The Bible has long suffered the disparaging attacks of men. However, in times past the enemies of God’s word were at least easily identifiable. More and more as of late men who claim to be friends of our Lord are casting aspersions upon the Bible. While they profess a love for the Lord, they disingenuously deny the miracles of the Bible, many of the recorded actions and words of Jesus, and the inspiration of His written legacy to us. An example of this is the Jesus Seminar; a group of liberal, modernistic theologians who, in effect, sit around a table and vote on what words and actions of our Lord, recorded in the gospels, are actually genuine. Predictably, they deny the veracity of recorded miracles, as well as any judgmental language, seeing fit only to accept the gentle and loving side of Jesus nature. In doing so, they seek to remake Jesus in their own image, and do violence to the historical Jesus revealed in the inspired Word.
Contrast this denial of inspiration and general loose attitudes toward the Bible with the words of Jesus and his followers. Jesus promised the disciples in John 14:26, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” Concerning these “things” delivered by the Holy Spirit, Paul said to the Thessalonians, “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).
Further, the Apostle Peter asserts, “knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21).
To make the claim that the Bible is the work of man is to call Peter, Paul, even the Lord liars. Either liars, or deluded, or superstitious, or some other unacceptable contention. This is something you might would expect from the enemies of the cross, but it is unconscionable that those who profess a friendship with Christ would make such contentions.
Another attack on God’s word has come in the form of certain modern day, English translations of the Bible. The American Bible Society recently released their Contemporary English Bible, which they trumpet as, “the eternal truths of God’s Word in clear, understandable English” (ABS Advertisement). In reality it is a blasphemous attack against the Bible. Imagine the thousands of people who will be buying into this perversion of the gospel of Christ, all the while thinking they are getting a faithful, accurate translation of the original languages. Satan is working rabidly to bring harm to those God would save!
In other articles, we will examine the Contemporary English Bible as well as examining how the Bible has come down to us. In doing so I am convinced that your faith and confidence in the Word of God will be strengthened.
Let the American Bible Society, the Jesus Seminar, and the other enemies of the cross rail against the Bible. When all of their “hammering” is done, and all their “hammers” are strewn over the ground, the eternal and steadfast anvil that is God’s word will remain unscathed.
As Paul said, in Romans 3:3-4, “For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar…”
