Tuesday 24 January 2017
Unity
B-P Pastors and Leaders Retreat
I wish all of you, peace and "Faith, Hope, Love." The greatest is love......love one another, so that the world may know you are my disciples.
Both will cancel each other
Life Bible-Presbyterian Church and Far Eastern Bible College will cancel one another!
Number of full time student in Far Eastern Bible College will reduce 30%
Numbers of student in ERBL Lecture in Life Bible-Presbyterian Church will reduce another 30%
The rest of the 40% will go to Singapore Bible College...........
Both ERBL and Far Eastern Bible College are losers..........
At last, Bible-Presbyterian Church in Singapore will learn a lesson,
HUMBLENESS.......
And at last they are on the track to become "Evangelical Christian"
Number of full time student in Far Eastern Bible College will reduce 30%
Numbers of student in ERBL Lecture in Life Bible-Presbyterian Church will reduce another 30%
The rest of the 40% will go to Singapore Bible College...........
Both ERBL and Far Eastern Bible College are losers..........
At last, Bible-Presbyterian Church in Singapore will learn a lesson,
HUMBLENESS.......
And at last they are on the track to become "Evangelical Christian"
Bible-Presbyterian Church reap what they sow
Bible-Presbyterian Church likes to attack other denominations,
so this is what they reap,
now they have to live with heretics in Giltead Road, Singapore.
To teach them a lesson, "next time, mind your own business!!!!!"
so this is what they reap,
now they have to live with heretics in Giltead Road, Singapore.
To teach them a lesson, "next time, mind your own business!!!!!"
When you come to Giltead Road, Singapore
When you meet some one in Life Bible-Presbyterian Church in Gilstead Road, Singapore, you better ask him or her, "To whom you are following, Jeffrey Khoo or Charles Seet?"
Some will say, "I follow Jeffrey Khoo." Some will say, “I follow Charles Seet." Some will say, "I follow Timothy Tow." Some will say, "I am for Verbal Plenary Preservation." Some will say, "I am against Verbal Plenary Preservation." Some will say, "I follow Christ." Some will say, "I am neutral." Some will say, "No comment."
Divisions!There are divisions in one small piece of land, Gilstead Road, Singapore!
Listen, what Paul wrote in his first letter to the Corinthians.
1Co 1:11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
1Co 1:12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
1Co 1:13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
1Co 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1Co 3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
For when one saith (hotan gar legēi tis). Indefinite temporal clause with the present subjunctive of repetition (Robertson, Grammar, p. 972). Each instance is a case in point and proof abundant of the strife.
Of Paul (Paulou). Predicate genitive, belong to Paul, on Paul’s side.
Of Apollos (Apollō). Same genitive, but the form is the so-called Attic second declension. See the nominative Apollōs in 1Co_3:5.
Men (anthrōpoi). Just mere human creatures (anthrōpoi, generic term for mankind), in the flesh (sarkinoi), acting like the flesh (sarkikoi), not pneumatikoi, as if still psuchikoi. It was a home-thrust. Paul would not even defend his own partisans.
To me, honestly speaking, Far Eastern Bible College and Life Bible-Presbyterian Church in Singapore are carnal Christians, they are not spiritual, they are babe in Christ. They are acting in flesh, mere man.
But sad to say, both Far Eastern Bible College and Life Bible-Presbyterian Church are thinking the other way, they think they are very spiritual.......!!!!
Some will say, "I follow Jeffrey Khoo." Some will say, “I follow Charles Seet." Some will say, "I follow Timothy Tow." Some will say, "I am for Verbal Plenary Preservation." Some will say, "I am against Verbal Plenary Preservation." Some will say, "I follow Christ." Some will say, "I am neutral." Some will say, "No comment."
Divisions!There are divisions in one small piece of land, Gilstead Road, Singapore!
Listen, what Paul wrote in his first letter to the Corinthians.
1Co 1:11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
1Co 1:12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
1Co 1:13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
1Co 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1Co 3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
Commentary of 1 Corinthians 3:4
For when one saith (hotan gar legēi tis). Indefinite temporal clause with the present subjunctive of repetition (Robertson, Grammar, p. 972). Each instance is a case in point and proof abundant of the strife.
Of Paul (Paulou). Predicate genitive, belong to Paul, on Paul’s side.
