Common Contentions

Below are a few key subjects that can cause contentions/arguments over what the Bible teaches. Many Baptists today hold the following views:
- The rapture will occur BEFORE Daniel's 70th week begins
- The Jews are still God's chosen people
- Homosexuals can be saved
- We're not to judge anyone
- America is still a Christian nation, a shining city on a hill.  We just have a problem with democrats.

Below are a few areas of Scripture that address these subjects.  Also note that when addressing someone who is likely going to be older than you or is at very least saved and a brother/sister in Christ...reprove with scripture instead of rebuke. In other words, be respectful.
- Rebuke not an Elder, I Timothy 5:1
- Reprove with scripture, II Timothy 3:16

Don't judge
- Reprove not a scorner, Proverbs 9:8
- Judge righteous judgement, John 7:24
- Pull the beam out of thine own eye, Matthew 7:3,4
- Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, Matthew 7:6

Kings and kingdoms
- Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, Isaiah 10:1
- By me kings rule, Proverbs 8:15,16
- Jehu rebukes Jehoshaphat, II Chron 19:2
- Obey the laws of the land, Romans ch 13
- Judge not for man, but for the Lord, II Chronicles 19:6

Israel
- Genesis 12 vs II Chronicles 19:2, Galatians 3:16,28,29, Romans 9:6

Reprobates
- Worthy of death, Romans 1, same as Leviticus 20:13
- Don't negotiate with terrorists, I Kings 20
- No rest for the wise man that contends with a fool, Proverbs 29:9

Rapture BEFORE tribulation
- II Thessalonians ch 2 is clear the antichrist must be revealed first, and that doesn't happen until the middle of the 7 year period known as Daniel's 70th week.
- Jesus is speaking to Christians in Matthew 24

Trusting Science and Talking to Agnostics

 Trusting in science 

The world and society we live in today is part of a paradigm, which is a way of looking at things.  It rests ones understanding - on a set of accepted truths. Go back through the centuries and the paradigms have changed.  Medical treatments just a hundred years ago involved using electrical shock for various ailments. Go back farther, some treatments involved blood-letting, which today would be considered foolish and barbaric.  Since the Bible was also more widely believed in earlier times, society today tends to discount both.  In other words, since people in the past believed various myths, eg. trolls and goblins, and now we know better, therefore the Bible is simply a legacy of our past that was superstitious. The thinking goes on to conclude that we are progressing in our knowledge and it is our own understanding of the world and the science that goes with it which we must put our confidence in.  Science, over time promises to lead us to the answers that once were steeped in religious myth.

Where science falls short

It's common today, at least in the western world to put faith in technology and science.  Unless it can be proven physically or empirically, it's either a fabricated lie or opinion, or something to that effect. It is then relegated to the sidelines unless it agrees with today's paradigm, its theories and mathematical models. The world we live in today, while having produced great wonders of technology, has also failed to explain what the Bible refers to as evil.  How can there be so much pain and suffering in the world if a god really exists?  Where did we come from and why are we here? 

Polite Disbelief

At best, those who trust science for answers to age-old problems, will lump all the worlds religions in the same basket.  Then they will proclaim that all religions basically teach the same thing - be kind to others, do good things and behave yourself.  This just happens to be the direction many of the established religions are taking also, including those claiming Christianity, and will ultimately lead to a common religion for the whole world.  This includes especially the Catholic church, who for years now has been attempting to bring the worlds religions together. Some distinguish between an agnostic and an atheist, but the Bible only regards two distinctions on the matter of belief - you either believe the God of the Bible or you don't. 

Come, let us reason together

The God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, invites you to know the truth.  Go ahead, try to investigate the claims of the Bible, see if you can prove them wrong.  Just be honest with yourself.

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.

John 8:32
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Things to consider:

(1) What are the odds that the world we live in would be created with so much complexity, by mere coincidence?

(2) What are the odds that so many cultures in the world, separated by great distances, have a story of a great flood in their distant past. 

(3) What of the scientists and geologists who refute the idea of billions of years for the creation of the grand canyon and accept the Biblical account of a great flood, which involves not a small amount of water over long periods of time but instead, involved large amounts of water over a relatively short time.

(4) What are the odds that there were men who lived hundreds and hundreds of years before Jesus was born, who foretold of someone the Bible calls a messiah.  They tell of the timeframe of his birth, the location, the family, what others would say of him, the things he would say and do, how he would be forsaken, and how he would be killed.

