A Primer on Spiritual Gifts, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• A Primer on Spiritual Gifts -- “The New Testament mentions three sorts of gifts connected with the three persons of the Godhead.”
• Burying the Gospel under Trash -- “Oh, if some of you were like your fathers you would not have tolerated in this age the wagon loads of trash under which the gospel has been of late buried by ministers of your own choosing.”
• Edward Fudge, controversial scholar on topic of hell -- “For more than 30 years, Edward Fudge’s outside-the-mainstream teaching on hell sparked discussion and debate in Churches of Christ and among religion scholars.”
• Intelligence on Sick Staff at Wuhan Lab Fuels Debate on Covid-19 Origin -- “Report says researchers went to hospital in November 2019, shortly before confirmed outbreak; adds to calls for probe of whether virus escaped lab.”
• No, The KJV Translators Would Not Be Okay With the ESV -- “I’m sure the KJV translators were happy with their work as well, for what it’s worth. The whole world certainly was, and in large part still is.”
• Public Reading of Scripture -- “The public reading of Scripture is an essential element of Christian worship for the covenant people of God. Indeed, it is arguably the most foundational element of worship because all other elements of worship (such as prayer, praise, preaching, and the sacraments) come in response to the hearing of God’s Word.”
• Revelation. Chapter 12: The Woman & The Dragon -- “Who is this woman? We note that she is about to give birth, and if you look at verse 5 and compare it with Psalm 2:9, you will be in no doubt that the child is the Lord Jesus Christ; but who is the woman?”
• Ruckman & the Critical Text: Theological Cousins -- “Ultimately, the CT proponent has a playground tier argument against the Ruckmanite. They called ‘dibs’ on correcting the original with a translation, and don’t like that the Ruckmanites aren’t respecting the authority of ‘dibs.’”
• The Historical Influence and Use of Forgeries in Promotion of the Doctrine of the Papacy -- “It was at this time that the Decretals were combined with two other major forgeries, The Donation of Constantine and the Liber Pontificalis, along with other falsified writings, and codified into a system of Church law which elevated Gregory and all his successors as absolute monarchs over the Church in the West.”
• The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, or, The Jefferson Bible -- “A compilation by Thomas Jeffersion of the ethical teachings of Jesus.”
• Whitmer administration rescinds rule she ignored at bar -- “Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration on Monday rescinded a rule that limits restaurant tables to no more than six people, a day after she apologized for ignoring the COVID-19 regulation while gathering with friends at an East Lansing bar.”

John Calvin on Abortion

Exodus 21:22. If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart. from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine
Exodus 21:22. Quum autem rixati fuerint viri, et percusserint mulierem praegnantem ut egrediatur foetus ejus, nec tamen sequatur mors, puniendo punietur quemadmodum imposuerit ei maritus mulieris, et solvet apud judices.

22. If men strive, and hurt a woman. This passage at first sight is ambiguous, for if the word death only applies to the pregnant woman, it would not have been a capital crime to put an end to the foetus, which would be a great absurdity; for the foetus, though enclosed in the womb of its mother, is already a human being, (homo,) and it is almost a monstrous crime to rob it of the life which it has not yet begun to enjoy. If it seems more horrible to kill a man in his own house than in a field, because a man’s house is his place of most secure refuge, it ought surely to be deemed more atrocious to destroy a foetus in the womb before it has come to light. On these grounds I am led to conclude, without hesitation, that the words, “if death should follow,” must be applied to the foetus as well as to the mother. Besides, it would be by no means reasonable that a father should sell for a set sum the life of his son or daughter. Wherefore this, in my opinion, is the meaning of the law, that it would be a crime punishable with death, not only when the mother died from the effects of the abortion, but also if the infant should be killed; whether it should die from the wound abortively, or soon after its birth. But, since it could not fail but that premature confinement would weaken both the mother and her offspring, the husband is allowed to demand before the judges a money-payment, at their discretion, in compensation for his loss; for although God’s command is only that the money should be paid before the judges, still He thus appoints them to settle the amount as arbitrators, if the husband should chance to be too exorbitant.

John Calvin in his commentary on Exodus 21:22

Joy unmeasured

From God to me a joyful sigh

Comes when you turn your loving eye

In gracious benediction.

O Lord Jesu, my fondest good,

Your Word, your Spirit, body, blood

Refresh my inner being.

Take me

Kindly

In your graces,

Warm embraces,

Bounties treasured.

In your Word comes joy unmeasured.

From a hymn in the German language by Philipp Nikolai (1556-1608)

English translation by Paul Westermeyer

To sing is to pray twice, and other music quotes

The posting of quotes by human authors does not constitute agreement with either the quotes or their sources. (I try to confirm the sources that I give, but may miss on occasion; please verify when possible.)

“The music must not turn the church into an audience enjoying the music but into a congregation singing the Lord’s praises in His presence.’ -- John Calvin

“To sing is to pray twice.” -- Old proverb, often attributed to Augustine of Hippo

“Music should strike fire from the heart of man, and bring tears from the eyes of woman.” -- Ludwig van Beethoven

“Music is the divine way to tell beautiful, poetic things to the heart.” -- Pablo Casals

“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” -- Berthold Auerbach

“It is not sufficient to offer the empty vessel of our joy unto God, or our singing voice in musical tune only; but also it is required that we fill our joyful voice with holy matter and good purpose, whereby God only may be reasonably praised.” -- David Dickson

“The music of the Gospel leads us home.” -- Frederick W. Faber

“Shaped note is the music faw me. Everything else is just so-so.” -- R. L. Vaughn

Anti-KJVO translators

Noticing some of the alignment with and participation in modern translations by anti-KJVO authors.

