Saved By A Church - Or A Relationship?

Today, looking at the Facebook Info page of a long time Friend, I noticed her Christian and Political views -- which led me to comment on them. My Friend wrote:

Religious Views: United Methodist - It's not about religion, it's about a relationship. I am a Bible believing Christian and do my best to walk out my faith every day.

I agree. It's not the church one attends which makes us a Christian. Some of my Religion Forum Friends who are in the more legalistic churches, or are non-believers, already have me condemned to hell for my sharing of the Gospel. I cannot agree with the legalistic "you can only be saved in our church" theology churches -- or the "you can only be saved if you follow all of our traditions, dogmas, and rituals" theology churches.

And, then, I also have a problem with many Liberal Theology churches which teach that the Bible is only a good Christian Life guidebook - and, not the Holy Spirit Inspired, Holy Spirit Inerrant, Literal (God says what He means, and means what He says) Written Word of God.

Now, please do not misunderstand what I am writing. I am not saying that these dear Friends in the legalistic churches and those in the Liberal Theology churches are not Christian believers. That is not determined by which Christian church one attends; but, what is in your heart. Jesus in your heart = Salvation in your soul. What I am saying is that these dear Friends are so busy trying to earn their salvation, their way into heaven - and trying to make sure they do not lose it, once they have it - that there is no time for them to relax and enjoy "peace with God" (Romans 5:1).

I will always believe that God's full revelation to man is found in the Bible - and that, when reading and studying the Bible - we should first read the verse or passage as the Literal Word of God. If a literal interpretation fits, that is your message. If a literal interpretations does not fit - THEN, look for a symbolic or metaphorical interpretation. He is not a God of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33).

Like all authors who write a User's Manual, this one, the Bible, is written to be understood and without mistakes or errors. After all, the One who is author of the Bible is without mistakes ("Oops" is not in His vocabulary) - so His User's Manual, the Bible,is without mistakes or errors in its original manuscripts.

Yes, minor copy errors have occurred over the years of reproducing the books of the Bible to be distributed; but, none that have altered nor changed God's message and instructions for mankind found in His User's Manual. That is my Conservative Theology take on it.

One of my favorite Southern Gospel songs explains this "which church issue" so clearly.

It’s Not What's Over The Door

1. Some people think today, If heaven you would see,
You must belong to their church, Or be lost eternally.
But according to God's word, What He's still looking for,
Is what He finds within your heart,
And not what's over the door.

It's not what's over the door Of the church that you attend,
That makes you a child of God, And a heavenly citizen.
As the eyes of the Lord look this world o'er,
There's just one thing He's lookin’ for
Can’t you see that's what's in your heart,
And not what's over the door.

2. Does Jesus live in your heart, And have you been born again,
Has the blood of Calvary's Lamb, Washed away all your sins?
Are you fully trusting in, The crucified risen Lord,
Can't you see that it's what's in your heart,
And not what's over the door. 

It's not what's over the door of the church that you attend,
that makes you a child of God, and a heavenly citizen.
As the eyes of the lord look this world o'er,
There's just one thing he's lookin’ for
Can’t you see that's what's in your heart,
And not what's over the door.

And, my Friend has written on her Facebook Info page:

Political Views: Moderate -- I'm really tired of politics and politicians and the havoc they wreak. God is in control and that's who I trust, so I'm wondering "should I bother?"

While I realize that you, after working in a government position, might be tired of politics (I believe I would be also) -- I always have to ask myself, "What if the candidate, or the bill, which I support -- loses by one vote -- and I did not vote. How would I feel?"

And, that makes me stay in the voting fracas, even though, like you -- I am sick of politics, politicians, political advertisements every five minutes on television, finding my snail-mail mail-box full of political fliers and mail, getting 200 political e-mails every day, and seeing a political candidate on the Jay Leno or David Letterman shows every week.

In other words, I am sick of politics -- but, fearful of letting an incompetent fox like Obama stay in the American Hen House, also called the White House, for four more years. He has already done almost irreparable damage to America in four years -- what could he do in another four years?

So, when you or I feel "should I bother?" -- I say that WE MUST BOTHER.

Please, let's not subject ourselves to another four years of Obama and his Socialist Team.

And, these, my dear Friend, in my subtle way -- are my thoughts.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

What Is The "JEDP" Bible Theory?

Shortly after I became a born again Christian believer in 1987 and began my lifelong study of God's Word, I read a book written by a Professor of Religion from San Diego State University. In his book, this professor went into elaborate detail explaining how Moses was not the real author of the first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch -- but, instead there were four authors whom he identified as J, E, D, P instead of by name.

To say the least, as a new Christian, I was confused and began to question the Bible. Who is right, the scholars -- or the Bible? Well, praise God, over the last 20+ years, I have determined that, when in doubt, always depend upon God's Written Word, the Bible. And, this got me back on track and helped me toward maturing in my knowledge of His Word.