Of Apollos (Apollō). Same genitive, but the form is the so-called Attic second declension. See the nominative Apollōs in 1Co_3:5.
Men (anthrōpoi). Just mere human creatures (anthrōpoi, generic term for mankind), in the flesh (sarkinoi), acting like the flesh (sarkikoi), not pneumatikoi, as if still psuchikoi. It was a home-thrust. Paul would not even defend his own partisans.
To me, honestly speaking, Far Eastern Bible College and Life Bible-Presbyterian Church in Singapore are carnal Christians, they are not spiritual, they are babe in Christ. They are acting in flesh, mere man.
But sad to say, both Far Eastern Bible College and Life Bible-Presbyterian Church are thinking the other way, they think they are very spiritual.......!!!!
FEBC and Life BPC are Church of Sardis
Revelation 3 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. 6 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Re 3:1–6.
Wake Up—The Message to the Church in Sardis (3:1–6)
The two most adverse reports are sent to Sardis and to Laodicea. In this letter to Sardis, Jesus passes over any estimate of their “deeds” and their “reputation” to give the bottom line: “You are dead” (Revelation 3:1). Their only hope is to “Wake up!” How do they do this? They must complete the deeds they began at a former time, “Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent” (Revelation 3:3). What will the consequences be if this is not done? Certainly it will be no less than His warning to the Ephesians, “I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place” (Revelation 2:5). Or to Pergamum, “Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth” (Revelation 2:16). But to Sardis, Jesus simply warns, “I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you” (Revelation 3:3).
“You Are Dead!” (1–3)
The two most adverse reports are sent to Sardis and to Laodicea. In this letter to Sardis, Jesus passes over any estimate of their “deeds” and their “reputation” to give the bottom line: “You are dead” (Revelation 3:1). Their only hope is to “Wake up!” How do they do this? They must complete the deeds they began at a former time, “Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent” (Revelation 3:3). What will the consequences be if this is not done? Certainly it will be no less than His warning to the Ephesians, “I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place” (Revelation 2:5). Or to Pergamum, “Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth” (Revelation 2:16). But to Sardis, Jesus simply warns, “I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you” (Revelation 3:3).
A Few Still Live (4–6)
Even in a congregation judged as dead, a few individuals have managed to stay alive and refused to be entangled in either the sin of the world or the apathy of a dying congregation. They “have not soiled their clothes.” Jesus promises, “They will walk with me, dressed in white” (Revelation 3:4). He promises the one who overcomes, “I will never blot out his name from the book of life” (Revelation 3:5). By inference, Jesus is saying unless a person remains faithful, his name will be blotted out.
As Jesus introduces himself to this church, He is described as holding the sevenfold Spirit (the Holy Spirit) in one hand and the seven stars (angels or messengers) in the other. This is appropriate to the deepest need of the congregation. They need life, and the Spirit is associated with giving life: “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life” (Job 33:4).
Lewis Foster, Revelation: Unlocking the Scriptures for You, Standard Bible Studies (Cincinnati, OH: Standard, 1989), 54.
Trinity and Revelation 3 WORD BY WORD
The English-Greek Reverse Interlinear New Testament New International Version (2011)
Revelation 3:1
Καὶ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Σάρδεσιν ἐκκλησίας γράψον· Τάδε λέγει ὁ ἔχων τὰ ἑπτὰ πνεύματα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἑπτὰ ἀστέρας· Οἶδά σου τὰ ἔργα, ὅτι ὄνομα ἔχεις ὅτι ζῇς, καὶ νεκρὸς εἶ. | NIV2011 NT RI
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. | NIV
Revelation 3:2
γίνου γρηγορῶν, καὶ στήρισον τὰ λοιπὰ ἃ ἔμελλον ἀποθανεῖν⸃, οὐ γὰρ εὕρηκά σου τὰ ἔργα πεπληρωμένα ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ μου· | NIV2011 NT RI
Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God | NIV
Revelation 3:3
μνημόνευε οὖν πῶς εἴληφας καὶ ἤκουσας καὶ τήρει, καὶ μετανόησον· ἐὰν οὖν μὴ γρηγορήσῃς, ἥξω ὡς κλέπτης, καὶ οὐ μὴ γνῷς ποίαν ὥραν ἥξω ἐπὶ σέ· | NIV2011 NT RI
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. | NIV
Revelation 3:4
ἀλλὰ ἔχεις ὀλίγα⸃ ὀνόματα ἐν Σάρδεσιν ἃ οὐκ ἐμόλυναν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν, καὶ περιπατήσουσιν μετʼ ἐμοῦ ἐν λευκοῖς, ὅτι ἄξιοί εἰσιν. | NIV2011 NT RI
Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy | NIV
Revelation 3:5
ὁ νικῶν οὕτως περιβαλεῖται ἐν ἱματίοις λευκοῖς, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐξαλείψω τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῆς βίβλου τῆς ζωῆς, καὶ ὁμολογήσω τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐνώπιον τοῦ πατρός μου καὶ ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ. | NIV2011 NT RI
The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels | NIV
Revelation 3:6
ὁ ἔχων οὖς ἀκουσάτω τί τὸ πνεῦμα λέγει ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις. | NIV2011 NT RI
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. | NIV
Interpretation:
3 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. 6 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Re 3:1–6.