• Carson, Donald A.: author of The King James Version Debate, was a translator of the New Living Translation (book of Acts).
• Kent, Homer A.: author of the tract “King James Only?”, was a translator on the New International Version from 1967 to 1973.
• Price, James D.: author of King James Onlyism: A New Sect, was the Old Testament editor for the New King James Version; and translator and Historical Books editor for the Holman Christian Standard Bible.
• Wallace, Daniel B.: author of various anti-KJV articles (such as, “Why I Do Not Think the King James Bible Is the Best Translation Available Today”), is senior New Testament editor of the NET Bible.
• White, James R.: author of The King James Only Controversy, was a consultant for the New American Standard Bible (1995 update).

In other words; trees, single and double

• antonym, noun. A word opposite in meaning to another.
• barney, noun. (British, informal) An angry argument; fight, altercation, row.
• breastboard, noun. The mouldboard of a plough.
• canard, noun. A false or baseless, usually derogatory story, report, or rumor.
• clock-watch, verb (intransitive). To be overly concerned with looking at a clock to check the time, esp. in anticipation of stopping work; (of an employee) to be overly keen not to work more than one’s required hours.
• contronym, noun. A word with two opposite meanings (e.g. sanction can mean both ‘a penalty for disobeying a law’ and ‘official permission or approval for an action’).
• daft, adjective. (British, informal) Silly; foolish.
• delite, adjective. Very pleasant or enjoyable; delightful.
• doubletree, noun. A pivoted crossbar in front of a wagon with a singletree at each end, enabling two horses to be harnessed abreast.
• foolatum, noun. A foolish or stupid person; a fool.
• fungible, adjective. Being something (such as money or a commodity) of such a nature that one part or quantity may be replaced by another equal part or quantity in paying a debt or settling an account; capable of mutual substitution.
• homonym, noun. Each of two or more words having the same spelling or pronunciation but different meanings and origins.
• ingratiate, verb. Bring oneself into favor with someone by flattering or trying to please them.
• jargon, noun. Special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand; unintelligible or meaningless talk or writing, any talk or writing that one does not understand.
• kopitiam, noun. A coffee-house or informal restaurant serving traditional Malay and Chinese fare.
• sarmie, noun. A sandwich.
• sigil, noun. An inscribed or painted symbol considered to have magical power; a seal; a sign or symbol.
• singletree, noun. (British, swingletree) A crossbar, pivoted at the middle, to which the traces of a harness are fastened for pulling a cart, carriage, wagon, plow, etc.
• trireme, noun. An ancient Greek or Roman war galley with three banks of oars.
• twaddle, noun. Trivial or foolish speech or writing; nonsense.
• twee, adjective. (British) Excessively or affectedly quaint, pretty, or sentimental.

“Gipplinger” and the King James Bible

“Gipplinger” is a portmanteau or blended word for representing two “false friends” of the King James Version of the Bible – Gail Anne Riplinger and Samuel C. Gipp.

I do not know as much about Samuel Gipp as Gail Riplinger, and do not know either of them. Gipp appears to be a follower of Peter Ruckman, and lauds his “caustic delivery” and “abrasive preaching style.” He tends to say inflammatory things about King James Bible supporters who do not agree with him. For example, he writes, “A ‘TR Man’ gets his manuscripts from Antioch and his philosophy from Egypt” [i.e., accusing Textus Receptus supporters as having the same philosophy as supporters of modern versions] (The Answer Book, by Samuel Gipp, p. 57). When it comes to the translation of Acts 12:4, he concludes “pascha” here translated Easter must mean a pagan holiday. This view has caused much mischief.

If he was referring to the passover, the translation of “pascha” as “Easter” is incorrect. If he was indeed referring to the pagan holyday (holiday) Easter, then the King James Bible (1611) must truly be the very word and words of God for it is the only Bible in print today which has the correct reading. (The Answer Book, p. 5)

Gail Riplinger has written several books related to the Bible Versions Debate, the best known being New Age Bible Versions: An Exhaustive Documentation of the Message, Men & Manuscripts Moving Mankind to the Antichrist’s One World Religion. Describing New Age Bible Versions, Riplinger said, referring to “the Direct Hand of God” on her work, “...I hesitated to even put my name on the book. Consequently, I used G.A. Riplinger, which signifies to me, GOD AND RIPLINGER--God as author and Riplinger as secretary.” (almost, if not, claiming inspiration for herself! From The End Times and Victorious Living, January-February 1994, as quoted in The Problem With New Age Bible Versions, by David W. Cloud). An Advertisement of the 2020 edition of New Age Bible Versions states:

Each page opens a door exposing new version editors—in agreement with Luciferians, occultists, and New Age philosophy—in mental institutions, séance parlors, prison cells, and court rooms for heresy trials—and most shocking of all—denying that salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ. Seven have lost their ability to speak.

On the one hand, she may say some correct things in support of the King James translation. On the other hand, her wild claims, her three marriages and lies about them, exaggerations of her credentials (among other things) are major distractions from any valuable support she gives to the King James Bible. New Age Bible Versions goes deep into conspiracy theories and New Age theories. Many KJV supporters have learned (some the hard way) to distance themselves from Riplinger.

In my opinion, there is plenty of good material available supporting the King James Bible without having to resort to the works of Samuel Gipp and Gail A. Riplinger.

Things I think I thought

...but may have first heard elsewhere in some similar form.

“We cannot disillusion God. God has no illusions.”

“The emphasis of Acts is not only ‘go and tell,’ but also ‘come and gather’.”

“Some folks think more about the name of the king on the cover page of the Bible than the King named in its pages of inspired text.”

“The bridge of the cross spanned the chasm of sin.”

“If you want to ‘rightly divide’ the word of truth, start with the table of contents in your Bible. It has already been done – Old Testament and New Testament!”

“Jesus takes our dirty laundry, washes it whiter than snow, and irons our the wrinkles.”

“Shaped note is the music faw me. Everything else is just so-so.”

