the Editor has brought together the marginal references of Canne, Blayney, Browne, Scott, and other valuable writers on parallel Scriptures, and has arranged their various contributions into regular order. In this last particular it differs from Cruttwell, but in every other, the remarks upon his “Concordance” may be applied to the “Scripture Harmony.”

For an extensive collection of references to parallel passages, the Editor has no hesitation in saying, that in the margin of Scott’s Commentary is by far the best hitherto published; although the subtraction of a few thousands would not render this the less valuable to the Biblical student. To this Collection the Editor has been greatly indebted for much valuable assistance in the progress of these volumes. For a collection of parallel references on a smaller scale than Scott’s, that in the margin of Mr. Bagster’s English version of the Bible, forming part of the Polyglott above referred to, will be found the most judicious extant (William Carpenter, Preface, p. ix).

The work William Carpenter refers to as the “Scripture Harmony” is the work well-known today as The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Contrary to Mr. Carpenter’s mistaken observation, the cross references in the “Scripture Harmony” or The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge are absolutely identical with the cross references furnished in the margins of Scott’s Commentary! The only difference is that the “Scripture Harmony” has blended the cross references from the Polyglott Bible with those taken from Scott’s Commentary. I personally have verified this for the entire Bible, for I used the Polyglott Bible and Scott’s Commentary to verify the cross references as I expanded them for my work, The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

It is difficult to accurately estimate the number of cross references in The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. If the published figure of 500,000 cross references stated on the title page is accurate, then my work in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge has added over 100,000 new references to that figure. By extrapolation, I’ve calculated the number of references in the New Treasury to be anywhere between 600,000 and 1 million. I’ll leave the accurate counting to a computer, though.

A recent “count” of the number of cross references in The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge arrived at 381,775 cross references. This falls considerably short of the 500,000 figure generally associated with The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, but it might be more accurate. Of course, it depends how they “count” a reference, among other problems in reaching such a figure.

Contrary to Mr. Carpenter’s opinion, I and many other students of God’s Word today would welcome an even more complete collection of cross references. When one is attempting to track down an important Bible truth, it is most helpful to be able to consider all of the relevant evidence. In my own studies I have uncovered gaping holes in the coverage of Bible subjects, doctrines, and themes in cross references currently available. I am currently working to remedy this.

With the advent of modern computers and Bible software, looking up cross references is no longer the tedious chore it once was, when one had to turn up each reference by hand in a Bible in hard copy. Now, just hovering the computer “mouse” over the cross reference displayed in Bible software such as is available for a price from Logos or for free download from www.e-Sword.net brings up the cross-referenced Bible text instantly, and “clicking” on the reference will take you right to the text itself. The “back button” will bring you back to where you were without losing your place. These are wonderful developments, and every Bible believing Christian ought to be taking full advantage of them in doing what I call Real Bible Study.

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John 6:44 Cross Reference Study Part 1

Posted on November 26, 2010 by Jerry

John 6:44 Bible Text (King James Version):

John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:44 Bible Text (Young’s Literal Translation):

John 6:44 no one is able to come unto me, if the Father who sent me may not draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day;

John 6:44 Cross References:

44. man. ver. 65. Jn 5:44. 8:43. *12:37-40. Is 44:18-20. Je 13:23. Mt 12:34. Ro 8:7, 8. can come. ver. 35. Jn %5:40. Jb 14:4. Je *13:23. Ro 11:35, 36. 1 C **2:14. *4:7. 2 C 3:5. except. ver. 45, 65. Jn *3:3-7. *10:26. Mt 11:25-27. *16:17. 2 C *4:6. Ep *2:4-10. Ph *1:29. Col *2:12, 13. T 3:3-5. Ja *1:18. sent. ver. 38. Jn 4:34. draw. ver. 65. Jn 4:23. *12:32. SS *1:4. Je 31:3. Ho 11:4. and I. ver. 39, 40. raise. FS8, Ps +118:1.

Cross References for John 6:44 Part One in full text format:

44. man. ver. 65. Jn 5:44. 8:43. *12:37-40. Is 44:18-20. Je 13:23. Mt 12:34. Ro 8:7, 8.

John 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

John 5:44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?

John 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

John 12:37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
John 12:38 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?
John 12:39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,
John 12:40 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.

Isaiah 44:18 They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
Isaiah 44:19 And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?
Isaiah 44:20 He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?

Jeremiah 13:23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.

Matthew 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Romans 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Joh 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

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John 6:37 Cross Reference Study Part 5

Posted on November 9, 2010 by Jerry

John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

CROSS REFERENCES

I will. Jn *9:34. Ps *86:5. *102:17. Is *1:18, 19. *41:9. *42:3. **55:7. Mt **11:28. 24:24. Lk 23:40-43. Ro *5:20. 1 T *1:15, 16. He +*4:15. **7:25. 1 P 1:2. 1 J **2:19. Re *22:17.

