The Spirit of Truth

The Spirit of Truth

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. – John 16:13

This passage is commonly cited by many as proof that the Holy Spirit miraculously guides and speaks to them.  However, as with just about everything in the Bible, both immediate and overall context must be considered to properly understand and interpret what Jesus is saying here.

John 16:13 is not about you.  It is about the apostles.

John 16:13 is not about you. It is about the apostles.

Contextually, he is talking to his apostles on the night before he died.  Today’s scripture is part of the fourth and final time in this conversation that Jesus mentions sending the Holy Spirit to them at some later point (John 14:16-17, 25-26; 15:26-27; 16:7-15).  After his resurrection and right before his ascension, he would allude to the Spirit coming upon them again (Acts 1:6-8), something which occurred on the day of Pentecost ten days later (Acts 2:1ff).

Thus, the immediate context of today’s passage of Scripture about the Holy Spirit guiding into all truth applies solely to the apostles of Christ, and not to us today.  That is not to say that the Spirit gives us no direction or guidance at all today.  In fact, the verse indirectly alludes to the fact that he does, when you take into account the overall context:

  1. The Spirit would guide the apostles into all the truth (John 16:13a).  God’s Word is truth (John 17:17).
  2. The apostles and prophets who authored the books of the New Testament were inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:19-21; Eph. 3:3-5).
  3. The Scriptures are said to be inspired by God (2 Tim. 3:16).  The Spirit, who inspired the authors of the New Testament, did not speak on his own authority, but spoke whatever he hears (John 16:13b).  That would be what he heard from Jesus, who in turn heard it from God the Father (John 16:14-15).
  4. Thus, when we read God’s Word, we are reading a message from the Holy Spirit.  When we heed God’s Word, that’s how the Spirit guides us (cf. Gal. 5:16-25).
Posted in Jon Mitchell | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The Spirit of Truth

RAZONES DEL PORQUE USO LA BIBLIA DE LAS AMERICAS

RAZONES DEL PORQUE USO LA BIBLIA DE LAS AMERICAS

Mientras que pudiéramos fácilmente enumerar 100 razones del porque la Biblia de las Américas debería ser utilizada con más frecuencia en nuestras congregaciones y hogares, el tiempo simplemente no nos alcanza ni nos permite profundizar en todos los detalles. Mientras que una de las señales  más seguras cuando una congregación o individuo comienza a apartarse de la verdad, es el uso de la Nueva Versión internacional (Nueva Perversión Internacional), la marca de una congregación sana es el uso de versiones correctas y apegadas al texto original y a la idea del Espíritu Santo en su trabajo de inspiración. Mucho se puede decir, hablar, escoger y decidir en cuanto a las versiones en Inglés, pero muy poco que recalcar de las versiones en español. En otras palabras casi no tenemos de donde echar mano. Las 2 versiones muy centradas que han salido recientemente es la Biblia de las Américas y la Biblia Textual, sin embargo  no muchos hermanos están familiarizadas con ellas. Parece ser que en muchos sectores de nuestra hermandad se tiene la idea de que Dios con su mano bajó del cielo directamente la Reina Valera 1960 y que fuera de ella no existe ninguna otra. Bien, esto no es así y nuestra intención tampoco es satanizar la Reina Valera 1960 porque es una muy buena versión también, sino más bien ayudar a la hermanad a expandir su conocimiento y observar que hay versiones más precisas. Al final recordemos que todas son versiones de la Biblia y no alteran  el mensaje original, claro a excepción de la NVI y la TDNSE.

LA BIBLIA DE LAS AMERICAS

LA BIBLIA DE LAS AMERICAS

PRECISION: Esta es una razón bastante poderosa. En la sociedad en la que vivimos cualquier cosa empírica que se expresa tiende a mal interpretarse por la nube de confusión que estamos rodeados. Es fundamental que seamos precisos y concisos a la hora de expresarnos y cuanto más en la palabra de Dios. Creo firmemente que la Biblia de las Américas ha facilitado mucho la presión de conceptos y pasajes Bíblicos mal interpretados por muchos. Solamente observe usted:

  • En el Antiguo Testamento, vemos el ejemplo de la Caída, Génesis 3:6. Luego de Eva comer del fruto del árbol prohibido, se nos dice que dio también a Adán. La RV60 se limita a decirlo con “y dio también a su marido, el cual comió así como ella”, mientras la LBLA incluye una frase iluminadora (énfasis HLM): “Y dio también a su marido que estaba con ella, y él comió”. El aspecto del consentimiento de Adán queda evidenciado más claramente
  • En Hechos 2:38 la LBLA lee: “Arrepentíos y sed bautizados…”  esas tres letras(sed) presentan un gran obstáculo para todos aquellos que argumentan que el bautismo no es necesario para salvación. La frase “sed” expresa mandamiento tal como lo hace “id” en Marcos 16:15. Para ser salvo el bautismo es un mandamiento al igual que “id por el mundo” es un mandamiento.
  • En 1 Tes. 5:27 la frase “Os conjuro por el Señor” de la Reina Valera 1960 no ha dado tanta claridad. Se sorprenderá que hay hermanos que no saben que significa esto. Otros piensan en Pablo como lanzando un conjuro mágico a los hermanos de Tesalónica mientras que otros prefieren no saber que significa. La versión de las Américas, mucho más precisamente lee: “ Os encargo solemnemente  por el Señor”.
  • En Apocalipsis 1:6 la Reina Valera 1960 menciona que nos hizo reyes y sacerdotes. La lógica y el texto original difieren de esto. Primero, si Cristo es el Rey de Reyes, ¿cuantos reyes pueden existir en un reino? Col 1:13 dice que nos trasladó al reino de su amado hijo. Entonces existe solo un reino y solo un Rey dueño de ese reino. La palabra en el texto original es “Basileia” y significa reino. La Biblia de las Américas se ha apegado mucho más al original: “ y nos hizo un reino y sacerdotes” (énfasis mío HLM).
  • En Efesios 2:8 la teología Calvinista y todas sus corrientes aún el ecumenismo afirman que fe solamente salva, que la gracia Dios hace todo y por lo tanto el bautismo en agua es secundario o incluso irrelevante. En este pasaje la Reina Valera 1960 dice: “Porque por Gracia sois salvos por medio de la fe”. Sin embargo cuando abrimos la versión de las Américas leemos: “Porque por Gracia habéis sido salvados por medio de la fe”. (énfasis nuestro HLM). Quiero que note por un momento el énfasis añadido, ya que resalta el hecho de que el pasaje está aludiendo al hecho de que los hermanos en Efeso ya habían sido salvos, ya habían alcanzado la Gracia de Dios a travez de fe, fe bíblicamente definida (es decir obediencia) lo que por supuesto incluye bautismo en agua. LBLA con mucha precisión nos conjuga el versículo al pasado no dando margen a una salvación futura por gracia basada en nada.
  • En el Antiguo Testamento el título Jehová es  reemplazado por el SEÑOR. Esto es algo muy importante ya que la palabra Jehová no existe en el texto Hebreo. Lo que siempre ha existido es el tetragramáton las cuatro letras que identificaban el nombre de Dios y que los Judíos no se atrevían a escribir YHVH. Con el tiempo se fue adoptando la pronunciación de Jehová pero no es lo que aparece en el Hebreo Original. Los manuscritos del Nuevo Testamento en griego koiné contienen la palabra griega Kýrios (Señor) en las citas del Antiguo Testamento en donde en los manuscritos hebreos aparece el Tetragrámaton. Sin duda alguna LBLA nos provee más precisión al remplazar Jehová por SEÑOR, aunque conozco a cierta agrupación religiosa para quienes en este punto la LBLA representa un tremendo dolor de cabeza.

TEXTO ORIGINAL :Una de las razones para la belleza de la La Biblia de Las Américas radica en que utiliza los mejores manuscritos disponibles. En el conocido pasaje de Juan 1:18, la LBLA contiene la traducción: “Nadie ha visto jamás a Dios; el unigénito Dios, que está en el seno del Padre, Él le ha dado a conocer”. La frase “unigénito Dios” difiere sustancialmente de “unigénito Hijo” que aparece en la RV60. Esta diferencia se debe a un asunto de los manuscritos consultados, que evidentemente LBLA ha sido más precisa.

A.T. Robertson comenta al respecto:

“El unigénito Hijo (ho monogenës huios). Ésta es la lectura del Textus Receptus, y es inteligible después de hös monogenous para patros en el versículo 14. Pero los más antiguos y mejores manuscritos griegos (Alef, B, C, L) leen monogenës theos (Dios unigénito), que es indudablemente el verdadero texto. Es probable que algún escriba lo cambiara a ho monogenës huios para obviar la llana declaración de la deidad de Cristo y para hacerlo como   Juan 3:16”.

La Biblia de las Américas contiene un sin numero de diferencias significativas para bien. Es, casi mandamiento para cada estudiante serio de la Biblia tener una copia de esta versión en su Biblioteca. Esta hermosa obra fue completada en 1971 siendo también una revisión completa de la American Standar Bible 1901, muy reconocida en el mundo de habla Inglés por su fidelidad al texto original y  ahora está disponible en casi cualquier presentación en español para nosotros. Al concluir deseamos mencionar dos de los únicos textos observados hasta este momento por un servidor donde la Biblia de las Américas no fue tan precisa: 1) Juan 14:14 “ Si me pidieres algo en mi nombre yo lo haré”. La oración no se hace a Jesús directamente sino al Padre v13 por medio de Jesús y 2) Mateo 19:9 “ Y yo os digo que cualquiera que divorcie a su mujer salvo por infidelidad y se casa con otra, comete adulterio”.  La palabra griega porneia  puede ser traducida de varias formas, como inmoralidad sexual, infidelidad, fornicación. Al parecer la palabra más correcta en este pasaje tiende a ser Fornicación… literalmente relación sexual ilícita fuera de la unión matrimonial. Las personas pueden argumentar varias formas formas de lo que pudiera ser infidelidad o inmoralidad sexual pero fornicación parece ser más concisa.