(5) What are the odds that there would be an ancient canal diverting water from the Nile in Egypt that to this day, bears the name of Joseph. The Bible refers to a man named Joseph who was a Hebrew sold into slavery, and yet the Egyptian pharaoh elevated him above all his other men and helped Egypt through a great famine. This same Joseph the Bible describes as having interpreted Pharaoh's dream which involved cows and the Nile river and a resulting time of plenty followed by a time of famine.

(6) What of the archeologists that accept the Biblical account of Moses and the Exodus? Why would they do that?  Maybe you should investigate?

(7) What of the independent, non-Christian accounts of Jesus and his followers, such as the Roman senator Tacitus? 

Summary

Science can neither prove nor dis-prove the existence of God, or the miracles and diety of Jesus Christ. However, we do have written, first-hand accounts of the things said by Jesus and his miracles witnessed by scores of individuals, all contained in the gospels of the Bible. All of creation itself bears witness of a creator.  In the end, it comes down to whether someone is willing to place their faith in something they cannot see.  

Psalms 19:1
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

John 20:29
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

The Trail of Blood - 2007 Sermon by Pastor Dan Ferrell

 I'm Baptist Because...

Love this old sermon from a few years ago.  Lots of history covered in just over an hour.  The phrase that has stuck with me - "history is what you know, heritage is what you keep!".  Mentions groups like the Waldenses. Long story short - there have always been groups of believers that shared the same basic beliefs of Baptists, long before they were called by that name.

Early American Law and Punishment

 Crime and Punishment in 1650 America

Go back far enough in American history and you will find laws and the punishments for breaking them, taken straight out of the Bible!

source: The Code of 1650, being a compilation of the earliest laws and orders of the General Court of Connecticut, archive.org, page 30

Dispensationalism, Scofield, and Ryrie

Dispelling Dispensationalism

The word dispensation appears only 4 times in the Bible, and only in the New Testament: I Corinthians 9:17, Ephesians 1:10 & 3:2 and Colossians 1:25.  In each case it is referring to a giving of the gospel.  From here, depending on who you read or listen to, the root word became an "ism" to a doctrine or teaching called Dispensationalism.  

This post is simply a collection of some of my thoughts on the subject. I've also included a few examples of things to highlight in the various "study Bibles" that promote this doctrine.  However, there is a documentary that pretty well sums up both what this doctrine teaches, but where it began as well.  Watch this when you get a chance.

Dispensation of Heresy

Overview

The basic premise of Dispensational-ism is that there are a number of different identifiable periods in the Bible in which God dealt with man in different ways. What the Bible does teach however, is that God spake with man differently in times past, as we read in Hebrews 1

1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,  

1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

However, the key doctrines of Dispensationalism, are more or less:
- A number of distinct "dispensations", typically 7
- A distinction between Israel and the church
- A rapture of believers before the end times begin, although some do vary on this.
- Salvation required works in the Old Testament and will again also in the end times, although this view varies also and is less common today.

Supposedly, I Timothy 2:15 justifies dividing up the Bible into these dispensations.

Variations of Dispensationalism

There seem to be at least two that I am aware of and the primary distinction being that of whether salvation was always by faith alone, or did it involve works of some sort in the Old Testament.

Who is CI Scofield and why should I care

Cyrus Scofield is a name who most are familiar with only by way of his "study Bible".  I wont focus on his personal life, but merely on his work that is included in his and subsequent "study Bibles". That work being that of notes and references included in various "study Bibles". These notes and references suggest and teach the doctrine of dispensationalism and a pre-tribulation rapture, among others. 

Scofield Study Bible

At one time, it was a very popular study Bible, and to this day still influences many pastors, especially Baptists. A while back, while researching the issues with Scofield and his footnotes, I decided to find both an original and a newer version on eBay.  I managed to find an original 1917 Scofield, still in the box!

Problems with Scofield and his Bible. 

First, see the photos below of the Introduction in the "Old Scofield", specifically section XI.  Scofield is questioning the Authorized Version (KJV) in which he is placing his notes.  He states he would prefer to use the newest version (then it was the RV). He then goes on to heap praise on men like Westcott and Hort for "clearing the Greek Textus Receptus (TR) of minor inaccuracies".

Old Scofield preface - iii

Old Scofield preface - iv

 

The New Scofield

This is a "new" Scofield, from 1967, yes they are different editions. Those familiar with the Scofield Bible are aware of the "updates".