An exhaustive listing, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• An exhaustive listing of the marginal notes of the 1611 edition of the King James Bible -- “These marginal notes are available in scans and published reprints of the 1611, but we believe that listing them all together and in modern spelling makes it much easier to study the notes in depth, or to do quick visual scans.”
• Driver catches fire after hoarded gas in vehicle explodes during chase, SC cops say -- “As the deputy approached the vehicle, the driver ... exited the vehicle and was observed to be on fire. The deputy pushed Ms. Patterson to the ground in order to put out the flames.””
• Is it wrong to say God inspired the writers of the Bible? -- “The oldest reference I could locate clearly objecting to the concept of ‘inspired writers’ was a booklet published by Dr. D. A. Waite in 1979 by the title Heresies of Westcott & Hort.”
• Listening to Texas: How folklorists saved the soundtrack of the Lone Star State -- “Owens was following a tradition begun by John Avery Lomax, among the best known of all field recorders.”
• Notes on the Pauline Subscriptions -- “Can an argument be made for the propriety of the inclusion of the subscriptions as part of the traditional text of the NT? Can the historical information in the subscriptions be defended?”
• Reporters fume at White House ‘quote approval’ rules -- “At its best, quote approval allows sources to speak more candidly about their work. At its worst, it gives public officials a way to obfuscate or screen their own admissions and words.”
• Saddleback Church Ordains 3 Women Pastors, Defying Southern Baptist Position -- “Saddleback is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), the largest Protestant denomination in the country, which officially opposes women’s ordination.”
• Serendipity Spinners -- “...they are members of their own co-op, which owns a flock of sheep, goats and alpacas whose wool, mohair and fiber they spin and blend into rugs, scarves, hats and other craft pieces.”
• The Date of the Book of Revelation -- “In order for Revelation to be a prediction of the future and if it was fulfilled by August A.D. 70, then it had to have been written by A.D. 65 or 66 for the preterist interpretation to even be a possibility.”
• The Greatest Fight in the World -- “The fanciful part of science, so dear to many, is what we do not accept. That is the important part of science to many—that part which is a mere guess, for which the guessers fight tooth and nail.”
• The Strange Case of the Inconsistent Mr. White -- “...since for a proper understanding of 1.8 one must go to the Reformers, who taught a Preserved Purity and not a general preservation, then Mr. White does in fact reject section 1.8.”
• The Westcott and Hort Text Under Fire -- “William Wallace Everts, in Bibliotheca Sacra, January 1921”
• To Kill a Heretic: Sebastian Castellio against John Calvin -- “For Castellio, or ‘Vaticanus’, temporal authority could have nothing to do with the faith per se; its role was constrained to protecting the church from threat, but doctrinal difference was not such a threat.”

In Remissionem Peccatorum

Balthasar Hübmaier on baptism:

“Therefore the baptism in water is not what cleanses the soul, but the ‘Yes’ of a good conscience toward God, given inwardly by faith.[i]

 
Therefore, the baptism in water is called a baptism in remissionem peccatorum (Acts second chapter),[ii] that is, for the pardon of sins. Not that through it or by it sins are forgiven, but by the virtue of the inward ‘Yes’ of the heart, which a man outwardly testifies to on submitting to water baptism, saying that he believes and is sure in his heart that his sins are forgiven through Jesus Christ.”

“Concerning Christian Baptism of Believers,” by Balthasar Hübmaier (1525, trans. By G. D. Davidson) as quoted by William R. Estep in The Anabaptist Story (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1996, pp. 89, 210). For a biography of Hübmaier, see Balthasar Hübmaier, the Leader of the Anabaptists, by Henry Vedder.

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[i] Cf. 1 Peter 3:21 – The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

[ii] From the Latin translation of Acts 2:38 – Petrus vero ad illos: Poenitentiam, inquit, agite, et baptizetur unusquisque vestrum in nomine Jesu Christi in remissionem peccatorum vestrorum: et accipietis donum Spiritus Sancti.

What a Great Day

This song was written by my father, Charlie Vaughn, around 1980. It was published as Number 22 in Sing It Out! the song book of the Jeffress/Phillips Music Company, Crossett, Arkansas for 2007.

What a Great Day. 8s.7s. w/refrain (circa 1980)

1. When we’re carried o’er death’s valley

We’ll live on forever more;

There to be with Christ our Saviour

Over on the other shore.

Jesus Christ our blessed Saviour

Will protect us on that day;

And will lead us on to heaven,

There forevermore to stay.

2. What a day of great rejoicing

When we see our Saviour’s face

We will praise His name forever,

For His great amazing grace.

He will be the light that shineth

Throughout all eternity;

No more sin and no more sorrow,

When our Saviour’s face we see.

Chorus:

Oh, come now friends, and go with me

Our blessed Lord, for-e’er to see;

For He will lead us to that home,

To ever praise Him ‘round the throne.

