8/27/15

From Mark Copeland... "GIVE ME THE BIBLE" Why I Study The Old Testament


                          "GIVE ME THE BIBLE"

                     Why I Study The Old Testament

INTRODUCTION

1. What benefit is the Old Testament (OT) to the Christian today...?
   a. Is the Christian under the OT as a system of justification?
   b. Is the OT authoritative regarding the work, worship, and
      organization of the  church?
   -- If not, why even bother with reading and studying the OT?

2. It is true Christians are not under the OT...
   a. Gentile Christians were never under the OT (or Old Covenant)
      1) The Old Covenant was made with the Israelites at Mt. Horeb
         (Sinai) - Deut 5:1-2
      2) Not even Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc., were under the Old
         Covenant - Deut 5:3
      3) Thus Gentile Christians were not required to be circumcised or
         keep the Law - Ac 15:1-29
   b. Jewish Christians have been delivered from the OT law
      1) Through the body of Christ - Ro 7:1-6
      2) By His death on the cross, Jesus brought the OT covenant to an
         end - Ep 2:14-16
      3) It served to lead the Jews to Christ, a purpose fulfilled - Ga 3:23-25

3. Unfortunately, some conclude from this that we need not read the OT...
   a. I have known Christians who had never read through the OT once
   b. I have heard some who will not attend services if a study or
      sermon series is based on the OT
   -- "Why bother, if we are not under the OT?", is the reasoning of some

4. Is that the proper attitude of Christians toward the OT?  This attitude...
   a. Is wrong, contrary to the teaching of the NT itself!
   b. Deprives the Christian of a wonderful source of peace and comfort
   c. Prevents the Christian from gaining wisdom and understanding
      concerning the life that now is, and that which is to come!

[To help us to appreciate the value of the Old Testament, let's begin by asking...]

I. WHY STUDY THE OLD TESTAMENT?

   A. WRITTEN FOR OUR LEARNING...
      1. Note carefully what Paul wrote in Ro 15:4
         a. Things "written before" (i.e., the OT) were "written for our learning"
         b. The OT was written and preserved especially for the
            Christians' benefit!
         c. The OT provides "patience and comfort", that we "might have hope"!
      2. The OT provides a record of God's faithfulness, how He kept His promises:
         a. To Abraham and the nation of Israel
         b. To judge the wicked and avenge the righteous
         c. To forgive the penitent, and protect the humble
      -- The history of the OT is intended to give us hope that God will
         keep His promises to us!

   B. WRITTEN FOR OUR ADMONITION...
      1. Paul reminded the Christians at Corinth of Israel's fall in the
         wilderness - 1Co 10:1-10
      2. Note carefully what he says in 1Co 10:11
         a. The events described may have happened to Israel
         b. But "they were written for our admonition..."
         c. Again, the OT was written and preserved especially for the
            benefit of Christians!
      3. Other NT writers often appealed to the OT in admonishing Christians
         a. The writer of Hebrews, in exhorting Christians to remain
            steadfast - He 3:12-19
         b. James, in encouraging Christians to be patient in their
            suffering - Jm 5:7-11
         c. Peter, in warning of false teachers and scoffers - 2Pe 2-3
      -- The history of the OT is intended to serve as a warning to Christians!

   C. MAKES ONE WISE REGARDING SALVATION IN CHRIST...
      1. Paul noted that Timothy had known the "Holy Scriptures" since
         childhood - 2Ti 3:14
         a. When Timothy was a child, the only scriptures available was
            the OT
         b. So Paul clearly had the OT in view
      2. He said the OT is "able to make you wise for salvation through
         faith which is in Christ Jesus" - 2Ti 3:15
      3. How is this possible?  The OT provides:
         a. The fall of man and the rise of sin
         b. The background and development of God's scheme of redemption
         c. Hundreds of Messianic prophecies which describe what to
            expect when He comes
      4. One cannot hope to fully understand such books of the New
         Testament like:
         a. Hebrews, without an understanding of the Levitical priesthood
         b. Revelation, without an understanding of OT prophecy and
            apocalyptic literature
      -- If one is to be wise concerning salvation in Christ, studying
         the OT is imperative!