Doctrine of Trinity in this chapter
1. Jesus Christ is holding the seven spirits of God. He is the Son of God. He mention the Holy Spirit here in verse 1
2. Jesus Christ said He is seeing his God in verse 2.
3. He said He is coming like a thief.
4. Jesus Christ acknowledged God the Father as "my Father." Christ taught the same in the gospels—that whoever would confess Him before men, in turn, He would confess before His Father and the angels (Mtt. Mat. 10:32; Luke Luke 12:8). What powerful incentive this is for our witness of Him in the face of skeptics and mockers! When standing before such men, let us consider ourselves to be standing before the very throne of the Father in our confession of the Son. “Coming immediately after the promise of not erasing the overcomer’s name from the book of life, this promise implies that on that future day of reckoning the judge will acknowledge the names written in the book as those who belong to Him.”
Even in the last book of the Bible, we learned that Our God is one, The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. Our God is eternal. Three Persons in One God. Amen.
Can Bible-Presbyterian Church unite as one? The answer is no! Big No.....
They like to quarrel, everyday quarrel, Tiam-Tiam Quarrel, TTQ......TTL
Can Bible-Presbyterian Church unite as one? The answer is no! Big No.....
They like to quarrel, everyday quarrel, Tiam-Tiam Quarrel, TTQ......TTL
Monday 23 January 2017
Heresy versus Schism: Which is Worse?
Dear All,
Heresy dies out. Schisms last for centuries. Heresy invites its own reversal by awakening a dynamic orthodoxy. Schism freezes doctrine, interferes with its healthy development. Heretics after all passionately want to improve the church's teaching. Their passion ignites a new passion in the church. Schism only provokes the passion of hatred, and its concomitant, war. In this discussion on the seriousness of heresy vis-a-vis schism, one of our company reminds us that the great schism between East and West is the first great fragmentation of the Church. Another listsib goes back to the Monophysite controversies of the fifth century, and their schisms.
These prove the point I have been arguing: heresy is essentially a short-term phenomenon, schism is long-term. Heresy forces the church to articulate its message more accurately.
For instance, the term homousios ("of one Being" in the Nicene Creed) is an accurate theoretical description of Jesus' relation to God, over against Arius' contention that "there was a time when He (Jesus Christ) was not." There was no schism because of the Arian controversy. even though it was one of the most serious and deadly heresies of all.
This later developed into the Monophysite controversy, as to whether Jesus had one ("mono") nature ("physis") or two, as Chalcedon insisted. After Chalcedon (451) there was a schism over the person of Christ.
One of the consequences of that schism was the disillusionment with Christianity of a young man thirsting for God named Muhammed.
More importantly, think how our divisions have given the lie to the Gospel we all preach.
Heresy dies out. Schisms last for centuries. Heresy invites its own reversal by awakening a dynamic orthodoxy. Schism freezes doctrine, interferes with its healthy development. Heretics after all passionately want to improve the church's teaching. Their passion ignites a new passion in the church. Schism only provokes the passion of hatred, and its concomitant, war.
I reiterate, schism is always worse than heresy. For heresy is about doctrine - credo ut intelligam - while schism is about abandoning the commandment to love one another as Christ has loved us.