Was Infant Baptism Practiced, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• Balthasar Hubmaier’s View of Baptism -- “...the normal order was word, then hearing, faith, baptism, and a life of good works. In each case, preaching and change of mind came before baptism.”
• Biden omits the word ‘God’ from national prayer declaration -- “The president’s...proclamation made no mention of or reference to God or any other deity.”
• Christian Pastor Jailed for Holding Church Services in Canada -- “The government’s forcing him into a position where he has to choose between disobeying God and obeying government, or obeying God and disobeying government.”
• Concord Primitive Baptist - Org. 1808, Jasper County -- “Concord Primitive Baptist was formed in 1809, according to a History of Primitive Baptists published in 1955. To put this into historical perspective, this was the second term of Thomas Jefferson” (Church minutes, 1812-1829)
• Fauci ‘not convinced’ COVID-19 developed naturally -- “No. I am not convinced about that, I think we should continue to investigate what went on in China until we continue to find out to the best of our ability what happened.”
• Gravestone Cleaning Tips -- “BillionGraves has partnered with the gravestone preservation company Save Your Stones to provide you with the best guidelines and tools for cleaning your family headstones.”
• J. Hudson Taylor on inspiration -- “You will find you will never lack resources when you are resting in the living God. God doesn’t leave His people without sufficient resources for every circumstance.”
• Nolte: Canadian Pastor Arrested for ‘Inciting’ People to Attend Church -- “...people have a human right to make their own decisions about the personal risks they’re willing to take.”
• Rand Paul: NIH Funded the Wuhan Lab, Fauci’s ‘Parsing’ Ignores that Money Is Fungible -- “...he’s parsing his words. He knows his group gave money, but he’s saying, oh, it wasn’t for juicing up these super viruses. We gave it for other research.”
• Sorry, Planned Parenthood. Abortion and eugenics can’t be separated. -- “I felt like she was trying to convince me to care about something, a CF diagnosis, that I didn’t care about – like she was trying to convince me to un-want my pregnancy.”
• Texas Governor Greg Abbott Signs Bill to Ban Abortions When Unborn Baby’s Heartbeat Begins -- “The Texas Heartbeat Act will abolish elective abortions as early as six weeks, when the preborn child’s heartbeat is detectable using methods according to standard medical practice. The policy would take effect on September 1, 2021.”
• The Importance of Believing True Things -- “Unfortunately, relativism is alive and well. And sometimes, it’s downright painful and even deadly to accept the truth.”
• The Lack of Consistency in Modern Textual Criticism! -- “Shall we be consistent then and place the word ‘ignorant’ back in I Corinthians 14:38 being it has P46, B, and Sinaiticus support?”
• Those Things By Which We Get Embarrassed -- “What if, instead of being embarrassed over the quality and quantity of our possessions, we became embarrassed over how much money we have spent on our own selfish pursuits?”
• Was Biden 1st President To Omit ‘God’ in National Prayer Proclamation? -- “Claim: Joe Biden was the first U.S. president to not use the word ‘God’ in his National Day of Prayer Proclamation in 2021. True.”
• Was Infant Baptism Practiced in Early Christianity? -- There is no direct evidence for the assertion that infant baptism was practiced in the first two centuries of the Christian church. On the contrary, all the evidence establishes believers as the only fit subjects for baptism prior to the third century.

Authority, but which?

In “The Bible in the Time of the Reformation,” Stanko Jambrek discusses three common forms of authority found in Christian circles.

• Theological authority – doctrinal beliefs or “creeds” as the sources of faith and life.
• Ecclesial authority – the church, with the Pope as the head, holds ultimate authority in all standards of faith and life. 
• Canonical authority – the Bible or Scripture as God’s authoritative revelation. The Bible is the inspired, inerrable, and ultimate in authority in all the standards of the faith and life. 

Jambrek concludes “the Scriptures (canonical authority) as the inerrable Word of God [are] above any human’s opinion or conclusions (theological authority) and the church tradition (ecclesial authority).”

Stanko Jambrek, “The Bible in the Time of the Reformation,” Biblijski institut, Zagreb. 2010, p. 108. Jambrek is a professor at the Bible Institute in Zagreb, Croatia, as well as the founder and editor of Kairos: Evangelical Journal of Theology. This periodical is published biannually, in both the Croatian and English languages.

Reading the Bible aloud

Reading the inspired words of Scripture aloud to and in the congregation is too often a subject met with indifference in our churches. How often do we read Scripture for the sake of reading Scripture? When we read Scripture, do we read with respect, gravity, and attention to detail? Indeed, considering our failings along these lines, we need to read the Scriptures aloud more often, and we need to read them aloud more effectively! This is an important point for those of us who support and promote the King James translation as the one Bible that we should use. Do our actions actually accord with that affirmation? Does reading the Scriptures seldom and sloppily declare loving and honoring the Word?

We tout the King James Version as the best. We point out problems in modern versions. If we do not read it at all, how much does it matter what version we have? If we read it so sloppily that hearers cannot comprehend what it says, did we not practically change it into a different translation?

In the King James Version, we have a Bible that was translated with an “ear” for its hearers. The title page (see HERE) tells us that it is “Appointed to be read in Churches.”[i] The first printings by the King’s Printer Robert Barker were large folio pulpit Bibles (about 16 inches tall).[ii] Even enemies of the King James Bible often recognize its sonorous sounds for remarkable reading to the ear better than its friends. The Anglican-turned-Catholic Frederick W. Faber wrote, “It lives on in the ear like a music that can never be forgotten, like the sound of church bells which the convert hardly knows he can forgo.” [iii] “The KJB has rhythm, balance, dignity, and force of style that is unparalleled in any other translation,” declares modern Bible and texts proponent Daniel B. Wallace.[iv]

We preachers can make a mess reading aloud.[v] If we believe the King James Version is God’s Word, it behooves us to treat it as such, honor it, and to read it out loud to the best of our abilities.

We need to read aloud more often.

The Scriptures, in both the Old and New Testaments, emphasize reading the Scriptures aloud, as well as being ready to hear “when thou goest to the house of God” (Exodus 24:7; see also Ecclesiastes 5:1). Jesus himself stood up to read the Scriptures aloud in the synagogue (Luke 4:16). Paul charged the first Thessalonian epistle be “read unto” others (i.e. aloud, 1 Thessalonians 5:27). The book of Revelation pronounces a blessing on “he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy” (Revelation 1:3). See also Deuteronomy 31:11; Joshua 8:34–35; 2 Kings 23:1–2 (Cf. 2 Kings 22:8); Jeremiah 36:13; Colossians 4:16; 1 Timothy 4:13.

We need to read aloud more effectively.