   D. PROFITABLE TO MAKE ONE COMPLETE...
      1. Paul writes of the benefit of "All Scripture", which includes
         the OT - 2Ti 3:16-17
      2. Therefore the OT is profitable for:
         a. Doctrine - such as the nature of God, man, and sin
         b. Reproof and correction - the need for repentance
         c. Instruction in righteousness - how to live godly lives
      3. The apostles often appealed to the OT concerning Christians'conduct:
         a. E.g., Ro 12:19-21; 2Co 6:16-7:1; 9:7-10
         b. E.g., Jm 2:20-26
         c. E.g., 1Pe 3:8-12
      -- There is much we can learn from the OT about truth and
         righteousness!

[Should the Christian study the Old Testament?  Of course!  Along with
the NT, it was written "that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly
equipped for every good work." (2Ti 3:17)

To not read and study the OT is to deprive one of much admonition,
learning, wisdom, and instruction that God intended for His children!
In encouraging others to study the OT, let me offer...]

II. SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDYING THE OLD TESTAMENT

   A. INCLUDE IN YOUR BIBLE READING PROGRAM...
      1. Do not limit your daily Bible reading to just the New Testament
      2. I encourage one to read the whole Bible through each year, both
         OT and NT
         a. One might start with Genesis and end with Revelation
         b. Others prefer both OT and NT concurrently throughout the year
      -- The important thing is make the OT a part of your regular study
         of the Bible

   B. USE A MODERN TRANSLATION...
      1. I grew up on the KJV, had no problem with the NT, but found the
         OT extremely difficult
      2. In high school, I began reading the NASB, and the OT came alive
         for me!
      -- I personally recommend either the NKJV, ESV, NASB

   C. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF STUDY BIBLES, SPECIAL CLASSES...
      1. Study Bibles provide historical background, maps, drawings,
         etc. (e.g., ESV)
      2. If your congregation offers classes or sermons in the OT, take them!
      -- Don't be like some who won't attend when the subject is from
         the OT

   D. GIVE FOCUS TO PSALMS, PROVERBS, AND THE PROPHETS...
      1. Certainly all of God's word is of great value
      2. But one might appreciate the value of the OT more quickly, by
         giving attention to:
         a. The Psalms - as a great source of comfort, peace, and
            drawing near to God, especially in troubling times
         b. The Proverbs - as a great source of practical wisdom for
            everyday living
         c. The Prophets - as a great source for learning about the
            righteousness, justice, mercy and love of God
      -- This is not to suggest that we neglect the other parts of the OT

CONCLUSION

1. Should we only study Scriptures pertaining to the covenant under
   which we live...?
   a. Should Israel have discarded Genesis, and the first nineteen
      chapters of Exodus? No!
   b. Should we discard the gospels, since Jesus lived and died under
      the Old Covenant?  No!

2. Neither should we ignore the OT, for it provides...
   a. The background and setting of the NT
   b. Much in the way of learning, admonition, comfort, hope, even
      wisdom concerning salvation!

Be careful not to neglect that which was written and preserved for OUR benefit...

   "For whatever things were written before were written for OUR
   learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the
   Scriptures might have hope." -Ro 15:4

   "Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were
   written for OUR admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have
   come." - 1Co 10:11

And remember that...

     "ALL Scripture is inspired of God, and is profitable..."
                             2Ti 3:16

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

Origins and the "Created Kind" Concept by Trevor Major, M.Sc., M.A.


https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=13&article=1122

Origins and the "Created Kind" Concept

by  Trevor Major, M.Sc., M.A.

Q.

