Saturday, March 7, 2015

When did God promise to preserve His word in English?

When did God promise to preserve His word in English?

That question is usually asked by those who are members of the Alexandrian Cult, and it is usually asked in a smart alecky manner.

God has preserved His word perfectly: Ps. 12:6-7, 100:5, 117:2, 119:89, Isa. 30:8, 40:7-8, 1 Pet. 1:23-25, Matt. 5:17-18, 24:35, Mark 13:31, Luke 21:33. It "liveth and abideth forever". 

But where does God say that He would preserve it in an English translation? Well, God never said "I will preserve my word in the 1611 English of the Authorized Version".  

God's words of the Old Testament were given in Hebrew because the Jews/Israel were God's chosen people.

Deuteronomy 7:6 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

1 Chronicles 17:22 For thy people Israel didst thou make thine own people for ever; and thou, LORD, becamest their God.

Jeremiah 31:1-3 At the same time, saith the LORD, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people. Thus saith the LORD, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest. The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

1 Kings 10:9 Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.

Israel was God's chosen people, even His children and "firstborn": Exod. 4:22, Deut. 4:1-2, 32:18, Isa. 1:2, 66:8, Jer. 31:9 
  
That is why the Holy Scriptures were given to them....     


Romans 3:1-2 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

Psalms 147:12-20
[12] Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion.
[13] For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee.
[14] He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.
[15] He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly.
[16] He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.
[17] He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?
[18] He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.
[19] He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel.
[20] He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD
.

However, the word of the Lord is no longer only given in Hebrew. The Jews have been temporarily set aside until the rapture of the Body of Christ.  

God offered His Kingdom to Israel through the gospel of the kingdom (Matt. 4:23, 9:35, 24:14, Mark 1:14,  Matt. 3:2, 4:17, 10:7, Mark 1:15). This gospel had to do with restoring the kingdom to Israel and Christ sitting on a throne in Jerusalem (Acts 1:6-8, Matt. 19:28, 24:1-51). The kingdom was to be offered to Israel first (Luke 24:47, Acts 1:8) and then to all nations (Matt. 28:19-20, Mark 16:15). However, Israel rejected the offer and most of them would not repent of killing their King (Acts 3:19-26), only a few thousand believed when the whole nation needed to accept Christ in order for Him to come back (Acts 3:19-20).

The 'last straw' was when Jerusalem rejected the gospel and blasphemed the Holy Ghost by stoning Him (Acts 6-7, Mark 3:28-29, Luke 12:10--any action against a man filled and baptized with the Holy Ghost was considered to be against the Holy Ghost Himself--Acts 5:1-11). 

That is when God sent salvation to the Gentiles and called out the apostle of the Gentiles, Paul. (Acts 8:27, 9:6, 10:1-48, 13:16-49, Rom. 11:13, 15:16, 16:25).  

Israel fell and was temporarily cast aside after blaspheming the Holy Ghost:

Romans 9:
[30] What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
[31] But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
[32] Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
[33] As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed
.


Romans 11:
[11] I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
[12] Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
[13] For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
[14] If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
[15] For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead


This is true in the present dispensation of grace, the Jews have been set aside by God and His wrath is on them to the uttermost (1 Thes. 2:14-16). They are currently enemies of the gospel (Rom. 11:28). However, this status is only temporary. God will continue His dealings with Israel after the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

Romans 11:
[25] For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
[26] And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
[27] For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins
.


Israel has been castaway and Jew and Gentile are now of the same spiritual unity in Christ--the same Body.

Ephesians 3:
[1] For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
[2] If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to youward:
[3] How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
[4] Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
[5] Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
[6] That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
[7] Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
[8] Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
[9] And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ
 


Colossians 1:
[24] Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:
[25] Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
[26] Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
[27] To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory


1 Corinthians 6:
[15] Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
[16] What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
[17] But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit
.


1 Corinthians 12:12-13 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

In the present dispensation, spiritually speaking, there is no Jew or Greek (Gal. 3:26-28, 1 Cor. 12:13, Col. 3:11). There is no such thing as a Gentile getting saved and becoming a "spiritual Jew", because spiritually there is no Jew. The Jews do not have any advantages over any nation or race currently. 

Israel is no longer in the position of having God's blessing on them, that blessing is to ALL GENTILE NATIONS that continue in faith. Nations that serve God by faith are blessed by God and apostate nations will face God's severity.

Romans 11:
[13] For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
[14] If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
[15] For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
[16] For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
[17] And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
[18] Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
[19] Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
[20] Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
[21] For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
[22] Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
[23] And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
[24] For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree
 
 


Currently God is dealing with Gentiles, not Jews (Rom. 11:25, Eph. 3:1-9, Col. 1:24-28). God has said that Gentile nations will partake of "the root and fatness of the olive tree" (blessings) as long as they stand by faith and do not go into unbelief. These are not PHYSICAL blessings on Gentile nations, this is a reference to SPIRITUAL blessings.  

Romans 15:27 It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.

What was Israel's CHIEF spiritual blessing? Look at Romans 3

Romans 3:1-2 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

Psalms 147:12-20
[12] Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion.
[13] For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee.
[14] He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.
[15] He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly.
[16] He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.
[17] He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?
[18] He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.
[19] He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel.
[20] He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD
.


John 4:22-24
Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 
But now the Gentiles are partakers of that spiritual blessing. Now the Gentiles can have the oracles of God given to them. God will now shew His word to the Gentiles and not just "Jacob" (Ps. 147:19-20). 

In other words, "the word of God is not bound"....

2 Timothy 2:8-9 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.
 
Under the New Testament God was going to establish a new covenant with Israel in the Kingdom on the earth (Acts 3:19-26, Jer. 31:31-34, 32:37-42, Ezek. 11:17-20, 36:24-35, 37:1-14, 37:21-28). However, they rejected the gospel of the kingdom and so that has been postponed (Rom 11:25-27)

One of the blessings of the New Testament for Israel was that the word of God would not depart from their mouth.

Isaiah 59:
[20] And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.
[21] As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever
.


In the dispensation of grace, Gentiles are partakers of the New Testament, partakers of Israel's spiritual blessings, and so this promise goes to Gentile nations that stand by faith as we saw in Romans 11.

2 Corinthians 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

Romans 15:27 It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.

There is no basis for saying that the word of God is bound to the Hebrew language. God is now dealing with the Gentiles and will give His blessing to Gentiles that stand by faith. The "chief" of those blessings was the word of God (Rom. 3:1-2, Ps. 147:19-20). 

God did promise to give Gentiles His word, it is "not bound". There is no scripture that indicates that God has only preserved His word through one language

The Jews have the wrath of God on them to the uttermost and are enemies of the gospel (Rom. 11:28, 1 Thes. 2:14-16). They have been cast away and have fallen (temporarily), therefore I would be cautious to rely on their manuscripts. The KJB translators did not believe that Hebrew and Greek were the only reliable sources for producing the KJB. The KJB came out of "the original tongues and with former translations diligently compared and revised". The KJB is largely based on the former English, German, French, and Spanish Bibles. These Bibles were produced in a time in which Gentile nations were breaking from the false religion of Roman Catholicism and standing by faith. That is when God said that they would continue in His goodness and partake of Israel's blessing.

--Eli Caldwell

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