The text of Nehemiah 8:1-8 shows Ezra the scribe (and others with him) reading the book of the law of Moses. This provides a striking example of how we might approach public Scripture reading. The people were gathered to hear the reading of the book of the law of Moses (v. 1). The people listened attentively (v. 3). The leaders read in the book in the law of God distinctly (v. 8). The people gathered purposefully, and listened attentively while the book was read distinctly (clearly, with definiteness). There was clarity in the reading itself, with commentary to help the hearer understand. This shows due respect and reverence for the Word of God.

Writing of the weekly worship of Christians in his day, Justin Martyr (circa AD 100 – circa AD 165) indicates that Scripture reading, instruction, and exhortation were an integral part of early post-apostolic era gatherings.

“And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things.” (Justin Martyr, First Apology, Chapter LXVII)

The preacher or reader is not authoritative – but the book is! Texts should be read for themselves, and they should be read as part of Bible lessons. When preaching, we should not move through the text hurriedly and carelessly as if it is less important than what we have to say. Treat the book respectfully and authoritatively. If it were not for the Scriptures, we would have nothing to say!

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[i] Bold emphasis mine. 

[ii] What we might consider a “normal” or “personal” size Bible (roughly 6" X 9") came off the presses about a year later. 

[iii] The Life and Letters of Frederick William Faber, by John Edward Bowden, p. 372.

[iv] And continuing writes, “Or, as Leland Ryken says, its touchstone is memorability. No translation today lingers in the mind like the King James of old does.” The Reign of the King James, by Daniel Wallace.

[v] I am not talking about those who are doing the best they can. I am talking about being haphazard or careless.

Scripture dictation, mechanical or otherwise: Quotes

As a companion to the post yesterday, copied below are a few quotes from the past, regarding the subject of inspiration of the Scriptures and dictation.

Indeed, a couple of cautions are required: 1. Some of these excerpts, inspected closely in their contexts, might be interpreted differently by various readers. 2. Many old quotes appeared first in some other language, and have been translated. A quote with some context will probably give the sense well. A quote merely using the word dictation might need to be viewed with much more scrutiny.

Justin Martyr (circa AD 100 – circa AD 165)

“For neither by nature nor by human conception is it possible for men to know things so great and divine, but by the gift which then descended from above upon the holy men, who had no need of rhetorical art, nor of uttering anything in a contentious or quarrelsome manner, but to present themselves pure to the energy of the Divine Spirit, in order that the divine plectrum itself, descending from heaven, and using righteous men as an instrument like a harp or lyre, might reveal to us the knowledge of things divine and heavenly. Wherefore, as if with one mouth and one tongue, they have in succession, and in harmony with one another, taught us both concerning God, and the creation of the world, and the formation of man, and concerning the immortality of the human soul, and the judgment which is to be after this life, and concerning all things which it is needful for us to know, and thus in divers times and places have afforded us the divine instruction.” Hortatory Address to the Greeks (Roberts-Donaldson Translation, Chapter 8)

Augustine of Hippo (AD 354 – 430)

“Therefore, when those disciples have written matters which He declared and spake to them, it ought not by any means to be said that He has written nothing Himself; since the truth is, that His members have accomplished only what they became acquainted with by the repeated statements of the Head. For all that He was minded to give for our perusal on the subject of His own doings and sayings, He commanded to be written by those disciples, whom He thus used as if they were His own hands.” Augustine’s De Consensu Evangelistarum Libri Quatuor (Harmony of the Gospels, S. D. F. Salmond translation) In Systematic Theology, Norman Geisler gives this translation: “When they write what he has taught and said, it should not be asserted that He did not write it; since the members only put down what they had come to know at the dictation of the Head. Therefore, whatever He wanted us to read concerning His words and deeds, He commanded His disciples, His hands to write. Hence one cannot but receive what he reads in the Gospels, though written by the disciples, as though it were written by the very hand of the Lord himself.”

John Calvin (1509 – 1564)

The Spirit of God, who had appointed the Evangelists to be his clerks, appears purposely to have regulated their style in such a manner, that they all wrote one and the same history, with the most perfect agreement, but in different ways. It was intended, that the truth of God should more clearly and strikingly appear, when it was manifest that his witnesses did not speak by a preconcerted plan, but that each of them separately, without paying any attention to another, wrote freely and honestly what the Holy Spirit dictated.

An editor points out that the word translated clerks is the French word “‘greffiers.’—Clerks, not Authors in the ordinary meaning of that term, but persons who wrote to the dictation of another.” Commentary on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 1, by John Calvin

Gisbert Voetius (1589 – 1676)

“It must be held that the Holy Spirit dictated in unmediated and extraordinary fashion, everything which was, and was to be, written. Both things and words, matters which the authors previously did not know or could not remember, as well as things which they did truly know, both historical and particular details, and universal dogmas both theoretical and practical, they learned these things, whether by sight, by hearing, by reading, or by meditation.” As cited by Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics I/2, London: T & T Clark, 1936

Johannes Andreas Quenstedt (1617 – 1688)

“The Holy Spirit not only inspired in the prophets and apostles the content and the sense contained in Scripture, or the meaning of the words, so that they might of their own pleasure clothe and furnish these thoughts with their own style and their own words; but the Holy Spirit actually supplied, inspired, and dictated the very words and each and every term individually.” Johannes Andreas Quenstedt, Theologia didactico-polemica, as cited by Horst Dietrich Preuss, Old Testament Theology, Volume I, Westminster John Knox Press, p. 281

Benjamin Keach (1640 – 1704)

If the Scriptures were not what they pretend to be, viz., the Word of God, and dictated to the writers thereof of his Holy Spirit, it would be the greatest affront to the Divine Majesty, and the grossest cheat towards mankind, that ever was put upon the world. Tropologia: a Key to Open Scripture Metaphors, Benjamin Keach, p. 207 (First published in 1681), p. xiii