The Bible speaks of things reproducing “after their kind.” What does the biblical word “kind” indicate?
A.
Today, most creationists take the view that variation and speciation can occur only within created kinds. These kinds appeared for the first time in the creation week, and have since colonized the Earth. For land-dwelling animals, modern representatives would have to be the descendants of the kinds carried on the ark (Genesis 6:17; 8:17-19).
However, there is no consensus on the biological definition of kind, or the criteria for grouping animals within a kind. Some creationists equate the term with a particular taxonomic level higher than species, such as genus or family. Most, however, avoid such comparisons altogether. Byron Nelson wrote:
The “kinds” of Genesis refer not to the “systematic” species identified by men, but to those natural species of which the world is full, which have power to vary within themselves in such a way that the members of the species are not all exactly alike, but which, nevertheless, cannot go out of the bounds that the creator set (1967, p. 4).
In 1941, Frank Marsh coined the term “baramin”—a compound of the Hebrew words bara (“created”) and min (“kind”). He suggested that the nearest equivalent to the created kind would vary, depending on the greatest taxonomic level at which two organisms could interbreed (1976, p. 34). For example, while there are several species of cattle and bison, they probably belong to the same kind because they all can interbreed (Marsh, 1976, p. 31).
The differences of opinion, and the apparent flexibility in the idea, have given anticreationists cause for criticism. Joel Cracraft complained:
The “created kind” is the unit of creation event just as the species is the unit of evolutionary change. Consequently, if the concept of “created kind” cannot be defined so that it can be used to interpret and investigate nature, then it is of little or no importance for the growth of knowledge (1983, p. 169).
However, the same sort of criticisms leveled at kinds also can be turned on the species concept, which is neither well defined nor objective. First, the widely held biological species concept “holds that a species is a population of organisms that can at least potentially breed with one another but that do not breed with other populations” (Rennie, 1991). Unfortunately, two populations may not breed because they are isolated geographically. This may lead to taxonomic splitting, by which taxonomists give two different names to populations that could interbreed if given the chance. Practically speaking, very few species undergo extensive cross-breeding experiments before classification to test their reproductive isolation. Hybridization is another problem. Two seemingly distinct plant species may cross to produce fertile hybrids.
The potential for taxonomic splitting is especially acute in the fossil record, where it is impossible to apply the biological species concept. Instead, paleontologists tend to define species on their morphology alone. However, the soft parts of an organism rarely are preserved, and the identification must rest almost entirely on hard parts (e.g., bones, teeth, etc.). Any evolutionary relationships drawn from such studies are necessarily limited (Major, 1991).
Second, the species idea often takes on a definite evolutionary connotation. As we have already seen, Cracraft claims that the species is “the unit of evolutionary change” (1983, p. 169). He wants to replace the biological species concept with his own phylogenetic species concept, mainly because he is not satisfied with any definition that ignores alleged evolutionary relationships. Cracraft’s concept defines a species as “the smallest recognizable cluster of individuals that share a common pattern of ancestry” (Rennie, 1991).
The created kind concept can hold its own against these definitions. It proposes that a kind will consist of populations that can interbreed, while still allowing room for variation. If implemented systematically, the concept would reveal barriers or discontinuities between created kinds. “In order to make this evidence of creation available,” Kurt Wise has suggested, “there is a serious need for creation biologists to create, adopt, and employ a reproducible method of flagging identifiable phyletic discontinuities” (1990, 2:354). Creationists, like Wise, are continuing their work on kinds. In the meantime we face a taxonomic system encumbered with evolutionary presuppositions.

