Can WE Trust Our Bible?

[JohnnyRudick]

To see where this is all coming from see my posts in "Errors in the Bible".
Pay close attention to the posts there as I am not referring to all bibles in general as worthy of trust


1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the
gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received,
and wherein ye stand;

1 Corinthians 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in
memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

At first I my seem to be "all over the place" but hang in there with me.
Ok?

We will begin at this point with;

2 Timothy 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word
of truth."
From the above verse we can see that it is important to not only study the Scriptures, but to rightly divide the Scriptures.

For this study we will dwell mostly on the Bible.

Now why should you "study"?
The Bible tells us it is to show yourself "approved unto God," You do this by studying and being a "workman" this will allow you to "rightly" divide "the word of truth."

Why do so many not "rightly divide" the word of truth?
It is because they do not like to study, and they do not like to work.
So they teach things out of context, undeveloped doctrines, and doctrine that is not even there.

There is taught also no doctrine at all, which is an emotional Christianity.
They love but they love the wrong things.
They have no solid ground for what they believe.

The Bible tells us that your love is to be tempered with knowledge, and of course your knowledge is to be tempered with love. 1Cor.13.
1 John 2:15 &16. "Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth."

One place where the devil will get you off track is, he will allow you to study and learn much of the great Bible teachings, and that's that.
You have all this knowledge, but you do nothing with it.
James tells us that we are to be "doers of the word, and not hearers only," If we only learn, and learn, and not DO anything with what we have learned, we only end up "deceiving our own selves."
But if when we do "study," and we "continueth therein," not being a "forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." James 1:21-2:26.

The lazy Christian is in a mess here.
Once You have learned, you then have a responsibility.
And you are commanded to learn.
My, my.

Why is there strife in the Church?
Why envying and division?
Paul told the Corinthian church, "And I, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as to babes in Christ."
He says,I want to talk to you like a spiritual Christian, but I can't.
Why?
They are carnal Christians and cannot except the meat of the gospel. 1Cor.3: 1- 3, Heb.5:11-14.
They are still in the same teachings that got many of them "saved", but they can not grow from there.
Is it because they have no love for the word?
I don't know, but that is one thing that retards many today, and even gives most a false security. (This was one of the problems in the Corinthian church.) 1Cor.15:2, 2Cor.6:1.

The big reason for division in the churches is we do not rightly divide the word of truth.

I suppose that the churches today could be called "The babies in Christ Church".

They say PAUL'S GOSPEL?
Why are we not allowed to say "Joseph Smiths' Gospel?

When were you "saved"?
Were you saved before the birth or death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ but after His birth?
Or were you "saved" before the restoration of the Gospel?
Most likely it was after the restoration of the Gospel.

Once in a while you will hear someone say, "O that doesn't apply to me."
It may, or it may not.
Is that person "rightly dividing" or not?
How do you know what part or parts of Exodus, Leviticus, Nehemiah, Psalms, Matthew, John, Acts, James, Hebrews, Etc..
Anywhere in your Bible?

How do you know which parts of the Bible are for you?
It is all for you, I know that.
All Scripture is good for "doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" so that you will be equipped "unto all good works." 2 Tim. 3:16.
How do you know whether it is a doctrinal or instruction in righteousness verse for a Christian.
Both, or neither?



If you need help in understanding the words of God, He provides help within the Scriptures.
All you must do is study.
Always remember, Back up Scripture with Scripture.
Always let supporting Scripture have the last word in what you think, and what you believe.
NEVER try to support Scripture with Science, or History found outside the pages of the words of Almighty God.
Nor try to back up Scripture with opinion.
God always has the last word just the way He said it.


If it is a parable He will tell you. "The Kingdom of Heaven is as" and "Where-unto shall I liken the Kingdom of God?"
If the Scripture does not tell you it is a parable, analogy, or allegory, then it is not.
That is how we can know that the entire book of Genesis is absolutely factual.
The earth was created in six literal days.
The Bible says that the earth has been covered by water at least twice.
Eve really was confronted by the serpent and ate forbidden fruit.
Jacob wrestled with God. Etc..

You do not interpret Scripture, YOU BELIEVE IT! ROMANS 3:4
"God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a
liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy
sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged."


So what does Isaiah 40:8 mean?
Better yet, what does it say? It says
"The word of our God" (whose' God?)
"The words of our God shall stand forever."
(How long?)
"The words of our God shall stand forever."
No interpretation needed.
A forth grade education and the Holy Ghost is all you need to read and understand the King James Bible.

Here's another verse.
1Peter 1:23. "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever."
We are talking about the W O R D S of God.

Before I say anything else on this, lets look at another verse.
Isaiah 55:11. "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."

When God speaks a word, it lives and abides and does that which God intended it to do. You can count on that.
So, 1Peter 1:23 tells us that the word of God in this instance at least, the word of God that all children of God are born by, who are "born of the Spirit, by the word of God,"
It says these words of God, liveth and abideth forever.
That's clear enough, huh?

So somewhere in Joseph Smith's day there had to be words of God that Joseph Smith could have faith and believe in.
And there was, and he did.

Wescott and Hort had not yet arrived on the scene to confuse the issue.



1 Corinthians 15:1 "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the
gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received,
and wherein ye stand;"

1 Corinthians 15:2 "By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in
memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain."

The Gospel preached.
Preached from the words of God can "save" a man.
How is he "saved"?

"[O]f the Spirit" by the word that is preached.

"[U]nless ye have believed in vain.".
Very important point for another subject.

Better go for now.

I'm not done yet but it is all I can stand for now.
Hold that thought;-)

Bro. Rudick.

[Elgama]

my own view is we can trust the bible because we have a prophet and the Gift of the Holy Ghost its not needing to be that complicated.