Key things to note in the Scofield

- Both the original or "Old" Scofield and the "new" casts doubts on the authority and infallibility of the KJV translation accuracy
- Both the Old and New Scofield promote notion that the physical nation of Israel as being God's elect in Matthew 24:34
- Both suggest another creation period in Genesis 1 that is in a "dateless past"
- The "new" Scofield however, takes things a step further in at least one area, see II Thessalonians 2:2, it actually changes the text of the verse itself from  "...the day of Christ is at hand" to "the day of the Lord is present". The original Scofield makes this suggestion in its notes (as does the new), but does not change the actual text of the verse.

 

Ryrie Study Bible

Along the same lines as Scofield, another popular "study" Bible that emphasizes a pre-tribulational and dispensational teaching in its various footnotes and references. 

Below is a photo of a Ryrie KJV "study" Bible, opened to II Thessalonians 2.  Note what is mentioned in the footnotes regarding verse 2, with the use of "better manuscripts".  Ryrie is likely referring to the same "better" text that Scofield did who favored the Greek text of men like Westcott & Hort.

My Thoughts

I reject the use of the word dispensation as an "ism" and the teaching that comes along with it. Just give me a King James Bible without man's words to tell me what I'm supposed to think it says.

- I have a hard time trusting a man which questions the King James Bible but yet wants to teach me what these Scriptures mean.
- Many people who rely on a Scofield KJV, read the notes as if they were Scripture and yet are not aware that Scofield himself doubted the accuracy of the King James Bible and its translators.

- God told Jeremiah that the day would come when He would bring a new covenant, as the children of Israel had failed to keep the former, see Jeremiah 31
- Yes, God spoke in different ways at different times, yet salvation has always been by faith alone, regardless of the law. Further, there is now neither Jew nor Greek, we are all one in Christ - to those that believe. See Galatians 3

Poking Holes In The Pre-Trib Rapture Doctrine

 The Pre-Trib Doctrine

Note - this post is more or less a reformatting of 10 Common Reasons and Questions about the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, see here.
Ever since I can remember, any Baptist sermon that involved, or even mentioned end times, included one or more of the following:

- Christians will not go through "THE tribulation" as we are not appointed unto wrath, referring to I Thessalonians 5:9

- The rapture was not taught before Paul, since he refers to it as a "mystery" in 1 Corinthians 15:51

- "THE Tribulation" refers to the entire 7 year period

- Since Matthew 24:36 says no man knows the day or the hour, Jesus could return at any moment

The above seems to be "cherry picking"...

Ok, if you've accepted the views above, then stop for a few minutes and consider the following:

- If the entire 7 year period is known as "THE Tribulation" and is also God's wrath why is it that God's wrath doesn't start until AFTER the sun & moon are darkened in Revelation 6 (see here)? In other words, if God's wrath doesn't start until other things have occurred, then are those other things also God's wrath, or something else? Either way, the 7 year period has already begun by the time the wrath begins. Could it be, that tribulation is something being done by the devil, but when the wrath begins, it is those things that God Himself is bringing about?

- If we let the Bible define itself, where else (do a search here) is the word "mystery" used and does it imply something wasn't known before? See Mark 4:11

- Paul tell us that the antichrist has to be revealed before the day of Christ in II Thessalonians 2:1-4. Since the antichrist is revealed DURING the 7 year period, how can the rapture occur before this period even begins?

The Adventure of English - The Battle For The Language of The Bible

 The English language we speak today is the result of changes over time going back hundreds of years. There was a point at which if one wanted to hear or read the Scriptures, it was in something other than English. The mere act of trying to produce a Bible in English was risking ones own life. The KJV translators mention this trouble in their message to the readers.

The documentary below is primarily concerned with a history of the English language, but in this episode it picks up with the story of translating the Holy Scriptures into English, leading to what we know today as the King James Version.

The Adventure of English, episode 3

I have heard some suggest that since the more modern KJV Bibles differ in the English being used from the original 1611 version, this is evidence that the "Bible has been changed".  The language may have changed, but God's Word has been preserved.  This cannot be said for others such as the NIV, ESV etc with verses missing and rearranged to suggest a different meaning.  

The KJV came about at a time when several confluent efforts were underway, one of which was a standardization of the English language itself.  One interesting point mentioned in the documentary that there was a point at which English differed depending on what part of the country you were in.  It was only under the consolidating efforts of the King when he made it known that official documents would only be in English, rather a myriad of other languages, namely French.  This helped consolidate the variances in the English language itself so that when the efforts began to translate the Scriptures into English, there was a consistent language to use.  The result speaks for itself.