These prove the point I have been arguing: heresy is essentially a short-term phenomenon, schism is long-term. Heresy forces the church to articulate its message more accurately.
For instance, the term homousios ("of one Being" in the Nicene Creed) is an accurate theoretical description of Jesus' relation to God, over against Arius' contention that "there was a time when He (Jesus Christ) was not." There was no schism because of the Arian controversy. even though it was one of the most serious and deadly heresies of all.
This later developed into the Monophysite controversy, as to whether Jesus had one ("mono") nature ("physis") or two, as Chalcedon insisted. After Chalcedon (451) there was a schism over the person of Christ.
One of the consequences of that schism was the disillusionment with Christianity of a young man thirsting for God named Muhammed.
More importantly, think how our divisions have given the lie to the Gospel we all preach.
Heresy dies out. Schisms last for centuries. Heresy invites its own reversal by awakening a dynamic orthodoxy. Schism freezes doctrine, interferes with its healthy development. Heretics after all passionately want to improve the church's teaching. Their passion ignites a new passion in the church. Schism only provokes the passion of hatred, and its concomitant, war.
I reiterate, schism is always worse than heresy. For heresy is about doctrine - credo ut intelligam - while schism is about abandoning the commandment to love one another as Christ has loved us.
KJV only?
This past Sunday at church, a young lady in our congregation shared with me about someone she knows who believes that the King James Version(KJV) of the Bible is the only inspired translation. She went on to say that this acquaintance will actually go so far as to say that someone cannot be saved unless the KJV is used! It occurred to me that this young lady is most likely not the only person with a friend, relative, or co-worker who believes that the KJV is the only "inspired" version of the Bible.
Before commenting further, I want to be sure I'm clear on one thing; I like the KJV translation of the Bible. It's eloquence and poetic verse are second to none. Those who enjoy using the translation, whether because they were raised on it or due to the poetic nature of the verses, I believe it to be a good translation and see nothing wrong with it. However, I believe it to be one of the many good translations available today and certainly not the best.
My goal in this post is to 1) provide resources to understand the KJV only debate better 2) to provide questions for you to ask those who hold to "KJV Onlyism." I hope you find it helpful!
Here are some helpful resources:
A Complete History of the KJV Bible
The King James Bible
or check out this audio from Dr. Dan Wallace, New Testament Scholar
Background Information
If you are new to the KJV-only issue by Brian Tegart
If your not new to the KJV-only issue by Brian Tegart
If you are "KJV-only" by Brian Tegart
On the KJV Translators
The KJV Translators said THAT? by Brian Tegart
The Lofty and Worthy Endeavor or Goal of the KJV Translators by Rick Norris
Accuracy of the King James Version
Why I Do Not Think the King James Bible is the Best Translation Available Today by Daniel Wallace
Is Your Modern Translation Corrupt? Answering the Allegations of the KJV Only Advocates by James R. White
Errors in the King James Version? by William W. Combs
Issue Settled
Jesus is NOT KJV-Only! by Brian Tegart
Questions to ask KJV-Only Advocates
Ten Questions for "KJV Only" Supporters
In summary, the KJV is a good translation, but that is all.
read more: http://truthbomb.blogspot.com/search/label/KJV%20Onlyism
One God in Three Persons
אֶחָד is one......
Deuteronomy 6:4 (NIV)
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one אֶחָד
Old Testament says God is one.
One God in one Person?
God is one, can be translated as "Joined One," please see:
Ezekiel 37:15–17 (NIV)
15 The word of the Lord came to me: 16 “Son of man, take aאֶחָד stick of wood and write on it, ‘Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with him.’ Then take another stick of wood, and write on it, ‘Belonging to Joseph (that is, to Ephraim) and all the Israelites associated with him.’ 17 Join them together into oneאֶחָד stick so that they will become oneאֶחָד in your hand.
Two sticks joined into one, and became one!
God the Father joined with God the Son and joined with God the Holy Spirit, they are one God.
Our God is One God in Three Persons, Triune God.
Tri-unity,
Trinity.
Both Life Bible-Presbyterian Church and Far Eastern Bible College, they do not have unity. They split....!!!
Tri-unity,
Trinity.
Both Life Bible-Presbyterian Church and Far Eastern Bible College, they do not have unity. They split....!!!