So, I submit this writing to you today for two purposes: First, to help some who may have fallen into this same "Bible Scholars" trap -- to understand that not all Bible scholars are Christian believers. And, not all Bible scholars live to prove the Bible to be the inspired, authoritative Written Word of God.

My second reason for this writing is to introduce you to a really good web site resource: GotQuestions.Org

Over the years, I have found and used many online resources and found many of them to be acceptable; some quite good. Yet, when I have a question and want a concise, accurate answer -- I have found GotQuestions.Org to be one of the best. Below is their explanation of the, in my mind, erroneous teaching of the JEDP theory regarding the authorship of the Pentateuch.

I was prompted to write this because I found a post by Ken Ham, of Answers In Genesis, on Facebook today: It's hard to believe -- but even today, in Christian Colleges and seminaries, the idea of multiple authors (instead of Moses) for Genesis -- and the rest of the Pentateuch is still being taught. I urge you to read:

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WHAT IS THE JEDP THEORY?
http://www.gotquestions.org/JEDP-theory.html

Question: "What is the JEDP Theory?"

Answer: In brief, the JEDP theory states that the first five books of the Bible, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, were not written entirely by Moses, who died in the 1400's B.C., but also by different authors/compliers after Moses. The theory is based on the fact that different names for God are used in different portions of the Pentateuch, and there are detectable differences in linguistic style.

The letters of the JEDP theory stand for the four supposed authors: the author who uses Jehovah for God's name, the author who uses Elohim for God's name, the author of Deuteronomy, and the Priestly author of Leviticus. The JEDP theory goes on to state that the different portions of the Pentateuch were likely compiled in the 4th Century B.C., possibly by Ezra.

So, why are there different names for God in books supposedly written by a single author? For example, Genesis chapter 1 uses the name Elohim, while Genesis chapter 2 uses the name YHWH. Patterns like this occur quite frequently in the Pentateuch. The answer is simple. Moses used God's names to make a point.

In Genesis chapter 1, God is Elohim, the mighty Creator God. In Genesis chapter 2, God is Yahweh, the personal God who created and relates to humanity. This does not point to different authors, but to a single author using God's various names to emphasize a point and describe different aspects of His character.

Regarding the different styles, should we not expect an author to have a different style when he is writing history (Genesis), writing legal statutes (Exodus, Deuteronomy), and writing intricate details of the sacrificial system (Leviticus)? The JEDP theory takes the explainable differences in the Pentateuch and invents an elaborate theory that has no basis in reality or history. No J, E, D, or P document has ever been discovered. No ancient Jewish or Christian scholar has even hinted that such documents existed.

The most powerful argument against the JEDP theory is the Bible itself. Jesus, in Mark 12:26, said, "Now about the dead rising -- have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?" Therefore, Jesus says plainly that Moses wrote the account of the burning bush in Exodus 3:1-3.

Luke, in Acts 3:22, comments on a passage in Deuteronomy 18:15 and credits Moses as being the author of that passage. Paul, in Romans 10:5, talks about the righteousness Moses describes in Leviticus 18:5. Paul, therefore, testifies that Moses is the author of Leviticus.

So, we have Jesus showing that Moses was the author of Exodus, Luke (in Acts) showing that Moses wrote Deuteronomy, and Paul saying that Moses was the author of Leviticus. In order for the JEDP theory to be true, Jesus, Luke, and Paul must all either be liars or be in error in their understanding of the Old Testament. Let us put our faith in Jesus and the human authors of Scripture rather than the ridiculous and baseless JEDP theory (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Recommended Resource: "Inspiration and Authority of the Bible" by Benjamin Warfield.

This page is also available in: Español, Português, Arabic, Italiano, Indonesia

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I pray this has been worth your reading time. If so, please feel free to share it with your Friends, Relatives, Associates, and Neighbors -- all your FRANs. Let's all keep sharing the Word of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ -- until He returns.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill Gray

Bible Translations - Which One?

On the TimesDaily Religion Forum, I began a discussion by asking the question, "Should We Interpret The Bible?" And, my Forum Friend, Tigrtrek replied, "Of course people should read the Bible and decide for themselves. (Does) 'Study to show thyself approved rightly dividing the word of truth' ring a bell? Don't let someone -- me, Bill, the Pope, Pat Robertson, or anyone tell you what it (the Bible) says. Read it yourself. And don't limit yourself to any one translation. I spent too many years blinded by a KJV-only bias."

Tigr, I agree with you completely that we should not limit ourselves to one specific Bible translation. Personally, my main Bible is the NASB; but, when doing an indepth study of a passage I will use the NASB, the NKJV, and sometimes the KJV. These are word for word translations and tend to be better for such studies. In my writings, I will sometimes use the NIV when it better expresses the thought I am trying to convey.