REFERENCES

Cracraft, Joel (1983), “Systematics, Comparative Biology, and the Case against Creationism,” Scientists Confront Creationism, ed. Laurie R. Godfrey (New York: W.W. Norton), pp. 163-191.
Major, Trevor (1991), “Problems in the Interpretation of Variation Within the Fossil Record,” Creation Research Society Quarterly, 28:52-53, September.
Marsh, Frank L. (1976), Variation and Fixity in Nature (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press).
Nelson, Byron (1967), After Its Kind (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany Fellowship).
Rennie, John (1991), “Are Species Specious?,” Scientific American, 265[5]:26, November.
Wise, Kurt P. (1990), “Baraminology: A Young-Earth Creation Biosystematic Method,” Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Creationism, July 30-August 4, 1990, ed. Robert E. Walsh (Pittsburgh, PA: Creation Science Fellowship), pp. 345-360.

God's Patience by Caleb Colley, Ph.D.


https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=1395

God's Patience

by  Caleb Colley, Ph.D.

Some people picture God as akin to a miserly dictator Who is eager to find a cause to crush the vile human race He created. Is that the way the Bible portrays God? Romans 2:4 reads: “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” Romans 15:5 emphasizes God’s patience: “Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be likeminded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus.” Peter wrote: “the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation” (2 Peter 3:15).
God is patient because He does not want anyone to be eternally lost. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). One meaning of “patience,” according to the Illustrated Oxford Dictionary, is “the capacity for calm, self-possessed waiting.” God has promised that there will be a day when sinners will receive their final condemnation (2 Peter 2:9; 3:7), but God is waiting in order that more sinners might accept and obey the Gospel. Wayne Jackson noted biblical examples of this patience:
The Lord’s wrath is not inflicted impulsively. Rather, history repeatedly has demonstrated that God exercises “much long-suffering” toward those deserving of punishment (Romans 9:22). His patience was demonstrated to the generation of Noah’s day (Genesis 6:3). He longed to spare corrupt Sodom (Genesis 18:26ff). Jehovah revealed himself to Moses as a God who is “slow to anger” (Exodus 34:6; cf. Psalms 103:8). The Lord was even long-suffering with a wretch as vile as Ahab (1 Kings 21:29). For centuries He was tolerant with the arrogant and stiff-necked nation of Israel (Nehemiah 9:17) [2000].
We desperately need God’s patience, just as the apostle Paul did. Paul was given the opportunity to be saved, despite the fact that he was “the chief ” of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15-16; see Nicks, 1981, p. 190). Potential for salvation rests in God’s patience. Rather than instantly destroying people when they sin, He providentially gives people opportunities and encouragement that should lead to repentance (Titus 2:11). God expects us to request His continued patience as we make mistakes (1 John 1:9; Luke 11:4), and He shows His patience by continually forgiving us of our sins when we do (based on the sacrifice of Christ’s blood and our sincere obedience to His will; see 1 John 1:7).
We should emulate the patience of God. Romans 2:6-7 emphasizes the necessity of patience in the lives of Christians: “[God] will render to each one according to his deeds: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality” (emp. added). Paul instructed Christians to be patient: “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all” (1 Thessalonians 5:14, emp. added; cf. Christ’s parable of the impatient servant in Matthew 18:23-35). People cannot be saved unless they have patience, because without patience, the Christian’s work is impossible (see Ecclesiastes 7:8; Ephesians 4:2; 2 Timothy 2:24; James 1:4). Patience also is necessary because other essential Christian virtues, including faith, hope, and joy, are dependent on it (James 1:2-4; Romans 5:3; 15:4; Colossians 1:11; see Nicks, 1981, pp. 191-192). William Barclay observed:
If God had been a man, He would have taken His hand and wiped out this world long ago; but God has that patience which bears with all our sinning and which will not cast us off. In our lives, in our attitude to and dealings with our fellow men, we must reproduce this loving, forbearing, forgiving, patient attitude of God toward ourselves (1958, p. 56).
God’s patience is balanced by His perfect justice. Unforgiven sin will be punished, but God’s patience allows time for repentance (Matthew 25:41; 2 Peter 2:9; see Colley, 2004). Isaiah 30:18 makes it clear: “Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is God of justice; blessed are those who wait for Him.” God’s generous patience should motivate us to obey Him.