Is the Bible Today What Was Originally Written?
By Andreas J. Köstenberger
The Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic (the Old Testament [OT]), and Greek (the New Testament [NT]). The Bibles we use today are translations from the original languages into English (or other languages). Jesus most likely taught in Aramaic (though he probably also knew Hebrew and Greek), so that the Greek NT itself represents a translation of Jesus' teaching from the Aramaic into Greek.
The question, "Is the Bible today what was originally written?" involves two important questions: (1) Are the available manuscripts (mss.) of the Bible accurate representations of the original mss. of the respective books of the Bible (the autographs of Scripture)? This is an issue of textual transmission. (2) Are the available translations faithful renderings of the Bible in the original languages? This is an issue of translation.
With regard to the first question, no original autographs exist of any biblical text; only copies are available. The word "manuscript" is used to denote anything written by hand, rather than copies produced from the printing press. Textual evidence constitutes anything written on clay tablets, stone, bone, wood, various metals, potsherds (ostraca), but most notably papyrus and parchment (vellum).
Most ancient books were compiled and then rolled into a scroll. Since a papyrus roll rarely exceeded 35 feet in length, ancient authors divided a long literary work into several "books" (e.g., the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles consisted of a two-volume set composed by Luke).
Later, sometime during the first or second century A.D., the codex came into use. The codex consisted of bound sheets of papyrus and constitutes the prototype for the modern book format. Thus early Christians began to collect and collate individual books into what is now the canonical NT. The term "Bible" derives from the Greek word biblion (book); the earliest use of ta biblia (the books) in the sense of "Bible" is found in 2 Clement 2:14 (c. A.D. 150).
Even though the original autographs are lost, the extant ms. evidence allows a high degree of confidence in the text of the Bible. Both the Old and New Testaments are attested by a large number of mss. in a variety of forms spanning many centuries.
The primary witnesses to the OT come from the Masoretic texts (the Masoretes were Jewish scribes) including the Cairo Geniza (A.D. 895), the Leningrad Codex (A.D. 916), the Codex Babylonicus Petropalitanus (A.D. 1008), the Aleppo Codex (c. A.D. 900), the British Museum Codex (A.D. 950), and the Reuchlin Codex (A.D. 1105). The Leningrad Codex remains the oldest complete ms. and serves as the main source for the Hebrew text. However, since the earliest of these mss. date from the ninth century A.D., they are removed from the original autographs by a considerable period of time.
Other witnesses include the Talmud (Aramaic translations and commentaries), the Septuagint (LXX; the Greek translation of the OT), the Samaritan Pentateuch, and the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS). The latter, discovered during the 1940s and 50s, provide scholars with witnesses to the OT text that can be dated between 250-100 B.C. Cave four (4Q), e.g., has yielded about 40,000 fragments of 400 different mss., 100 of which are biblical, representing every OT book except Esther. Remarkably, a comparison of the DSS and the Masoretic text reveals a fairly small number of discrepancies.
Thus the ms. evidence for the OT firmly demonstrates that the original OT texts were carefully preserved and are accurately represented in our modern Bible.
The NT text remains the best attested document in the ancient world. The witnesses to the NT fall into three broad categories: the Greek mss.; ancient translations (versions) into other languages; and quotations from the NT found in early ecclesiastical writers (the Church Fathers). The Greek mss., over 6,000 in number, include papyrus fragments, uncials (written in all capitals without spaces and punctuation), and minuscules (small cursive-like script).
The papyri form the most significant group due to the fact that their early date implies that they are chronologically the closest to the original autographs. For example, both p52 (containing a few verses of John 18) and p46 (containing all of Paul's epistles except the Pastorals) are most likely dated within 30 years of the original writings.
The uncials follow the papyri in chronological importance. Codex Sinaiticus, an uncial written about A.D. 350, is the earliest extant copy of the entire NT. Other uncials, such as the Codex Vaticanus, Alexandrinus, Ephraemi, and Bezae, constitute significant witnesses as well.
The minuscules compose the largest group of Greek mss., but they are dated considerably later.
Finally, the versions and Church Fathers provide helpful early attestation that can aid scholars in reconstructing the most plausible original readings. The total tally of more than 6,000 Greek mss., more than 10,000 Latin Vulgate mss., and more than 9,300 early versions results in over 25,000 witnesses to the text of the NT.