I stay away from all paraphrase Bibles, such as Peterson's "The Message." The paraphrase Bibles tend to be more just the author's interpretation and not a translation, i.e., it is closer to a commentary than a Bible translation. Another paraphrase Bible is "The Living Bible." On the title page, in the subtitle, it reads "Paraphrased, A Thought-for-Thought Translation." No, a Bible cannot be a "paraphrase" and, at the same time, be a "translation." Another paraphrase Bibles is the "Good News for Modern Man" -- also called Today's English Version.

The "New Living Translation" began as a redo of "The Living Bible" and would fall more into the category of the NIV.

In a discussion of the New Living Translation, we read at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Living_Translation :

"It has been suggested that this "thought-for-thought" methodology, while making the translation easier to understand, is less accurate than a literal (formal equivalence) method, and thus the New Living Translation may not be suitable for those wishing to undertake detailed study of the Bible."

I also stay away from the Amplified Bible for a similar reason -- the amplification tends to put it more into a commentary status. And, I tend to stay away from the "gender neutral" translations such as the TNIV. In my thinking, if God had intended the Bible to be gender neutral -- He would have authored it that way.

A very good Bible web site is the Blue Letter Bible: http://www.blueletterbible.org/index.cfm

The Blue Letter Bible web site has 12 English translations as well as Spanish, Latin Vulgate, Greek, and Hebrew. You can choose to view a verse in side by side translations for comparison -- or view a chapter in any of the available translations. The site offers Strong's Concordance for word studies, commentaries, Bible dictionary aids, and other great information to help in your Bible study.

Like you, Tigr, I am a wee bit uneasy when someone tells me that we must use only the KJV Bible. And, I agree with you that we must never allow anyone, myself included, to dictate to us what a Scripture verse or passage means, i.e., that their interpretation is the absolute and only correct interpretation.

Yet, on the other hand, I will suggest to anyone who is a new believer, who is not yet mature in Biblical knowledge -- that you find someone who is mature and can mentor you. And, get involved in a good Bible study group -- and do not miss your church's Sunday School classes. I know that, in the church I attend, our Sunday School classes have always tended to be as interactive, challenging, and exciting as our Bible studies. This is an environment where we all can grow more mature in our personal knowledge of God's Word.

I recall my own situation the first few years I was a believer. My Bible knowledge was more on the "Kindergarten" level. In early 1991, during the "Operation Desert Storm" Gulf War, when Iraq set all the oil fields on fire and the scene was looking like Armageddon -- our Bible study leader, Tom Fletcher, began to talk about the Rapture, the Tribulation, etc.

And, I had no idea what he was talking about. Of course, I was not going to ask and show my Bible ignorance -- so, I just smiled and pretended to know what he meant. And, then, I began my own quest to understand End Times eschatology.

But, my point is that we all, when we are new Christian believers, need someone more mature in the Word to mentor us. I began reading Dr. J. Vernon McGee and other Bible teachers, listening as much as possible to KWVE Christian Radio, as well as attending Bible studies and Sunday School classes. I have attended Eschatology Conferences -- and, yes, I read the full set of "Left Behind" series books by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins -- and many other good books on eschatology.

I found mentors and learned from them. Some I soon outgrew, i.e., wanted more meat in my Biblical diet -- so, I moved on to other mentors. And, today, I am still learning -- and have built quite a nice personal library.

However, with all that said -- I have never met, heard, or read a Bible teacher, scholar, or theologian with whom I agree 100% of the time. I do as the apostle Paul tells us in Acts 17:11 -- I read, listen, etc., to my teachers -- consider what they have taught me -- and then, compare it with what I find in Scripture. And, from this -- I settle on what I believe this Scripture passage is teaching me.

Doing this, I feel that I am fairly well grounded in my theology and that I stand on a pretty solid theological foundation. Could I be wrong on some things? You bet! But, I will keep studying and learning until the day I breath my last breath in this mortal body or He comes to rapture me.

And, then, my real education will begin. Can you imagine having an eternity, all that time -- to continue learning? Do you doubt this is true? Consider this point. Only God knows everything and cannot learn.

If we could ever get to a point where we know everything and there is nothing more we can learn -- we would be Gods. Since we know this will never happen (Lucifer is good proof of this) -- then, we must keep learning even after we are in the eternal presence of God. Isn't that exciting? All of these issues which we are debating today, we will know -- and much more. Yes, exciting! I can hardly wait to begin working on my Advanced Degree!

If you have found this useful, please feel free to share it with your Friends, Relatives, Associates, and Neighbors -- all your FRANs. Let's all study to grow more mature in our knowledge of God's Word -- and then use that knowledge to share the Gospel with all the world -- until He returns.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill Gray