REFERENCES

Barclay, William (1958), The Daily Study Bible: Letters to Galatians and Ephesians (Philadelphia, PA: Westminster).
Colley, Caleb (2004), “God’s Mercy and Justice,” [On-line], URL: http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/1860.
Illustrated Oxford Dictionary (2003), (New York: Oxford), revised edition.
Jackson, Wayne (2000), “The Righteousness of God Revealed,” [On-line], URL: http://www.christiancourier.com/feature/february2000.htm.
Nicks, Bill (1981), “Patience,” Continuing in the Doctrine, ed. Bill Nicks, M.H. Tucker, John Waddey (Knoxville, TN: East Tennessee School of Preaching and Missions).

Conveniently Redefining Design by Eric Lyons, M.Min.


https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=9&article=2450

Conveniently Redefining Design

by  Eric Lyons, M.Min.

According to the General Theory of Evolution, about 14 billion years ago “all the matter in the universe was concentrated into one very dense, very hot region that may have been much smaller than a period on this page. For some unknown reason, this region exploded” (Hurd, et al., p. 61). As a result of the alleged explosion of a period-sized ball of matter, billions of galaxies formed, and eventually planets such as Earth evolved. Supposedly, the evolution of galaxies, and every planet, moon, and star within these galaxies, all came about by non-purposeful, unintelligent accidents. Likewise, every life form that eventually appeared on Earth purportedly evolved by mindless, random chances over millions of years. Some life forms “just happened” to evolve the ability to reproduce asexually, while others “just happened” to develop the capability to reproduce sexually. Some life forms “just happened” to evolve the ability to walk along vertical ledges (e.g., the gecko), while others “just happened” to evolve the “gift” of glowing (e.g., glow worms). Some life forms “just happened” to evolve the ability to make silk (e.g., spiders), which pound for pound is stronger than steel, while others “just happened” to evolve the ability to “turn 90 degrees in under 50 milliseconds” while flying in a straight line (e.g., the blowfly; Mueller, 2008, 213[4]:82). Allegedly, everything has come into existence by random chances over billions of years. According to the General Theory of Evolution, there was no Mind, no Intelligence, and no Designer that created the Universe and everything in it.
Ironically, though atheistic evolutionary scientists insist that the Earth and all living things on it have no grand, intelligent Designer, these same scientists consistently refer to amazing “design” in nature. Consider an example of such paradoxical language in a recent National Geographic article titled, “Biomimetics: Design by Nature” (Mueller, 2008). The word “design” (or one of its derivatives—designs, designed, etc.) appeared no less than seven times in the article in reference to “nature’s designs.” Evolutionary biologist Andrew Parker spoke of his collection of preserved animals as “a treasure-trove of brilliant design” (Mueller, 2008, p. 75, emp. added). After interviewing Parker, National Geographic writer Tom Mueller noted how the capillaries between the scales of a thorny devil lizard are “evidently designed to guide water toward the lizard’s mouth” (p. 81, emp. added). He then explained how “[i]nsects offer an embarrassment of design riches” (p. 75, emp. added). Mueller referred to nature’s “sophistication” and “clever devices” (p. 79), and praised nature for being able to turn simple materials “into structures of fantastic complexity, strength, and toughness” (p. 79). After learning of the uncanny, complicated maneuverability of a little blowfly, Mueller even confessed to feeling the need to regard the insect “on bended knee in admiration” (p. 82). Why? Because of its “mysterious” and “complicated” design. Brilliant and well-funded scientists around the world admit that living things perform many feats “too mysterious and complicated to be able to replicate.” They are “designed,” allegedly, with no “Designer.”
But how can you get design without purpose, intelligence, and deliberate planning? The first three definitions the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary gives for “design” (noun) are as follows: “1a:a particular purpose held in view by an individual or group...b:deliberate purposive planning... 2:a mental project or scheme in which means to an end are laid down; 3a:a deliberate undercover project or scheme” (2008, emp. added). After defining “design” as a drawing, sketch, or “graphic representation of a detailed plan...,” the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language noted that design may be defined as “[t]he purposeful or inventive arrangement of parts or details” (2000, p. 492, emp. added). A design is preceded by “deliberate purposive planning,” “a detailed plan,” or an “inventive arrangement.” A design is the effect, not of time, chance, and unintelligent, random accidents, but of the purposeful planning and deliberate actions of an inventor or designer. A designer causes a design to come into existence. Thus, by definition, design demands a designer, and one with some measure of intelligence.
Whereas National Geographic highlights the field of biomimetics and encourages readers to “learn from what evolution has wrought” (Mueller, 2008, 213[4]:75, emp. added), mankind would do better to mimic the actions of a noble inventor/designer from the mid-1800s. Samuel Morse, who invented the telegraph system and Morse Code, sent the very first telegraph from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore, Maryland on May 24, 1844 (“Today...,” 2007). His message consisted of a brief quotation from Numbers 23:23: “What hath God wrought!” (emp. added). Samuel Morse unashamedly testified to what everyone should understand: design demands a designer. Morse’s code and the telegraph system were the immediate effects of a designer: Samuel Morse. But, the Grand Designer, Who created Morse and every material thing that Morse used to invent his telegraph system, is God. Morse recognized this marvelous, self-evident truth.
National Geographic purports that nature “blindly cobbles together myriad random experiments over thousands of generations” in order to produce complex, living organisms that the world’s “top scientists have yet to comprehend” (Mueller, 2008, 213[4]:90). We, on the other hand, choose to believe that, just as a painting demands a painter, and a poem a poet, the world’s amazing designs, which continually stump the most intelligent scientists on Earth, demand an intelligent Designer.