CROSS REFERENCE TEXTS

John 9:34 They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.

Psalm 86:5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

Psalm 102:17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.

Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Isaiah 1:19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

Isaiah 41:9 Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.

Isaiah 42:3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Luke 23:40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
Luke 23:41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
Luke 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
1 Timothy 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

Hebrews 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.

Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

1 Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Psa 119:130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.

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John 6:37 Cross Reference Study Part 4

Posted on November 8, 2010 by Jerry

John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

CROSS REFERENCES

him that cometh. Is *1:18. **55:7. Mt *11:28. Lk 23:42, 43. Ac 2:21.

CROSS REFERENCE TEXTS

Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Luke 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Acts 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

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John 5:24 How to know you have eternal life

Posted on November 7, 2010 by Jerry

My original spiritual birthday, the day I received Jesus Christ as my personal Savior, was November 7, 1953.

That makes today my 57th anniversary!

Don’t feel bad if you don’t know the exact date and circumstance of your own spiritual birthday. That piece of knowledge is not a requirement for salvation!

But I must say, if you don’t know if you’ve ever had a spiritual birthday or not, that is something you really need to check into.

Jesus said we MUST be born again, so having a spiritual birthday is not optional (John 3:7).

Joh 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

There are some religious organizations, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who misunderstand and deny this verse. That is dangerous false doctrine! They think only a special group of 144,000, mentioned in the book of Revelation, are the “little flock,” and only this group can experience the new birth that Jesus spoke about. Well, if you read Revelation 1:19, the author of Revelation spells out his outline, and the part of Revelation that speaks of the 144,000 is clearly the portion of the book that is future prophecy that has not even yet been fulfilled. Further, there is absolutely no basis in Scripture to equate the 144,000 with the so-called “little flock” mentioned in Luke 12:32.

Luk 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Many other religious groups, including some mainline Protestant churches, as well as the Roman Catholic Church, are mistaken in thinking that a person is born again when they are water baptized. The Bible nowhere teaches this idea. The doctrine of baptismal regeneration, as it is called in theology, is absolutely false. It is not taught in the Bible.

The Bible does declare that it is possible for you to ABSOLUTELY KNOW FOR SURE here in and during this life that you are saved, that you are born again, that you NOW HAVE eternal life.

John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

1Jn 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

If you don’t know for sure, that is a sure sign you have not been properly reading and studying and believing your Bible.

Notice that John 5:24 directly states that those who hear Christ’s word, and believe on him that sent Christ, HAVE eternal life. That means have right now, NOT “hope to have,” or “I’ll find out for sure after I die.” At that point, it is too late to change your eternal destination (Hebrews 9:27).

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Notice that 1 John 5:13 states most directly and clearly that we may “KNOW THAT YE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.” “HAVE” is a present tense verb which means that we can have eternal life right now in this life.

Unfortunately, some churches, especially the Roman Catholic Church, deny that anyone can know that they have eternal life while still in this life. The Roman Catholic Church has made this denial of what the Bible clearly teaches a matter of their official doctrine, ever since the Council of Trent.

On the basis of what the Bible itself teaches, I believe the Bible officially declares the Roman Catholic Church to be a false cult, for the Roman Catholic Church directly denies what the Bible clearly and absolutely declares.

I came to know and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior by simply reading the New Testament, and believing what it said.

You can come to full assurance of salvation yourself the same way I did, by reading and re-reading the plain text of the New Testament from a plain text Bible. When I began to read the New Testament, I determined to read the New Testament daily for at least twenty minutes a day. When I had more time, I read more. After two months or so of reading, from late August until Saturday, November 7, 1953, I realized I was unsaved. I had never personally prayed to God for salvation (Luke 18:13), and had never received Christ (John 1:12).

Luk 18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

While delivering newspapers that Saturday morning, I stopped on Lumpkin Street in Detroit, and prayed and received Christ as my Savior. I knew right then that I was saved, and today I still know for sure. Do you?

I continue to grow spiritually by studying the Bible every day.

I hope all of you will make Bible reading, and especially Bible study, a daily habit too.

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John 6:37 Cross Reference Study, Part 3

Posted on November 7, 2010 by Jerry

John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

CROSS REFERENCES

shall come. ver. *Joh 6:44, **Jn 6:45, *Jn 6:64, *Jn 6:65.  %*Jn 8:30, 31. **Jn 10:27, 28, 29. %*Jn 15:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Ps 110:3. *Ep 2:4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. *Phil 1:29. **2 Th 2:13, 14. *2 Tim 2:19. *Titus 3:3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

CROSS REFERENCE TEXTS

John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.

John 6:64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
John 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

John 8:30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.
John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
John 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
John 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
John 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
John 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

Psalm 110:3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.

Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Ephesians 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Ephesians 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Ephesians 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Philippians 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
2 Thessalonians 2:14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

Titus 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
Titus 3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Titus 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Titus 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

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