Con todo dos pasajes son una buena estadística para esta versión en comparación con otras versiones que incluso han alterado el texto original, los pasajes y los conceptos básicos de la fe cristiana. La Biblia de las Américas sin duda alguna es una versión con muchas razones para ser usada, citada y promocionada entre la hermandad.

Posted in Heiner Montealto | Tagged , , | Comments Off on RAZONES DEL PORQUE USO LA BIBLIA DE LAS AMERICAS

When We All Get to Heaven

When We All Get to Heaven?

There is a beautiful song in most, if not all of our congregations’ songbooks, entitled “When We All Get To Heaven.” This powerful and upbeat song describes in detail, the awesome, wonderful, and joyful event we will all supposedly experience when we see Jesus’ face. …but will we all, really…?

Many will not see heaven having chosen the world instead.

Many will not see heaven having chosen the world instead.

The reason I pose this question for our consideration is because the bible doesn’t seem to say that at all. In fact, it says quite the opposite. The word of God clearly states that “many” very religious and spiritually convicted people will not be joyful or enjoy anything akin to victory whatsoever when they see Jesus, but will instead, be in for a terrifying and soul-searing surprise! This, because instead of learning and doing God’s will, they chose to do what they thought was right while on earth, rather than humbly seeking, understanding, and fruitfully obeying, living, and teaching God’s will, word, and way:

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? ‘And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matt 7:19-23).

And then, although it might be a somewhat surprising statement to some in the Lord’s church (who may have somehow convinced themselves that being baptized into His church automatically guarantees them a home in heaven no matter what), the bible is also clear that even for some baptized members of the Lord’s church/body, there could be anything but a joyful and victorious experience awaiting them when they finally get to heaven and see the Lord. In His divine, parabolic-form discourse on His soon-to-be-established church/ kingdom in Matthew 13, after describing in detail the events of “the end” in store for the world at large in verses 36-40, Jesus then goes on to apply the same set of circumstances to His one N. T. church or kingdom in verses 40-43:

Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

This final phrase is the same one Jesus used to conclude His message to all seven of the congregations of His church which He warned in Revelation 2 and 3 as well! We clearly see in those two chapters, that just simply becoming a member of Christ’s church, without continually seeking to humbly learn, live, grow, obey, serve and sacrifice in accordance with His holy word on a daily basis, was definitely NOT going to make it a day to rejoice when all of them got to heaven to see Jesus for sure! But how many in His church today appear to think that once they’re baptized, they’re all set? That they don’t have to do much else? How many in His church today refuse to really hear, understand, grow, take to heart His word, repent immediately, and/or act accordingly?

In 1 Peter 4:17-18, God takes this one step further by conveying that not only will some of those within the household of God perhaps be in for a huge and horrible surprise that day, but that if it’s going to be that way even for them, how much worse and/or harder will it be for those outside of His house/church?

For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now “If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?”

Based on Matthew 7:19-27, perhaps a verse of that song should be re-written thus: “When we all get to heaven, what an awful day of horror that will be; for not all who see Jesus will be as glad as they thought they would be.

Let us ALL, to a person, make sure that we are doing everything we possibly can, to learn, understand, live, love, grow, obey, serve and walk in the Father’s will, so that none of us are thus surprised… when we all get to heaven.

Posted in Doug Dingley | Tagged , , | Comments Off on When We All Get to Heaven

Testimony or Preaching?

“Giving Your Testimony” or Preaching Christ

Our religious world has lost sight of the power of the story of the coming of the Messiah, His death, His resurrection and the establishment of His kingdom to bring salvation to the world. This was the message that began at Pentecost and spread around the world. In this day, far too many give their “ testimony ” about their past life and how they have changed. The message that will convert the world is not the story of our life, but the story of His life.

When converting, stick to His words and not your own.

When converting, stick to His words and not your own.

In Acts chapter eight, we read how Philip lead lost men to Jesus. It was not the “testimony” of Philip’s past life that changed the world. It was the story of the Savior. Imagine the following story. It never happened. It is simply an illustration showing God’s plan of evangelism versus the modern plan used by some.

Philip ran to the chariot and heard the Ethiopian reading the scriptures and asked him if he understood the Bible. The man responded saying that it so hard to understand, and then Philip got into the chariot and gave his “testimony.”