REFERENCES

American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (2000), (Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin), fourth edition.
Hurd, Dean, George Mathias, and Susan Johnson, eds. (1992), General Science: A Voyage of Discovery (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall).
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (2008), [On-line], URL: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary.
Mueller, Tom (2008), “Biomimetics: Design by Nature,” National Geographic, 213[4]:68-91, April.
“Today in History: May 24” (2007), The Library of Congress, [On-line], URL: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/may24.html.

Gay Man Sues Bible Publishers Over “Homosexual” Reference by Kyle Butt, M.A.


https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=7&article=489

Gay Man Sues Bible Publishers Over “Homosexual” Reference

by  Kyle Butt, M.A.

In 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, the New King James text reads:
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God (emp. added).
Bradley Fowler, a homosexual from Michigan, claims that the Zondervan Publishing Company and Thomas Nelson Publishing have violated his rights by distributing Bibles that use the word “homosexuals” in 1 Corinthians 6:9. In fact, he insists that he and other homosexuals have suffered “verbal abuse, discrimination, episodes of hate, and physical violence…including murder” because of this particular translation (Pedraza, 2008). Since he believes that his constitutional rights have been violated, he is suing the two companies for a combined total of 70 million dollars.
Several issues about this situation need to be addressed. First, any legitimate translation of the Bible is an attempt to render the original Greek text into the closest modern English terms available. The New King James Version (in which the word “homosexuals” appears) is not a haphazardly thrown together fly-by-night translation. It is the result of countless hours of scholarly work done by credible Bible researchers. No less than 21 textual scholars converged to combine their efforts to produce the version. Those scholars held respected positions at such institutions as the University of Auckland in New Zealand, Grace Theological Seminary, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Concordia Seminary, Biola College, Asbury Theological Seminary, and Cincinnati Seminary (“New King…,” n.d.). These revisers brought to the table several centuries of combined scholarly and academic experience specifically in the study of the Greek language and manuscripts of the biblical text. To sue the publishers of the NKJV based on an alleged mistake by Greek scholars of such inestimable repute as those involved in the NKJV translation is unprecedented. In Zondervan’s publicly issued statement, the company declared: “We rely on scholarly judgment of the highly respected and credible translation committees behind each translation and never alter the text of the translations we are licensed to publish…. We only publish credible translations produced by credible Biblical scholars” (Pedraza, 2008).
Second, we must simply ask whether or not the Bible does, in fact, condemn homosexuality. The answer to that is a resounding “Yes.” We have previously documented copious biblical evidence establishing the fact that homosexuality is viewed by the Bible writers as a sin that, if unrepented of, will result in the homosexual forfeiting the Kingdom of God, exactly as stated in 1 Corinthians 6 (see Miller and Harrub, 2004).