...they affirming that God himself inspired them to write it, and that it was no product of their own, but every part of it the genuine dictate of the Holy Ghost. Tropologia, p. xviii

...God is the real Author of the scripture, and immediately both spoke and wrote it by the prophets, who were his ministers and amanuensis... Tropologia, p. 207

The following quote is attributed to Keach in “The Role of Metaphor in the Sermons of Benjamin Keach” (James Christopher Holmes, 2009, p. 89), and “Public Worship and Practical Theology in the Work of Benjamin Keach,” (James Barry Vaughn, 1989, p. 115), but I have not found the original source (which they cite differently). “The Mysteries which God proposes to be believed in his holy word, as they are in themselves most true and best, although all humane Reason, which Judges by its own wisdom or carnal conclusions, should otherwise determine. So their Eloquence (an inseparable companion of Divine Wisdom) is to be esteemed the best and most elegant by the faithful, unless we suppose that God who immediately dictated them to his Amanuensis, spoke nonsense, and is inferior to his Creatures in that qualification, which is down right Blasphemy, and an assertion that deserves not only derision, but the severest castigation.”

Robert Haldane (1764–1842)

Nor does the difference of style which we find among these writers at all conclude against their having the words they were to write imparted to them. The style that God was pleased to employ was used, and to the instruments he chose that style was natural, and flowed like the words with their full consent, and according to the particular tone of their minds, while they yielded to the impression as voluntary and intelligent agents. The Holy Spirit could dictate to them his own words in such a way, that they would also be their words, uttered with the understanding. He could speak the same thought by the mouth of a thousand persons, each in his own style. Is it, then, because we cannot comprehend the mode of such an operation, that we should dare to deny the obvious import of Scripture declarations? Because one peculiar cast of style distinguishes every man’s writings, is it thought impossible that the Spirit of God can employ a variety of styles, or is it supposed that he must be confined to one particular style? The simple statement of such an idea contains its refutation. It is evident, too, that variety of style militates no more against the verbal inspiration of the Scriptures, than against the idea of the writers being superintended, elevated, or controlled; for if the Holy Spirit sanctioned variety, it was equally consistent to dictate variety. And it might be shown that such variety is of essential importance in the Gospel narratives, in bringing out very interesting views, that could not be so well exhibited in a single narrative.

Scottish Baptist theologian Robert Haldane in The Evidence and Authority of Divine Revelation: being a View of the Testimony of the Law and the Prophets to the Messiah, with the Subsequent Testimonies (Vol. I, 3rd edition, London: Hamilton, Adams, & Co., 1839, pp. 213-216)​

François Louis Gaussen (1790 –1863)

“Yes (and we gladly, in this point, concur with objectors), in one place we have the phraseology, accent, and voice of a Moses, in another, of a St. John; here of an Isaiah, there of an Amos; here of a Daniel, and here of a Peter, Nehemiah, or Paul. We recognise, we hear, we see them; it is impossible to be mistaken. This fact we admit, we delight to contemplate it, we admire it greatly; and we see in it (as we shall have occasion to reiterate) a proof of the divine wisdom which has indited the Scriptures.” pp. 47-48

“If then God himself declares to us his having dictated the entire Scriptures, who will venture to say that this fifth verse of the 11th chapter of St. John is less from God than is the sublime language in which that Gospel begins, and which describes to us the Eternal Word?” p. 54

“Well! such is the Bible. It is not, as you venture to say, a book which God has charged men, previously enlightened, to write under his superintendence: it is a book which God has dictated to them; it is the word of God; the Spirit of the Lord spake to its authors, and his words have proceeded from them…
“9. That the style of Moses, Ezekiel, David, St. Luke, and St. John, may, at the same time, also be the style of God, is what a child could tell us.” p. 57

Louis Gaussen in Theopneustia: the Plenary Inspiration of the Holy Scriptures (1841, pages cited). Perhaps Gaussen falls between the views of dictation and more free speech of the human writers. On the other hand, perhaps the 20th and 21st centuries brought new concerns that were not overly bothersome to past generations.

John R. Rice (1895 – 1980)

Face it honestly, if God gave the very words and men wrote them down, that is dictation. It was not mechanical dictation. It ought not to be hard for us to understand that God, who could give the very words by a miracle, could also express the feelings and character and personality of the men whom he had formed and through whom He gave the words.

Baptist preacher and editor John Richard Rice, in Our God-Breathed Book: The Bible, pp. 287-288.

These quotes indicate the idea of dictation of the Scriptures by God to his writers of the Scriptures, is neither a new nor obscure idea. In my opinion, we have been frightened off by the threat of our appearing “unscholarly.”

Scripture dictation, mechanical or otherwise

When you get older, your mind plays tricks on you (or so I am told). I thought I had recently posted an essay on biblical inspiration and the dictation theory. I looked and looked and did not find it, so I guess my mind was playing tricks on me. I did find I had written a bit nine years ago, HERE and HERE.

For information, dictation in dictionary terms:

• dictate, verb. lay down authoritatively; prescribe; say or read aloud (words to be written down, typed, or recorded on tape).
• dictation, noun. the action of saying words aloud to be typed, written down, or recorded on tape; an utterance that is typed, written down, or recorded. the action of giving orders authoritatively or categorically.

Dictation seems an unpopular term in the current climate of the discussion of inspiration. Added to that unpopularity is the tendency of detractors to use the term “mechanical dictation.” It seems likely that liberals invented and used the term “mechanical dictation” to mock the views of evangelicals and fundamentalists. Two additional considerations are that:

• 1. Fundamentalists and evangelicals have changed their expressions in reaction to liberal attacks on biblical inspiration (e.g., older writers do not seem afraid of the word dictation, neither of describing writers as musical instruments played by God or God’s secretaries).
• 2. Fundamentalists and evangelicals have now adopted the liberal term “mechanical dictation” as a pejorative descriptor of a view they themselves claim is false. Conservative writers often set it over against and different from verbal plenary inspiration. That is unhelpful.