This sheer multiplicity of mss. does not, however, result in absolute uniformity of the texts. Thousands of variant readings (most of them minor) exist between the mss. While scribes exhibited great care in their effort to reproduce an exact copy, they were not immune from human error. Scribal errors can take on the form of unintentional and intentional errors. Unintentional errors are the cause of the majority of textual variants. These typically include errors of the eyes (e.g., skipping words or losing one's place); hands (slips of the pen or writing notes in the margins); and ears (confusing similar sounding words or misunderstanding a word). Intentional errors resulted when scribes attempted to correct a perceived error in the text or altered the text in the interest of doctrine and harmonization. These errors often became standardized through subsequent copies made from the defective copy.
All Greek mss. exhibit traits that enable scholars to classifying them into text families (Alexandrian, Western, Byzantine) based on geographic origin, Greek style, and date. Through comparative analysis performed by the practitioners of a science called "textual criticism," scholars sift through all the mss. in order to reproduce the most plausible reading of the original autographs in each individual case.
Textual critics adjudicate between readings through exacting criteria such as dating, text type, attested readings (i.e., how many mss. have a certain reading), and possible reasons for variants (e.g., smoothing out a theologically difficult reading). In addition to examining the Greek mss. textual critics also consider all other relevant witnesses (i.e., versions and the Church Fathers).
Although textual criticism is a very complex and at times controversial science, it has provided us with at least two assured results. First, none of the variant readings (including omissions) affect the central message or theological content of the Scriptures. Second, it can confidently be asserted that the text of the Bible today is an accurate and faithful representation of the original autographs.
The second issue, namely that of translation, follows as a natural corollary once the question of the textualtransmission is settled. To assess the fidelity and accuracy of the Bible today compared to the original texts one must investigate the issues of translation theory and the history of the English Bible. The task of translating the Bible from its source languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek) into a receptor language (English) involves a plethora of issues related to the nature of language and communication. Is word meaning found in some fixed form of inherent meaning, or is meaning determined by contextual usage? Is meaning located in the formal features of the original grammar, or in the function of words within the grammar? These are just a few of the questions pertaining to translation theory.
Some translators maintain that accurate translation requires a word-for-word approach of formal equivalence (KJV, NKJV, NASB, ESV). Others contend that construing a straightforward one-to-one correlation between two languages actually distorts meaning. These translators employ a phrase-for-phrase approach of dynamic or functional equivalence (NRSV, NIV, CEV, NLT, TNIV). In light of linguistic, exegetical, and stylistic considerations translations produced in accord with dynamic or functional equivalency tend to reflect the original meaning more closely. The goal of all translators, no matter what translation theory they employ, is the production of an English version that is an accurate rendering of the text written in such a way that the Bible retains its literary beauty, theological grandeur, and, most importantly, its message.
The history of the English Bible satisfactorily demonstrates that the Bible of today does indeed faithfully represent the Scriptures in their original languages. For centuries the only Bible available to Western people was the Latin Vulgate prepared by Jerome, who was commissioned by Pope Damasus toward the end of the fourth century A.D. The Vulgate served as the official version of the Bible throughout Medieval Europe and was restricted to the clergy, monastic orders, and scholars.
A British priest and Oxford scholar, John Wycliffe (1330-1384), was the first to make the entire Bible accessible to the common English-speaking people. His translation, however, was based on the Vulgate and not on the Hebrew and Greek. William Tyndale published the first English NT based on the Greek text in 1526. Two close associates of Tyndale, Miles Coverdale and John Rogers, finished his work by publishing their own respective translations of the entire Bible: the Coverdale Bible (1535) and Matthew's Bible (1537). The Geneva Bible of 1560 provided a translation of the Bible entirely from the original languages. This paved the way for King James I to issue a translation that would correct the partisan nature of the Geneva Bible. Thus in 1611, the much-celebrated Authorized Version (AV or KJV), largely based on Tyndale's work, became the unrivaled English translation for 270 years.
The twentieth century has given rise to a number of new translations. The updating and production of new translations were necessitated by new ms. discoveries, changes in the English language, and the advancement of linguistics. Today, when someone opens any English Bible (NKJV, NASB, NIV, ESV, TNIV, HCSB), he or she may know that generations of faithful scholarship have managed to preserve and protect that Bible as it was originally given.