The fact that Fowler’s outlandish lawsuit has been viewed as credible enough to reach the media is troubling. Suppose that Fowler wins. Who will be next to sue Bible publishers? Will drunkards have a right to seek grievances for the many times their actions are condemned in the New Testament (Ephesians 5:18, 1 Peter 4:3, etc.)? Will liars be able to seek restitution from the courts, since their practice is repeatedly condemned (Revelation 21:8, Ephesians 4:25, etc)? Will the door be opened for murderers to seek financial redress for the many years of “abuse” they have suffered because the Bible condemns their actions?
Thankfully, the court seems to be keeping its head in this case. “U.S. District Judge Julian Abele Cook Jr., who will hear Fowler’s case against Thomas Nelson, says the court ‘has some very genuine concerns about the nature and efficacy of [Fowler’s] claims’” (as quoted in Pedraza). In truth, Fowler’s tactic is nothing more than an attempt to “elevate” homosexuality to a sacrosanct lifestyle that cannot be criticized without negative ramifications. Unfortunately, other countries, under the guise of hate speech laws, have already severely restricted what can legally be said against homosexuality (Butt, 2004). Pray that the day never comes in the United States of America when a person cannot stand in an assembly and read a scholarly translation of the Greek New Testament that condemns homosexuality.

REFERENCES

Butt, Kyle (2004), “Hate Crimes, Homosexuality, and Preaching the Gospel,” [On-line], URL: http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/2617.
Miller, Dave and Brad Harrub (2004), “An Investigation of the Biblical Evidence Against Homosexuality,” [On-line], URL: http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/2577.
Pedraza, Rick (2008), “Bible Publishers Sued for Anti-Gay References,” Newsmax, [On-line], URL: http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/man_sues_bible_publishers/2008/07/ 10/111626.html?s=al&promo_code=65BF-1.
“New King James Version” (no date), [On-line], URL: http://www.bible-researcher.com/nkjv.html#translators.

From Gary... Murder!!!























Recently, there has been a movement called "black lives matter" and a reaction to it that "all lives matter". This begs the question: are  the unborn (babies, fetus') people?  What does the Bible say?

Jeremiah, Chapter 1 (WEB)
 1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:  2 to whom Yahweh’s word came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.  3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, to the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, to the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.  4 Now Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,  5 “Before I formed you in the belly, I knew you. Before you came out of the womb, I sanctified you. I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” 

Job, Chapter 3 (WEB)
 1 After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed the day of his birth.  2 Job answered: 
  3 “Let the day perish in which I was born,
the night which said, ‘There is a boy conceived.’

Genesis, Chapter 25 (WEB)
 21 Isaac entreated Yahweh for his wife, because she was barren. Yahweh was entreated by him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.  22 The children struggled together within her. She said, “If it be so, why do I live?” She went to inquire of Yahweh. 

Luke, Chapter 1 (WEB)
36 Behold, Elizabeth, your relative, also has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 


The above is plain; the unborn are children. If God knew Jeremiah, then he was a person. Simple, direct, and unambiguous. If someone wants to oppose what God has plainly said, you can- but you will lose (every time)!!!

If you kill a person, then you are guilty of murder. America has a lot to answer for. God will judge this country for opposing HIM!!! 

Stop abortion now!!! Or, do you really want to be a Nazi????