Philip said, “You are so right about the difficulty of understanding the Bible. I used to be exactly where you are. I attended worship at the local synagogue, and the lessons presented there made me think that no one could ever find God. They often spent hours trying to decide just how far one could walk on the Sabbath before walking would violate the command not to work on the Sabbath. They talked about eating with unwashed hands and talking to Gentiles. Synagogue worship seemed to never talk about mercy and faith in God.”

“Those leaders in the synagogue were not serious. They used their position to gain fame. They loved having the chief seats in the assembly but did not seem to love people. Their religion was outward and never seemed to change. I was so discouraged.”

“I remember one time when these same leaders caught a man and a woman sinning and decided to let the man go free, but wanted to stone the woman. It was rather strange that they would do this, for just the previous week we had read the words of Moses saying both should be stoned.”

“I also was such a sinner in my own life. Let me preach to you my favorite sermon, What a Sinner I Used to Be. I have changed, and you need to change.”

This story never happened. What did Philip preach? He preached about the authority of Jesus and the kingdom of heaven (Acts 8:12), and he taught about Jesus (8:35). The Ethiopian said, “See, here is water. What prevents me from being baptized?” Giving one’s testimony will never bring such a response. Preaching Christ and His kingdom will!

Posted in Dan Jenkins | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Testimony or Preaching?

Bill Nye the Immoral LGBTQ Guy

Bill Nye the Immoral LGBTQ Guy

Bill Nye has taken a swan dive from reality and is now firmly submerged in some liberal political fantasyland. Nye has named his new political Netflix series, “Bill Nye Saves the World”—one of the most narcissistic titles I’ve ever encountered. This is the guy who is going to save the world? Save the world from what? Your children know him as “Bill Nye the Science Guy”—a video series used extensively in many public schools. However, Bill has moved from mixing soda and vinegar to “saving the world” and promoting the LGBTQ lifestyle.

Tell us again about chromosomes Mr. LGBTQ.

Tell us again about chromosomes Mr. LGBTQ.

In his latest video, Bill uses talking ice cream cones to try and poke fun at what he calls the ridiculousness of conversion therapy with homosexuals. Ben Kew reported:

“In the cartoon, the vanilla ice cream cone is mocked as a representation of heterosexual, monogamous sex. The vanilla cone is presented as a Christian conversion therapist trying to convince the other ice cream cones that monogamous sex is natural, and will help them ‘get right with the big ice cream in the sky.’ However, the vanilla cone receives blowback from the other ice cream cones, who contend that they cannot change the way they were born. Eventually, the vanilla ice cream is overcome by sexual desire and is seduced by other flavored ice creams to participate in an apparent ice cream orgy.” (see http://www.breitbart.com/big-hollywood/2017/05/02/bill-nye-uses-ice-cream-cartoon-to-teach-about-the-flavors-of-sexuality/)

As the video concludes Bill Nye eagerly asks, “That was cool, wasn’t it?”

No Bill, it was not cool. And your entire video was built on a false premise. You refer to yourself as “enlightened” and “forward-thinking.” However, your desperate desire for fame has revealed that you are intellectually bankrupt when it comes to understanding real science, and you are simply promoting a twisted agenda.

A quick science lesson for Bill Nye: Humans are born with sex chromosomes. Men are born with distinct XY chromosomes. Women are born with distinct XX chromosomes. (Yes, in extremely rare cases individuals are born with a mutation of the norm, but those individuals are not purposefully trying to change between genders to please their own desires.) A man who is born with XY chromosomes cannot “change” that. It is a part of his genetic makeup. Sure, the man can take hormonal supplements or have plastic surgery, but at the end of the day his cells still contain XY chromosomes. Likewise, a woman will always have XX chromosomes. Bill, ice cream cones don’t have sex chromosomes and they don’t reproduce the way humans do.

Christians need to realize this who is a man is using his 15 minutes of fame to promote pseudo-science and rubbish. Nye supports climate change, evolution, and gender confusion. This is the guy who told president Trump that “science must shape policy” a few weeks ago in the March for Science. Science, or pseudo-science Bill?

I hope his latest videos will be the wake up call that was needed to permanently ban his false teaching from the classroom. For far too long this man has been poisoning children with anti-God rhetoric falsely called science. It’s time to send him packing and teach our children what real science is all about.

Bill, you asked if your new twisted video was cool? I would ask you who gets to define cool? What is your standard for cool and uncool? How do you define right and wrong? Without God things like right and wrong, cool and uncool are left up to the individual. And you, Bill are not a cool individual.

(Want to know the truth about this topic, check out Truth Trumps Tolerance. You can order one here https://www.focuspress.org/product/truth-trumps-tolerance/. Bill Nye, send me your mailing address and I’ll send you a complimentary copy!)

Posted in Brad Harrub | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Bill Nye the Immoral LGBTQ Guy