A VERY SAD STATE OF THE BIBLE-PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN SINGAPORE TODAY
A warning from Pastor
I was raised a B-P Church member since 1960 when I first attended Galilee B-P Church in Pasir Panjang. I got to know Rev Timothy Tow at a very young age. I remembered Rev Tow visiting our family when we were living in No. 5 Pasir Panjang Road.
In 1974 the Lord called me into the full-time Christian ministry and I began my theological education in the Far Eastern Bible College (FEBC). I graduated in 1977 and served in Grace B-P Church. I have been in the B-P Church ever since.
I have seen the many good sides of the B-P Church. I have been blessed by her strong doctrinal teachings. FEBC was once a strong school of theology, producing many Bible believing pastors and full-time workers for the church. I am thankful to the Lord for FEBC and her fundamental teachings in those days.
The changes today in the B-P Church
Something has gone terribly wrong with the B-P denomination today. Just about six years ago, a new teaching was introduced into FEBC by some young lecturers. The Verbal Plenary Preservation (VPP) teaches that God has preserved certain Greek and Hebrew manuscripts which underline the King James Version (KJV). So these people say that God has given the English speaking world only one Bible, the KJV. To them, the KJV is the "inspired" Bible for the English speaking church. All other versions namely NKJV, NASB, NIV, ESV, etc, are corrupt versions. They will condemn anyone or any church that uses a version other than the KJV. They have even gone to the extreme to say that other Bible versions present a different Jesus from the KJV.
I have never, in all my life, in the B-P Church seen such extreme teaching which had led to church splits, name calling, and the soon to be, public court battle between FEBC and Life B-P Church.
This VPP teaching has been a curse in the B-P Church. Once upon a time, we were all united and growing strong together as a denomination. Today it is a laughing stock to the Christian community in Singapore.
This year especially is bad for the B-P Church as news of both FEBC and Life B-P Church's public court case have been announced in the papers. This is against God's Word. See what the apostle Paul has to say about this matter in 1 Cor. 6: 1- 6
"Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!"
(NKJV)
How could believers who know God's Word do such a thing?
The VPP teaching has not been a blessing to the B-P denomination. Instead it has caused trouble and disunity.
For your information, a large majority of B-P Pastors are not supporting this teaching. We strongly oppose it. Very few B-P Pastors and B-P Churches are for this teaching. They should rightly call themselves the VPP B-P Church and not be confused with those of us who are the original B-P Church.
Churches which are for VPP:" Calvary-Pandan BPC, Calvary Tengah BPC, Gethsemane BPC, True Life BPC, Truth BPC, Berean BPC
B-P Churches that are not for VPP:" Life BPC, Olivet BPC, Grace BPC, Shalom BPC, Nazareth BPC, Galilee BPC, Maranatha BPC, Sharon BPC, Gospel Light BPC, Moriah BPC, Emmanuel BPC, Herald BPC, Calvary-Jurong BPC, Eden BPC, Jireh BPC, Macedonia BPC, Sembawang BPC, Zion BPC (Serangoon Gardens and Bishan), Faith BPC, All the Tamil B-P Churches, All the Mountain B-P Churches (i.e., Hebron, Herman, Mt. Carmel BPCs etc).
Be watchful
We live in the last days. The Bible warned of many false teachers coming into the church who will deceive even the elect. And sad to say, many will follow their pernicious way (2 Peter 2: 1-2).
The VPP Traits
We should know that these people are a very combative group.
One of the traits in this group of VPPers is to fight anyone who disagrees with them. The recent and earlier editions of "The Burning Bush", a publication of FEBC, and the writings and the correspondences of some of these advocates of VPPs resonate their argumentative attitude. "The Burning Bush" is targetted to combat non-VPPs. It was once an edifying magazine, but today, it is used to put down B-P pastors and elders who are not supportive of their cause. There is nothing edifying in this magazine which publishes only about VPP.
"The Burning Bush" has also been blasting the newly setup "Asia Seminary for Ministry" (ASM), in which Rev. Goh Seng Fong, Rev. Tan Choon Seng, Rev. Yap Beng Shin, Dn. John Chin and myself are the founding members. "ASM" has been accused of being neo-evangelical and ecumenical.