-Charley

[JohnnyRudick]

Originally Posted by Elgama

my own view is we can trust the bible because we have a prophet and the Gift of the Holy Ghost its not needing to be that complicated.

-Charley

Ya got that exactly right;-)
Later Bro;-)

Or is that Sis?????;-]

[Elgama]

Originally Posted by JohnnyRudick

Ya got that exactly right;-)
Later Bro;-)

Or is that Sis?????;-]

Sis - my daughter is El(ana), my son is Ga(briel) and I am ma also means Moose You See in Norwegian lol

-Charley

[BenRaines]

Ah well welcome Moose. LOL

Ben Raines

[JohnnyRudick]

Originally Posted by Elgama

my own view is we can trust the bible because we have a prophet and the Gift of the Holy Ghost its not needing to be that complicated.

-Charley

My point (that I take forever to say) is, the prophets say "study". The Holy ghost bears witness to the words, the words being that they "searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." Acts 17:11, which brought them knowledge of the things of God.

As you "study" the scriptures, you learn that not all things said are to all people at the same time or even the same place.

People say, HAH! contradictions!


No, you just have to "rightly divide" because the Scriptured have divisions.

One obvious being the New Testament and the Old Testament.

But we also have the space between the Church under Peter and the Pauline dispensation between Paul and Joseph Smith.

So, I point out, "rightly divide" and "study" folks;-)

There ain't no problem in Scripture that a copy of the
Book of Mormon, the D&C, P of GP, and the King James Bible and a few choice words from Latter Day Prophets cannot solve if you "study";-)

Later

Bro. Rudick

[cjmaldrich]

Great post, Johnny.

It's unfortunate that there are lazy people in our church and every other church in the universe. People who read the scriptures, but don't learn them. People who hear the prophet, but don't listen to him. People who discount things that they don't like, understand, or agree with and who put whatever they do like up on a pedistal.

The entire scriptures are for our benefit, from Genesis to the Articles of Faith (if you're using a quad) and every word in between. There is a reason why it is scripture.

[BenRaines]

Some time ago I read a very interesting book "Between the Testaments" by Richard Hozaphel. I think this is how his name is spelled. He also wrote "Woman at the Well" and a couple of others.

Between the Testaments covers the 500 years between the last writings of the Old Testament, Malachi and the writings of the New Testament.

When we think of 500 years that is a long time. Look where the US as a country has come in a little over 200 years. Look how the world has changed since the modern discovery of American Continents just a little over 500 years ago.

Ben Raines

[lilered]

I guess I have a little different perspective. Even given the inconsistiences in the Bible, we have the BM, PGP, and DC. These all testify of Jesus Christ, we know by reading them what we must do, to gain eternal life. We know we must go to the temple, etc.. We have inspired leaders to give us periodic counsel as members. Bottom Line we have the means to gain suffiecent knowledge to enter the Celestial Kingdom if we but put that knowledge into practice.

So, why is then so important to spend the energy as a member in developing these inconsistencies?

[JohnnyRudick]

Again, this is mostly for those who confuse missing Scripture from the Bible with those who just say the Bible is "wrong" or just not reliable.

I am trying here to undo some of the damage done by the preastcraft of this world in the various churches and dens of higher learning's such called.

Isaiah 55:11. "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."

With all we have gone through up to now, why did God give to us His words?

So we may learn about Gods dealing with the people of this world, and His dealing with His people.

God gave His words for the growth of His people where ever they may be found or even when.
We know that Gods' people still need His teaching and guidance so just as those who have gone before us have had His words and are given new words as needed (unless they fall away and go live in a cave somewhere shutting Him out), so we today.

We still need to Know of His dealings with the children of men, and His people and we still need new guidance as needed to meet changing circumstances just as those who have gone before.


God gave His word for the growth of His people.
I can't stress this enough.
God always has His remnant. Rom. 11::2-5.
God is not through with His people yet.

Reading what God said here in Isaiah 55:11, He said His word would accomplish what He sent it to do.

Do you know what God has magnified above His name?
His word. Psalms 138:2-

"The fact of your attending a religious service no more assures your being a Christian then the fact of your falling into a lake assures your being a fish."

Here are a few verses for you to "study".
1. His words shall stand forever Isaiah 40:8
2. His words shall live / abide forever 1pet.1:23
3. His words will accomplish what it was sent out to do. 55:11
4. Hide His word in your heart that you might not sin Psalms 119:11
5. Scripture is by the Holy Ghost. 2Pet.1:21
6. The author of the Bible and all Scripture, the Holy Ghost lives and abides for ever. John14:16
7. The spirit spake by me. 2 Samuel 23:2
8. Gods' words are settled forever. Cannot ever be changed. Psalms 119:89
9. Gods' word endureth forever. 1 Pet.1:25
10. The words of the Lord are pure forever Psalms12:6&7
11. Gods' word shall not pass away till ALL is fulfilled. Matthew 24:35
12. You are to study gods' words so you are able to teach those God sends to you 1Pet.:3:15, Prov.22:20&21.
13. When God teaches you through His word, teach it faithfully. Jeremiah 23:28
14. The Bible God gave us. that so many in this world scorn in and out of christiandom has survived with very little changes, (and that in grammar and spelling mostly) a little over 400 years.
You are not to add or to take away from the words that God gives to you.
English is still the main language of this earth today. Instead of tearing down the words God gave us lets study so we may better understand Gods Bible.
Deut.4:2
15. God word is pure and needs no correcting. Proverbs 30:5&6
16. Those who do add or take away from the words God gives us will lose in the end.
Deuteronomy 12:32 What thing soever I command you, observe to
do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it., Rev. 2:19


Much Later Most Likely;-)

Bro. Rudick