Verbal plenary inspiration, at its simplest, means that all the words in Scripture are God’s words, completely true and without any error. Those who hold a dictation theory of inspiration hold that just as firmly as those who verbal inspiration but not dictation. Dictation is simply one explanation of how the process of inspiration took place.[i]

God did indeed dictate at least some of his word (for speaking or writing; Isaiah 38:4ff.; Jeremiah 30:2; 36:2, 27-32; Revelation 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14). That seems to be a fact that few to none who hold verbal plenary inspiration would dispute. The disagreement for most, then, is whether God did this consistently with the total revelation of scripture. Those on the contrary-wise point out that the writings show variations in style, word choice, grammar – revealing the personalities of each individual writer. So, say they, if the words had been dictated by God to the writers they would show a consistent style throughout the Bible. Is this a necessary inference?

• Could God have infallibly guided men to write his word perfectly and without error, while allowing them to express their own language, emotions, backgrounds, and personalities?
• Could God have dictated his word to men perfectly and without error, while preserving the language, emotions, backgrounds, and personalities of the writers?

I am reviewing the idea of dictation. I have usually been among people who do not regularly use the term. Additionally, I have never thought the how of God giving the Scriptures was so important as long as we understand that the finished product is the perfect word of God, totally true without any mixture of error. However, we can find in the scriptures that at least some of the word is given by what might be called dictation (that is, in the way the Bible describes it being given in specific instances). It seems the majority view is that since the Bible does not say that about all of it on every occasion, then it must only be true concerning the times when dictation is specifically mentioned. On the other hand, might it not be more likely that God gives us specific examples of what he did on a regular basis? And which view might best accord with 2 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Peter 2:21?

The prevailing view (that God did not dictate the words of Scripture) seems not primarily based on the scriptures saying what happened, but mostly on the observation of how the styles – the writers’ own language, emotions, backgrounds, and personalities come out in the writing. This is based on an a priori assumption that God could not dictate the word in a way that each writer’s “style” could or would be preserved. Why not? If God is able to allow the writers to express their own language, emotions, backgrounds, and personalities while infallibly guiding them to write his word perfectly and without error, why is he not able to dictate his word to men perfectly and without error, while preserving the language, emotions, backgrounds, and personalities of the writers? That different writers wrote in different “styles” only proves that they wrote differently, not how they came to do so.[ii] It is not outside God’s ability to give his word to men perfectly and without error, while preserving the language, emotions, backgrounds, and personalities of the writers.

Is it possible that we argue over something where there is not a “dime’s worth of difference” in the outcome? God is the source. He made sure we got his words. Perfectly. Without error. Do you believe that?

Many people do not like the appeal to “mystery.” (Yes, sometimes it can be an excuse.) However, in things relating to Almighty God and puny man there is reason to realize we do not or cannot fully comprehend the power of God. He can do things that we struggle to explain. We try to explain using ideas/things to which we can relate. It is more important to agree on the results of what God did with inspiration – God made sure we got his words. Perfectly. Without error – even though we may struggle expressing how he accomplished it. All Scripture comes from God. 100%!

---

[i] There can always be exceptions to the rule. However, I have never known anyone who held an idea of God dictating the scriptures to the writers who denied that inspiration is verbal and plenary. They merely disagree on the details with others who also believe inspiration is verbal and plenary but processed in a different way. 

[ii] 2 Corinthians 10:10 at the least suggests that the writing style of Paul was not the same as they perceived of him in person.

Dirty coppers are like weeds, and other quotes

The posting of quotes by human authors does not constitute agreement with either the quotes or their sources. (I try to confirm the sources that I give, but may miss on occasion; please verify if possible.)

“Dirty coppers [policemen] are like weeds; you get rid of one and another one pops up.” -- Heard

“We’re not supposed to expect the church to be large, influential, and respected.” -- Alistair Begg

“It is unnecessary to explain the unexplainable.” -- Heard

“No proven fact in nature is opposed to revelation.” -- Charles H. Spurgeon

“The pretty speculations of the pretentious we cannot reconcile with the Bible, and would not if we could.” -- Charles H. Spurgeon

“A politician thinks of the next election. A statesman, of the next generation.” -- James Freeman Clarke

“Let your credo be this: Let the lie come into the world, let it even triumph. But not through me.” -- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

“A church without a pastor is a ‘non-prophet’ organization.” -- Heard

“Don’t communicate your storm to the wrong people. They will just drag you down.” -- Chris Mathis

“Not unto us, not unto us, but unto thy free, thy unmerited, thy sovereign, distinguishing love and mercy, O Lord, be all the glory.” -- George Whitefield

Clothed, and in his right mind

“Sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind.” Luke 8:35 

Look at this man, my soul, and see whether thou canst find any resemblance to thyself. Before that he heard the voice of Jesus, he was under the possession of the evil spirit. It is said of him, that he wore no clothes. He dwelt in no house, but abode among the tombs. He was cutting himself with stones. No man could tame him, neither fetters nor chains bind him. Poor miserable creature! And yet, my soul, was not this a true emblem of thy state; and indeed, of every man’s state by nature? Had not Satan full possession of thine heart and affections, my soul, before that thou becamest savingly acquainted with the Lord Jesus Christ? Did he not lead thee in the pursuit and gratification of thy lusts and pleasure at his will? Thou mightest truly be said to wear no clothes; for so far from having on the garment of Jesus’s righteousness, in those days of thine unregeneracy, thou wert naked to thy shame, in the filth of nature.