The aggressive nature of their correspondences in the many emails I have read is unbecoming of a Christian leader.
Split Churches
The issue of VPP creates a huge problem and results in split of Churches. This is witnessed in the States as well as on our own shores. Since the day VPP came to the B-P Church in Singapore, we had seen with our own eyes the problems encountered by Life B-P Church, Calvary-Jurong B-P Church and Calvary-Pandan B-P Church.
A Lack of Love
Another of their trait is the lack of love in dealing with fellow B-P pastors and elders over this issue. To them, this matter of VPP is life and death. If the B-P Pastor or Elder is not supporting them, they are swiftly condemned as neo-evangelicals or neo-fundamentalists. Their names are highlighted in their magazines and church weekly, etc. There is no personal and friendly conversation over how to solve this issue in a loving manner.
Name Calling
They are quick to call anyone who are not for their cause, neo-evangelicals, neo-fundamentalists, ecumenical, etc. They have also labelled fellow B-P pastors as liars. They have published openly the names of Bible colleges, seminaries and gave them such names.
Claim to possess the truth
They claim to have the perfect Bible. They have the "inspired" KJV with them. So long as other Christians do not use the KJV, they do not have the truth. To these people, all other Bible versions are corrupt and don't have the the Word of God. They are the only ones who have it because they use the KJV. So they have the truth. Is that so?
Martin Luther, the reformer, did not use the KJV. Did he have the truth of God's Word? What about Christians of other races, like the Indonesians, for example, whose Bibles are in the Indonesian language, do they have the truth of God's Word? What about Christian leaders like John MacArthur who uses ESV or NASB? Is he teaching the truth from God's Word?
Do not fear at all, my brethren! We have the truth of God's Word in other Bible versions and diverse languages. God did not give us one Bible version only, i.e., the KJV, even though we may love this version.
"In the first place, then, let it be said that we believers in the plenary inspiration of the Bible do not hold that the Authorized Version or any other form of the English Bible is inspired. I beg your pardon for saying anything so obvious as that, but, do you know, my friends, it is necessary to say it. There are scarcely any limits to the ignorance which is attributed to us today by people who have never given themselves the trouble to discover what our view really is. Let it be said then very plainly that we do not hold that the Authorized Version or any other form of the English Bible is inspired. We are really quite well aware of the fact that the Bible was written in Hebrew and in Greek. The Authorized Version is a translation from the Hebrew and the Greek. It is a marvelously good translation, but it is not a perfect translation. There are errors in it. The translators were not supernaturally preserved from making mistakes. It is not inspired."
"Is the Bible the Word of God?"(A quote by J. Gresham Machen taken "The Christian Faith in the Modern World" 1936)
Claim to defend the truth?VPPers like to see themselves as defenders of the truth. It seems that they see themselves as the only ones who have the perfect and "inspired" Bible (the KJV) and they are defending this Bible version. Anyone who speak against this version is immediately taken to task.
Conclusion
Has not the original B-P Church been defending the truth since the days of Rev. Timothy Tow? We have been taught and we will continue to teach our B-P Church members that God has given to us the inspired, inerrant Word of God in the original autographs. This is VPI (Verbal Plenary Inspiration). We have never heard of VPP which is a new and strange teaching that has infiltrated the B-P Church some years ago. We have defended the truth of God's Word and we will continue to do so. We will defend our flock against this teaching of VPP. That is what the original B-P Church is doing today. So who is the original B-P Church? Are we not the ones?
Rev Tan Eng Boo
Pastor, Grace B-P Church
January 2009
Scandals in Singapore churches
Though they are BP .. I think their theology not strong one. From the ST article .. you can see how childish is the pastor's "written defence". Either that or the leadership trying to find excuses to "silence" an intellectual from their church. Maybe they exasperated 'cos the businessman learn theology from bible college .. so in the end they resorted to ad hominem attacks.
Pathetic.
I believe if they try to preach to SIS . .they are in for a rude shock.
http://sgforums.com/forums/1381/topics/206157?page=3
Pathetic.
I believe if they try to preach to SIS . .they are in for a rude shock.
http://sgforums.com/forums/1381/topics/206157?page=3
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