Thou didst not dwell in the house of God, nor even delight to go thither. And, as this poor creature abode among the dead, so didst thou live and abide with characters like thyself, dead in trespasses and sins. And as this miserable man was wounding himself with stones, so wert thou; for thy daily commission of sin was giving wounds to thy soul, infinitely more alarming than the wounds he gave his body. And could no chains or fetters be found strong enough to bind him? So neither did all the solemn commands and threatening judgments of God’s holy law act with the least restraint upon thine ungoverned passions.

  
Pause, my soul, over the representation, and acknowledge how just and striking the similarity. Then ask thyself, art thou now sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in thy right mind? Yes! if so be like this poor man, thou hast heard the voice of Jesus, and felt the power of his grace in thine heart. If one like the Son of God hath set thee free, brought thee to his fold, opened thine ear to discipline, and thine heart, to grace, then art thou free indeed. What sayest thou, my soul, to these things? Is there this change, this blessed change, from dead works to serve the living and true God? Oh then, will not the language of thine heart be like Jesus, and his church of old? “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God: for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” 

Robert Hawker​ (1753-1827), in Poor Man’s Portion

I’ve Found a Friend

Reprise 

James Grindlay Small was born in Edinburgh in 1817, and died at Renfrew in 1888. He joined the Church of Scotland in 1834, and became minister of the Free Church at Bervie in 1847.

1. I’ve found a Friend, oh, such a Friend!
He loved me ere I knew Him;
He drew me with the cords of love,
And thus He bound me to Him.
And round my heart still closely twine
Those ties which naught can sever,
For I am His, and He is mine,
Forever and forever.

2. I’ve found a Friend, oh, such a Friend!
He bled, He died to save me;
And not alone the gift of life,
But His own self He gave me.
Naught that I have my own I call,
I hold it for the Giver;
My heart, my strength, my life, my all,
Are His, and His forever.

3. I’ve found a friend, O such a friend!
All pow’r to Him is given,
To guard me on my onward course,
And bring me safe to heaven:
Th’eternal glories gleam afar
To nerve my faint endeavor;
So now to watch, to work, to war,
And then to rest forever.

4. I’ve found a Friend, oh, such a Friend!
So kind, and true, and tender,
So wise a Counsellor and Guide,
So mighty a Defender!
From Him who loves me now so well,
What power my soul can sever?
Shall life or death, or earth or hell?
No? I am His forever.

By James Grindlay Small (1817-1888). Jesus, the Friend was first published in The Revival Hymn Book in 1863 and then in Small’s Psalms & Sacred Songs, 1866.

Three Practical Ways to Teach, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• Alistair Begg: ‘Welcome to Exile. It’s Going to Be OK.’ -- “For us in the English-speaking West, this world has tended to feel very much like home, and our treasures have been right before our eyes.”
• A Majority Of Americans Think Jesus Is A Great Teacher Yet Reject His Claims To Be God -- “Statistics like these from the State of Theology survey can give us quite a shock, but they also shed light on the concerns that many American Christians and churches have expressed for decades.”
• Critical Race Theory: It’s a Cancer Not a Cure -- “As a person with brown skin, I reject my assigned “status” and refuse to see everything through that distorted prism...I choose to see through the breakthrough filter of Scripture that opens our eyes...”
• Focus on Texas: Historic Texas -- “From the somber to the spectacular, we Texans have a lot of history under our boots.”
• How Church Membership Gives Us Freedom -- “Isn’t it ironic that a high commitment like church membership can bring about a sense of freedom?”
• Joe Biden Has a Weird Understanding of Patriotism -- “Now, Biden, who says the United States is merely an ‘idea,’ will demand more patriotic compliance by pumping another $80 billion into the IRS for enforcement. Just as the Founders imagined.”
• Man with Hunting Rifle Foils Attempted Mass Shooting at Apartment -- “Eighty-seven-year-old apartment resident Lois Hicks came out to try to calm Arnold down then fled back into her apartment after seeing the rifle he was allegedly holding”
• New York Times, Washington Post, NBC News All Forced To Retract False Claims About Trump Lawyer Rudy Giuliani -- The biggest papers of record in the U.S. — The New York Times and The Washington Post — have been forced to retract a report about the FBI’s communication with former President Trump’s longtime lawyer Rudy Giuliani.”
• Only 1 in 3 Young Born-Again Evangelicals Believe Jesus Is Only Way to Heaven, Apologist Says -- “The senior vice president of Probe Ministries said that the survey data showed that only 9 percent of Americans hold a Biblical view, and among emerging adults, that number is even smaller.”
• Opinion: As a CEO, I worry about the erosion of office culture with more remote work -- “As the economy rebounds, we need to hire and attract talent. To do so, we will need leaders on site.”
• Potluck Dishes -- “It’s all about sharing, including family favorites such as baked beans from author Toni Tipton-Martin’s award-winning cookbook”
• Racism in the Church of England – What’s the Answer? -- “There may be historic issues of hatred both within and outside the Church that need to be addressed, but surely there is a better way than critical race theory.”
• Sacerdotalism in Contemporary Worship -- In much contemporary worship today, congregational participation is minimized by the emphasis on performed music on a stage. Like clergy in medieval worship, musicians in contemporary worship have taken on a “priestly” role in the service.
• She Maketh Herself Coverings -- Never try to "Christianize" the world's dress and make it your own.
• The Hero of Cinco de Mayo -- “I have long known that 19th-century Mexican general Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín was a Texan, but I didn’t know how deep his Texas roots went until I did some digging.”
• Three Practical Ways to Teach Your Children to Read the KJV -- “...if a child is raised reading a translation, they will know the vocabulary of that translation by the time they reach adulthood and even earlier.”
• Vince Krivda: Which Textus Receptus?! A Response to Mark Ward’s Critique of Confessional Bibliology -- “Although Ward’s paper is to be welcomed for thoughtfully engaging CB, his insistence to forge the position as a kind of KJV-Onlyism is overreaching.”